Audi Q5, BMW X3 or Range Rover Evoque?
I'm thinking of buying a mid-sized SUV and have narrowed my choice down to a BMW X3, Audi Q5 and the Range Rover Evoque. The Range Rover has the pedigree, but to be honest, I'm not going to do serious off-roading, I just want to cope with difficult weather conditions that sometimes crop up down the country and drive on the odd muddy track. Also, I understand the mpg figures quoted for the Evoque are a bit optimistic and to be honest, I can't but feel that the Evoque looks a bit girly!
The BMW ticks a lot of boxes, but seems a bit dated. I'm leaning to the Q5; it looks the part, has a decent engine, recent upgrade and seems to be a good all-rounder. Can you give any advice on choosing between the three? Also, I'm thinking of going automatic and again I was wondering if you had any advice in that department?
Martin Moroney (Dublin)May 2013 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Martin,
You're in an enviable position and, before going into more detail, we'd be very happy with any of those cars as an ownership proposition.
Personally, I'd be sorely tempted by the Evoque. There are plenty of colour and wheel options to change its appearance to your liking, it's much more of an occasion inside and it drives like a hot hatch (the chassis is very much road-biased, though it does well enough off-road when needed). Admittedly, certain versions of the BMW and Audi may be more economical, but I'd look at it very closely.
When the current BMW X3 came out it really took a leap forward from its predecessor in terms of comfort, quality and refinement, but between that and the Audi Q5 I may too be swayed by the fact that the Audi has had a more recent update. I also prefer how the Q5 looks. There's very little between them depending on which engines you're looking at.
The best advice is to go test drive each car for as long as possible, paying close attention to the specifications of the test cars.
In terms of automatic gearboxes, unless you're looking at a petrol Q5 (which I doubt!) or the high-performance SQ5 TDI model (fantastic) then the only option is the dual-clutch S-Tronic unit. This helps with efficiency and allows the driver more control when he wants it, but is not as smooth as a traditional torque converter gearbox, as fitted to the Evoque and BMW. They're both smooth systems, but the eight-speed item in the BMW is the most impressive, managing to minimise fuel consumption increases.
Hopefully that's of help, but come back to us if you need more
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser
@Shane_O_D