Just because you are on a tight car budget doesn’t mean you have to end up with something small and slow. In fact, with a large percentage of new luxury SUVs nowadays carrying a price tag of close to or over seven digits, potential buyers will de pleasantly surprised at pre-owned options for less than six figures. And apart from space and comfort, most of these rides offer serious pulling power as well.
Take the Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI for example. The 5.o-litre diesel mill produces 230 kW of power which is sent to all four wheels and was claimed to get the car from 0 to 100km/h in 7.8 sec. And that is also not the only V8 on offer when exploring online showroom floors. Others include the first-generation Audi Q7, which 4.2-litre engine delivers 257 kW of power, and the 4.4-litre powerplant in the first-generation BMW X5, which produced 235 kW. Audi claims that the Q7 can reach 100km/h from a standstill in 7.4 sec, with the X5 even hastier at 7.0 sec.
Still topping these times is a very rare 2005 Porsche Cayenne S. It’s 4.5-litre mill produces 250 kW and is said to clock 6.8 sec from 0 to 100km/h. That is still a very decent time by today’s standards, but back then getting something as big and heavy to move that fast was a real mean feat.
Another popular listing is the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, which has become the GLE-Class over time. The two engine options, the naturally aspirated 200 kW 3.5-litre petrol mill and 165 kW 3.0-litre turbo diesel, might not be as powerful as the V8s, but these cars are every bit a luxurious and refined as you’d expect from the brand.
For more serious off-roaders who considers the early-day German SUV offerings to be more soft roaders than anything else, there is a decent selection of Land Rovers on offer. The Discovery 3 TDV6 is available is various trim levels, with two 2010 Freelander 2’s on offer, both oil-burners.
A list of big SUVs also wouldn’t be complete without the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The two Overland models on our list feature a 3.0-litre diesel option and the 3.6-litre petrol offering.
Here are our top picks for luxury SUVs for under R100k:
R99 995 – 2008 BMW X3 xDrive20d Steptronic – diesel – 220 333 km
R99 990 – 2004 Volvo XC90 D5 Geartronic – diesel – 216 500 km
R99 990 – 2005 BMW X5 3.0d Steptronic – diesel – 183 000 km
R99 900 – 2010 BMW X3 xDrive20d Steptronic – diesel – 290 000 km
R99 900 – 2007 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 AT – petrol – 213 000 km
R99 900 – 2005 Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI Tiptronic – diesel – 255 000 km
R99 900 – 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.6 Overland – petrol – 250 000 km
R99 700 – 2006 Audi Q7 4.2 FSI Tiptronic – petrol – 167 000 km
R99 500 – 2004 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 AT – petrol – 211 000 km
R95 600 – 2007 Land Rover Discovery 3 TDV6 E – diesel – 216 000 km
R94 900 – 2010 Land Rover Freelander SD4 HSE AT – diesel – 168 000 km
R92 000 – 2005 Porsche Cayenne S AT – petrol – 256 000 km
R94 000 – 2007 Mercedes-Benz ML 320 CDI AT – diesel – 233 000 km
R89 995 – 2005 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI Tiptronic – diesel – 209 000 km
R89 990 – 2006 BMW X5 4.4i Steptronic – petrol – 302 000 km
R89 990 – 2004 BMW X3 2.5i Steptronic – petrol – 170 000 km
R89 990 – 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML 320 CDI AT – diesel – 192 000 km
R88 900 – 2008 Land Rover Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE AT – diesel – 252 000 km
R88 000 – 2010 Land Rover Freelander HSE TD4 AT – diesel – 245 000 km
R87 000 – 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD Overland – diesel – 249 000 km
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