Near-luxury crossovers under $40K
DISCOUNTS: As a new year begins, you can pick up some great deals on these 2017 models
Today, we compare three near-luxury crossovers, the base 2017 Ford Explorer V6 AWD, Hyundai Tucson Ultimate AWD and Infiniti QX30 AWD.
2017 Ford Explorer
Last year, the Ford Explorer received a redesigned front fascia, lower bumper, headlights and fog lamps with restyled LED tail lamps and dual exhaust outlets at the back end. Everything between carries over. The cabin is nicely attired and comes with decent materials and generous equipment levels — one of the plusses is MyKey. It allows a parent to program speed limits and there’s no sound system until the seatbelts are latched. The downside is the chunky roof pillars and tall dash combine to hinder outward visibility. Sadly, blind spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert are not available on the featured model, and forward collision warning with brake support is only offered on the $58,849 Platinum model.
Size-wise, the Explorer is large with three rows of seating. It also has a ton of flexibility and cargo capacity. There’s 595 litres behind the third row and 1,243 with it folded flat. Drop the middle row and it makes light work of 2,314 litres.
The Explorer also boasts a brawny 2,267-kilogram tow capacity.
The featured Explorer is powered by a 3.5-litre V-6 that produces 290 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. It drives all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The all-wheel drive system features hill descent control, hill start assist and Ford’s Terrain Management System; it gives the driver access to a number of modes that are aimed at maximizing traction over a variety of driving situations. It works well and adds to the Explorer’s offroad ability. That said, it is still more soft-roader than anything.
The base Ford Explorer V6 carries a combined discount of $1,692 and a pre-tax price of $37,137.
2017 Hyundai Tucson
Following last year’s full rework, the 2017 Hyundai Tucson gets some minor upgrades including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the Tucson starts at $24,799, adding all the bells and whistles drives the price up quickly. That said, it comes with just about everything including leather upholstery, an eight-way power driver’s seat and an eightinch touchscreen with navigation. It also counts blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, rear park assist and lane departure warning. The final part is autonomous emergency braking with vehicle and pedestrian recognition. Vehicles costing significantly more do not arrive with as much safety technology. The five-seat Tucson has decent space. The 877 litres with the seats upright and 1,752 L with them folded down is generous given the outward dimensions. The Tucson is powered by a perky 1.6-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 175 horsepower and 195 lb.ft. of torque at 1,500 rpm. There is a minor bout of turbo lag off the line, but once through that it pulls very nicely. It is teamed with a slick seven-speed twin-clutch transmission and a good all-wheel drive system. It delivers 100 per cent of the power to the front wheels during normal driving, but can send up to 50 per cent to the rear wheels when needed. It also arrives with a lock mode for soft-road or slippery conditions. The Hyundai Tucson Ultimate has a list of $38,852 after a $1,682 rebate.
2017 Infiniti QX30
Infiniti’s newest crossover shares much of its makeup with the Mercedes-Benz GLA 250, but has a style it can call its own — it is bold but in a reserved kind of way. Up front, the materials are very good, with Nappa leather wrapping the comfortable seating. The functionality is also good and the rear seat up to expectations. There is plenty of headroom and decent legroom as long as the front seats are not all the way back.
It also has 544 litres of cargo space with the seats upright and 963L with both halves of the 60-40 unit folded flat. The nitpick lies in the fact the QX30 requires the $2,500 Technology package to get blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, forward emergency braking, active front headlights and Infiniti’s around-view camera system.
The QX30 is motivated by a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder that pushes 208 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque at a low 1,200 rpm. This means the merest hint of turbo lag off the line, but once rolling the QX simply picks up its side sills and sprints forward to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. It is married to a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission and a good all-wheel drive system. It is quick to react, which keeps the traction control system at bay. The QX30 shines on a wet road, pulling away with little fuss even when the gas pedal is hammered and the torque is reaching its sweet spot.
The Infiniti QX30 brings a generous $4,750 discount and a price of $35,875