Two SUVs that vary in size but not in satisfaction
A common perception of full-size SUVs is that they are fuel swilling, V-8 behemoths. People think they need a ladder to climb aboard and that something so big is simply not necessary.
On the flip side, smaller SUVs are considered to be anemic, fuel-sipping, 4-cylinder wimps. People perceive them as great errand runners and commuter vehicles, but nothing anyone would be envious of, or excited to drive.
However, reality is often quite different from one’s preconceived notions. I discovered this while driving the 2015 Lincoln Navigator and the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA AMG SUV.
The 2015 Navigator is a big vehicle, but I was surprised to find that under the hood was a well-behaved 3.5 liter V-6 Ecoboost motor. I was also surprised to learn the Ecoboost V-6 is considerably more powerful than the V-8 it replaces.
Moreover, the Ecoboost V-6 offers better fuel mileage than the V-8. It rates 15 mpg/city and 20mpg/highway, exceeding the V-8’s numbers by two mpg.
Meanwhile the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG is considered compact. Both SUVs do their job well.
As to needing a ladder to get into the Lincoln—well, the standard retractable running boards worked very nicely. The Lincoln is large, but it can carry eight passengers in luxurious comfort. Moreover, the towing capacity is a generous 8,600 lbs. This allows you, and seven friends, to tow a good size trailer or boat across the country using less fuel that last year’s V-8. Sounds like a win, win to me.
The Navigator was, as advertised, a luxurious driving experience. The supple leather seats, upscale interior appointments, and high tech electronics were what one would expect. The V-6 engine proved to be both smooth and powerful. The only indication it was a V-6 was the absence of the V-8 engine’s throaty rumble. There was some lean in the corners, but much less than expected thanks to the big Lincoln’s firm suspension. The Lincoln Navigator’s price, as tested, was a lavish $72,900.
In contrast, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG is a smaller crossover SUV with a thrifty 4-cylinder engine. The giveaway that this GLA45 is something out of the ordinary is the AMG badging, which indicates it is a product of Mercedes-Benz’s in-house performance divi-sion.
Moreover, the GLA45 AMG has a handcrafted AMG 2.0 Liter Turbo Inline-4 that is rat-ed at 355 hp. The standard trim GLA’s engine offers up 208 hp. That’s not shabby, but 355 is better. The AMG version also has 4MATIC AWD and a 7-speed DCT transmission with paddle shifters. Also included are 19-inch wheels with summer performance tires. Yes, New Englanders, summer only. So you’ll need a set of proper snow tires come winter.
The Navigator features an upscale interior with supple leather seats.
A little more on the GLA45’s engine: It is virtually half of the V-8 engine found in Mercedes-Benz’s exotic new AMG GT S coupe. The GT S’s handcrafted V-8 produces 503 hp. Amazingly, the little SUV’s engine pumps out more than half of the V-8’s hp. The GT S has a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds and the GLA45 0-60 time is 4.8. That’s one fast SUV.
So what’s it like to drive the 2015 GLA45 AMC? I wish you could see the grin on my face while behind the wheel of this car. This was a sports car dressed as an SUV. It was blinding-ly fast, agile in the corners, and just way more fun than I ever expected. A neat optional feature was the AMG performance exhaust system that allowed me to switch on and off the performance exhaust. Turned on, the exhaust could rattle windows. Turn it off, and you could enjoy all the tonal quality of the Logic7 Surround Sound audio system. I chose the window rattling option, and enjoyed every moment the motor was running.
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG also offers luxurious leather seating and a Logic7 Surround Sound audio.
My biggest hurdle was choosing trips where I could enjoy the GLA45’s performance ca-pability in a safe and sane manner. Traffic-free, twisty country roads were high on the list. With a 29 mpg highway rating and an overall combined 25 mpg that road can be some distance from civilization. Although, it was designed as a high performance vehicle, the SUV tackled mundane errand-running with ease. The GLA45 could haul bags of mulch and garden soil even as it fit into a tight parking space.
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG offers the usefulness, thrifty fuel mileage, and compactness of its less potent GLA sibling. It also has the blistering performance of an exotic sports car. Although, this might seem to be a problematic paring, Mercedes pulls it off in a con-vincing manner. The GLA45 AMG’s phenomenal performance and quality comes at a price. Namely, a base price of $48,300; the as- tested price, including delivery, was $60,705.
The manufacturers of these two vehicles went outside the box when designing them. They were both stellar examples of their type, and depending on your auto needs—and your bank balance—both are good choices.
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