FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2020 Porsche Macan

How big is the boot of the Porsche Macan?

The boot of the Porsche Macan is a very good size for a five-seat SUV. When empty it will hold thirteen shopping bags which is the same as the Jaguar F-Pace and less than the Range Rover Velar and BMW Alpina XD3 which both hold fourteen shopping bags and the Audi Q8 which holds fifteen.

The twin stroller fits with two shopping bags.

The tandem stroller fits with six shopping bags.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Tulsi’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

The single stroller fits with five shopping bags beside it.

The compact stroller fits with nine shopping bags beside it.

You can easily fit a medium-size dog in the boot of the Porshe Macan when you remove the parcel shelf!

The boot floor is nice and flat and even, which is perfect for transporting dogs and for emergency nappy changes!

How good is storage inside the Porsche Macan?

Storage inside the Porsche Macan is quite minimal in both rows of seats, but what is there is practically sized. There are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup. In front of them is a small well I used for the key.

The central console storage box is small and the only place to store your phone, while the lid doubles as your armest.

The glove box is a good size and will hold my wallet with the manual and iPad.

There are vanity mirrors in both the front visors and light in the central ceiling.

The door bins are a good size in the front to hold a large refillable water bottle.

Storage in the second row is very minimal. There are just two cup holders in a fold-down armrest in the central back. They will hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup.

The rear door bins will hold a large refillable water bottle too.

How noisy is the Porsche Macan?

The Porsche Macan is not a noisy car at all. There are no particular beeps or alarms to warn of and the ride is very quiet and you realise you are more insulated from the usual road and exterior noise you have in the majority of cars.

I really like the media system in the Porsche Macan, it has a lovely wide landscape screen and I found it easy to use and intuitive to navigate.

It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well.

The camera image quality is very good in the Porsche Macan, there are different camera views available too down the side of the screen and I loved having the birds-eye view on the screen at the same time when maneuvering and parking.

The cruise control in the Macan is on a stalk behind the steering wheel. I was very surprised to find in the model I tested there was no adaptive cruise control, it is an expensive optional extra. I also found the cruise control was not very accurate at lower speeds around 60km/h on undulating roads. I always expect much more from luxury SUVs when it comes to cruise control and safety features and when you are paying these prices I expect to see the best technology, so am often surprised and disappointed to find the two don't go together.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The indicator volume wasn't baby-waking in the Porshe Macan, and the auto engine cut out can be easily turned off down in the central console.

The doors and windows of the Macan close gently, so they are not baby waking.

The doors close quite easily with a gentle close, which was surprising for a car of this size. With baby asleep you can get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy. The same for the windows their mechanism is not too noisy and I didn’t notice them having a loud opening or closing sound.

With baby asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up! 

The Macan feels lovely to drive around town and suburban roads and then once you've dropped the kids off it is a lot of fun on the open roads too!

There is a seatbelt removal alarm and display on the screen in front of the steering wheel.

You can lock the doors and windows from the driver's door control panel.

The screen in front of the driver tells you your distance to empty in km too, which is really handy.

How many child seats fit in the Porsche Macan?

There are top tether anchorages on the back of all three seatbacks, in plastic guides, clearly labelled and easy to connect to and reach through the boot.

There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, they are within plastic guides and easy to connect to.

I could fit two child seats in the back of the Porsche Macan and I could just fit between the two of them. (I'm 162cm)

With a rear-facing child seat installed we could sit a 175cm driver in front.

Posting bub into their car seat easy from outside is good in the Macan and the ceiling height makes it easy from inside too.

Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

There is plenty of room to feed bub in the back if you only have one child seat installed.

How comfortable is the Porsche Macan? And How good is the Porsche Macan to drive?

The front seats of the Porsche Macan are lovely and comfortable, especially with the adjustable headrests!

I could easily wear a ponytail!

I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!

For a mum travelling in the back with bub, the seats are comfortable too. Legroom is good too in the back; I had plenty of legroom behind a 182cm driver and I'm 162cm.

For the first year of Tulsi’s life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Tulsi so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.

Across the front dashboard, there are four air conditioning vents, they can be controlled using the buttons behind the gear lever down in the central console.

The console is littered with buttons for dual climate control.

In the back, there are vents in the back of the central console box. They are reachable by the driver but you can not see the changes to the temperature from the front.

When maneuvering or parking, visibility was quite good in the Macan and the excellent camera image really helped.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Tulsi has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Porsche Macan, was pretty easy to park.

How safe is the Porsche Macan?

The Porsche Macan is yet to be put through the ANCAP safety testing. So it has not been tested for child occupancy either.

As standard, the Porsche Macan comes with seat belt pretensioners in the driver and front passenger and outer rear seats and seat belt reminder warning for all passengers.

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Tulsi’s asleep!