[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

I'm actually surprised by that. I haven't been in an X1 but the X3 seems a little smaller inside than the Q5. I don't know the actual dimensions to compare so maybe it's just an optical illusion.

The X3 is a touch bigger than the Q5, we have an X3 and the inlaws a Q5 so i am very familiar with both.

[tdott]

Our RX has been a tank, only oil changes and tires ever. Brakes have over 100k and never been changed (Hybrid, may need pads soon though)
Great for road trips, recent one was from FL to Canada last xmas. Tips to Orlando, Florida keys. Yes, it's a boring comfy couch, but it serves it's purpose and doesn't cause trouble, I prefer to sit in traffic and take it to work. Then I drive the M3 when I can enjoy it. 500hp SUVs make no sense to me, physics is constantly working against it.

[MrSmartyPants]

Another vote for the RX. Through 3-4 generations we've had 5-6 of them in the family. Most end up over 100k miles before moving to another family member or trade in. Always reliable, comfortable, they just work. We did a family road trip from CT to VA no issues. 2 adults, 2 kids and the dog.

CPO is great with these too. You get free maintenance for a bit and a pretty solid extended warranty.

[fbsm]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

The X3 is a touch bigger than the Q5, we have an X3 and the inlaws a Q5 so i am very familiar with both.

I really love the current X3...too bad they dont offer the diesel any longer

[davis449]

If those are the choices, I vote Lexus for reasons already stated.

[Sedoy]

Another vote for RX. My wives drives '13 RX - zero issues after 101k miles...
Also, recommended fuel for Lexus RX350 is regular vs. premium for X1.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by Sedoy

Another vote for RX. My wives drives '13 RX - zero issues after 101k miles...
Also, recommended fuel for Lexus RX350 is regular vs. premium for X1.

That fuel thing was new to me. I've always thought that all new cars should be filled up with 89 or 91 octane. I suppose that's another selling point for the Lexus (although the difference between 87 Regular and 91 Premium is about $3-4 per fill up, not very significant).

[Sedoy]

The difference is more like $6-8 in my area and it adds up. Branded gas stations here love to overcharge $0.40-0.50/gal of premium, maybe because it's 93 instead of 91.

Originally Posted by BMW F22

That fuel thing was new to me. I've always thought that all new cars should be filled up with 89 or 91 octane. I suppose that's another selling point for the Lexus (although the difference between 87 Regular and 91 Premium is about $3-4 per fill up, not very significant).

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by BMW F22

That fuel thing was new to me. I've always thought that all new cars should be filled up with 89 or 91 octane. I suppose that's another selling point for the Lexus (although the difference between 87 Regular and 91 Premium is about $3-4 per fill up, not very significant).

But many cars designed to run on 87 will actually lose power and mileage on 91/93. Really old article but still relevant:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/regular-or-premium

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

But many cars designed to run on 87 will actually lose power and mileage on 91/93. Really old article but still relevant:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/regular-or-premium

Interesting....wow...

[pz619]

Another vote for the Lexus here. Honestly I'm not sure how competitive the current gen X1 is. I would definitely prefer the previous generation. The RX is pretty hard to beat. Sure it won't be fun to drive, but it's probably the superior option.

[BMW F22]

Update: went to test drive the 2018 Audi Q5, 17 Lexus F Sport, and 17 BMW X1 yesterday, in that order. All had AWD.

Audi Q5: liked the size, composed, good grip and comfortable. Road noise was almost nonexistent. The interior is simple but luxurious. Seats are nice and has decent room. Cargo is a bit small. The rear middle seat isn't good but it's not bad. That hump in the middle due to the drivetrain is really big, high and awkward. Panoramic moonroof was well designed. Overall, I liked it quite a bit. According to the latest report, Audi's reliability is top not notch so I don't think that's a concern. Probably the most expensive option due to it being a new model thus no incentives.

Lexus RX: the largest of the 3. Well appointed and supple interior. The rear seats could slide and recline about 20* which is much more than the Q5 and X1. They are very comfortable; so much so that my gf and brother said they could fall asleep while I was test driving. That leads to the next point: it is very boring to drive. Perhaps I haven't had a big vehicle in years but the entire time I kept thinking "how large this vehicle is." Even with the backup camera it felt big. The panoramic moonroof was a bit awkward as it didn't extend all the way back. It's kind of in between the front seats and the rear seats. The RX offers the best value of the 3 and is very reliable. Overall, the size, drive, and handling are making me rethink it as I will be living with the car for a long time.

X1: handsome exterior, was quick, handled really well. It had the firmest seats out of the 3 and probably the least luxurious interior as well. I like the size which felt similar to the Q5. Worst value for the money as it doesn't come standard with leather or safety features that are standard on the RX and Q5. I like the simplicity of BMW's interiors but they are starting to look very dated (brother and gf liked exterior but not interior). Has good cargo room and good amount of rear seats room. Panoramic moonroof is well integrated. Overall, while a good size and the best handling of the 3, it's the least comfortable of the 3 and that rather defeats the point of a family hauler.

As it stands, it not comes down to the Q5 and RX. If money were no object and if I ignore the lack of cargo room and that giant middle hump on the rear floor, I would buy the Q5 today. I will sleep a bit more on it as both the RX and Q5 are not perfect, thus requires one to think about what compromises one can live with.

[RickFLM4]

As someone else suggested, try to find a leftover 2017 Q5. It should be substantially less expensive than the new 2018 and the new model updates appear to me to be evolutionary, not revolutionary. If you need cargo capacity in the Q5 and have no passengers, the seats move forward to provide a little more room in the back. If you have passengers and need cargo room, it is what it is...

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

As someone else suggested, try to find a leftover 2017 Q5. It should be substantially less expensive than the new 2018 and the new model updates appear to me to be evolutionary, not revolutionary. If you need cargo capacity in the Q5 and have no passengers, the seats move forward to provide a little more room in the back. If you have passengers and need cargo room, it is what it is...

The cargo space is not that big of a deal as I don't normally carey a full load of passengers and cargo. For the 17, there are very few left. Did a search and there's 2 in 100 miles. I do like the new design of the 18 as well as the new safety features that are standard (Audi pre-sense?).

[fbsm]

Originally Posted by BMW F22

Update: went to test drive the 2018 Audi Q5, 17 Lexus F Sport, and 17 BMW X1 yesterday, in that order. All had AWD.

Audi Q5: liked the size, composed, good grip and comfortable. Road noise was almost nonexistent. The interior is simple but luxurious. Seats are nice and has decent room. Cargo is a bit small. The rear middle seat isn't good but it's not bad. That hump in the middle due to the drivetrain is really big, high and awkward. Panoramic moonroof was well designed. Overall, I liked it quite a bit. According to the latest report, Audi's reliability is top not notch so I don't think that's a concern. Probably the most expensive option due to it being a new model thus no incentives.

Lexus RX: the largest of the 3. Well appointed and supple interior. The rear seats could slide and recline about 20* which is much more than the Q5 and X1. They are very comfortable; so much so that my gf and brother said they could fall asleep while I was test driving. That leads to the next point: it is very boring to drive. Perhaps I haven't had a big vehicle in years but the entire time I kept thinking "how large this vehicle is." Even with the backup camera it felt big. The panoramic moonroof was a bit awkward as it didn't extend all the way back. It's kind of in between the front seats and the rear seats. The RX offers the best value of the 3 and is very reliable. Overall, the size, drive, and handling are making me rethink it as I will be living with the car for a long time.

X1: handsome exterior, was quick, handled really well. It had the firmest seats out of the 3 and probably the least luxurious interior as well. I like the size which felt similar to the Q5. Worst value for the money as it doesn't come standard with leather or safety features that are standard on the RX and Q5. I like the simplicity of BMW's interiors but they are starting to look very dated (brother and gf liked exterior but not interior). Has good cargo room and good amount of rear seats room. Panoramic moonroof is well integrated. Overall, while a good size and the best handling of the 3, it's the least comfortable of the 3 and that rather defeats the point of a family hauler.

As it stands, it not comes down to the Q5 and RX. If money were no object and if I ignore the lack of cargo room and that giant middle hump on the rear floor, I would buy the Q5 today. I will sleep a bit more on it as both the RX and Q5 are not perfect, thus requires one to think about what compromises one can live with.

Wouldnt the X3 be more comparable to the Q5 and RX than the X1?

The X3 is a fundamentally different car than the X1....particularly wrt handling

I have a friend who has the Audi....she came out of an X3 and she complains non stop about how shitty the Audi is in the snow...and she has snows on it in winter

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by fbsm

Wouldnt the X3 be more comparable to the Q5 and RX than the X1?

The X3 is a fundamentally different car than the X1....particularly wrt handling

I have a friend who has the Audi....she came out of an X3 and she complains non stop about how shitty the Audi is in the snow...and she has snows on it in winter

Yes, the X3 is more comparable but is so much more expensive. And I actually like the size and shape of the X1 better. That's why it's in the mix.

Surprised to hear that about the Audi. Isn't Quattro supposed to be very good?

[Sedoy]

Don't forget about resale value, RX's especially with high mileage really hold their value. In addition, it's "100-years-old" NA 3.5L V6 those are unbelievably reliable, unlike 2.0T in Audi which had famous carbon build up issues (with previous generations not sure about current).

[damnitBobby]

Between a X1 and Lexus RX i would hands down get the Lexus

Between a Q5, Lexus RX, or X3 (the new soon-to-be revealed generation)... that would take more research and test drives.

[paliknight]

Originally Posted by damnitBobby

Between a X1 and Lexus RX i would hands down get the Lexus

Between a Q5, Lexus RX, or X3 (the new soon-to-be revealed generation)... that would take more research and test drives.

agreed

[Alfisti]

I have spent time in the new X1, the X3 and the Q5 and i still cannot fathom how the X1 is in this comparison, the right vehicle is the X3, the X1 is too small to be compared to the Q5.

[FriskyDingo]

Lexus.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

I have spent time in the new X1, the X3 and the Q5 and i still cannot fathom how the X1 is in this comparison, the right vehicle is the X3, the X1 is too small to be compared to the Q5.

I like the size and how it drives. As far as comfort and interior, it's inferior to the Audi and Lexus. Current X3 is much more expensive with fewer standard options.

We've decided to wait a bit at this point instead of rushing into buying something. We'll see what the new X3 offers. I'm not holding my breath that it's good value for money though. Maybe