Looking for the next car. Know it needs to be AWD and it needs to have some decent space. Here are my big requirements:
1. Handles excellent on dry/wet pavement. Has to corner well, accelerate well, responsive. Car-like, but not stiff or jarring like some sports cars.
2. Inspires confidence on those trips up to the ski mountains and summer hiking and mountain biking destinations. Surefooted on snow and ice with great control. Doesn't need to go "offroad" but does need to effortlessly cruise through 12" of fresh snow or over rutted dirt roads.
3. Needs to be worry-free.
4. Ideally can be had for $45k or less new. Typically I avoid used cars.
It's looking like the Toureg, but I want so bad to want the FX45 because it's so sexy. But I have big questions as to value--why is the FX so expensive? It should cost no more than the Acura MDX or Lexus RX. And I have never heard of Nissan making an amazing AWD system, so that worries me as well.
The Toureg on the other hand shares its platform with the Cayenne and is supposedly god-like offroad, but I have heard that the v6 is sluggish and I haven't heard anything about the v8.
And what about the X5. It's not too outdated yet, is it? I have heard nothing but bad things about the X3, but there's been nothing said about the X5 lately... is it just outclassed by the newer cross-overs on the market?
Am I missing any? (I considered the Volvo XC90, but consumer reports just gave it a really bad reliability rating...)