In partnership with Auto Trader
Used test: Jaguar F-Pace vs Porsche Macan interiors
If you're looking for a plush SUV with a sporty edge then the Jaguar F-Pace and Porsche Macan both fit the bill. But which makes the better used buy?...
Interiors
Driving position, visibility, build quality, practicality
There’s an airier feel inside the Jaguar F-Pace and this is backed up by our measurements, which show it is larger in every dimension for front and rear passengers. It’s easy to get comfortable, with 10-way electric seat adjustment as standard for the driver and front passenger. Neither car offers the driver a great view backwards through their small rear screens, but the F-Pace has a reversing camera as standard.
In terms of infotainment, the Porsche Macan system is slick and easy to use, making use of a clear 7.0-inch screen. However, the F-Pace's system somewhat misses the mark. Its 8.0-inch screen had good graphics but reacts slowly to commands.
The F-Pace’s leather upholstery is fairly soft and there’s good side and thigh support from the front seats, but they also push your shoulders forwards a bit. The quality of other finishes in the F-Pace is mixed, with a surprising number of harder surfaces and quite plain switches.
The same cannot be said of the Macan, which has more soft-touch finishes and a higher-quality feel. Its seats are comfortable and figure-hugging, although electric adjustment is only standard for the driver. The Macan’s interior is decidedly snugger than the F-Pace’s, though. There’s still good head room front and rear, but its pillars inhibit side views, and its storage bins are a bit smaller.
The Jaguar F-Pace wins for rear knee room, and a six-footer will have plenty of space sitting behind someone the same height. In the Porsche Macan the same occupant has to slot their knees into the front seatback scallops, and a third rear passenger will really struggle for knee space. Both cars have a central rear armrest with cupholders but the Macan also gives rear-seat passengers their own climate controls.
The rear seatbacks split and fold 40/20/40 in each car, and lie flush with the boot floor and almost flat. The F-Pace’s boot is significantly bigger than the Macan’s with the seats up: it’s longer, wider, taller, and has a much smaller lip at the entrance. However, the Macan sits closer to the ground, and can be lowered further using a boot-mounted button for the optional air suspension.
