SUV Decisions

[nish_M240i]

Good Morning Fanatics

Hope that you all are safe and well.

This particular thread is for my old man. He currently has a 2015 F10 M5 LCI which he absolutely loves to bits. We use this car everywhere we go, especially on long journeys and stuff and I have to say its extremely comfortable for such a powerful car. 

However, my dad has been thinking about getting another SUV for long distance trips and stuff. He previously owned a 2016 Range Rover Sport SVR with the M5 which he also loved and used on a close to daily basis. We sold it last year because we wanted to expand our fleet of trucks for business. 

Now he's feeling like its time for another Classy SUV, and the M5 will stay for sure. He wants something that has good offroad capabilities, a decent amount of power, something that stands out I guess and also something thats good value for money. I would say he has a budget of 1.8 or so, brand new or demo.

The options are X3M Comp, X5 M50d, Audi SQ7 Diesel, Jeep Trackhawk demo, Range Rover Velar D300 or SVautobiography and Land Cruiser 200 VXL.

We normally travel a lot, especially from durban to places like the Kruger, Sun City, Mozam, PE, Cape town and so on. So of course comfort is something that is very necessary.

What would you guys suggest from these or if you have any other options, what would it be?

 

[///M Individual]

Good Morning Fanatics

Hope that you all are safe and well.

This particular thread is for my old man. He currently has a 2015 F10 M5 LCI which he absolutely loves to bits. We use this car everywhere we go, especially on long journeys and stuff and I have to say its extremely comfortable for such a powerful car. 

However, my dad has been thinking about getting another SUV for long distance trips and stuff. He previously owned a 2016 Range Rover Sport SVR with the M5 which he also loved and used on a close to daily basis. We sold it last year because we wanted to expand our fleet of trucks for business. 

Now he's feeling like its time for another Classy SUV, and the M5 will stay for sure. He wants something that has good offroad capabilities, a decent amount of power, something that stands out I guess and also something thats good value for money. I would say he has a budget of 1.8 or so, brand new or demo.

The options are X3M Comp, X5 M50d, Audi SQ7 Diesel, Jeep Trackhawk demo, Range Rover Velar D300 or SVautobiography and Land Cruiser 200 VXL.

We normally travel a lot, especially from durban to places like the Kruger, Sun City, Mozam, PE, Cape town and so on. So of course comfort is something that is very necessary.

What would you guys suggest from these or if you have any other options, what would it be?

Hi bud,

For me the Range Rover is the ultimate SUV and I think from the options above the Autobiography would be the way to go as it best satisfies the requirements. I also think it will be the most comfortable of the bunch. I'm not sure if the SDV8 will be too slow for him, but as a daily and long distance vehicle I think diesel is the way to go. 

Good luck with the search and update us with pics whatever way he decides to go!

 

[individj]

i would take a Range

 

[MR_Y]

If keeping the car within M/Plan and selling thereafter, then RR all the way.
If keeping the car beyond MP, then German.
If keeping the car way beyond MP, then Japanese.

Lexus LX 4.5TD (a bit classier than the LC 200), if it was going to be my ultimate retirement SUV.

If you are travelling beyond SA borders, I would choose Japanese more so.
Especially, given poorer diesel quality and roads that will easily kill expensive German/English/American rims shrouded in thin rubber.
I stand to be corrected, but the Toyota/Lexus motors can drink 500ppm if needed to.

 

[KPM3_30]

Personally I would look at the Range Rover. As much as the X3M Comp can do off-road, would you want to..?

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Lexus LX 4.5TD (a bit classier than the LC 200), if it was going to be my ultimate retirement SUV.

I never knew such an ugly SUV existed, until your comment.. This is markedly worse than the Infiniti QX80, which I always thought to be the worst looking premium luxury SUV.

Class ≠ Taste, guess its true what they say... Beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder.

 

[MR_Y]

Personally I would look at the Range Rover. As much as the X3M Comp can do off-road, would you want to..?

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Lexus LX 4.5TD (a bit classier than the LC 200), if it was going to be my ultimate retirement SUV.

I never knew such an ugly SUV existed, until your comment.. This is markedly worse than the Infiniti QX80, which I always thought to be the worst looking premium luxury SUV.

Class ≠ Taste, guess its true what they say... Beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder.

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Reliability and durability > looks

Each to his own

 

[individj]

no it doesn't hahahaha

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then id be driving a LADA

 

[lebofa]

I might be biased here but I would advice on X5 M50d, the tech in the new X5 is unmatched and the comfort is on another level. Back when I was looking for an SUV, I had a chance to test drive the once you mentioned and more, except the Jeep. The X5 came out tops in my view. The autobiography is a four seater, not sure if it is still that way or the one they had on the dealer was specifically optioned that way. I would take the X5 M50D with an off-road package and air suspension. He already has an M5 so,  no point looking at X3M unless you meant X5 M, then  raise:

 

[MR_Y]

I might be biased here but I would advice on X5 M50d, the tech in the new X5 is unmatched and the comfort is on another level. Back when I was looking for an SUV, I had a chance to test drive the once you mentioned and more, except the Jeep. The X5 came out tops in my view. The autobiography is a four seater, not sure if it is still that way or the one they had on the dealer was specifically optioned that way. I would take the X5 M50D with an off-road package and air suspension. He already has an M5 so,  no point looking at X3M unless you meant X5 M, then  raise:

Brilliant car, but can it drink 500ppm diesel in Moz?

 

[msm]

For me, if I wanted a sporty SUV, it would be a Porsche Cayenne. For a luxury SUV, it would be a Lexus RX450h.... neither are on the list, but worth considering.

 

[nish_M240i]

Hi bud,

For me the Range Rover is the ultimate SUV and I think from the options above the Autobiography would be the way to go as it best satisfies the requirements. I also think it will be the most comfortable of the bunch. I'm not sure if the SDV8 will be too slow for him, but as a daily and long distance vehicle I think diesel is the way to go. 

Good luck with the search and update us with pics whatever way he decides to go!

No lies bro, Range Rover's are extremely classy and they are good off-roaders thats for sure. Wasn't looking at the Vogue AutoBiography though, thats way out of his price range. I meant the Velar SVAutobiography, its basically an SVR version of the Velar. The only issue with them is that they are extremely heavy on fuel, my dad says he'd something lighter than what our Sport SVR was. The Sport SDV8 isn't a bad option, we had one before the svr and it was a good car. If I'm being honest, if it were my choice, I'd buy a brand new facelift SVR, but they way too expensive now. I think for now the Velar is leading the way. The SQ7 is definitely ruled out at this point because apparently they aren't available here in SA unfortunately.

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If keeping the car within M/Plan and selling thereafter, then RR all the way.
If keeping the car beyond MP, then German.
If keeping the car way beyond MP, then Japanese.

Lexus LX 4.5TD (a bit classier than the LC 200), if it was going to be my ultimate retirement SUV.

If you are travelling beyond SA borders, I would choose Japanese more so.
Especially, given poorer diesel quality and roads that will easily kill expensive German/English/American rims shrouded in thin rubber.
I stand to be corrected, but the Toyota/Lexus motors can drink 500ppm if needed to.

Well I'm not sure how long he'd keep it for but I'm sure he'll keep it for atleast 4/5 years. No doubt that the Japs are the most reliable from all the options, I daily a 2.8 Hilux Dakar and its extremely strong, I'm glad I chose it over the Wildtrack. My dad isn't too much of a lexus fan tbh, but lets see.

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Personally I would look at the Range Rover. As much as the X3M Comp can do off-road, would you want to...

I guess the Range would be the better offroader for sure. The best one from these options in terms of off road capabilities has to be the Jeep for sure, I'd actually pick that if I were choosing from these options since its the fastest SUV in the world. Also, the thing with that is that the American cars aren't as reliable as german or japs. But coming back to the X3m Comp, we actually drove on at M Fest last year, it is an absolute beast of a car, its really quick and its not too small, not too big. I'd legit buy one if I could. But I'm not sure if it suits our needs although it can handle a few rough routes for sure.

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I might be biased here but I would advice on X5 M50d, the tech in the new X5 is unmatched and the comfort is on another level. Back when I was looking for an SUV, I had a chance to test drive the once you mentioned and more, except the Jeep. The X5 came out tops in my view. The autobiography is a four seater, not sure if it is still that way or the one they had on the dealer was specifically optioned that way. I would take the X5 M50D with an off-road package and air suspension. He already has an M5 so,  no point looking at X3M unless you meant X5 M, then  raise:

There's no denying that the features and tech on the X5 are absolutely mind blowing. Its an absolutely amazing car and its really comfortable. The M50d is also very fuel efficient I have to admit. I get your point, with the M5 I guess there's no need for another M car although it would be nice. I meant X3M, the new X5M Comp is a beast, just also way out of our budget, I mean 3 million for an SUV, ridiculous really.

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For me, if I wanted a sporty SUV, it would be a Porsche Cayenne. For a luxury SUV, it would be a Lexus RX450h.... neither are on the list, but worth considering.

I quite like the Cayenne, they good looking cars. Porsche never dissapoints, the feeling of a porsche is something else. I guess its worth looking at the Cayenne for sure. The Lexus RX450H is also another brilliant car, my aunt actually has one and its extremely classy. But I doubt my dad would want to copy his sister anytime soon.

 

[VinceM]

Go big! G63


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[IWannaGoFast]

My dad bought a RR sport. Its such a nice place to be in.

We were set on a GLE but had a horrible sales experience.
Land Rover Bedfordview treated us much better.
They literally gave us the keys to a RR sport for almost a week, no questions. Sold us

Plus the car is much nicer and feels bigger than the merc

 

[VinceM]

Congratulations, wishing you and your dad many happy miles.

Had a nice experience as well with Landy a few years ago, they gave me a Disco4 for a whole weekend! No issues.


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[///M Individual]

Hi bud,

For me the Range Rover is the ultimate SUV and I think from the options above the Autobiography would be the way to go as it best satisfies the requirements. I also think it will be the most comfortable of the bunch. I'm not sure if the SDV8 will be too slow for him, but as a daily and long distance vehicle I think diesel is the way to go. 

Good luck with the search and update us with pics whatever way he decides to go!

No lies bro, Range Rover's are extremely classy and they are good off-roaders thats for sure. Wasn't looking at the Vogue AutoBiography though, thats way out of his price range. I meant the Velar SVAutobiography, its basically an SVR version of the Velar. The only issue with them is that they are extremely heavy on fuel, my dad says he'd something lighter than what our Sport SVR was. The Sport SDV8 isn't a bad option, we had one before the svr and it was a good car. If I'm being honest, if it were my choice, I'd buy a brand new facelift SVR, but they way too expensive now

How does the Velar compare to a Sport in terms of space bud? If not too much of a compromise then the Velar would be great. It looks very sexy too.

Otherwise I think value for money in his price range would be the Sport SDV8 like the one below:
https://www.autotrader.co.za/car-for-sale/land-rover/range-rover-sport/sdv8/25336891

The X5 M50d is brilliant but I'm sure that all variants under the Range Rover banner outshine it in terms of comfort and off road capability. Could be wrong.

 

[MR_Y]

My dad bought a RR sport. Its such a nice place to be in.

We were set on a GLE but had a horrible sales experience.
Land Rover Bedfordview treated us much better.
They literally gave us the keys to a RR sport for almost a week, no questions. Sold us

Plus the car is much nicer and feels bigger than the merc

I can vouch for the excellent sales service from JLR Group.
A few years back, I was looking at a Jag XE 20d at Bryanston JLR.
The salesperson told me to take the car for the weekend and do as much mileage as I want.
All I had to do was park my car in their basement, sign a piece of paper (I think I was responsible for just a small excess if there was any insurance claim on the Jag) and drive off.
I was wearing my running clothes and sweating when I walked into the dealership and they did not hesitate to offer me the car for a weekend test drive.
I ended up buying an F30 320d instead, given that it was a better car, but JLR still invited me to a track day at Gerotek to drive the Jag E-Pace a few months later!

 

[ChefDJ]

The most capable and most durable is the Land Cruiser. It's also understated and blends in. If you want to show money and make a statement, then Range Rover. The Autobiography is ridiculously overpriced for what you get, IMO.

Demo X7?

 

[TurboLlew]

My dad bought a RR sport. Its such a nice place to be in.

We were set on a GLE but had a horrible sales experience.
Land Rover Bedfordview treated us much better.
They literally gave us the keys to a RR sport for almost a week, no questions. Sold us

Plus the car is much nicer and feels bigger than the merc

I can vouch for the excellent sales service from JLR Group.
A few years back, I was looking at a Jag XE 20d at Bryanston JLR.
The salesperson told me to take the car for the weekend and do as much mileage as I want.
All I had to do was park my car in their basement, sign a piece of paper (I think I was responsible for just a small excess if there was any insurance claim on the Jag) and drive off.
I was wearing my running clothes and sweating when I walked into the dealership and they did not hesitate to offer me the car for a weekend test drive.
I ended up buying an F30 320d instead, given that it was a better car, but JLR still invited me to a track day at Gerotek to drive the Jag E-Pace a few months later!

I also had a great experience with Jag Bryanston, but everywhere else in GP is HORRIFIC including HQ. Merc is another which is hit and miss - but there are more good dealers to choose from.

All things considered you need to try the Range IMHO. If it was my money I wouldn't go for any of the M, AMG or SQ (if available) models considering he has an F10 M5. The only reason to buy one of those is if you are forced to have one vehicle that does it all which doesn't sound like the case. [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Buy the diesel versions and move on if he has a specific preference.[/font] The only one on your list I would run far away from is the Track Hawk.

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The most capable and most durable is the Land Cruiser. It's also understated and blends in. If you want to show money and make a statement, then Range Rover. The Autobiography is ridiculously overpriced for what you get, IMO.

Demo X7?

My experience shopping for Landcruisers a few years ago:

Brand new: R850k
Used with 100000km R799K
Used with 300000km R599K

And they sell
OK I am exaggerating but they retain value better than anything else listed and they're in high demand.  :roflol:

 

[ChefDJ]

Llew the new models are in the million mark, for new :lmoa:

 

[IWannaGoFast]

In my mind if you want to go fast buy a sports car and if you want to be comfortable and go offroading buy a mid range SUV.

I don't really see a point in a SUV that does nurburgring laps in X minutes or that has 1000hp. Its always going to be a compromise.