Not sure Xactly which SUV will be our next??? Your thoughts?

[Pex5]

Hello all,

I find myself in the unsual position of not knowing which SUV to replace the X5 with when its off lease in a few months.

Some background:

We have a 09' 4.8i sport w/20s. It's great in a lot of ways, but the poor mileage in town is now too much to stomach - since 90% of our driving is suburban. We're averaging just under $200.00/week in gas. So the 5.0 is out of the question. Our daughter is 3 and doesn't use the stroller and other big junk anymore. I'm 6'6". Aside from that, we don't 'need' a big SUV. Last thing about our particulars, while the handling is relatively exceptional, the ride with the 20s is a bit harsh.

The contenders are: X3 35i; X5 35i and 35d, 528xi (4 cyl. turbo) and Audi Q5 S line.

I frankly think the styling on the X3 id dumbed down to look less impressive than an X5 on purpose. The lower price, better milage and no loss of handling/acceleration are undeniable, but every time I see one, I just can't see myself driving one?

My vote is 35d. I love the idea of effortless torque and huge range. And I believe that in town, the real world mpg figures for the diesel must be significantly better than the 35i. We'd still get the 20s (which I know impact mileage) but my wife loves them (and loves scrapping them on curbs). But you can't get active steering on the diesel - which is a fantastic option (was on the fence about it as it takes away some feel - then I drove a 5.0 without it....wooow nelly thats a lot of effort in the parking lot with the steamroller tires). Also, there should still be some eco credit I hope?

35i isn't much of a tought. With the 8 speed, it's just about as fast as our 4.8 but that power comes at a price...gas consumption. With a heavy foot, I don't think the 35i will be enough of an improvement over our 4.8 (11-12mpg combined average over any given week). The 35i might get to 14 or 15 combined is my guess. I'd expect 18-19 for the diesel.

528xi. Don't get me going on the new 5. I had an 08 550i sport. Every bit as awesome as the new one is boring. I had a 535i loaner for the day (no sport pack). Fast, very smooth and very very boring like a lexus/mercedes. So if we get a 5er it will need to be an M sport ($$$$). With rear DVD, Msport, tech package etc... $64,000.00 for a 4 cylinder. Seems too high, but with some incentives or a really impressive test drive who knows? Certainly would offer the best milage of the 4 options, and that solid sedan ride you only get when your vehicle is closer to the ground..

Last one... Audi (yes Audi) Q5. I used to hate audi as their cars are good at everything but excel at no one thing in particular. But....(take note BMW AG) Audi simply seems to have stolen the BMW playbook from the 90s: design conservative, handsome vehicles that don't put luxury above performance. With the changes in the quattro (to rear biased), the relocation of the engines behind the front axle and now the weight savings measures (while the whole BMW line just porked up BIG time - to save a few clams on R&D) I'm impressed. Whereas the X3 looks handicapped, the Q5 has the proportions of the E53 X5 (we had one and looooved it). I haven't driven one, but I've heard it is very car-like (a good thing). I can see myself in a Q5 unlike the X3. It doesn't have that introductory model stigma that BMW seemingly intentionally ladened the X3 with. Also, (although I criticize this fact in regard to non SUV vehicles) the Q5 S line, unlike the X3 M sport, is essentially an aesthetics package, so I imagine the ride quality on a Q5 S line with big wheels will be more family oriented than an X3 M sport (I'm a huge fan of the appearance packages which they didn't offer when we got our 4.8) - I have driven a friend's 2011 5.0 with the 20s, no sport pack or adaptive drive and the ride quality vs. handling ratio is ideal for me. Much better than our 4.8 which is much stiffer with the sport pack and adaptive drive.

P.S. I'd get a range sport in a heart beat if they had a reasonably priced diesel or hybrid. But the regular gas version makes our 4.8 look like a Prius at the pump.

I'd love to hear experiences, thoughts, feedback from members.

All the best,
DRP