Small luxury SUV shopping.

[nOOky]

The wife is looking for a new vehicle. EV is not an option, and it must be red, I'm not kidding. This weekend, since we are rural, we are travelling to the twin cities in MN, and test driving several vehicles. The Genesis GV70, the Lexus NX350(h), the BMW X3, and the Mercedes GLC 300 4MATIC.

She kind of wants a hybrid, like the Lexus NX350h, but I'm trying to steer her away from that. The AWD version is slower than the standard ice engine, and the gas mileage isn't that much more that it will break the bank. Mainly it must be red, comfortable for long trips, and have heated seats and steering wheel etc.

Anyone have any recommendations that they like? The Genesis seems like a bit of an unknown to me, the Lexus screams reliability, and the BMW and Mercedes we do not have a dealer nearby that could fix them or do warranty work. That can be an issue when it's a 2 1/2 drive for service etc. Our local Hyundai and Toyota dealer can work on the Genesis and Lexus.

She will be trading in a 2020 Hyundai Veloster N that while is fun to drive, not very comfortable and lacking some current basic necessities.

 

[pete6032]

The wife is looking for a new vehicle. EV is not an option, and it must be red, I'm not kidding. This weekend, since we are rural, we are travelling to the twin cities in MN, and test driving several vehicles. The Genesis GV70, the Lexus NX350(h), the BMW X3, and the Mercedes GLC 300 4MATIC.

She kind of wants a hybrid, like the Lexus NX350h, but I'm trying to steer her away from that. The AWD version is slower than the standard ice engine, and the gas mileage isn't that much more that it will break the bank. Mainly it must be red, comfortable for long trips, and have heated seats and steering wheel etc.

Anyone have any recommendations that they like? The Genesis seems like a bit of an unknown to me, the Lexus screams reliability, and the BMW and Mercedes we do not have a dealer nearby that could fix them or do warranty work. That can be an issue when it's a 2 1/2 drive for service etc. Our local Hyundai and Toyota dealer can work on the Genesis and Lexus.

She will be trading in a 2020 Hyundai Veloster N that while is fun to drive, not very comfortable and lacking some current basic necessities.

I'm not sure where you live, maybe you said Wisconsin in some other post I think, but I have found the auto market to be much better in bigger cities like Chicago, so if you had the choice of Twin Cities vs Chicago you may have more options and better pricing in Chicago if that matters at all.

 

[Hans Gruber]

A Kia Telluride is probably what she would be happy with. It would save you some money based on what you are looking at currently.

 

[nOOky]

A Kia Telluride is probably what she would be happy with. It would save you some money based on what you are looking at currently.

That's mid-sized and she wants small. The budget is around 60k or so. I'd steer her towards an RX350 myself, but she doesn't want bigger. She also has a Honda HR-V which is a sub-compact, that we use as a dog hauler. When she drives my Edge ST she complains that it is too big for her.

 

[nOOky]

I'm not sure where you live, maybe you said Wisconsin in some other post I think, but I have found the auto market to be much better in bigger cities like Chicago, so if you had the choice of Twin Cities vs Chicago you may have more options and better pricing in Chicago if that matters at all.

We are in SW WI on the border with MN, Chicago is 4 hours away...

 

[Hans Gruber]

We are in SW WI on the border with MN, Chicago is 4 hours away..

My apologies. If you think she should get the Lexus. Save yourself some money and get the Toyota Venza. It's the Lexus minus 10K+ with a Toyota badge instead of the Lexus monogram.

 

[DooKey]

Cadillac XT4?

 

[pete6032]

Consumer Reports top 10 highest rated Luxury Compact SUVs:

1. Kia EV6
2. Lexus NX Hybrid
3. Lincoln Corsair
4. Genesis GV60
5. BMW X3
6. Lexus NX
7. Acura RDX
8. Hyundai Ioniq 5
9. Genesis GV70
10. Tesla Model Y

 

[woodman1999]

I'd throw out the Acura RDX as an option. Our MDX has been awesome so far. Can't imagine the smaller version isn't a great car as well.

 

[DooKey]

Consumer Reports top 10 highest rated Luxury Compact SUVs:

1. Kia EV6
2. Lexus NX Hybrid
3. Lincoln Corsair
4. Genesis GV60
5. BMW X3
6. Lexus NX
7. Acura RDX
8. Hyundai Ioniq 5
9. Genesis GV70
10. Tesla Model Y

LOL. CR is a joke.

 

[nOOky]

I'd throw out the Acura RDX as an option. Our MDX has been awesome so far. Can't imagine the smaller version isn't a great car as well.

The Genesis seem to be selling like hot cakes. We are scheduling a test drive on an RDX also.

 

[woodman1999]

I was really surprised about with the Acura. When we were hunting for a Higlander replacement, we never really considered it because we thought it was to small. But we went to drive it on a whim and my wife loved it. Turns our, there is a sneaky large amount of space in that car and the tech in the car was a huge leap from a 2012 Toyota...

 

[pete6032]

LOL. CR is a joke.

Haha lol

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Mazda CX50 - Soul Red Cyrstal paint is divine!

 

[Commodus]

The wife is looking for a new vehicle. EV is not an option, and it must be red, I'm not kidding. This weekend, since we are rural, we are travelling to the twin cities in MN, and test driving several vehicles. The Genesis GV70, the Lexus NX350(h), the BMW X3, and the Mercedes GLC 300 4MATIC.

She kind of wants a hybrid, like the Lexus NX350h, but I'm trying to steer her away from that. The AWD version is slower than the standard ice engine, and the gas mileage isn't that much more that it will break the bank. Mainly it must be red, comfortable for long trips, and have heated seats and steering wheel etc.

Anyone have any recommendations that they like? The Genesis seems like a bit of an unknown to me, the Lexus screams reliability, and the BMW and Mercedes we do not have a dealer nearby that could fix them or do warranty work. That can be an issue when it's a 2 1/2 drive for service etc. Our local Hyundai and Toyota dealer can work on the Genesis and Lexus.

She will be trading in a 2020 Hyundai Veloster N that while is fun to drive, not very comfortable and lacking some current basic necessities.

Porsche Macan? Not the most capacious, but reportedly wonderful to drive and, of course, well-appointed inside and out. The big question is whether or not there's a nearby shop that can fix one. Technically it shares some roots with VW, but I don't know if a VW dealer can work on it.

 

[repoman0]

Mazda CX50 - Soul Red Cyrstal paint is divine!

Wife has a red 2021 CX-5 in that Mazda red and loves it, it’s very nice with the white/cream interior and turbo. It compared very favorably to a BMW X3 and Audi Q5 and we are really glad to have saved the $25k. I’m a big Mazda fan .. I had my 21 Miata sharing the driveway with it for a year, and now my 96 NA Miata.

She wants to trade it in for the upcoming CX-70 PHEV, may try to convince her to wait for a CX series full EV and just use my E39 M5 for longer trips.

 

[nOOky]

Porsche Macan? Not the most capacious, but reportedly wonderful to drive and, of course, well-appointed inside and out. The big question is whether or not there's a nearby shop that can fix one. Technically it shares some roots with VW, but I don't know if a VW dealer can work on it.

That's pushing the monetary limit, you can't find one for under 70k that has the basic desirable options...

 

[manly]

Porsche Macan? Not the most capacious, but reportedly wonderful to drive and, of course, well-appointed inside and out. The big question is whether or not there's a nearby shop that can fix one. Technically it shares some roots with VW, but I don't know if a VW dealer can work on it.

First off, BMW and Mercedes are out if they aren't local to the OP. It's unlikely they'll require repairs, but even forgoing 3 years of oil changes is incurring an additional expense of $300 + tax. Maybe not much in the grand scheme of things.

Although I wouldn't personally buy a Lexus auto, it's bonkers to not consider the NX Hybrid. Although hybrid "SUVs" aren't particularly efficient, it's still a lot better than the 25 mpg ICE competition. Assuming BEV adoption doesn't ramp up quickly in the U.S., it's pathetic that there aren't enough hybrid options when it comes to "light trucks." Esp. with people's infatuation with land barges, and the silly politicization of automobile electrification.

But if I truly didn't care about fuel efficiency (not necessarily economy or cost savings), and didn't need a lot of cargo room, a CPO Macan is best in class.

Unless I was much wealthier, eating luxury new car depreciation just isn't desirable. (To be fair, Lexus and Porsche won't depreciate as rapidly as Genesis or BMW. YMMV) Hyundai Motor Group has been on fire in recent years, and if you can tolerate the shitty dealerships, the Genesis GV70 is very well reviewed and worthy of consideration.

 

[nOOky]

The NX350h AWD versus the NX350 AWD you gain a claimed 15 mpg from 24 to 39, zero to 60 is slower by a claimed .6 seconds. However we are not spending around 50k to save $20 a month in fuel costs, I'd rather have the passing power. I'm not a hybrid fan, there is increased weight, complexity, and maintenance with an electric motor and battery etc. She thinks she'll keep it for a long time. As for hybrids I'd rather have an ICE or go full EV and be done with it personally. She bought a Honda CR-Z when they came out, because it was "red", but was highly disappointed in the performance overall.

The main problem we are running into is even finding a car to drive and buy. She made the mistake of asking a dealer to schedule a test drive, and when they found out she just wanted to try it and not immediately purchase it they gave her the cold shoulder, it must not be worth their time. They stopped responding to her emails lol.

 

[Chapbass]

We are in SW WI on the border with MN, Chicago is 4 hours away...

If you see one in Chicago and want me to take a look at it, happy to help .

 

[CropDuster]

I'm a BMW fan (2x335s,1xX5,1xM3). Wife had a X3M40i and even the standard X3 is pretty quick. Stick with the 19 or 20" wheels for a more comfortable ride and more tire options. 21s were stiff still we ditched the RFTs. B48/58 are great engines. 1.5 hour away from my dealer but other than my first 335, the rest have needed nothing but annual oil changes and tires. The F and G generations have really done away with the old bust my wallet trope IMO.

 

[Ken g6]

The Lexus NX 450h+ seems to be the luxury version of the Toyota RAV-4 Prime. Both are plug-in hybrids with a relatively long EV-only range, over 35 miles. Both have heated seats, the RAV-4 has an option for a heated steering wheel, and both get 0-60 in 6 seconds. And I imagine both are hard to come by - Toyota just doesn't make enough of them.

What's the difference between regular and luxury Toyota, anyway?

Vs.

2022 Lexus NX 450h+ is a Plug-In Hybrid SUV with a 0-60 MPH Time of 6 Seconds and 36 Miles of Range | Edmunds

The 2022 Lexus NX 450h+ is a new plug-in hybrid based on the redesigned NX. Highlights include a quick 0-60 mph time and 36 miles of electric-only range.

www.edmunds.com

 

[nOOky]

Exhausting day car shopping. She settled on a slightly bigger model than anticipated, the RX350 Premium+ AWD. She felt it drove like a smaller vehicle, and power and accessories ticked all the boxes. Some dealers just did not have anything to look at, or the lead times on cars being built was looong. It was the only one that when she sat in it she said "ooooh this is nice" and she loves the heads up display etc. We did not feel the Genesis GV70 was quite worth the value. The Lexus came with the premium warranty for 6 years, any Toyota dealer can work on for most common things, etc. It was not my vehicle, so as long as she is happy.

Edit: thanks for all the replies, it's an exhausting process researching the stuff, but in the end it's mostly how it made her feel.

 

[NutBucket]

Hard to go wrong with a Toyota. As much as Hyundai has improved, still not the same (and the depreciation shows it).

 

[CP5670]

Wife has a red 2021 CX-5 in that Mazda red and loves it, it’s very nice with the white/cream interior and turbo. It compared very favorably to a BMW X3 and Audi Q5 and we are really glad to have saved the $25k. I’m a big Mazda fan .. I had my 21 Miata sharing the driveway with it for a year, and now my 96 NA Miata.

I have a 2017 one and it's still very good for what it is. The top trims with the white interior are pretty similar to the X3/Q5 if you don't care about the badge.

I'm passively looking for a more fun/luxury EV but haven't seen anything I really liked enough to pull the trigger on.