Porsche Macan vs BMW X4 vs Audi Q5: which one has the lowest running costs?

The Porsche Macan is the company's first foray into the crossover SUV and in true Porsche fashion, they've done it extremely well. The Macan has all the appeal of the larger, more expensive Cayenne but offers it up in a more compact, manageable package that makes it appeal to young and old, male and female alike. 

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It plays in the park of the BMW X4 and to a lesser extent, the Audi Q5, and it does it rather well there matching its fellow Germans on nearly all accounts. This makes it a rather tough call when looking to climb into one, as the competition is stiff and evenly matched.

With the specs, performance and pricing so similar it will come down to the long-term running costs of the three. We're going to look at what each one offers and how they impact the pockets of their owners. To make this fair, we've chosen to sample the three closest rivals based on price, power output and engine size and type. This sees us comparing the Porsche Macan S against the BMW X4 M40i and the Audi SQ5.

Purchase Price

All three of these offerings come in at the R1.1-million mark before options but including VAT. The BMW X4 M40i is listed at R1 132 800 while the Audi SQ5 comes in at R1 056 924, both before options. The Porsche Macan S has a list price of R1 150 000 when taken with a 5-year Driveplan, comparable to the BMW 5-year Motorplan. The Audi SQ5 is also looked after with a 5-year maintenance plan.

As with all three, the options list can become the downfall of a purchase with additional extras adding to the price rather rapidly.

Performance

While not a factor that needs to be measured in order to quantify running costs, it's good to know how they fare in the performance stakes. For some, that's the swing-vote when selecting a car. 

Fortunately, that hardly plays a role in this comparison with all three models presenting very similar figures. The Porsche Macan S employs a 3.0-litre V6 that produces 260 kW and 480 Nm torque for a 0 - 100 km/h sprint time of 5.3-seconds. 

By comparison, the BMW X4 M40i uses a 3.0-litre straight-six for 265 kW and 500 Nm with a 0 - 100 km/h time of 4.8-seconds. The Audi SQ5 makes use of a similar 3.0-litre V6 for an output of 260 kW and 500 Nm. The SQ5 completes the standing sprint to 100 km/h in 5.4-seconds.

Fuel Consumption

The fuel consumption question is often best answered with another question; how heavy is your foot? Driving these cars sedately in a manner that returns the best fuel consumption isn't easy and requires a lot of discipline. You have a considerable amount of power underfoot and the temptation to floor it in a passing manoeuvre or while entering the highway is ever-present.

The Porsche Macan S is said to return an average fuel consumption of 9.6 l/100k, losing out to both the BMW and Audi here who return 9.1 l/100km and 8.3 l/100km respectively.

Service Costs

Included in the price of all three cars here is a 5-year maintenance plan that will cover your services for the first 5-years. All three plans will last for 100 000 km. It's worth noting that the standard plan on the Porsche is a 3-year plan, but for the price we've listed, the 5-year plan is included. 

Service intervals for the Macan S is every 15 000km or annually while the BMW and Audi are dictated by the onboard computers that will calculate oil life and component wear.

Out of plan, things change somewhat and we found that the Porsche Macan S will cost roughly R8 000 to R9 000 for a minor service with a major service running you approximately R13 000, depending on which major service is required. 

The BMW X4 M40i will set you back about R2 600 for a minor service and R6 800 for a major service. The Audi SQ5 comes in at roughly R4 500 for a minor and R11 000 for a major with a cambelt service costing significantly more.

All three will come with the option to extend the maintenance plan provided the service records are up to date and the vehicle qualifies.

Verdict

All three cars are rather evenly matched with the BMW only just coming out on top when factoring in the value-for-money proposition and out-of-plan service costs. The Audi does return the lowest claimed fuel consumption with the Porsche faring the worst in that aspect.

 

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