Motor Trend SUV of the Year Contenders. Free Price Quote From a Local Dealer. View Special Offers. No Obligation, Fast Simple Free New Car Quote. What makes an SUV Ask 1. There are of course hardcore puristsLuddites who scoff at anything without solid axles, a transfer case, manual locking hubs, leaf springs, and a windshield that folds flat. On the other end of the spectrum youve got the people who view the Mini Paceman as the ultimate expression of vehicular sport and utility. Go Cruise 4307 ManualidadesYoull have to keep reading to find out what we think of it. The takeaway should be that today, the SUV marketplace is larger and more diverse than ever. With that in mind, nine judges headed up to the peaceful wilds of Central Californias Santa Ynez wine country to select Motor Trends 2. SUV of the Year. Our testing involved two stages. The first was a combination of back road and freeway driving to cull the large herd we started with 2. During this portion, we focused on big picture stuff such as ride and handling, seating, noisevibrationharshness, visibility, powertrain, and overall vehicle quality. After just a few miles, it became obvious which SUVs had a shot at the gold and which simply didnt. Well, it became obvious to some of us. Thats why we have to sit around and argue for a couple of hours about which vehicles are truly worthy. This year, our first round of cuts resulted in 1. We screamed there was some crying we argued, and then we took a vote. The second portion of our test was much more grueling. We began with a 3. Then we returned to our home away from home, the lovely Tres Hermanas Winery, for a 5 mile dirt course that snakes and winds around the winerys back 4. Its not hardcore off roading by any stretch of the imagination, but the dirt portion helps us separate the wheat from the chaff and achieve our ultimate aim choosing this years best SUV. After two days of loops, the nine judges sat down and the fighting really began. We tried to balance our feelings for a particular vehicle with the six key criteria we use to help select all of the Year winners. We screamed there was some crying we argued, and then we took a vote. Democracy determined the winner. To see which sportutility pleased us the most, keep reading. The Contenders. The Criteria. Design Advancement. The judges are looking for well executed exterior and interior styling, innovative vehicle packaging, and good selection and use of materials. Engineering Excellence. Total vehicle concept and execution clever solutions to packaging, manufacturing, and dynamics and cost effective technology that benefits consumers. XE 5. 4 Boss Project now starting. Ford Modifications Website. Best Solar Panel Buy Solar Panel Portable Usb Charger Best Solar Panel Buy Rent A Roof Solar Panels Solar Panel Cost Per Mw. List of well known, registered, and dynamicprivate ports. Best Solar Panel Buy Solar Panel Installer America Best Solar Panel Buy Buying Solar Panel System Mobile Home Solar Panel Systems. Performance of Intended Function. How well the vehicle does the job its planners, designers, and engineers intended it to do. Efficiency. The judges consider fuel efficiency and carbon footprint size relative to the vehicles competitive set. Safety. The judges take into account each vehicles ability to help the driver avoid a crash, as well as the secondary safety measures that protect its occupants during an accident. Value. Each vehicles price and equipment levels are compared with those of vehicles in the same market segment. The Judges. Editor in Chief Edward Loh. Executive Editor Ron Kiino. Senior Features Editor Jonny Lieberman. Technical Director Frank Markus. Testing Director Kim Reynolds. Road Test Editor Scott Mortara. Associate Editor Allyson Harwood. Associate Editor Rory Jurnecka. Associate Online Editor Benson Kong. Contender 2. 01. Acura MDXBy Kim Reynolds. We Like Great build quality, superior ride. Image/Import/Philips/Philips-42PFL4307K-12-large.jpg' alt='Go Cruise 4307 Manual Blood' title='Go Cruise 4307 Manual Blood' />Agile handling for its size. We Dont Like Complex infotainment interface, dated looking graphics. Go Cruise 4307 Manual Arts' title='Go Cruise 4307 Manual Arts' />If youre like us, the all new Acura MDX grabs some early points simply for having knocked 8 seconds off its predecessors Nrburgrings Nordschleife lap time. Hey, thats our kind of SUV. But if youre demanding better evidence for its boasts of improvement, here you go Our AWD versions 0 6. Matched to a six speed automatic in this trim, the powertrain is backed up by Hondas excellent Super Handling All Wheel Drive, which eagerly vectors power to the neediest wheel, including overdriving them to help rotate around corners. Performance is bolstered by the double punch of a 3. The wheelbase gains 2. Go Cruise 4307 Manuale' title='Go Cruise 4307 Manuale' />In motion, our drivers were no less impressed. What a great ride, best of the test, said Lieberman. And then you turn the wheel and realize that Acura engineers did an even better job on the MDXs handling. SUVs shouldnt handle like this. So where did it stumbleIts confusing, dual screen center stack infotainment cluster mixes a touch screen with a controller knob and presents it all in simplistic, dated looking graphics. After struggling to pair his phone, Markus wrote, The infotainment system is maddeningly obtuse. That this single fumble blocked its reach for SUV of the Year brass ring goes to show you how significant automotive user interfaces have become. And, notably, its not the first time an otherwise excellent Acura has been sunk by a couple square feet of questionably executed center stack real estate. Acura MDXBase price4. Price as tested5. Vehicle LayoutFront engine, AWD, 7 pass, 4 door SUVEngine3. L2. 90 hp2. 67 lb ft SOHC 2. V 6Transmission 6 speed automaticPower SAE net2. Torque SAE net2. Accel 0 6. 0 mph6. Quarter mile1. 4. Braking 6. 0 0 mph1. MT figure eight2. Curb weight fr dist4. EPA econ cityhwy1. Energy consumption cityhwy1. W hrs1. 00 miCO2 emissions 0. Finalist 2. 01. 4 Audi Q5. By Scott Mortara. We Like Mind blowing performance, good looks. We Dont Like Of five versions of the Q5 available, we could only sample this one. The Q5 has been one of Audis best selling vehicles since its introduction in 2. Go Cruise 4307 Manual MuscleThe very essence of a tall, practical, boxy, allwheel drive crossover, the 2013 Subaru Foresters rugged body offers excellent utility paired with the ride and. For 2. 01. 4, the Q5 got a full makeover, but its interior and exterior changes are minimal and subtle. The big news is all the engine variants Audi is offering the 2. V 6 with 2. 72 hp and 2. S with 3. 54 hp and 3. We expected a lot from the SQ5, which was the only variant we got, and it didnt disappoint. Multiple judges commented that it was easy to forget you were driving an SUV on our drive loop. Transmission logic perfectly predicts the correct gear for every situation in Dynamic mode, and executes shifts like the very best twin clutch transmissions with a stirring soundtrack, said Markus. We were surprised at how good a driver the SQ5 was, on road and off. So good, in fact, that we had to drive the SQ5 differently from any other vehicle in the competition. Off road, we felt like we were driving a WRC car. The drivetrain worked perfectly and really let us hang it out before bringing us back to reality. The SQ5s performance capabilities come at a price. Our observed fuel economy for the Audi was 1. Dynamic mode made for a pretty firm ride. However, when switched to Comfort mode, the SQ5 softened up nicely. Diana Ross Greatest Hits. As mentioned earlier, the SQ5 is the only version Audi could get us, and having no other variants really hurt the Audi. Its impossible to judge an entire line when you only get to sample the highest performing version. Audi has the most diverse lineup in the field, and had we been able to experience another variant, the Q5s fate might have been different. Audi SQ5Base price5. Price as tested6. Vehicle LayoutFront engine, AWD, 5 pass, 4 door SUVEngine3. L3. 54 hp3. 47 lb ft supercharged DOHC 2. V 6 Transmission. Power SAE net3. Torque SAE net3.