So I'll be taking it back today. Overall impression, pretty nice. Will I buy one; not sure yet.
Highs; really smooth engine. Virtually no vibrations at idle. Only heard when pushed. Wife thought that was noisy, but I didn't think so. Lots of equipment. This one was the top of the line and listed at over $54,000.00 CDN. No torque steer at all, no turbo lag to notice. Seems like good power availability. Handles well in corners. Good size; fit in the garage in the spot where my Focus goes no issue. Center display is close at hand and a short reach.
Lows; gas hog! Although it's brand new (54KMs, about 30 miles when I picked it up) I averaged 11.4 L/100 KM or 20.4 MPG. I didn't push it overly hard and drove a mix of city/highway, maybe 50/50. For comparison my 6 year old Lexus RX does about the same! It's noisier than I thought it should be. Tire noise does intrude in the cabin at all speeds on all road surfaces. This one had Michelin tires. Power expires quickly when passing. Took it out on a road I know with substantial hills to test passing. I tried to do 2 cars and could only get by 1. Would have made both in our Lexus. Interior quality is nice, but still not up to the levels of the competitors. Did see some sharp molding flash on plastic bits and the hard surfaces of the gear selector buttons and that part of the dash were a little cheap looking. The steering wheel is shaped odd; kid of oval in cross section. Was difficult to hold comfortably. Seat coolers don't seem to cool the back, just the bottom. Sound system was ok; I'm not a blast the groves person, but it sounded a bit flat even after adjusting bass and treble. With the GPS display in the lower portion of the center dash, under the vents, that requires looking down quite a bit. Wife thought that would be an issue; requires looking away from the road.
So in all an OK vehicle. But for the price, it's going to be tough to pass on a Lexus RX at about the same price. Couple that with the entire buying/after sales experience which I know is much better at Lexus, that may tip the balance.