Luxury Diesel SUV Comparison
Jeep Grand Cherokee vs. Mercedes-Benz ML350 vs.Porsche Cayenne vs. Volkswagen Touareg
Gathered before us is a collection of diesel-powered midsize SUVs that manages to strike an even keel between capable off-roader, luxurious long-hauler, and excellent all-weather family transporter/urban warrior. It's quite the specific niche. Two newbies lead off: The Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel and Porsche Cayenne Diesel are the fresh faces whose base vehicles debuted in 2011 but didn't deliver a diesel engine for a few years. Then there's the Volkswagen Touareg TDI, the pack's longest-running contender. Its current model also came out in '11. Rounding out the bunch is the Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec, an associate of the vaunted M-Class that helped spur the luxury SUV market's expansion upon its release in 1998.
Like a tight-knit group of friends, the foursome enjoys a common bond: They all possess 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 torque monsters producing an identical 240 hp and drive all four wheels through 265mm tires, but each has its own background, pedigree, and personality. Naturally, the Porsche and Volkswagen arise from a shared family lineage nearly 10 years old. They both have their own set of high expectations: The first Touareg was Motor Trend's 2004 SUV of the Year, while the second iteration of the Cayenne was the 2011 winner. Yet they couldn't be more dissimilar. The original M-Class was our '98 Truck of the Year (the award predated the first SUOTY by a year) and is presently in its third generation ('12 and forward). Likewise, the Grand Cherokee was the '93 TOTY. More than a decade after the honors, Jeep experimented with a different diesel for a grand total of two years. It was known as CRD, for Common Rail Diesel, from 2007-2008. We predict Jeep will stick with its EcoDiesel for more than two years.
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