30d X5, 2.5 Touareg or 3.0d Range Rover
Discussion
I'm thinking its about time to sell the merc C-class and find a new daily driver. I quite often need to tow the car race, so as few cars will tow the weight I need I've been looking at 4x4's
Ideally would be looking at £5-6k (maybe a little more for the right car) and 3 that stand out are the X5, Range rover and Touareg.
Priorities would be
- Able to tow at least 1800kg with ease
- Reasonable load area for spares
- 1/2 way sensible MPG is needed, 30 on a run seams achievable in the cars listed (maybe not the VW)
- Reliable
- Reasonable cost of service parts and consumables.
- Reasonable to drive on a daily basis
BMW strikes me as the best all rounder but part of me rather likes the idea of a range rover
so which would people recommend? or is there something i've missed. Not fussed on much of the jap stuff and not too sure about the discovery although some of the later one's look OK
Ideally would be looking at £5-6k (maybe a little more for the right car) and 3 that stand out are the X5, Range rover and Touareg.
Priorities would be
- Able to tow at least 1800kg with ease
- Reasonable load area for spares
- 1/2 way sensible MPG is needed, 30 on a run seams achievable in the cars listed (maybe not the VW)
- Reliable
- Reasonable cost of service parts and consumables.
- Reasonable to drive on a daily basis
BMW strikes me as the best all rounder but part of me rather likes the idea of a range rover
so which would people recommend? or is there something i've missed. Not fussed on much of the jap stuff and not too sure about the discovery although some of the later one's look OK
check the boot area of the X5. Very disappointed by ours. Put the dog in and there's no bloody room for anything else.
I achieved 32 on a run driving like Miss Daisy. It seems stuck at 26 on a mixed route.
Ours was in your budget range. I'm very disappointed with it, but mainly because the lying toad of a seller hid things.
I achieved 32 on a run driving like Miss Daisy. It seems stuck at 26 on a mixed route.
Ours was in your budget range. I'm very disappointed with it, but mainly because the lying toad of a seller hid things.
surveyor said:
check the boot area of the X5. Very disappointed by ours. Put the dog in and there's no bloody room for anything else.
I achieved 32 on a run driving like Miss Daisy. It seems stuck at 26 on a mixed route.
Ours was in your budget range. I'm very disappointed with it, but mainly because the lying toad of a seller hid things.
A friend recently had his X5 remapped and, without nannying, has averaged 35mpg since.I achieved 32 on a run driving like Miss Daisy. It seems stuck at 26 on a mixed route.
Ours was in your budget range. I'm very disappointed with it, but mainly because the lying toad of a seller hid things.
Just some thoughts as I've driven a few of the big 4x4s this year...
We had an X5 for a few weeks earlier this year until it was stolen but in that time it was measured against our ML.
ML320CDI W164 08-reg vs X5-Sport 3-litre diesel 10-reg
Without doubt the X5 was faster, felt lighter to drive, and drove/handled more like a car than the ML but the X5's ride was harsh. My wife chose an X5 with the ridiculous fat monster wheels and painted-on tyres, which didn't help the ride no doubt, but that aside it was very stiffly sprung.
It was more economical than the ML, although an ML of a similar age would be better than the one we have.
The X5 has a towing capacity of only a little over 2-tonnes IIRC whereas the ML can tow 3500Kgs (and does with ease, mostly thanks to the 7G-tronic gearbox).
The ML has very slow steering (many turns lock to lock) against the X5's car-like responses however BMW outfits its cars with stupidly thick-rimmed steering wheels which I just hate.
The ML's satnav is of an age where you can't put proper 6-digit post codes into it, and feels very poor. Later versions are correct in this regard however the X5 had a fabulous satnav and a very wide-aspect screen. I didn't get chance to play with the controls for the satnav before the car went missing but it looks no more complex than the MLs and possibly a lot more intuitive to use (the ML's COMAND system is very button-heavy whereas the X5's is more context sensitive).
If I'm honest, I didn't like the X5 because it was just too harsh and if I chose on spec alone I'd choose the ML because it can tow more (which I do) but it's hard to deny the fact that the X5 is a good piece of metal.
If I were pitting either of these against a 3-litre-D RR then I suspect both would prove more reliable and the interiors more durable (we've tested a few while we were deciding on the ML and later on the X5) however the RRs all ride **so** much better than the Germans do (even the ML - ours is on steel springs) and no-one would try to bet against the RR off road in this company. AND a Rangey will tow a building..!!
Recently I have been test driving Cayennes. I have to admit I love them - massive power with all the positives of the big 4x4s. If I can compare the mechanics of the 4x4 system and handling with those in the Touareg, then it'll be great. The Porsches I've tried have all been "airbag" suspension versions but the basic platform is the same isn't it?
That said, I absolutely didn't like the Q7 which is supposed to be the same again. It felt harsh like the BMW but I was more concerned with how something so big outside could be so small inside.
We had an X5 for a few weeks earlier this year until it was stolen but in that time it was measured against our ML.
ML320CDI W164 08-reg vs X5-Sport 3-litre diesel 10-reg
Without doubt the X5 was faster, felt lighter to drive, and drove/handled more like a car than the ML but the X5's ride was harsh. My wife chose an X5 with the ridiculous fat monster wheels and painted-on tyres, which didn't help the ride no doubt, but that aside it was very stiffly sprung.
It was more economical than the ML, although an ML of a similar age would be better than the one we have.
The X5 has a towing capacity of only a little over 2-tonnes IIRC whereas the ML can tow 3500Kgs (and does with ease, mostly thanks to the 7G-tronic gearbox).
The ML has very slow steering (many turns lock to lock) against the X5's car-like responses however BMW outfits its cars with stupidly thick-rimmed steering wheels which I just hate.
The ML's satnav is of an age where you can't put proper 6-digit post codes into it, and feels very poor. Later versions are correct in this regard however the X5 had a fabulous satnav and a very wide-aspect screen. I didn't get chance to play with the controls for the satnav before the car went missing but it looks no more complex than the MLs and possibly a lot more intuitive to use (the ML's COMAND system is very button-heavy whereas the X5's is more context sensitive).
If I'm honest, I didn't like the X5 because it was just too harsh and if I chose on spec alone I'd choose the ML because it can tow more (which I do) but it's hard to deny the fact that the X5 is a good piece of metal.
If I were pitting either of these against a 3-litre-D RR then I suspect both would prove more reliable and the interiors more durable (we've tested a few while we were deciding on the ML and later on the X5) however the RRs all ride **so** much better than the Germans do (even the ML - ours is on steel springs) and no-one would try to bet against the RR off road in this company. AND a Rangey will tow a building..!!
Recently I have been test driving Cayennes. I have to admit I love them - massive power with all the positives of the big 4x4s. If I can compare the mechanics of the 4x4 system and handling with those in the Touareg, then it'll be great. The Porsches I've tried have all been "airbag" suspension versions but the basic platform is the same isn't it?
That said, I absolutely didn't like the Q7 which is supposed to be the same again. It felt harsh like the BMW but I was more concerned with how something so big outside could be so small inside.
cheddar said:
surveyor said:
check the boot area of the X5. Very disappointed by ours. Put the dog in and there's no bloody room for anything else.
I achieved 32 on a run driving like Miss Daisy. It seems stuck at 26 on a mixed route.
Ours was in your budget range. I'm very disappointed with it, but mainly because the lying toad of a seller hid things.
A friend recently had his X5 remapped and, without nannying, has averaged 35mpg since.I achieved 32 on a run driving like Miss Daisy. It seems stuck at 26 on a mixed route.
Ours was in your budget range. I'm very disappointed with it, but mainly because the lying toad of a seller hid things.
Suspension as above also worth noting. Ours is a Sport. Speedbumps are tortuous. The dog does not sit or lie down until we are on the main road. It is ridiculous.
I'd like to say I think I should have gone for a Range Rover, but in my budget (Similar to OP) that does not look a good idea either.
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