|
|
Truck Trend's 2012 Best In Class: Luxury SUV - Towing More Than 3500 Pounds
Premium Style With Functionality
From the June, 2012 issue of Truck Trend
By The Editors of Truck Trend
Winner: Land Rover LR4
Runner-Up: Mercedes-Benz M-Class We still love the Land Rover LR4. This sport/utility is boxy and heavy, yet its 5.0-liter V-8 means the vehicle is really fast. In addition, it is a monster off-road, has a comfortable interior, and is genuinely luxurious. It offers room for seven in its vaultlike cabin, and can tow more than 7700 pounds. The only thing that could make it better would be a diesel engine. For that, you can look to the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, which also offers a hybrid and a high-performance model.
| Luxury SUV (Towing More THAN 3500 Pounds) |
| Vehicle | Acura MDX | Audi Q5 | Audi Q7 | BMW X5 |
| Base price | $43,815 | $36,475 | $47,125 | $48,395 |
| Wheelbase | 108.3 in | 110.5 in | 118.2 in | 115.5 in |
| Engine | 3.7L SOHC V-8 | 2.0L DOHC T I-4 | 3.0L DOHC V-6 | 3.0L DOHC I-6 |
| Opt engine | None | 3.2L V-6 $7,400 | 3.0L TD $5200; 3.0L SC V-6 $13,700 | 3.0L TD I-6 $10,650; 4.4L TT V-8 $16,700 |
| Power, SAE | 300 hp | 211 hp (270) | 280 hp (225, 333) | 300 hp (265,400) |
| Torque, SAE | 270 lb-ft | 258 lb-ft (243) | 295 lb-ft (406, 325) | 300 lb-ft (425,450) |
| Airbags | Fr, f side, f/r curt | Fr, f side, f/r curt | Fr, f side, f/r curt | Fr, f side, f/r curt |
| Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS |
| Tires | 255/55R18 | 235/60R18 | 255/55R18 | 255/55R18 |
| Fuel cap | 21.0 gal | 19.8 gal | 26.4 gal | 22.5 gal |
| EPA fuel econ, city/hwy | 16/21 mpg | 20/27 mpg | 16/22 mpg | 16/23 mpg |
| Opt engine | -- | (18/23) | (17/25,16/22) | (19/26, 14/20) |
| Seating cap | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Curb weight | 4550 lb | 4090 lb | 5291 lb | 4960 lb |
| GVWR | 5900 lb | 4800 lb | 6746 lb | 6669 lb |
| Cargo cap | 83.5 cu ft | 57.3 cu ft | 72.5 cu ft | 75.2 cu ft |
| Towing cap | 5000 lb | 4400 lb | 6600 lb | 6000 lb |
| Vehicle | Buick Enclave | Cadillac Escalade/ESV | Land Rover LR4 | LR Range Rover/Sport |
| Base price | $37,425 | $64,165/$66,765 | $49,750 | $80,275/$60,895 |
| Wheelbase | 119.0 in | 116.0/130.0 in | 113.6 in | 113.3 in |
| Engine | 3.6L DOHC V-6 | 6.2L OHV V-8 | 5.0L DOHC V-8 | 5.0L DOHC V-8 |
| Opt engine | None | 6.0L V-8 hyb $10,680 | None | 5.0L SC V-8 $18,695/$15,200 |
| Power, SAE | 288 hp | 403 hp (332) | 375 hp | 375 hp (510) |
| Torque, SAE | 270 lb-ft | 417 lb-ft (367) | 375 lb-ft | 375 lb-ft (461) |
| Airbags | Fr, f side, f/r curt | Fr, side, curt | Fr, f side, f/r curt | Fr, f side, curt, knee |
| Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS |
| Tires | 255/65R19 | 265/65R18 | 255/55R19 | 255/55R19 |
| Fuel cap | 22.0 gal | 26.0/31.0 gal (24.5 hyb) | 22.8 gal | 27.6/23.3 gal |
| EPA fuel econ, city/hwy | 16-17/22-24 mpg | 13-14/18 mpg | 12/17 mpg | 12-13/17-18 mpg |
| Opt engine | -- | (20/23) | -- | -- |
| Seating cap | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 |
| Curb weight | 4780 lb | 5545 lb | 5833 lb | 5697/5540 lb |
| GVWR | 6460 lb | 7400 lb | 7143 lb | 7055 lb |
| Cargo cap | 115.3 cu ft | 108.9 cu ft | 90.3 cu ft | 74.2/71.0 cu ft |
| Towing cap | 4500 lb | 8300 lb | 7716 lb | 7716 lb |
| Vehicle | Lexus GX 460 | Lincoln MKT | Lincoln Navigator/L | Mercedes-Benz M-Class |
| Base price | $54,120 | $45,175 | $58,770/$60,935 | $49,865 |
| Wheelbase | 109.8 in | 117.9 in | 119.0/131.0 in | 114.8 in |
| Engine | 4.6L DOHC V-8 | 3.7L DOHC V-6 | 5.4L SOHC V-8 | 3.5L DOHC V-6 |
| Opt engine | None | 3.5L T V-6 $1,995 | None | 3.0L TD V-6 $1500, 3.5L V-6 H $8000 4.7L V-8, 5.5L V-8 |
| Power, SAE | 301 hp | 268 hp (355) | 310 hp | 302 hp (240, 402, 518) |
| Torque, SAE | 329 lb-ft | 267 lb-ft (350) | 365 lb-ft | 273 lb-ft (455, 443, 516) |
| Airbags | Fr, f side, f/r curt, knee | Fr, f side, f/r curt | Fr, f side, f/r curt | Fr, f side, f/r curt |
| Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS |
| Tires | 265/60R18 | 235/55R19 | 255/70R18 | 255/50R19 |
| Fuel cap | 23.0 gal | 18.6 gal | 28.0/33.5 gal | 24.6 gal (27.7 4.7L) |
| EPA fuel econ, city/hwy | 15/20 mpg | 16-17/22-24 mpg | 13/18 mpg | 17/22 mpg |
| Opt engine | -- | (16/21) | -- | (20/27, NA) |
| Seating cap | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 |
| Curb weight | 5305 lb | 4695 lb | 5850/6150 lb | 4753 lb |
| GVWR | 6600 lb | 5500 lb | 7500/7720 lb | 6239 lb (est) |
| Cargo cap | 91.9 cu ft | 75.9 cu ft | 103.3/128.2 cu ft | 71.0 cu ft |
| Towing cap | 6500 lb | 4500 lb | 9000/8700 lb | 7200 lb |
| Vehicle | Volkswagen Touareg | Volvo XC90 |
| Base price | $44,245 | $39,275 |
| Wheelbase | 113.9 in | 112.6 in |
| Engine | 3.6L DOHC V-6 | 3.2L DOHC I-6 |
| Opt engine | 3.0L TD V-6 $3500; 3.6L H $18,620 | None |
| Power, SAE | 280 hp (225, 380) | 240 hp |
| Torque, SAE | 266 lb-ft (406, 428) | 236 lb-ft |
| Airbags | Fr, f side, f/r curt | Fr, f side, f/r curt |
| Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS |
| Tires | 255/55R18 | 235/60R18 |
| Fuel cap | 26.4 gal | 21.1 gal |
| EPA fuel econ, city/hwy | 16/23 mpg | 16/23 mpg |
| Opt engine | (19/28, 20/24) | 16/23 mpg |
| Seating cap | 5 | 7 |
| Curb weight | 4711 lb | 4667 lb |
| GVWR | 6415 lb | 6080 lb |
| Cargo cap | 64.0 cu ft | 85.1 cu ft |
| Towing cap | 7716 lb | 4960 lb |
 | These are the 3/4-ton trucks you'd see at the job site -- regular-cab trucks with two-wheel drive. |  | Topline power pullers are both highly luxurious and tough. They can tow the equivalent of 10 cars at once and have enough payload capacity to carry the equivalent of a 3/4-ton work truck. |  | We pick two winners -- full-size van and minivan. This was a tough decision to make. |  | Granted, the factory power runner segment is a little silly, but who doesn't like excellent power delivery and phenomenal handling. |
|
|