Three times every month, Graeme Fletcher combines manufacturers’ incentives from Unhaggle.com with resale value, dependability and overall ratings to find you the best deal for your money in new cars. This week, we look at near-luxury crossovers. The hot deals are on the 2017 Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI Komfort, BMW X3 xDrive28i and Lincoln MKC Select AWD.
2017 Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI Komfort
Audi Q5
Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $43,800
Audi Canada Incentive*: $1,500
Unhaggle Savings: $1,250
Total Savings: $2,750
Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2,235
Total Before Tax: $43,285
The Audi Q5 soldiers on into 2017 unchanged — there is an all-new 2018 model coming later this year. That, however, does not detract from its appeal. It has a strong curbside presence and a stunning interior, which still makes it one of the top contenders in the segment.
The 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder brings 220 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque at just 1,500 rpm. As is to be expected, the early entry of the twisting power – when combined with the eight-speed automatic transmission, it brings a brisk run from rest to 100 km/h in seven seconds – makes the Q5 respectably quick. Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system is very good at getting the power down regardless of the road conditions. Its powertrain combination brings a respectable city fuel consumption rating of 12 L/100 km.
Slip inside and things continue to impress. The materials are very good, the comfort is likewise and it has the desired equipment. The Komfort model features a host of amenities including the usual power items, push-button start, a power liftgate and a serious sound system with 10 speakers. It also features Audi’s Pre Sense Basic suite of active safety features. It is, as the name suggests, basic — it pre-tensions the seatbelts and closes the windows and sunroof if equipped. Finally, the Q5 features a 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat, leading to 824 litres of cargo space with them upright and 1,622L with them flat.
The Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI Komfort has a pretax price of $43,285 after a combined discount of $2,750.
2017 BMW X3 xDrive28i
2017 BMW X3
Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $45,950
BMW Canada Incentive*: $1,500
Unhaggle Savings: $1,200
Total Savings: $2,700
Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2,285
Total Before Tax: $45,535
As with the Q5, the BMW X3 is not new for 2017 — it has been basically remained unchanged over several years with the exception of minor styling updates and powertrain upgrades. Again, this is not such a bad thing, as it continues to deliver all that is expect of a luxury crossover, or “Sports Activity Vehicle” as BMW calls it. The cabin is plush and has an ambience that speaks to its status. It also arrives with plenty of gear including comfortable seating, heated seats and steering wheel to go along with the backup camera and front/rear park distance control. It is also versatile with 40/20/40 split-folding seats and 550 litres of cargo space with the seats up and 1,600L with them folded flat.
The Driver Assistant, which included camera-based lane departure warning and pedestrian warning systems with City Brake Activation, is wrapped up in the costly Premium Enhanced package ($7,750), which needs to change.
As for performance, the X3 shines with its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It delivers a healthy 240 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,400 rpm. This low-rpm work ethic banishes turbo lag and delivers a speedy zero-to-100 km/h run of 6.5 seconds. It works with an eight-speed automatic and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system. The combination makes light work of driving regardless of the road conditions and it returns a city fuel economy of 11.1 L/100 km — the best of the bunch here.
The BMW X3 xDrive28i featured arrives with a total discount of $2,700 and price of $45,535.
2017 Lincoln MKC Select All-Wheel Drive
Lincoln MKC
Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price: $43,000
Lincoln Canada Incentive*: $2,327
Unhaggle Savings: $750
Total Savings: $3,077
Mandatory Fees (Freight, Govt. Fees): $2,040
Total Before Tax: $41,963
The Lincoln MKC, which shares much of its mechanical makeup with the Ford Escape, carries over with just a few upgrades for 2017 — the inclusion Sync3 along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Where it leaves its sibling in the dust is the quality and amenities found in the cabin. It is upscale and then some. The list of niceties includes 10-way heated power seats with two-way lumbar adjustment, leather by Bridge of Weir (read: very nice), a solid nine-speaker sound system and MyKey. The latter is a boon for an owner with teen drivers, as it will not play the sound system until the darlings are buckled up and it allows for warnings when preset speeds are exceeded. The Lincoln has good cargo capacity with 712 litres seats up and 1,505L with them flat – not great but useable nonetheless.
The Select Plus package ($1,250) does bring blind spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, but to get the more advanced safety item like lane departure warning and forward collision warning requires the Reserve model and, again, adding a package. As with BMW, this strategy requires a rethink.
The featured Select model arrives with Ford’s 2.0-litre EcoBoost inline-four, providing plenty of get-up-and-go: 240 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. It powers all four wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The combination brings decent performance with a run from rest to 100 km/h of 7.4 seconds. The later arrival of the torque at 3,000 rpm means some lag off the line, but once moving, it is a quick ride. That said, with a city fuel economy rating of 12.3 L/100 km, it is the thirstiest of the bunch. Likewise, the all-wheel drive system is occasionally late in getting the power to where it needs to be — that said, it is still a very good system.
The MKC handles very adroitly thanks to its adaptive dampers. They limit body roll through a fast corner without sacrificing the highway ride quality. It is also one seriously quiet ride at speed, which adds to its allure if you do a lot of highway cruising.
The Lincoln MKC has a total Unhaggle price of $41,963 after a rebate of $3,077.
Compare the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Lincoln MKC side-by-side right here
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the Audi Q5 as good in all crash tests and awards it a Top Safety Pick+ with an advanced rating for forward crash prevention when fitted with optional equipment. The headlights earn an average rating. The BMW X3 earns good ratings in all tests except the small overlap front test (it is not rated) and a superior rating for forward crash prevention with optional equipment. The MKC is only ranked for the moderate front overlap and side impact tests, and it scores a basic score in the frontal crash prevention with optional equipment.
Transport Canada and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) list one minor recall (#2016242) for the BMW X3: “On certain vehicles, the lower anchor bars that are used for installing child seats using the European-ISOFIX-type rigid-style connector may become damaged during vehicle operation.”
It should be noted that the child restraint systems using the LATCH system, which reflects the vast majority of child restraint systems used in Canada, do not have this issue. There are no recalls for the Audi Q5 or Lincoln MKC.
The anticipated resale value of these three crossovers in 2022 after being driven 20,000 km/year is $13,170 for the Audi Q5 and $15,570 for the BMW X3 and $14,130 for the Lincoln MKC.
As for which of these three near-luxury crossovers is the hottest deal – well, take your pick! All blend cachet with performance and decidedly sport handling for a crossover. To pick one would be like splitting the proverbial hair. In other words, the ride that turns your crank is the right purchase.
*Manufacturer incentive displayed is for cash purchases and may differ if leasing or financing. For more information on purchasing any of these vehicles or others, please visit Unhaggle.com. While data is accurate at time of publication, pricing and incentives may be updated or discontinued by individual dealers or manufacturers at any time. Typically, manufacturer incentives expire at the end of every month. Vehicle availability is also subject to change based on market conditions. Unhaggle Savings is a proprietary estimate of expected discount in addition to manufacturer incentive based on actual savings by Unhaggle customers. Taxes are extra and vary by province.