Compare the2024 Porsche MacanVS 2024 BMW iX

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Macan have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW iX doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Macan are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW iX doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Macan and the iX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 1 place higher in reliability than BMW.

For better stopping power the Macan GTS’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the iX:

The Macan stops shorter than the iX:

For better traction and acceleration, the Macan has larger standard rear tires than the iX (255/50R19 vs. 235/60R20). The Macan’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the iX (295/35R21 vs. 275/40R22).

The Macan’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the iX’s standard 60 series tires. The Macan’s optional 295/35R21 rear tires have a lower 35 series profile than the iX’s optional 40 series tires.

The Macan has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the iX; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Macan S handles at .93 G’s, while the iX xDrive50 pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Macan’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the iX M60’s (39.2 feet vs. 40.4 feet). The Macan’s turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the iX xDrive50’s (39.2 feet vs. 42.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Macan has a greater minimum ground clearance than the iX (8.9 vs. 8.8 inches), allowing the Macan to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Porsche Macan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1350 to 1500 pounds less than the BMW iX.

The Macan is 8.9 inches shorter than the iX, making the Macan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Macan. The iX doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Standard Trailer Stability Management on the Macan uses the Porsche Stability Management sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The iX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Macan has a much higher standard payload capacity than the iX (1288 vs. 1003 lbs.).

The Macan has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the iX (1383 vs. 1054 lbs.).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 13% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the iX, the Macan offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Macan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The iX doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Porsche Macan and the BMW iX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Macan was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 6 more times in the last 8 years. The iX has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Porsche Macan outsold the BMW iX by 56% during 2023.