Diesel Vs Hybrid Luxury SUVs - Part 2 Comparison - video Dailymotion

MotorTrend

We finally pick a winner in our Diesel Vs Hybrid Luxury SUV comparison test.

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00:00 Okay, so we're back with our luxury SUV shootout.

00:08 We've already gotten rid of the BMW X5 xDrive35d and the Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTec.

00:16 What we're left with is the Volkswagen Touareg 2 TDI and the Lexus RX450h.

00:21 Join us as we figure out which one of these two is the winner.

00:24 Alright, we're now in the 2010 Lexus RX450h.

00:30 This is one of their best-selling hybrid vehicles.

00:32 It's a very popular SUV and it's been completely redesigned for 2010.

00:37 It features a 3.5 liter V6 that makes 295 combined horsepower when paired with three

00:44 electric motor generators.

00:46 There is one that's used to start up the car, run some auxiliary features, and then there's

00:50 another motor generator that runs the front wheels and one that runs the rear wheels.

00:55 Along with that, there is a continuously variable transmission, a CVT, so there's no gear shifting

01:00 in this vehicle.

01:01 It's just smooth power delivery.

01:02 Let's start with the negatives first.

01:04 A lot of people don't actually like the styling of this vehicle.

01:07 Our jurists really didn't like the way it looks.

01:09 It's got some weird angles inside.

01:12 Some of the guys like that it's very modern and very clean, but some also said it was

01:16 just kind of a mishmash.

01:17 There's some wood here, there's some metal facing, and then some black plastic.

01:23 But you really can't help but be impressed by how much technology Lexus has really jammed

01:27 into this vehicle.

01:28 Again, beyond the hybrid system, there's all sorts of really, really interesting new features,

01:34 including the remote touch system, which is a brand new way to navigate audio, HVAC, and

01:40 navigation screens.

01:41 It's this touch-sensitive, sort of like a trackball, fixed trackball deal, and it falls

01:46 right under your hands.

01:47 It's really interesting to use.

01:48 It features this feedback where the cursor actually, you can feel it click into place

01:52 when it hits a button.

01:54 Very interesting stuff.

01:55 There's an organic LED screen here in the instrument panel.

01:58 This thing has backup cameras, LED taillights, and headlights.

02:02 And that's really it.

02:03 The Lexus is one of these cars that has a high feature content, very high value, but

02:07 it really isn't for everybody.

02:09 This car got some dings on the road for being maybe a little too car-like, not something

02:13 you'd want to take for any kind of serious off-roading.

02:15 It doesn't tow a lot of weight.

02:17 It can only tow about 3,500 pounds.

02:20 And it is a little compromised in the back.

02:22 Because of the hybrid system, there's not a lot of cargo space.

02:25 In general, it just feels a little tighter, a little more compact than some of the competition.

02:30 With an average of 23.0 miles per gallon, it was no surprise that the Lexus RX 450h

02:35 beat all in real-world fuel economy.

02:38 But a fancy hybrid system, loads of high-tech features, and a low cost of entry weren't

02:42 enough to give the Lexus the overall win.

02:45 Sizes and cabin space and overall utility keep the RX 450h just out of the top spot.

02:51 Okay, so we're now in the 2009 Volkswagen Touareg 2 TDI.

02:57 This is the second generation Touareg, this time with a turbo diesel engine.

03:01 It is a 90 degree V6 turbo diesel that powers this car.

03:04 Makes 221 horsepower and 407 pound-feet of torque.

03:08 It's got a standard six-speed transmission, and this one is actually fully loaded with

03:12 a lot of off-road options.

03:15 We have an auto differential, high, low mode.

03:18 We have everything but the air suspension on this vehicle.

03:20 It has a typical steel spring suspension.

03:23 It is a nice driving vehicle.

03:24 A couple of criticisms from our editors.

03:27 It's kind of light, the steering.

03:28 It tends to sway and roll over in corners.

03:32 That's partially due to the weight.

03:33 It is the heaviest by far of the premium SUVs that we have collected.

03:37 But the good thing is that when it does roll, when you come through a corner, it seems to

03:41 roll over and then once it gets in a set, it actually tracks in corners quite nicely.

03:47 The editors really did like a lot of the other features in this vehicle, particularly the

03:50 interior.

03:51 This car really has a very classy, well laid out dash.

03:55 Everything is in a logical place.

03:57 Looks very nice.

03:58 It's a very nice mixture of brushed aluminum, wood, and kind of a black leather grained

04:02 plastic along the dash.

04:04 Outside it's also considered one of the most handsome vehicles, if not the most handsome

04:08 of our pairing.

04:09 And off-road it's very, very capable.

04:11 Again, it's one of the few here that has this sort of differential feature and the high

04:14 and low modes.

04:16 And we never got stuck with it, unlike a couple of the others.

04:19 It's really good off-road.

04:20 Though it finished last in our real world fuel economy test with an average of 20.5

04:25 miles per gallon, the Touareg TDI was only 2.5 miles per gallon shy of the economy leading

04:30 Lexus.

04:31 So in the end, we had to choose the Volkswagen Touareg 2 TDI as our winner.

04:35 Yes, you'll pay a little bit more at the dealership and again at the pump because it is a diesel.

04:40 But we feel the Volkswagen offers more of a well-rounded SUV experience.

04:44 Sure, the Lexus offers an advanced hybrid drivetrain as well as a whole host of high

04:48 technology features.

04:49 But we feel the Volkswagen does offer a few of those, as well as true off-road ability,

04:54 a much greater towing capacity, more than twice as much, and an interior and exterior

04:58 that simply can't be beat.

04:59 That's why it's our winner in this luxury SUV comparison test.

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Diesel Vs Hybrid Luxury SUVs - Part 2 Comparison

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