AutoTrader SCORE
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STYLING9/10
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Safety6/10
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PRACTICALITY7/10
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USER-FRIENDLINESS8/10
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FEATURES6/10
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POWER10/10
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COMFORT7/10
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DRIVING FEEL9/10
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FUEL ECONOMY7/10
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VALUE7/10
With the Turbo designation now discontinued, the 2022 Porsche Macan GTS has assumed the top spot in the German automaker’s small SUV lineup.
This time around, the punchy sport utility with strong sports car influences has been tweaked and updated to improve on an already excellent package, so it has earned its title as the best Macan money can buy.
Powertrain: 10/10
The 2022 Porsche Macan GTS is powered by a 2.9L twin-turbocharged V6 with 434 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque – both significant improvements over last year’s model. Along with a rear-biased all-wheel drive (AWD) system and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that’s one of the smoothest and fastest shifting in the business, the Macan GTS can sprint to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, which drops to 4.3 seconds with the Sport Chrono package.
After a beat of noticeable turbo lag, you’re rewarded with strong, unrelenting acceleration and an explosion of sound, especially if you have the variable exhaust wide open.
Driving Feel: 9/10
This updated Macan GTS now comes standard with Porsche’s variable air suspension, but the sporty SUV is still very stiff over broken roads even in its softest setting. This stiffness pays off when blasting through corners, however, as the confidence it shows when being pushed is sports-car level. The Macan GTS is nimble, composed, and rewarding to drive, and offers as much engagement as a performance SUV can.
In typical Porsche fashion, the steering is precise and incredibly heavy, which is perfect for weekend backroad drives, but simply overkill when you’re trying to park it. After a day of driving around in the city and parallel parking it numerous times, my arms were exhausted.
But all those attributes that may feel laborious during the commute are what makes the Macan GTS so rewarding to drive when the road opens up. Maybe I was influenced by this tester’s loud green paint, but every time I got behind the wheel my aggression levels skyrocketed and I turned into the Hulk. [Sadly, the heavy steering didn’t result in muscles to match. – Ed.]
Style: 9/10
The GTS model’s grille is now completely blacked out, but I preferred the way it looked before when there was body-coloured trim in there to ensure it didn’t look like a big, open mouth. But I’ll forgive this minor transgression because the Python Green (a very reasonable $3,310 upgrade) that’s exclusive to the GTS model slaps so hard. I’m truly obsessed with this shocking colour because the Macan has a mellow design overall, and being able to get it in such a fun colour really amps it up.
While most Porsches have obsessively built but sombre and dark interiors, this Macan GTS is an excellent reminder that life is more exciting in colour. The interior steps up with matching Python Green seatbelts and stitching all over the cabin and in the GTS embroidery on the headrests as a no-cost option. I’ve never seen this unique colour used before, and it was an eye-opening reminder of all the fun personalization options Porsche offers. Combined with carbon fibre trim and Alcantara lavishly covering the cabin, this interior gives me life.
User-Friendliness: 8/10
One of the most noticeable changes to the updated Macan is the new centre console, which has replaced the wall of hard buttons around the gear selector with a shiny black surface housing touch-capacitive buttons. While the wall of plastic buttons didn’t look amazing, it was less distracting to use while driving, but the more annoying issue is how quickly dust gathers on this shiny surface.
Other than that, the touchscreen menus are easy to navigate, but because the Macan doesn’t come with Android Auto, I needed to use the native navigation system. Its keyboard doesn’t have numbers and letters on the same page, which is an added tap, but the voice recognition works well enough for inputting addresses that this isn’t a concern.
I also love that there are buttons in the trunk to raise or lower the air suspension to make it easier to load cargo into the trunk.
Practicality: 7/10
As an alternative to a 911, sure, the Macan seems practical in comparison; but it remains a compact SUV that’s focused on performance, so some practicality needed to be sacrificed in the process. It has room for 448 L in the trunk and 1,472 L with the 40/20/40 split seats folded down. The seats need to be folded manually and they’re quite heavy, so I needed both arms to put them back into place. There aren’t a whole lot of cubbies for small items in the cabin, but the door pockets in the front are big enough to hold reusable water bottles.
Safety: 6/10
It’s disappointing that Porsche doesn’t include any advanced safety features in the Macan GTS except for lane departure warning and front and rear parking cameras, which I would forgive in a focused sports car, but for an SUV, it feels inexcusable. Of course, a variety of features are available, but you’ll have to pay extra for them.
Features: 6/10
It’s the same story with features. Most of the stuff included works towards making the Macan GTS perform better and feel more luxurious, but in terms of technology, comfort, and convenience, there’s not much to get excited about until you dive into the options sheet.
Comfort: 7/10
The front seats are supportive and comfortable and there’s lots of room for passengers, but even if there’s a shorter person in front, there’s not much room left for people in the back. The doors also don’t open super wide, so installing a child seat might be a tight squeeze.
Fuel Economy: 7/10
The previous Macan GTS is officially rated to burn 13.5 L/100 km of the most premium fuel in the city, 10.7 on the highway, and 12.2 combined. After 230 km of testing, my tester returned a fuel economy of 13.0 L/100 km.
Value: 7/10
Along with its improvements over the previous model, the 2022 Porsche Macan GTS also gets a price increase. Now starting at $88,300 over last year’s $79,200 (plus the $1,750 destination fee), it exacerbates my recurring issue with how the automaker doesn’t include certain features that I expect as standard at much lower price points.
With all the options outfitted to this tester and including destination and excise taxes, the total comes to $118,170, which is a staggering amount for a compact crossover. While the incredible quality, craftsmanship, performance, and prestige make it feel worth it, at the end of the day it’s still a tiny SUV that’s lacking features for its price.
The Verdict
The 2022 Porsche Macan GTS is a great example of what the iconic automaker does best: make obsessively crafted vehicles that are also exciting to drive. While it does make some compromises along the way, the performance SUV is a fantastic pick for a driver who wants a sports car but needs some added practicality.
| Engine Displacement | 2.9L |
|---|---|
| Engine Cylinders | Twin-turbo V6 |
| Peak Horsepower | 434 hp |
| Peak Torque | 406 lb-ft |
| Fuel Economy | 13.5 / 10.7 / 12.2 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb |
| Cargo Space | 488 / 1,472 L seats up/down |
| Model Tested | 2022 Porsche Macan GTS |
| Base Price | $85,500 |
| A/C Tax | $1,00 |
| Destination Fee | $1,750 |
| Price as Tested | $113,720 |
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Optional Equipment
$26,370 – Python Green, $3,310; panoramic sunroof, $1,910; rear seat heating, $660; lane keeping assist, $790; self steering parking assist, $440; lane change assist, $790; LED headlights with Porsche dynamic light system, $600; adaptive cruise control, $1,130; BOSE surround sound system, $1,130; surround view monitor, $1,360; GTS Sport Package, $13,470; multifunction GT sports steering wheel with carbon fibre, $780
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