If money wasn't an issue, so no "I'd rather buy X over Y cuz it's cheaper...", and assuming you didn't care about maintenance cuz it's picked up by the manuf., which SUV would you chose and why?

 

I'd get the 4.4 BMW X5.. even if some of them are getting toasted just by sitting in the garage..

I like the styling on this alot.. and the engine kicks ass.. I'll take one in Black!

The MDX is cool too, that would be my other choice, but the current design is a bit zzzz... and no HIDs!!

I've never liked Land Rovers.. and the Cadillac is alright, it's a good car for showing off..

So you're not getting the E-Class for the wife?

 

No E-Class. Damn woman can't make up her freakin mind. One day is "no EClass, they're changing body next year...", then it's "I really like the X5", the today after driving the Range Rover it was "I want this one, let's get this"...yeah but she didn't notice that the freakin sticker price on the RR was $69K I drove the X5 with SP and I wasn't "moved" by the truck. The MDX was very "boring" and it's probably out of the question even if she wanted it. I agree with you, the styling on the MDX is "zzz" The Cadillac, well, no comment, but they have 20 inch rim options. Tough situation for me. I like the E Class even if they're changing the body, but I'm gonna get her what she wants. Again, she can't seem to make up her mind. She really wants the RR, but then, she said "the X5 isn't bad, and I kinda want that" Damn WOMEN!!

 

Id choose the Mdx hands down!!!! 1. Styling 2. Value 3. fully loaded 38,000 . 4. Motor trend suv of the year 5 . Its an Acura


The reasons why I would not buy the following vehicles


Range rover 4.6: way overpriced and the the resale value sucks ass!!! plus is not that great looking on a vehicle since they are changing the body style.

Cadillac Escalade: Sorry but its an american car and in 1 year the car has dropped 15,000 in resale value. And the interior looks so damn cheap.

Bmw X5 : I Love the X5 but I am an Acura fan to heart. I also cant see spending 50,000 on such a small suv, When you can buy a Landruiser or lx470 for the same price. lx470 is slightly higher like 9,000 or so than the landcruiser.

 

I said, money not an issue. So if value wasn't a concern, would the MDX still be your choice? If so, why. I'm not knocking your decision, I'm trying to gather up everyone's feedback and weigh out all the pros and cons. I don't care about resale, I'm leasing for 3 years and giving it back. I thought about the LX470, but my woman drove one of those like 3 years ago and didn't like it. Hell, I was even looking at leasing a 911 or an NSX, but NSX only allowed 7500 miles per year for 4 years and it was $995 a month...they lost their damn minds. WTF is Acura thinking. Decisions, decisions.

 

Ahhh I know the perfect vehicle for you How about a Mercedes galewander. Or the Ml55


In that case I would choose the Bmw. The hids and all the different pacakages you can get. I believe you get 19s on the one sport package.

If your wife drove a lx 3 years ago she drove the 450 and old body style. The new style is more refined and the ride and comfort are Fvcing amazing. Also you may want to look at the Toyota Seqoia. My cousin Just bought a limited one and damn that thing is nice.

 

if money wasnt an issue NEVER settle for less... get the 4.5i.....

 

depends on what you're going to do.

i hated RR's bc of what I perceived them to represent. snobby people who are more into trends than anything else.

but a few buddies of mine and myself went offroading near lake isabella...desolate mountain/desert terrain. the ground clearance was second to none and that thing really kept itself in control even at a 20-30 degree angle...i was seriously impressed enough to say that if i had $70k to blow on a SUV id definitely get a RR.

 

I would pick the Escalade because it is the most powerful SUV and it looks tite.

 

If money is no issue, and MUST pick one of the 4... I would stick with X5. X5 has decent interior, great handling, and great looking SUV. You mentioned that service/maint. is not an issue, so I assume you gonna lease the car?? If you are buying/financing, skip Range Rover... they depreciate almost half of its value in less than 2 years......

However, I would go with X5 4.6i instead of 4.4i....

Andy Kuo

 

I would go for the X7 whenever that comes out...........if it ever comes out..

 

Black Escalade with the 6.0 L high-output engine!! And 22" chromes!! I looked at one. OMFG!! That is the tighest truck I've ever seen! Range Rover is nice, don't get me wrong. And it is probably the best for what it's made for. But, the Escalade is the most luxurious. Luxury is what I'm looking for!

 

If you want the best handling both off and on-road I would definitely pick the RR. My friend has a 4.6 HSE and it's awesome off-road. The air suspension allows you to lift it up high or slam it low for better handling on-road. May not be the best styling there is available but like Jimster said it all depends on what you plan to do with it. If you ain't going off-road, don't waste your money on the RR IMHO.

 

I will go with the MDX.. lol

 

Iam not an SUV person but if I had to get one it would be the MDX. I would get it for the main reason of its size & multiple seat applications. I like the style of the MDX its not that bad or bland.
The 345HP ESCALADE is a real beast to drive it handles pretty well for a thing that size. I had a chance to drive one at FED EX FIELD a few months ago. This was at the MOTOR TREND CADILLAC WORLD CHALLENGE. I got to compare it to a LINCOLN NAVIGATOR the 2 big SUVs are a world apart. When pushing the ESCALADE hard around the cones in the parking lot it did not feel that big the power was great. The NAVIGATOR was a real dog to drive & I was very tired when I got out. If I had a big boat to tow around the ESCALADE would be my choice. The MDX would be my choice if it was real world drivng & no towing involved.

 

BMW 4.4i, because its way pimpish and comes with some nice ass wheels but a lot of brakedust, and tha HID is marvelous...Shyne

 

none of the above,

sorry, I'm not an SUV type of guy, can't you fenagle a 911???

Of your 4 choices, I would pick the X5 though, b/c it drives more like a car than the others (never drove one, but was driven in a couple of them), and looks darn sharp in black.

If I were to buy a truck for myself, I'd get a Lincoln Navigator b/c of the sheer size.

good luck shopping

 

Bimmer with some blingin chrome wheels
2nd choice would be Escalade.

The QX4's are nice. But not mentioned

The MDX is bleh -- too boring for me

and the RR's are HELLA SSLLLOWWW

BiMMeR Baby
BTW can I be ur Sugar Daddy or whatever I need to be to get u to buy me a vehicle with the terms "Money is no object" LOL

 

I have only driven 1 of the 4 and that was the MDX. What impressed me most, more than the excellent look & quality, was the room inside. I bet the others are not as roomy. That said, if money was the same, I would get the BMW, however if the money is an issue, the MDX hands down.

 

Well, as I suspected you guys made it even tough for me to decide.
Everyone had great points to make.

I did get to test drive the RR and I will admit that it is a dog and I'm kinda concerned about it breaking (not that I care about the maintenance but I'd hate to be without a vehicle cuz it keeps on breaking). The salesguy took me to their course and I was impressed that the RR can tip about 40 degrees and still not flip over. The interior was kinda "old" but had a beast stereo system (450 watts). The leather seating was very hard but overall it's probably the best in the snow of the bunch.

The X5, I got to abuse!! They gave me a 4.4i with Sports Package. It handled superbly, hands down best of the 4 mentioned above. The power was certainly there, but the interior was so so (maybe cuz it almost felt like I stepped into my 540i...familiar territory type scenerio). Not too roomy, but space isn't a concern...as long as I can haul 4 golf bags, I'm good to go After the test drive, I wasn't "moved" by the X5, but fully fully loaded for $56.070.

The MDX, was a bit boring for me in both styling and performance. The V6 felt sluggish (unlike the TL) I didn't like the ergonomics inside. The windshield felt far from the driver side thus making it a bit tough to see out of. The MDX was very, very roomy and the NAV, well, two thumbs up! No discount on the MDX discouraged me even more and I didn't get the option for color selection since they're like all spoken for so I have to take someone's leftover. All in all, it drove almost like the Honda Oddysey. Hands down the best value of the bunch, but money not high on the priority list.

The Cadillac, well, I thought the interior was "nasty" in a bad way. For some reason, I feel spoiled by the sleek Japanese, and Classy German interiors so the American interior was 4 thumbs down for me, plus the truck sits too high and I don't think it will fit in my garage. But they do offer an option for 20 inch bling blings

I will have to decide by Tuesday before I take off to the UK, will update you guys. Thanx for your feedback folks!

 

Hey, my uncle has a black Escalade sitting on 20's and he gets nothing but stares. He let me take it out one night with my girl and we drove around, man everybody was looking, i mean heads were turning a necks wer breaking man. I never seen that reaction with a bimmer truck or any other truck, except for this denali in my area, its sitting on 22's, styles from the LOX owns it.

 

it would boil down to the escalade the and the x5 based mainly on my importance on looks and the ability to get modded, but this would do me in at the end...



not the best pic i have seen while still needing to be alittle lower, but you can't beat the kit and those 22s.

the escalade would only get lowered on brabus wheels!

 

here:

 

BMW X5 since you dont care about maintenance and price. If it was me and i wanted a car to last, I would get the MDX.

 

here:

 

I say an X5 so I can like blow TLs outta da water with my v8 and quad exhaust

 

What a strange post. First, no matter how much money you have no one wants to get screwed so value does play a role in the purchase decision. Second, if you're looking for an SUV what do you want if for? If you're looking for a performance car buy a performance car. If you're looking for all-wheel drive utility and lots of storage space than that changes the criteria. I own an MDX and I'll tell you what made me buy it. I looked at the X5 3.0 and it has less interior room than a 540 wagon. If you order it with the sport package you can't drive it in the snow and the ride is way too harsh. And at 45K for the 3.0, I just couldn't see it. The Range Rover is a great vehicle if you want to really go off-road or if you want an SUV that makes a statement like only a Land Rover can (sort of non-conformist like Saab's used to be). It is incredibly expensive and has a 50's design Buick V8 engine it. I had two Discovery's and wouldn't do that again. The Escalade (and Tahoe/Yukon) is huge. Do you need that much space and can you live with 12MPG it will get? Categorically, most people compare the MDX, X5, and ML. Or the Expedition/Navigator, Yukon/Tahoe/Escalade, and Toyota Sequoia. Or the LX450/Land Cruiser and the Range Rover. You're selections really aren't apples to apples comparisons as the cars aren’t in the same category and don’t appeal to the same audiences.

 

When it comes SUV time the only choice is the LX 470 (how could it not be a choice it's 67k loaded) but if I had to choose from the above 4.

The X5 rides like it is on rails with those 18"s and has less cargo space than a RX 300 or their own 540 wagon, way to small fo me.

Escalade is almost as ugly as the Aztec, 50k for a silverado with a camper. Caddy put new edge styling on the front and back and kept the round sides of the Tahoe/Suburban/Denali/Denali EXT/Yukon/Yukon EXT I mean how many trucks do you want to share with? The inside is awful (fake Zebrano wood) terrible ergonomics etc. Did I mention the 8x10 badges on the grill and tailgate, crassy.

MDX is not my first choice in the 35k range.

Leaves the Range Rover, they finally dropped that awful 4.o liter engine and it is the only choice from these 4 SUV's, amazing offroad capabilities, classy interior, decent cargo room and Panache!

 

 

Well guys, thanx for all the feedbacks. Although the RR was my first choice from the 4 listed, my wife opted for a Black on Black X5.4.4 with SP. I haven't driven her SUV or SAV (whatever they call it now), but we're gonna go out in it soon. I got a killer deal on it. It is basically fully fully loaded and the stupid dealers didn't even know the freakin truck had CD changer and phone in it, oh well, chalk one up for us good guys! However, the phone is for Cingular wireless and we are AT&T, so tomorrow I'm gonna go raise hell and just claim that we got the wrong phone . The Navi sux on this truck but oh well.

Thanx for all your feedback, and BarryH I agree, the choices weren't apples to apples. I did like the MDX, and it would have been my 3rd choice of the bunch, but if $ was an issue, it certainly would have been the first choice.

1SickLex, I drove the LX470 and it felt like my dad's 79 Chevy Impala, another words, it felt like a boat. The interior certainly kicked major A$$, but the truck felt like a truck, ironic since I'm looking for a truck Plus, $67K was a bit too steep for me. The RR was actually around $60K (after hagling for 2 hours), the Lexus, well they told me no discount, damn it's not like they're "hot", hell they had 4 on the lot. My wife saw one on the way to BMW and said, that will be her next vehicle. We'll see, hopefully I'll still be as fortunate then as I am now.

All in all, thanx guys!!! Although I don't owna a TL anymore, I'll still hang out here since this is the first forum I called "home".

 

Well im happy you made a good decision. The BMW is a helluva an automobile. Please Please dont buy the light brown color offered in the X5. That is the damn ugliest color I have seen

 

If I didn't need the additional space of the MDX, the BMW was my second choice. Check out the BMW boards, a lot of people that have the 4.4 sport package regret their decision because the ride is unbelievable harsh and the 19" peformance tires are useless in bad weather. Make sure your wife takes the sprort package on an extended test drive on various types of roads to make sure it suits her.

 

If I felt the need to get an SUV I'd swing by the hospital to get a frontal lobotomy! I hate the overweight, polluting things. Poor HP to weight ratio, high center of gravity, tall dirt tires (on the street!) As long as I have a pulse and still like to drive I'll pass on this category of vehicle...

Unless of course I had a boat again, then I might get one to tow it