FX45 vs v8 Toureg vs X5 vs A6 Allroad vs You Decide...

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 It's not too outdated yet, is it?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...)

FX45...just the damn sexiest SUV ever!

http://auto.consumerguide.com/images/autoreview/lrg/03804071990001LRG.jpg

The X5 is far from outclassed, dynamically it's probably still the best off-roader on-road, if you exclude the Porsche Cayenne of course. The A6 Allroad is supposed to be very good on the road as well but i'm not a big fan. The Touareg looks too anonymous for my liking though the V10 Tdi offers heaps of torque, im not sure if its sold in the US though.
The FX 45, i'll be honest, i dont know a lot about, but it does look good. And as for Nissan never making an amazing AWD system? Uh... hello? Skyline?

the x5 is outdated and outclassed, never thought i would say that of a bmw. the toureg is too plain of styling and i still cant get that its a vw. the audi looks to much like a station wagon for my tastes. the fx45 is the best one out of these, actually, i think it is the best suv beside the cayenne. i love how it looks and it is the only suv (again, besides the cayenne) that i actually stare at when i see one.

The Touareg here is the only one that can actually tackle the rough stuff and if you were to get the V10 TDi (Coming to the US soon) you're instantly onto a winner, I also like the styling and the innovative interior. So naturally, the Touareg is my choice.


Of course, due to it being a proper Off Roader the on road ride isn't as good as an X5, but it's not so bad that you'll notice any real difference.

the x5 is outdated and outclassed
Oh i see, you've driven one, have you?
The X5 may have been around for longer than most but it's still the creme de la creme on the black stuff.

im just saying that from people i have talked to. plus, the design is really aging and when i see one, i just look aways cuz it is not interesting to look at. give me a chance to drive it and i will, i will drive any car that you give me a chance to.

In that case, "these people you've talked to" dont know how to drive. The truth hurts..

The FX45 is powered by the same V8 engine that is in the Q45...so 4.5 liter V8 creating about 315hp & 329tq...other cool things...optional 20 inch wheels...yeah....dubs from the factory baby...lol...11 speakers...weight distribution 54/46...0-60 in 6.3 seconds (remember...SUV here)

Definitely the best SUV out of the bunch...

(sidebar: Cayenne Turbo is just sick)

So could somebody tell me about the FX's AWD, traction control, and suspension systems? I know it's fast. What I don't know is this: is it just an altima with nice sheet metal and a big engine (this is the complaint I have heard of the new Z, which many have said is beautiful but underwhelming compared to similar cars in its price range (PLEASE: do NOT reply about the Z!!! I do not want to turn this thread into a debate about the Z, if you have an issue, feel free to PM me, but I'm not in the market for a 2-seater) or is it really a well-engineered all-weather vehicle?

Can the FX take the rough stuff as well as, say, the Toureg? I don't know anything about the skyline and it has never been sold in the US.

Outside of the US, what is the price difference between the Toureg v8 and the v10. We don't have the v10 here and I would consider it, although I'm concerned if I start to push the gas mileage any lower than the v8 and I will probably never tow anything.

In that case, "these people you've talked to" dont know how to drive. The truth hurts..

i was just saying what i heard and the truth isn't hurting me. but hey, if you say the x5 isnt outclassed, then thats cool. i dont pay much attention to suv's except the fx45 and the cayenne. sorry if you thought i was bashing on the x5.

So could somebody tell me about the FX's AWD, traction control, and suspension systems?

The AWD system is probably the same they use on the G35x and the Skyline GTR...the ATTESSA system...which is really an on demand AWD system...normally it's a RWD car...but when trouble hits...it can distribute torque to the front wheels...very sophisticated and very good.

The FX45 is powered by the same V8 engine that is in the Q45...so 4.5 liter V8 creating about 315hp & 329tq...other cool things...optional 20 inch wheels...yeah....dubs from the factory baby...lol...11 speakers...weight distribution 54/46...0-60 in 6.3 seconds (remember...SUV here)

Definitely the best SUV out of the bunch...

(sidebar: Cayenne Turbo is just sick)
It's the best SAV ;)


Gotta love BMW for coining that class name ;)

So autos.msn.com says that the AWD system is from the QX45.

One reviewer, Dan Jedlicka, says, without explanation:

The FX comes with rear-drive or an all-wheel-drive system not designed for off-road use.

What does *that* mean? And where does onroad become offroad... how much snow must fall between me and the road before it's considered offroading?

What does *that* mean? And where does onroad become offroad... how much snow must fall between me and the road before it's considered offroading?

I'd say that what they mean is if you want to go offroading, go get stuck or do some hill climbs a la Camel Discovery style...this is not your SUV/SAV

But if the roads become snowed, iced or slippery due to rain, mud, sand, etc...it'd be ok there...

That's how I may interpret it

Yea, perhaps. I don't plan on offroading, but "some snow and ice" is all subjective. Some snow and ice on the way to Whistler, Mount Baker, Bachelor, etc. in the Pacific Northwest where I live is probably a lot more than "some snow and ice" in some other places ;)

Maybe the AWD is just for traction on slippery roads or to enable better acceleration or cornering even on dry pavement. In which case, this is not the car for me.

I mean I can test any car in rain or on dry pavement, but ask the dealer for a weekend to take the car to the mountains and he'll laugh you off the showroom floor :D But it's precisely this ambiguity that scares me. So it's almost like I must pick a car that is widely reviewed for its offroad prowess even if 10% of my miles will require that capability.

Well the X5 and the FX are gorgeous cars with great road maners. They will handle adverse (on the road) conditions pretty well with the proper set of tires.


The Touareg will handle off roading and adverse (on the road) conditions much better than the X5 or the FX however i doubt its road maners will be as civilised.


I really don't know that much about the audi so I'll abstain from any comments about it.


BTW Jimster are you sure that the Toureg TDI will make it into the US? That would be so awesome, we really are missing on the turbo diesel phenomenon, so popular in Europe. Its so nice to have all that torque and gas mileage.

I'm not a big fan of diesel. It reaks and the stuff is horrid for the environment. Look at me, buying an SUV and complaining about the environment. Silly, eh?

Car and Driver said that with the air suspension lowered to its lowest setting, the Touareg sticks to the pavement like the X5. Another reviewer said it handled like a touring sedan (whatever that is). So I assume that it is actually in the class of the X5 as far as road manners.

It's not nearly as fast as the FX--a full second slower on the 0 to 60. But I just don't see the FX meeting my needs in the AWD category, unfortunately. It's a beautiful beast, but I wouldn't take the G35 to the mountains here in the northwest, and I think the FX isn't any different, especially with those big wheels cutting down on the traction.

I'm not one to change to snow tires, especially since it rains here all year round and it's only the weekends and the occasional "skip work Friday" that the auto will see real snow.

I'm not a big fan of diesel. It reaks and the stuff is horrid for the environment. Look at me, buying an SUV and complaining about the environment. Silly, eh?

Car and Driver said that with the air suspension lowered to its lowest setting, the Touareg sticks to the pavement like the X5. Another reviewer said it handled like a touring sedan (whatever that is). So I assume that it is actually in the class of the X5 as far as road manners.

It's not nearly as fast as the FX--a full second slower on the 0 to 60. But I just don't see the FX meeting my needs in the AWD category, unfortunately. It's a beautiful beast, but I wouldn't take the G35 to the mountains here in the northwest, and I think the FX isn't any different, especially with those big wheels cutting down on the traction.

I'm not one to change to snow tires, especially since it rains here all year round and it's only the weekends and the occasional "skip work Friday" that the auto will see real snow.


Well the problem with diesels is the improper combustion. This allows for unburned hydrocarbons to escape into the atmosphere. However modern design of combustion chambers and injector design advances have reduced that problem considerably. Add to that the 30 %( average) better MPG and you end up with some pretty low emissions. Jimster corrects me if I’m wrong but from my understanding TDi's are considered in Europe as more eco friendly than their gasoline counterparts.

About the on road manners, I’m not 100% sure but in my experience a dedicated on road SUV should handle better.

About the tires. I’ve made that comment because sometimes those on road SUV's are equipped with summer tires which are very dangerous if they ever see snow.