Jaguar F-Pace vs. Porsche Macan | Performance luxury crossover comparison

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The luxury performance crossover. 10 years ago, the list of examples was only a few vehicles deep but today it seems like every luxury car company makes at least one of these. This specific example is a 2018 Jaguar F-Pace S and it happens to be Autoblog‘s newest long-term test vehicle. And here’s the thing: It’s really great to drive. Welcome to the Jaguar F-Pace S. Under the hood we have a super charged 3L V6 that makes 380 horsepower and 332 pound feet of torque, which pulls the F-Pace from 0 to 60 in just 5.1 seconds. That’s a pretty sizable upgrade from the base model’s 247 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. The engine is paired to an eight speed automatic transmission that responds pretty quickly to the paddles when in sport mode. There are three driving modes to choose from: You have dynamic, normal and eco.

Even though the F-Pace name sounds like the F-Type, aside from the powertrain, they really aren’t related. It’s named that because it’s based on the rear-wheel-drive Jag XF, just like the E-Pace is on the XE and the J-Pace will end up being based off of the XJ. Even though the F-Pace is all-wheel drive compared to the rear-wheel XF, it is a rear-bias system, which means it belongs exactly where we are right now, on twisty, turny back roads. This is a Jaguar, which means it sounds good but it looks even better. In my opinion, this is the best looking SUV on the market today. The Caesium Blue is a new color in the U.S. for this model year and we opted to get the black package, which includes black side vents, a black grill and roof rails. This is a $70,000 luxury crossover and the materials, they’re okay. The plastics, I don’t know, they kind of feel cheap even with the luxury interior upgrade package.

The 10-inch touch screen is pretty big, in a good way. And while the surround sound isn’t the best that I’ve heard, it’s perfectly serviceable, especially since all I want to hear is this engine. For $70,000, this is what you get: A beautiful SUV that performs incredibly on the road. But what if you want more? This Macan costs over $96,000, which is almost $30,000 more than the F-Pace S. If you wanted to, you could buy a base Cayenne and a base F-Pace for that kind of money. But with that price comes more power, thanks to this Macan Turbo’s performance pack. 60 more horsepower and 90 more pound-feet of torque than the F-Pace S bringing the total to 440 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. Much like the F-Pace S, this Macan features a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system and a V6.

That’s pretty much where the similarities end, as the Macan’s V6 features a twin turbo and is tied to Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch transmission. The 0 to 60 time is more impressive too, cutting almost a second off of the Jag’s time at a conservative 4.2 seconds. The performance pack also lowers the Macan about 1/2-inch when compared to the regular turbo. Gives you bigger front rudders and adds sport exhaust. And while the tires are the same as the regular turbo’s, the wheels have been replaced by 21-inch 911 Turbo designed rollers. And even though I think the Jag sounds really good, I think this Porsche sounds better. The handling is where this car really outpaces the Jaguar. The Macan steering offers more feedback than the Jag. It’s nice and quick. The Jag’s transmission is good but it’s got nothing on this Porsche PDK. And despite having a turbo charger instead of a super charger, the Porsche’s engine responds better.

What’s even more impressive is that this thing corners like you’re in a sedan. The Macan is good looking but it’s not as good looking as the F-Pace. But as I mentioned before, there aren’t many cars that are. It does wear this Sapphire Blue well, however, and these wheels are a personal favorite of mine. As far as interior space goes, the F-Pace easily wins that with almost double the usable space as the Macan, making it better for longer road trips. But what it lacks in space it more than makes up for in materials. And while, yeah, it’s definitely button heavy, like every other Porsche I’ve ever driven, once you’re inside you feel like you’re in a 911, a feeling that I very much enjoy.

Driving wise, these cars are close, but the added power tips the scales in the Macan’s favor. That being said, the extra $30,000 you’ll have to spend to get one is kind of a tough pill to swallow. So for now, I’ll stick with the F-Pace and maybe by a Miata for the track.

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