Stack Porsche’s new Macan Turbo up against Alfa’s Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Audi’s RS Q3 in a drag race and you’ve got a proper battle of the European sporty compact SUVs. They’re all very expensive, very heavy, and very powerful. So which company makes the quickest one?
From a standstill, the Macan Turbo has a clear advantage with Porsche’s stellar launch control and a superior PDK gearbox. The Audi is lighter, and the Alfa is more powerful, but Porsche wins out in a proper drag race. The Alfa’s superior engine performance manages to claw back some serious time on the Macan in the quarter mile, minimizing the gap down to almost nothing.
And that power advantage is even more clear when the drag race switches to a roll race from 30 miles per hour. Without the benefit of launch control, the Macan is caught sleeping on the roll race, with the Alfa simply walking out ahead by a country mile. That alone is the difference between a 440 horsepower engine and a 510 horsepower engine. Alfa wins this round.
Another area where the Macan surprises nobody is under braking. With superior Porsche Carbon Ceramic Braking package, the Macan Turbo drops anchor and stops with an immediacy. It’s truly stunning to watch a nearly 4500 pound SUV haul it down from speed in nothing flat. There was a time when Porsche’s sports cars couldn’t brake that quickly. And it wasn’t all that long ago.
So the Audi is cheaper than both of these by a not insignificant margin. The Porsche is clearly the best all around. And the Alfa is the most powerful. So which one do you pick? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what our pick would be. Let’s see that launch control action one more time!
If you absolutely must have an SUV (and let’s be honest, why would you?) The Macan is the clear victor among this pack.