Only 1 Porsche Earned Less Than an 8 out of 10 From U.S. News
You would be hard-pressed to find an automotive manufacturer with more prestige than Porsche. From world-class performance sports cars to crossover SUVs with performance as a priority, Porsche has done the impossible by making every one of its vehicles feel significant. The most prominent example of Porsche making every one of its models a priority can be seen with the first Porsche SUV, the Porsche Cayenne, which made its American debut in 2003.
Initially, Porsche loyalists were disappointed that their favorite performance automotive brand would stoop so low to offer an SUV. Still, Porsche proved the world wrong by making the Cayenne a great vehicle with the same amount of prestige as the typical Porsche, just with seating for the whole family. Regarding present-day models, the Porsche lineup keeps improving, with the entire 2023 model year receiving fantastic scores from critics. That being said, one model did not live up to Porsche’s expectations, according to U.S. News. Here is everything you need to know about the Porsche Macan, the automaker’s lowest-scoring model, and why it fell short.
Porsche Macan – the lowest-scoring Porsche for 2023
According to U.S. News, the lowest-scoring Porsche model is the 2023 Porsche Macan, with a score of 7.9. The Porsche Macan is a luxury crossover SUV initially introduced in 2014 for the 2015 model year. The Macan does what most others in the luxury crossover SUV segment fail to do; make an SUV that feels like a sports car.
Porsche achieved this sports car-like feel through the Macan’s engine and weight balance. The base Macan comes standard with a 261-hp turbo four-cylinder engine. The mid-level Macan S comes with a 375-hp twin-turbo V6 engine, and topping the Macan lineup is the Macan GTS, which comes equipped with a 434-hp twin-turbo V6 engine. Every Macan also comes with an all-wheel drive standard, which sends a majority of the power to the rear wheels, giving the Macan a great sports car feel behind the wheel.
While the Macan is a track-ready crossover, it is still classified as a luxury compact SUV. With that luxury designation comes many standard features, including adaptive cruise control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a 10.9-inch touch screen, wireless smartphone integration, wifi hotspot, four USB-C ports, and a 10-speaker sound system. The Macan is also a capable light-load hauler with a towing capacity of 4,409 pounds.
Why did the Macan score so poorly?
With this massive list of standard features and powerful engine options, you might wonder how the Porsche Macan scored so poorly, according to U.S. News. Well, the answer is not all that simple. The Macan’s 7.9 overall score placed it at No. 12 in its class, which is not where Porsche wants it to be. All in all, the Macan is simply an expensive, performance-built crossover in a league of comfortable commuters. Placing higher in the rankings than the Macan are crossovers like the Lexus NX, which starts at $38,605 MSRP, the Lincoln Corsair, which sells for $36,580 MSRP, and the BMW X3, which comes in at $45,400 MSRP.
In comparison, the Macan starts at $57,500 MSRP, and for the top-of-the-line model, you can expect to pay upwards of $82,900 MSRP. That’s all for a crossover with a small amount of cargo space comparatively, and poor fuel economy of 19 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway for the base four-cylinder engine. The Macan is a vehicle aiming for performance in a segment of comfortable cruisers, and its low score indicates its mindset of performance over practicality. However, the Macan is still a fantastic compact luxury crossover that anyone who can afford it should consider.
