For buyers who find them more appealing than equivalent premium sedans, premium multi-activity vehicles (MAVs)—commonly referred to as luxury sport utility vehicles (SUVs) —can take performance and design to new levels. In the premium MAV segments, the BMW X5, Cadillac Escalade EXT and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class are the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study (APEAL)SM award recipients.
Midsize Premium MAV segment: 2007 BMW X5
BMW doesn’t call the X5 a sport utility vehicle, because its merging of handling and performance with utility and off-road capability makes it what BMW calls a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV). For 2007, the X5 has been redesigned and re-engineered. Among the changes are room for more people and cargo thanks to a new and slightly larger body design that not only provides room for a third-row seat but also adds nearly five more cubic feet of cargo capacity as well. Both the second- and third-row seats fold flat into the cargo floor. The X5’s interior also has been redesigned and made more practical while remaining upscale, incorporating BMW’s iDrive technology that allows all audio, climate, navigation, and similar functions to be controlled by a computer-style mouse device located between the seats.
The BMW X5 is available in two models. The X5 3.0si has a new 260-hp, inline 6-cylinder engine, while the X5 4.8i gets BMW’s 350-hp, 4.8-liter V-8. Both come with 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmissions and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system.
The X5 comes with a long list of standard equipment, including a complete set of safety technologies, both active—such as dynamic stability control (DSC)—and passive, including side curtain air bags covering all three rows. Eight-way power front seats are standard, with 20-way power seats available. The center console now has two large cupholders. Automatic climate controls are standard equipment, as is a 12-speaker audio system. Various special option packages are available, including a Premium package with 4-way, front-seat lumbar support, auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, a digital compass, a storage package, a hands-free telephone interface, and more.
Large Premium MAV segment: 2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT (tie)
The Cadillac Escalade EXT is a 5-passenger luxury sport utility truck (SUT) patterned along the same lines as the Chevrolet Avalanche—the progenitor of this unique market niche —and the HUMMER H2 SUT. What sets these trucks apart from other vehicles is the blend of SUV and pickup truck characteristics made possible by an exclusive collapsible Midgate located between the rear seat and cargo box. Lowering the Midgate extends the truck bed from 5 feet to 8 feet. A lockable tonneau cover can be put in place to protect items in the 101-cubic-foot cargo bed. The versatility afforded by this unique SUT design is unmatched.
Within the Escalade family, the EXT is identical to the standard Cadillac Escalade from the front doors forward, and is as long as the extended-length Cadillac Escalade ESV. All three versions feature a redesigned exterior with improved aerodynamics to help raise highway fuel economy and reduce wind noise. The Escalade EXT offers the same standard luxury equipment as other 2007 Escalades—features like leather seats with power front adjustment, automatic climate control, OnStar, and more. Options include air-conditioned seats, a heated steering wheel, a touch-screen navigation system, and a number of audio system options.
On the mechanical side, the EXT is now powered by a new, all-aluminum, 6.2-liter V-8 with variable valve timing. It produces 403 hp and 417 lb.-ft. of torque—both substantial increases over the former 6.0-liter engine. Another upgrade is the new 6-speed automatic transmission with tow/haul and manual shift capabilities. Maximum towing capacity is 7,600 pounds. To improve braking performance, larger 4-wheel disc brakes and a new ABS system have been installed to work in tandem with StabiliTrak to sense and avert potential rollovers. Cadillac backs the Escalade EXT with a 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Large Premium MAV segment: 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (tie)
For many years, Mercedes has offered “civilian” versions of its famed Gelandewagen, a vehicle developed for the German military. The G-Class is rugged and very capable off-road, but it also is very expensive and not quite as comfortable or as luxurious to the extent expected by Mercedes customers in North America. The automaker’s research with its own customers revealed that many people who own a Mercedes sedan also own a full-size SUV of a different brand, purchased instead of the midsize M-Class. Those customers said the M simply wasn’t large enough for their needs, which included seating for as many as seven people, more cargo capacity than the M provided, and/or the ability to tow a horse trailer or an Airstream trailer, for example.
To fill this gap in its product line, Mercedes developed the GL-Class, which is built in the same Alabama factory that builds the M-Class SUV and the R-Class touring wagon. The GL shares many of its components with its siblings. However, the only shared sheet metal is the front doors, which are used on both the M and GL.
One thing that separates the GL-Class from many other full-size SUVs is that it’s built with unit-body architecture, not with the traditional separate body and ladder frame. Mercedes says that by using a high percentage of special high-strength steel the GL-Class is strong enough for off-road use and for serious towing while also providing optimized protection for its occupants (the GL comes with front, side, and curtain air bags). Mercedes says the third-row seats were designed for adults, not just for children. Thanks to a huge sunroof that extends overhead, those sitting in the third row won’t feel closed in. Whether in the front, second, or third row, each seat has its own reading lamp, air vent, and cup holder.
For model year 2007, two versions of the full-size SUV are available: the GL450, powered by a 335-hp V-8 engine similar to the one in Mercedes’ newest S-Class flagship sedan; and the GL320 CDI featuring a turbocharged, 3.0L V-6 diesel engine that generates 215 hp and an impressive 398 lb.-ft. of torque.
Pickups and Vans
Subcompact and Compact Cars
Midsize and Large Cars
Sporty Cars
Premium Cars
Multi-activity Vehicles (MAV)
2007 APEAL Study Results
