If you are looking for straight line speed, X3 M40 should beat out the Macan S with ease.

 

Are you serious?

The Beamer will be good but not great like a Macan.

There again the Beamer looks like all other Beamers, butt ugly outside but OK inside.

If you have yet to drive a Macan, please do so, then all thoughts of a Beamer will go out the window.

Rather than an S do check out a GTS or if funds allow a Turbo, with a Turbo the only way you will then see the Beamer will be in your rear view mirror.

 

Hope to see you on the road

My GTS encounter with X4 M40i which i could not shake off especially above 60mph makes me feel X3 M40i (same engine, smaller, more compact) will be an easy win over the S.

Now when it comes to experience/driving dynamics, S all the way in my opinion.. A few clips I zoomed through months ago for giggles. I still choose the Macan if to do again though

The X4 M40i you encountered was it Long Beach Blue ? 0

 

Looks like it's geared to be quicker off the line, but not the same top end.
As said, looks like every other BMW SUV out there.
Plus we've had 1 blow up on us and one tranny fail in another.

 

My GTS encounter with X4 M40i which i could not shake off especially above 60mph makes me feel X3 M40i (same engine, smaller, more compact) will be an easy win over the S.

Now when it comes to experience/driving dynamics, S all the way in my opinion.. A few clips I zoomed through months ago for giggles. I still choose the Macan if to do again though

Throwing in the NEW SQ5 and GLC 43

Fast forward next clip if you are lazy like me to 38:15 for his comparison on all 3

 

Improved interior to 5 series level, a few M performance parts, it will be interesting. Let's see how the x3M also turns out.

 

Straight line speed may go to the 40i. On a track, with at least PASM, no doubt Macan.

As for which is a a better car? No contest, Macan is in a different league. Plus, there are 5 billion X3's and Bimmer's that look like X3's on the road. Not much more uniqueness or exclusivity than a Toyota SUV, if that's a factor to you.

 

Drive the Macan. It'll be game over pretty much right there.

 

Thanks for the good inputs, I drove the S and do like the looks and handling. Being a longtime BMW driver it is going to be tough to make the switch. One concern is the infotainment seems to be a bit behind in the Macan and the new X3 M40i will have the latest from BMW which is even better than what I have now. Also is the Macan reliable as a daily driver , pretty much all I have had to do over the years is the routine maintenance and not had too many unplanned trips to the service dept.

 

Looking at the new Panamera infotainment, BMWs edge in that department is really shrunk in the recent years plus competitors have caught up. Idrive is no longer a compelling reason to stick with BMW.

 

I too am a long time BMW driver (actually, I had a 911 before any BMW, but for the last 18 years, BMW).

I haven't driven the new X3, but I can tell you that the Macan's ergonomics aren't as good as my M4.
The ride, handling, steering, seat and PDK are really good - these are areas where the Macan is likely to win over the BMW.

Where the BMW wins:
1. iDrive is faster to use and find things - Head Up Display is also very useful.
2. Although the surround view is good in the Macan - it's not as accurate as the BMW. The Porsche engineers have built in a tolerance - so you think that you are parking really close to the kerb, but really you are still 50mm away.
3. With the BMW you can get side view cameras in front of the front wheels - this is really handy for me, as I often need to pull out of a lane into traffic.
4. Voice control - It's actually useful to call someone. But apparently CarPlay can do that well. I have Android, so I can't confirm that.
5. Knowing what setting the chassis / ride height / sport mode etc. the buttons on the centre console look good, but in the sun, you can't see if a setting is on or off. Plus you need to look down.
6. Just finding settings is easier in the BMW.
7. Things like being able to switch off the engine, then wind up all the windows, close the sunroof and look at the driver's mirror for a cyclist / car - then open the door and, whilst opening the door press the mirror fold button.

All these little things really annoyed me for ages, when I first got the Macan, but now, I just deal with it.

Would I get a new Macan now, or a new X3 ? - I don't know, it depends on how well the X3 drives.

 

There's a large group of M235 and M2 owners over at 2addicts.com who would beg to differ with you, myself being one of them

Those cars are complete outliers now though, which is kind of my point (Toyota even has a small fun car too). BMW as a brand goes further and further into premium appliance-ville. Increasingly relying on electronics to cover up how boring the cars drive now. The 2 Series thankfully is the exception, but even the M3 and M4 have seemed to lose their zest.

 

Those cars are complete outliers now though, which is kind of my point (Toyota even has a small fun car too). BMW as a brand goes further and further into premium appliance-ville. Increasingly relying on electronics to cover up how boring the cars drive now. The 2 Series thankfully is the exception, but even the M3 and M4 have seemed to lose their zest.

I have no doubt BMW fully has the capability to build the sports sedan and/or sports car that you would want. There's no reason they could not if they thought it made sense to do so.

They are chasing the almighty dollar (as well as many other monetary denominations) and building the vehicles they think the greater market wants and that they think they can make a profit on, and judging by their sales data, they are not doing a bad job of it. Nothing is off the table anymore, just look at the front wheel drive platform based X1 and the 2 series Active Tourer.

And Porsche is no less guilty.

It's been said they needed to build SUV's to keep the sports car business afloat. I for one don't believe their sports car business could possibly be unprofitable. I think it's a convenient excuse made up by their brilliant marketing people to minimize offending their sports car customers..."we are very sorry, but we had no choice but to expand our product line, or we would not be here"...what a laugh.

They saw the opportunity to parlay their reputation into more profits...a LOT MORE profit.

Brilliant, completely brilliant, and you have to give them credit for pulling it off while seemingly not diluting the luster of the sports car business.

 

If the infotainment is allimportant, buy the Beamer.

Then when you drive on uneven or rutted roads and the hard suspension of the Beamer makes you wince as yourself ........... would the Macan be a better ride.

We Macan owners know the answer.

The Beamer M40i is top of its range, the Macan S is only on the second of five steps so you arenot comparing like for like.

That said the sheer numbers of Beamer dealerships would indicte that for a higher than average useage the Beamer may make the better buy.

There again look at cost of ownership over the period you intend to operate the car you choose, that may make a difference.

 

Now I am considering the GTS as well , price is a bit higher but I don't have to add as many options to get it the way I would like (better resale than the S down the road I would think?). How does the GTS do compared to the S as a daily driver, being from the UK I like it more on the sporty side for handling but living in the US and roads being what they are I still like some comfort. Is the GTS perhaps too hardcore compared to the S?

BTW great info here in the forum and seems like a good place to follow.

 

I drove the X3 with the M package (not the M40 I) and test drove a macan S....no comparison in my opinion, unless all you want is spank the Macan of the line. That being said I'm a huge BMW fan, i own many BMW over the years and right now driving an M4, but when it came time to change my Touareg TDI, after looking at all the performance SUV, Macan GTS came on top, It just has it all i find. Sadly my area has an 8 months waiting period.

 

I already drive an X3 and I just added a Macan S to my garage. Macan wins hands down no comparison. If you are only worried about straight line acceleration just install a Cobb and you will smoke the Bimmer.

 

No question the current X3 does not come even close, I was just hoping the new one coming out would be better in terms of driving feel and handling. They are all plenty fast enough in a straight line so thats not an issue either way for me.

 

If your concern is the infotainment system, move on. The Macan is not for you. It's a driver's SUV with some additional benefits. Not a rolling infotainment system that has 4 wheels. The driving dynamics of the Macan are miles beyond the BMW. So if enjoying a toss able SUV is of high priority, then the decision is easy. Personally, I find the Macan touch screen way more intuitive than some of the other options out there, but maybe I'm just prehistoric. My older 911s don't even have radios.

 

Seriously. With the way these things drive, they could take the infotainment out for all I care. Nice to have some moments where I'm not glued to a screen. My PCM (including my Macan) is always at the driving data (lateral, long, g's, MPG, etc.) section anyways.

 

Having had a BMW x3 30D M Sport prior to our MY18 Macan S I can tell you the differences. The x3 is more practical with much more room in the back seat and more room and utility in the boot due to the shape. The ZF 8 speed auto is truly a great transmission but the PDK is probably better in paddle shift mode. The upgraded stereo is better in the bmw for the money and yes the I drive is excellent BUT this is why you would buy the macan instead :

The Macan looks and feels more luxo and better built. It's suspension is truly sorted and gives a much more sophisticated ride and handling than the x3. It is more comfortable a ride, quieter and will corner with much more sophistication and aplomb at much higher speeds. The steering is better with slightly more feedback. The brakes are better but the BMW has a better rear brake solution. You don't have the harshness of run flat tyres in the macan. The seats are better in the macan especially the 18 way seats. Just remember the GTS has its own seats ; try the other optional seats. The tech in the MY18 is very good. The ACC and NAV are very good although bmw have nicer looking maps. The PCM is actually very good now and I find the voice control to be perfect. Am really surprised how fast it has advanced in the infotainment areas. BMW has the advantage with autonomous braking but that's all. Interior lighting is excellent as are headlights. You will probably get better fuel economy with the BMW but you'll enjoy the porsche engine's sound every day. Steering wheel controls are excellent and the multi-purpose display in the dash and the rights side steering wheel controls are better than I drive controller. Check that out if you don't like the touch screen. You don't need trio use the touch screen as the steering when buttons do most of what you need with voice control. Trust me on that. I was really surprised.

So which is the better car for the money? The Macan. The BMW does some things better but you will appreciate the things the macan does better every day.

 

Just remember that all phones, tablets and iPads use touchscreens. Not joysticks, gestures or other human-machine interfaces. If you don't like the Macan because of a touchscreen, you must have a tough time in the modern world.

That's a bit sarcastic, and I'm willing to admit that the optimum HMI in a car might be different than every other device made currently. I'm still waiting for something to wow me. Even voice control has a way to go.

 

I am totally fine using touchscreens , just not while I am driving, I think the other interfaces are easier. Not a showstopper , just a factor for the pros and cons.

 

cant wait for m40i vs Macans test, it will be interesting 0-60 of 4.6 sec not bad for a non ///M Bimmer that's Macan turbo territory. Lets see how the handling was resolved in this new model.

 

As much as I couldn't care less about infotainment, the knobs are far superior to touch screens IMO. Whether my old Bimmer, bland Benzes or current Mazda which has a touchscreen plopped on the dash (hate that trend) as well as a knob, I prefer the knob.

I don't touch the PCM screen on either Porsche's I've had, practically ever. I just use the steering wheel controls. Also, Porsche has the MFD LCD display which is far superior to any information BMW gives you as it's immediate, right in front of your face, and can pull up performance or in car data that you can't even get on a BMW.

 

Well i decided not to wait to try the new M40i and ordered the GTS in Rodium Silver, should be here in Jan according to my dealer. Roll on Jan, can hardly wait.

 

I upgraded from a fully loaded X3 to "just" a Macan after only one year. Macan wins in every category...take both for a spin at 110 and you'll see.

 

This is all speculation given it no one here has driven one yet.

While it certainly sounds like it will blow the Macan away in a 0 to 60 run, I am not expecting it to even match the
Macan in terms of handling, and particularly body control. But I’m still interested to see how much they have been able to improve it over the last one.

Sounds like the interior quality has been significantly improved, and it also sounds like it has been all over the Macan in terms of carrying cargo.

Of course it’s not as prestigous as the Porsche, but BMW has announced US pricing. You can get one fully loaded in the low 60s. Wish the Macan had the X3’s available HID.

I think the competition benefits us all.

And apparently coming next is an X3M with an engine rumored to have about 70 more horsepower.

 

Can’t wait for the First head to head

 

I test drove: BMW X3 and X5, Jaguar F Pace, Ranger Rover and the Mercedes-AMG GLE Coupe before ordering my Macan S. I got the Porsche-gasm and everything else was meh...

 

Sorry if I break the trend here guys, but I have a real problem equating SUV with sports car. I like my Macan S and I'm sure the Turbo is a serious kick in the butt, however neither they nor the X5M, X3M or AMG SUV are sports car. They are powerful with great suspensions which allow you to feel comfortable and secure driving 120 mph on a freeway while appreciating the subtle nuances of Davis' Bitches Brew. Sadly, we in America don't get to do that often, if any time. Even in Europe, Germany is the holdout willing to let fast cars drive fast.

I clocked 135 mph in my modded '11 VW GTI with my coworker on a California central valley back road, something I would not do in my Macan S. It's not that it can't reach that speed, it's that the weight of the car just doesn't inspire confidence in fast long curves on less than perfect road conditions. Similarly, I am absolutely certain that I can do the 30 miles Hwy 1 from Mill Valley, CA to Stinson Beach faster in the GTI than the Macan S. The comparison is not fair because one is a power SUV while the other is a small sports car.

 

Is it possible you posted in the wrong thread? Perhaps I missed something, but I don't see how your post addresses the 42 posts before it (although I don't disagree with much of what you said)

 

from the current reviews, looks like the new G01 X3 M40i interior quality is now almost at par with Macan, and power delivery is in GTS territory. we wait and see how it does on track vs the Macan, should be interesting.