USED CARS - Luxury SUVs Reviews

The following report was originally published on ConsumerSearch to cover new cars manufactured and sold in the 2005 model year, and so can offer a good guide as to which cars from past model years are good bets as used vehicles. We are keeping this report on our site as a convenience to our readers who may be shopping for a used car.

The best test reviews on luxury SUVs come from Car and Driver and Motor Trend magazines, which publish the results of comprehensive back-to-back testing in this sector. Testers and editors are automotive experts with significant experience. Another helpful source is the Inside Line section of the Edmunds.com Web site. We found some insightful comparative testing at Inside Line, and along with the editorial reviews, editors include a 'second opinions' section offering alternative viewpoints.

We also found good reviews for luxury SUVs in Consumer Reports magazine, which focuses on safety more than other reviewers (although the magazine's performance testing is not as detailed.) Kiplinger's magazine highlights more pragmatic factors such as cost of ownership and resale value.

Luxury SUVs start in the mid-$30,000s and some top off at almost $100,000. Because they're so pricey, automakers have the flexibility to load them with a wide and seemingly mutually exclusive array of features. You'll find vehicles in this class that can seat seven, scurry up rock-strewn hills and accelerate quickly. While the height and mass of most luxury SUVs prevent them from riding as smoothly or as quickly as the best luxury cars, reviews say they come close. If the models in this report are out of your price range, see our report on mainstream SUVs, some of which attain near-luxury status.

The controversial, gas guzzling, politically charged Hummer H2 (*est. $52,430 to $56,670) has not impressed critics. Based on the Chevrolet Tahoe, this vehicle has a smooth ride and excellent off-road ability (but, at over 81-inches wide, it's not suited for tight trails). It averages an abysmal 10 mpg in city driving and 13 mpg on the highway, and has scored poorly in reliability measures. Although the Hummer made a big splash at first, and was snapped up by Arnold-Schwartzenegger types, 2004 sales were down about 25% for the H2. New for 2005 is a truck version of the H2, with a small bed and tailgate in place of an enclosed cargo area.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Cadillac, Land Rover and Lexus clearly dominate the luxury class, and all three are represented in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers. The Dodge Durango may not fit the luxury-class cache, but a wide variety of options allows buyers to outfit the more utilitarian Dodge with some touches of chrome and leather.