BMW X3 vs Audi Q5 vs Volvo XC60 vs the Muddy Off-road, Uphill Drag Race Included

I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about, and I'm also sure you know that it's not a fun place to be in. I've seen people who have never driven anything else but BMWs, claiming that no Mercedes-Benz, Audi, or Volvo can even come close. The funniest part is that when they do get to experience a vehicle from a different manufacturer, their minds open up immediately. Well, that happens at least most of the time, and they realize that narrow-sight is never a good thing.

While doing quarter-mile (402 meters) challenges with different cars is one way of seeing how they stack up against each other, you'll be dealing with limited information. And you can't be pulling the trigger on a $50,000 vehicle just by seeing it performing a straight-line acceleration test. And that's why I love extensive challenges, where cars get to compete against each other in a series of tests.

I wouldn't use these as a definitive means of choosing your next car, but they can be taken as guidelines in the whole process. Today's challenge isn't about raw power or speed, but more about the off-road capabilities of three very similar cars: the Volvo XC60, the BMW X3, and the Audi Q5. If you've decided that you want a medium-sized SUV, from the premium segment, then it's likely you've had these three cars in your scope.

A specially designed off-road circuit was chosen as the location for the challenge. While I haven't driven the X3 or the Q5, I do have some Quattro experience behind, and I'm guessing that the Audi isn't going to be the least capable car here. As for the XC60, I've probably racked up at least 5,000 miles (8,046 km) in these cars, with various drivetrains, and I've never been disappointed with it, even in some extreme off-road conditions.

But let's have a look at the specs for these cars. The BMW makes use of a turbocharged, 2.0-liter engine, running on gas. And it's also boosted by an electric motor. That makes for an output of 288 horsepower and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm), all while weighing 4,387 lbs (1,990 kg). The Audi has a similar setup, also with a turbocharged 2.0-liter. But this engine is rated for 261 horsepower and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque, with a total weight of 4,144 lbs (1,880 kg).

When it comes to the XC60, weighing in at 4,186 lbs (1,899 kg), I'm surprised they went for the B4 diesel, which is good for less than 200 horsepower and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. Although it costs as much as the Audi, it's considerably more affordable than the BMW. So I can't help but wonder why they didn't choose a more potent gas-powered drivetrain. But alas, this might have been their only option. For the first challenge of the day, the three cars will drag race up the hill.

That's something I don't remember ever seeing before, but it does look like it's going to be over quite fast. The BMW is off to a better start and manages to win the first challenge. The Audi comes in second, and the Volvo in third. A short U-shaped course is up next, and there's a hairpin turn along the road to make the task a bit more difficult. The Volvo did not hold back at all and managed to finish the course in 19.87 seconds.

The Q5 was slightly slower, at 19.96 seconds, but it's the X3 that comes out on top again, after going seemingly all-out, despite the difficult terrain ahead. The next challenge seems strange, as they're testing the hill-descent control for each car. The slowest car down the hill will win the race. Now, the Volvo will go up to 4 mph (7 kph) in a situation like this. But it seems that both of its opponents are going at a rate of 2 mph (3 kph).

And that doesn't make sense because the hill is not that steep. The Audi claims its first victory. I won't spoil the rest of the challenge for you, at least not from an action point of view, but instead, I'm going to give you the results, just in case you haven't got the time to see the whole thing.

The Volvo XC60 takes 3rd place overall, with 11 points scored throughout the challenges. The BMW X3 is second with 12 points, and the Audi Q5 wins the off-road challenge with a total of 14 points! I guess Audi's AWD technology is still as amazing today as it ever has been!