2009 X3 vs. MLK350 vs. Q5

[dandelos]

We have an appointment to go see a private party's Q5 tomorrow and if it checks out we may pull the trigger but I'm just trying to do some last-minute research here.

Anyone experienced/knowledgeable enough to chime on how the 2009 X3 compares to the Mercedes ML350 and Audi Q5? These are the 3 vehicles that we've been considering. Purchase is for my folks -- both retired, won't be doing a whole lot of driving but I'd like them to be comfortable nonetheless. They also golf so ample cargo space for 2 golf bags is a must.

Thanks in advance!

[dandelos]

So the Q5 we looked at yesterday didn't pan out. There were a few other minor things, but the PPI revealed an oil leak around the valve cover gaskets and timing covers. The indy quoted a little over $2k for the repair, but the seller was only willing to come down $1k from his original asking price, which was $1k more than market to begin with.


The one thing I'm starting to see about the X3s...is that they don't seem to be particularly comfortable rides especially on bumpy surfaces. I had originally removed the GLK from our consideration as its price point (used) didn't seem to be that much different from the ML considering everything additional the ML has to offer. I might just have to add it back into consideration though, since the ML might be too much car for my folks.

[Pelican Parts]

The ML is the least 'sporty' of the three, so it should have the most comfortable ride. The X3 had a huge design in 2011; which has many positives; including room and ride quality. What is your price range? Are you only interested in SUV type cars?


-Dmitry

[jclausen]

Ml more trouble free

[dandelos]

So I realized I missed Pelican and jclausen's replies (I never got the email notifications for some reason), but I just wanted to share an update. It was quite a process indeed, but we finally got our car on Saturday -- a 2011 GLK350. The Q5 was originally at the top of our list, but after gathering more information about all the cars we were considering, my conclusion was that the Q5 would be great brand new but not with >60k miles with no warranty. The ML is too big and the X3 is too stiff. The GLK seemed the right mix of safety, ride comfort, and reliability.


We ended up seeing 5 different cars (and getting 4.5 of them inspected) over the course of the last 3 weeks (dealing with both private parties and dealers). I wasn't particularly optimistic about this car going into the inspection, but everything panned out and I am glad the adventure is now over.