I have a 2014 GLK350. It is small. It is also a bad ass vehicle. I drove it from Northern VA to rural Pittsburgh suburb and back this past weekend in the worst weather of the year, and it handled amazingly well. On the way back I was doing 90 mph, and it didn't seem like the vehicle was even moving. I used to live in Germany and owned both a BMW 525 and 740. I traveled all over Europe for 7 years on the autobahn at autobahn speeds. This vehicle put them to shame. They are designed to do 150 mph all day long. It was far more comfortable than either sedan. If you really want to take a GLK off-road, they have an offroad package that will make all of these other cute-Utes look silly. In reality the GLK has the best frame and suspension of any of these vehicles
we actually have an XC60 of this generation ourselves. a 2012 XC60, its reliable, handles great, and has avoided a couple collisions with its City Safety feature. 10/10 would buy again.
Good test and very thorough; which is exactly why I read the magazine too. I wish I could live in Cali, mostly because I REALLY want easy access to roads like that
Volvo is clearly the winner cause he only looked at styling which would still make volvo the winner cause Audi and Mercedes are just copy and paste cars while Lexus does not. Lexus should've come in second cause of its great handling and it'll last you FOREVER! But Volvo will too. And volvo is the safest car on the road, has LOADS of technology that those others don't, has city safety, has many options that other manufactures don't, and Volvo has almost everything standard than those cars.
Just bought the RX. With the optional sport package and 19" wheels, it does really well, and still gets better gas mileage highway than the others. Lexus also just put out its new "Enform" communications program that works like GM's OnStar. I can call it free from the car and a human being can download directions (like nearby restaurants on my route) directly to the nav system in seconds. Would rather have the Audi's driving bit, but the Lexus was a great deal for it's features.
I hope the Merc, Volvo, and Audi dealers at least have nice loaner cars for their customers. The Lexus is the only one in this group that will still look and drive great 200K+ miles down the road paved or not.
Volvo's highest ground clearance makes is best for off road, really?! Mercedes has been making the 4matic for 30 years and the car will move even if only one wheel gets grip. I also couldn't disagree more with your opinion about Audi's styling. There were no actual facts in the video like gas mileage or acceleration numbers. It seems that you just drove around and played with the buttons in the dashboard.
wow someone wasn't paying attention to the criteria for this comparison "viclam", great review exactly what i came up with. When you enter the lux suv market you do so for the road handling both on and off the highway and the tech packages. But i must admit the q5 is a bit noisy when all windows are up. so you spend more and buy a range rover sport or BMW X6
Some people prefer vehicles with a sportier drive, with good on road performance and tight handling, refinements and luxury, power and acceleration, can take a decent payload, can be easily parked in small spaces downtown and can also do well in snow, bad weather and the occasional off road path. That does not describe a minivan at all. You're right, minivans are for soccer moms...luxury crossovers are a different class of vehicle with a different demographic.
If the vehicle rides well, is comfortable and has room, how well it handles is low on the priority list for most of the people buying this car. How much do they carry? How good are they in inclement weather?
No im talking about the size. The BMW X6 and the Infiniti FX are much larger than these 4. I'm not saying that you can't compare the 4 cars shown in the video. The cars in the video are all the similar size and have similar performance.
good review, could'nt believe Benz looked like a box on wheels compared against Volvo which is more fluid and quite good looking... tops on Lexus for features and double tops on Audi for the best overall package.
Lexus. for me. back seats recline front seats recline flat. so you can sleep in this thing good for over night fishing trip. or long road trips saves a night in hotel. plus MPG is a plus. Just saying. i just got one and finding great use in it.
@viclam I understand what you are saying, but I think buyers of this segment of luxury SUVs want something in addition to the utility side of SUVs. They want the improved utility, but also sporty driving and luxury comfort. If people really want utility only, they won't spend 50K on a small Audi, they will go buy a giant Toyota Sequioa or Jeep.
I drove the C30 with stick and with automatic transmission. The stick version drove nice but we didn't want a manual and the automatic transmission was terrible. So we got a Honda instead.
I wish they wouldn't cut cars from the list. Full comparos are always better for us, the consumer, but I understand that they have to do with what they can get and or with time restraints. Also, the Lexus RS doesn't belong in a road test comparo. It's true luxury car and that's all Lexus focuses on for most of their lineup. I'm a Lexus guy but the Q5 is real nice. Test drive was real fun and my Q7 is fun to drive.
Well Edward, you were not honest enough to say that the Audi Q5 you were testing is not the "Basic Q5" in fact the one is the Prestige version that starts at $ 48,850 and with the addition of the Auto drive you were demonstrating it addes up to $ 52,275 so comparing te Audi Q5 to the GLK 350 and Lexus RX 350 that start at mid 30's and well equiped for early 40's.
@05Forenza the quatto system are one of the best awd systems int he world pretty much. and Audi is know for its interior on both build and quality. I own a Q5, and a S5, and i tell you i have never had any problems, one of my good friends has owned a b7 a4 since 06 and she never had any problems either. and merc, the 4matic system though good is not that great coz merc is more focused on luxury and smoothness rather than driver experience all together, i drove it and i never liked it one bit
The Lexus indeed is a great choice. I would go with either the Lexus or the Volvo. They may not be as sporty or sophisticated as the Germans, but they are a true definition of refinement and reliability.
@ESUNintel I think this was one for the new cars, BMW has been around with the X3. And I don't think that the SRX is in this legue. But I'm sure it will be in the next version, because it is close to these rivals.
Audi? Of course! There is no better buy! Audis are very expensive at the first view. But for this price you get the best quality. In 2001 I bought a new Audi TT-R, which I'm driving still today. Although I have only 60,000 kilometers driven, but until now I had no wearing parts replaced!
Dad had an X3, complete peice of crap, now has an audi Q5, i took both out for a spin, just recently the audi and it was so good to drive, smooth, very fast for a jeep and just the general feel when driving it with a bit of speed was brilliant, hands down the best small suv out there, and tbh it's not exactly that small.
In general I like Motor Trend reviews, however i think that they missed the mark on this one. A buyer of a corvette/M3 doesn't get those cars for the same reason that a GLK350/ Q5 buyer does. Thus you can't use the same yardstick to measure these vehicles.
You are right. I sat in the Mercedes. The leather is fake. The place with the wood or aluminum on the dash is hollow. My order: 1. Volvo 2. Lexus 3. Audi 4. Mercedes Sales however: 1. Lexus 2. Audi 3. Volvo 4. Mercedes
Hmm, I disagree. I've driven the Q5 and I thought it felt "chincy" and like it would not hold together after 4-5 years. That is more important than looks, which I hate the rear end anyway. They didn't mention a thing about the merc offroad.
The Mercedes should have came in first place. Because the Lexus's styling is very vague, the Audi was basically a jumped up VW Tiguan and the Volvo's multimedia interface is quite awkward. On top of that, the mercedes was the most prestigious and it cruises very comfortably at high speeds. How do I know? I am the proud owner of a 2011 GLK350 4Matic.
no update for 2011? For 2011 - XC60 vs Q5- I think Q5 is still better for exterior and interior style. XC60 is better for all around drive - better all-around road visibility, more hp and low rpm torque for better starts, larger more comfortable seat bottoms, and a few more electronic features.
Having driven all but the Lexus, must say the GLK is by far the best vehicle. Q5 is just too demanding to drive - you are actually tired after 15 minutes. This comes from someone who has driven a FX35 for the past 3 years - talk about chore!!!! Mercedes is smooth, quiet, amazingly comfortable and the steering, while not the most communicative, is clear and linear.
I think Volvo XC60 is much better, which has all features others have, such as Four-C active chassis (Sport, Comfort and Advanced), Keyless drive, Parking assist, front & rear, not mention Volvo's only safety features, such as City safe, Driver alert system, ACC and collision warning with auto brake etc, plus its high efficiency 3.0 L engine with 300 horsepower!!! I have tested drive both XC60 and GLK 350 and I love XC60 a lot better. Fully loaded prices are very close for both types.
Here's my tip. XC70 is much better than XC60 for less money. Also, the comparison is absolutely right in that lexus and mb are the worst. I've been in all these cars. Trust me.
so what you're saying is for good steering feel, one must buy the AMG version of the model?..for a $40,000 benz it better darn well handle like one..the best interior? cold hard plastic, and audi has always had the highest rated interiors..styling? true it's nice, but a bit bold, and doesn't appeal to all..
Well, first of all they ARE meant to be sporty because you said it yourself, they are CROSSOVERS. And guess what, crossovers are even meant to be sportier than SUVs because a crossover is basically a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of an SUV with features from a passenger vehicle; things like sportiness and agility. PS.: A crossover is known to be a type of SUV.
@CARandDRlVER lol your names pretty clever using an lowercase L instead of an uppercase i. took me a sec to figure that one out. But Its a close call on the audi/caddi situation. personally, im an vw/audi fan, so its an easier choice for myself. all about personal preference.
This test clearly needs to be redone for 2016 because now BMW has their x3 which drives way better than the Audi Q5 and has a better idrive system than the Audi dial system.
If you count reliability as a factor, RX350 would win hands down.
No lie
I have a 2014 GLK350. It is small. It is also a bad ass vehicle. I drove it from Northern VA to rural Pittsburgh suburb and back this past weekend in the worst weather of the year, and it handled amazingly well. On the way back I was doing 90 mph, and it didn't seem like the vehicle was even moving.
I used to live in Germany and owned both a BMW 525 and 740. I traveled all over Europe for 7 years on the autobahn at autobahn speeds. This vehicle put them to shame. They are designed to do 150 mph all day long. It was far more comfortable than either sedan.
If you really want to take a GLK off-road, they have an offroad package that will make all of these other cute-Utes look silly. In reality the GLK has the best frame and suspension of any of these vehicles
we actually have an XC60 of this generation ourselves. a 2012 XC60, its reliable, handles great, and has avoided a couple collisions with its City Safety feature. 10/10 would buy again.
11 years later, only the Mercedes GLK and Audi Q5 that still look good after these years
That’s not true. The Lexus RX 350 shown here still looks very nice to this day
The Volvo aged better with its facelift
Specially the Mercedes
11 years later the only one still running strong is the lexus
Just bought a 2014 S60. Love it!!! Volvo #1
Just bought the Q5 S-line package.... Drive all the brands and you will buy the Audi !
i bought a used RX450h still in 2018 with muuch over 200000km on it....what a great and still timeless design !!
The T6 is a great engine for the XC60. A lot of fun! And I'm just not interested in paying the outrageous price for a BMW X3.
@firstgreytea The Volvo is selling very well. It was also judged better than the GLK and Lexus. It deserves to be in the pack.
1.Audi
2.Lexus
3.Volvo
4.Mercedes
that's in term of crossover, any other type lexus is always up there #1
I love the chiseled sharp body of the Mercedes GLK. I'll take it on style alone
I've driven all of these but the Benz. I agree with their assessment. I own an Acura MDX, and would have liked to see a RDX in the mix.
Still in 2017 the Audi looks incredible.
Wow I am impressed with Audi Q5. I must say, it's a beautiful car to drive
Good test and very thorough; which is exactly why I read the magazine too.
I wish I could live in Cali, mostly because I REALLY want easy access to roads like that
Volvo is clearly the winner cause he only looked at styling which would still make volvo the winner cause Audi and Mercedes are just copy and paste cars while Lexus does not. Lexus should've come in second cause of its great handling and it'll last you FOREVER! But Volvo will too. And volvo is the safest car on the road, has LOADS of technology that those others don't, has city safety, has many options that other manufactures don't, and Volvo has almost everything standard than those cars.
I love the Q5
Just bought the RX. With the optional sport package and 19" wheels, it does really well, and still gets better gas mileage highway than the others. Lexus also just put out its new "Enform" communications program that works like GM's OnStar. I can call it free from the car and a human being can download directions (like nearby restaurants on my route) directly to the nav system in seconds. Would rather have the Audi's driving bit, but the Lexus was a great deal for it's features.
@viclam agreed.....that why reviewers always rate lexus low on sport driving....yet its the top selling crossover...
WHAT ABOUT BMW X3????
Audi is the only one that still looks new and modern even today.
I hope the Merc, Volvo, and Audi dealers at least have nice loaner cars for their customers. The Lexus is the only one in this group that will still look and drive great 200K+ miles down the road paved or not.
MOTOR TREND PLEASE UPDATE THIS TEST
Dream from these SUVs little Boy! Volvo, Audi Q5 are one of the best SUVs ever!!
Volvo's highest ground clearance makes is best for off road, really?! Mercedes has been making the 4matic for 30 years and the car will move even if only one wheel gets grip. I also couldn't disagree more with your opinion about Audi's styling. There were no actual facts in the video like gas mileage or acceleration numbers. It seems that you just drove around and played with the buttons in the dashboard.
they were "cut" out since the RDX won the comparo last year and the X3 didn't cut it.
wow someone wasn't paying attention to the criteria for this comparison "viclam", great review exactly what i came up with. When you enter the lux suv market you do so for the road handling both on and off the highway and the tech packages. But i must admit the q5 is a bit noisy when all windows are up. so you spend more and buy a range rover sport or BMW X6
good review, but no mention of mpg or emissions? In The UK it's a decision maker in buying a new car. I would go with the AUDI Q5 3.0 TDi anytime!
Wheres BMW X3
Some people prefer vehicles with a sportier drive, with good on road performance and tight handling, refinements and luxury, power and acceleration, can take a decent payload, can be easily parked in small spaces downtown and can also do well in snow, bad weather and the occasional off road path. That does not describe a minivan at all. You're right, minivans are for soccer moms...luxury crossovers are a different class of vehicle with a different demographic.
I think the RX should compete with the M-Class/X5/Cayenne group. It's too big for the GLK, XC60 and Q5. The X3 should be in though.
If the vehicle rides well, is comfortable and has room, how well it handles is low on the priority list for most of the people buying this car. How much do they carry? How good are they in inclement weather?
No im talking about the size. The BMW X6 and the Infiniti FX are much larger than these 4. I'm not saying that you can't compare the 4 cars shown in the video. The cars in the video are all the similar size and have similar performance.
good review, could'nt believe Benz looked like a box on wheels compared against Volvo which is more fluid and quite good looking... tops on Lexus for features and double tops on Audi for the best overall package.
My problem with the RX 350 is that it cant tow a damn football down a slippery hill
Well said!
Lexus. for me. back seats recline front seats recline flat. so you can sleep in this thing good for over night fishing trip. or long road trips saves a night in hotel. plus MPG is a plus. Just saying. i just got one and finding great use in it.
@viclam
I understand what you are saying, but I think buyers of this segment of luxury SUVs want something in addition to the utility side of SUVs. They want the improved utility, but also sporty driving and luxury comfort.
If people really want utility only, they won't spend 50K on a small Audi, they will go buy a giant Toyota Sequioa or Jeep.
Q5's ROCK! my babies in the garage after a day on the beach!
The SRX should be available pretty soon...why wasn't it included in this comparison?
Motortrend should have been able to get their hands on one.
I drove the C30 with stick and with automatic transmission. The stick version drove nice but we didn't want a manual and the automatic transmission was terrible. So we got a Honda instead.
Q5 for me, no doubt. Loved the thermo cups for when i drink juice in the morning
@viclam
SUV stands for SPORTS utility vehicle. Despite their relatively "big" size, SUVs are meant to be sporty as well.
I wish they wouldn't cut cars from the list.
Full comparos are always better for us, the consumer, but I understand that they have to do with what they can get and or with time restraints.
Also, the Lexus RS doesn't belong in a road test comparo. It's true luxury car and that's all Lexus focuses on for most of their lineup.
I'm a Lexus guy but the Q5 is real nice. Test drive was real fun and my Q7 is fun to drive.
Well Edward, you were not honest enough to say that the Audi Q5 you were testing is not the "Basic Q5" in fact the one is the Prestige version that starts at $ 48,850 and with the addition of the Auto drive you were demonstrating it addes up to $ 52,275 so comparing te Audi Q5 to the GLK 350 and Lexus RX 350 that start at mid 30's and well equiped for early 40's.
uh huh. I don't really like the new RX. The previous one was better looking I think.
@05Forenza
the quatto system are one of the best awd systems int he world pretty much. and Audi is know for its interior on both build and quality. I own a Q5, and a S5, and i tell you i have never had any problems, one of my good friends has owned a b7 a4 since 06 and she never had any problems either. and merc, the 4matic system though good is not that great coz merc is more focused on luxury and smoothness rather than driver experience all together, i drove it and i never liked it one bit
The Lexus indeed is a great choice. I would go with either the Lexus or the Volvo. They may not be as sporty or sophisticated as the Germans, but they are a true definition of refinement and reliability.
Nice comparo, but you're only missing one thing...an Acura. Where's the RDX? Was this for only "new for 2010" models, or just 4 random luxo-cute utes?
@ESUNintel I think this was one for the new cars, BMW has been around with the X3. And I don't think that the SRX is in this legue. But I'm sure it will be in the next version, because it is close to these rivals.
You can get precise and communicative steering in a crossover. Drive any BMW X-drive.
Audi? Of course! There is no better buy!
Audis are very expensive at the first view. But for this price you get the best quality. In 2001 I bought a new Audi TT-R, which I'm driving still today. Although I have only 60,000 kilometers driven, but until now I had no wearing parts replaced!
i agree, i have no idea why anybody would buy the xc60 over the v70
Why didn't you give more info on offroading for these? To me that is the determining factor
@slee116 Or the Acura RDX/MDX?
@1965guy I drive the X60, i love it!
Dad had an X3, complete peice of crap, now has an audi Q5, i took both out for a spin, just recently the audi and it was so good to drive, smooth, very fast for a jeep and just the general feel when driving it with a bit of speed was brilliant, hands down the best small suv out there, and tbh it's not exactly that small.
In general I like Motor Trend reviews, however i think that they missed the mark on this one. A buyer of a corvette/M3 doesn't get those cars for the same reason that a GLK350/ Q5 buyer does. Thus you can't use the same yardstick to measure these vehicles.
@zekenc Exactly how? In another review they said the same things and the cars came out in the same order. By Car&Driver not just MotorTrend.
You are right. I sat in the Mercedes. The leather is fake. The place with the wood or aluminum on the dash is hollow.
My order:
1. Volvo
2. Lexus
3. Audi
4. Mercedes
Sales however:
1. Lexus
2. Audi
3. Volvo
4. Mercedes
Hmm, I disagree. I've driven the Q5 and I thought it felt "chincy" and like it would not hold together after 4-5 years. That is more important than looks, which I hate the rear end anyway. They didn't mention a thing about the merc offroad.
Motor Trend - why was the X3 not included?
But that 2.0t burning engine oil put that in dead last behind even the rav4
The Mercedes should have came in first place. Because the Lexus's styling is very vague, the Audi was basically a jumped up VW Tiguan and the Volvo's multimedia interface is quite awkward. On top of that, the mercedes was the most prestigious and it cruises very comfortably at high speeds. How do I know? I am the proud owner of a 2011 GLK350 4Matic.
why cadillac srx is not in the info...?
no update for 2011?
For 2011 - XC60 vs Q5- I think Q5 is still better for exterior and interior style. XC60 is better for all around drive - better all-around road visibility, more hp and low rpm torque for better starts, larger more comfortable seat bottoms, and a few more electronic features.
Your right on that. I think he would have picked the Volvo.
where are they driving... and wher are good places in the U. S. to go fast
I don't doubt the rankings, but the reviews themselves seem week. What about cargo/passenger space and flexibility? MPG?
which porche the chayenne?
it doesent count as a small suv
Audi Q5 is the best among of them...!! exactly true, well adopted quattro system makes it the best!
Having driven all but the Lexus, must say the GLK is by far the best vehicle. Q5 is just too demanding to drive - you are actually tired after 15 minutes. This comes from someone who has driven a FX35 for the past 3 years - talk about chore!!!! Mercedes is smooth, quiet, amazingly comfortable and the steering, while not the most communicative, is clear and linear.
wheres the acura rdx?
yeah, Benz is the best. Vague steering feel is not really a drawback in an SUV.
They only put Lexus ahead of Benz because of sales.
I think Volvo XC60 is much better, which has all features others have, such as Four-C active chassis (Sport, Comfort and Advanced), Keyless drive, Parking assist, front & rear, not mention Volvo's only safety features, such as City safe, Driver alert system, ACC and collision warning with auto brake etc, plus its high efficiency 3.0 L engine with 300 horsepower!!! I have tested drive both XC60 and GLK 350 and I love XC60 a lot better. Fully loaded prices are very close for both types.
Here's my tip. XC70 is much better than XC60 for less money. Also, the comparison is absolutely right in that lexus and mb are the worst. I've been in all these cars. Trust me.
is the srx a crossover?
@MySipuli They do in Europe.
What about the Cadillac and BMWs?
so what you're saying is for good steering feel, one must buy the AMG version of the model?..for a $40,000 benz it better darn well handle like one..the best interior? cold hard plastic, and audi has always had the highest rated interiors..styling? true it's nice, but a bit bold, and doesn't appeal to all..
Um the evoque wasn't out when they tested these cars.
Nice Review
@YogiMan8U Yeah why didn't they put the X3 in there? It seats 5, has a 6 cylinder, has leather.
BMW all the way!!
Lexus is in my opinion. But all are very close.
What happened to the BMW X3?
@Sam60793 IKR! i totally agree
@VSUPARHAM agreed
why the elk? use the ml350
I like Audi machine....Q5 ...so cute, one of my best dream cars ever!
Bought the manual one today :)
Nice comparison!
good he liked the Volvo! :)
only if he compared more cars and made the comparison longer to talk more about the cars.
1. Volvo
2. Lexus
3. Audi
4. Merc
Well, first of all they ARE meant to be sporty because you said it yourself, they are CROSSOVERS. And guess what, crossovers are even meant to be sportier than SUVs because a crossover is basically a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of an SUV with features from a passenger vehicle; things like sportiness and agility.
PS.: A crossover is known to be a type of SUV.
They should have included the Infiniti EX and the Lincoln MKX as well.
Why isn't the LR2 featured?
Its a SPORTS utility vehicle
Where is the BMW X3 and Acura RDX?
Driven X3. It's a clear winner in this class.
X3 is rough.
The Q5 is better than the X3, currently it is the most sold Luxury crossover in the world.
@CARandDRlVER lol your names pretty clever using an lowercase L instead of an uppercase i. took me a sec to figure that one out. But Its a close call on the audi/caddi situation. personally, im an vw/audi fan, so its an easier choice for myself. all about personal preference.
The XC60 is my choice, want the extra sporty-ness get the R-design. It's safer than the Audi is as comfortable as the Lexus and has the biggest trunk.
This test clearly needs to be redone for 2016 because now BMW has their x3 which drives way better than the Audi Q5 and has a better idrive system than the Audi dial system.