USEFUL CONTACTS JZM Porsche

A long established Hertfordshire-based specialist with a deep engineering knowledge of modern Porsches and their performance tuning; our technical consultant for this Buyers’ Guide.

be disappointed, at least for the time being. The petrol and oil burning S models cost the same new, but a 2014 example of the latter will now have a forecourt price of £33,250 according to Glass’s, £2500 over that of the petrol model. Porsche buyers are clearly sufficiently knowledgeable to know that the S Diesel is Euro 6 compliant so won’t be affected by city pollution penalty schemes, such as London’s Toxicity Charge. Should the Turbo be your fancy, keep saving, as you’re not likely to see much below £50,000, and the GTS is closer to £60,000.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

As with other recent Porsche models we put under the Buyers’ Guide microscope, this section is abbreviated in the absence of mechanical problems. Any non wear and tear faults that do occur should be attended to free of charge under the Porsche factory warranty – and for an unspecified period outside the warranty a Porsche dealer may even be able to have a fault rectified fully or partially free of charge on a “goodwill” basis. But check that the warranty is still valid on a car under three years old; the vehicle must have been fully serviced according to the Porsche schedule – though not necessarily at a Porsche dealer – for this to be the case.

With respect to the engine, Steve Mchale, director at JZM Porsche in Hertfordshire knows of no problems at present, but does flag up a possible future concern, based on many Macans seeming to be used only for short journeys. ‘We’ve not come across any problems yet, but we have had several diesel DPF (diesel particulate filter) exhaust filter blockages occur on Cayennes due to system faults and short journey usage, so I fully expect the same to happen with the Macan in due course,’ he predicts.

In October 2015 Porsche recalled all 58,881 Macans sold, including 1198 in the UK. This was for a possible leak in a fuel line in the engine bay, so ensure this freeof-charge check has been carried out, by contacting a Porsche Centre.

Many Macans for sale will be in sight of their 40,000-mile service, and Steve warns not to expect this to be cheap. ‘All Macans requires the PDK gearbox oil and filter to be changed at the 40,000 service,’ he explains. ‘Also, diesels require a fuel filter at that point, and petrol engines need spark plus which bumps the price up.’ The JZM rate, for a 40,000-service, and which is likely to be less than a Porsche Centre’s charge, is £862 for the petrol S and £968 for the Turbo. All models are UK road tax friendly (at least after the first year, when they attract between £500 and £1200 Vehicle excise Duty), the Diesel costing £190 per annum, the Macan £220 and the others £305.

VERDICT

It may be an SUV, but the Macan has much of the dynamic appeal of a “proper” Porsche sports car, and even though many feel Porsches and diesel engines aren’t a natural pairing, the oil burner is a great driving car. At this stage Macans are still expensive, with most over £30,000, but likely to be a troublefree car, so the odd stiff servicing bill apart, you’ll have a Porsche that is relatively inexpensive to run. PW