So my mom is looking for a new vehicle, and she's looking for more comfortable with a higher riding height.
She will be doing a fair amount of driving, so comfort, fuel efficiency, and reliability are key. Navigation and rear facing camera are important as well.
However, cargo space isn't a big factor, and AWD is not essential(gasp).
We will also be buying used, and looking to spend under 30k.

I've done some light research and here's my impressions of these cars.

Acura RDX
Pros: lots of standard options such as bluetooth, navi, camera. Tout 4cyl turbo with quite some thrust.
Cons: some say it has a jarring ride, and noticeable turbo lag




Infiniti EX35
Pros: best looks, lots of power (295hp)
Cons: pricey, very little rear leg room




Aaaand I'm still a bit clueless about the X3 and LR2, but I don't think these cars will be worth the price tag.




If you guys have any info on any about these cars, or any vehicles not mentioned, feel free to chime in. TIA.

 

I have owned my 2009 RDX since Nov of 08 and have logged almost 25k miles with absolutely no problems. I have taken it moderate off-road trails, long distance, and daily driving and enjoyed the ride every time. Tons of features and very versatile. Downside is the cargo room - I have a kid, a convertible carseat (people w/ kids know what this is), and a stroller in the back. My kid is almost 2 and rather tall for her age and has her feet on the back of the passenger seat with just enough room for my wife to be comfortable. but you mentioned cargo room wasn't a huge factor so this should be OK.

BMW X3 - have not owned one of these but have driven a friend's a fair bit - feels heavy and lethargic. did't get as much gas mileage and since you're buying used, I would highly suggest a CPO (cert pre-owned). a previous co-worker used to be the service manager for a local BMW dealer and he told me "if you buy a used BMW, always get the CPO, it'll be worth it."

EX35 - have not driven one but I think they're gas mileage is not very good for daily driving.

LR3 - this brand has a reputation of problems and my current co-worker hates his.

Oh and regarding the harsh ride on the RDX, this is mainly due to tire pressure. The last time I got my RDX serviced, the tech's put in 40psi in each tire which made the ride really harsh. I took out about 4psi from each wheel and it was MUCH better.

hope this helps.

 

avoid the LR2. a good friend of mine has one and has had lots of issues with the dealer.
There was a recall on either the alternator or something near the coolant line, the recall part broke and cut the coolant line causing the alternator to fail. dealership said "not our problem here is the $1600 bill to fix it". He had to call LROA to get the smack down on the dealership to cover their f* up.

Another issue: at the factory they were painting the inside rear diff casing. high heat temp gets reach causes paint to flake and destroy the diff. they couldn't get a replacement for 2-3 months so they took the diff(with the same issue) off of a new LR2 on the lot to install on his.

 

my friend has a rdx, it is a great car, nothing gone wrong with about 25k, just lke the other guy haha, yeah, just a smooth fast ride, and it has a.... TURBO! hhahaha

 

Thanks dchoi23 and Urglegrew for your advice about the RDX, and mattsn0w for avoiding the LR2.
Yea personally, I like the RDX the most. I'll be leaving the X3 and LR2 out the discussion. How about the Audi Q5?

 

^Q5 would be my pick, awesome interior and a great ride (only test driven though)

...of those listed, you'll have the greatest selection of X3's tho

Whats the budget?

 

Q5 is baller. Not a huge fan of German cars but that a nice one!

 

Just get a H2 and slap on some 26" chrome wheels.

 

There are also Forester, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento -- may be worth a look for the price.

Stan

 

This might be of some help:
Car and Driver