Base Porsche macan vs rs3 vs rdx
Posted by spiketeam@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 80 comments
Ie the weird comparison no one asked for. My 718 is in for some warranty work so I was given a loaner 26 macan for the last week. I have been driving that alongside my other 4 door cars- a 22 rs3 and a 21 Acura Rdx sh-awd and figure I would capture my thoughts although I can’t think who would ever make this comparison in a buying decision.
Tha macan I have is decently specced - premium package, sports chrono and a nice tan/black interior. As specced it’s 70k+. For comparison my Audi rs3 new was 65k and the Rdx was 40k. Only options on both were the tech package and the sports exhaust in case of the rs3.
TLDR- I can’t recommend anyone ever spend 70k on a macan unless they got to have the Porsche badge in their life. Buy a golf r, an rs3, a m340i or hell even an Acura Rdx AND a fun Miata for the same price or lesser.
Engine/acceleration/sound- the macan is insipid. It feels slow. It feels slower than the Rdx for some reason. It’s laggy and the auto start stop is super aggressive cutting in at every slow down. Hitting sports mode solves the problem a bit but still feels laggy. Worst Porsche engine I’ve driven. Sounds like nothing. Sounds like the Rdx. After a week of driving the Rdx my rs3 felt like an absolute rocket ship in every mode.
Ride/handling- good but not great. The macan still feels like an suv rather than a hot hatch. It still feels big and tall vs the rs3. It feels more athletic than the RDX but not by a significant amount. The ride is much better than the somewhat harsh ride of the rs3.
Interior- The macan is tiny inside. In passenger space it’s identical or a little more cramped than the rs3! The Rdx is a limo space wise. The macan does have a big boot and I’m guessing that’s where most of the size of the car went. The haptics based touch for climate , auto start/stop, sports button is atrocious. The earlier gen macans with the rows of buttons were much much better. And thanks to the engine and the default tuning I need to press those sport and start/stop buttons every damn time. The materials are good but feel close to the Rdx. Ie not dramatically different.
Conclusion- I have no idea who the people are who are buying new base macans and why but I always gave them the benefit of the doubt. I thought maybe they drove really well but after having lived with this disappointment for a week I can’t recommend a base macan over so many other cars/combos you can have. Seriously - the things I would buy rather than this are so many. Just of the top of my head -
golf r
Rs3
M340i
Blackwing
X3 m40i
Sq5
Even a damn Rdx and have enough money saved over to buy a Miata.
gregbo24@reddit
I compared the Macan and the X3 M40i for my wife’s daily and it was crazy how much better the BMW was. At the same price point for base Macan, the X3 is better in literally every way. And compared to a Macan S (10k more) I STILL preferred the X3, though it was much closer.
I really wanted the Macan, but was pretty disappointed.
MrEwThatsGross@reddit
Cross shopped a Macan with the X3. It only took 5 minutes for us write off the Macan. I have no idea why its the darling of r/cars. its has all the tradeoffs of a CUV with non of the benefits. At an absolute insane price for what it is.
Intel_Oil@reddit
Because the 2.9l is a great engine and i'm not albanian so hard to justify buying a BMW.
WarDEagle@reddit
I dunno, I’ve driven most everything in the segment and bought a Macan GTS twice now. Price being more or less not a concern, I’ve yet to drive anything that felt subjectively better.
The base is a joke though.
AnonymousEngineer_@reddit
Most people aren't using the base Macan with the engine from the Golf R as the comparison vehicle.
It's also very much aging in 2026. That platform has been going a while now.
TheRealPizza@reddit
Base Macan is pretty terrible and the only reason people buy it is the badge. But imo the higher trims are genuinely amazing cars. I had one for two years. Tracked it, autocrossed it, ice drifted it and it was basically daily duty in the canyons. imo it handles better than a lot of sports sedans i’ve driven, the PDK is phenomenal and the power delivery is amazing. Big trade off is that it has like no space in the second row, but for someone like me that was perfect. I used it as roadtrip/camping vehicle for 1-2 people. Probably spent 50+ nights sleeping in the back with a nice mattress setup and it has just enough ground clearance to get to 99% of campsites and trailheads. I’ve owned a 4runner and subarus and nothing came to inspiring as much confidence in the snow either. I was probably in a pretty unique situation at the time of being a single guy that can have only one car that needs to do fun and outdoor duties well, but there was no other car that was as good of an allrounder. The Stelvio is up there, but didn’t have a trim in my budget (the base is pretty gutless like the base Macan and the Quad was a little out of range).
Colorful_Monk_3467@reddit
Material and build quality is a lot better on the Macan. As is seat comfort and ride quality.
nathanforyouseason5@reddit
Had a macan s now an x3 m40i. Backseat was basically non-existent compared to the x3. They’re pretty much the same length on the outside but because of the macans sloping roof, they could’ve made it longer like the x4.
Bugeaters@reddit
Standard realization when looking at Porsche SUV's. If you compare pricepoint to pricepoint, you're looking at base Porsche vs mid level BMW/MB. In my case, my V8 X5 configured to what I wanted was slightly cheaper than a V6 cayenne built with my preferred specs.
nuttgod@reddit
I got a base Macan as a service loaner once and I could not believe how much I disliked it. Super lethargic, and terrible fuel economy to boot. Base Q5 is a better driving car than the base Macan.
iknowordidthat@reddit
The base Q5 drives like a luxury SUV should, soft and quiet. The base Macan masquerades as a sports car, poorly.
nuttgod@reddit
I have my own gripes with the Q5. I think the DSG was the wrong choice, but you're right, it's quiet, refined, and comfortable.
I disagree that the base macan masquerades as a sports car. I wouldn't even say my macan turbo gave me sports car vibes. The Porsche design language is obviously there, but I don't get the impression that they are trying to fool you into thinking you're driving something you're not. At the higher trims, the macan is an excellent sporty CUV. Super engaging to drive, practical for carrying what i need it to carry, enough towing capacity for a small camper, great looking, reliable, and comfortable.
The issue with the base macan for me is that it's so similar to the q5, but the q5 feels a bit more lively, has better tech, better fuel economy, and is significantly cheaper than the macan. You can get a q5 prestige for approximately the same price as a base macan. It should be a no-brainer.
iknowordidthat@reddit
My reasoning for this observation is that the tradeoffs in the base Macan - cramped noisy interior, relatively stiff suspension, terrible fuel economy - are sports car traits. Add to that the unusually flat seating position for a SUV (for example, compare to the Q5’s more upright seating position) and it’s meant to evoke a sporty feel without actually delivering it. Primarily, because it is severely short on power. I’m sure the higher trims solve the power problem. I agree with OP, though. Having owned a MK7 GTI, the Golf R or even the GTI are better packaged with a roomier interior that also has a more comfortable rear seat according to the unanimous agreement of my test panelists (teens).
Intel_Oil@reddit
The Macan is the only SUV where i don't get seasick, so it surely rides sportier. Which is a good thing, atleast if you have good pavement around you.
nuttgod@reddit
Fuel economy is rough, but I absolutely dont agree on any of the other points. There are plenty of reasons to not buy a base Macan, but it certainly isn't a noisy interior. It's an exceptionally quiet SUV, I'd argue quieter than the Audi. Ride quality is still plenty soft and comfortable. The seats are roughly the same shape, positioning, and bolstering to the Q5. As far as the rear row goes, I personally almost never use it or have passengers in it. It is certainly shorter than other MLB cars like Q5 or Tiguan, so I could see a more family oriented platform like a golf having the edge here. I could also see headroom being limited due to the sloped roofline compared to the more boxy GTI, but again, these are not base Macan specific things. The biggest thing really is just the powertrain not being up to snuff for its price point. Its just not competitive with the Q5 for what it is.
AlrightAlbatross@reddit
My Macan Turbo got mid-teens mpg driven normally. That’s obviously the big engine, but it was surprisingly bad.
nuttgod@reddit
I put up with the less than stellar gas mileage in mine, because it was at least fun to drive. I was just blown away by how bad the 2.0 is in the base. In addition to drinking gas, it also doesn't go anywhere in any sort of hurry. Got the impression that people that buy a base macan only do so to have the Porsche badge.
spiketeam@reddit (OP)
Oh yeah forgot to mention fuel economy. With similar driving the 400bhp rs3 was much more efficient.
nuttgod@reddit
I had a tuned rs5 that got nearly double what the base macan did in the 2 days I had it haha.
DrProtic@reddit
When I want a comparison between a family CUV and a hot hatch I know who to reach out to.
watduhdamhell@reddit
r/cars is so funny sometimes... the Macan is not a family cuv lmao
The Macan is a compact luxury CUV. Like a a BMW X1. It's designed for indivials who need an urban crawler, airport to conference center type work for someone who wants a better ride on shitty city roads from the increased ride height. It's not the family hauler by any means and God help anyone who thinks it is. It's smaller than a Toyota Camry inside for crying out loud.
The same is true for the Acura RDX. The Macan and RDX are both compact luxury CUVs, but they aren't in the same league... OP, the Macan is considered 1st/the gold standard in this class. Car and Driver places the RDX as 12th... Or dead last in this category, and I agree. Not worth it compared to all the other options, so just toss it from the list.
As for the RS3 vs Macan, it depends. Can you afford a turbo Macan? If so, that's the answer. If not, then RS3.
AnonymousEngineer_@reddit
It's not compact, except maybe by US standards where something like a Hyundai Palisade/Kia Telluride seems to be the reference size for a standard-sized crossover. It shares the same platform as the previous generation Audi Q5.
You can comfortably fit four people inside a Macan, and it's obviously larger than something like a T-Roc, which is Golf sized.
watduhdamhell@reddit
Lmao
The Kia Telluride is an upper mid size SUV, not a "standard size crossover." That would be something like a Chevrolet Blazer, an X5, or EX60. Etc. 5 seats. 7 seats is larger mid size to large suv territory.
The Macan is a compact SUV, similar in size to a Rav-4, Mazda CX-50, bronco sport, etc. It is okay to seat 4 people, like a 3 series is okay to seat 4 people. It's not a large vehicle by any stretch of the imagination. It's tiny.
AnonymousEngineer_@reddit
The RAV-4 is not a compact SUV, either. The Yaris Cross, Corolla Cross and C-HR all exist below it in the Toyota range.
This would be like calling the Subaru Forester a compact SUV, completely ignoring the fact that the XV/Crosstrek exists.
The Macan, RAV4, Forester etc. would more accurately be called medium/mid-sized crossovers. And that's exactly what Toyota call it down here in Australia.
All-New RAV4 2026 | Hybrid & Plug-in Hybrid Electric SUV | Toyota Australia
desf15@reddit
Americans are pretty weird when it comes to car size. From what I gather they consider X5 midsize, while in EU/AU/Asia the X3 is rather called a mid size SUV.
Also USA is probably the only country in the world where car that is 4,7m long and 2.1m wide is called "tiny".
Intel_Oil@reddit
A X5 in our Parking garage literally does not fit into his parking spot, because all wheels are outside of the lines.
spiketeam@reddit (OP)
OMG- C&D said something so it must be true.
If you think the RDX and the macan are truly in the same category(compact luxury CUV) I don't know what to tell you. C&D also has the lexus RX in the same category. There's absolutely nothing compact about the RX.
PS- you think C&D has driven a standard macan without it loaded up with all the performance goodies? No- for that sort of content you have to come to me and my fellow r/cars brethren.
PS PS- the cars C&D has ahead of the Lexus RX -(A jaguar F-Pace, A Stelvio and a Grecale). Yep- totally trust that list.
Oskarikali@reddit
Have you driven a Stelvio? It is amazing. I hate SUVs and still bought a Stelvio. Aside from a Macan GTS or Turbo there isn't anything better if you want a sport SUV outside of a Lambo or Ferrari. I would actually take an F-pace, Stelvio and Grecale over an RX as well unless I don't care about the driving feel and just want something nice looking and reliable that will take me from A to B.
Intel_Oil@reddit
This brother wants a reliable car and spells Stelvio and Grecale.
Godspeed.
WarDEagle@reddit
Yeah, OP just let us know that they haven’t driven these. I’d also take one over an RX.
ghostogresnowrabbit@reddit
The gap between various 4 cylinder compact luxury suvs is pretty narrow. If you've driven them you would know..
You agree? I'm sure this is a complete unbiased opinion of someone whos driven all those cars.
tsar73@reddit
The Macan competes one size class up from the X1, though you wouldn’t know it considering it barely has more interior volume than a Golf that’s 2’ shorter in length. It’s bloated, just don’t ask Porsche where all that room went.
spiketeam@reddit (OP)
See the problem is I don’t think macan can be a family cuv unless you’re a tiny family. No one can sit behind 6ft me in the macan.
Intel_Oil@reddit
Idk what you americans are doing with your seats. You're below average sized for europeans and yet we made do with an 1980 Accord as a Family of five for our 3.5k kilometer trip over 50 hours to a different continent.
We went to a football match in italy (5h one way) in a loaner Macan i got, as five dudes each over 1.85m and we were comfy AF.
Oskarikali@reddit
I basically cross shopped Golf R and Alfa Romeo Stelvio when I was selling my GTI. Went with Stelvio.
trippinpotato@reddit
When we had our first kiddo, we looked at a Macan to use as a kid hauler to replace a a Lexus. Was surprised at how small the rear seat/door was, we couldn’t get the infant car seat in or out without some gymnastics. I think it was actually smaller than the IS we were looking to replace!
I think it’s a good car for an adult couple to have as a daily driver where the back seat is used occasionally but way too small if you need car with a back seat you use daily.
jondes99@reddit
I’m looking forward to the 911 GT3 and Hyundai Santa Fe showdown.
AmericanExcellence@reddit
lol fr, list the best general-purpose driver-oriented sedans on the market...what do you expect? i guess it just goes to show the porsche hype is hype; they're selling a bill of goods to a lot of people.
Bugeaters@reddit
I must be getting old or we have different ideas of general purpose. General purpose to me means daily driver--something that encompasses 5+ hour drives and 10-15k+ annual mileage/seat time. With that much seat time, I'd 100% take an S5 or M340 over a RS3
spiketeam@reddit (OP)
I should have included the 718 in the comparison. Next time.
Flexuasive@reddit
This kills the OP.
AllThings_Automotive@reddit
Yeah the Macan doesn’t really get great until you get up to the Turbo (which later became the GTS). Was driving a Macan T for a while and needed to keep it in Sport mode to feel like it had any zip.
Also used to drive a Cayman GTS 4.0 quite a lot and it’s probably top 10 cars I’ve driven and I still miss it all the time. Hang onto it, you’ve got a great car there!
bikedork5000@reddit
I haven't driven one, but I would expect that the current Macan S going back to I think 2022 would be pretty damn good considering it has the 2.9 from the RS5.
AllThings_Automotive@reddit
Oh yeah, I forgot the S. The V-6 is where it’s at.
dontbeslo@reddit
It says Porsche on it, and agree 100% the base Macan is anemically slow. I really want to try the S or GTS with the V6 as most reviews praise the Macan for its car-like handling. I agree with you though, why not just buy a 4-door car at that point
AllThings_Automotive@reddit
The GTS (formerly Turbo) absolutely rips
WarDEagle@reddit
Can confirm. It’s nothing like what OP describes. The base isn’t the same vehicle as a GTS with the remaining boxes ticked. It’s pretty crazy the difference between them.
AnonymousEngineer_@reddit
It'll still hit 100km/h from a dig in six seconds. That isn't exactly slow unless you're comparing it to something like an M3.
tsar73@reddit
Unfortunately a lot of this applies not just to the base Macan but base Porsches in general. Have a coworker with a ‘21 Cayenne and was shocked at the hard plastics everywhere, as well as the awful haptic controls. The Macan in particular is a Mazda style packaging masterclass of having as little interior room as possible per unit exterior size. It’s not small or compact!
zerosystem03@reddit
Not really anything new with the plastics on Porsches...they do a good enough job designing a nice interior but if you want more leather you have to pay for it. It's like going to a fancy restaurant where the entree price just gets you the entree by itself and no sides. Engine aside the "base" doesnt mean as much as the options list
Mr_Chingerson@reddit
This post belongs in the circlejerk sub
krazy4001@reddit
This post is for me! I have an RDX now and am looking to upgrade. The macan was on the list to look at, but I have the same concern that a base won’t have any performance upgrade compared to my RDX.
Looked at a GLC300 and wasn’t impressed. Wife rejected the AMG GLC for feeling “too cramped”. I don’t like the x3 styling, and x5 might be too big (will look at it still). So now we’re on to the s/q5 and the macan. Thanks for these thoughts so I can skip the Porsche dealer until after exhausting every other option!
nathanforyouseason5@reddit
Do not get the macan if you think the glc is cramped lol. Macan could’ve done without the rear seats and it would’ve been no different. Try to do an extended test drive with 4 people in it
spiketeam@reddit (OP)
Yay- glad it was useful for someone.
I would say the smart play if you want the macan is to get a CPO S/GTS.
Although -
If wife thought the GLC was too cramped the macan is much smaller inside.
ThePurpleBall@reddit
I mean the macan (outside of the GTS) is basically just a golf GTI with some stilts and marked up to oblivion. It’s marketed to basically exactly what you said, lifestyle brand people and those who love their VW product and or already driving a 2 door Porsche and want to drive something with some space
autobauss@reddit
And Urus is just over badged Q8 and Q8 is basically just Toureg which is basically VW Golf
ThePurpleBall@reddit
Not really, it’s clear you haven’t had a lot of time in the VW group range. Outside of the PDK which is nice and different enough from the DSG, it drives almost exactly the same. I was very disappointed driving the macan after having my GTI. Of course the GTS is a different beast. And getting some more custom options makes sense and that’s what you’re paying for.
autobauss@reddit
All true but there's one minor flaw in your comment : I've driven pretty much all their cars including e-up, except for buzz
hi_im_bored13@reddit
Yeah, the base sucks, not to do the porsche thing but you need to step up to the V6 if you want anything responsive, or get a used one & tune it (which it does take very well)
That being said this misses the point of that entire category of vehicle in that you only buy a Macan if you are short on space & want something that does it all. If they had the space & time they would have a 718 & a rav4 instead
& Not to do the porsche thing again but you need to get all the pasm bits etc. for it to feel a little more proper on road. Which you shouldn't need to do, I'd rather have an x3m50 or whatever, they're really dragging out this gen of macan
SnikySquirrel@reddit
I haven’t driven an X3 M50, but I did drive a rental X3 30 and my mom’s Macan S. The Macan’s steering was light years ahead of the Beamer. Of course that comes with a price premium though, and for most crossover buyers who don’t care about steering the X3 is a much better value.
MrEwThatsGross@reddit
I think the x3 with a b58 is a more fair comparison. Base X3 is pretty gutless.
xlb250@reddit
That’s what I thought. But I rented one for a week and felt that it didn’t scratch the hot hatch / sports car itch at all.
spiketeam@reddit (OP)
Fair on the 2 car vs 1 do it all car but the interior space really stops the macan from being a do it all car. It’s much closer to hot hatch territory in that regard.
hi_im_bored13@reddit
Yeah but a lot of people really just need a hot hatch on stilts
I also cant imagine getting one over the recently generationally updated SQ5 though
ghostogresnowrabbit@reddit
People exaggerate the difference in driving experience between different 4 cylinder compact luxury suvs.
I drove a GV70 and a NX350 back to back with my RDX.
The difference really wasnt that great.
Gv70 was a little softer and has a little more power with a slightly nicer interior. But the HVAC layout was dogshot. One of the worst Ive ever used.
The RDX is the most nimble and a the most ergonomic and the most practical.
The NX has a bigger screen than the RDX but its really small but doesnt drive like its smaller than the RDX. Main draw is reliability I guess.
Honestly gap is minimal its down to preferences.
Jmauld@reddit
We test drove a Macan before our last car purchase. Complete turd and made me realize that I hated porsche and their fascination with putting buttons on every free surface in the car.
TheWeinerThief@reddit
I disagree atleast for the T model. But I also don't have to daily it. It's fun enough and handled a 2k road trip well, but yeah the price stung a bit
iknowordidthat@reddit
The base Macan shares its engine, the EA888, with the Golf R (and the GTI). But the Macan is much bigger, taller, and heavier than its siblings so it performs terribly.
My overall impression from driving a base Macan loaner was that it is a SUV unconvincingly pretending to be a sports car. It has an oddly flat seating position, like a sports car, but high up because it is still a SUV. It has intrusive ‘sporty’ sounds in the sports car like cramped cabin that are especially tiresome on long drives. But it has absolutely abysmal un-sports car like performance, and handling.
It’s a terrible car.
eneka@reddit
Acura really hit a home run with the 3rd gen RDX but it’s just so outdated now!
thefwam@reddit
Every time the deer gives me a macan loaner all I can say is it feels like a (quite) nice VW. Maybe an S/GTS/turbo would change my mind I’m sure they would) but 70k for a base is insanity to me.
n00bmax@reddit
Glad I went X3 M40i over Macan S. It has been absolutely reliable over last 4 years and the BM3 stage 1 93 is all the performance I need. I had a 21 Acura RDX before - other than ride quality and audio system it was a lacklustre car with buzzy 2.0t and terrible infotainment
NeedMoreDeltaV@reddit
Every base Macan I’ve had as a loaner has been a disappointment. Interestingly, they’ve all had under 1000 miles on them and have had some form of interior rattle. In my opinion, the base Macan is an up-badged Volkswagen/Audi in the truest sense. Without the optional chassis/suspension upgrades they really don’t feel any better than the other CUVs they compete with making them not worth the price premium.
x3nhydr4lutr1sx@reddit
IMO they took a well-tuned, if sterile Q5 and made it worse at everything in the name of handling feel. Having driven both base engines, the Q5 is just as capable at the limit, it just doesn't feel that way.
NeedMoreDeltaV@reddit
Yeah it’s the same with my Cayenne. It feels to me like it drives better than the equivalent BMW or Audi, but the actual limits are about the same. Then when you factor in that the Porsche carries a ~$20k price premium and you start wondering if it’s really worth it. I probably won’t look at Porsche for my next 4-door.
InternationalPut4093@reddit
The Macan is a suburb wife's grocery getter. I hear the performance oriented ones like the GTS are great but in reality they only made the Macan to be a cash cow.
dayvieee@reddit
Speaking of loaners I had a 24 panamera base loaner that optioned out at 130k lol
Vgamedead@reddit
I've had the fortunate (unfortunate) experience of driving a loaner base Macan and I will note that while I think your TL:DR is correct, the Macan really does exist as a badge upgrade over the normal German luxury brands.
I view it as comparing the base Macan to a base GLC 300/X3/Q5 45. Is the Macan better than these choices as an entry level Luxury SUV? Sure. Is it worth 50% more money to be better? Probably not. The base Macan is much more of a status symbol for those that want to be seen in a car that's higher on the badge ladder.
mastawyrm@reddit
Yeah because it's not one. It's the standard VAG midsize power train they put in everything deemed too heavy or slow to be sold with the ea888. It's a "Porsche" engine to the same degree my golf r "isn't" an atlas engine, just tweaked.
boiiNXTdoor@reddit
The TLDR made me chuckle.
Thank you for the OC, OP.
Celsius1234@reddit
Slightly different segments🤣