What is an SUV? By virtue of the wording it is a Sport Utility Vehicle and for quite some time the emphasis has been placed on the Utility part of that phrase. That doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with vehicles that can haul anything and carry the load or offer a wide variety of cargo configurations, but it’s to have some SUVs that embrace the sport part as much as the utility.
Here are ten SUVs from 2014 that do just that, either on or off the road they are fun to drive and with the model year coming to a close should be offered with excellent financing or pricing incentives.
This one should come as no surprise, starting off the list with an SUV that comes from the company who’s mantra is “zoom-zoom”. With a nicely powerful engine and sharp and responsive steering and suspension the CX-5 offers one of the most fun drives anyone can have in any vehicle. In addition to the great handling and zippy engine the CX-5 is a great looking SUV that keeps onlookers staring for a long time. The CX-5 is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder SKYACTIV engine that offers 155 horsepower and comes in with a fuel efficiency of 26 city/35 hwy mpg to keep the driving fun going for a long time.
The RDX offers some of the smoothest performance of any SUV making this an SUV that would be fun on a track to test is maximum performance as well as on and off the road. The RDX boasts a gorgeous appearance that is easy to fall in love with for any owner offering the full effect of being a luxury compact SUV. Powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine that can reach as much as 273 horsepower the RDX has a fuel efficiency that is enjoyable as well at 20 city/28 hwy mpg.
The Nissan Juke is an SUV that has its own quirky style that looks like it was confused whether to be a well performing hatchback car or an SUV. Either way owners will really enjoy the Juke in the Nismo RS model that truly offer sports performance that is normally reserved for high performance cars. The Juke in the Nismo RS model even comes equipped with some cool features like a limited slip differential, racing seats, and paddle shifters. The Juke Nismo RS is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that brings in 215 horsepower and offers a very pleasant 25 city/31 hwy mpg of fuel efficiency.
This SUV boasts it’s fun off the road rather than on it. In its last year of production in this model the FJ Cruiser offers owners a ton of trail features that make it a great fit in the great outdoors including the Crawl Control that allows the SUV to navigate tough trails much easier than the competition. The FJ Cruiser is powered by a 4.0-liter V6 engine that can reach as much as 260 horsepower and has a fuel mileage of only 17 city/20 hwy mpg. Even though the fuel mileage is low, this SUV is a lot of fun out on the trails and is capable of going to a lot of places other vehicles cannot.
Another off road junkie that can also handle the stints on the pavement with pride and distinction the Range Rover Sport is made to really take care of business no matter what the terrain. It is a very capable SUV even on just curvy roads and makes the most of its off road capabilities once the pavement is left behind. The Range Rover Sport is powered by a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine that brings in a massive 340 horsepower and offers a respectable fuel efficiency of 17 city/23 hwy mpg.
Apparently the Jeep designers had quite a lot of coffee when they came up with the Grand Cherokee SRT. This is an SUV that has it all, it’s fast enough to compete with the Porsche Cayenne GTS and packs a real American muscle car punch on and off the road. The suspension and steering are so well designed they never miss a beat and it even has a very nice towing capacity to make trips off road a breeze even with a load to haul. The Grand Cherokee SRT is powered by a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 that brags about its 470 horsepower and has a fuel mileage of 13 city/19 hwy mpg. This one absolutely one of those SUVs that are bought for performance and not fuel savings and it offers the performance to delight any owner.
Another seriously souped up SUV comes in the form of the ML63 AMG. The partnering with AMG for Mercedes-Benz pays off big with an SUV that is full of luxury features as well as a huge amount of power. This SUV is capable of towing a boat or reaching zero to sixty speeds that put a lot of sports cars to shame. Add the performance package to this monster and the top speed is even increased to make this an even more enjoyable SUV to own. The ML63 AMG is powered by a 5.5-liter Twin Turbo V8 that reaches as much as 518 horsepower and comes in with a fuel mileage of 13 city/17 hwy mpg.
An awesome engine powers the SQ5 as this small SUV shows off with awesome performance and power. The SQ5 is equipped with a masterfully tuned sport suspension and Audi’s rally all-wheel drive system making it a great choice for both on the pavement and when heading down light trails to an off road destination. The SQ5 is powered by a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine that reaches 354 horsepower and comes with a fuel mileage of 16 city/23 hwy mpg.
The classic SUV that still has it all is the Jeep Wrangler. With its short wheelbase, high ground clearance, and awesome four-wheel drive the Wrangler is most at home climbing over boulders or sifting through the sand. It is still very capable on the road as well and is one of the only SUVs that offer the opportunity to enjoy a top down experience. The Wrangler is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine that brings in a strong 285 horsepower and offers a fuel mileage of 17 city/21 hwy mpg.
As the only 2015 model on the list the Macan is a sports car in an SUV body. This awesome SUV is basically a Porsche 911 that has been blown up and given a great deal of off road capabilities. With a very nice power offering from the S model the power is dramatically increased in the Turbo model which brings in 400 horsepower. The Macan S model is powered by a 3.0-liter twin turbo V6 that carries 340 horsepower and offers a fuel efficiency of 17 city/23 hwy mpg to enjoy.
With such an awesome list of SUVs to choose from the only factor and decision to make is which one to buy on whatever budget a shopper may have. This might require several test drives to find just the right SUV but that will only give a true fan more time in a lot of exciting and enjoyable SUVs.
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