My 911 is in the shop for maintenance (of note, 2nd year maintenance is oil, brake fluid, and an air filter or two - for $1,600 - so I'm not going to ever bitch about the three year free maintenance from BMW).

Anyway, I have a base Macan loaner and thought I would give some off-the-cuff thoughts compared to my X3 M40i...

Driving Dynamics
The Macan rides better, handles better, has much better brakes, and better steering feel. Everything about the actual "drive" is so MUCH better than the X3 - except for acceleration. I'm in the base and it is scary unless it is in sport mode - even then, it is just bad - albeit very linear. Like many, I've often complained about how hard it is to do a smooth stop in the X3 but the Macan gets it so right. And the steering is so nice - and the car/truck does not seem to lean as much. It is as close to a sports car in a SUV as possible.

Looks
Totally subjective, but I like the more "Edgy" look of the X3. The Macan is more of an egg shape and is much more feminine to me. Also, it feels like they gave up on the design of the front end of the Macan - like someone forgot to finish it off.

Interior
The instrument panel of the Macan is far superior to the silly speedo/tach gauges of the X3. But it ends there. The flush buttons in piano black with very little if any feedback are annoying - and CarPlay is like 2/3rds of the screen (maybe same in X3 but I never notice). The cup holders are also before the shifter in the Macan vs in front of and out of the way in the X3. That's a personal preference but my wife HATED where they were in the Macan - it is almost an un-natural reach for things. I have the ventilated seats in the X3 and while I find them uncomfortable and far worse than the Sensatec, dare I say, I think I dislike the Macan seats even more (granted they are not the fancy optional 18 way). Oh the actual dashboard of the Macan does look oh so cheap and plastic too.

Controls
Macan has a regular old fashioned shifter and.... to me... It doesn't work as good as the goofy BMW shifter! Getting it in to reverse is always a challenge - have not figured out why. And this is weird, but the turn signal stalk feels cheap and un-refined in the Macan. I notice it every time I drive - it is yucky.

Features
I texted my dealer "Hey, the remote start is broken" this morning when I got into an iced up car. He was like "It doesn't have remote start?" and my comment was "oh, that's why I bought the X3!". He doesn't like me any more. But the fact is, remote start and kick to open tailgate are WONDERFUL and I miss both of them in the loaner. The stereo however is about the same - base Macan vs. HK X3. I can't believe how bad the stereo is in the X3....

That's about it. No regrets on saving $20K with the X3 - I enjoy the car, but don't love it (my wife and 22 year old daughter do however).

Thanks for the in depth review! I was thinking about a macan before going X3 M40.

Have stated this already on both forums… (of course, this is comparing a ‘17 Gen 1 GTS)

Steering and feel? Macan
Fit and finish? Slightly Macan
Engine? M40i
Transmission? Toss-up… PDK is slick, but ZF with B58 is almost perfection for daily driving
Tech? Not even close… M40i
Bang for Buck? Not even close… M40i

What would I rather own at this point? Surprisingly, the M40i still.

My X4 M40i is by FAR the BEST daily driver I have ever owned…. Hands down. The only thing I would change at this point is 20 inch wheels with AS tires. That’s it.

EDIT: Brakes (for ME) go to my M40i performance brakes. They are hands down better than what I had on the GTS… and better feel.

BUT - forgot to mention seats… sorry, but Porsche 14 way and 18 way absolutely smoke any of the options from BMW.

I guess what I conclude is… the Macan, in the right trim, is only a SLIGHTLY better car than a properly spec’d X3 or X4. It’s not worth the price difference to get that betterment, UNLESS, money truly isn’t an option to consider… OR, you are buying a back half of life dream ride to keep for 8-10 years. Then I could understand it. (Or you’re buying used, that would work too). But for a daily driver? Plenty of better options to choose from. I know the current Gen Macans are better… but still not enough to warrant the spend is my opinion. When I get to 90-100K, you are entering 911 and 718 4.0 GTS territory. I’d much rather have one of those in my garage with the P crest on it!

I've only driven a Macan once and it was a pre lci Macan S.

I will go ahead and say I wasn't entirely sure what the hype was about because man that was not an exciting car to me. Well handling sure and comfortable... but a complete lack of character, throttle response and just overall power. Tech- well this part was borderline laughable compared to BMW... this even before mentioning the 15k price difference.

I came from a Macan S to the M40i and the only thing I miss is the comfort of the Macan. The seats and ride quality make the M40i feel like a go-kart. Technology, throttle response and everything else I will take on the M40i.

Owned a 2016 Macan S. Other then the run flat tires and seats, I’ll take my M40i and $14,000 savings!

bcwalks2 wrote

I came from a Macan S to the M40i and the only thing I miss is the comfort of the Macan. The seats and ride quality make the M40i feel like a go-kart. Technology, throttle response and everything else I will take on the M40i.

Agree with this. The M40i FEELS “sporty” to me… and I actually like/prefer it. But the Macan was (and assuming still is) much more “comfortable”, yet you can still go fast and have fun in it (obviously). Just different strokes for different folks… neither is a bad choice IMO. Just so happens one will cost ya quite a bit more.

I drove the X3 today (getting a ding fixed) and I'll say it again, even with AS tires on 20" wheels on the BMW, the Porsche just drives so so much better. Steering feel, handling, and ride composure are just so far ahead of the X3...

hotwasabipeas wrote

Too bad you didn't get to compare a proper Porsche Macan with the M40i. A 4-cyclinder Porsche is a disgrace to the brands heritage. Even with that said, a Porsche does drive and handle better than a BMW but you pay dearly for the experience. A Macan S with air suspension, PTV+ and Sport Chrono is an absolute beast but will easily cost $85,000+. A GTS is better still and that is easily $99,000+ with all the good options.

100% agree

I found the sticker in the glove box. This 4 cyl Macan is $67,000. Couple in maintenance costs over three years, and it is MORE money than a loaded X3 M40i. And has so fewer features. So if money was no object

I own a 23 X3 40i and a 23 Macan S (my wife’s car).
The Macan wins on most categories except cargo size.

• Build quality- solid doors and no wind noise.
• Comfort - 18 way power seats, driver and passenger…
• Drivability - Ride quality and handling with air suspension. Smooth breaking
• Sport exhaust - BMW NA
• Engine/ Acceleration - very similar. With sport chrono, Car and Driver clocked the Macan S at 3.8 seconds. Both cars are quick.
• Multimedia - Slight advantage to BMW. Although I never have CarPlay issues in the Macan and the stereo sounds better.
• Extras - Includes spare tire without a raised cargo floor, analog dials
• All said the Macan did cost 20K more.

I wish the X3 stacked up better with build quality. I think BMW cut a lot of corners with the 23’s and took more profits.

Love the seats in the Macan, the analog guages, the spare w/ normal cargo floor, and the stance of the Macan.

I could not stomach the price difference or the reliability/mx cost differential.

I don’t have the exact measurements but Macan is significantly smaller than X3. The rear seat space alone removed it from my consideration.

Macan also sits lower and has much lower roofline compared to X3 which helps with ride / handling.

In terms of cost - while Macan msrp is significantly higher, the lease deals on base and S models will make it very close to M40i. Porsche has strong programs with better residual value.

I also don’t like that it’s mostly an Audi - the chassis and engines are shared with Q5. Obviously Porsche worked its magic on tuning and chassis setup.

i still dont get why we are comparing cars that are 20k apart in price similarly optioned

ASAP wrote

i still dont get why we are comparing cars that are 20k apart in price similarly optioned

Agreed, but not similarly optioned. 18 way sport seats (driver and passenger), full leather, air suspension, sport exhaust, better stereo. All in about 10K apart if those options were available with the X3. A fair price comparison maybe with the Macan T? All would be the same but the engine.
I'm not trying to trash the X3, it's just let me down quality wise compared to the other BMW's i've owned (X4, 435 conv, 535 GT).
I will drag race these cars when I find a good location - I'm relatively new to the area... I think the X3 feels faster 0-100 but we'll see.

Gritty wrote

I own a 23 X3 40i and a 23 Macan S (my wife’s car).
The Macan wins on most categories except cargo size.

• Build quality- solid doors and no wind noise.
• Comfort - 18 way power seats, driver and passenger…
• Drivability - Ride quality and handling with air suspension. Smooth breaking
• Sport exhaust - BMW NA
• Engine/ Acceleration - very similar. With sport chrono, Car and Driver clocked the Macan S at 3.8 seconds. Both cars are quick.
• Multimedia - Slight advantage to BMW. Although I never have CarPlay issues in the Macan and the stereo sounds better.
• Extras - Includes spare tire without a raised cargo floor, analog dials
• All said the Macan did cost 20K more.

I wish the X3 stacked up better with build quality. I think BMW cut a lot of corners with the 23’s and took more profits.

Nice color/exterior option spec on the Macan. Matching mirrors and side blades REALLY changes the flow of the car IMO. The current GTS front end is still hideous, and I can't get past it. If I were to order now, it'd be a lightly spec'd S with the right accents. Just so happens, my neighbor's wife bought one almost identical to what I would have spec'd mine as.... glad I didn't end up ordering one.

Truth be told, we see Macans ALL OVER THE PLACE where we live... mostly bases, a few S's, and occasionally a GTS (tho very rare). But alas, every other "Joe" doesn't know the difference between models... they all just see a sea of Macans. Have to admit, my ego enjoys having the only DG X4 M40i with black wheels AT ALL around these parts. There is another DG X4... but it's a 30i and stock colored wheels; I only see him/her every 2-3 months. The only other X4 I've seen around my area is a Brookly Grey 30i.

I find the overall drivability of the M40i better than my 16 S. I found the PDK was not smooth and when you put your foot down to pass someone, the S stumbled. I like our transmission better. I also found the Nav system in the Macan way more difficult to use than in my M40i. I agree about the seats in the M40i being less comfortable than the Macan. Softness and 14 position was great. Finally, I find my HK system way better the. The Sony. It might be because of 2000 hours of military pilot time. My wife thinks I’m deaf!

Had a chance to drive my brother's Macan base for an afternoon. It's a nice car. I'm not a huge fan of the center console digital buttons they have set up now. The displays are nice. The entertainment system is nice. The car overall looks amazing. Handles well, drives well. Being a base it is very low on power to what we are used to. So that was underwhelming to say the least. Added to that, there is not nearly as much or enough room in the backseat for adult passengers unless they are relatively short. So it is not a optional replacement for us. Honestly the closer comparison would be a Cayenne. Size-wise anyways.

Gritty wrote

I own a 23 X3 40i and a 23 Macan S (my wife’s car).
The Macan wins on most categories except cargo size.

• Build quality- solid doors and no wind noise.
• Comfort - 18 way power seats, driver and passenger…
• Drivability - Ride quality and handling with air suspension. Smooth breaking
• Sport exhaust - BMW NA
• Engine/ Acceleration - very similar. With sport chrono, Car and Driver clocked the Macan S at 3.8 seconds. Both cars are quick.
• Multimedia - Slight advantage to BMW. Although I never have CarPlay issues in the Macan and the stereo sounds better.
• Extras - Includes spare tire without a raised cargo floor, analog dials
• All said the Macan did cost 20K more.

I wish the X3 stacked up better with build quality. I think BMW cut a lot of corners with the 23’s and took more profits.

I have nearly the exact same setup with the same colors: I have a Brooklyn Grey X3 and the wife a Chalk Macan (both '22 model years) except X3MC and GTS. Pretty much all the analysis remains the same except with engine/acceleration the gap grows significantly in favor of the BMW and the gap also widens the Porsche's advantage with drivability. However we both agree that the advantage to BMW is far greater than the Porsche when it comes to Multimedia. A lot of that can probably be alleviated with a $600 coding session on the Porsche to enable full screen CarPlay and Android Auto (I haven't seen a DIY way to do it yet) but we just didn't care enough to bother with it.

That's great! Add some pic's when you get a chance. I would have bought the X3MC if BMW offered air suspension to improve the drivability when needed. How hard would that be for BMW? Further I would have bought the GTS, if my POS dealer didn't want 10K over list price... All said my wife is happy with the S.
Enjoy!

Gritty wrote

That's great! Add some pic's when you get a chance. I would have bought the X3MC if BMW offered air suspension to improve the drivability when needed. How hard would that be for BMW? Further I would have bought the GTS, if my POS dealer didn't want 10K over list price... All said my wife is happy with the S.
Enjoy!

Holy crap. 10k over for a macan GTS? I mean, I'd get it (but still horrified) if it were their coupe GTS but... holy crap.

My wife wants a Macan as well because of the ride and the looks. But she wants a dark red one so that'll probably be a special order when we get around to it. Rn we got a wedding coming up (did city hall wedding during COVID, just getting around to doing thr actual one soon) in Hawaii, which is sucking up funds big time so we'll probably wait until the dust settles... Hopefully they don't raise the prices too much lol.

Gritty wrote

That's great! Add some pic's when you get a chance. I would have bought the X3MC if BMW offered air suspension to improve the drivability when needed. How hard would that be for BMW? Further I would have bought the GTS, if my POS dealer didn't want 10K over list price... All said my wife is happy with the S.
Enjoy!

I would add some pics but I still have Tahoe grit all over it from 2 months ago and bird shit on the Macan. Been too lazy to get the cars washed (also, SF just doesn't have great car wash services) and I haven't even pulled my X3 out of the garage in weeks...

Air suspensions--at least in my limited experience--aren't necessarily the panacea for driveability. Prior to the Macan we had a Mercedes E43 with air suspension and it paled in comparison to the Porsche's. While it wasn't as punishing as the X3M, the Macan was downright plush compared to it while still handling brilliantly.