There’s a particular kind of car that lingers in the memory long after the keys are out of the ignition. For many, it was that nimble hot hatch they drove in their twenties—the kind of car that buzzed with possibility, zipped around corners with a cheeky grin, and made every drive feel like a mini-adventure. Now, with mortgages, kids, and meetings that start at 8 a.m., the craving for such spontaneity hasn’t disappeared. It’s just matured. Enter the 2025 Porsche Macan 4S Electric: not a direct replacement for those boyhood thrills, but perhaps the grown-up equivalent.
What strikes you first about the Macan 4S isn’t just the numbers, although they’re impressive. It’s how effortlessly it delivers them. This electric SUV hides its weight like a well-tailored blazer hides a beer belly. Stomp on the accelerator, and it lunges forward like a sprinter at the sound of the gun. There’s a confidence in how it moves, in how the power is distributed, and in the way it makes nearly 5,300 pounds feel light on its feet. Getting from zero to sixty in 3.6 seconds used to be the territory of supercars. Now it’s something you can take to Costco.
On paper, this is a performance SUV, but in person, it’s more nuanced. During a weekend family trip up the coast, you don’t get the sense you’re in a machine engineered just for speed. It’s quiet, refined, the suspension soaking up pavement imperfections like rain on a thirsty garden. Porsche’s air suspension system in particular makes even long freeway slogs feel serene. The kids dozed off in the back as ambient lighting pulsed softly along the door panels, letting us know of nearby cars or potential hazards in a way that felt more like gentle advice than robotic warning.
But drive it solo on a winding mountain road and the Macan 4S Electric flexes a different kind of muscle. There’s a moment, when the curve tightens and the road tilts, where you forget this is a family SUV. The steering sharpens. The grip is constant. Push it and the rear steps out for just a second, then neatly tucks itself back into line without drama. The sensation isn’t raw or wild—it’s surgical, like watching an experienced chef slice through an onion with a perfect blade. Everything is precise. Maybe too precise.
That’s the paradox at the core of the Macan 4S Electric. It’s stunningly capable. It’s smooth, quick, and athletic. But at times, it feels like it’s checking all the boxes without laughing while doing it. You’re grinning, sure—but it feels like the car is simply performing its duties. Back in the day, your scrappy little hatchback might have oversteered a touch too much or bounced a little too hard over bad roads. It wasn’t perfect, but it had charm. The Macan, in contrast, is flawlessly polished, like a valedictorian who never got into any trouble at school. Admirable, but a little… straight-laced.
Of course, performance isn't the only thing buyers expect in a high-end EV. There's luxury, and in some areas, the Macan 4S Electric delivers convincingly. The seats feel like they were sculpted by someone who knows what 500 miles in a car can do to your lower back. The screens are sharp and responsive, though not overly complicated, and the driver assistance features feel more like helpful partners than intrusive software. The ambient lighting isn’t just decorative—it’s interactive, pulsing yellow when a car’s in your blind spot, glowing red when you’re about to open your door into danger. It feels modern, thoughtful, and smart.
Yet for a car pushing close to a $100,000 sticker, you’d expect every touchpoint to feel like money well spent. Unfortunately, not all of them do. There are plastic pieces that feel out of place, textures that don’t quite belong in a premium cabin. It’s like finding a vending machine snack wrapper in a five-star hotel suite—not enough to ruin the experience, but definitely enough to raise an eyebrow. It’s especially noticeable when compared to Porsche’s own Taycan, which nails the upscale interior vibe without compromise. And when you're shelling out luxury car insurance and paying a premium for electric vehicle technology, these details matter.
Speaking of EVs, Porsche’s choice to omit a one-pedal driving mode is controversial. While the regenerative braking is present, it only really kicks in once you touch the brake pedal. For many EV drivers, especially those switching from Tesla or Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, one-pedal driving has become second nature. Porsche argues they want their EVs to feel like their gas cars, which is commendable in theory but can feel regressive in practice. After all, innovation is what draws many buyers to electric cars in the first place—why not lean into that future a bit more?
Range and charging performance are respectable but not class-leading. On a road trip from LA to Palm Springs, we set the cruise at 70 and managed just over 260 miles before needing to plug in. It’s decent, especially considering the performance on tap, but when some rivals are pushing well beyond 300 miles with quicker charging times, Porsche’s “good enough” approach doesn’t quite match the ambition of the rest of the car. Still, in daily life, few drivers will notice. Plug in overnight, and you're ready to go in the morning. And let’s be honest, most commutes are far shorter than we like to admit.
Here’s the thing. The Macan 4S Electric isn’t trying to be your rowdy friend from college who still drinks too much and owns a motorcycle he can’t afford. It’s more like your responsible buddy who grew up, got a great job, and now takes family vacations to Italy. But every now and then, he’ll book a go-kart track just for fun—and that’s when you remember why you liked hanging out in the first place.
It may not have the juvenile charm of a GTI or the chaos of an old WRX, but it’s got substance. It can thrill, but it can also soothe. It fits into real life without sacrificing personality. There’s still a spark in the eyes, even if the wild nights have been replaced with early-morning runs and Sunday brunches.
And maybe that’s the point. The Macan 4S Electric doesn’t chase youth—it reinterprets it. It doesn’t try to pretend you’re 25 again. It understands that you’re 45, and that’s okay. Because thrill doesn’t have to be immature, and excitement doesn’t have to be loud. Sometimes, it just takes the form of an SUV that makes you feel something, even if it’s dressed in a button-down shirt instead of a band tee.
So no, it’s not your old hot hatch. But it might just be what your old hot hatch would have grown up to be—if it had a job in tech, two kids, and a taste for espresso ☕.