Autocar SUV group test

[twabrigs]

Just come across an interesting 10-car comparison by Autocar - it's from March so apologies if I'm drawing something to your attention that you read 6 months ago.

The CX5 comes out of it very well, just beaten the XC40 although the reviewer makes some odd contradictory comments about handling...his description of the XC40's handling sounds awful. The inclusion of the BMW X1 rather than X3 (presumably on price grounds) is odd too...a class smaller than most of the others in the test.

Anyway, hope this is of interest https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/small-suv-mega-test-volvo-xc40-vs-tiguan-ds-7-x1-q3-kuga-and-cx-5

[NEP68]

Thanks for that, quite comforting that I came to the same conclusions as this in relation to the cars that I looked at an took out to test although I didn't take all of them out and the Volvo I just didn't like the interior.

I really considered the Audi Q3 until I took it out, I was bored silly, the BMW's ride was nice and clean but again I didn't like the refinement. I did look at the 3008 but again the odd looking interior just didn't suit.  The CX-5 ticked most boxes for me and I really like the handling and response, I'm still getting used to the size of the thing having moved up from an old 3 but I'll get there I'm sure.

[Dave]

Interesting article, thanks for sharing.

I’m on my second CX5 now ( 2015 model), and have been very happy with them. However the addition of another dog meant I considered a larger luggage space for my next car, due early next year.

I eliminated some models due to cost, and some due to inconvenient dealer location, so  decided to look at the Peugeot 5008 , Toyota RAV4 , Nissan X Trail and Renault Koleos

The Peugeot was a nice drive although set lower than the CX, it’s more like an estate car than SUV. It had a larger boot space with the 2nd row of seats pushed forward, but this left a channel in the floor which would be a safety problem for my dogs.

The RAV 4 had the opposite problem, the battery pack caused a step in the floor behind the rear seats, and the overall space seemed less than the CX.

Both the Nissan and Koleos were very disappointing. It seemed to me the luggage space was far less than the CX, with lower headroom. From the outside these are larger cars but the increase in space seems  for the passengers rather than luggage room.

So I’ve ordered another CX, including the safety pack and removeable towbar. This is due in January, they tell me the dealer will have the car by the end of November for the PDI. A 4 week lead time on a new build  car is pretty good !

[Anchorman]

Interesting article, thanks for sharing.

I’m on my second CX5 now ( 2015 model), and have been very happy with them. However the addition of another dog meant I considered a larger luggage space for my next car, due early next year.

I eliminated some models due to cost, and some due to inconvenient dealer location, so  decided to look at the Peugeot 5008 , Toyota RAV4 , Nissan X Trail and Renault Koleos

The Peugeot was a nice drive although set lower than the CX, it’s more like an estate car than SUV. It had a larger boot space with the 2nd row of seats pushed forward, but this left a channel in the floor which would be a safety problem for my dogs.

The RAV 4 had the opposite problem, the battery pack caused a step in the floor behind the rear seats, and the overall space seemed less than the CX.

Both the Nissan and Koleos were very disappointing. It seemed to me the luggage space was far less than the CX, with lower headroom. From the outside these are larger cars but the increase in space seems  for the passengers rather than luggage room.

So I’ve ordered another CX, including the safety pack and removeable towbar. This is due in January, they tell me the dealer will have the car by the end of November for the PDI. A 4 week lead time on a new build  car is pretty good !

They take a couple of weeks from Zeebrugge so your car is probably at sea at the moment. Good choice out of the cars you viewed in my opinion!

[Dave]

Interesting article, thanks for sharing.

I’m on my second CX5 now ( 2015 model), and have been very happy with them. However the addition of another dog meant I considered a larger luggage space for my next car, due early next year.

I eliminated some models due to cost, and some due to inconvenient dealer location, so  decided to look at the Peugeot 5008 , Toyota RAV4 , Nissan X Trail and Renault Koleos

The Peugeot was a nice drive although set lower than the CX, it’s more like an estate car than SUV. It had a larger boot space with the 2nd row of seats pushed forward, but this left a channel in the floor which would be a safety problem for my dogs.

The RAV 4 had the opposite problem, the battery pack caused a step in the floor behind the rear seats, and the overall space seemed less than the CX.

Both the Nissan and Koleos were very disappointing. It seemed to me the luggage space was far less than the CX, with lower headroom. From the outside these are larger cars but the increase in space seems  for the passengers rather than luggage room.

So I’ve ordered another CX, including the safety pack and removeable towbar. This is due in January, they tell me the dealer will have the car by the end of November for the PDI. A 4 week lead time on a new build  car is pretty good !

They take a couple of weeks from Zeebrugge so your car is probably at sea at the moment. Good choice out of the cars you viewed in my opinion!

I looked at the new model CX5 in the showroom, very impressed with the improvements. And having test driven some others, it's surprising how much you miss the commander when it's not there!

[twabrigs]

it's surprising how much you miss the commander when it's not there!

I find she's often sitting in the passenger seat...

[Dave]

it's surprising how much you miss the commander when it's not there!

I find she's often sitting in the passenger seat...

I wondered where she went to.

[BigAl]

I seriously considered an XC40 before getting my third CX5 (company car). Being a bit on the tall side, I tend to look at different things as a priority when testing cars and found that the XC40 lacked the headroom  and boot space of the CX5 (although it is shorter overall which would have been a advantage). I had a lengthy test drive in one and it was a good car to drive, but best described as comfortable - it felt a bit isolated from the road. The CX5 is still the best handling SUV in that price/spec bracket, IMHO. To me, there were three deal killers, though:-

• Having all the controls on one touchscreen, however well laid out, didn't make sense on a RH drive car as the vast majority of people are right-handed so you have to use the non-dominant hand on the screen - there's no remote controller. I found that very distracting.
• Spec an XC40 to match a top spec CX5 and you'll be looking at about £8k extra
• Ideally, I needed to get the new one for late August/early Sept. Volvo Derby messed me around something rotten in organising a test drive, Volvo UK intervened and sorted that out. By the time this was sorted, it was late May. Ordering a CX5 at that point as a factory order was OK for early Sept. If I'd have ordered the Volvo at that time,I wouldn't have had it until Jan 2019!

Alan