The Jeep, however, falls just the wrong side of the 29% tax threshold. At 144g/km it emits 5g/km fewer than the Volvo and 6g/km fewer than the Jeep, putting it into the 27% company car tax bracket while the XC60 scrapes into the 28% band. It’ll come as no surprise, then, that the Mazda is slightly cheaper to tax. Read our review of the 2015 Mazda CX-5 here In the real world, though, you’ll manage something in the low-to-mid-forties for all three cars. The slightly smaller and less powerful Mazda is marginally more frugal, managing 51.4mpg compared to the 49.6mpg of the 217bhp Volvo and 197bhp Jeep. The Volvo is a good balance of the two thanks to solid handling and decent ride comfort, but we aren’t sure the ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ approach is enough to win this test.Īs tested, the Mazda is the most economical of the three thanks to its manual gearbox, but if you fit them all with auto ‘boxes (the Jeep isn’t offered with this engine and manual transmission), you’ll find them much of a muchness. Of course, there’s a trade-off, and you’ll be getting the firmest ride of the three cars here. It’s also endowed with a slick six-speed manual gearbox, which makes every change a pleasure. The steering is a tad light, but it’s the most agile car of the three, taking corners in a manner you’d expect from a family hatchback rather than a four-wheel-drive SUV. If you’re more of a thrill seeker, the CX-5 is the better bet. Read our review of the 2015 Jeep Cherokee 2.2 here Certainly, the Ford Focus ST has nothing to worry about. The 0-62mph time of 8.5 seconds promises a little sportiness though, and while it is a more enjoyable steer in ‘Sport’ mode, it never really delivers great handling. The combination of the new 2.2-litre diesel engine and nine-speed automatic transmission makes it a smooth operator, and the cushy suspension allows you to waft around in comfort. If you want your SUV to be a luxury barge, you have to have the Jeep. No build problems will be found in the XC60 though – everything’s been screwed together beautifully and the materials are excellent. The Jeep is roomy and comfortable and boasts fantastic armchair seats, but there are niggling worries about build quality and the small matter of an enormous but sluggish touchscreen.īuild issues blight the Mazda too, but the infotainment system is by far the most user-friendly thanks to the BMW i-Drive-style rotary next to the gear lever. There’s a bewildering bank of buttons to choose from, but none of them do anything you’d expect, and it makes operating the radio, sat-nav and iPod a bit of a lottery while you’re on the move. In the Volvo, it’s the infotainment system. Inside, it’s much closer, with each car having its own inexcusable flaw. It’s strangely classless yet still classy, and it has a slightly sporty edge to it, making the car appear a touch smaller than it actually is. The CX-5’s ‘Kodo’ design language, however, is so ageless that Mazda didn’t see the need to change anything with the facelift this year. The Jeep is far more modern than it used to be, but it’s let down by the slightly cheap look provided by the black plastic cladding, while even the XC60’s 2013 facelift can’t hide the fact that it’s starting to show its age. In terms of styling, the CX-5 is a clear winner. Take a look at all our leasing deals here: There’s the evergreen Mazda CX-5 in its range-topping Sport Nav guise, the Volvo XC60 D5 R-Design and the Jeep Cherokee, which, as we reported last week, is now better than ever. Well, we’ve lined up three of our favourite upmarket Qashqai rivals to find out which is best. Most people looking for a mid-size SUV will call off the search as soon as they stumble across the Nissan Qashqai, and understandably so, but what if you want something a little more premium, and perhaps a tad larger?
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