I love my 4x4's now, would not live without one. They are just so comfortable and a joy to drive in a way no car ever can be.
After trying out every 4x4 out there last year when looking to swap our old ML it came down to 3 for me.
BMW X3 (new shape)
W166 ML
FFRR 2011
New Range Rover Sport.
I adored the 2011 FFRR, however the old tech as in infotainment system not car, put me off on a £30k car and doing 25,000 miles a year still the 20-25mpg on top of it being a car depreciating at £400 a month still was too much. But fabulous car.
W166 ML. I did really like it, however, still feel Mercedes need to sort the interior plastics out a bit, this is what I didn't like about my 2010 E350 estate, loads of cheap plastic everywhere.
But a nice car and came close.
New Range Rover Sport. Amazing really, and a car I could see me keeping for 10 years, it was so nice to drive, interior was sublime, MPG was also pretty good at 33 average showing, and it really is all the car I would ever want or need.
However, couldn't get the figures at where I would feel comfortable.
Managed to get them down to £57k on it, but that was coming out at £720 a month with 3% apr finance. Now, I could have taken a gamble and said it would have been worth £35k in 4 years time, and come in at where I would have been happy, but thought I would then be worrying as I racked up the miles that I was in too much negative equity.
But without doubt the best car out there for me full stop, regardless of coupe, estate, luxury barge or 4x4. Preferred it to the new FFRR too.
BMW X3 won.
Was it the best car? No.
So why buy it?
In all honestly, I decided that if I could have seriously quick or seriously expensive I would compromise.
I tried the Cayenne, nice but over priced imho, I tried the X5 M50d and 40d, and found them too firm to the point where it ruined the cars, the Evoque was really nice in a different way, but too blingy for me, Audis were solid but soulless, so it brought me back to the above cars.
The thing with the X3 is it was comfortable, however, it didn't excite me at all. But it had the best infotainment system, the nicest seats, enough load space, was more fun tho throw around and the MPG was at least 50% better than the rest, more like 100% better than most.
Also, X3 residuals are rock solid so combine that with the £200 a month fuel savings and it works out as a very cheap car.
I'm not saying buy an X3, in some ways I wish I had gone for the ML, or gambled on the future values of the RRS, but I do think you should have a go in a 4x4, I think you would enjoy it more than your CLS, why have a car that sits there?
But be careful about going for a Supercharged 4x4, everyone I know who has done that regrets it, not the 4x4 thing, but the 8-12mpg, they are such a useable car that you end up doing exactly that, using them all the time, and they suit the wafty nature of a diesel engine.
I would suggest taking out a V8 Range Rover diesel for a test and see what you think.
Then decide whether to hold off or not. I wouldn't take a Cayenne out as your first 4x4 experience, they are nice, but don't feel very Porsche, and certainly not worth the premium over some of the others mentioned imho.
