Small/Mid Premium SUV
 

Wife and I have elected to retire our 2013 Volvo XC90. As with all our previous Volvos it will remain in the family. Car has been flawless.

I am retired and wife throws in the towel in 2019. We want a new vehicle (warranty and road side assistance) as we plan to travel quite a bit with our new car.

The XC90 is large by the wife's standards and her biggest criteria is smaller in length (< 190) vehicle as it is just us and we do not require a lot of space.

The short list includes:

Volvo XC60 (T5 or T6)
BMW X3 or X4
Mercedes GLC300 (Coupe or SUV)
Audi Q5

AWD is a must and we have no interest in Japanese or US vehicles (at least I have zero interest).


Have not driven the Mercedes or BMWs yet, however previous owner ship of a 328xi and it's poor winter performance (likely due to the run flat tires and low center of gravity) concerns me with the BMWs (although, I understand you can now specify "run flat delete " upon ordering.) Other than winter driving, the 328xi was a stellar car.

Would like to hear from owners of any of the cars on my list regarding ownership experience and real world driving impressions.

I looked around a bit before deciding what I wanted as a replacement for my Porsche Cayenne. I really liked the Cayenne but after two in a row I needed a change. The XC90 made my short list and there was a lot to like with the Momentum edition. I almost pulled the trigger but the 4 cylinder engine was the stumbling block.

I ended up ordering a X5 that I picked up on Monday.

Size wise you may want to check out the refreshed Macan's that will soon be hitting trhe Porsche dealerships.

My wife is on her second Volvo XC60. The first one was 100% problem free and so far the second one has been also since purchased new in 2017. She also needed AWD for the snow in upstate NY. It is the best vehicle we have ever driven in the snow. She also has the T6 which is worth it to us for the extra power. We find it to be the perfect size, not to large or small.

Humbuster,

All the models your list are nice, a good friend happens to have a X3 M40I and he loves it. I think even the maintenance is included.
My only suggestion to you would be to stay away from mid size or small land rovers.

Steve

Jaguar makes a mid-size luxury suv that you might want to consider.

Small/Mid Premium SUV
 

I drive a ‘17 GLC 300. I’ve had it about 18 months and am very happy with it. It’s been trouble free, handles reasonably well, is comfortable, and can get out of its own way. The Burmester sound system is nice as well.

Before buying, I test-drove the Lexus RX and the Audi Q5. I liked the Lexus for comfort, but handling was sloppy and I couldn’t get past the look of the new shark nose (I think it looks good on the sports coupe, but not so much on the SUV) and the steep slope of the rear, which limits the usefulness of the cargo area.

The Q5 impressed - it handled well, had enough power, and was fairly comfortable. I couldn’t find quite the right seat position where my knee wasn’t hitting the center console (a personal thing) and I thought it wasn’t quite as quiet as the MB. Otherwise I thought it was a fine vehicle.

Finally decide on the MB because of the quieter ride, better seat position, a less sloped rear giving more room in the back for the dog, and overall good looks - I’m not a big fan of the severe slope in the back which seems to be the trend in SUVs these days. I haven’t had to drive it in the snow much, but the couple of times I have, it handled well enough in 3-4”. I also like the 10k mile maintenance interval. The only drawbacks are the multimedia controls are a little a awkward, I should have sprung for the cooled seats, and it takes a little time to get used to the gear shift being a stalk on the steering column, especially when going back and forth to my wife’s car.

Go with the Volvo. IMHO stay away from BMW and MB

Small/Mid Premium SUV
 

My experiences testing medium and large SUVs was very different. The Volvo was the last one I would have purchased. If I was buying a medium size SUV, I would have purchased the X3 M model. It has a real V6 with style and handling. The Volvo’s were all sanitary. I especially disliked the turbo 4 cylinder powered Volvo and and the 6 cylinder power was not much better. I should add that I also didn’t like any of the Turbo 4 motors in the X3 or Mercedes.

I bought a BMW X5 after having Mercedes for 17 years. It was just a better driving experience and my wife liked it. (and a much better dealer in my area)

Drive them all and buy the one that fits you.

I have a Mercedes GLC 43 that is about 2 years old. It has been very good overall and the power and handling is excellent.

Sound advice.