I was bored this weekend, so I decided to do a little review on the luxury SUV market. I got a new BMW X5 3.0si Executive, a BMW X6 3.5si, a Mercedes-Benz ML 350, and an Audi Q7 3.6 FSI Quattro Tiptronic and tested them out (yes I am aware that the X6 and X5 are both built by BMW).
The first one I tested was the Q7. It has appeal, but it looks less-elegant than the X5, X6, and ML.
The interior is quite nice, as I love the A6. It has no ‘plasticky’ feel to it, and when I turned it on and drove off, it went quite well.
It was great for cruising at about 60km/h, except it really lets itself down because it’s ugly at the rear.
Consumption was good, and one thing that is great about it (this character is shared with Porsche), is that nobody in my street, that is full of X5’s & ML’s, where the owners constantly are upgrading, had one.
But that made me ask the question whether they don’t have one because it isn’t good?
After having my fun, I retired to the ML.
One thing you notice about the ML is it isn’t extremely elegant, but it is a nice combination.
The drive was smooth and crisp, and everything seems to work.
However the standard interior seats which are some 80 year old cloth combination is really, really awful and makes me seem like I’m in a 20 year old has-been luxury car.
It doesn’t come with a standard navigation system, which is a pain, since nearly every single one of its competitors has it as standard.
After a smooth yet strangely painful drive, I put it away and got into my X5.
One thing you notice in the X5 is it hasn’t changed in about 5,000,000 ways, but just in the ways that are needed, such as a new interior design, refreshed exterior.
The iDrive is very conventional, the drive is extremely smooth and it sounds very powerful.
I especially like its rear-camera system, that shows you about 30 different ways something can become an obstacle, and its speed-limiter system, that doesn’t beep wildly until you have slowed down since you jumped out of the car, but just plays a quick melody that only plays once you go over the speed, not every 5th nanosecond you’re nearly over the speed limit.
It smells nice too.
It looks the meanest out of the lot, also.
Once I had unglued myself to this marvellous car, I put it away with the Q7 and ML to have a spin in the X6.
The X6 isn’t really that different to the X5.
The drive isn’t different, the interior isn’t different, most of the design isn’t different, the tail lamps and headlights aren’t really different, the size isn’t different, the appeal isn’t different and the only thing that is a major difference is its flat, European coupe style rear.
And it is very sporty.
If you were blind, you’d think you were in a nice coupe.
Because the drive is brilliant, the size is just right and everything is always ‘just-right’ about it.
This is my favourite out of the lot, even though it isn’t really a full on SUV.
Next up would be the X5, followed by the ML and the Q7 last.
I would give the X5 and the X6, 5/5 stars, the ML 4 ½/5 stars, and the Q7 4/5 stars.
It is one of the most tight luxury car markets there is.
Other possible contenders for this were the Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport.
I couldn’t get the Range Rover in time, so I couldn’t have it.
And I chose not to get the Cayenne, because I’m not some middle-aged man using Porsche's and Motorola telephones to cover up some mid-life crisis.
bmwfan999