I'm planning on buying my girl an SUV. I really don't pay that much attention to cars so I need some input. My main thing is something reliable in something really nice. Here are what my considerations were in order and why I turned them down.

Volvo xc90 - she doesn't like them
BMW X5/6 - don't perform well in snow(allegedly), reliability
Audi q7/8 - reliability
Mercedes GLE Coupe - too expensive
Porsche Macon - no trunk room
Range - reliability, too expensive
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT - too masculin

So I've settled on the Mercedes GLE and Jaguar F Pace...leaning towards Benz, but I still don't know. I'm weary about reliability with the Benz long term and I simply don't know anything about Jags. I don't know if it's paranoia or justified. Any first hand insight is appreciated.

I need to upgrade my wife as well by the end of 2019...I really like the look of the new XC90 but she hates the idea of driving a Volvo. She wanted the QX50 but it's still too new and still too expensive (no lease trade-ins, etc.). Right now she's leaning towards a newer QX60.

I'm also weary of German cars but my brother just got a 2018 A6 so we'll see how much of a pit it is for him. Maybe, if he has no big issues, my next car will be something other than Nissan/Infiniti.

I too, love the Volvo.

No first hand experience with SUV ownership recently, but I wanted to throw in a few more options for you. I sometimes think most modern SUVs can be confused for any other. Then many can be optioned up to levels previously only reserved for the elite brands.

• Ford Explorer
• GM equivalents of the Explorer - GMC, Chevy, Buick, Cadillac.
• Acura offerings
• Infiniti FX37 or QX70. The dictionary definition of "crossover".

Ilya wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 24, 2019 7:04 pm

I need to upgrade my wife as well by the end of 2019...I really like the look of the new XC90 but she hates the idea of driving a Volvo. She wanted the QX50 but it's still too new and still too expensive (no lease trade-ins, etc.). Right now she's leaning towards a newer QX60.

I'm also weary of German cars but my brother just got a 2018 A6 so we'll see how much of a pit it is for him. Maybe, if he has no big issues, my next car will be something other than Nissan/Infiniti.

Ewww, CVTs

LIBRILZ wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 25, 2019 9:55 am

Ilya wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 24, 2019 7:04 pm

I need to upgrade my wife as well by the end of 2019...I really like the look of the new XC90 but she hates the idea of driving a Volvo. She wanted the QX50 but it's still too new and still too expensive (no lease trade-ins, etc.). Right now she's leaning towards a newer QX60.

I'm also weary of German cars but my brother just got a 2018 A6 so we'll see how much of a pit it is for him. Maybe, if he has no big issues, my next car will be something other than Nissan/Infiniti.

Ewww, CVTs

Eh. For me I wouldn't consider it but for my wife, who cares. She won't be rippin on it lol.

Ilya wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 25, 2019 10:00 pm

LIBRILZ wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 25, 2019 9:55 am

Ewww, CVTs

Eh. For me I wouldn't consider it but for my wife, who cares. She won't be rippin on it lol.

I would care though because they don't last lol

how can you guys not like the XC90 - that thing is legit and if you have the moolah - grab one with the T8 package. sweet!!!!
Tried and true will be your Japanese car, Toyota, Honda, Acura, Lexus. the Germans aren't bad because you're getting a recent car not one that's dated. Audi Q series, Beammer X series (i like the X5), Benz GL series are nice.

Bottom line, how much are you willing to spend? Is it just to haul kids with class or more? Is she a responsible driver (as in, pay some what of attention when driving). Note, i'm not bashing your wife/girl or any women driver. I'm just stating what i've experienced in my life.

Since you seem to have settled on a Jag or Merc, the Jag might be a better choice since it is available in diesel. A 20d F-pace should return mid 20s mpg in stop and go and mid 30s mpg in hwy driving. Jag has always made reliable diesels. The interior of the benz is a bit nicer, but without a diesel option, you're looking at the same mpg as the Q70.
Jags and Mercs 'can' be money pits as they age so best to buy these at CarMax where they offer a 5 year / 150k mile warranty. It covers most everything. Just one expensive failure (which is completely likely on Jags / Mercs) will pay for the warranty.
Since it is unlikely that Infiniti will do much in the future with the Q70 to upgrade or compete with other luxury sedans, I will likely replace mine with a Jag XJ diesel and it will come from CarMax with the 5 year warranty.

I don't know what it is about women not liking this volvo. 45K is my limit...preferably 35K to 40K. She monitors the state of a car pretty well and is responsible.

I think the Acura and Lexus SUV are ugly. The expeditions are behemoth, beyond that the American SUVs just don't do it for me. And I simply don't want the Infinitis.

I've brought Audi Q7 back in the running and slowly dwindling interest on the Jag...once I really analyzed it in person (driving beside one lol) it just isn't that attractive to me, but still in the running, although third now. I spoke to one of my boys and he said he has never had an issue with his Q7 2015 which I really like, although I think is a bit too long.

Numbers are looking like:
GLE: 2016, $39K-42K, 15K-20K mil (expensive maintenance)
Q7: 2015, $28K-33K, 35K-42K mil (high mileage, expensive for the year)
Q7: 2017, $39K, 45K mil (high mileage, expensive for the year)
F-Pace: 2018, $43K, 4K mil (weak suv)

I never thought about carmax because I was only considering certified pre owned from main dealers. I just don't trust any other type of dealer. I'll do some quick research on carmax.

"I never thought about carmax because I was only considering certified pre owned from main dealers. I just don't trust any other type of dealer. I'll do some quick research on carmax."

I used to be the same way. I always figured that if I want an Infiniti,where better than from that particular dealer? That is, until I bought a car from them. When I decided I wanted an M35 years ago, I could not find a decent one at ANY of the 4 Infiniti dealers near me. On a whim, I went online to see what CarMax had. Turns out they had the EXACT one that I wanted. Black with bourbon leather. It was a 2007 with low miles. Like all cars at CarMax, it was about $1,000 higher than every dealer and there is NO wiggling on the purchase price at CarMax. That didn't sit well. I went to the lot and a salesperson took me right to the car. He was absolutely NOT like any car salesperson I had ever met - not pushy, no questions about trading in, no pressure, and never did the usual dealer trick questions like "how much are you looking to pay per month", etc.
I drove the car, fell in love with it, and we went back to his desk. I made an attempt to wiggle about the price and told him the sales prices elsewhere that were all slightly lower than his, but he very politely declined and told me about the CarMax policy.
He ran my financials and presented me the CarMax loan rate plus 7-8 other banks who agreed to finance me so I could compare prices and interest rates, etc. He then placed the car "on hold" at no charge to allow me a 3 days to decide. I went to the bank the next day, drew savings to make a downpayment, and returned. After the paperwork was signed, we went to the car and he went over every inch inside and out. There were a few tiny paint chips on the bumper and one on the leading edge of the roof. He had a tech come over, showed him the chips, and told me they would repair them for free with factory paint while I waited. Less than an hour later, the paint was fixed, the car was freshly washed and vacuumed, and I was on the road in my M35. Those chip repairs matched perfectly and lasted forever.
It was THE best experience I ever had buying a car. And no extended warranty from Infiniti or any place else matches the coverage of the MaxCare warranty - no co-pay if done at CarMax, or $25 if work is done at the Infiniti dealer.
Aside from the new Q60 I bought for the lovely misses last year, I have never bought another car anywhere than CarMax.

Drove the jag yesterday...worst drive since I drove a centra 16 yrs ago. It has to be the weakest SUV on the road. BUT, the tech on it is beauuuutiful. Two screens, console and dash, and you can move what you want to which screen you want. The backup cam is horrible though.

Drove the 350 as well. Very nice drive....for the short time I drove it (I'm not going to get fooled again with this like I got fooled with the M. I'm going to drive it again). The sport mode feels strong even though the specs don't seem like it. The interior is comfy.

So the jag is out. Down to 350 or q7.

Thanks for the review TDot! I have never driven any Jag SUV so it's good to know it probably isn't worth looking, LOL.
I would lean toward the Audi.

I went with the GLE 350 fully loaded with the AMG sport package. This thing rides lovely. Pickup is great off a stop, but while in motion you won't feel a pickup unless you're in manual mode. While cruising it's a little sluggish if you mash the gas unless it's in manual. Not sluggish like the M where it simply decides when it wants to kick in , but just a slow smooth increase...i guess this is how it controls it's fuel economy. The tech in it is great...not as great as the jag...but enough to keep you busy for some time memorizing everything, too much to be honest. It's especially going to take a while to memorize things since I won't really be driving it. The coolest thing about it is the surround cameras. Hopefully she loves it so much she will take on the role of chauffeur of the house...fingers crossed. Overall I like it, it was worth it...so far.
The dealer tried to get me to buy the extended warranty. Already have a warranty to 2021. I said NOPE!! Maintenance of this is going to be STRICTLY her responsibility, I paid enough. I told her, you want luxury cars, make sure you're ready to pay luxury maintenance. Luckily when I brought it home she thought the extension out to 2024 for $2,400 Is worth it so she's going to go ahead and buy it.









Every year she asks me what I want for Christmas or birthday. Every year I tell "Nothing unless it's a Panamera." Guess who better be getting a Panamera this year .

What happened to the edit feature here? Why was it removed? Anyway, the tech package isn't as great as I thought it was. I guess I was just initially overwhelmed by all the windows I had to go through seemingly feature rich. I made my M more feature rich than this. It's ok, just missing some things I'd expect in a car today. The stereo is also weak in my opinion...better than what the stock M is in quality of audio...but weak. Still worth overall though.

Looks like you got a real peach! The only concern I wold ever have with a Mercedes product is repairs. Maintenance will not be cheap, but as you say, luxury cars mean luxury maintenance. With a warranty through 2024, you should be pretty well covered. Let us know how it goes over time.