OT - luxury SUV recommendations

[Blueblood4eva]

Yeah CX5 is a go-to choice... Leave the bloated CRV's to the minions... I always recommend avoiding the big-wheel fad as these stupid optional larger-diameter alloys will merely bite you in the ass every time you hit a pothole and every time you need to buy new tires. .... Yeah- might be bundled with the trim level, but I would do everything possible to swap to standard 17" wheels , or , use the ridiculous 19" alloys as summer wheels then do 16" steelies with ice/snow tires (upsize the sidewall to match oem). That way you'll get more years outta the oem rim/tire package... I suspect you'd be looking around a grand when it comes time to replace 4 19" tires... You'll regret that decision to go with that GRandTouring trim option as youre pulling out your wallet

Thanks! I spent too many years trekking to Vermont every weekend skiing, and driving by all the cookouts in the ditches, of the all season tire fans, to let my wife or kids go without 4 winter tires. They hated the upfront expense but never forgot to thank me every time they white knuckled their way safely home when many others did not. Telling them they were saving summer wheels and rubber helped, a little. My daughter, ('09 PSU grad) is writing the check, and enamored with all the fancy camera's, blind spot warning, first ever brand new car syndrome etc. but also tight with a buck, so we will see how it plays out. She is sure to fret about the money for months after, regardless. Her '95 rust bucket driven since high school has got to go!

 

[Mr. Potter]

I drive a 2010 Lincoln Navigator LS its loaded great for kids on long trips in the car ...
Gas isn't to bad, but great on highway

 

[Obliviax]

As I've gotten older, I like to walk my dog in the early morning. There, it is quiet and the animals are still out. On hot days, cool dew is still on the grass.

It conveys a feeling of peace and harmony before everyone gets up and starts to rush around. It also helps that my trusted pooch is by my side, offering even more comfort.

 

[fairgambit]

Gas isn't to bad, but great on highway

Well, if you just tell me the color, if I see a loaded 2010 Lincoln Navigator LS, with kids in it, I can tell my wife "Look honey, there goes Mr. Potter".

 

[retsio]

Thanks! I spent too many years trekking to Vermont every weekend skiing, and driving by all the cookouts in the ditches, of the all season tire fans, to let my wife or kids go without 4 winter tires. They hated the upfront expense but never forgot to thank me every time they white knuckled their way safely home when many others did not. Telling them they were saving summer wheels and rubber helped, a little. My daughter, ('09 PSU grad) is writing the check, and enamored with all the fancy camera's, blind spot warning, first ever brand new car syndrome etc. but also tight with a buck, so we will see how it plays out. She is sure to fret about the money for months after, regardless. Her '95 rust bucket driven since high school has got to go!

To those posters considering corporate America cars --
FORD = found on road dead / found off road dead / f***** up Russian design and perhaps many more things to go wrong with this brand.

We have been visiting in Michigan for 3 months (Mother in law slowly not remembering anything) and some day I will relate how truly bad/terrible/disgusting Michigan really is. But for now -- if you are a GM or Ford employee or related family member with or without a GM or Ford leased car or wish to obtain a new car with a lease or loan, you can go to dealers in the Detroit area and select many models for $249 /month or less.

Ford is pushing 4 cylinder engines with 'Echo-Boost' and GM is pushing Wi-Fi to attract buyers, while not previewing any new details on next years models. Lincoln has changed their shape this year -- again, while Toyota in this market claims 'savings'.

MM II -- I agree on the tires, 40,000 mile over the road sales in a different lifetime means very good tires that will last and save your life. I will admit however, I have not seen snow for over 13 years.

 

[sluggo72]

heck I drove a Lincoln before they paid me to drive one!

 

[THEEHMANN]

Gas isn't to bad, but great on highway

And your point is????????

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

I just picked up a used Range Rover and am very, very happy with it. I was looking at the GL450 and ML350, didn't like either one. My second choice was the BMW X5, which I liked but my wife didn't.

This thing drives like a dream, much better than anything else I drove. It really wasn't being considered until we stumbled upon it. We had an older Land Rover and liked it. While there were some odd failures, they were always small and inconvenient (motors of auto windows, for example). But the bones are outstanding and after 15 years, there wasn't a spec of rust and it drove great.

We ordered a new Range Rover Sport HSE at the end of March and expect delivery at the beginning of July (had to be 'made to order' as there weren't any RR's in the US with all the options we wanted for our daughter). Looking forward to driving home to PA and to Myrtle Beach, SC in it this summer. My wife wouldn't consider much else - we looked at the X5, and even their dealer told us the Ranger Rover was 'pure luxury' (while trying to sell us on how awesome the X5 is for those who love driving). She had no interest in Acura, Lexus, Audi, Porsche, or Cadillac (she would consider Mercedes if our family gets bigger...). It has some awesome features for sure including some fuel economy options that kick in when it's not moving and cooled front seats.

 

[lionroar88]

I just went through this decision about 6 months ago

Looked at:
BMW X3, X5
Lincolns
Toyota Highlander, 4Runner, Sequoia
Jeep Grand Cherokee (gas and eco diesel)
Dodge Durango
Land Rover Evoque
Volvos
Acura MDX
Nissan Pathfinder
Mazda CX9
Chevy Traverse, Tahoe
GMC Acadia, Yukon
MB GL350, GL450

I test drove them all, reviewed them all, Consumer Reports them all... my wife bought a CX9 Grand Touring back in September and she loves it... it was just a bit too small for me as I wanted something with a tad more space for traveling to AL (12 hrs), Pittsburgh (3.5 hrs), Philly (2 hrs), etc. Quickly learned you'll never get 2 golf bags into the back of a small SUV with the rear-most seat up. Heck in some of the mid and full sized SUVs you will have a difficult time doing it. I paired it down to the Grand Cherokee (eco diesel), Durango, Tahoe, Acadia, X5, GL350, and Evoque. Then eliminated the GC because it lacked a third-row seat (friends of mine have one with the eco diesel and they are averaging over 28mpg between City/Hi-way, and on long road trips they are easily over 32mpg on the hi-way). After looking at repair costs and reliability, comfort, mpg, etc I settled on the Durango. Bought mine at the end of January, average over 22mpg between city and hi-way, and absolutely love the ride, so much so that I have put over 11,000 miles on it.

Comfort wise it rivals any of the $15,000+ luxury brands. Will it out perform an X5, not likely as mine has the 3.6L V6 vs the Hemi.

 

[massimoManca II]

I drive a 2010 Lincoln Navigator LS its loaded great for kids on long trips in the car ...
Gas isn't to bad, but great on highway

That's good to know

 

[massimoManca II]

I just went through this decision about 6 months ago

Looked at:
BMW X3, X5
Lincolns
Toyota Highlander, 4Runner, Sequoia
Jeep Grand Cherokee (gas and eco diesel)
Dodge Durango
Land Rover Evoque
Volvos
Acura MDX
Nissan Pathfinder
Mazda CX9
Chevy Traverse, Tahoe
GMC Acadia, Yukon
MB GL350, GL450

I test drove them all, reviewed them all, Consumer Reports them all... my wife bought a CX9 Grand Touring back in September and she loves it... it was just a bit too small for me as I wanted something with a tad more space for traveling to AL (12 hrs), Pittsburgh (3.5 hrs), Philly (2 hrs), etc. Quickly learned you'll never get 2 golf bags into the back of a small SUV with the rear-most seat up. Heck in some of the mid and full sized SUVs you will have a difficult time doing it. I paired it down to the Grand Cherokee (eco diesel), Durango, Tahoe, Acadia, X5, GL350, and Evoque. Then eliminated the GC because it lacked a third-row seat (friends of mine have one with the eco diesel and they are averaging over 28mpg between City/Hi-way, and on long road trips they are easily over 32mpg on the hi-way). After looking at repair costs and reliability, comfort, mpg, etc I settled on the Durango. Bought mine at the end of January, average over 22mpg between city and hi-way, and absolutely love the ride, so much so that I have put over 11,000 miles on it.

Comfort wise it rivals any of the $15,000+ luxury brands. Will it out perform an X5, not likely as mine has the 3.6L V6 vs the Hemi.

New (current) Durango is a sensible choice among those you have listed - though sounds like you could really have used a Sienna or an Odyssey

 

[PSU Mike]

I bought my son a new 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek for $24k two years ago, 5 months before he was born I've put a whopping 11k miles on it, so yeah, my needs are much different than most of the drive everywhere crowd.

Seriously there must be a lot of rich people on here to be able to afford to drop $50-$100k or more on depreciating assets.

 

[JR4PSU]

Another OT car advice thread - but it's a good way to hear from people who have driven these models. My wife is looking to purchase an AWD luxury SUV later this year. The choices so far are the Lexus RX350, BMW X3, Mercedes GL, or the Acura RDX, and probably nothing smaller or much bigger than these models. We don't need a 3rd row of seats. My guess is the Lexus has the softest quietest ride among them. And I guess the Acura and Lexus have 6 cylinder engines, while the German models have the 4. She has driven a Toyota Highlander in the past and fears the Lexus might be too much like a new version of the same thing - boring. She wants the interior to be luxurious and comfortable for those long car trips to Happy Valley. And she wants all the tech stuff - lane departure, adaptable cruise control, blind spot warning, back up camera, a great sound system, park assist, rain sensing wipers, but one of the main criteria is the ease of use of the NAV system. The other factors are the ease of getting two sets of golf clubs in and out without having to lower the rear seats, and she wants enough power to merge or pass with plenty of acceleration. Minor differences in price are not too important as we tend to keep our cars for at least 10 years, but reliability is. FYI, I drive a Mercedes and am partial to it, but she finds the command system somewhat confusing. What say you all knowing board?

Given your wife's criteria, the best advice is to simply go test drive each of those models. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them as far as reliability. And given that "minor differences in price are not too important", then driving them is really your best advice.

 

[lionroar88]

New (current) Durango is a sensible choice among those you have listed - though sounds like you could really have used a Sienna or an Odyssey

Well I did THINK about those, but decided it wasn't time for me to turn in my Man-Card. After installing the CIA the Durango has a nice throaty sound, next up is a dual-exhaust. Wish I could have found one with the Hemi, but I totaled the 325xi and needed something ASAP. Got this one (54 miles) for 0% APR for 60months and the payments worked out lower than the 325xi and MUCH lower than they would have been for a certified used with 20,000+ miles.

 

[teppsu]

Anyone consider Infiniti? the qx70 or 80 are very good. We're on our 5th fx/qx70, as someone close to us works for Nissan. My wife loves it for the look, cargo space, and sport handling on back roads. The handling makes her more confident that she won't drive off the road.

 

[RabidLion]

Another OT car advice thread - but it's a good way to hear from people who have driven these models. My wife is looking to purchase an AWD luxury SUV later this year. The choices so far are the Lexus RX350, BMW X3, Mercedes GL, or the Acura RDX, and probably nothing smaller or much bigger than these models. We don't need a 3rd row of seats. My guess is the Lexus has the softest quietest ride among them. And I guess the Acura and Lexus have 6 cylinder engines, while the German models have the 4. She has driven a Toyota Highlander in the past and fears the Lexus might be too much like a new version of the same thing - boring. She wants the interior to be luxurious and comfortable for those long car trips to Happy Valley. And she wants all the tech stuff - lane departure, adaptable cruise control, blind spot warning, back up camera, a great sound system, park assist, rain sensing wipers, but one of the main criteria is the ease of use of the NAV system. The other factors are the ease of getting two sets of golf clubs in and out without having to lower the rear seats, and she wants enough power to merge or pass with plenty of acceleration. Minor differences in price are not too important as we tend to keep our cars for at least 10 years, but reliability is. FYI, I drive a Mercedes and am partial to it, but she finds the command system somewhat confusing. What say you all knowing board?

BMW X5. Only suv I have ever liked. Highly recommend

 

[psu1969a]

Instead of wasting a lot of money on "luxury" SUV, get a GMC Acadia. It has all the bells and whistles; costs a lot less. Hell! it is a Sports Utility Vehicle and not limousine! Oh! if you wish to spend all that money, make a donation to the local food bank!

 

[lionroar88]

My Durango is larger, has more 'bells and whistles', gets better gas mileage, and costs about the same - if not less - than an Acadia. Oh, and the Durango has a MUCH nicer ride. Just sayin'

I test drove almost all of the vehicles in my list. I nixed the Evoque, Yukon/Tahoe, GL350/450, X3 & X5, and the MDX due to cost and requirement for premium fuel. If Chrysler EVER gets their head out of their 3rd pt of contact and puts the Eco Diesel in the Durango where it belongs the Durango would be one heck of an SUV to beat - and it isn't a slouch with the 3.6V6 or the Hemi.

 

[Bessmoney]

Get the current July issue of Motor Trend-they have a comparo of 5 of the big SUV's.

 

[massimoManca II]

Instead of wasting a lot of money on "luxury" SUV, get a GMC Acadia. It has all the bells and whistles; costs a lot less. Hell! it is a Sports Utility Vehicle and not limousine! Oh! if you wish to spend all that money, make a donation to the local food bank!

Manufacturers have done a stellar job convincing people they need to be seen in these overwrought glorified wagons, the capability of which they don't really need nor will they ever come close to using... Ultimate vanity-stroke

 

[psu1969a]

My Durango is larger, has more 'bells and whistles', gets better gas mileage, and costs about the same - if not less - than an Acadia. Oh, and the Durango has a MUCH nicer ride. Just sayin'

I test drove almost all of the vehicles in my list. I nixed the Evoque, Yukon/Tahoe, GL350/450, X3 & X5, and the MDX due to cost and requirement for premium fuel. If Chrysler EVER gets their head out of their 3rd pt of contact and puts the Eco Diesel in the Durango where it belongs the Durango would be one heck of an SUV to beat - and it isn't a slouch with the 3.6V6 or the Hemi.

Good for you. When I was looking for a new SUV, both the Ford and Chrysler dealers in the area had no interest selling me a vehicle; just a bunch of lazy dolts. As for performance, had no chance to test Durango. Besides who cares, you missed the point of my post. Reread my last sentence!

 

[Nitwit]

Get the current July issue of Motor Trend-they have a comparo of 5 of the big SUV's.

Not interested in a big SUV, but thanks

 

[Nitwit]

Manufacturers have done a stellar job convincing people they need to be seen in these overwrought glorified wagons, the capability of which they don't really need nor will they ever come close to using... Ultimate vanity-stroke

MMII: I don't doubt your analysis. But understand, it's not about what my wife needs, it's about what she wants, and me too. Cars are one of the decisions we make where emotion comes into play. Part of the reason we keep our cars for a long time is because we like them, and therefore maintain them in pristine condition. You're not just buying sheet metal and leather, you're buying a lifestyle. Aside from our house, and our work (I retired fortunately), we spend as much time in our cars as anywhere else. Our cars should make us feel good, not just get us from point A to B. I want to enjoy my houses and my cars every time I open the door. I know I could save money with some of these other suggestions, but I would rather spend it for the best combination of luxury, reliability, performance, and safety I can get without going too crazy. One thing I've learned in life is that it's perfectly OK to have fun.

 

[psu1969a]

MMII: I don't doubt your analysis. But understand, it's not about what my wife needs, it's about what she wants, and me too. Cars are one of the decisions we make where emotion comes into play. Part of the reason we keep our cars for a long time is because we like them, and therefore maintain them in pristine condition. You're not just buying sheet metal and leather, you're buying a lifestyle. Aside from our house, and our work (I retired fortunately), we spend as much time in our cars as anywhere else. Our cars should make us feel good, not just get us from point A to B. I want to enjoy my houses and my cars every time I open the door. I know I could save money with some of these other suggestions, but I would rather spend it for the best combination of luxury, reliability, performance, and safety I can get without going too crazy. One thing I've learned in life is that it's perfectly OK to have fun.

Then why the hell did you come on here and ask for recommendations; you have your mind made up.

 

[palmettolion]

My apologies for sidetracking this thread...but.. Ford Focus vs Volkswagen Jetta for college grad buying first car....thoughts? My daughter is down to these two cars. She likes the Focus but has this " Ford is not as cool as VW" thing, mostly fostered by her friends.

Be sure to drive the Focus before you buy it. A lot of people do not like the transmission. It's a manual trans with electronic/automatic shift and it's.......hinky. Also, there have been issues with the clutches and the tail shaft seal leaking on 2012-2014. The ones being made now should have the modified parts but it will still shift roughly.

 

[lionroar88]

Good for you. When I was looking for a new SUV, both the Ford and Chrysler dealers in the area had no interest selling me a vehicle; just a bunch of lazy dolts. As for performance, had no chance to test Durango. Besides who cares, you missed the point of my post. Reread my last sentence!

I DID read your whole post... I chose to ignore the last sentence because it didn't deserve one because I felt you have no place telling someone else how to spend their money (but I get it, that is what many in today's society find they have the right to do).

 

[Katatonic]

Lexus RX350 - being FWD based and sharing a Camry-based platform with the Highlander, a bit bigger than the RWD compact X3. Boring to drive and the sheetmetal is a bit of a mess, but reliable and that's the no.1 factor for many buyers.

BMW X3 - still, one of the more driver's oriented CUVs; the larger X5 has better sheetmetal (one of the best looking CUVs and one of the few designs BMW hasn't messed up), but that requires a pretty hefty hike in price. If don't go too crazy with the options, can be a decent buy.

Mercedes GL - think OP means the GLK (which will soon be replaced by the GLC) since the GL is the top line MB CUV and starts at around $64k. Probably can get a good deal on the GLK as its replacement will be hitting the lots soon (tho might be difficult to find one equipped the way your wife wants it).

The new GLC has a much nicer interior (basically same as the C Class), but the design is so-so (still, better than the RX).

Acura RDX - if want to keep at a certain price-point while getting most, if not all the amenities (adaptive cruise, etc.)., the RDX is your best bet among the compact CUVs (the RX is really a midsizer).

Some other options -

Mazda CX-5 - one of the best driving compact CUVs and with the 2016MY refresh, the interior is premium (think European VW), tho maybe not quite luxury (not that the others, aside from the new GLC, really has a kuxury-grade interior) and the sheetmetal is handsome as well.

Kia Sorento SX-L - one of the best looking (and one of the safest) CUVs (the sheetmetal looks more luxury than most luxury CUVs) and in SX-L trim has a premium grade interior. A tweener in size - not as large as the Highlander or Santa Fe but larger than the Santa Fe Sport while still having a 3rd row option. Can get it loaded with everything for the price of the luxury makes.

If can wait, the new Cadillac XT5 which is the SRX replacement, but won't be available until the 1st or 2nd Q of 2016.