Hello all,
So being on leave means there is time to do stuff, so on Wednesday this week I took the family to test drive one of these.
It was a 2012 model, 50000kms on the odo. Full M-Sport package and Space Grey. I figured that maybe if I like it enough, it could be a suitable replacement for the 130i, and may make more sense if the wife enjoys driving it too.
Interior wise - obviously quite spacious. Not cavernous like a full size SUV, but I think it is enough for transporting 4 people in comfort. The boot is also huge - biggest in it's class from what I gather, and plenty of neat tricks like the rails in the floor, which then have luggage eyes which clip in, and then you can strap down any items in the boot (maybe naughty kids too???)
There's a lot of technical gadgetry around, when compared to my 130i, the i-Drive interface is used to control most of the functions, and check vehicle settings etc. This particular vehicle had PDC front and rear, and also the reverse camera which came in quite handy when we tested it out. The only feature it didn't have was navigation, so couldn't test that out.
My wife elected to drive first. On start up, I was quite surprised how muted and quiet it was - both from the front and from the rear. We strapped in the little one, loaded up the salesman and set off on what was to be a long test drive.
First impressions - it is very comfortable. Even with the 19in rims, the suspension soaked up the bumps and ruts in the road nicely. I was quite impressed. The 8-speed automatic transmission is also a treat. It shifts seamlessly through the gears, and responds immediately when requested to kick-down, or when making use of the steering wheel mounted paddles. It also did not try climb too quickly into the taller ratios, which is an annoyance on my wife's A3 S-tronic.
There's enough power low down, and driving through town, and doing the odd overtaking manoeuvre, we never felt short-changed on power or response. In a nutshell - she enjoyed it and didn't have any complaints.
Then I took over for some driving, followed the same routine as above, but on a couple of occasions, I also wanted to stretch it's legs a little bit. When you put your foot flat, do doubt about it - it wakes up, the front lifts into the air a little, and you blast off towards the horizon.
That being said, I think I had maybe set my expectations a bit high, because on a few occasions, I felt underwhelmed. Almost like driving along with the handbrake pulled up 1 click. I have no doubt that it's because of the extra weight, and higher centre of gravity. Also it won't be fair to compare an SUV to a regular hot hatch. Overall though, it is quick - much quicker than any other SUV I have driven - which is a good thing. The petrol motor loves to rev, and as is to be expected - it sounds glorious at full chat. (Sitting thinking now, it reminds me of LZ's review of his 535i - great, but missing the torque of a diesel).
We did some highway cruising as well, and again here there was no fuss - quiet, no booming exhaust, minimal wind and road noise. There was also enough power on tap to overtake, without having to kick down.
I would like to drive the 3.0D model and just see how that compares - perhaps that extra low down torque will make the difference in this type of vehicle. Or the other option would be to fit a downpipe and maybe a stage 1 tune of some sort, just to give it that little bit extra.
Overall, a great vehicle. I think it will tick most of the boxes of what to look for in a family car. My wife loved her previous A3 2.0T, and also enjoys her current 1.8 Sportback. She did however say that if push came to shove, then she would trade in her A3 on the X3. (So whoop whoop, that would mean I get to keep my car).
The only negative - pricing. They're hellishly expensive new, and either they are holding their value well 2nd hand, or the dealers are smoking it. I tend to think it's the latter, as this particular car has been on their floor for a month already. When I asked about a discount on the sticker price, they said they would throw in window tint and on-the-road charges. My lack of excitement must have been noticeable at this point. A couple of grand off a >R400k?!?! LOL
So, next on the list, is to drive a 3.0d variant (I've already driven the 2.0d). And then wait for someone who has one to sell it to us privately....
Nudge nudge wink wink.....
Thanks for reading, sorry if the review is all over the place, a bit difficult with my toddler running around and causing chaos
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