Episode 143: 2019 Porsche Cayenne, 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio vs. 2019 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S

How far has the Porsche Cayenne fallen behind the rest of the luxury people mover pack? Sami discusses his disappointment with what was once a class leader after driving the 2019 model. Benjamin, on the other hand, has a surprisingly positive encounter with the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio after failing to be impressed by the standard, non-performance model. He compares it back-to-back against the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 SUV, which may be one of the last V8-powered muscle trucks from the German brand.

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• 2019 ALFA ROMEO STELVIO QUADRIFOGLIO: SUV PERFORMANCE SET TO 'OVERKILL' — So it goes that in 2019 it's possible to find a trucklet with as much thrust and nearly the same levels of grip as supercars from a decade or so previous. The expectation that a full-zoot hot rod SUV be able to pivot like a pro, despite its towering center of gravity and typically ponderous weight, has lead to vehicles like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio—a crossover that stretches brand credibility to the max by way of its family-courting practicality and over the top go-fast feature set. Surprisingly? It kind of works.
• On the Road: 2019 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S — It might sound strange, but compact high performance SUVs are now so common on dealer lots and in driveways across the country that a natural pecking order has begun to emerge. Gone are the days when a small crossover with big power was an anomaly—we've now reached the point where every major Euro player has folded its sport-utility offerings into their mainstream tuning tier. Just like with sedans and coupes, buyers have multiple flavors of fast to choose from when seeking out their next hatchback-on-stilts for daily duty.