Comparison test: Luxury SUV comparison test

"Stone-faced and unblinking, four great presidents hold their pose as the cameras click. It’s summer, America is on vacation, and Mt. Rushmore draws the Pace Arrows, Palm Aires, Bounders, and Born Frees from across the land to clog the roads of South Dakota’s Black Hills.

This scenic section of the heartland was beckoning summer visitors long before pavement eased the trip. President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace came by train to Rapid City in 1927 for a three-week getaway. It stretched to three months, so agreeable were the terrain and the temperatures.

Seventy-nine years later, your reporters have arrived, but there’ll be no water slides and Stuckey’s stops for us. No, we’re on a fact-finding mission: Does the traditional American-truck-based SUV have a future? Gas prices are stuck stubbornly at three bucks per gallon, bombs are exploding in the Middle East, the stock market is shuddering, and normally optimistic Americans are having doubts: Is our cheap-fuel way of living coming to an end?"
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siga - 9/28/2006 1:08:19 PM

+1 Boost

We are waiting for the X5 to be placed against the rest of the "bunch". [Q7, GL450,Rang Rover and I guess the U.S.A. made _______________s]

JUGNU - 9/28/2006 1:44:17 PM

+1 Boost

U.S.A. made _______________s]

???

JUGNU

chewy - 9/28/2006 3:32:16 PM

0 Boost

The Q7 has the best handling and braking, a sport sedan with 7 seats.

snatch - 9/28/2006 4:27:00 PM

+1 Boost

I wish they used the Lexus GX in the comparo... 7 seater as well.

Like the Audi styling except for the bottom panel... hate the color difference... and cheapens the styling.

Rupert - 9/28/2006 5:29:15 PM

+1 Boost

omg that lincoln is even uglier. seriously yuk.
what happened to ford's art deco/1920s train theme? that would have looked good on this.
the infiniti, that is the ugliest vehicle i have seen. even the lincoln is better.
the escalade got 15 mpg? jesus, that's bad.
the gl is so much cheaper than i expected, here it STARTS at 110000 dollars for a 3.2 diesel.
the a7 is really low, more like a 4wd estate than an suv.

BMW530i - 9/28/2006 6:05:53 PM

+2 Boost

Q7 and GL for me from that list.

S4cabriofox - 9/28/2006 7:38:16 PM

+2 Boost

Exactly. I'd pick the Q7 over the GL, purely because the GL looks too much like the ML.

Escalade would be my third choice, but they'd have to make me, and I'll die before driving that Navigator. QX56? Bof.

StepYaGameUp - 9/28/2006 7:39:20 PM

+2 Boost

It seems that teh quality of mercedes is on the rise, and i love it. now i wont be looked ta funny for saying mercedes is best make anymore.. theres way too many bmw fans, as well as these new audi and lexus lovers.
What is wrong with these people?
Somebody answer me.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 9/30/2006 7:18:34 PM

+1 Boost

its called Loyalty To Quality
We all Know Blind Loyalty to any Brand is for Fools.
Sensible People will always buy the Best they can Comfortably Afford

Agent63 - 9/28/2006 9:03:39 PM

0 Boost

For me it would be X5/ML/Q7/Escalade

The new escalade looks much improved and refined. However, i'm sure the plastic materials that existed in the predocessor still remains in the new one. However it boasts a much higher level of luxury. It just looks more classy than the old 'truck' based interior!.

M53R - 9/29/2006 11:00:02 AM

+1 Boost

from these bunch of SUVs i ll take either the GL or Q7. the other 3 r rubbish. I prefer the Q7 styling on the GL tho. Im still waiting for the X5 to see where it will end up between these.

S4cabriofox - 9/30/2006 11:16:26 AM

+1 Boost

M53R-

Although the X5 has a third row, it seems to be considerably smaller than these cars.

Before, it was roughly 183in long, and I believe they've stretched it six inches, to 189. The Q7 and GL are both 200in long.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 9/30/2006 7:22:59 PM

+1 Boost

Thank god for that, If had become any longer i would have cancelled my order. The great thing about the X5 was its Agility and the fact that it was Somewhat easy to hustle around the UK Roads (easier than Range Rover anyhow)

woood - 10/2/2006 7:56:41 AM

+1 Boost

Germans always win in these comparos and Americans always at the last because for these testers, cost is not a major factor. But money aside, I prefer Japanese SUVs mainly for their reliability and low cost of maintenance.