Cayenne all the way, its light years ahead of all in my opinion. But I am not biased at all hehehe..

 

My dad always said, "that's what makes a horse race".

I agree, good looking car, X5M.

 

At the NY auto show last week I sat in a fully optioned Cayenne and it was notably better than any of the competition ( X5, Q7, ML etc.), but with a few options it gets very expensive, very quickly.

 

A friend of mine was in the market for an SUV and was set to buy a Cayenne S UNTIL he drove a VW Toureg TDI (Executive Edition) . He felt the Toureg had more torque , better mileage , was 26K cheaper (Porsche options add up fast) , and better suited for an SUV . Porsche will have a Cayenne Diesel but its not here yet.

 

Check this out: http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...rankings/SUVs/

 

Since the OP wants a more engaging driving experience than the Lexus, IMHO the Range Rover is NOT the way to go. I think it is softer and handles on the road worse than the Lexus product. For engagement, you have two choices - BMW and Porsche. I had a X6 and hated the reliability of it. So, Porsche it is...

 

Range Rover reliability is pretty bad according to this: 5.0
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...r_Range-Rover/

I have always liked the MB G. The interior is dated and seats not so comfortable.
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...-Benz_G-Class/

 

I have a Cayenne Diesel on order, so a little biased. The only issue with the X5 is that there is one in every other driveway in my neighbourhood. A toss up between X5 and Acura MDX for the most popular vehicle by far. Pretty crazy. To the extent you care at all about not having the same vehicle as everyone else, X5 is off the list. BTW, only seen 1 Cayenne in the hood so far.

 

I know this borders on blasphemy, but I have a Lincoln MKX, and I really like it. Okay, I'll admit to having an ulterior motive when I bought it. My wife drives an '09 C4S, and I wanted a 991 Cab for myself. There was no way she was going to let my get the Cab if I bought an expensive, somewhat sporty work car like a Cayenne, M5, etc. (I'm a real estate agent, and I need to drive clients around.). My strategy worked. I ordered the Cab on Saturday. Now I love the Lincoln.

 

Pretty similar situation here. I had the X5M and wife was driving a Mazda CX-9. I bought her an Audi TT cab for fun. She was driving it all the time. So I traded the X5M in for a '12 991. We all (her, me and nanny) share the CX-9 for hauling stuff and kids. Lots more room in the garage.

Only difference is that do not really like the CX-9. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice vehicle but.. It is not a 911 or X5M.

Caution -> car snob

 

Thank to all of you for the suggestions. I was not expecting such an overwhelming recommendation of the Cayenne (despite the fact that this is a Porsche forum ). Quite frankly, I never cared for the looks of the Cayenne when it first came out. Now I realize that they have made changes to it and that it looks more appealing.
Based on the recommendations, here are my thoughts so far:
*The Cayenne Diesel sounds like an interesting vehicle, however, it does not look as if it is available for a test drive yet. I wonder if the Toureg Diesel is about the same (appear to have the same engine and the Executive Model that yrralis1 mentioned seems to come loaded). Does the Toureg drive like a Cayenne (I know that they share lots of components)?
*The Rovers are out of the mix for me due to reliability issues.
*The list from US News rates the Cadillac Escalade as their #1 choice. Somehow, I would not think of such a big truck as being fun to drive.
*The X5 was also mentioned. I did a side-by-side comparison between the X5, X6 and Cayenne V6 on the BMW website and except for the comfort/amenities features that are standard in the BMW and optional in the Cayenne, the two BMW models do not seem to have any advantages over the Cayenne.

The one drawback that I see with the Cayenne is that Porsche charges extra for most conveniences that come standard with other vehicles. If one is not careful, to make a base Cayenne "comfortable" one can go crazy with options.

 

If you are paying cash or financing, it really boils down to the options. Similarly optioned, the Cayenne is going to be significantly more expensive.

If leasing, BMW usually is significantly cheaper. BMW Financial Service often subsidizes residuals and/or money factors to make very attractive leases available. These vary from month to month, but in November I was extremely close to pulling the trigger on a 7 series hybrid lease for <$700/month with no cap cost reduction(money down to reduce the payments). The MSRP on the car was a smidge under $100k. Outstanding value.

You also get free maintenance with a new BMW.

I really like the Cayenne. Once my X5 lease is up next year, I will look at the Cayenne, but I can tell already that the value proposition is going to be poor relative to the BMW and I will likely get something else. I can justify Porsche prices for a sports car. I can't (or won't) for a family hauler when there are better options.

 

Cayenne drives the best. Range Rover Sport has better design inside and out, drives well on road but is no Cayenne.

 

Even though I really like my Cayenne S, nothing come close to my Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (aka Lexus GX460) in terms of reability, off road capability and comfort. Its one fantastic SUV.

 

I know you own a LC, but I think this one deserves a chance in the hat... LX570.

For the price of a Cayenne S, you will get great reliability, great off-road capability, comfort, more room, smooth ride, good towing, and probably the best resale value of any SUVs out there...