Super SUV's For Less

A few years ago, the idea of a performance SUV would have been something that on paper wouldn’t have made much sense. The high driving position, increased weight and raised centre of gravity meant that an SUV was not something you would be looking to drive in a spirited manner or tackling challenging corners with. Times have changed however and thanks to advances in handling abilities, suspension set ups and performance capabilities, the performance SUV market is now more popular than ever.

There are a number of models that pushed SUV capabilities on further than ever before to get to the stage where they are today. The launch of the Cayenne brought Porsche car handling to the luxury SUV market for the first time, the Range Rover Sport SVR offered the complete package in terms of power and performance years later, until the Lamborghini Urus recently raised the bar even higher, creating the first claimed ‘Super-SUV’.

So, with so many performance-minded SUVs on the market, now is the perfect time to experience what they can offer. No longer does the practicality of an SUV mean you have to sacrifice the enjoyment of driving or the ability to tackle a winding B-road on a summer’s day. So with a sensible ￡60,000 to spend, what can your budget buy you in the world of performance SUV’s?

Range Rover Sport SVR

The Range Rover Sport SVR was a product of the brand’s Special Vehicle Operations arm and saw the sportier iteration of the legendary luxury off-roader receive its most powerful and capable version yet. With a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine that produces up to 567bhp, an enhanced suspension, chassis and steering set up for handling ability, and an intoxicating sound from the switchable quad exhaust system, the SVR will go down as one of the most iconic SUV models of all time.

All that power meant that even though it weighed almost 2.4 tonnes, the car can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 4.3 seconds and will keep going until 176mph. Not just that though, the cornering and handling capability are seriously impressive for such a large vehicle. The appearance of the SVR suits its exterior enhancements that feature larger wheels, carbon fibre trim and body panels, and the lightweight performance seats to the interior look right at home.

With the Range Rover Sport SVR being such a sales success, the used market has plenty of models to choose from. At the time of writing there were over 250 available on popular automotive marketplace Auto Trader, ranging from higher mileage examples of 2022 models to early 2015 cars for less than half of your budget. A lot of car for the money considering the list price in excess of ￡120,000 when new. Post-2018 cars are the facelift models with improved technology and additional performance from the powerful V8. With so many examples available you can afford to be picky when it comes to specification, with panoramic sunroof, carbon fibre vented bonnet and premium palette paint finishes the most sought after options.

Porsche Macan Turbo / Cayenne Turbo

The Porsche Cayenne, and later the Macan, brought sports car handling and feel to the SUV market. Porsche used their extensive engineering and sports car knowledge to ensure that their SUV’s are some of the best to drive on the market, and they have been performing the same clever trick ever since. The Cayenne may have looked slightly ungainly upon launch, attempting to mimic the front-end styling of the 911 yet in a much larger package, but it has evolved incredibly well, and along with its smaller Macan sibling, has become one of the best-looking SUV’s you can buy.

The introduction of the Cayenne and Macan Turbo models brought an all-new level of performance to Porsche’s SUV line up. With 542bhp available in the former and 433bhp in the latter, 0-62mph is possible in just over 4 seconds for both models and a top speed of around 170mph too. Both versions are highly praised for their ride and handling characteristics, with those looking to still enjoy the thrill of driving yet with all the practicality of an SUV never disappointed with what they have to offer.

Thanks to Porsche’s legendary ability to hold their value better than most, having a budget of ￡60,000 will allow you to reach for the flagship Turbo models, but perhaps not as new as you were hoping for. With just under 50 Cayenne Turbo and 100 Macan Turbo models listed on Auto Trader at time of writing for you budget, a 2021 Macan is the latest you can expect to find, with a 2020 Cayenne as new as it gets. As with any Porsche, specification is key and upgraded wheels, panoramic sunroof, ceramic brakes and Paint To Sample colours are what makes your SUV stand out. Look out for the highly sought after Turbo S with pre-2017 Cayenne models, with 562bhp on offer, and the pre-2018 Turbo Performance Macan models sporting 440bhp. Some vehicles can have in excess of ￡30k of options, so represent a comparative bargain for your money if you shop around.

BMW X3 M/ X5 M

Much like the release of the Cayenne, BMW’s X5 and X3 models brought the SUV to a wider market than ever before. Offering luxury and refinement combined with the enjoyment of ‘the ultimate driving machine’, both models have been a huge sales success for the German brand and continue to go from strength to strength, even as we move towards an all-electric future. The flexibility of the models and the choice of the range means that BMW’s ‘X’ SUV range offer something for everybody, and that includes at the performance end of the line up.

The ‘M’ range of ‘X’ models are some of the most impressive SUV’s on the market, not just with their performance and handling, but also when combined with the abundance of technology they also come with. The most recent X3 M Competition (and X4 M Coupe sibling) offer 510bhp from a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre engine, whilst the X5 M (and X6 M Coupe sibling) produce a colossal 625bhp from a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre engine. With previous generations of both models only slightly down on power compared to the latest models in the line up. As with most performance models these days, this may be the last opportunity to get behind the wheel of a purely combustion engine ‘M’ car before they all become hybridised or are fully electrically powered.

Listed on Auto Trader at time of writing were 80 examples of the X3 M (and 38 of the Coupe bodied X4 M) and 34 of the X5 M (with a further 30 of the Coupe bodied X6 M) within budget. For your ￡60,000 you would be looking at a 2022 model of the X3 M Competition with around 15,000 miles, a relatively new car considering its current ￡94,000 list price. The budget will also just stretch to a 2021 X5 M, however you should see change from your ￡60,000 for the previous generation 2018 year model which are around ￡44,000 or less.

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