SUVs: Volvo XC60 vs Audi Q5 vs Porsche Macan

Yeah right. So Volvo launches a major revamp to its XC60 family-friendly SUV, at a price under £40,000, complete with a sensible 2.0-litre diesel engine. We then test it against a Porsche Macan, with a much more powerful 3.0-litre diesel and a price tag about £10,000 more. Throw in the Audi Q5 and you apparently have a complete dog’s dinner of a test. So was there even an ounce of justification for this?

Well, yes, a smidge. Because if you’re buying on a PCP deal, like a lot of people, you could actually get the 255bhp Porsche for less than the 188bhp Volvo. But should you actually do that, or buy one of the other two?

If you’re pondering being sensible, then seeing the Macan blitz away from the other two won’t help your pondering. If you want to accelerate rapidly, to overtake slower traffic, to get up to speed on a short slip road, whatever, then the Porsche delivers in the most stress-free of the three.

The V6 in the Porsche against the straight fours in the others means the Macan sounds the best by a margin too. Even though the Volvo is the newest here its engine sounds the noisiest and the roughest, whereas the Audi’s is more muted. The four-pots both pull well and have respectable performance from low revs, but clearly they’re not going to trouble the Porsche in performance terms.

The new XC60 can point to its excellent ride quality although that has been enhanced by the adjustable air suspension, a £1500 option. With it, the Volvo floats along, only really unsettled by potholes and big obstructions, at which point it really thumps and takes a while to settle down. The Porsche, also with optional suspension – adaptive air suspension at £1860 – is tauter and firmer which means it recovers its composure quicker, and is a good compromise if you’re not looking for a wallowy ride.

The Audi fits between those two, fitted as ours was with the Sport suspension that goes with the model. If it had the air suspension – a £2000 option – then it would probably have topped both the others. In handling terms it’s very good, dealing with the inherent top-heavy issues of an SUV commendably well, although the steering let it down somewhat.

The new Volvo is less impressive, losing control and composure as speeds rise. The steering is great round town but too light for faster work, making this the least enjoyable to hustle down a country lane.

Not that surprisingly, the Porsche Macan was the most enjoyable. There are times when you forget you’re in an SUV, it’s that impressive. It doesn’t lean much at all, and can turn in and fire out of corners more like a hot hatch. Inevitably this means it’s not exactly going to be great for serious mud-plugging, but neither would either of the other two.

You sit more in the cabin of the Macan, making it feel lower and sportier. It’s disappointing to find the seat isn’t that comfy and really needs lumbar support, but that’s another £1044 as part of the Comfort Seat package. The centre console, which is rather large and bulges into your left leg, is also overly full of buttons, which might suit those who harbour dreams of becoming airline pilots, but it’s a faff in a road-going vehicle.

The Volvo takes a more minimalist Scandinavian approach, and it’s also the most comfortable. The seats really will keep you happy for hours on end, although you’ll be less happy with having to do so much through the centre console, even things like changing the temperature. If only they had more buttons…

Audi yet again gets it right in the cabin department, and we just love the optional Virtual Cockpit. And while the other two feel fairly premium, the Audi ramps it up another level entirely, making the Q5 feel a step up even from the Porsche in terms of design, fit, materials, feel, everything.

It’s also the only one of the three where you can get a sliding rear seat, even if it is a £350 option. Behind it is the biggest boot, so overall it feels spacious and practical. Even more so when you get in the back of the Macan, where it feels notably more cramped and tight for space. It’s surprising given the exterior dimensions and not entirely welcome, and nor is the smallest boot of the three. Slide into the rear of the XC60 and you’ll realise what can be done with the space, with more room for rear passengers than the others, and a decent boot behind.

When you’ve finished trying to wangle discounts and such, it’s actually the Audi Q5 that works out the cheapest here on PCP or as a cash buy. Even after three years of fuelling, taxing, servicing and so on, the Audi still comes out the cheapest of the trio. The Macan is the most expensive in those areas and also the most expensive for company car tax.