Grecale -v- Macan. By Owner Of Both.

Grecale -v- Macan by an Owner of Both.

This comparison is all written in my own honest opinion and having owned Porsche Macan’s (SD, S and GTS) for over eight years prior to collecting my Grecale Trofeo Primaserie. This comparison is jumping straight out of a Macan GTS (which I had been driving for 18 months prior) into my Grecale Trofeo Primaserie, having now owned the Grecale for three weeks.
I very much appreciate that all views and opinions are individual and subjective to everyone, and I am not looking for a debate on my opinions, just quoting them, as a few members on the forum have asked for them.

The Grecale is very much on par if not slightly better comfort wise, the fit and finish both internal and external is better on the Grecale, the quality of materials internally are far superior to the Macan, far less plastic. The steering wheel stock (indicators etc) exude quality rather than cheap plastic VW parts bin on the Macan, seat, and head rest backs full quality leather rather than plastic on Macan, in fact almost everything is leather in the Grecale and so much not leather in the Macan. Space inside the Grecale is outstanding and far greater than the Macan especially for rear passengers, my adult kids keep saying how comfortable they are now in the rear and have so much more of a luxury feel and the heated seats and individual touch screen climate controls adds even more to that feel. As for the Sonus Faber 21 speaker, 1285w surround 3D stereo system, this is fantastic and far better than the Burmester top end Porsche stereo (at an extra cost by Porsche of over £3600.00) I had in the Macan. The pedal position is better in the Grecale more comfortable, takes a while in a Macan at first to get comfortable due to the protruding lump in the gearbox tunnel pushing into that area, which would make a long drive uncomfortable occasionally for me.
So many little thoughtful touches in the Grecale but not in a Macan, such as being able to put down rear seats from both inside the boot/trunk and also in car rear, door handles lighting up on entry at night, complete stereo, volume, channel, next track controls on back of steering wheel etc ect. Tech wise the Grecale is in a world apart from the Macan, who’s tech is so dated now and so yesterday.

To sum up both internally and externally the Grecale exudes elegance, style and quality with a touch of modernism, and so up to date tech wise, whereas the Macan is so dated now unfortunately all round, even after a couple of little face lifts over the last nine years, and too much plastic / leatherette, and far more cheap looking black plastic externally now on the Gen 3 Macan.

Performance “WOW”! This is something that stands head and shoulders above the Macan, you do not expect such grunt the first couple of times you put your foot down especially in sport and corsa modes. The sound and feel are so much more theatrical, and power feels more like 590hp than the 530hp quoted, the car encourages you and it really does not feel like an SUV when throwing it around. The steering, though just a tad light for me, but very precise and you soon get to know it, braking is good and confident no fad, this is a real drivers car, don’t get me wrong the Macan GTS is a good car but more of a anyone can drive feel (even Miss Daisy herself), you don’t get that theatrical feel or as much feeling that you are in a real performance car with the Macan.

You definitely would not be disappointed with the Grecale Trofeo, in the way it goes, its power, steering and stopping its right up there with some of the very best, a true driver’s car with so much theatre, sound and feel and forgetting that you are in an SUV.

The comfort levels you can obtain by changing varying parameters in suspension is good both around town, open roads and even twisty county lanes, though I must say on the UK’s bad roads apart from a few, in corsa mode you need to select soft damper mode as in hard it can be a little rough, but on track if you so wish I’m sure hard mode would be perfect. Having now played with varying setting it is easy to select what you need or want for your own required comfort levels, and for me it covers all of them areas perfectly.

My Conclusion: The Grecale beats the Macan easily on almost every level and I am so happy that I took the plunge and turned my back on the Macan. Sorry Porsche but having owed one of your cars in differing model for the last 16 years and Macan’s for the last 8 years, you have lost a customer, who regrets the change to a Grecale not one little bit.

And I must say despite reading on this forum of owners having tech issues etc, so far, my car has been great with no issues whatsoever, long may that last. I now come to expect tech issues and updates are and were required as I had many of them, and even one only two days before getting the Grecale on my past Macan’s.

Thanks for reading and hope it will be a little help to anyone contemplating buying a Grecale or. and thinking of moving away from a Macan.