Honda's luxury three-row splits the difference between sport sedan reflexes and family hauler practicality, torque-vectoring AWD that actually makes winter fun, a V6 that runs forever, and enough cargo space to shame the Germans. The catch is a generation-specific landmine: 2016-2020 V6 models grenade their rod bearings at 30k-60k miles, stranding owners with five-figure engine replacements now covered under recall 23V-751. Avoid that window entirely. The current 2022+ generation sidesteps the issue and earns genuine owner loyalty, but it drinks premium like a pickup (16-21 MPG real-world) and costs nearly X5 money while delivering a noticeably less plush cabin. Buy it if you value sharp handling and Honda durability over German badge prestige, and you're fine burning a tank every 350 miles. Skip it if fuel economy matters or you need that third row for actual adults.
VW built a comfortable, spacious electric crossover that drives well and charges efficiently, then saddled early versions with infotainment so buggy it sometimes won't let you shift into gear until you restart the car. The 2021-2023 models are a study in compromise: owners who live in CarPlay and charge at home report happy ownership, while those relying on native software or public charging infrastructure face constant frustration. The 2024 refresh brought real fixes, faster processors, a more powerful motor, but here's the twist: lease returns have flooded the used market so hard that solid 2022 models with under 30k miles sell for $15k-18k, half their original sticker. If you can charge at home, tolerate quirky touch controls, and treat the native system as decorative, that depreciation makes this a genuine value play. If you need tech that just works or depend on road-tripping, spend more on the Hyundai Ioniq 5.