Reinventing the 4×4

By Jason K. Ang April 16,2000

All the fountains of the great abyss burst forth, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. The flood continued and the waters increased greatly. Higher and higher above the street rose the waters, until all the highest curbs everywhere were submerged.
If you’ve driven in Manila for more than a year, then at least once, you must have encountered a scene like that paraphrased from the book of Genesis. If you’re driving a puny little car, that is. I know, because I happen to favor puny little cars myself. When I spot cars stuck in what looks like a lagoon in the middle of Araneta Avenue, all I can do is slow to a halt and feel the blood drain from my face. They’re the only times that I wish I was driving a 4×4.

All that is about to change. 4x4s are still trucks, but they’re no longer the sedans’ dimwitted cousins: they used to be slow and dull-handling, with a ride that could rearrange your intestines. Just to prove how good the new breed of 4x4s are, we take a closer look at three of the latest offerings from the luxury brands of Japan and Germany: the Lexus RX300, Mercedes ML320 and BMW X5.

Mercedes Benz ML320
When Mercedes announced that it would join the 4×4 fray back in 1995, we began to envision a tank-like urban assault vehicle. After all, Mercedes is the designer of the Gelandwagen (G-wagen), aka the G320. Yes, it may look like a locally-assembled armored truck, but the G-wagen is almost unstoppable, the vehicle of choice for the German army. So was Merc about to produce a new G?

However, Mercedes’ vision of itself was changing. It would no longer build the best vehicle it could and then price it as it wished, but it would target a particular market and engineer the vehicle accordingly. Benz’ target was the luxury 4×4, dominated by the Mitsubishi Pajero, Jeep Cherokee and Land Rover Discovery. (The Range Rover and Toyota Land Cruiser were in a higher, even pricier category.)

The concept M-class was sleek and compact, the antidote to the usual 4×4 I’m-a-tough-truck appearance. Then came its debut in the Lost World. In that movie, it managed to pull up a camper-trailer several times its weight while clawing through mud. At least until bigger creatures put an end to it. The real ML might not be ready for Isla Nublar, but it is ready for Isla Pilipinas.

Remember that this vehicle is not much longer than a CR-V (barely three inches), but it packs a voluminous interior for both passengers and cargo. As in the G-class, the interior would not be out of place in a Merc sedan. Some of the plastic bits are evidence that the M has been designed to a certain price, but overall, the interior is quite satisfactory. Early problems with fit and finish seem to have been resolved, too. The M was first assembled in the USA, its primary market.

A unique feature in the M-class is its three individual rear seats, each of which can slide backward or forward independently of the others. This means you won’t have to rub elbows or thighs with someone if you don’t want to. If you’re riding with Denise Richards, though, that’s another story. Adding to the utility is the available third row of seats, which are also leather-covered. With the third row, the M can seat seven in comfort. If you need the space for cargo, simply fold the third row into the floor and you have a surprisingly large area for your stuff.

Powering the ML320 is the company’s first V6 engine, an sohc 18-valve. The seeming lack of one cam per bank and one exhaust valve per cylinder were actually intended to reduce the V6’s emissions. Ditto the engine’s dual spark plugs that fire sequentially to help burn all the fuel in each cylinder. The single exhaust valve design allows the engine to warm up more quickly, while the single cam lessens frictional losses. It is no way deficient, though, compared to the now-defunct Merc inline-6s. Horsepower is slightly increased, while peak torque has been significantly improved and is now delivered at a lower rpm. Fuel economy too is much better than its inline-6 and V8 powered rivals.
Complementing the engine is a 5-speed automatic transmission. There’s no “Sport Shift” override mode here, but the auto responds well even to slight prods of the throttle. The V6 and 5-speed allow the ML to reach 100 km/h in less than 10 seconds, quite fast for a 4×4.

The M is quite suitable for the city but its off-road capabilities are also quite formidable. To save weight, Mercedes opted not to put any locking differentials on the front, rear or center axles. Instead, in a clever use of the vehicle’s ABS system, the vehicle’s computers can detect when a wheel is spinning too fast and then activates the brake at that corner, thus sending the torque to the wheels which have grip. Theoretically the M can keep moving forward even if only one wheel has grip. I’d love to try out this system with one wheel on solid ground and the others in a pool of quicksand. Maybe that’s not what the Merc designers intended.

Despite its mini-4×4 appearance, the M is not a unit-body chassis like the CR-V or RAV4. It employs a body on frame structure, with a sturdy ladder frame forming the vehicle’s backbone. All independent double-wishbone suspension probably limits the vehicle’s off-road capabilities when compared to the likes of a Land Rover Defender, but does give a smooth ride and surprisingly agile handling on-road.

The Merc may have been targeting merely the lower-priced 4x4s with its US$40,000 price tag, but its quick acceleration, tenacious grip and comfortable interior soon enabled it to reach above its market and compete with the Range Rover, too. Above all, it had that large three-pointed star attached to its grille. 4 x 4 as status symbol? You got it.

Lexus RX300

Merc and BMW virtually wrote the policy that luxury cars must not have names, just alphanumeric designations. Lexus eagerly followed suit, and its latest number is aimed squarely at the ML320. Called the RX300, this vehicle is designed to be even more of an on-road 4×4 than the Benz.

Lexus created the RX300 as a 4×4-wagon hybrid, combining the good road performance and comfort of a sedan with the high ground clearance of a 4×4.

The interior looks warmer and more friendly than the Benz’s, with better materials, fit and finish. The front console sports a vertical design, with two vertical vents flanking a display screen for the aircon/stereo/navigation system. I’m not a fan of wood accents that seem to have been slapped on just for the sake of having wood, and the RX is guilty of that by putting a U-shaped piece to frame the gear lever. The gear lever itself has been moved forward from the center to the front console, to free up space between the seats. The space can be used for even more stuff, and makes it easier to pass through to the back seats.

Lexus seems to be saying everything that you can do, we can do better, so it too has sliding rear seats at a 2/3-1/3 split. Completing the luxury theme are a steering wheel from the GS sedan and the trademark Lexus electroluminescent gauge cluster. Pricing is slightly cheaper than the Merc, at US$38,000.

Lexus really intended this vehicle more for on-road use, as evidenced by the unit-body construction. Its suspension is also fully independent, with the same McPherson / Chapman strut design that you’ll find on everything Toyota. The drive system does not employ the ABS cleverness that the ML does, but employs limited-slip differentials only. Heck, you can even order an RX that’s front drive only!

Handling is certainly adequate, but the vehicle exhibits heavy understeer and significant body roll. Road feel is also lacking, compared to its Euro rivals. Evidently, the wagon gene that Lexus spliced into the RX is not exactly AMG Hammer Wagon material. The payback is reduced road noise and greater ride comfort, something that Lexus has been known for since its introduction.

The RX is well-proportioned on the outside, looking more like a station wagon on steriods than a truck. Its neat details include the four-headlamp-under-glass treatment that looks so mean and high-tech at the same time. (Thank you, BMW?) The rear cluster also sports individual-lensed taillights.

The RX also carries a V6, related to the ones powering the Camry and ES300. It’s a 3.0 liter dohc 24-valve, with Toyota’s VVT-i system. The VVT-i allows the engine to generate good low-end torque and healthy high-rpm horsepower. Its 220 bhp is 5 more than generated by the ML’s 3.2. Its transmission is a four-speed auto only. However, that engine-auto transmission is good enough to beat the ML320 to 100 km/h, by more than a second.

Checkmate for the ML320? More like a clever countermove, I’d say.

BMW X5

There is an advantage to being the last to join the battle. You get to see what your competitors have done and just raise the stakes. That’s what BMW seems to have done with its 4×4 offering. Where Lexus has just missed the target with its 4×4-wagon crossbreeding, BMW seems to have hit the bulls-eye.

Why the late entry? BMW bought Land Rover a few years back, and thus shelved the X5 project. Apparently the Range Rover was thought of as the company’s 4×4 warrior. When it became clear that even the new Range Rover being developed now would not be what BMW expected, project X5 was back online. Now that they’ve sold Land Rover to Ford, BMW is surely breathing a sigh of relief that they’ve created their own 4×4.

BMW even refused to call this a “sport utility vehicle.” The X5 is, according to them, a “Sport Activity Vehicle.” Fine. Does that imply that we can switch the “X” for an “M” and expect similar performance?

Well, for a start the X5 does not bother with puny 6-cylinder engines. Its base engine is the 4.4 liter V8 borrowed from the 5 and 7 series. This powerhouse generates a massive 286 bhp, and propels the X5 to 100 km/h in about 7.8 seconds.

Like the RX, the X5 employs the two on-road structures that limit the vehicles’ off-road capabilities: monocoque construction and independent suspension. Front suspension follows the BMW 5-series’ McPherson strut, and the rear is by multilink suspension based on the 7-series’. The rear incorporates air springs that keep the vehicle level whatever you load into it. Massive disc brakes all around incorporating all the electronic aids you’ll ever need: ABS, electronic brake force distribution, yaw control and hill-descent control to slow the car down automatically on steep downhills.

BMW admits that its entry is not intended to be an off-roader. It’s a tall, very capable wagon with high ground clearance only for driving comfort and an extra margin of safety. Handling superiority has been given priority here. 62 percent of the permanent all-wheel drive system’s torque is sent to the rear wheels to retain a rear-wheel drive feel. The torque split front-rear and even left-right is variable, with a system similar to Benz’s. 100% of torque can be sent to one wheel when necessary. The engine and drivetrain have been mounted as low as possible, with drive to the front wheels even going through the engine’s oilpan!
Steering is where the X5 sets itself apart. There is a lively feel to the X5 when turning the wheel. It goes willingly where its pointed, with little of the body roll and vagueness felt in other 4x4s.

As with the company’s sedans, the X5’s intentions are telegraphed by the taut and compact exterior. The bulging lower body is usual for this class, but the low-slung roofline certainly isn’t. The front is typical BMW headlamps-under-covers flanking the twin-kidney grille. Headlamp washers have been exposed to add a little menace to the face. The hood is bulges slightly behind the spinning prop on the hood, and dips lower seemingly to direct air to the hood-mounted air vents. The tailgate is a clam-shell design, similar to the early Range Rovers’.

The X5 cabin is sumptuously detailed and equipped, with many bits from the 5-series. Hopefully that won’t mean that it will fall apart early in its life, as we’ve seen some 523 interiors do. Materials though are much better than the M-class’, perhaps on par with the new S-class!

To be fair, Mercedes does offer the V8 ML430 and the mad AMG ML55, and its US$50,000 price tag is closer to the V8-engined Mercs. The V8 Mercs may be closer to the X5 in acceleration but the handling is still no contest.

A flood and mud-capable M5? Very nearly so.

Choose Your Weapon

Not surprisingly, each of the three entries for the 4×4 derby are quite characteristic of their makers’ other offerings. The ML is cleverly engineered, spacious, and comfortable. (Pity that its cabin isn’t up to the usual Mercedes standard.) Its capable when you push it, but somehow it’s just a little reluctant to show its sporty side. The RX is all about creature comfort, silence and a good ride being its forte. Lexus’ reputation for durability and excellent service are icing on the cake. The X5 has the best engine and an imperfect but opulently-equipped cabin. More than anything else, the BMW is the best-handling in its class, exhibiting a willingness to go just where you point it, tall ride height and all.

So take your pick for forging across the floods of Metro Manila come rainy season. If you just want the tall ride height and large interior of a 4×4 but don’t really take it off road, then the quietness and supple ride of the RX300 might just be for you. The ML320 can seat seven and rides higher, and with that badge on the grille, it sure will attract admiration. It’s more capable off-road, too. The mean looks of a BMW with all the performance and handling intact? That would be the X5. Me? One silver X5, please. I do want the best of both worlds.

In the end, who’d win the sports sedan market? Well, a direct comparison, although effective for some people isn’t effective for me. Why? Well, a smaller, niche market seems to have developed within the sports sedan market. Looking at the way things are, the 3-series, IS300 and C-class have been directing themselves to different directions, sometimes away from their past. The 3-series has grown mature, but still retains some of the brand’s sporty nature. The IS300 is a break from Lexus’ past by being on the edge when it comes to driving characteristics and handling. The C-class tries to reinvent its image by appealing to a more youth audience with the introduction of new sporty features without sacrificing general comfort and safety. The answer therefore in to what the person really wants and that becomes the beauty of consumer choice.

By Jason Ang | Photos courtesy of BMW, Lexus and Mercedes

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