In the past 12 months, passenger car sales have continued to drop as more drivers moved to trucks and SUVs. Buyers aren’t shy about spending more money either, as the best selling luxury SUVs prove. It seems that luxury SUVS have been a hot commodity with many models seeing increases and few dropping in volume.
It’s the soothing feeling of leather on your backside, the quieter interior experience, the better fit and finish inside, and the performance you get for your money. These are the 10 best selling luxury SUVs of 2017.
The 2018 Buick Enclave is all-new, and it’s coming on the heels of a rather successful first generation. It was essentially a luxury version of the Chevrolet Traverse. While it may not be the sexiest of the best selling luxury SUVs, it’s still a much more attractive vehicle than its budget-conscious sibling.
The new 2018 Buick Enclave has the prestige Avenir trim for the first time, has three rows of seating, and has an amazingly fluid, pleasant interior. A 310-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 is under the hood of each trim, along with a 9-speed auto transmission. Wireless charging, Buick IntelliLink and a perfect-performing Continuously Variable Real-Time Damping are standout features for the Enclave.
In its changeover year, the Enclave dropped in sales from 52,028 to 48,564. That’s a decrease of 6.7 percent, but this full year of sales should see a significant boost.
The GLC Class remained steady in sales. Introduced in 2015, it immediately drew attention for its position in the market and made its way onto the list of best selling luxury SUVs. It’s a competitively priced, well-equipped compact SUV with a wide range of trims.
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The GLC Class is available in the basic form as a GLC 300 with 242 horsepower, a 503-horsepower AMG-powered V8, or a few models in between. With features like rear-door sunshades, a massive Panorama roof, Air Body Control and driver-assistive technology, it’s one of the best selling luxury SUVs to keep your eyes on.
In 2016, the Mercedes-Benz GLC Class sold 47,872 times. In 2017, there was a slight up tick to 48,643, an increase of 1.6 percent.
The benchmark used to be a German-built luxury SUV like the X5, but that isn’t the case anymore. The X5 is selling more units now than ever, but it’s a stale model that rests near the bottom of the list. Its latest redesign came in 2014, so it’s due for a facelift or total do-over.
The BMW X5 is powerful with trims ranging from 300 horsepower to the range-topping 445-horsepower X5 xDrive50i. There’s no doubt the X5 is fun to drive. Standard equipment includes a power tailgate and power sunroof, while upper tiers include ventilated seats, adaptive headlights and a surround view camera.
The BMW X5 increased in sales from 47,641 units in 2016 to 50,815 in 2017.
Big changes are coming for the 2019 model year, and it should help boost the Acura RDX sales numbers. It’s a compact luxury crossover SUV that is one of the most competitively priced on the market, but that by no means indicates less equipment or attitude.
It begins with a driving experience. The 279-horsepowerV6 is plenty for its size, giving a thrill-seeker the fun they want. You get comfortable space for five adults, and the technology inside makes every trip enjoyable. It has front and rear parking sensors, agile handling assist, AcuraWatch tech available, and the precision handling you’ve come to expect from Acura.
The Acura RDX dropped 2 percent from its 52,361 units in 2016, settling in at 51,295.
A naming re-alignment finds the Mercedes-Benz ML Class now called the GLE Class. It’s the midsize crossover SUV from the best-selling luxury brand in America, but nowhere near the best-selling model in its class.
There’s a GLE 350 with a 302-horsepower engine, a GLE 550e plug-in hybrid with 436 ponies, or AMG models with up to 577 horsepower. Performance is the key feature in the GLE Class, obviously, and 4MATIC AWD puts that power to the ground if you want it.
The interior, as you can always expect from Mercedes-Benz, has the best bang for your buck. A thoughtful cabin, with leather and real wood, heated and cooled seats, and a great infotainment system from Bang & Olufsen, lives between the doors.
The Mercedes-Benz GLE Class increased modestly in 2017 to 54,595, up 5.4 percent from 51,791 units in 2016.
It’s been a few years since a redesign, and the Acura MDX sales have leveled off. It could use a refresh, but its current design and equipment are still innovative and trendy. The diamond-shaped grille and Jewel-Eye LED headlights are completely recognizable as Acura. With the Lexus RX adding a third row variant, the MDX is no longer the only third-row luxury SUV in its segment.
Choose the 3.5-liter V6 with 290 horsepower or the 3.0-liter hybrid model with 321 combined horsepower. Its all-wheel drive system is nearly incomparable, and the interior details, from leather upholstery to real wood trim and a power moonroof, are quite nice.
The Acura MDX stays almost the same year over year. In 2016, there were 55,495 new MDX units on the road. For 2017, it drops 1.1 percent to 54,886.
The second-generation Audi Q5 is a hot commodity. It’s a luxury compact crossover SUV that has great performance along with some of the best equipment available. It’s a German vehicle, so fit and finish is a priority.
One of its most amazing features is the 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit screen in the cluster. Combined with the “all-in-touch” pad and an impressive infotainment system, the technology in the Q5 is exceptional. Its 252-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter isn’t the most powerful, but it scoots to 60mph from a stop in less than 6 seconds.
The Audi Q5 increased a remarkable 16.3 percent in sales year over year, from 49,550 in 2016 to 57,640 in 2017.
Lexus has two of the top three best selling luxury SUVs of 2017 thanks to the Lexus NX. It’s a compact crossover SUV that looks much like its little brother, the RX. It comes in three configurations: the 235-horsepower NX 300, the dynamic 235-horsepower NX 300 F-Sport, and the more efficient NX 300h hybrid version.
The Lexus NX has unique triple-beam projector headlights and LED accents, a dash-top 10.3-inch infotainment display, and available hands-free power liftgate. You can also get an available Remote Touchpad, and available Adaptive Variable Suspension in the F-Sport trim.
For 2017, the Lexus NX trim levels combined for 59,341 units. Overall, that’s an increase of 8.1 percent from 54,884 units in 2016.
Replacing the outgoing Cadillac SRX in 2016, the Cadillac XT5 is currently their best selling model both in the US and globally. That says something. The Cadillac experience is unmistakable in the XT5, with premium leather seating, dramatic signature lighting, lit door handles and an available panoramic moonroof.
The Cadillac XT5 has luxury features and safety equipment for a top-tier experience. Surround vision, Cadillac CUE, Bose audio, wireless charging, available head-up display, and heated and cooled front seats are just the beginning. Under the hood is a standard-equipment 3.6-liter V6 with 310 horsepower that you’ll love driving.
Cadillac sold 68,312 XT5 units in 2017. Because it wasn’t available for the whole 2016 calendar year, the numbers are skewed – it shows a 73 percent year-over-year increase from its 39,485 2016 sales. It’s a respectable debut on the list of best selling luxury SUVs.
The best selling luxury SUV is the Lexus RX. That encompasses several trims including RX 350, RX 450h, F Sport versions, and the new three-row 350 L and 450hL. It boasts sexy styling on the outside with one of the most recognizable looks up front, premium interior equipment, and a fun-to-drive attitude.
You’ll thoroughly appreciate the wide-screen Enform screen at the top of the dash, available remote touch, and the color heads-up display. The RX 350’s 295 horsepower and the RX4 450h’s 308 combined horsepower rating make it thoroughly enjoyable to drive.
For 2017, the Lexus RX sold 108,307 units. That’s down 1 percent from its 2016 sales. However, that’s far removed from the rest of the competition.
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