LexLaw

Hey CL, I would like your help and opinions regarding a truck for my family. It started off with us just looking for a 2nd car in our garage to compliment our SC430 (GS, 5 series, XF and A6) as we were planning to move south from NYC. Now that we've since arrived, our focus has primarily shifted to SUVs (SAV's for Bimmer fans). A little background info to help. We are currently a family of 3 with a 12 year old, rapidly growing daughter and hopefully a baby in the very near future along with 2 Yorkies who think they are Rotweillers. I myself am a Shaq-esque 5'6" and my wife is eye to eye with heels. We don't require a 3rd row but it would be nice as my wife seems to think she'll be driving our daughter's soccer team around.

Like most of you I'm a member on various forums but decided to post this here because of the civil and for the most part unbiased views that we give here. Gas and insurance are not a real concern as we know what we're getting into with an SUV. Nor will we be doing any real off-roading. We finally recently test drove a GX and both of us were pleasantly surprised at how smooth the ride was. Kudos to Lexus...Anyway here are our Elite 5 in no particular order. BTW we will be keeping this for about 5 years. Odds are no warranty but have access to a great cheap mechanic (cousin) And please no Acura MDX suggestions nothing against them or the Beak but it's not in our plans. And MMarshall no Subaru talk on this one, . Thank you all for participating and helping us in our search.

1. 2007 Mercedes Benz GL450 (Wife's Fave and I always wanted to own a Benz)
Pros: Smooth tranny, Fast for size, Prestige, Curb appeal, Excellent dash layout, Panoramic roof, huge power folding 3rd row.
Cons: Benz cost cutting (MB Tex and 8 speakers in 3 row truck?), Bigger than we need, Weak Nav

2. 2007 Audi Q7 4.2 or 3.6 (A little bit of everything we want and need?)
Pros: Huge pano roof, Best interior, Love the big mouth grille, Sporty look, Technology, Red LEDs everywhere (fave color) does something to my soul, Rarity, Plenty of sex appeal, Understated and Better than anticipated ride.
Cons: Audi computer gremlins, wife thinks it looks like a minivan from the sides, Not the most masculine of designs but hey I own an SC430 so what I can't say much.

3. 2007 BMW X5 3.0 or 4.4 (Sporty, practical and modern design with an aggressive look.)
Pros: Handling, Pano Roof, iDrive customization and Angel Eyes, LEDs everywhere, BMW seats and yessss Best MPG of the bunch.
Cons:"Sketchy" 3rd row seats, fairly common on the road, Don't want Honda Civics to pull up to me at light and attempt to test my manhood or be viewed as another @$$hole Bimmer driver.

4. 2006 Lexus GX470 (The sleeper and Wife's 2nd fave pick.)
Pros: Excellent Fit and Finish, Lexus nameplate and reliability, smooth ride, Touch screen nav, great stereo (ML), Handsome exterior despite age and nice 3rd row.
Cons: Dated interior, Plain Jane grays and beiges, I'm somewhat reluctant to finance a car that's already been out of production for 2 years, as we already have a beautiful antique on our hands and lastly no much sex appeal. (Hey I'm married I need a little fun)

5. 2006 Range Rover HSE (My all-time fave vehicle period! She digs it also.)
Pros: Go anywhere literally, Improved reliability esp Jag sourced engines, Prestige, Great stereo, Classy interior Piped seats anyone, IMO ages better than any SUV and much improved EAS suspension system.
Cons: Despite vast improvements through the years still a little concerned about reliability. Owned a P38 and have driven family's current models through the years.

I lied, one more.
6. 2006 Range RoverSport HSE or S/C (The wildcard)
Pros: Nice modern take on Full Fat Range Rover, Better reliablity than FFRR from what I've heard and read on various LR forums, Curb appeal, Stereo, Touch screen nav and clean simple layout and new terrain response system.
Cons: By no means small but smallest interior of the group, LR cut corners with the interior in some spots and the occasional LR gremlins and poseur reputation in some circles.

Again Thank you all for taking the time to help me sort through my mess and present a solid case to my wife for hopefully the last time. It's Valentine's weekend I would like to impress her with some more info. and Oh yeah Lurkers please feel free to vote. You don't have to type a response just click your fave choice. It's so easy a caveman do it.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I like these SUV's in the following order:

1. Range RoverSport HSE - sophistication meets sport
2. Mercedes Benz GL450 - Luxo barge
3. BMW X5 - the handler
4. Audi Q7 - tech savy
5. Range Rover HSE - the tailored suit
6. Lexus GX470 - old faithful..

All save for the Lexus may have reliability issues, but that doesn't mean I don't like them lol

Good luck in your search

LexLaw

Thanx Hoovey! You summed it up pretty well. If not for its good reliability and great overall value as mentioned previously. The GX most likely wouldn't be on our list. Visually it does nothing to get my blood flowing but I'd be a fool to ignore it because of that. It may be the best all around package for us. I love Lexus and am truly proud to be an owner of this brand. But in all honesty I was looking to go European with this pick. I wanted a little more flair/fun but I know that it obviously comes at a cost.

lamar411

I'm thinking Audi, really think its a good combo of sport/luxury, but if you were going all luxury im swinging toward GX no doubt about it.

rdgdawg

1. Lexus- easy choice... really, with the years you're talking this isn't even a contest.. but....

2. Q7- 4.2 V8 ONLY

Tie:3. X5- extended warranty ONLY
3. GL- see above^, but 3rd row may bump on it to 3rd alone

Wouldn't consider the others, unless you like repair shops

My $.02... good luck!!!

caddyowner

Any reason the LX or Land Cruiser are not on your list?

How about GMC Yukon Denali or Cadillac Escalade?

Just a few ideas.

LexLaw

Thanx guys...Interesting that both of you picked the Lexus and Audi at 1 and 2. The Lexus is in all likelihood is the most practical pick, while the Audi tugs at my heart. Unfortunately practicality isn't always fun, but then again neither is repair time. The Lexus is a great all around package and has a nice level of refinement to it. The Audi, I feel gives me that Euro flair, loads of tech with decent reliability and more than enough space. I'm not expecting any of my European choices to be anywhere Lexus in reliability. I just don't need a nightmare. I've learned a lot since my last RR in that it's key to do preventative maintenance and buy parts online and of course have a trustworthy indy repair guy.

So I'm willing to sacrifice "some" reliability as a compromise for fun. By fun I don't need my SUV to do 0-60 in the 6's or drift on I-75 but I do like feeling that rush when I get in my car. I'm sure all of you know what I'm talking about. When making any car payment or big ticket purchase, not only do you want to see the value in your purchase, You want to be turned on and keep lusting for it. Now while I realize many here on CL could care less for the design or road feel of the SC430, but I still to this day enjoy walking into my garage and staring at it or cruising with the top down, as I did when I bought it years ago. As for my fave the RR, I think it's been given a bad rap and for good reason. They have historically had awful reliability records. However many of those issues have been sorted out with models '05 and up, particularly with the '06 models as most early issues have been addressed. Yet I'm under no illusions and read Land Rover Forums throughly so I still see nagging issues and complaints of owners.

LexLaw

Legitimate question and thanx for your perspective....If the list were back to 10 again. The Landcruiser/LX and Caddy would be on it again. However the LX/LC are amazing SUVs just far bigger than what I need or want. In addition to their high prices for the years that I want. Not a huge fan of either design to be quite honest and for that I could do the GX for a fraction of the price.

As for the American trucks. I had the Caddy but ruled against it because despite me being a huge fan of their lineup, and wanting to finally own an American car. For the price of an Escalade, I can have any of the 5 or 6 trucks on my list which IMO are better. They are light years ahead of the previous years. I'm glad that they are finally using better materials and real wood. But overall there are a few little things that bother my wife about that truck. The front end and overall exterior is killer especially in black or dark hues. If I were in NEED of a large SUV, I would revisit them. The Chevy/GMC variants interiors do nothing whatsoever for me. The interior screams fleet. Exterior wise they are ok. I hope I'm not offending you or any American truck owners. They just aren't my cup of Earl Gray.

BTW what are your opinions of the trucks that I suggested? And how has the ownership experience been for you? Thanx

tardorange

This is the way I would see it. I have owned all the brands except Audi/RR.

1. BMW X5-Great warranty, great handling and decent amount of room (Third row is NOT that "sketchy" its more then enough unless you have a full house then it can get a BIT cramped).

2. Lexus GX-Reliable but the handling is bad and its old and dated.

Everything else is a no for me. Mercedes GL trucks are not reliable as its younger sibling (ML) and are too big looking for my taste. The Audi is a no because have some friends with a Q7 and the transmission died at 23k miles not to mention several CEL and O2 senors. The RR is a great looking truck but I personally would never own one due to all the horror stories I hear.

Why is the ML350 not on your list? How about the Infiniti SUV's?

LexLaw

Thanx for your insight especially as a previous owner of some of these makes. I feel you on the MB GL and you are indeed right about the BMW X5 seats. I fit comfortably and they serve their purpose as emergency seats, certainly better than my SC's rear seats. The ML was in the top 10 and was only bumped because aside from it getting the same reliability complaint on MB forums from owners, it is super common. Almost RX levels. Not that that's a bad thing. Obviously it resonates with people for them to be buying them in droves. I do find their pricing to be attractiveand I've driven my aunt's ML350 which felt plenty powerful. It had a nice finish and the ususal MB quality except those seats felt a tad cheap as a Lexus owner. My wife test drove one back to back with the GL and looking back that may not have been the best idea. She's sold on the idea of the Big brothers 3rd row and slightly better finish. Truth is she just loves the GL grille more. lol

I like Infiniti cars, their trucks? Not so much. The Q56 have been rated poorly everywhere I look especially here on CL. Haven't joined any Infiniti forums though to be honest or test driven one either. Their design is so so and the FX are waaaaay to funky for me and for that size/ or caliber of SUV I'd much rather have the sedate yet handsome and refined RX.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

Only get the beamer in a v8. Ive driven a v6 for only a little bit, but i was left unimpressed, the v8 is a totally different machine, then again i drove a fully loaded one compared to the complete base model. But the noise of the v8, amazing. The q7 is ok, but not a look in my opinion, same can be said got the gl. Infiniti qx56? could possibly be on your list as well, and the volvo xc90

caddyowner

I have no experience with the trucks you listed. Like you said, I'd be intrigued with getting the MB. All of my trucks and large SUVs have been domestic, mainly GM. Generally, I found that GM truck quality was better than their cars. However, the interiors lagged foreign luxury brands. One of my sons bought an 04 Yukon Denali last year and has been very pleased with it. An attorney I know had and liked an 07 Escalade, but had the usual GM-first-year issues with the latest generation. He felt the "Bling" of the 'lade wasn't the message he wanted to send to his family law clients, so he went sleeper with a V8 Impala SS for his daily driver.

mmarshall

My recommendations are fair and unbiased. I don't recommend Subies (new or used) for people unless I honestly feel that it is the best vehicle for their specific needs (as the Outback was for me).

Maybe so, but, if you're not going off-road, keep in mind that the GX, like the 4Runner it is based on, is a classic off-roader with a truck-frame. It is also high, narrow in relation to its width, and has (to an extent) a somewhat tipsy center-of-gravity.

I'd stay away from the Range Rover, despite its seductively plush, comfortable interior....they are notoriously unreliable.

Still, of the specific models you mentioned, I'd go with the GX, despite the off-road truck-based design; just be careful and don't try to throw it around corners like a sports car.

You may feel that way NOW, but you may not when things actually start breaking down, particularly on a Range Rover....and, on some European vehicles, with the cost of parts/repair when it is out of warranty. You don't want to bite off more than you can chew....and you can do that with some vehicles.


My advice is, forget that stuff. As far as I'm concerned, the whole idea of a vehicle being "masculine" or feminine" oriented is nonsense (though, I agree, there's no doubt that the VW Beetle is popular with the ladies). The idea that men can or can't buy or drive certain vehicles because of a stigma is a stereotype that has been made up and promoted mainly by the auto press, bull-s*** from auto TV commercials, and has little or no bearing on real-life auto-bying decisions. Simply buy the vehicle that best suits your family's needs, and forget what other people think. And, my opinion is, of the specific models you listed, for your specific needs, go with the GX.

LexLaw

Good to hear from a Q7 owner on here. I gotta admit I'm really feeling the Audi Q7 and BMW X5. Both have bold modern designs and their aesthetics appeal to me. The Q being a true 7 seater while the X5 seems to fill the job required for my family. I like both but am somewhat more in favor of the Q7 as it is less prevalent on the road and has an amazing interior. Additonally it looks like nothing else on the road. And that interior at night is pure sex. How's that gorgeous roof? Any leak issues as I've heard there was a TSB on that thing. I'm a huge fan of the Q7 TDI and the facelift that '10 models received. Do you own the 3.6 or 4.2? I test drove the V6 a few times and had no issues with power even on the highway. Thanx

KA8

iTrader: (1)

Stay away from Range Rover. They are attractive and luxurious but you better pray yours won't break down on you. GX is nice suv we almost got it when we were shopping for suv. Q7 is very attractive and it's got everything you want in an suv. Test drive them all and go from there.