What on Earth to buy - SUV?
Discussion
Let me be upfront - I don’t like SUV’s (a jacked up estate car with wallowing handling generally plus everyone seems to have one!)
It’s for my wife who has joint problems which means she needs something a bit higher.
I would rather have an estate car over an SUV any day but my wife isn’t a fan and describes them as old man’s cars.
We currently have a Cupra Formentor 2.0 TSI 4 drive DSG which is decent enough looking, handles reasonably well but not that economical. The biggest issue is the hateful infotainment system (VW Group) and modern nanny systems that require turning off every time I get in the damn thing.
It’s also a bit white goods in that the perceived quality is soon highlighted with lots of hard plastics.
So the search has started for something with an element of luxury, automatic, lack of stupid touchscreen commands (so more old school with proper buttons or Idrive), reasonably economical (so more than likely diesel) with little extra outlay (the Formentor is currently valued at around £24,000).
Initial thoughts were a Porsche Macan diesel (limited to 2017 as that was the last year Porsche produced a diesel Macan).
However, the thoughts of issues with a 7-8 year old car when it’s the main car (and there are potentially plenty of issues with a Macan at that age) don’t exactly inspire confidence..
Looking at the usual alternative candidates such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes & Volvo all throw up engine issues when they reach a certain mileage (timing chains, adblue, excessive oil consumption, GPF/DPF) so I’m back to square one.
One I suppose I’ve missed is Lexus but they just don’t rock my boat - it has to be something decent to drive with good handling and tbh I’m not a fan of Japanese cars.
Personally, I would prefer something like a BMW 4 series Gran Coupe which we had and it was brilliant but my wife’s joint issues meant she struggled (strange she never complains about getting in my Boxster!) - I would have kept that car no problem - it did everything and more.
Clearly it’s going to be something around the 3-4 year old mark (or we go for a 2017 Macan diesel!) which also means the luxury car tax addition is coming to an end soon.
Car buying never used to be a problem for me but now I just get more and more despondent at the “current” offerings.
Am I missing something or are there any other alternatives I’ve missed?
Ironically we had a Macan diesel bought new in 2017 and one of the things I didn’t like was the sheer amount of buttons on the centre console! My wife loved it but I was coming from a Boxster and the sheer size of it came as a shock - swapped back to a Boxster and bought my wife an Octavia VRS!
It’s for my wife who has joint problems which means she needs something a bit higher.
I would rather have an estate car over an SUV any day but my wife isn’t a fan and describes them as old man’s cars.
We currently have a Cupra Formentor 2.0 TSI 4 drive DSG which is decent enough looking, handles reasonably well but not that economical. The biggest issue is the hateful infotainment system (VW Group) and modern nanny systems that require turning off every time I get in the damn thing.
It’s also a bit white goods in that the perceived quality is soon highlighted with lots of hard plastics.
So the search has started for something with an element of luxury, automatic, lack of stupid touchscreen commands (so more old school with proper buttons or Idrive), reasonably economical (so more than likely diesel) with little extra outlay (the Formentor is currently valued at around £24,000).
Initial thoughts were a Porsche Macan diesel (limited to 2017 as that was the last year Porsche produced a diesel Macan).
However, the thoughts of issues with a 7-8 year old car when it’s the main car (and there are potentially plenty of issues with a Macan at that age) don’t exactly inspire confidence..
Looking at the usual alternative candidates such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes & Volvo all throw up engine issues when they reach a certain mileage (timing chains, adblue, excessive oil consumption, GPF/DPF) so I’m back to square one.
One I suppose I’ve missed is Lexus but they just don’t rock my boat - it has to be something decent to drive with good handling and tbh I’m not a fan of Japanese cars.
Personally, I would prefer something like a BMW 4 series Gran Coupe which we had and it was brilliant but my wife’s joint issues meant she struggled (strange she never complains about getting in my Boxster!) - I would have kept that car no problem - it did everything and more.
Clearly it’s going to be something around the 3-4 year old mark (or we go for a 2017 Macan diesel!) which also means the luxury car tax addition is coming to an end soon.
Car buying never used to be a problem for me but now I just get more and more despondent at the “current” offerings.
Am I missing something or are there any other alternatives I’ve missed?
Ironically we had a Macan diesel bought new in 2017 and one of the things I didn’t like was the sheer amount of buttons on the centre console! My wife loved it but I was coming from a Boxster and the sheer size of it came as a shock - swapped back to a Boxster and bought my wife an Octavia VRS!
Macan has for me the party trick of being an SUV but doesn’t drive like a traditional one if you see what I mean , you still step into it and not up into it and don’t feel perched up so to speak.
The wife’s X4 feels more old school in that I feel like I’m sitting really high up ,even the Macan styling is almost a half way house and still looks sleek and sporty…ish.
The wife’s X4 feels more old school in that I feel like I’m sitting really high up ,even the Macan styling is almost a half way house and still looks sleek and sporty…ish.
Wow what a rambling post.
As far as I can make out, you want a C or D segment SUV, upto 4 years old that handles well, for about £25k.
You want as many manual controls as possible.
Something with good fuel economy but not Japanese.
Is that right?
Alfa Romeo Stelvio comes with a diesel engine, is supposed to be one of the better handling cars of its ilk.
Ford Kuga, 2.5 Hybrid. Apparently they straight out copied Toyotas system, so I think the economy should be good. Also supposed to be one of the better handling cars in the sector.
Both of these have plenty of knobs and switches inside.
As far as I can make out, you want a C or D segment SUV, upto 4 years old that handles well, for about £25k.
You want as many manual controls as possible.
Something with good fuel economy but not Japanese.
Is that right?
Alfa Romeo Stelvio comes with a diesel engine, is supposed to be one of the better handling cars of its ilk.
Ford Kuga, 2.5 Hybrid. Apparently they straight out copied Toyotas system, so I think the economy should be good. Also supposed to be one of the better handling cars in the sector.
Both of these have plenty of knobs and switches inside.
Edited by wyson on Wednesday 5th March 12:03
Anything 'luxury' built in last few years will have a touchscreen of some sort, and I doubt you want a dacia.
And if it's an estate or hatchback on stilts, then it's a crossover, not an SUV, which will be designed from ground up for extra space etc.
If you have somewhere to charge then the tesla model Y probably closest to your requirements, yes it has a hated touchscreen, but it's also the best media system in the market and the one everyone tries unsuccessfully to emulate, and voice commands or 3rd party buttons can lessen some of the issues changing stuff on the move (or switch to Autopilot to faff with the heating controls)
It's much bigger inside than the model 3 and the boot is huge, and is the opposite of wallowy - if anything the suspension is like an M car and too firm on earlier cars.
Also in LR AWD spec much quicker than the cupra or diesel porsche and pennies to run (no annual service required, just change the cabin filter every few years). Can be had for under £30k, but should still have tesla warranty up to 60k and the fuel and tax savings will make up the £5k extra in a couple of years.
Car reliability surveys put the model Y as most reliable EV last year (and EVs are generally more reliable than their ICE counterparts) , probably goes against many people's prejudices of the brand which now sits way above merc porsche and VAG (granted that's not hard nowadays) and has been in top 5 or 6 for several years.
And if it's an estate or hatchback on stilts, then it's a crossover, not an SUV, which will be designed from ground up for extra space etc.
If you have somewhere to charge then the tesla model Y probably closest to your requirements, yes it has a hated touchscreen, but it's also the best media system in the market and the one everyone tries unsuccessfully to emulate, and voice commands or 3rd party buttons can lessen some of the issues changing stuff on the move (or switch to Autopilot to faff with the heating controls)
It's much bigger inside than the model 3 and the boot is huge, and is the opposite of wallowy - if anything the suspension is like an M car and too firm on earlier cars.
Also in LR AWD spec much quicker than the cupra or diesel porsche and pennies to run (no annual service required, just change the cabin filter every few years). Can be had for under £30k, but should still have tesla warranty up to 60k and the fuel and tax savings will make up the £5k extra in a couple of years.
Car reliability surveys put the model Y as most reliable EV last year (and EVs are generally more reliable than their ICE counterparts) , probably goes against many people's prejudices of the brand which now sits way above merc porsche and VAG (granted that's not hard nowadays) and has been in top 5 or 6 for several years.
Bmw x3 3.0 diesel fits the bill pretty well?
Great diesel engine, very reliable, all the mod cons + manual controls. Probably a better steer than the VAG offering or jap offerings?
At your budget you’ll get a newer one than a macan.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025010778...
Great diesel engine, very reliable, all the mod cons + manual controls. Probably a better steer than the VAG offering or jap offerings?
At your budget you’ll get a newer one than a macan.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025010778...
You won't be able to avoid the touchscreen or turning off the nanny state systems as it's mandatory.
GV70, I didn't think they were in budget but this one seems to be:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503039...
GV70, I didn't think they were in budget but this one seems to be:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503039...
Coldplaya said:
Bmw x3 3.0 diesel fits the bill pretty well?
Great diesel engine, very reliable, all the mod cons + manual controls. Probably a better steer than the VAG offering or jap offerings?
At your budget you’ll get a newer one than a macan.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025010778...
We’ve just gone from a Freelander 2 to a BMW iX3, so same as the X3 just electric and RWD. Great diesel engine, very reliable, all the mod cons + manual controls. Probably a better steer than the VAG offering or jap offerings?
At your budget you’ll get a newer one than a macan.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025010778...
Early days yet but it’s a very pleasant steer and because it’s a normal SUV with an electric motor rather than ICE it means there’s nothing too funky or radical about it.
My wife is a proper Luddite and tried sticking her window mount in it to run an ancient version of TomTom. Five minutes showing her CarPlay and having the Apple Maps directions showing straight through on the HUD and she’s converted. Plus it has actual buttons for a lot of stuff.
I’ve never been anti EV as such but didn’t think it would work for us. It seems to, though! Maybe consider making the switch as the way they drive is infinitely better than some w
ky four pot piston engine. Price wise we paid not much more than your Cupra for a 71 plate with miles in the teens.
The VW system is a slow laggy mess. By the time it turns on you're at your destination.
The tesla system isn't perfect, manual heater controls would be preferable, but it's the best of a bad system and meets every other requirement. Out of all the annoying safety systems I've tried which are outright dangerous in VW, bmw and MG (especially mg!), teslas are the only ones I leave enabled (with the collision avoidance set to late to stop it beeping on a tight corner).
The tesla system isn't perfect, manual heater controls would be preferable, but it's the best of a bad system and meets every other requirement. Out of all the annoying safety systems I've tried which are outright dangerous in VW, bmw and MG (especially mg!), teslas are the only ones I leave enabled (with the collision avoidance set to late to stop it beeping on a tight corner).
stevemcs said:
If the op doesn't like the touch screen in the Cupra i'm not sure the Tesla touchscreen is going to do much for him either.
I'd be looking at an F Pace 3.0 supercharged
There's a reader's ride thread on that which I can't be arsed to find but it gets a good write up. Excellent engine which is usually the weak point in that car.I'd be looking at an F Pace 3.0 supercharged
Pickle_Rick said:
The VW system is a slow laggy mess. By the time it turns on you're at your destination.
The tesla system isn't perfect, manual heater controls would be preferable, but it's the best of a bad system and meets every other requirement. Out of all the annoying safety systems I've tried which are outright dangerous in VW, bmw and MG (especially mg!), teslas are the only ones I leave enabled (with the collision avoidance set to late to stop it beeping on a tight corner).
Been using an id.3 for the last few weeks. It’s definitely not a laggy mess that’s a huge overreaction. It’s fine for day to day use, even the touch heater controls are fine as you don’t need to adjust them much in electric cars as they heat up so quickly. The tesla system isn't perfect, manual heater controls would be preferable, but it's the best of a bad system and meets every other requirement. Out of all the annoying safety systems I've tried which are outright dangerous in VW, bmw and MG (especially mg!), teslas are the only ones I leave enabled (with the collision avoidance set to late to stop it beeping on a tight corner).
About 5 years a go, it was a mess. Maybe that’s were you’ve got your information.
Crumpet said:
Coldplaya said:
Bmw x3 3.0 diesel fits the bill pretty well?
Great diesel engine, very reliable, all the mod cons + manual controls. Probably a better steer than the VAG offering or jap offerings?
At your budget you’ll get a newer one than a macan.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025010778...
We’ve just gone from a Freelander 2 to a BMW iX3, so same as the X3 just electric and RWD. Great diesel engine, very reliable, all the mod cons + manual controls. Probably a better steer than the VAG offering or jap offerings?
At your budget you’ll get a newer one than a macan.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025010778...
Early days yet but it’s a very pleasant steer and because it’s a normal SUV with an electric motor rather than ICE it means there’s nothing too funky or radical about it.
My wife is a proper Luddite and tried sticking her window mount in it to run an ancient version of TomTom. Five minutes showing her CarPlay and having the Apple Maps directions showing straight through on the HUD and she’s converted. Plus it has actual buttons for a lot of stuff.
I’ve never been anti EV as such but didn’t think it would work for us. It seems to, though! Maybe consider making the switch as the way they drive is infinitely better than some w
ky four pot piston engine. Price wise we paid not much more than your Cupra for a 71 plate with miles in the teens.
We haven't got Car play or Android auto in any of our cars up to yet, but I have rated it when I've used it in the loan/hire cars that I've had though for sure.
I also like seeing the Nav directions in the HUD in the M4 too, however I never seem to remember to look at it normally though, and I still have a bad habit of looking down at the speedo, because that is what I've always done over the years.
Kuwahara said:
Macan has for me the party trick of being an SUV but doesn’t drive like a traditional one if you see what I mean , you still step into it and not up into it and don’t feel perched up so to speak.
The wife’s X4 feels more old school in that I feel like I’m sitting really high up ,even the Macan styling is almost a half way house and still looks sleek and sporty…ish.
Agree the Macan (strangely I prefer the Gen 1 version without the light strip across the rear) still comes high up on my favourite despite what I initially thought.The wife’s X4 feels more old school in that I feel like I’m sitting really high up ,even the Macan styling is almost a half way house and still looks sleek and sporty…ish.
Went to look at an SD today and it still feels special inside - the interior looks like it can handle plenty of miles.
It’s still a big car but styling-wise is one of the better ones.
Boxster5 said:
Agree the Macan (strangely I prefer the Gen 1 version without the light strip across the rear) still comes high up on my favourite despite what I initially thought.
Went to look at an SD today and it still feels special inside - the interior looks like it can handle plenty of miles.
It’s still a big car but styling-wise is one of the better ones.
I'm in the same boat (T Roc here) - the only thing I'm worried about the Macan is it's wide/long - 500mm longer - in fact at 4700mm+ its scarily close to a parking bay lengthWent to look at an SD today and it still feels special inside - the interior looks like it can handle plenty of miles.
It’s still a big car but styling-wise is one of the better ones.
Quite good cars listed so far.
If you want an actual SUV the BMW X3 is great but it very much drives like an SUV to me in that wallowy way. We bought one.
Porsche Macan is a cross between SUV and a hatchback. Big fan and look great.
Tesla Model Y is an SUV that just drives like/better than most hatchbacks and is low and ridgid. Can be too stiff but I think it’s fine and some just get carried away with that they read online. Touchscreen works well as it’s very similar to Apples IOS and way better than the VW option.
What does the wife want?
If you want an actual SUV the BMW X3 is great but it very much drives like an SUV to me in that wallowy way. We bought one.
Porsche Macan is a cross between SUV and a hatchback. Big fan and look great.
Tesla Model Y is an SUV that just drives like/better than most hatchbacks and is low and ridgid. Can be too stiff but I think it’s fine and some just get carried away with that they read online. Touchscreen works well as it’s very similar to Apples IOS and way better than the VW option.
What does the wife want?
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