Congress Of Spiritual Leaders: Test BMW X5, Audi Q8 And & Nbsp; Mercedes-Benz GLE

Video: Congress Of Spiritual Leaders: Test BMW X5, Audi Q8 And & Nbsp; Mercedes-Benz GLE

Отличия серверных жестких дисков от десктопных — Video: #бестолковыйтест: Audi Q8 против BMW X5 и Mercedes-Benz GLE 2023, January

The fact that the case was amiss became clear exactly at the moment when notes about cars began to appear in magazines about computers. A car is no longer a luxury or even a means of transportation. - this is a gadget on wheels. Soon it will be just like in «Spy kids»: cars will turn into super watches, in which several hundred different functions are sewn up, only they do not show the time.

And this concerns the premium segment in the first place, because it is for the money of a wealthy audience that advanced technologies are tested in order to then go down to budget niches to a mass buyer. And today we have three such premium gadgets … sorry, cars: the Audi Q8 coupe-crossover will meet with the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. Is it just a comparative test?

Congress of Spiritual Leaders: Test BMW X5, Audi Q8 and Mercedes-Benz GLE

Rather, it will be a competition not of specific cars, but of ideologies: all three crossovers play in the same niche, but they are completely different in character and spirit. That is why the range of price tags and configurations is not so important this time. In our test, the Audi Q8 is the most expensive car: its cost is a mind-boggling 8,290,148 rubles, of which more than two million is the price of options.

The Audi Q8, even though it entered the market earlier than the other two, looks the most impressive: complex chopped shapes, a swift silhouette, huge (22 inches!) Rims and - the ardent love of all car fans - frameless doors. When was the last time you saw this on a crossover, albeit a coupe-like one? X5 and GLE, although newer, look noticeably more conservative and … boring against the background of Q8

Only the rear bumper is disappointing in the Q8's design, where the wide exhaust pipes, on closer inspection, turn out to be a shameful decoration: a strange design decision that, for the life of me, is very difficult to understand. They say that the Chinese like this option, and the entire world auto industry is now working specifically for the Chinese market

But they still fall short of the eccentric Q8, which greets the driver with a veritable spectacle of animated rear optics. He, however, is supposed to be eccentric: after all, he is a more accessible relative of the Lamborghini Urus. Although how to say "affordable" …

For comparison: test Bmw x5 is worth 6 813 000 rublesof that amount, just over a million comes from the optional M Sport Package, which has pretty much everything you need. However, it should be noted that the Bavarian from the Q8 is literally separated by a couple of jackdaws in the configurator. At a minimum, the test car does not have air suspension (plus 178,000 rubles), monitors for rear passengers (plus 214,000 rubles to the price tag), and an already cool audio system can become even cooler if you pay 400,000 rubles in addition.

BMW, when creating the new X5, also seemed to be guided by China - hence those absurdly huge nostrils and narrowed taillights

The rear bumper is a little better here: the real exhaust really hides behind the huge pipes - even though its end is less than five times compared to the surrounding decor. Spared ten centimeters of metal to make a solid exhaust?

Otherwise, one cannot help but notice that the designers of BMW and Mercedes-Benz thought about the same way, creating new generations of X5 and GLE, respectively: they clearly kept themselves in hand, drawing the front parts of the cars and the cockpit, but then they reached the stern and freaked out: the rear the optics of both models changed very boldly and radically

Against the background of Audi and BMW Mercedes-Benz GLE looks like a student of the school of noble maidens: everything is modest and neat. Price list - 4,980,000 rubles, and for this money you get almost the basic version, which is noticeably inferior to competitors: for example, there is no panoramic roof, or even a simple hatch. Doors without closers, although what is there, keyless access - and that is absent. In the car for five million. Our GLE also has fewer driver assistants, and the headlights have conventional LEDs instead of BMW lasers and Audi matrix optics. And in terms of technology, everything is much more modest, but this is already worth talking about separately. Let's take a look at the points.

Mercedes-Benz GLE looks harmonious and massive.Wheels do not seem so big, but meanwhile, they are as much as 20 inches

The new Mercedes-Benz signature feature in the form of narrowed taillights on the GLE looks noticeably better than on passenger models of the brand: it adds massiveness to the crossover, without making it too "Asian"

Mercedes-Benz has decided not to fool around with the design of the rear bumper: their new GLE has an honest exhaust end, with a wide bell, the size is the same size as the holes in the bumper

Dynamics, handling, comfort

Mercedes-Benz GLE and Bmw x5 were presented at about the same time, but GLE reached Russia with a delay of several months. Our test version turned out to be just as unhurried: a two-liter diesel engine with a capacity of only 245 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque is purely symbolic against the powerful petrol "sixes" of Audi and BMW. Acceleration to 100 km / h takes 7.2 seconds - this does not scare even the Mazd6, which we tested in one of the previous triple tests.

The other two Germans are gasoline-powered, they are much more powerful and dynamic, so comparing the GLE with them in a straight-line race is stupid. So, of course, that's exactly what we did! But, as usual, a little out of the box.

Diesel GLE in our trio does not seek to compete with anyone - he is already good. Although the engine does not press into the chair, it pulls perfectly on the move, and a perfectly working nine-speed automatic generally turns traction into some kind of elastic matter in which the crossover literally bathes. Except that the gas pedal seems slightly damped, but this is the only thing that smears the impression of the responsiveness and delicacy of the engine. Except that he rattles beyond measure: a low-volume heavy fuel in Mercedes GLE makes itself felt much more actively than the more massive gasoline units in BMW and Audi. Although it is perfectly balanced: neither at idle, nor even more so in dynamics, the vibrations will not pester you.

The GLE has the simplest spring suspension in this test and is … the most comfortable! Perhaps, not the least role is played by the chubby Continental ContiSport Contact tires measuring 275/50 with the twentieth diameter of the discs, but the fact is the fact: joints, combs and all sorts of little things invariably remain outside the driver's attention, and large bumps and pits, including those with sharp edges are worked out as intelligently as possible. To provoke a breakdown? It is possible, but for this you need to bump into a large irregularity, without even trying to correct your own mistake.

The GLE is skeptical about active driving: the rolls against the background of the X5 and Q8 are too big, on long high-speed arcs it feels heavy, and the steering wheel, on the contrary, is too light and somewhat detached: you want both effort and feedback from it. Yes, Mercedes' reactions are unambiguous and understandable, but there is not a hint of interest in the changes in trajectories. After GLE, the impression is like after communicating with a very good translator of a diplomatic level: he does his job perfectly, but at the same time remains invisible, and after a minute you no longer remember him.

Bmw x5 and Audi Q8 they go much more interesting and downright run into a duel: both crossovers have three-liter six-cylinder "six" with the same power of 340 horsepower. Only the Audi has a V-shaped engine, while the Bavarian has an in-line engine, of course. The X5 is inferior to the Q8 in terms of torque: 450 Nm versus 500 Nm. But this does not prevent him from being faster on a straight line, and noticeably!

Bmw x5 The Q8 accelerates to 100 km / h in 5.5 seconds, while the Q8 accelerates in 5.9 seconds, and in reality the difference is frighteningly noticeable. The B58 turbo six breaks powerfully, confidently, with a well-discernible pick up in the region of three thousand and without any further dips, until the cutoff. All this is accompanied by a moderate bass rumble of the engine and juicy shots of the exhaust system: pressing the gas to the floor on the big X is worth it at least for the sake of a high-quality soundtrack!

"Ku-eighth", with all the external image of an athlete, accelerates much more bland: V6 provides smooth acceleration, the speed increases rapidly, but too linear, without a single burst or pickup. And where crossovers are similar, it is in the efficient operation of transmissions and comfortable, prompt response of the accelerator.

In terms of chassis performance, both Audi and BMW are good, but each in its own way. The BMW CLAR platform is lightness, excitement and drifts, and the MLB EVO "bogie" is one hundred percent stability and a sincere love for fast turns with powerful lateral g-forces. The Q8 is very fast, solid and stable at the same time, but at times it lacks the agility and sharpness of the Bavarian, and the X5 is nicer in terms of power steering. The "cute" steering wheel logically changes the effort depending on the speed, while the steering wheel of the Q8 is unexpectedly heavy at low speeds.

Thanks to the air suspension, the Audi Q8 is less afraid of off-road obstacles in this test: its maximum ground clearance reaches 254 mm. For comparison: in the photo there is a crossover in the lower position of the suspension …

… and on this - at the top. A little more - and the rear overhang would not fit into the frame

The ground clearance of the GLE is 180 mm. The overhang of the front bumper is large, since its edge is raised quite high - it's not so scary to park close to the curbs

At the back there is a good clearance margin and a well-rounded shape, although those who like to touch the curbs with their wheels should keep in mind that obstacles higher than 22 centimeters will creak. Literally

The BMW X5 is more off-road than the GLE on paper: passport clearance is 214 millimeters. But the aerodynamic shields under the bumper hang much lower

But at the back, everything is much better: the overhang itself is longer than the Mercedes one, but it is farther from the asphalt

But in terms of energy intensity and ride comfort, the Q8 suspension puts the X5 on both blades - unexpectedly, especially considering that the test car has the largest wheels: the same Continental SportContact as the GLE, but with dimensions already 265/40 R22. Moreover, the Q8 is the only one of the three we got with an adaptive air suspension; and even on racks twisted in off-road mode, with a ground clearance of 254 mm, when the power reserve is minimal, the Q8 manages to perfectly filter large irregularities without bumps and unnecessary swinging. Bmw x5 Audi is not able to keep pace on the same road: the suspension stiffens, the body sausages on irregularities, breakdowns begin. On small things, the X5 behaves better, but replace the huge rollers on Audi with smaller wheels - and there will be parity.

The biggest rolls are expected for the GLE. He doesn't like high-speed turns

Only the massive body hinders the Bavarian chassis to fully express itself, but even taking this into account, the X5 is reckless and - if the driver asks - interestingly slides off the rear axle in a high-speed corner

The Q8 reacts to brute force with understeer, but bringing it to such a state is another task: this crossover is the most stable of our trinity

Multimedia systems

But enough about driving habits: remember, we started with reflections on the transformation of cars into gadgets? With this, today's trinity is all right. Even Mercedes-Benz GLEAlthough it is generally much more modest than others, it offers a very cool MBUX infotainment system. Both navigation and Mercedes me connect mobile services are at your service, thanks to which you can remotely start the engine using your smartphone or, for example, set a comfortable temperature in the cabin. There is also voice control: the command "Hello Mercedes" activates the virtual assistant, which, at your request, will plot a route in navigation, adjust the temperature in the cabin, turn on the heating or change the radio station

A funny but annoying nuance of the voice assistant in MBUX is that multimedia intercepts the conversation every time you just say the word "Mercedes"

The interface design in the BMW X5 is much more concise than in the GLE. The presentation of information is verified: you do not have to wander around the screen

The menu in the Audi Q8 is organized according to the same logic as in the BMW: the main tabs are fixed on the left side of the screen. Working with a tablet is a pleasure. Graphics, responsiveness and performance are up to the mark

Have Audi Q8despite the impressive price tag, the voice assistant is the most primitive: it is activated not by voice, but from a button on the steering wheel, and in general, the system recognizes free voice commands much worse, and its work is tied to an algorithm of the level of a school computer science course: several commands are offered for each command scenarios, and the driver is forced to choose these scenarios, calling them a sequence number. It is inconvenient and cumbersome: it is easier to distract yourself and do everything manually, which completely deprives the whole idea of meaning.

But at Bmw x5 with the recognition of voice commands, everything is fine. "Hello BMW" - and further communication with electronics goes without problems. The virtual assistant has a very slow speech, as if he is on sedatives, but do not hesitate to interrupt and immediately say the required command: he will stop mumbling the learned phrases and will do what they require.

In general, in terms of a set of digital capabilities, all three models are, plus or minus, similar. But these possibilities are packed - and presented to the driver - in completely different ways.

Interior

In terms of interior design Bmw x5 is the most conservative of the three. He carefully hides all the features of the new multimedia BMW OS 7.0 deep under the familiar buttons and selectors, distracts from the ideas of futurism with classic wood inserts and high-quality, but laconic leather trim. The center console is turned towards the driver, does not skimp on the usual physical buttons, through which it is much easier to get to the desired functions than using the touch screen. A familiar and very understandable joystick located behind the transmission selector is designed to control the multimedia.

For 238 800 rubles in the BMW X5 you can order a panoramic glass roof Sky Lounge, with illumination of the "starry sky" type. Yes, almost like a Rolls-Royce

From the door handles - an unexpected impression of cheapness. I would like a little more "thoroughbred" effort

Be careful with these deflectors: they are very flimsy and break easily if you attach a holder with a smartphone to them. Replacement for officials is possible only with a single unit, with two deflectors, buttons and temperature displays between them. The price of the issue is about 60,000 rubles

Even if you study this tidy from a photograph, your eyes run up: shallow, unusual, uninformative. And most importantly, the BMW breed is not recognized

In a couple of moments, the X5 does try to move away from the traditional interior, and both times - not very well. The first is a digital instrument cluster with a new, highly controversial dial design. More than once, everyone has paid attention to the fact that the device suspiciously resembles Chery's toolkit, but the worse is not the similarity with the Chinese, but the fact that it is far from ideal in terms of readability. Small numbers scatter on thin scales, tachometer and speedometer arrows move in opposite directions … or are we too accustomed to classic Bavarian wells with orange illumination?

The second attempt to be modern - buttons around the gear selector, with which you can activate parking cameras or switch driving modes. They are ordinary physical ones, but made flush with a single panel. The effort is indistinct, and they react to pressing with a "sigh" of the entire panel.

The Bavarian system BMW OS 7.0 seems to be optimal in terms of the convenience of multimedia control: by shaking and rotating the puck, the first time you get to the desired menu item, and the effort on the joystick is very pleasant

In the Mercedes-Benz GLE, you can control multimedia both directly through the screen and using the touchpad on the center console. The hand fits perfectly on the leather-covered roller, but on the go, such control is not very intuitive: you have to "aim" at menu items and constantly be distracted from the road, and reaching for the screen is far away

The console between the front seats of the Audi Q8 looks as simple as possible: almost all the free space is occupied by cup holders covered with a lid, which - yes - also shines and does not like prints. The gear selector is the most convenient of the three, and the multimedia is controlled by touch only

After BMW X5 driver's seat GLE is a real attraction. In all the nuances and details, the interior diligently shows that it is Mercedes: restraint and quality are felt not only in the selected finishing materials, but also in the shapes of the inserts and the geometry of the panels. Even the lighting shade looks like a crystal chandelier. All this strict Mercedes classics are literally torn apart by a giant cluster of two displays - a digital instrument panel and a central multimedia monitor.

Visually, they really look like a whole, so at first it seems that GLE is literally trying to drown the driver's user in information: speed, temperature, navigation, phone, applications, music - everything falls in a single stream, as if you were put at the helm of a Boeing taking off. But in fact, you get used to the distribution of these information flows very quickly: the interface design is unobtrusive, and the devices are read well and much more familiar than on the Bavarian's panel.

The block of two displays is over 70 centimeters long and is covered with a single glass. Scratched one - count, scratched half of the cabin

The on-board menu in the GLE can be controlled using the touch-sensitive joysticks on the steering wheel spokes - BMW and Audi have conventional toggle buttons

The digital instrument panel has several configuration options, the design of the instruments itself is classic. All the information you need is always in sight

Climate unit control - on ordinary physical toggle switches, similar to the buttons of an old cassette recorder. The buttons are too small: you can't touch it on the fly

The window regulator buttons are located in their usual place on the armrest. But the central locking buttons, out of habit, still have to look

The GLE is the only car in our test without a sunroof or panoramic roof. But he has the most beautiful lighting shade

For the rest of the ergonomics, the GLE remains faithful to the Mercedes traditions, and therefore requires getting used to after the more intuitive Q8 and X5. This also applies to the adjustments of the chair, carried from the pillow to the door, and the light control knobs (the competitors in the test have buttons), and - a classic! - overloaded paddle shifters, which are tied to both the gear selector and the control of the wipers.

If the BMW X5 is trying to look traditional, and Mercedes-Benz is experimenting with neoclassicism, then Audi Q8 just gadget-tuned to the bone: the driver is literally surrounded by tablets and displays, and the usual physical buttons can be counted on the fingers. Both multimedia and climate control are controlled through touch screens, so the glossy black hi-tech interior, alas, will not please for long: fingerprints remain on the surfaces.

Due to the abundance of dark colors, the Q8's interior layout seems to be the most dense. There are no questions about ergonomics, but with piano lacquer too much

The perennial problem of modern fancy cars: rarely where you can find a normal place for a smartphone. Audi suggests simply hiding it in the armrest - there is wireless charging for it, and you can use the phone through multimedia

After the Mercedes-Benz GLE, the buttons on the Audi steering wheel look very simple, as if there weren't such a daunting price difference. But to the logic of use - no questions asked

Despite the squat silhouette of the body, the Audi Q8 managed to maintain enough headroom for passengers to be comfortable, and the huge panoramic roof climbed

You can play with the Audi digital dashboard settings endlessly: design, instrument clusters, navigation settings - everything can be changed and customized in your own way. Only the engine temperature and fuel level gauges remain unchanged

Landing behind the wheel

Driver's seat in Mercedes-Benz GLE - to match the capabilities of the engine. Comfortable seats with no obtrusive lateral support offer a relaxed seating position - and perhaps the GLE is best suited for long, measured travel.

Audi Q8 - at the other end of the paradigm: the S Plus sports seats hug tightly with lateral support, the headrests with the back form a single element a la "sports bucket", the back is very well profiled, and the padding does not indulge in softness, so you seem to be sitting comfortably, but always in good shape … And there is no shortage of adjustments: there is a pneumatic pumping of the side bolsters of the pillow, lumbar zone and lateral support.

Bmw x5 true to himself: no matter how hard you try to look for flaws, the Bavarian armchairs, by a combination of factors, invariably remain the best. Excellent fit geometry, comfortable stress-free profile and tight but delicate lateral support - class! Although people of dense build can be cramped.

The seats in the Mercedes-Benz GLE are for lovers of the captain's relaxed seating position. Separate love - handles on the center console for the driver and front passenger. Very handy in tight turns

The S Plus sports seats on the Audi Q8 cost 77,163 rubles. About 80 thousand more will have to pay for the luxurious Valcon leather with diamond stitching

Adjusting the lumbar support on the driver's seat BMW X5 - an option for 23,000 rubles

Convenience of the trunk

In the competition of trunks, "Ku-eighth" is expected to catch nothing. Luggage capacity is 605 liters - 25 liters less than the GLE and 40 liters less than the X5. The rear pillars are piled up towards the center, so it will be very difficult to deal with the luggage that crawls out of the window line.

And the Q8 loses in terms of the overall thoughtfulness of the luggage compartment. Only he, for example, will not be able to remove the rear curtain with one hand: both limbs and a fair amount of dexterity are required. But in versions with air suspension, you can press a button and lower the rear by 65 millimeters to make it easier to load things.

The BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE are similar in practicality, but the Bavarian is still better: the extra 15 liters are pleasant, and the electric tailgate is convenient. This is not the case for competitors and is not expected.

Back row

However, if you go from the luggage compartment to the back row, the picture changes immediately: the most crowded - in the "X-fifth"! Yes, the back sofa is good in terms of the density of the padding and the geometry of the landing, but there is a minimum of legroom, and the third passenger in the center has nothing to catch at all: it is not so much the transmission tunnel that interferes with the console between the front seats, with air deflectors and a couple of niches for small things.

The BMW X5 has a very good seating geometry, but it doesn't make it easier for the legs. But in the backs of the front seats there are USB connectors for recharging smartphones

The console between the front seats is made as if on a leftover principle, from unexpectedly cheap plastic, and would look much more organic in some SkodOctavia

Have Mercedes-Benz GLE with space in the back row - no surprises. It has the largest wheelbase: 2995 mm versus 2987 mm for Audi Q8 and 2975 mm y Bmw x5, hence the expanse for passengers. The stock of knees and feet is more than sufficient, and for very long-legged riders, recesses are made in the backs of the front seats.

Overhead space is no problem either, thanks to the lack of a panoramic roof on this particular car. But in such a white cabin, the "blank" ceiling does not press: there is a lot of light and air in the second row, and according to the general feeling in the GLE, sitting in the back is the most pleasant thing.

The center passenger in the GLE will be spacious, although it has been slightly cheated along the length of the seat cushion

You shouldn't expect any special surprises from the console in the Mercedes-Benz GLE either: air vents, a couple of niches and a USB connector

But the real discovery on this indicator was still Audi Q8: Despite the coupe-like silhouette, it offers one of the most spacious rear row! Other comfort-class taxis will envy legroom here, and the coupe-like body arch begins far behind the riders' heads. By the way, this is the only crossover in the test in which the rear sofa has a longitudinal adjustment (range - 100 mm).

In Q8, the feeling is slightly spoiled by the excessively high transmission tunnel, but in our configuration, Audi is rehabilitated thanks to a full-fledged dual-zone climate control console of the second row: passengers have a separate sensor control unit for temperature and heating, and on the second "floor" of the console there is a cigarette lighter and a pair of USB -connectors.

The rear seats in the Audi Q8 are the stiffest and flattest of the three. On long journeys, the backs of Audi passengers will get tired earlier than in BMW and even more so in Mercedes

A display for each passenger! On the second row, climate zones and heating can be controlled using a separate touchscreen display. However, the price tag obliges

What is the bottom line?

And now, when all the advantages and disadvantages of the three cars are collected, you understand that the test itself did not work out. Not because the difference in characteristics and options is too great, but because each of these crossovers seems to be trying to compete, but in fact professes its own religion and talks about something different. Audi Q8 - about design and hi-tech; Bmw x5 - about gambling management and unobtrusive technologies; Mercedes-Benz GLE - about comfort and a sense of luxury. And if you look from the outside, then their direct comparison looks rather like a peace-loving congress of spiritual leaders who have long ago divided the audience of followers and have no complaints against each other.