   2014 BMW X5 xDrive35i seating & trunk. Click image to enlarge |
The X5 lost by a hair to the ML 350 for ease of driving and by the same narrow margin to the Cayenne for handling, but its top-down camera combined with those two categories saw it smash all challengers for ease of parking. The strong engine, commanding driving position and solid handling also helped hand the BMW the win on ease of driving.
The X5 had no individual lasts, but shared last place with other cars in the observed fuel economy, cargo space and child seat installation categories.
Range Rover Sport’s poor EPA rating and high price gave it two individual lasts in Value and EPA Fuel Rating to go along with its loss in the ease of entry category. The usability of the infotainment system was nowhere near as awful as the MDX, but still drew the ire of Jeff. “The seats are pretty good – but not the best, and the control – particularly the infotainment system – feels dated despite this being a brand new design.”
   2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport V6 seating & trunk. Click image to enlarge |
Despite those shortcomings photographer Chris Coughlin was enamoured with the brutish Rover. “This vehicle is big, handsome and all Boy,” he said. “It felt the largest and heaviest by far, but its big engine, brakes, wheels and suspension quickly inspired confidence and showed a willingness to get into the chase. Its styling was certainly the most admired of the lot and justly so. The interior feels incredibly spacious, thoughtfully designed to sweep up and away and plush enough to have even your posh friends calling “shotgun”. A sailboat wouldn’t seem out of place on the accessories checklist. Overall, the nicest truck out there anywhere.”
For Jeff Wilson the Sport’s engine was a highlight. “The supercharged V6 is willful and makes the Sport the unofficial drag strip winner in this group. Plus the sound of that blown V6 is spine-tingling – no surprise that this musical mill is related to the Jaguar F-Type’s siren-song engine,” he said.
Among this group, the Range Rover Sport topped the cachet points (equal second with Mercedes-Benz overall) while Acura’s MDX took out value (second overall).
    2014 Acura MDX Elite seating & trunk. Click image to enlarge |
Overwhelmingly the BMW X5 was the winner in this group, and second overall. The overall gap between the Mercedes-Benz and the BMW was just 2.3 percent when all the scores were tallied – making this one of the closest Autos.ca comparison tests of all time. In fact, many of us felt that a diesel-powered X5 might have been the better knife for this fight with Brian Weeks summing it up best. “Put the Benz diesel (my best engine of the bunch) in here and the rest could just go home,” he said.
And so, by the narrowest of margins, BMW loses the overall trophy, but wins the petrol-engine bracket comfortably over the Acura MDX with the Land Rover Range Rover Sport a price-adjusted third.
3rd: Land Rover Range Rover Sport (6th overall)
2nd: Acura MDX (3rd overall)
1st: BMW X5 xDrive35i (2nd overall)
