2013 Mercedes-benz Sl-class on 2040-cars

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Best luxury SUVs of 2022 and 2023

Once upon a time, the idea of a luxury SUV meant a Range Rover, and even that was pretty agricultural by modern standards. Then Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ford Explorers started offering fancy, range-topping versions followed soon by Lexus, BMW and Mercedes dipping their toes in the water. And then the floodgates opened. Today, there is a staggering number of luxury SUVs available in every shape, size and price point. There are electric luxury SUVs like the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace, as well as gas-swilling, high-performance SUVs like the BMW X5 M and Cadillac Escalade V. Sports car makers Porsche, Aston Martin and Lamborghini have even dived in.  But of this great many, which are the best luxury SUVs? We sat down, scoured our reviews, took some votes, had some discussions and came up with the luxury SUVs we view as the best. They are listed alphabetically within the six segments listed below.  Best Subcompact Luxury SUV   |   Best Compact Luxury SUV   |   Best Midsize Luxury SUV (Two-Row) Best Midsize Luxury SUV (Three-Row)   |   Best Flagship Luxury SUV (Two-Row)   |   Best Flagship Luxury SUV (Three-Row)  Best subcompact luxury SUVs Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class Why it stands out: Outstanding space and versatility; legit luxury interior; amusing GLB 35 versionCould be better: Overwhelming and confusing tech interface Most subcompact luxury SUVs are a dubious value, with cramped interiors of marginal quality and unrefined driving dynamics. You'd be much better off paying less money for a loaded, non-luxury compact SUV. The Mercedes GLB is different, though. Its boxy design provides space few other subcompact SUV can match (luxury or otherwise), while its cabin design and feature content are in keeping with pricier Mercedes models. The quality's not exactly up to GLC standards, nor is driving refinement, but the difference is appropriate for how much you're saving and still perfectly acceptable. There's nothing dubious about buying a GLB.     Volvo XC40 Why it stands out: More features for the money; spacious and versatile interior; distinctive design; electric versionCould be better: Fuel-efficient base engine only available with FWD Most subcompact luxury models feel a bit like cheap knockoffs of their bigger, pricier brand mates. The XC40, by contrast, is a break from the Volvo norm in a good way.

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota FCV Rally Car To Compete, Barra bullish on Chevy Volt

The Toyota FCV will compete in the last stage of the 2014 Japanese Rally Championship. The sport-tuned hydrogen-powered car will tackle the 177-mile Shinshiro Rally on November 1 and 2, emitting no greenhouse gases in the process. The rally course will help prove the safety of the vehicle before it goes on sale in Japan in the next several months. The Toyota FCV, rumored to be called "Mirai" in Japan, will begin sales there before April, according to Toyota, and in the summer in the US and Europe. Read more in the press release below. Carsharing is becoming more popular, and more visible, throughout the world, including the US. According to WardsAuto columnist John McElroy, 18 percent of US drivers have used some sort of carsharing service. Additionally, he says 60 percent of Americans are familiar with Zipcar and Uber. Mercedes' Harald Kroeger says promotions like free parking for carshares in Stuttgart are encouraging growth for Daimler's carsharing service, Car2go. Read more at WardsAuto. Ethanol is being help up by rail transport, according to ethanol producer Green Plains. More and more stations are carrying E15 blend gasoline, but grain producers have complained that crude oil is given higher priority by the rail lines shipping it, which rail companies deny. Union Pacific and BNSF Railway say they are stepping up service to make sure that ethanol can be shipped reliably to customers. Read more at Omaha World-Herald. General Motors "has placed a significant bet [on] the electrification of the automobile," says CEO Mary Barra. In a speech to the Detroit Economic Club this week, she spoke about the Chevrolet Volt, and its importance to GM's future. While Barra admits the Volt's success has been "not everything we wanted," it has provided experience, and shows that EVs have "an important role in the future of GM." The new Volt is more refined, stores more energy, has longer range, uses less fuel and is a big investment for Michigan. She announced that the new Volt's electric drive system will be built in Warren, and that all of its major components will be made in Michigan. "Silicon Valley doesn't have a corner on the market for innovation, creativity and drive," says Barra. "These qualities exist here – in this region – as well." See the speech's highlight video and read more in the transcript below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo Coupe is an extroverted, 217-mph Mercedes S63 AMG

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a prime example of handsome, restrained design. It's classy but not shouty, stylish without trying too hard. Of course, Brabus can address that um, problem, for you, without much issue. Meet the Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo Coupe, an extensively modified version of the S63 AMG Coupe. Larger intakes and lots of carbon fiber typify the front end, while the tail sports a new diffuser and rear spoiler, both of which are finished in carbon fiber. Meanwhile, Brabus is offering a variety of wheel designs, ranging in size from 18 to 22 inches, and with the customer's choice of Continental, Pirelli and Yokohama rubber. The most questionable changes, though, happen in the cabin, where black Mastik leather is finished with copper stitching and piping. Brabus then takes 219 different interior trim pieces and lines them in Shadow Gold paint, just like the Monoblock wheels featured on the vehicle above. Of course, Brabus does much, much more than just offer its own take on the normally conservative Mercedes aesthetics. There's a bit of tweaking to the powertrain. Despite the "6.0" in its name, the donor S63 AMG's 5.5-liter, biturbocharged V8 has been enlarged to just over 5.9 liters (5,912 cc, to be precise), thanks to a larger cylinder bore and a longer stroke, the latter of which comes from a Brabus-spec crankshaft. While Brabus may be exaggerating about the size of its new coupe's engine, the tuning firm is not overstating said powerplant's output. A stout 850 horsepower is teamed with an electronically limited 848 pound-feet of torque. There's more to this modded Mercedes than that, though, as Brabus claims the 5.9-liter is actually capable of turning out a silly 1,069 lb-ft, but that it needed to be limited "in the interest of the longevity of the entire powertrain." All this extra oomph comes from a pair of "special" Brabus turbochargers, as well as new exhaust manifolds and a stainless steel exhaust system. A new intake module also helps breathing, while the engine's ECU has been updated for extra performance. Aside from a new set of paddle shifters, the S63 AMG's seven-speed gearbox was left unaltered, as was the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. Oh, and if you live in Europe and really want to scare yourself, Brabus will offer the same engine treatment to the rear-drive S63 AMG that we don't get Stateside.