Ute Talking to Me?

When Porsche, arguably the world’s most sophisticated sports car maker, announced in 2002 that it was introducing an SUV, purists shuddered. Since then, the company has sold more than 150,000 Cayennes, spawning a class of elitist SUVs that are luxurious, functional, and seriously powerful: With a top speed of 171 miles per hour, the 2008 Cayenne Turbo, for example, can out-accelerate Porsche’s own Boxster. In the past few years Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover have jumped into the market with high-performance sport-utes of their own—the Mercedes ML63 AMG and the Range Rover Sport Supercharged. As the most popular season of the year for SUV buying comes into full swing, I spent a few weeks road-testing all three vehicles.

The Mercedes ML63 AMG is shamelessly hot-roddy, and that’s its charm: The brakes are totally fade-free even at triple-digit speeds; the sport seats, with their wide side bolsters, hold you firmly in place as the car takes corners like a roadster; and a devilishly fierce exhaust lets the neighborhood know this car goes like stink—zero to 60 in a Corvettelike 4.8 seconds. It’s not the most refined of the bunch, but for cut-and-thrust driving, this is one mighty fine ride.

The Range Rover Sport Supercharged is the slowest of the three. Sitting high and with a good deal of body lean, it comes with an air of stuffiness. There’s only one Rover, though, and with its traditional boxy styling and luxury interior (fine-smelling leather, plush carpeting), its highfalutin attitude is warranted, especially in a pinch: When I get hopelessly stuck in the sand out on the Cape, the car’s Terrain Response software hauls me out in a flash. The Supercharged—like any Rover—will make you feel safe, sound, and as regal as if you were cutting through the Serengeti.

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo proves to be the best of the lot. Despite its heft, it never feels overwhelming or unwieldy in the rain or on dodgy back roads—even with its 50-horsepower increase over the previous model. This is due to its PDCC (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control), which “reads” road conditions and controls body roll accordingly. Power delivery is smooth and easily modulated; what’s more, in snow and other low-traction environments, the drive train automatically transfers engine torque among the wheels as needed. With all its beguiling speed, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo is an elegant and functional vehicle—a Rolls, Lamborghini, and Jeep morphed into one.