# 7 - 1989 Jeep Cherokee Laredo

 [Note: As originally conceived, ‘The Cars of Ralph’ was to be an ongoing rumination on life as experienced through the cars I’ve had over the years. Somewhere along the way I got sidetracked, and then sort of lost steam. This post is an attempt to get back on track, through the story of my seventh car, a Jeep Cherokee Laredo.]

In 1989 I returned from three years in Germany to attend an Army school at Fort Eustis, Virginia, followed by a three-year assignment to the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington. As detailed in the discussion of car #6, anxious to avoid speeding ticket prison in Virginia, I had traded in my 1988 Mustang GT for an ‘89 Acura Integra LS. The Integra was fine, though ultimately unsatisfying. Once I reached the Pacific Northwest my wandering car eye cast about for a more suitable companion. And that’s when I first learned about what would eventually become known as a, “Sport Utility Vehicle,” the now ubiquitous All-American SUV. With the Cascade Mountains just thirty minutes from my doorstep, I was skiing almost every weekend those winters. The roads were slick and steep, and it was always fun to ski with friends. What I needed was four-wheel drive, and four doors. The recently up-engined Jeep Cherokee was just the ticket. Mine was a white 1989 Laredo, and I came to respect and love that little truck.

The “XJ” series Jeep Cherokee had a long-life span, first offered in 1984 and not bowing out until 2001. Some versions were built in China through 2014! It was available in two- or four-door, five-passenger, front-engine, rear- or four-wheel drive configurations. Early versions featured fairly anemic 2.5-liter four cylinder or 2.6-liter six cylinder engines. But for 1989 Jeep debuted a new 4.0 liter straight six with 177 horsepower. That was solid power for the day, from a smooth and reliable engine that also featured a stout 220-foot pounds of torque. The Selec-Trac full-time four-wheel drive system provided outstanding grip on all surfaces, and featured a low range for crawling and other low speed traction needs. All in all, the XJ Cherokee with the 4.0 was one of the best vehicles Chrysler ever made.

Trading in the Integra I had owned for less than a year on a new Jeep wasn’t the smartest of financial decisions, and that kept me from the Limited model with leather and other fancy stuff such as gold wheels. My poor financial decisions turned out to be a blessing for once, as the only Cherokee I could afford was the cheapest Laredo on the dealer’s lot. And why was it the cheapest? Because it had a manual transmission, roll up windows, and no air conditioning! So not only did my Cherokee feature Jeeps’ powerful new engine, but without the extra weight of an automatic transmission, window motors, or air conditioning, it weighed only 3,000 pounds! I actually ran it across the vehicle weight station at McCord Air Force base once just to see how light it was. I was shocked! 

The bottom line of these missing options… that little truck could light up all four tires, particularly if the roads were a bit wet. Did I mention I was living in the Pacific Northwest? The Cherokee was relatively fast, light on its feet, a great long-distance driver (particularly in bad weather), and most importantly a fabulous, nimble ski vehicle. The rear tailgate opened upwards to shield you from the elements while you put on your gear and the roofline wasn’t so high that a not tall person such as myself couldn’t easily reach the ski racks. The combination of Jeep’s Selec-Trac four-wheel drive and mud + snow tires gave the little truck phenomenal traction. The early Bendix ABS system worked well enough to help keep me on the road if I got a bit happy in the snow. And I did. Often.

Honestly, I’m not sure I’ve owned a vehicle that more perfectly met my needs in a specific time and place. Sure, the lack of air conditioning was a bit annoying in July and August. But again, it was the Pacific Northwest. Not being able to easily roll down the rear windows was inconvenient at times. But the advantages of low weight, good power, and a manual transmission easily overcame those niggles. And though it was no sports car, it was fun enough to drive that even the enthusiast in me was mostly happy to own it as my only car. 

One more thing about the XJ Cherokee, and my white Laredo specifically, it's a darned good looking vehicle. The upright, squared off design is clean and uncluttered. The greenhouse is tall and stately, with Land Rover-like formal lines. The Laredo version added just enough chrome, tinted privacy glass and great 5 spoke wheels, all adding to that formal look and in my case, setting off the pearl white paint. The XJ shows, once again, that car design rebounded in the 1980s. It's no wonder that the Radwood idea has become such a hit on the car show circuit.

And the fate of the Cherokee? A few years later, after the Gulf War, I wrangled a transfer back to Germany. Though a trusty steed, with a top speed around 90 mph the Laredo had no business in the land of the autobahn. So, while attending an Army school at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, I traded it for a different all-wheel drive vehicle from Chrysler, more suited to high-speed travel. Any guesses?

1989 Jeep Cherokee Laredo

Owned: 1989-1991

Location: Pacific Northwest

Music: I was listening to a lot of Neil Young in those days… and I saw his grunge acolytes - these youngsters - get their start in Seattle…

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - the perfect vehicle for the moment

And please note my explanation about the photographs used in this blog.

(Car) Truth Changes

 

Standing around at a recent Cars and Coffee, a friend and I admired a BMW 2002tii as it burbled past. "Do square tail lights bother you?," I asked him. "Nope, not anymore."  Early 2002s had round tail lights, but a facelift in 1974 switched to square tail lights. For years afterwards it was an essential car truth that 'roundies' were superior. But now it's fun to see any 2002, particularly a tii. That 'car truth' has apparently changed. Which got me to thinking, what other truths might have changed?

Rubber bumpers ruined the MGB

From 1962 through the 1970s the MGB Roadster was the quintessential British sports car. Relatively inexpensive, it provided fun, sun, and a great look and sound, if perhaps somewhat dodgy reliability. But in 1974 US safety regulations forced a bumper change from classic - and somewhat useless - chrome to rubber bumpers fore and aft. Did rubber bumpers make the cars any safer? Can anything that small and low actually be safe? Perhaps not. 

"They've ruined it!" screamed enthusiasts, as thousands of tweed wearing, stringback glove owning drivers surveyed the horror that the Americans had wrought. Funny though, as I look at the post '74 British Leyland cars, including the Spitfire and MGB, they don't seem nearly as awful anymore. Perhaps it is just the rarity of even seeing a nice MGB or Spitfire on the road today that takes the sting away. 

An unscientific perusal of MGB auction results on Bring a Trailer shows chrome bumper cars selling at higher prices, as would be expected. But I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to spend a day behind the wheel of a later Roadster, and I wouldn't hide behind big dark glasses doing it.

Malaise era C3 Corvettes are awful

With barely 180 horsepower on tap in some models, and manual transmissions rare, the later C3 Vettes ('76-'83) seemed a pale imitation of their previous fire breathing predecessors. 

But was it really that bad? With a sub 8 second 0-60 times they were still about the fastest car you could buy in America. Only a few exotics were faster - along with the new Porsche 928. But compare costs and the Vette, as is so often the case, seems like a good balance of value and performance. And let's be sure to point the finger at the real culprits in the Vette's seemingly sad state - the Feds and the Oil Crisis. It took auto manufacturers years to figure out how return to real performance with all of the new restrictions. Fuel injection anyone?

This car truth seems to be changing too. Later model C3 Corvette values are on the rise, with Indianapolis Pace Car versions crossing the $30k mark. Of course that's not big block money, but it's respectable. And like the rubber bumper MGB, the stigma of those underpowered Vettes is fading. Now they are simply a wonderfully shaped sports car - as they always were.

The 924/944/968/928 aren't 'real' Porsches

As the previous owner of several of these fabulous cars, this one is personal. Much has been written about the front engined, water-cooled four and eight cylinder Porsches, in particular the original 924's pedestrian roots as a Volkswagen project. Their reputation as the lesser Zuffenhausen offering hurt values for decades, and caused a sad deferred maintenance spiral for many. 

Now I'm happy to report that's all ancient history. 928 values, particularly for later S4 and GT/GTS versions have been strong for a while. And when an '88 944 Special Edition hit nearly $25k at Amelia Island in 2017 the word was out. Clean, low mile 944 Turbos (951) regularly trade in the low to mid- $30s. And 968s, one of the rarest Porsche models, are highly sought after. Even pre-1985.5 944s are moving upward.

I could go on and on... V12 XKEs and the Porsche 996 for example. Sadly however, some automotive truths may linger... Mustang II I'm looking at you.

Clearly car truths are not written in stone, or carbon fiber. So just what does drive shifting opinions? Time and growing rarity would seem to be the most obvious. Enthusiasts are also a big part of changing perceptions. Radwood has certainly put a spotlight on the often overlooked cars of the 1980s and 90s.  Who could have imagined AMC Gremlins and GM X-cars drawing a crowd?

But perhaps the reasons go deeper than simply nostalgia. Despite some fabulous new performance models, sports car design has stagnated, or is so influenced by aerodynamics and pedestrian height requirements as to be almost laughable (hello Supra). MGBs, C3 Vettes, and front-engined Porsches are all paragons of good design, even when encumbered with bad bumpers. They were also darned good performance cars for their day. As time has passed those attributes take a front seat to more mundane things like tail light shapes. Any thoughtful enthusiast would grab the keys to a '74 tii, a '79 MGB, or a '78 Indy Pace Car in a second. In the end, that's the real truth.

Quien Es Mas Macho? - The Townhouse Trucks of Apex

 

Pickup trucks; fancy leather-laden four-wheel drive quad cab beasts, have become the family car of the 21st century for many people. Not surprisingly, these monsters overwhelm many of the driveways in the townhome community we moved to a few years back. Whatever. Drive what you love. 

But what about the 'old school' pickup truck? The kinda beat up, getting old, maybe a rust patch here and there, real truck? Do they have a place in a neighborhood that doesn't need a bed full of mulch or a load of sheetrock? Surprisingly the answer is a resounding, yes! Here's a few in my urban canyon neighborhood.

1970s Chevy C-10

This beauty, clearly a project in progress, lives over by the mailboxes. No idea what motor it may conceal, but the build is going in the right direction. The mat red is a perfect fit for the lowered stance and white steel wheels. 

The light grill mod features LED headlights and a great combination of black and chrome. I've never managed to meet the owner, but I know we would be friends. And did you notice the fabulous side exhaust?

1976 Ford F-150

This near-perfect resto-stock F-150 first showed up a few years back, quickly establishing itself as the tough guy in the neighborhood. The owner brought it with him from Las Vegas and these days it mostly just stands ready for rough duty. The matte blue is a perfect color, contrasted with the black wheels and modest lift - a perfect balance of mods that make something already cool even better,

The bed is painted - or perhaps not painted - with a battered off white clearcoat. The diamond plate box and oversize steel bumper hint at real work usefulness, while the lift and wheels say fun. 

1996 Ford F-150

Many of you may recognize this Ford pickup, some of you have borrowed it. And that's actually the answer to the question posed at the top of this post - you can always find a use for an old truck, and loaning it to friends is the best use for an old truck. Since we brought her in from the suburbs where it hauled all sorts of stuff on a regular basis, "Phil's Truck" has done regular duty in the hands of a wide variety of friends and neighbors for all manner of lumber, furniture, playsets, and an occasional '57 Chevy transmission. In fact as I write these words, it's hauling a friend's load of windows to Raleigh.

"Phil's Truck" is named for my late brother in law Phil Keller. Before his untimely death from cancer in the early years of the century, this Vietnam vet and NC Fish and Wildlife worker used his truck exactly as it was intended, hard - from the down east red clay mud of Pender County to the Blue Rock Marlin Tournament he managed. Phil was also responsible for the truck's perfect options; the unbreakable straight six 300 cubic inch engine coupled to a four speed manual overdrive transmission and four wheel drive. The behind the wheel experience is almost agricultural, in the best possible way. You can't help but grin, and feel a bit taller. And that bench seat is perfect for cruising to the dump with your best girl by your side.

So what do you think... Quien Es Mas Macho? 

Anything interesting on the CarMax lot?

CarMax is generally a good choice when you're looking for a fair deal on a decent used car. Need a Camry or a Grand Cherokee? It's a smart place to start. But what you may not know is that, amid that sea of Hyundais, Toyotas, Hondas, and assorted other bland suburban transport pods, there are occasionally offerings that get an enthusiast's attention. Here's what I found on a recent Sunday morning stroll of the lot at the CarMax in Raleigh, North Carolina.

(Full disclosure - I worked as a part time associate at CarMax 20+ years back. It was a fun part time job and I learned a lot about the car business.)

2011 Ford Ranger XLT

Now I'll admit that a nearly ten year old pickup isn't usually cause for much more than a glance. But this one is different. First, it only has 57,000 miles on the odometer. Second, it is in immaculate shape and has every option an '11 Ranger could have. The bedliner doesn't have a scratch on it. My guess is this truck was owned by a 'gentleman farmer' who only drove it on Saturday mornings to join friends for coffee. In this condition and with such few miles, this little truck is a rare find. And CarMax knows it - look at the price they're asking.

2017 Mazda Miata Club Edition

For 30 years now the Miata has represented the best sports car value proposition available. And while the last few generations have been a bit on weak side in terms of design, the latest Miata is a great looking car, particularly in the Club Edition which adds special paint, wheels, and other bits. Sadly this gorgeous example has one flaw, and it's a big one. When I found it on the lot I joked that it probably was an automatic. I looked in the window, cursed, and walked away muttering.

2017 Jaguar F-Type S

After bashing the Miata for an automatic transmission, let me immediately contradict myself with praise for this fabulous Jaguar. No, it doesn't have a stick shift. But it doesn't need one. If you want a sports car for the track you can find a V6 F Type with a stick. But to be honest the F is really too heavy and softly sprung for serious driving. Where it excels is as the perfect car for a Sunday country drive. Top down of course. This car, at just under $50,000 would be a joy to own for just such opportunities.

2018 Ford Focus RS

It's not often that a $35,000 used hatchback gets your attention, but this one certainly does. With the harsh ride, cramped interior, and noise you really have to want the performance this little 350 horsepower, angry wombat provides. It's incredible to think about how far the hot hatch has come since it's beginnings in the original Mini and of course the Mark 1 VW GTI. 

2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe

Sitting down to write this post, I discovered I hadn't gotten a good photo of the fastest car on the lot. This twin turbo coupe may have some ungainly design features and it may not have a pedigree that sets enthusiast's hearts aflutter. But who cares? It has 455 horsepower! It will do 0-60 in 3.6 seconds! That's just ridiculous. God Bless America.

2017 BMW 328i Sedan

You could walk past this last featured car without giving it a moment's thought. Just another off-lease white BMW 3 series. I almost did... but then the red leather interior caught my eye... and the six speed manual transmission... and the M Sport package,,, and the deleted sunroof... and the BMW ShadowLine trim. This my friends, is a true unicorn. Back in the fall of 2016, someone sitting in a BMW dealership carefully checked the options boxes to create a truly unique sports sedan. It had arrived in Raleigh as a transfer car from another dealership. And if the buyer backs out my name is at the top of the "I'll buy it" list.

So that's what I found. What fun cars have you found at CarMax?

BMW 17 Year Double Take

I love my 2003 BMW 330i ZHP.  But how does this aging performance sedan stack up against the latest 330i? Well it just so happens that while my ZHP was in the shop for (yet another) airbag update BMW of Southpoint in Durham, North Carolina was kind enough to lend me a brand new 330i that happened to have the optional M-Sport package. Let the comparison begin!

Exterior Design

The E46 and E39 BMW sedans of the late 90s and early 'aughts are often held up as the peak of passenger car design. They feature strong, clean lines and classic details. In the interim 15 years BMW design has been...  interesting. From the 'flame surfacing,' 'Bangle Butt' cars to the more sedate E90 3-series, it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride. The current F30 3 series, around since 2011, has been through several face lifts to get to its latest version.

Most interesting in the latest update - BMW redesigned the headlights with a clear nod to the E46. The sharp notch in the bottom of the headlight surround mimics the shape of the earlier car. But it's not enough. Overall the F30 is a nice looking sports sedan. But it's hard to distinguish at a glance from other cars in the segment. Was that a Hyundai Genesis G70? On the other hand, the E46 3 series represents a benchmark in automotive design that is hard to beat.

Interior Design and Features

Technology, materials, and manufacturing process updates have vaulted interior design several light years from the late 1990s when the E46 first launched. This is not always for the best of course. But manufacturers like Audi and BMW have done a good job of integrating large screens and other features with classic design. The 330i reflects that trend. The ZHP interior seems almost quaint in comparison. USB port anyone?

In my afternoon with the F30 I found the interior to be comfortable and driver-oriented, the way BMW intended. And while I do think the interior materials and leather is a touch higher quality in the older car, it doesn't significantly outweigh the feel of the newer. In a perfect world I would graft the current tech features into the older car. But since that's not an option, this is a clear win for the F30.

Driving Impressions

Up front there is this obvious difference between these two cars - only the ZHP has a manual transmission. In fact it's a different manual than the regular E46, with six speeds and a perfect short shift knob. The new 330i has flappy paddles. BMW has just about abandoned manuals (but then so has Ferrari and no one accuses them of being soft). They work fine, and in sport mode shift fast and fairly hard. But I'm old school. A proper car has a proper transmission.

That said, the 2020 330i is a darned fun car to drive around on back roads. It is rocket fast, confident, and comfortable. The turbo four cylinder provides 255 horsepower and an impressive 295 ft-lbs of torque. And despite gaining a few hundred pounds since the E46 days, the 3 series is still fairly lightweight unless you add XDrive. Electric steering has gotten better since introduced in the F30 in 2011, but feedback is a bit dead on center and doesn't really tell you what the front end is doing in the curves. But overall the driving experience is BMW good.

But here's the problem: the 330i ZHP is BMW great. I was somewhat surprised to find that both cars registered a 5.2 second 0-60 run in Car and Driver testing. I would have thought the new one would be a bit faster. While technically down on horsepower to the newer car, the inline six cylinder is always ready to run up to it's 6800 rpm redline. And it does this with a growl that no turbo four can match. The stiffer ZHP spec suspension does it's part too. The car is tossable in the corners and always ready to play. It's literally an energetic puppy of a sports sedan. Offered both keys for a mountain road, I'll take the ZHP every time.

Conclusions

In the end I'm a bit torn. If you can swing the note or the lease, you should probably get the new 330i. It's a darned good car. And the 340i kicks up the fun with a twin turbo inline six. But neither of these is a ZHP. That car is unique - less than 4,000 were produced. It distills the BMW experience into a tangible thing, probably something that won't - can't - happen again. The world has changed. Safety regulations, emissions, and corporate average fuel economy weren't a big thing in 2003. Now they have an undue influence on design and the driving experience.

So if you need a new, sporty sedan, the 330i is a fine choice. But if you want to go for a drive, find a 330i ZHP.

Considering the Daily Driver

I’ve been driving to work since the summer of 1985. Subtracting time for vacations, illness, business travel, wars, and other various reasons, I figure to have commuted to work approximately I have no idea. It’s a lot (feel free to work out this math for me if you want). 

I’ve done all of this commuting in a wide variety of cars, from a Miata to a couple of trucks, starting with a VW GTI and going through my current daily driver. I did try to count them all, but probably missed a couple. Twenty four different cars is my best estimate. Based on this ‘data,’ I hereby proclaim myself an expert on the daily driver: the car you have to spend time in a couple of times a day, almost every day. 

A great car is not always a great daily driver.

Now, here’s an important qualifier: I do not, and never have lived in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, DC, or any of the other cities where it is just plain awful to commute. I’ve been fortunate to live in places that don’t feature terrible traffic as a daily reality. In fact, most of the places I’ve lived have decent road networks, relatively short (<25 mile) commutes, and moderate weather. If you live in a place where the traffic, commute distance, and/or weather are horrible, you should probably move. And if you have to live these places, you should probably drive a tan 1998 Camry. Enjoy.

So here's the question: Just what is the right balance of cost, reliability, size, efficiency, and enjoyment for your daily drive? Let’s start with the criteria I’ve established over the years in search of the optimum daily driver.

Criteria #1 - A good daily driver is fun to drive

I believe firmly that life is too short to drive boring cars. I started my commuting journey in earnest as a young Army officer in Germany, driving about 20 km to the base in my GTI. After I wrecked that awesome little car, I commuted in a Mustang GT. On my way home, if the weather was good, I would take a longer route that looped me down Autobahn A27 for about 20 km. There was of course no speed limit on this section. 

This was part of my daily commute for a few years. It may have influenced my choice of cars.

Since those days I have usually had an alternate fun route either to or from work, whether that was a twisty back road headed to my high school teaching job, or a secret stretch of North Carolina highway. As a result, my best daily drivers have also been fast and fun cars.

Does this mean your everyday car has to breath fire and tear up the roads? No. Some SUVs are even decent performance vehicles. Well, one or two at least. Your choice just can't be boring, bland, or slow. 

Criteria #2 - A good daily driver is (sort of) practical

My fascination with sports cars led me to daily drive first a Porsche 944S2 and later a 968. Both were fantastic cars in their own right. Fast, comfortable, and relatively affordable. But they were not practical daily drivers. Both had little tiny back seats, were low and hard to see out of, and easy to miss in parking lots (both were hit by drivers who claimed not to have seen me). They were also terrible in the snow and ice that occasionally hits us here in NC. In these cars I could only take one other person to lunch, and never take one of the Labradors to the vet.

Based on these experiences I've determined that, while good a daily driver needs to have decent performance, it also needs a back seat, preferably four doors, and all season tires. In other words, it has to be a practical car.

Criteria #3 -  A good daily driver is relatively reliable and efficient

Some of you probably noticed that this criteria is somewhat at odds with criteria #1. And you would be correct. Hence the term word ‘relatively.’ But let me explain… I have driven several SUVs as daily drivers. None of them were efficient in the way a Prius is. Quite the opposite. But I only considered one of them inefficient - a 2011 Acura MDX that got around 18 mpg no matter how I drove it, and wallowed about in the doing. Other SUVs, like the 2007 BMW X3 and the 2012 Cayenne achieved better than 20 mpg and were not ponderous to drive. Considering their decent performance and generous space and comfort, I considered them to be relatively good daily drivers.

Of course reliability can also fly in the face of criteria #1. Performance cars cost more to maintain on average. I can live with that in my goal to achieve balance, but not too much. Bottom line, a good daily driver starts in the morning and gets you to work and back without drama. You don’t worry about it as you head out into the garage.

And the survey says...

My criteria, and they are mine - feel free to disagree and develop your own, lead me two possible answers to the daily driver question: a good sports sedan or a sporty SUV. What do I personally recommend?  I actually have two suggestions, both just by chance currently in our driveway...

Best Daily Driver Runner Up - Porsche Macan S

I’ve talked about the Macan S before. We love this SUV's unique balance of performance, luxury, and practicality. It gets decent enough gas mileage and so far has been rock solid reliable. And with 350 horsepower and that undefinable thing that Porsche gives to every car, it can be a hoot to drive. 

That said, a Macan is a bit on the pricey side... and we currently need two daily drivers in our family… and they couldn’t both be this nice... Which leads me to...

Best Daily Driver Winner - BMW 330i ZHP Sedan

I’m a big fan of the E46, the BMW 3-series model sold from 1999 to 2006. They represent the last of the great analog European sport sedans. The E90 and later 3-series that followed seem to suffer from marketing pressures; they feel bloated and lack the focus of the earlier models. But even the most base E46 325i sedan is still a fun to drive car. And that BMW straight six is one of the great engines of all time. Sure they can suffer from some issues; cooling systems and front suspensions come to mind. But with proper care a well-maintained E46 BMW will soldier on well over 200k miles. 

The ZHP was a special E46 performance variant produced in limited numbers - roughly 3,900 in coupe, sedan, and convertible form. It slotted between the regular 330i and the M3, in a near perfect balance of performance and practicality. The cars featured an M suspension and body kit, unique 18” wheels, a horsepower and torque bump from stock, a 6 speed manual, and a host of other improvements. They are also just plain beautiful.

My ZHP is a 2003 sedan with 120k miles in Titanium Silver over gray leather. I spent six months looking for one in the right condition that featured a light colored interior (tan dog hair also drives many of my automotive choices). It’s a great car - fun, practical, and relatively efficient and reliable.This car makes me smile every time I drive it, which is every day.

What’s your best daily driver?

Cayenne or Macan?

                                                                                                                                      Porsche Cars North America photo

Who ever imagined the day would come when Porsche would offer not one, but two sport utility vehicles? Even more, who imagined they would be the sales anchor that allowed the continued existence of the lower volume sports cars?

The Porsche Cayenne has been with us since 2004 and is on the verge of its third model version. The Macan is a youngster, still on its first iteration since the initial launch in 2015, with an update on the way this fall. I have owned both, and keep getting this question, "which Porsche SUV do you prefer?" Here's my answer.

There have been a lot of SUVs in my car life. I first had an '89 Jeep Cherokee, before these versatile vehicles even had a name. I loved that little truck. With a five-speed manual transmission and no power windows or locks it only weighed about 3300lbs, and was a hoot to drive in snow or dirt. I also got used to the space and bad weather confidence SUVs provide. Since then I've had Grand Cherokees, Explorers, a Mazda Tribute, an X3 and an Acura MDX. Most of them were good vehicles, though a bit boring. Well, maybe the X3 was kinda fun to drive. Kinda.

Then I bought a CPO 2012 Cayenne V6. Writing about my impressions of the Cayenne last year I said,

"This car is comfortable, reliable, and attractive. And it doesn’t suffer from the ponderous luxobarge look that so many of its competitors have (looking at you MDX). The 14 way heated and cooled seats are fantastic. I get out of the car in DC or Atlanta like I have only driven around the block."

Simply put, the Cayenne was perhaps the most complete vehicle I had ever owned. While it was certainly no sports car, most people don't need that performance every day. Whether driving to work or driving to Atlanta, the Cayenne was always the perfect choice. Darned thing even got decent gas mileage at around 24-25 mpg on the highway.

But all good things must come to an end. Last spring the Cayenne was closing in on 100K and my thoughts turned to the next SUV. The lovely Colleen and I spotted a CPO Macan S at our local dealership. I liked it immediately, and she loved it. I believe her specific comment was, "It looks so badass!" It also sounded badass. And so the deal was done, and we've now lived with the Macan for almost six months.

Colleen rolls away with her new (CPO) Macan S

Now to the question that people keep asking, "Cayenne or Macan." To be honest there is no simple answer, as they are both great vehicles. The best answer comes down to what you need, what you prioritize. Let's look at it that way...

First, for the purpose of comparing apples to apples, this discussion applies specifically to the Cayenne V6 and the Macan S, partly because that's what I've owned, and partly because they are roughly the same price when similarly equipped. What about the four cylinder Macan you ask? I've driven one or two as loaners and they are fine vehicles. But to be honest, I would choose a low-mileage CPO Cayenne V6 or Macan S over a Macan, and probably take a long look at the the Audi Q5. No offense to base Macan owners, but I think the redesigned Q5 gets you essentially the same vehicle for less money - potentially a lot less money if you get too happy with the Porsche option list.

So on to the camparison. You don't buy a sport utility vehicle in place of a performance car. Sure, the Macan S, and even maybe a Cayenne S or Turbo won't embarrass itself at a track day. But c'mon man, that's not what these things are for. You don't buy a heavy four door, all wheel-drive vehicle because it really gets around VIR quickly. You buy an SUV because it is practical, comfortable, and reliable. If it is also relatively fast and fun, all the better. Both Porsche SUVs are just that.

Dynamically the Macan S is clearly the superior driver's machine. The S is just plain fast, for an SUV. It sounds great, and handles much better than the Cayenne. A lower center of gravity, less weight, shorter wheelbase, the PDK gearbox, and more power over the V6 Cayenne all combine to provide a more sporting experience. I think of the Macan S as a sort of BMW 3-series SUV (what the X3 wants to be). That said, even my base Cayenne, in Sport mode, was fast, as fast as a vehicle of that size probably should be. But if performance is your primary goal, get the Macan S.

But let's talk the 'U' in SUV. We moved last winter, and used the Cayenne like a dump truck. It hauled all kinds of stuff, really showing its versatility. The Cayenne provides 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space and 63 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. The Macan provides 17.7 and 52 cubic feet respectively.

This is easy - the Cayenne has a lot more usable space.

Simply put, the Macan is not nearly as utilitarian. John Stuart Mill would choose the Cayenne, and if you have children or carry stuff around much, you probably should too. And the Cayenne's larger size has other advantages. Rear seat passengers survive in the Macan, as long as the people in the front seat aren't too tall. The Cayenne's rear seats are much more spacious. On longer trips the bigger Porsche is a more comfortable ride too. Probably a combination of hip/elbow room and a longer wheelbase. Finally, I haven't found the smaller Macan to be significantly easier to park either. Both vehicles are fine maneuvering through the urban jungle.

And here's a bit of a surprise: I found that the Cayenne actually gets slightly better gas mileage. Both are rated at 23 mpg on the highway. Despite that, in my experience, particularly on the highway, the Macan S is down a couple of MPG on average. Maybe its the eight speed Tiptronic vs. the seven speed PDK, or maybe the Macan S just begs to be driven harder.

So far the Macan has been road bound. But I drove the Cayenne on the beach, on some steep, washed out mountain roads, and in as much snow as you'll find here in North Carolina. It was always sure-footed and stable. The hill descent control works great too. My guess is that the Cayenne is somewhat better in these circumstances. Time will tell.

In summation... if the kids are gone, and the dogs are getting smaller, and you hire moving companies... the Macan S, GTS, or Turbo may be just the ticket. If I had to choose (and I did), I'd go with the little Porsche SUV.

So that's my Cayenne v. Macan answer. Get the Macan, unless you need the Cayenne.