What we’re looking for Quality and
equipment count but the one that makes us grin more is likely to win
Boot is a good size but opening is
restrictive; $10,529 ceramic brakes are only worth adding if you do track days
Porsche’s boot opening is better for awkward loads; it may lack the M3’s raw
speed but the Macan is still fast. The pay-off for the Macan’s comfortable
everyday manners (and the fact it’s an SUV) is that it doesn’t feel as sporty
as the M3. That's hardly surprising, but make no mistake, the Macan Turbo keeps
its body movement under control, it turns in lo corners sharply and has
communicative, meaty steering and huge grip (thanks partly to our car’s $1,703
torque-vectoring system). It’s an extraordinary feat of engineering.
That's
hardly surprising, but make no mistake, the Macan Turbo keeps its body movement
under control, it turns in lo corners sharply and has communicative, meaty
steering and huge grip (thanks partly to our car’s $1,703 torque-vectoring
system).
Even so, the M3 is on another level. Turn
in to a corner and the steering feels precise and reassuringly weighty, while
the easily modulated throttle gives you confidence to apply exactly the power
you need. Ask for too much and the sheer feedback means the M3 feels truly
poised and exhilarating although you simply cannot discover the depth of the
M3's abilities on UK roads. Nonetheless, while the M3 is a few notches short of
the Porsches ease of use, it’s more than a few ahead in terms of driver reward.
What are they like inside?
Both feel sumptuous, and get a colour
screen and sat-nav, DAB radio, USB input, leather upholstery and front and rear
parking sensors. There’s loads of room up front in both, too, while heavily
bolstered, broadly adjustable sports seats hold you firmly in place, yet will
be comfortable for any shape of driver.
Sit in the Porsche and you're in a cabin
that feels worthy of the car’s price. There’s a sense of solid precision to the
fit and finish, and while the buttons are too numerous, they’re well damped and
clearly labelled. However, the screen in the Porsche is neither as big nor
sharp as the screen in the BMW, and the M3's interface is also more
user-friendly.
However,
the screen in the Porsche is neither as big nor sharp as the screen in the BMW,
and the M3's interface is also more user-friendly.
Where the BMW falls short of the Porsche is
in its perceived quality. The 3 Series' interior is merely acceptable by the
standards of a $50,541 executive saloon, but at $101,004 you start to notice
the odd section of brittle-feeling plastic, and even the M tri-colours here and
there don't make it feel special enough.
Where
the BMW falls short of the Porsche is in its perceived quality.
