BMW X5 35d vs VW Touareg TDI vs Mercedes ML320 BlutTEC vs Lexus RX450h

[LeMansX5]

X5 35d gets the 4th place in Motor Trend Diesel & Hybrid Comparo.

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc7VtcaEfm8&e & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3qr2...eature=related

Article - http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...son/index.html

[rh71]

They complained about lack of gadgetry compared to the others and the bad tires in snow... if it had the Lexus' electronics, it would be the clear winner... I wish it did too.

And man that new RX is fugly.

[Sher KamaL]

IMHO the BMW to me will take all the 1st places, yes lexus has loads of gizmos etc, but its really all about that precise, consistent BMW drive that I've always loved & BMW being 1 of a very few auto-manufacturers, who actually improve on every new product in every segment, be it a bike, 1 thru 7 series, X, you name it they get it right.

Just my 2 pennies.

[wdc330i]

Still the driver's SUV:

4TH PLACE
BMW X5 XDRIVE 35D
Best diesel mileage and clearly the driver's choice but stratospheric cost and narrow bandwidth bar it from the podium.

But really, the story was very thin on facts. It didn't mention how the vehicles were optioned. It also sounded like they hated the X5 cabin simply because it was black. Idiotic pseudo journalism.

[rh71]

Part 1 of the video mentioned the tested vehicle didn't have NAV or a backup camera (good move perhaps?) and at "$65k" it was probably not acceptable.

BTW, do the '09s have DPC? They only mentioned xdrive's ability to split the torque between left and right wheels... is that it? Previous xdrives didn't have that ability?

[Herr Bauhaus]

I have read a handful of Motortrend articles/reviews over the last year and I am never impressed by their rankings/decisions. The seem so always gravitate to boring/non-exciting cars and justify their decisions with equally boring statements. How can the Touareg win in this test anyhow, it's design is dated, the thing is very heavy, and it corners like crap... (at least in my opinion).

[blondboinsd]

Originally Posted by Herr Bauhaus

I have read a handful of Motortrend articles/reviews over the last year and I am never impressed by their rankings/decisions. The seem so always gravitate to boring/non-exciting cars and justify their decisions with equally boring statements. How can the Touareg win in this test anyhow, it's design is dated, the build quality is poor, the thing is very heavy, and it corners like crap... (at least in my opinion).

I'm sorry are you that uneducated? The Treg has a stunning build quality. Having owned 2 X5's and a Treg I can easily say the Treg's quality, reliability and built quality are far superior. It doesn't corner as well as the BMW but the ride is great and VW knows their diesels. Good Job VW!

[Herr Bauhaus]

My bad. I somehow remembered issues with the Touareg build quality but after googling on "touareg build quality" it seems it is actually pretty good. I will take my words back and edit the post when I get back to my pc.

[blondboinsd]

Originally Posted by Herr Bauhaus

My bad. I somehow remembered issues with the Touareg build quality but after googling on "touareg build quality" it seems it is actually pretty good. I will take my words back and edit the post when I get back to my pc.

LOL don't worry about it, I just had to give you a little trouble

The Treg's reliability was dismal when it came out but got good in 2006. You may remember the issues from the 2004-2005 models.

[brian5]

Originally Posted by LeMansX5

X5 35d gets the 4th place in Motor Trend Diesel & Hybrid Comparo.

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc7VtcaEfm8&e

Article - http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...son/index.html

You'll want this Video too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3qr2...eature=related as the one above is just a comparison between the "top 2" -- Lexus & VW.