Curious if you tested the competition at all, or you like RRS so much you upgraded from another model in the range
The X5M is a different take on the same design brief as the SVR
The reviews seem good, as does the performance

Just curious if anyone tested one before plumping for an SVR

MSF21 wrote:

The X5M is a different take on the same design brief as the SVR

Appreciate you taking the time to craft the reply

They're hardly the same brief; for a start, the SVR can do all of the off road stuff as well as being quick in the twisties... 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Pretty sure a few SVR owners will be along shortly to give you a more in depth response. If I had the money for a SVR or the X5M would i consider trying out both


No - straight to the SVR for me  16MY Estoril Blue SVR.............
17MY Autobiography Dynamic - Corris Grey - WOW.
14MY Autobiography Dynamic - SDV6 - Fuji White
12MY Autobiography - SDV6 - Santorini Black - Dual View - Rear Entertainment - Sunroof.
12MY Autobiography - SDV6 - Orkney Grey - awesome ;(
2005 Java Black - 4.2 V8 Supercharged First Edition- will never be forgotten ;(

I disagree
They are within 10bhp of each other, and £5k in price
I would have thought SVR, Cayenne Turbo and X5M are natural rivals. Certainly the mag tests think so

MSF21 wrote:

Appreciate you taking the time to craft the reply

Fully agree Wojtek.  John

RRS MY12 SDV6 HSE. Sumatra Black/Ebony & Walnut + Dynamic Pack, + Cold Climate Pack + Memory Pack, Digital TV/DVD, Premium Leather, Cornering Lights, Cooler/Fridge Box, & most Options.

Any performance difference is far outweighed by name and brand: BMW make wannabe's saloon cars. Porsche make tarted-up Beetles. Land Rover make the Range Rover. 

Wojtek - thanks for that

Brief is
Have a C63 estate but with 3 boys under 5 thats getting too small
I dont commute so its only weekend use, and thats mainly motorway and A roads
Live in SE England, so chances of driving fast are limited
But its nice to feel that sensation of speed and being in something specual

Tried a new model C63s which was really nice, but reaffirmed its too small for our needs
Tried an X5M briefly. Loved the interior; a work of art with full leather option ticked. But the car did not feel that special
Immediately after I tried an RS6 performance which was mind bendingly fast, and exhaust sounded lovely.
Its a logical step up. A bigger and faster estate than I have now

But the interior is not that special; lots of plastic and I fear its a car that will be annoying to drive on our roads as its an all or nothing car - and I will end up losing license trying to do it justice !

Then I thought I should get a RRS or RR and embrace a calmer ride
Test drove both and liked them - especially the FF RR which felt very luxurious
As a curve ball a dealer then offered me a shot of the SVR and I was amazed how visceral it felt
It might not be a better car than a RS6 / X5M (debatable?). But it certainly felt a more special car all of the time....

But thats a 10 min test drive. I wonder if real world reliability and build quality (the boring stuff that counts) will swing favour back to German cars

First world problems ! But causing me lots of sleepless nights

The #SoundOfSVR is intoxicating. Don't need to drive an SVR fast to have a blast. 

As said above, the SVR is exciting at any speed. I absolutely love mine, and in 6 months when I feel slightly less precious about it, I'll take it for some offroad adventures...something you can't do with an X5!

It's the only car I've had in quite a few years where I've got up at 7am on a Sunday to take it for a blast on empty roads - something I also do with my motorbike but have rarely done in a car before.

MSF21 wrote:

It might not be a better car than a RS6 / X5M (debatable?). But it certainly felt a more special car all of the time....
But thats a 10 min test drive. I wonder if real world reliability and build quality (the boring stuff that counts) will swing favour back to German cars

I do not own an SVR, have never owned any of the German opposition but have been a passenger in all of them and one thing that the SVR can do that the others cannot is handle the UK's potholed roads...... The German cars are all designed to handle velvet smooth Autobahns and The 'Ring, which makes them appear to have no suspension at all, even the German cars that do have air suspension ride harshly on it on less than smooth roads. Aim a Range Rover, RRS, Discovery 3 or 4 at a forest track and you would think you were driving on an Autobahn, no loose fillings or the feeling that the interior is about to self destruct on the first bump! 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

My dad has the X5M and it really doesn't do it for me - the interior really doesn't live up to the RR products and the performance is too clinical, it looks boring and if I was going to go German I'd have gone for an ML63 (I am not an Audi lover) - although I know Mercedes have just changed their range so not sure what the new SUVs are like. He moved into it from an RS4 and it has disappointed him (not to mention he has had issues with key cloning twice and the interior electronics stripped out each time).

In my opinion the SVR (which I sadly couldn't justify getting when choosing my RRS due to doing a lot of miles) really stands out from the crowd and the sound is incredible, first car I've heard that I think sounds better than the C63. It also stands out from the other models in the range more than the X5M stands out from the other X5s.

Having said that, I had a 65 plate FF RR supercharged on loan for a week last month and it was a superb balance of refined, understated with the ability to provide you with moments of outrageous straight line speed. I say straight line speed because it felt like I was driving a tank with a rocket on it and having the dynamic mode in the RRS makes a massive difference on those early morning drives down empty country roads. My gf and I were not a fan of the FF and never considered it when looking (felt it looked a bit too big and, in her words, "old-manish" for us, but I must say we gave it back thinking we would seriously look at it when we come to replace the sport in a year or two, particularly because it feels a lot roomier in the back (we were surprised how little room the sport has in the back).