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Matt Brogan10 Nov 2011
REVIEW

The $64,000 question: Premium SUVs

We take a look at a selection of sub-$65,000 premium flavoured diesel SUV offerings to see where the real value lies

So you want a diesel SUV and have a limit of $64K. It’s a reasonable request -- and there are a lot of options for the money, but, what to do? Do you choose prestige over performance? Or is practicality paramount? Perhaps you’re more concerned about fuel economy and emissions.

To help we've weighed these factors against five of the most popular cars in the premium SUV market. And although they’re not direct competitors per se, their price point does raise an interesting argument when it comes time to part with your hard earned.

Audi Q5 2.0 TDI?
>> Middle of the (soft)road
?Most of the motoring.com.au crew agree: Q5 is a little uninspiring. It drove well -- really well --but was not as comfortable as a ‘premium’ SUV should be. Over rougher surfaces the car did crash around a little, even if this did mean smooth surface handling was above the curve; manoeuvring around town another highlight.

Power delivery was smooth with only a slight lag noticed at the lower end of the torque range. But the smooth seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission was occasionally caught napping on step off and before urgent kickdowns. The wet grass test also failed Q5, its quattro all-wheel drive system while not the worst on test, did see it struggle when climbing 'our' (benchmark for the test) grassy knoll.

In the looks department, Q5 is similar to almost every other Audi out there. For us, this has pros and cons, but most agree it helps come resale time. Functionality was simple enough, though there are a lot of buttons about the console and centre stack which does take a while to learn. That said the options list wants for little.

The driving position is ideal and delivers a commanding view of your surrounds. Indeed, the Q5 does offer an excellent view of the road ahead. Interior space is ample for the class, though if this was your number one priority you might be better shopping elsewhere.

For $62,200 Audi Q5 offers a refined, sedan-like driving experience, robust build quality and luxurious touches throughout the cabin which were appreciated by all. Just remember that options can see the driveaway price rise rapidly.

BMW X3 xDrive20d
?
>> Improved but far from perfect?
The X3’s looks are a vast improvement on its predecessor, but that’s not saying much. The car was also the noisiest on test; open the window and it’s: “welcome to Trucksville”

Handling was, by a small margin, the best on test – narrowly pipping the Q5 – though on wet grass X3 failed to gain traction. The ride borders on sharp at times, but it steers better than any of the cars here.

Performance too is urgent and muscular, although turbo lag was an issue when attempting a sudden start. Overtaking felt strong, perhaps more so than that in Q5.

Much like Audi, the BMW also managed to adhere very closely to its sticker figure where fuel economy was concerned -- a great advertisement for the technology on offer. The X3’s silky eight-speed automatic contributes not only to excellent economy, but smooth overall delivery, too.

Interior space evidentially middle-of-the-pack, although X3 is now almost the same size as the first generation X5 -- food for thought. The driver’s seat is a nice place to be, although the minimalist centre console was branded as “cheap looking” by at least one on the motoring.com.au crew. The fanciful gearshifter is confusing to those new to the concept.

Like the other German rival on test, X3 does suffer come options time, but at least you can personalise the car to taste, and exclude those options irrelevant to your needs.

Curiously (not!), the X3 and Q5 were priced identically at $62,200.

Ford Territory Titanium TDCi
?
>> Hometown performer
?We’ve spent quite some time with the new diesel-powered Territory and by-the-by it’s a very nice drive. Sure, it’s not the quickest diesel on test, particularly off the line, but once in motion it keeps pace thanks to its ready torque.

The car on the whole is very civilised with ride quality a cut above most on test. Its ability to smooth local roads is clearly evident. It rode best of our five over low quality roads yet could also corner with conviction, if a little wallowing.

The steering feel is great and the six-speed transmission deals proficiently with the 2.7-litre engine’s hefty 440Nm torque figure.

The seating position is also well placed, better even than Falcon and just as comfortable.

But in this company there's no escaping the reality of the budget available to Ford to spend on interior upgrades and updates. Simply, it’s well presented, but lacks panache and the centre stack appears cluttered. Similarly, sat nav operation is far from intuitive.

Up back, Territory offers seating for seven – the only one of this five to do so. The fold-flat seats are well packaged and fold away easily enabling ready loading of bulky items. The lack of a powered tailgate --- even as an option – is obvious in this company.

On the wet grass hill test, the Territory’s performance was very average. It struggled for grip, simply wheel spinning the free wheels while delivering no traction to the wheel with drive. Better than the BMW, but not as good as all the others.

But it’s worth keeping in mind the Territory is available in a range of trim levels with two and all-wheel drive capability and the choice of petrol or diesel engines. Indeed, while the model tested here is $63,240, the Territory range starts at just $39,990, making it more suitable for those on a budget.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 70th Anniversary Edition CRDi
?
>> Home, home on the range
?
Fresh from its September sell-out, Jeep Grand Cherokee continues its sales success trumping BMW X5 and Audi Q5 at the dealer door. The new turbodiesel variants are also off to a flying start; the spread of model variants, proper 4WD system and bang-for-buck value making the big American pretty hard to pass up.

The WK series Grand Cherokee has rated well since its local debut in August 2011, and on test reiterated those qualities favoured on our initial review. Priced in line with our group test on this occasion, the 70th Anniversary, mid-spec ‘Limited’ model gets a generous level of equipment as standard.

Though the 4WD Grand Cherokee’s steering was too light for some, feeling vague on-centre, it handles well. The suspension does a remarkable job of blending ride, handling and offroad ability – the car walking up our slippery hill test like a mountain goat.

There’s adequate power from the 3.0-litre turbodiesel, delivery of which was very smooth through a five-speed automatic transmission (and eight-speed is coming in 2012). Acceleration mightn’t be as brisk as some on this test, but offroad and when overtaking Grand Cherokee was certainly capable.

The interior is well screwed together, though some of us felt the touchscreen, whilst functionally straightforward, did look a little low rent. That aside, the layout is user-friendly and seemingly durable, considering Jeep’s offroad aspirations.

Volvo XC60 D5
>> Can you hear the drums Fernando?
?XC60 seems to suffer from middle child syndrome. It’s not quite in the premium realm of the Germans but most casual observers still see it as ‘prestige’. So when you consider this was the cheapest car on test, offered a lot of equipment, good accommodation and was entirely capable who cares?

The XC60 didn’t really excel in any one aspect but nor did it have any shortcomings. Sure, the interior isn’t as large as the Jeep or the Ford but there’s more than enough cargo and seating space for a family of five.

And it's a good drive to boot. The twin-turbo diesel five performs well, the vehicle steers with conviction and offers a pleasant ride/handling balance that sees it deal with rough dirt roads with as much confidence as bitumen. Oh, and it climbed our wet grass hill better than the Ford, BMW or Audi!

The Euro look of the floating centre console, its stylised HVAC controls and backless panel have dated well, and issues like noise and vibration are well addressed.

The driving position is a highlight of XC60, visibility, comfort and support all well catered to. Long distance drivers will especially like the XC.

Where pricing is concerned, Volvo XC60 D5 can be optioned, though equipment levels are stacked in packages, Teknik and R-Design, which offer a higher grade of technology or sportiness respectively.

While this can limit choice, it also curtails unnecessary spending and reduces complexity at order time.

The Verdict
>>?There is no verdict!
?These cars are not direct competitors and as such, nominating a outright winner would be pointless. That said, the value and capability offered in the Jeep Grand Cherokee is pretty hard to look past. It’s a massive improvement over its predecessor, offers a lot of kit for coin and is more than competent both on and off road.

If you're less focussed on the offroad, but want an SUV for the driving position and versatility then consider the XC60. It too is an impressive piece of kit.

Overall, each of the vehicles tested have a lot to offer. Depending on your wants and needs, all could be the answer to your own $64,000 question.

Audi Q5 2.0 TDI ?
Price: $62,200 (plus on-road)
Engine: Turbocharged DOHC inline four-cylinder diesel, 2.0-litre
Output: 125kW/350Nm
Transmission/Final drive: six-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
Wheels/Tyres:  17 x 8.0-inch, 235/65
Fuel/CO2: 6.8L/100km; 179g/km

BMW X3 xDrive20d
Price: $62,200 (plus on-road)
Engine: Turbocharged DOHC inline four-cylinder diesel, 2.0-litre
Output: 135kW/380Nm
Transmission/Final drive: six-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
Wheels/Tyres:  17 x 7.5-inch, 225/60
Fuel/CO2: 5.6L/100km; 147g/km

Ford Territory Titanium TDCi?
Price: $63,240 (plus on-road)
Engine: Turbocharged DOHC V6 diesel, 2.7-litre
Output: 140kW/440Nm?
Transmission/Final drive: six-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
Wheels/Tyres:  18 x 7.5-inch, 235/55
Fuel/CO2: 9.0L/100km; 236g/km

Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 70th Anniversary Edition CRDi
Price: $63,500 (plus on-road)?
Engine: Turbocharged DOHC V6 diesel, 3.0-litre
Output: 177kW/550Nm
Transmission/Final drive: six-speed automatic/all-wheel drive?
Wheels/Tyres:  20 x 8.0-inch, 265/50
Fuel/CO2: 8.3L/100km; 218g/km


Volvo XC60 D5

Price: $60,990 (plus on-road)
Engine: Turbocharged DOHC inline five-cylinder diesel, 2.4-litre
Output: 158kW/440Nm?
Transmission/Final drive: six-speed automatic/all-wheel drive?
Wheels/Tyres:  17 x 7.5-inch, 235/65
Fuel/CO2: 6.9L/100km; 183g/km

Note: vehicles pictured for illustrative purposes only. Models may differ from those tested

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Written byMatt Brogan
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