Cars.com Mileage Challenge 4.5: Final Thoughts
In what’s become a mileage challenge tradition, we wrap up our spring series with some driving impressions of each car. After all, two editors and our editor in chief spent nearly seven hours in these luxury crossovers.
“The XC60, with Volvo’s turbo six-cylinder, feels strongest at all speeds, while the LR2 exhibits comparatively modest power. That leaves the X3 in the middle: Its drivetrain feels more refined than the last X3 I drove, a 2007 model. Though the six-speed automatic isn’t a silky-smooth shifter, it doesn’t bog down on upshifts like it used to.
“Conversely, neither the Volvo nor the BMW are particularly quiet; the suspensions in both cars echo loudly over bumps. The LR2’s underpinnings are far quieter. I only wish it could marry that to more-confident handling: The steering feels loosey-goosey, and there’s a lot of body roll during off-ramps. Hit some bumps, and the suspension doesn’t keep the wheels as glued to the road as the others.
“The X3’s seats are too stiff for my tastes, and the XC60’s are too cushy. Land Rover finds a nice middle ground. Its cabin quality, unfortunately, borders on industrial-grade. The X3 and XC60 boast far better materials, though neither has a particularly intuitive navigation system. BMW’s is especially galling — the system is so old it was designed even before iDrive.”
— Kelsey Mays, editor
“I’m less worried about performance than the other two; I focus more on comfort, ergonomics and intuitive controls. For me, the XC60 was a joy to drive — very comfortable and forgiving. I thought it was well-planted on the road, with responsive steering. My biggest problem with the XC60 was its navigation system. It comes with a remote to activate most controls, although there is a way to access them from the steering wheel as well. Because it’s a car meant for families, a remote control is a terrible idea. If you stacked up all the remotes my kids have lost, eaten or otherwise spoiled (don’t ask how), that pile would probably reach to the moon by now.
“The X3 was probably my least favorite of the three, with its ancient turn-by-turn, no-map navigation system. It was also the roughest ride for me.
“I liked the LR2, and have for a while. It was the easiest of the three to drive, but it didn’t have the gumption the XC60 had. I enjoyed the iPod connection that came with it, and I found the navigation system easy to use, although my cohorts had some issues with it.”
— Patrick Olsen, editor in chief
“The XC60’s remote-operated navigation system wasn’t that foreign to me, partly because I’ve been using a remote with aftermarket car stereos for a number of years. But like Patrick mentions, it’s probably not the most family friendly feature. Even without a family to lose the controller, it can be an issue. In my experience, there’s going to be a time when slamming on the brakes can dislodge the remote into an interior black hole, never to return.
“That wasn’t enough to be a deal-breaker for me, though, as I enjoyed the XC60 as an overall package more than the others. It wasn’t as hard to steer at lower speeds and around parking lots as the X3, which had unnecessarily heavy steering — good for sport-minded drivers, but it got old really quick. The LR2 had the most comfortable highway ride, but spending as much time as we did in these cars made the interior an important factor.
“I thought the XC60 was the classiest-looking, with its lightly toned colors and wood trim. The LR2’s interior was very mechanical and bland; its green-and-black-screen radio display looked so outdated I expected to find a secret MS-DOS prompt.”
— Joe Bruzek, Editor
If you had to drive one of these for the next seven hours, which would it be?
KM: The LR2. For the long haul, the front-seat comfort and Land Rover’s forgiving suspension win my vote.
PMO: For the combination of comfort, decent acceleration and the best nav system, I choose the LR2.
JB: The XC60. Despite the low mileage we observed, the upscale interior and excellent stereo with iPod integration made my time behind the wheel painless.
2009|BMW|X3
2009|Land Rover|LR2
2010|Volvo|XC60
