Personal picks: Luxury SUVs, part 2

Here are more staff perspectives on the luxury SUVs test group:

Gabe Shenhar: I really liked the previous generation BMW X5. But the redesign? Did they really have to do that to the X5? While it looks good and manages to hide the extra length that enabled a third-row-seat, it’s just too frustrating overall. Living with the new X5 on a daily basis annoys the heck out of me. Even if I got used to the unintuitive shifter, I’d still have to contend with the iDrive, the convoluted audio system, the unnecessary running boards, and the choppy ride. It would drive me crazy. So with all due respect to BMW (and I have quite a bit of it), that’s too high a price to pay.

So thanks for making my choice easy this time, BMW. I’m going with the Acura MDX. It has a sweet powertrain and agile handling, so when you’re in a hurry the car cooperates rather than frustrates. A compliant and composed ride, supportive seats and great fit and finish keep the fatigue at bay. The easy, retractable third-row seat expands the possibilities of who rides where and keeps all options open. The MDX also has all the electronic gizmos I would ever need, and then some. Yes, you can get lost in the forest of switchgear on the dash’s center stack, but after a weekend in the car, it somehow makes sense. The MDX is neither too large nor too small, and it looks good, too.

Rick Small: I was a bit disappointed in this group, since you don’t get a lot more for your money than many of the less expensive, newly-released three-row SUVs. The new BMW X5 handles well, but the ride is stiff. It’s one of the slower models here and has hideous controls and is too expensive. The Lexus RX350 is quiet and rides well, but it is not sporty and the driving position for tall people is not as good as some. In this group, I like the Acura MDX. It feels sporty and has the best driving position for tall folks like me. However, the ride is on the stiff side. The related Honda Pilot is less money and rides better; it even has a bit more interior room. If you don’t need AWD, you’ll save even more money with a FWD Pilot. I also think that there are many less expensive alternatives to this group that are worth a look. The recently tested all-new Saturn Outlook, Mazda CX-9, and Hyundai Veracruz perform just as well, have a third-row seat, and cost thousands less. The Ford Edge is also a less expensive alternative to the Lincoln MKX. Save your money; shop some of these new alternatives and you won’t be disappointed.