Super-SUV’s For £60,000

A few years ago, the idea of a performance SUV would have been something that on paper wouldn’t have made much sense. The high driving position, increased weight and raised centre of gravity meant that an SUV was not something you would be looking to drive in a spirited manner or tackling challenging corners with. Times have changed however and thanks to advances in handling abilities, suspension set ups and performance capabilities, the performance SUV market is now more popular than ever.

There are a number of models that pushed SUV capabilities on further than ever before to get to the stage where they are today. The launch of the Cayenne brought Porsche car handling to the luxury SUV market for the first time, the Range Rover Sport SVR offered the complete package in terms of power and performance years later, until the Lamborghini Urus recently raised the bar even higher, creating the first claimed ‘Super-SUV’.

So, with so many performance-minded SUVs on the market, now is the perfect time to experience what they can offer. No longer does the practicality of an SUV mean you have to sacrifice the enjoyment of driving or the ability to tackle a winding B-road on a summer’s day. So with the same £60,000 to spend as last week’s Supercars for not so Super Prices, what can your budget buy you in the world of performance SUV’s?

Range Rover Sport SVR

The Range Rover Sport SVR was a product of the brand’s Special Vehicle Operations arm and saw the sportier iteration of the legendary luxury off-roader receive its most powerful and capable version yet. With a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine that produces up to 567bhp, an enhanced suspension, chassis and steering set up for handling ability, and an intoxicating sound from the switchable quad exhaust system, the SVR will go down as one of the most iconic SUV models of all time.

All that power meant that even though it weighed almost 2.4 tonnes, the car can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 4.3 seconds and will keep going until 176mph. Not just that though, the cornering and handling capability are seriously impressive for such a large vehicle. The appearance of the SVR suits its exterior enhancements that feature larger wheels, carbon fibre trim and body panels, and the lightweight performance seats to the interior look right at home.

With the Range Rover Sport SVR being such a sales success, the used market has plenty of models to choose from. At the time of writing there were over 300 available on popular automotive marketplace Auto Trader, ranging from higher mileage examples of 2021 models to early 2015 cars for just half of your budget. A lot of car for the money considering the list price in excess of £120,000. Post-2018 cars are the facelift models with improved technology and additional performance from the powerful V8. With so many examples available you can afford to be picky when it comes to specification, with panoramic sunroof, carbon fibre vented bonnet and premium palette paint finishes the most sought after options.

Porsche Macan Turbo / Cayenne Turbo

The Porsche Cayenne, and later the Macan, brought sports car handling and feel to the SUV market. Porsche used their extensive engineering and sports car knowledge to ensure that their SUV’s are some of the best to drive on the market, and they have been performing the same trick ever since. The Cayenne may have looked slightly ungainly upon launch, attempting to mimic the front-end styling of the 911 in a much larger package, but it has evolved incredibly well, and along with its smaller Macan sibling, has become one of the best-looking SUV’s you can buy.

The introduction of the Cayenne and Macan Turbo models brought an all-new level of performance to Porsche’s SUV line up. With 542bhp available in the former and 433bhp in the latter, 0-62mph is possible in just over 4 seconds for both models and a top speed of around 170mph too. Both models are highly praised for their ride and handling characteristics, with those looking to still enjoy the thrill of driving yet with all the practicality of an SUV never disappointed with what they have to offer.

Thanks to Porsche’s legendary ability to hold their value better than most, having a budget of £60,000 will allow you to reach for the flagship Turbo models, but perhaps not as new as you were hoping for. With 50 Cayenne Turbo and 70 Macan Turbo models listed on Auto Trader at time of writing for you budget, a 2021 Macan is the latest you can expect to find, with a 2019 Cayenne as new as it gets. As with any Porsche, specification is key and upgraded wheels, panoramic sunroof, ceramic brakes and Paint To Sample colours are what makes your SUV stand out. Some have in excess of £30k of options so represent a comparative bargain for your money.

BMW X3 M/ X5 M

Much like the release of the Cayenne, BMW’s X5 and X3 models brought the SUV to a wider market than ever before. Offering luxury and refinement combined with the enjoyment of ‘the ultimate driving machine’, both models have been a huge sales success for the German brand and continue to go from strength to strength, even as we move towards an all-electric future. The flexibility of the models and the choice of the range means that BMW’s ‘X’ SUV range offer something for everybody, and that includes at the performance end of the line up.

The ‘M’ range of ‘X’ models are some of the most impressive SUV’s on the market, not just with the performance and handling, but also when combined with the abundance of technology they also contain. The current X3 M Competition (and X4 Coupe sibling) offer 510bhp from a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre engine, whilst the X5 M (and X6 Coupe sibling) produce a colossal 625bhp from a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre engine. However, with the aforementioned budget in mind, you will have to ‘make do’ with the previous generation models with 7bhp less for the X3 M and 57bhp less for the X5 M.

Listed on Auto Trader at time of writing were 60 examples of the X3 M (and 38 of the Coupe bodied X4 M) and 47 of the X5 M (with a further 26 of the Coupe bodied X6 M) within budget. For your £60,000 you would be looking at a 2022 model of the X3 M Competition with around 15,000 miles, a relatively new car considering its current £94,000 list price. The budget might not quite stretch to the facelift X5 M, falling short by just £5,000 for a 2020 model, however you should see change from your £60,000 for the previous 2018 year model which are around £44,000 or less.

Audi SQ7 / SQ8

The Audi SQ7 and its sportier SQ8 sibling offer the renowned Audi refinement, comfort, technology and build quality, yet depending on the year of the model, a differing powerplant to generate the performance. Whilst the most recent iteration offers a 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, a SQ7 or SQ8 model built before 2021 comes with a 4.0-litre diesel engine. Performance and power outputs may not differ too much between the two, obviously it has been increased for the newer model as is the way with most facelifts, but the earlier model being diesel does offer 50% better combined fuel economy.

Whilst fuel economy may not be what you are focusing on for your performance SUV, it does show the potential benefit of using a diesel engine for the power output. The SQ7 or SQ8 may not be as fearsome as the RS Q8 but it still offers 500bhp in petrol form and 429bhp in diesel power so both cars offer fantastic performance when needed. Besides, the interior technology and specification choices are still mostly the same, meaning they are also similar to what is available on a Lamborghini Urus.

At the time of writing there were just 11 examples of the SQ8 listed and around 140 of the SQ7 within budget having been around for longer. For your £60,000 you can acquire a 2020 or 2021 SQ8 with reasonable miles and with fantastic specifications. A 2021 SQ7 is definitely within budget for lower than average miles, and with so many currently available, you can afford to choose the specification and colour you were looking for.

Jaguar F-Pace SVR

If you are looking for the performance and soundtrack of the Range Rover Sport SVR but think the Range Rover is perhaps a little too common for your tastes, luckily there is an alternative. As part of the Jaguar Land Rover group, you can also get the same supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine in the fantastic F-Pace SVR. With the same engine, same technology and equipment, and similar suspension and chassis set up, the F-Pace SVR is also less costly than its Range Rover sibling.

Offering slightly less power (still 542hp) and in a lighter vehicle (almost 350kg lighter) the F-Pace SVR is an even quicker than the Range Rover Sport too. 0-62mph takes just 3.8 seconds, and the top speed is almost 180mph. With less weight to propel and change direction, the F-Pace is also arguably even better to drive and has sharper handling, whilst retaining the same addictive noise from the adaptive exhaust system.

For your £60,000 budget there were 37 Jaguar F-Pace SVR models listed at time of writing on Auto Trader. At the top of the budget you could afford a late 2022 model, so barely over a year old, many with just 10k miles covered and a fantastic specification to match. With the same premium range of colours available as the Range Rover and similar features such as the panoramic sunroof it pays to shop around for the exact specification you require. If you’re feeling brave there is also the Lister tuned version within budget, offering 666bhp, even greater customisation options and supercar level acceleration.

Mercedes Benz GLE / GLC 63 S AMG

Mercedes Benz cars are legendary for their loud and fast AMG line up of vehicles. But that doesn’t mean they have been restricted to their sports cars, coupes and saloons, you can also get AMG performance in their SUV range too. Their small GLC and mid-sized GLE SUV’s are very popular vehicles, and at the top of their line ups are the flagship GLC and GLE 63 S AMG models.

Equipped with the trademark 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo engines, everything about the SUV duo is pure AMG power. Producing 503bhp in the smaller GLC, meaning 0-62mph achieved in just 3.8 seconds, and 577bhp in the larger GLE, meaning 0-62mph covered in 4.2 seconds, the ‘S’ part of the naming means as well as having more power, they also have their speed limiter raised to 175mph instead of being restricted to the usual 155mph.

For your £60,000 budget there were 16 GLC 63 S AMG’s currently listed on Auto Trader, with 27 of the larger GLE models. Being the top of the range there isn’t much that the Mercedes Duo don’t already come equipped with, premium sound systems, panoramic sunroofs and multi-spoke satin black AMG wheels are the norm, however special ‘Night Edition’ or ‘Edition 1’ variants are always the rarer and more sought after models. Just because you aren’t in a sports car certainly doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy that AMG soundtrack as you drive along.

Bentley Bentayga

Looking for more luxury as well as power for your £60,000 then you can’t get much more luxurious than the Bentley Bentayga. The Bentayga was the first of the new era ultra-luxurious SUV’s created to take on the Range Rover at their own game, whilst providing effortless refinement and power reserves. Whilst a list price in excess of £160,000 was the base price, many were equipped with such options as the Mulliner Driving Specification meaning the actual price could easily be in excess of £200,000.

Apart from the new levels of luxuriousness that the Bentayga brought to the sector, the slippery drag coefficient and the fact it was powered by a 600bhp 6.0-litre W12 engine meant that it was also the quickest, with a top speed of almost 190mph. That power, combined with a sophisticated Bentley Dynamic Ride electronic anti-roll system, meant that the Bentayga could more than handle its mass when shown a few corners to deal with. Yet it also offered the brand’s legendary ride comfort with its adjustable controls.

Despite that list price being likely north of £200,000 there were 10 cars on Auto Trader at time of writing that were within the £60,000 budget. They may be 2016 or 2017 models, so pushing 7 or 8 years old, but the miles were below average and the specifications were understandably impressive. Maintenance costs may be on the high side, but you would struggle to waft around in quite so much luxury and power for the same price.

Range Rover SV Autobiography Dynamic

Well, that is, unless you happen to find yourself looking at the flagship end of the Range Rover line up. Just below the long wheelbase, two-tone painted SVAutobiography is the more sporty orientated SV Autobiography Dynamic. Taking the upmost in luxury from Land Rover’s SVO bespoke creation department, and giving the vehicle a more dynamic focused set up, the SV Autobiography Dynamic has everything you would ever need, and more.

With a tuned chassis, steering, exhausts and suspension, every aspect of the the SV Autobiography Dynamic has been fettled by the SVO department. Even the ride height is 8mm lower than a standard Range Rover for improved handling. Bespoke exterior trim pieces, custom Red calipers, knurled interior switches and pedals and a special steel weave carbon fibre trim ensure the car looks and feels special in every aspect. Every optional extra available on the Range Rover list is either included as standard or optional, but at no additional cost. Power comes from the same supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine you’d find in the Range Rover Sport SVR.

With a list price starting at £150,000, before you’ve added any truly bespoke finishes, paintwork or monograms to the interior, as well as its exclusivity, you may not expect to find many for sale with £60,000 to spend. However, at time of writing there were 32 listed on Auto Trader within budget. Specification is obviously not much of a talking point with so much already included, so most of the buying decision would be down to paint finishes or interior colours. One thing is for sure, you would definitely be driving around in one of the most accomplished and impressive cars money can buy.

Oracle Finance SUV Funding

At Oracle Car Finance we are specialists in providing funding SUV’s, in fact SUV’s are the most popular cars we fund. Over 40% of the cars we funded last year were SUV’s of all shapes and sizes, meaning our expert Account Managers are well equipped to help you find that perfect finance package bespoke to you and your circumstances.

If you are looking at purchasing any of the above vehicles, our expert team have over 18 years experience in sourcing tailored car finance products, including these models mentioned above. Whatever type of car you’re looking for, you can get in touch with us either by calling 0800 012 6666 or clicking here.

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