A solid workhorse, with seven seats and a very comfortable ride.
Pros Excellent ride comfort Minimal NVH Half-decent looker Solid build quality Plenty of internal storage Great family car for the money Standard safety features
Cons Exceptionally poor infotainment system Outdated switchgear and cabin Poor bluetooth telephony Tough competition
The seven-seater Nissan X-Trail is currently the biggest SUV the firm builds. It’s a good-looking family car that rivals the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and the Skoda Kodiaq. The X-Trail’s interior has a similar design to the one found in the Nissan Qashqai, so it’s simple to use if a little uninspiring to look at, and the car’s standard five-inch touchscreen display means there isn’t a sea buttons to contend with. While there is plenty or room for five adults inside, the two seats that fold out from the boot are best reserved for children. Even with them in place, though, the X-Trail has enough boot space for a few suitcases.
Pros Comfortable Well-equipped Decent off-road
Cons Third row seats are a bit cramped Not exactly head-turning looks CVT automatic is not as good as rivals with DSG
The X-TRAIL TL is clearly not a 4WD as our beach run proved – and the diesel could be both more responsive at low rpm and more economical. However, this is a comfortable, quiet, smooth and sure-footed medium SUV with plenty of room for holiday gear in the back.
Pros Supple ride Comfortable, versatile interior LED headlights
Cons Lack of low-rpm grunt Fuel consumption higher than claimed Foot-operated parking brake
Two new performance models join the 2018 GLC-Class Coupe lineup: the AMG GLC 63 and AMG GLC 63 S. Mercedes has also renamed most of the GLC's options packages to better convey the features added. Heated wipers are now standard, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can now be added with the Smartphone Integration package.
PROS Elegant and premium interior design Excellent balance between agile handling and a comfortable ride Abundant driver safety aids work great Four- and six-cylinder engines are fuel-efficient for the class
CONS Hard to brake smoothly Rear headroom isn't great, especially in the middle Infotainment controls aren't always easy to use Less useful cargo area than in regular GLC
Mercedes-AMG peppers performance and spicy styling into its coupe/crossover casserole. The powertrain platter includes a 362-hp twin-turbo V-6 or twin-turbo V-8s pumping out 469 or 503 ponies. All engines pair with a nine-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.
Pros Porsche 911 quick, grippy handling, strong brakes, V-8 rumble.
Cons Stiff ride, noisy tires, feels big and heavy from behind the wheel.
The 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class captivates crossover types with its lush cabin and its plush ride; there’s AMG power on tap if you must.
Pros Cabinet-grade interior (agency or furniture) Choose your body Choose your engine Burmester audio thrills Doesn’t cut short on technology
Cons Expensive safety options It’s not a Coupe, it’s just less useful Numb steering (GLC 300) Rivals have diesel, plug-ins
