Guys help me out with this one.
I am in the states and looking to import one of these SUV for my personal use in Lagos.

Which would you advise base on
performance
reliability
fuel requirements (RON etc)
maintenance (cost & mechanic issues lol)
etc

Technical details are welcome

Btw u are allowed to suggest other SUVs. I considered the Toyota FJ Cruiser which I think is made for 'Nigerian roads' but I struggle to imagine how I can withstand its exterior look and very base interior for more than 6 months.
I am surprised we don't see the Lexus RX models in Nigeria since they are closest to being the midsize SUV with the most value for money here in the states.

I wld suggest X5, its got all the features you required

porsche all the way muscle suv

Porsche!

Porsche has d most boring interior ever, very bland , if its d latest mdx ur talking about , go for it d car is loaded with functions , bluetooth and d works, d lexus is d easiest to maintain though

I think the MDX is great too. I wonder if Honda dealerships in Naija can also stock parts / assist with its maintenance.
The way Toyota handles Lexus.

Pls, go for MDX. It is cheaper to maintain compared with the others you listed. See, cost of maintenance is the king when it comes to auto.

A friend driving Benz in Nigeria was told to register is Benz for 200,000 and the repair cost of what is troubling the Benz is 400,000. That will be 600,000. When I even priced the component in the US for him from Benz Dealers, it was $1,400.

Thats a fair point.
One other issue with the MDX is the recommended premium fuel requirements.
I think Nigerian fuels would have an octane rating similar to American regular 87 or so.
Premium is 91. I've heard about certain fuel additives but I need to be clarified on that.
How will this affect the MDX engine performance and longevity in Nigeria?

Private JET all the way homie.

@ porter please how do you create that topic here

I tink lexus is nice for the bad nature of our roads.
bt all d same a simple car other dan all these wil b good to avoid kidnap

@OP, buyin any of doz cars is lyke buyin more xpensis, i'll advice u to go for a simple and comfortable ryde. thanx!

BRT nko?

l.

^^^^ Yes. i'd say go for the toyota land cruiser.
It is the most durable in my opinion as far as naija roads are concerned.
The newer models seem to have all the interior desirable too.

Audi Q5 all the way!!!

Love that car.

Thats a cars that describes a person.

until siena makes his submission,

Before you get one of those "I have money" truck, get a 2002 Grand Cherokee limited as a backup @ around $6k, compared to your first choice.
Just in case the boys want a share of your money.

Since you have a US connection, parts are very cheap average $60 compared to a $1400 Merz part.If you need to drive something luxurious, and capable of handling Nigerian roads without raising unwanted attention get  the Jeep, a N1m backup is not expensive when you'll need around N600k for a visit to Coscharis in you X3, your Porsche/Audi becomes a luxurious apartment for rodents,Lexus and Acura gets driven on sunday only or when you feel like playing Russian roulette.

Think of the worst thing that could happen with all of your choices and have a backup plan which could be as simple as a RAV.

megastu:

until siena makes his submission,

The question here is simply what is the best luxury SUV for Nigerian roads?

The fact is that some offroad capability is built into these truck, they are not made to run(permanently) on Nigerian roads(Abuja excluded).
Suspension is set up to drive smooth on highway, handle some sidestreet, but not run into potholes doing 60mph.The idea that such situation exists does not occur where these trucks are built.

It up to the buyer to look at what the truck will have to go through, service and parts before makin a choice.

And you forgot the FX

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go and buy peugeut 505 and use the remaining change to help those that are hungry man!

go and buy peugeut 505 and use the remaining change to help those that are hungry, man!  

coschuks:

go and buy peugeut 505 and use the remaining change to help those that are hungry, man!  

Even the Good Lord said there will always be the poor and hungry amongst us. So it wouldn't hurt, if he spends a few mills to get the SUV of his choice and still give a token to charity. There will always be people giving to charity, whether the brother gives or not. Whatever we give to the hungry or poor doesn't really count, because the day we stop giving, God will get a replacement for you or me. In the end, LIFE GOES ON.

@OP
Im not sure why you have those particular vehicles as your options BUT I feel the BMW should be an X5 and not the X3 - that will make for a fair comparism.

Statistics would ordinarily show that the RX350 leads hands down due to its fuel management and ground clearance BUT for me the design gets very boring and flat after a while. Maintaining a Porsche Cayenne in Nigeria might prove to be a challenge when it comes to parts BUT how many of it do you see faulty lying around, I dont know about the BMW X3 as an option BUT I will go for the BMW X5 anyday - the parts are there and it remains sturdy and that design/looks is always catchy especially when well taken care of. The Audi Q5 is very cute and unique (It stands out) and sincerely is a winner here - the cost is an issue though (especially maintenance). For me, The Acura MDX is a mistake from the "luxury" arm (or is it leg) of Honda - you are better off with a Honda Pilot (The 09/10 is simply out of this world).

For better statistics overseas there is this website where you can check the average rating for these vehicles and compare:

1. http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2010-audi-q5.htm
2. http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2009-bmw-x5.htm

But locally, there is a place at Owode Onirin where you can take the statistics of high-end fragile vehicles - there, you will see close to brand new of these vehicles faulty and that will tell you which model is prone to faults and which is not: Most common is the VW Touareg (Its a disaster), next is the Audi A4, A6 (Mostly transmission issues) then so many VW Jetta and Passat models (transmission and engine). You wont see a Porsche Cayenne there, No X5, No G Wagon, a few H2 (Overheating and dead engines), No Landcruisers.

Porsche Cayenne vs Lexus RX350 vs BMW X3 Vs Audi Q5 vs Acura MDX

Erm, which Cayenne exactly? which year, and what engine? There are up to 4 engine types for this vehicle alone. Running a V8 will be vastly more expensive than running a V6 in terms of parts, maintenance, fuel, etc. Again, regarding the X3 and Q5, again which engine are you talking about? Without this info, any comparison is meaningless.

@OP

Berra come home and see wat other big boys
are using then u use which one 2 buy.

If u stil want 2 buy from abroad, den buy Toyota
product

SHALOM

whats really wrong here is the lack of information on what exactly you want here?If you are looking at the very high end SUVs,gas mileaga is not a factor,they are all gas guzzlers unless you would want a hybrid which only the Lexus offers in the RX400h.Secondly,you are asking about cost of maintenance?They all will be relatively expensive,they ARE luxury models no matter how you look at it.Now if you go into the mid range price level you would be looking at the Honda Pilot/Nissan pathfinder/Murano,Toyota 4Runner.do you prefer a a smaller SUV?Do you want better offroad capa bility?do you need 5 seats or 8 seats?do you prefer luxury or utility?you have to consider all of these.

Small SUVs non luxury=
Toyota Rav4
Subaru Outback
Saturn Vue
Mazda tribute
honda CRV
Jeep Compass
Jeep Patriot

Mid size non luxury=
Toyota 4Runner(does well offroad and is comfy enough with features)
Nissan Pathfinder
Chevrolet Traverse
Toyota FJ cruiser(best offroad but is very utilitarian/not for office/ceo types)
Jeep Commander
Jeep Grandcherokee

Large non luxury=
Nissan Armada
Toyota Sequioa
Honda Pilot
Toyota land cruiser(best offroad of the bunch,plenty of modern features/parts aplenty in Nigeria, cant go wrong here, but it costs the most in this group, but it still is not considered a "luxury" SUV)
Mazda cx 9
Ford Expedition
Chevrolet Tahoe

Luxury midsize=
Acura MDX
BMW X5 4.0/4.4(Great handling, BMW parts and reliability, huge issue!)
Land Rover Range Rover/Sport(see BMW above)
Porsche Cayenne S/Turbo S(Fast/expensive/great handling but not good offroad/handling naija potholes)
Infiniti FX 35/45(This is not meant to be driven off road, at your own risk, it has low ground clearance.)
Saab 9X
Audi Q7(seats more in luxury/parts?good luck)
Volkswagen toureg(one simple reason to avoid this, look at the VW phaeton, terrible failure, not worth it)
MB ML 350/450/550/63 AMG(see porsche cayenne)

my recommendation is the Toyota 4Runner,simple but comfy,very capable offroad even with huge boulders and potholes,enough power in its v8 engine,doesn't stand out as a robbery magnet, compared to luxury brand/decent gas mileage/seats 5, average size, Toyota parts are plenty in naija, 4runners have been built for over 15 yrs,as opposed to some of the newer flaky SUV's/great resale value

Keke NAPEP is the best.

Thats a fair point.
One other issue with the MDX is the recommended premium fuel requirements.
I think Nigerian fuels would have an octane rating similar to American regular 87 or so.
Premium is 91. I've heard about certain fuel additives but I need to be clarified on that.
How will this affect the MDX engine performance and longevity in Nigeria?

I am not really sure how this will affect its performance. I must say Nigerian fuel will pose a problem. I will opt  for Honda Pilot in Nigeria and I cannot drive anything luxury in Nigeria except a regular Mid Size SUV.

My car stopped on a freeway 2 weeks ago. The engine switch off when I was speeding and I had to pack. I towed it to the dealer and they fixed it. When I asked what happened to it, I was told it was a fly that entered the air filter and the car's computer shut down when it sensed there is something in it.
I payed nothing, even for towing (I have manufacturer's warranty).

If i don't have the warranty, it will cost just $100.

Tell me, If it is a dealer in Nigeria, you could pay 50,000 naira to remove a fly from a regular car. If it is a luxury car, it could be 100,000 to remove a fly.

An average SUV that can easily be repaired is the best bet.

I went back and did more research on the toyota 4runner,you can have 4cyl,6cyl or 8 cylinder engines, also comes in 4wd or 2wd.I would recommend the v6 or v8 4WD version,because of power but if you want great gas mileage go with the 4 cylinder.Also the 4runner IS the only serious offroad SUV in the group I showed above.Why,because it still has body ON frame which is much stronger and rugged compared to the unibody frames of the Porsche/audi/BMW and Infiniti, which means they can't handle boulders,rocks,pits without needing complete suspension replacement. , Toyota rules here again