Small SUVs are a popular group and among luxury models nearly every brand has
thrown its hat in the ring. We took seven contenders all of them recently
redesigned updated or introduced in the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, the Audi Q5, the BMW
X3, the Cadillac XT5, the Infiniti QX50, the Lexus NX 300 and Volvo XC60.
Cars.com editors joined a luxury SUV shopper to put these vehicles to the
test on local roads in suburban Chicago. We also tested acceleration, braking, car
seat accommodations and much more to see which SUV came out on top. In distant
last place is the Lexus NX 300. An SUV with the group's oldest roots judges
agreed interior quality was a strength but the NX had a lot of inherent flaws.
By our measurements cargo space was the worst in the group and the backseat was
among the tightest when we tested three adults across. A responsive six-speed
automatic transmission helped everyday driving but the NX turned in distant
last-place numbers in our drag strip testing for both acceleration and
braking. In 6th is the redesigned BMW X3 which boasts a comfortable roomy cabin
but uninspired driving manners and a lot of missing features in our test car.
Now our X3 was the most affordable in the group at some $47,000 but it seemed
like you just missed more features than that savings even made up for. It's
dashboard display measured a puny six and a half inches in lacked Apple
Carplay or Android Auto most critically the X3 lacked forward collision warning
with automatic emergency braking, a must-have safety feature checked by all
the other SUVs most of which have its standard. BMW - got to get with the program.
Next is the all-new Alfa Romeo Stelvio, an Italian stallion that saddled us with
plenty of controversy. On the drag strip the Stelvio bested all comers by more
than half a second in acceleration. Couple that with sports car poise when
you throw it into corners and the Stelvio was the unabashedly fun choice.
But it kind of stank is a luxury SUV with a cramped backseat, horrendous visibility,
cut-rate interior quality, minimal cabin storage and a disastrous multimedia
system. Finishing fourth is the Cadillac XT5.
A half size larger entry in this class. That exercise and weight
made for pokier acceleration than the XT5's specs suggest with excessive
engine noise to boot. Poor handling, an unintuitive touch-sensitive dashboard
controls presented further drawbacks. Seriously,
Cadillacs volume slider is about as bad as a White Castle slider. Still the XT5's strengths can't be overlooked cabin
materials felt a cut above and the front seats scored well on features and
comfort. Infiniti QX50 finished third. This redesign turned out well despite
some missed opportunities. The dashboard stacks two screens that look like
they're from separate cars in terms of responsiveness and resolution. Speaking
of resolution, Infiniti needs to resolve to add Apple Carplay and Android Auto,
both missing. The continuously variable automatic transmission in the QX50 felt
responsive when driven hard but droned like most cvts in everyday
driving. Still the QX50 had a lot to like with roomy seats and the group's largest
cargo area by our measurements. Finishing in the runner-up spot is the redesigned
Audi Q5, an SUV with few drawbacks. The conservative interior styling works in
Audi's favor with an understated quality across myriad details.
Audi's knob based multimedia system has clear intuitive menus though the
touchpad just made us really want a touchscreen which the Q5 lacks. The Q5
turned in solid acceleration on the drag strip though accelerator lag became a
constant annoyance around town. Still if that gas pedal felt sloppy the brakes
were stoppie. Drag strip braking ranked as the group's
best. And finally in first place we have the redesigned Volvo XC60. No pun
intended but the XC60 smoked the rest of the pack. No okay pun totally intended.
But it was with good reason. Volvo's stylish redesign boasts a
practical interior and lots of safety and multimedia technology. It was really
a runaway winner here. We liked the cabin quality a lot with stitched accents and
wood trim across the entire dashboard that really felt especially luxurious
and nice little details like metallic accents on the air vents and even a
little Swedish flag stitched into the passenger seat as a reminder of Volvo's
heritage. All that really conveyed a sense of serious attention to detail. All
that extended to storage to where we found numerous nooks to put things in
and around the center console. Visibility is underrated and with the
only remote folding rear head restraints in the group, the unobstructed view out
the XC60's large rear window would make Jimmy Stewart jealous, and mirrors set
off the narrow a pillars make for great visibility out front too. Our XC60 also
came packed with safety technology and rated best among our challenge
competitors in that regard. Still the XC60 didn't do everything
right. Judges rated the Volvo's powertrain below average and noted a
sort of agricultural sound from the engine at full bore with transmission
response decidedly lacking. Body roll was also noticeable and that sleek 9-inch
multimedia screen suffered from slow boot up, so so legibility and too many
functions buried in two sub menus instead of having their own separate
controls. But those are really only minor quibbles because in the scheme of things
Volvo notched a decisive victory over the XC60's rivals. It's the best choice
here. So there you have it. Now for a full scoring breakdown on these SUVs and a
lot more about our tests, be sure to check out Cars.com.