How about we put that theory and generalisation in the bin where it belongs. Sweeping statements that label all people that drive a certain type of car is just plain stupid. Most people on the planet are born with common sense and guess what most of the time they use it.
Whilst I like the BMW xDrive range (X5, X1, 3 series X drive), as a 4WD drive car they are not that great.
The BMW (and Subaru, most Audis, VW) use systems that are essentially very advanced traction control with clever multi clutches.
Land Rovers (apart from the Freelander), Landcruisers, Jeeps, Audi Q7 etc all use "proper" 4wd systems. The main difference being that the proper 4wd system will stop you from slipping/skidding; the others will only help to correct/stop a skid once it has occured.
If you just want a big SUV and you are not really worried too much about needing 4wd (99% of the time you will not need it) then get the BMW.
If you do care about getting anywhere you need to, get something else.
My must haves to suit Switzerland:
Diesel (so many hills will kill mpg on a petrol car)
Allroad (Constant 4wd in English speak)
Park distance control (a lot smaller roads and parking spaces here)
Zenon headlights (you never use highbeam here and lowbeam is cr*p on most cars)
Navigation system (a lot of one way streets and counter intuitive road design) (not manditory as aftermarket ones are good and not so expensive here)
Add your own requirements to the list and look at
http://www.comparis.ch/Carfinder/Marktplatz/Search.aspx (a good local site for unbiased prices on everthing)
load the list, leave the make and model blank and see what comes up, you may be surprised.
If you want space with a width that's still manageable I'd consider the Audi A6 or A6 allroad or the BMW 530i xDrive Touring. (Unfortunately the 535i ain't available here.)
The A6s with the new 3.0 TFSI supercharged engine are almost as powerful as the 4.2 V8, but quite a bit less expensive.
The best value on the market is probably the Subaru Outback which is almost as big as the A6 or the 530 and comes with a very nice and smooth 3.6L 6-cylinder flat engine.
Just educate yourself and find out that anthropogenic global warming is probably the biggest scam in the history of mankind. For starters just click here or google 'Climategate'.
Afterwards you won't feel guilty about your 'carbon footprint' anymore.
This is all very helpful
Also, in Switzerland, a Peugeot 107 is considered a small car. A Ford Focus is considered a mid-sized car and a BMW 3xx is considered large(-ish).
dawiz
but seriously the car was like a train on rail.
4927 long 1855 wide - Audi A6 wagon (example)
4838 long 2022 wide - LR Discovery 3
So a D3 is 16.7cm wider but shorter than an A6 wagon.
An X5 is less than 8cm wider than the A6.
Seriously, they're not hard to park, it's just they appear to take more of the space because their mass does not end at chest level
- best SUVs are Lexus, Toyota RAV, Subaru, Volvo, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Nissan, Mitsubishi, VW, Chevrolet, Jeep and some US or Korean cars ... Some vans have 4x4 temporary capabilities such as VW Sharan, Chrysler Pacifica, Chevrolet and Mercedes R Class or V class. European cars have the highest level of maintenance costs, the cheapest cost/km ratio being Toyota RAV , less than 0.80 CHF a km (found on tcs.ch).
- best 4X4s are Land Rover, Range Rover , Toyota Land Cruiser, Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan Patrol, some Jeeps
If it is a CO2 concern Lexus 400H or 450h is the solution (no 7 seater). It is a SUV not a real off-road vehicle. real 4x4 have differential blocking capability (differential blocking means that all wheels have same speed , even when loss of adherence). This is used on rough terrain when one of the wheels starts spinning, on soft terrain, snow or sand for instance.
On snow, SUV with electronic detection of loss of adherence behave funny indeed. Shuting on and off permanently. It might be safer with a real 4x4 or even a basic front wheel drive. Using winter tyres helps a lot to change the behaviour of car on snow and ice. Do the test in winter.
For a real 7 seater, you are going to struggle hard. Economy and reliability should be considered along with insurance costs. Conclusion: you can buy a nice VW all wheel drive van at AMAG with 6 or 7 real seats and keep your children happy. If need be, seats can be easily removed and stored in the garage.