Macan 4, 4S, Turbo throttle response

[aks]

I'm considering a 4S as I found the 4 a bit lacklustre. On the configurator, I fell in to the options trap and thought I'd go all in and go for a Turbo instead, as the price gap starts to close when you consider the options on the 4S that come as standard equipment on the Turbo (a bit of desire going on here ).

Anyway, I read several threads comparing 4 vs Turbo and passing power of 4, but the throttle response when driving in normal mode is unclear to me.

The Macan 4 Iloaner I had was smooth and progressive, how will the 4S and Turbo respond in normal driving - hopefully not twitchy with the slightest touch?

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[W1NGE]

I'm considering a 4S as I found the 4 a bit lacklustre. On the configurator, I fell in to the options trap and thought I'd go all in and go for a Turbo instead, as the price gap starts to close when you consider the options on the 4S that come as standard equipment on the Turbo (a bit of desire going on here ).

Anyway, I read several threads comparing 4 vs Turbo and passing power of 4, but the throttle response when driving in normal mode is unclear to me.

The Macan 4 Iloaner I had was smooth and progressive, how will the 4S and Turbo respond in normal driving - hopefully not twitchy with the slightest touch?

I found the 4S lack lustre in Normal drive mode and logically the Turbo better.

In normal driving I doubt very much that you'll need much more than what the 4 offers.

Neither are twitchy...it's a Porsche!

If Iin doubt compromise and get the GTS if buying new.

 

[aks]

Thanks, I've not tried the 4S, the dealer only has a 4 - that's not quite enough for my 'normal' driving !

I'll try to get in a Turbo for a test drive, but they don't seem readily available for test drives.

 

[driege]

I have the 4S and it feels very fast (definitely wouldn't call it lackluster). But it's not twitchy at all - the throttle response is very smooth and if you want it to really take off, you've got to intentionally put your foot down.

 

[chaz]

From what I read, most the 4S and Turbo difference was in launch mode.

 

[ColdCase]

I have a 4S and recently had a 4 loaner for a day. The throttle response is similar but the 4S is more satisfying, feels more responsive and lite on its toes. The 4S has rear wheel steering and PVT. RWS makes for a more fun drive while a big help navigating narrow city streets and parking areas. The PVT equipped 4S feels more planted, stable. We are talking subjective nuances here. Not significant, but noticeable, daily commuter differences. Both are satisfying to drive, but the 4S is just a bit more day to day. When pushed hard on winding roads, the differences are more noticeable. The 4S has considerable more "hammer down" power than the 4, but the Turbo would have more. I think driving feel differences day to day between a Turbo and 4S with RWS and PVT would just be tire differences. I'm pretty sure that throttle 0 to 30/40 % is pretty much the same between the models.

Note that the my 4S has 20 inch wheels where the loaner 4 had 21 inch. They road about the same in normal mode.

 

[daveo4EV]

there is no doubt differences between 4, 4S, GTS, and Turbo

it's simply a matter of degree

• the biggest differences are going to be from a dead stop
• then from a dead stop w/launch control
• normal vs. sport mode
• and finally when you give full power but you're already moving - and the speed at which you're moving when you give full power

in terms of any normal driving scenario I found the 4 sufficient but lacking greatness and my Turbo is quicker, but not mind blowingly so vs. the 4…

there is no doubt the 4S/GTS/Turbo have more throttle response than the 4 - Porsche handicaps the 4 and other trim levels to maintain the performance differences for the pricing points…

but in my opinion the differences are much less pronounced than most people imagine.

for any highway/street driving scenario I was never lacking for power even in the 4 - but my Turbo is definitely more powerful - my wife/passenger notices/complains when I'm full power in the Turbo but noticed less often when I was full power in the 4 - she complains about "full power" in the Turbo and never notices full power in the 4…so yeah there is a difference

but even the 4 is better than any ICE Macan in terms of throttle response - but the turbo is going to have more spit on the ball than the 4 - but only under full throttle high demand situations

the question is how much is that "more power" worth given that both cars can be optioned to be nearly identical in every other way…

and how often when sitting in commuter traffic will in matter, or roaming neighborhood with 25 mph speed limits…

my personal major insight/opinion is that the 4 lacks any sort of ommmph from a dead stop - it has better power/acceleration once it's already moving - normally anemic off the line also means anemic when alredy rolling - you know when you need to pass say from 63 mph to 92 mph to get around someone…well the 4 is surprisingly sufficient for the already moving acceleration needs - even uphill on a twisty road like Hwy 17 in northern california…

so while the 4 is no doubt anemic from a dead stop - it was surprisingly good at virtually every other acceleration scenario other than the dead stop…the 4S/GTS/Turbo clear have more in these spaces, but not by the margin you'd expect was my only feedback…

the 4 is damm good, and again being an excellent eV drive train better than 98% of the ICE vehicle's most people drive…

but if urgency is your goal/requirement - yeah the 4S/GTS/Turbo is more your JAM

 

[aks]

As I mentioned, I drove the Macan 4, it's smooth, but not what I'd call 'quick'. There is no punch when accelerating, I don't mean from launch control, I mean slow rolling then accelerate - it was mediocre. Not a slouch, but not a wow either.

In the UK, we have speed limits that any car can generally exceed, but i'm looking at the pace of pickup. I drive an M5, you feel it when I hoof it. However, I also come to realise that the silence may be messing with my senses, vs a thundering v8 !

Thanks for all the inputs.

 

[MMR]

I’ve got a Turbo — and it’s crazy fast.

From a standstill or when accelerating at any speed, it just pulls relentlessly and effortlessly. The power delivery is smooth and the car feels completely planted.

That said, I hardly ever get to enjoy it. Most of my driving is on traffic-heavy roads full of speed bumps and cameras, so 95% of the time I may as well be in the base model.

 

[aks]

Thanks, haha, the joys of UK driving!

 

[W1NGE]

From what I read, most the 4S and Turbo difference was in launch mode.

it is really not the most difference. Launching is something you do to remove the 'child' in us but the real difference is torque and pick-up from 50 - 70 mph (or anywhere in between) as this is more like day to day driving. The additional horses in the Turbo make this possible. On paper neither are slouches but when physically driving both cars it felt (to me) that I had to use more throttle position to get motoring. Full disclosure I was used to my GTS ST which was more responsive on the throttle and handled superior to either of these cars.

 

[tkazior]

A slightly off-topic, but also related question that I haven't seen discussed in this forum....

Do all the Macan EV models share the same hardware? Is the performance difference between them due to hardware differences (the drive motors)? The online configurator doesn't come out and say the motors are different. It only says the performance is different.

In Tesla World there was (and maybe still is?) the ability to purchase an acceleration boost for the vehicle. It was just software. A regular Model 3 could, with the software, decrease its 0-60 time from 6 to maybe 4 seconds.

Just wondering if Porsche does something similar. Anyone know?

 

[daveo4EV]

A slightly off-topic, but also related question that I haven't seen discussed in this forum....

Do all the Macan EV models share the same hardware? Is the performance difference between them due to hardware differences (the drive motors)? The online configurator doesn't come out and say the motors are different. It only says the performance is different.

In Tesla World there was (and maybe still is?) the ability to purchase an acceleration boost for the vehicle. It was just software. A regular Model 3 could, with the software, decrease its 0-60 time from 6 to maybe 4 seconds.

Just wondering if Porsche does something similar. Anyone know?

4S/GTS/Turbo has different rear motor vs the 4 - and there is always some tuning between trims you can never replicate with options - GTS has some track mode tuning fur battery thermals - it’s unlikely Porsche will ever unlock performance after purchase of the vehicle - they prefer to sell you a whole new car

 

[daveo4EV]

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/first-drive-2026-porsche-macan-gts-electric?utm_campaign=MOTORTREND-Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=SES&utm_type=organic&utm_content=20260212_MOTORTREND-Newsletter&utm_term=&email_subject=Porsche's Macan GTS Electric Is More of the Same, More or Less&email_list_name=motortrend&n_em=ZG9ydG9yQG1hYy5jb20=&element_parent=Featured Stories&element_name=2026 Porsche Macan GTS Electric First Drive: More of the Same, More or Less

This means it drives like a tall, electric hot hatch. It’s very quick in a straight line—quick enough, we’d say. The Turbo is of course quicker, but once you’re under four seconds to 60 mph, the differences get harder to notice. Porsche says it’s 0.5 second slower than the Turbo in that metric and 0.3 second quicker than a 4S, and we’re inclined to believe those spreads even if the company’s estimate of 3.6 seconds is almost certainly conservative.

Riding on the same suspension, it’s not shocking the GTS rides basically the same as the Turbo, which rides basically the same as the 4S. If there’s a difference between the three, it’s not big enough to notice on real-world roads. It’s what we call appropriately stiff: firm enough for the handling performance required but not at all punishing. If you can live with a base-model Macan, you can live with a high-performance trim just the same.
than a 4S, and we’re inclined to believe those spreads even if the company’s estimate of 3.6 seconds is almost certainly conservative.

Riding on the same suspension, it’s not shocking the GTS rides basically the same as the Turbo, which rides basically the same as the 4S. If there’s a difference between the three, it’s not big enough to notice on real-world roads. It’s what we call appropriately stiff: firm enough for the handling performance required but not at all punishing. If you can live with a base-model Macan, you can live with a high-performance trim just the same.

Really, though, without taking them to a racetrack, the differences are so small in the confines of a winding mountain road, you’re hard-pressed to notice. The Turbo leaves a corner harder thanks to its extra power and arrives at the next one a bit sooner for the same reason, but that’s the only change to the experience. The acceleration of the GTS feels on the right side of crazy; the Turbo lives on the other side.

 

[Wivenhoe]

The 4S in the UK doesn’t come with RWS - it’s an option. I was going to get a 4 and then was offered an earlier build on an S. I then noticed that the price difference narrowed between them as some of my selected options were standard or cost less on 4s. Then in my case, the S was considerably cheaper insurance on the S rather than a Turbo, so that meant the S was the top model I could sensibly go with. Perhaps that’s not the case for you.

What sealed it, was that the S could be registered before April 25 but the 4 couldn’t - saves me 5 years x £ 425

Difference in acceleration times Turbo & M5

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