20k luxury/premium SUV

[StrawberryBurst]

Posted at the start of the week there with a 14k budget for some sort of luxury/premium SUV. I've of course done a ton of research based on the advice in that topic, I've went and test drove and looked at a few different options in person over the course of the week. I asked specifically about Range Rovers, after going to test drive a more recent one in person, it was honestly so good to drive and the cabin was pristine. Went home and checked the insurance quote - 2.6k So that idea immediately got binned. Of course with the so called reliability issues and the theft/insurance stuff etc that were playing on my mind, I probably just mentally needed that final push not to go ahead with that.

With a bit of research and searching online I've decided to increase my budget to 20k max, providing insurance cost isn't ridiculous. That doesn't mean it has to be 20k but that's the most I can stretch to.

Aside from that, I am very opened minded really. I'd consider old and newer cars. Older cars do worry me a bit in terms of reliability and things needing repaired, as I don't exactly have an unlimited pot of gold to get things fixed constantly (which is probably a good reason I didn't go for the more modern RR ) In reality a newer car with lower mileage is likely going to be over budget and not really do-able. I need to find the balance of somewhere in between maybe.

Anyway I could ramble on for days. A list of things I'd like below;

- Higher seated position
- If older, reliable as possible, so well looked after, service history etc, ability to get another 40k miles or so
- Insurance to be ok, not likely to break the bank
- Premium/Stylish/Luxurious (would also consider older cars for this)
- Able to use daily for both shorter and longer journeys (I do a lot of 3/4hr+ drives for golf especially in spring/summer)
- Automatic preferred over manual
- 3L engine minimum

Maybe an older RR fits that bill. Not sure.

Keen to get your suggestions.

[shirt]

My personal view is that nothing really holds a candle to the RR. An LR4 will be cheaper but driven back to back the RR is a noticeable upgrade in all respects.

The only other thing I’d consider is a cayenne, especially with the double glazing. Very different approach to LR but still same level of design, materials and quality.

No other suv I’ve driven in that price bracket impresses interior wise.

[StrawberryBurst]

shirt said:

My personal view is that nothing really holds a candle to the RR. An LR4 will be cheaper but driven back to back the RR is a noticeable upgrade in all respects.

The only other thing I’d consider is a cayenne, especially with the double glazing. Very different approach to LR but still same level of design, materials and quality.

No other suv I’ve driven in that price bracket impresses interior wise.

A Cayenne was something I'd looked at. Most within my budget range seem to have very high miles though, are they going to be reliable enough for another 40/50k miles? Assuming a full service history etc..

[shirt]

My friend here in Dubai put 200k on his 2009 gts. Same issues as with the RR in the main - heavy on brakes and suspension, and I believe there was a recall for the transfer case. Can’t comment on electricals and rust, but leggy ones have become very popular here for use as desert/wadi bashers. Another mate did this, mild lift kit etc and his had over 300k on it when he left this summer. He drove it back to UK and it’s still going strong.

[Deerfoot]

StrawberryBurst said:

Keen to get your suggestions.

Lexus RX450h.

[ZX10R NIN]

Grand Cherokee Summit:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312225...

Overland:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311254...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312194...

RX450h:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312144...

Touareg R Line +:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305167...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306248...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307219...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309101...

Leftfield

5.0 QX70:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202312225...

3.7:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309091...

3.0d S:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307250...

[Mars]

Merc GL

[AmitG]

Deerfoot said:

StrawberryBurst said:

Keen to get your suggestions.

Lexus RX450h.

I would second this.

Many of the items on your list are covered by many manufacturers, but the following would push me to the Lexus:

As reliable as possible - Lexus are regularly at the top of reliability and owner satisfaction surveys. They are very very well built, and the dealers are great.

Insurance to be OK - check for yourself, but I reckon that insurance on the Lexus will be reasonable, because a) they are not a theft magnet and b) Lexus drivers are statistically lower risks (I think it's just the typical Lexus owner demographic).

Good for both shorter and longer journeys - the RX450h is a petrol hybrid which is much better for short journeys than a diesel.

The other boxes are also ticked (3.5L V6 engine, auto, premium/stylish/luxurious for sure, SUV seating position) but IMHO those ones above are the differentiators.

For £20k you might just about get a Lexus Approved Used version of the current model from a main dealer, with full warranty, after some haggling:

https://used.lexus.co.uk/approved-used/lexus-rx-45...

At this price point I would be very conscious of the bork factor. Range Rovers, Touareg etc. are lovely cars but they can throw some big bills. That is less likely with a petrol Lexus.

If you do go for a Land Rover product (Discovery/Range Rover/Defender/Velar/whatever) do check the insurance situation before committing to purchase. There are many stories of people either being quoted astronomical sums for insurance, or being declined cover altogether. I think there is a long thread in the LR forum about it. Unfortunately it seems that the LR theft and parts availability problems are real.

[fflump]

StrawberryBurst said:

shirt said:

My personal view is that nothing really holds a candle to the RR. An LR4 will be cheaper but driven back to back the RR is a noticeable upgrade in all respects.

The only other thing I’d consider is a cayenne, especially with the double glazing. Very different approach to LR but still same level of design, materials and quality.

No other suv I’ve driven in that price bracket impresses interior wise.

A Cayenne was something I'd looked at. Most within my budget range seem to have very high miles though, are they going to be reliable enough for another 40/50k miles? Assuming a full service history etc..

I’ve a V6 PHEV 72k miles. Under Porsche warranty for a few more weeks but extendable up to 3 yrs. PM if interested

[BrownBottle]

The Lexus rx450h is now the second most stolen and recovered vehicle in the UK.

Might be worth checking the insurance out first.

[EVOTECH3BELL]

Insurance will rule of RR and probably Lexus
I got insane 2k+ quotes where something like a Mustsng or M2 were 650.

[durbster]

BrownBottle said:

The Lexus rx450h is now the second most stolen and recovered vehicle in the UK.

Might be worth checking the insurance out first.

I've seen this claim before but I couldn't find any data to support it. The Lexus doesn't feature in the top 10 of any list I can see. There are plenty of stories about the cats being nicked, but not the car itself.

I'm very interested to know because I've got one

The insurance hasn't been outrageous - I think it was about £150 more than the Octavia I had before, including the recent price hikes. For reference, I paid £450 last year on my RX.

[BrownBottle]

I'd only heard it being mentioned myself but this is one of first things that came up when I googled it.

https://evfleetworld.co.uk/hybrid-lexus-rx-450h-no...

[durbster]

BrownBottle said:

I'd only heard it being mentioned myself but this is one of first things that came up when I googled it.

https://evfleetworld.co.uk/hybrid-lexus-rx-450h-no...

Thanks. Some selection bias there given it's data from a company selling tracker devices, but interesting to know.

[lornemalvo]

AmitG said:

Deerfoot said:

StrawberryBurst said:

Keen to get your suggestions.

Lexus RX450h.

I would second this.

Many of the items on your list are covered by many manufacturers, but the following would push me to the Lexus:

As reliable as possible - Lexus are regularly at the top of reliability and owner satisfaction surveys. They are very very well built, and the dealers are great.

Insurance to be OK - check for yourself, but I reckon that insurance on the Lexus will be reasonable, because a) they are not a theft magnet and b) Lexus drivers are statistically lower risks (I think it's just the typical Lexus owner demographic).

Good for both shorter and longer journeys - the RX450h is a petrol hybrid which is much better for short journeys than a diesel.

The other boxes are also ticked (3.5L V6 engine, auto, premium/stylish/luxurious for sure, SUV seating position) but IMHO those ones above are the differentiators.

For £20k you might just about get a Lexus Approved Used version of the current model from a main dealer, with full warranty, after some haggling:

https://used.lexus.co.uk/approved-used/lexus-rx-45...

At this price point I would be very conscious of the bork factor. Range Rovers, Touareg etc. are lovely cars but they can throw some big bills. That is less likely with a petrol Lexus.

If you do go for a Land Rover product (Discovery/Range Rover/Defender/Velar/whatever) do check the insurance situation before committing to purchase. There are many stories of people either being quoted astronomical sums for insurance, or being declined cover altogether. I think there is a long thread in the LR forum about it. Unfortunately it seems that the LR theft and parts availability problems are real.

Good suggestion, but I think you're slightly out of date - look uo Lexus RX450h canbus thefts. They are rife.

[drdel]

Volvo XC90.

[ZX10R NIN]

lornemalvo said:

Good suggestion, but I think you're slightly out of date - look uo Lexus RX450h canbus thefts. They are rife.

Have to second this they're getting stolen at a fair rate.

[lornemalvo]

durbster said:

BrownBottle said:

The Lexus rx450h is now the second most stolen and recovered vehicle in the UK.

Might be worth checking the insurance out first.

I've seen this claim before but I couldn't find any data to support it. The Lexus doesn't feature in the top 10 of any list I can see. There are plenty of stories about the cats being nicked, but not the car itself.

I'm very interested to know because I've got one

The insurance hasn't been outrageous - I think it was about £150 more than the Octavia I had before, including the recent price hikes. For reference, I paid £450 last year on my RX.

If you are due for renewal, I think you may be in for a shock.

[StrawberryBurst]

Yeah it looks like any LR/Lexus insurance wise is a joke.

I guess the only way I could justify it was if the car was around 18k and insurance around 2k. That way still within the overall 'budget' of 20k if that makes sense. The main thing I don't want is a car that's in the garage every other week and I can't drive it much, but that will be hard to predict I suppose as any car new or old can have issues.

I think based on the suggestions posted here, of which if I am completely honest I am not a huge fan of in terms of looks/interior, I'm sure they drive well though.

Maybe my best bet is saving up for 6 months or so and enabling a bigger budget, and hopefully by that point the insurance will have calmed down a bit.

[lornemalvo]

StrawberryBurst said:

Yeah it looks like any LR/Lexus insurance wise is a joke.

I guess the only way I could justify it was if the car was around 18k and insurance around 2k. That way still within the overall 'budget' of 20k if that makes sense. The main thing I don't want is a car that's in the garage every other week and I can't drive it much, but that will be hard to predict I suppose as any car new or old can have issues.

I think based on the suggestions posted here, of which if I am completely honest I am not a huge fan of in terms of looks/interior, I'm sure they drive well though.

Maybe my best bet is saving up for 6 months or so and enabling a bigger budget, and hopefully by that point the insurance will have calmed down a bit.

Lexus are fitting canbus protection plates FOC. Hopefully, they'll work and it will filter through to the insurance companies at some point