The advent of the internet has made shopping for a wide variety of goods and services incredibly quick and easy — and buying breakdown cover online is no exception. Compare how long it would take you to ring around your top five breakdown cover companies and ask for a quote to how long it would take to gain the same information online and it’s like night and day.
To go through the quote gathering process via phonecalls would mean you’d have to go through your details on five separate occasions with …

The only thing as sleek, sexy and powerful as a Porsche Boxster is a woman.
Get behind the wheel. Try to deny the allure. Pretend the curves don’t snag the attention. Convince yourself that impressive interior doesn’t turn you on.
Anyone lucky enough to have driven one of these compact power machines knows the Boxster is one of the most innovative, fun rides on the road. And, like having a gorgeous woman on your arm, it makes you look good.
To great anticipation, Porsche is previewing its third generation of the popular Boxster …

Carnology may just challenge youMany board games come across as just that…boring. But here’s a game that looks downright fun. Although as a car enthusiast, I guess I’m their target market.
Carnology is a game designed to test your car knowledge, with points awarded as you guess car makes and models. According to the game makers, it covers model years as early as the 1900s to modern day, 2012.
The game is price pretty well also. It’s only $39.95, especially when you consider there’s 525 car photos and 6 metal car tokens …

Cadillac hopes to challenge European dominance with their all-new compact sports sedan With the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C class firmly in their sites, Cadillac introduced the ATS last night at the College for Creative Studies, one of America’s top automotive design schools.
Rather than scavenge an existing platform, Cadillac developed an all-new one, hoping to make the ATS the lightest and best-handling Cadillac’s to date. According to Cadillac, the ATS’ curb weight is slightly less than 3,400 lbs.
“Designed with quick, nimble and fun-to-drive dynamics, ATS expands Cadillac’s portfolio into …

Author Mike Gulett writes about some historical European cars As enthusiasts, we like to think we’re experts about cars and the industry. That, of course, is impossible.
Case in point. How many of you know the historical record of European cars that ran American hardware under the hood? I hear a few of you now frantically tapping your keyboards searching Google or whatever fact checking machine you prefer to dig up past car history.
Fair enough, but you could easily also pick up Mike Gulett’s, “European Style with American Muscle”. Mike’s …

Inaugural season available today on Blu-ray and DVDRight off the bat, I have to admit something. Being a huge Top Gear UK fan, I was a bit skeptical when I heard about Top Gear USA. The UK version has been around for several years. Well, to be exact, it’s been around since 1977. Yes, that’s 34 years. Although, it’s been in it’s current form since a relaunch in 2002.
My two biggest concerns in the lead up to Top Gear USA were the inevtiable comparisons to the UK version and who …

Suzuki got a dose of good news after Consumers Digest named their Kizashi sport sedan a Best Buy.
To earn a Best Buy designation, cars must score well on behind-the-wheel assessment, comfort, ergonomics, styling and amenities, safety ratings, warranty, ownership costs and price. All of this matters when Consumers Digest considers a car an exceptional value.
I’m guessing Suzuki is feeling pretty good about this since the Kizashi was one of the 250 2011 models the consumer magazine took into account for the award.
Suzuki has come a long way, with the Kizashi …

Dueling personalities
Jekyll and Hyde move over. What you see before you is truly a car of two personalities. You would think I’m referring to MINI’s drop top. But you would be wrong. This car’s twin psyche comes courtesy of tuning of John Cooper Works.
The dueling temperament’s of this MINI transform this car into a mini (no pun intended) fire-breathing econo-box courtesy of the Sport button at the base of the six-speed shift lever. That sport button completely changes the car’s character. In some ways this is good, in others, not so much.
Convertible fun
First …

Yes, this is the diesel
Let me begin my review of the X5 Diesel with this: I’m not much of an SUV driver. I’d much rather drive a car, preferably one with a sporty nature. But I don’t think I’m an atypical enthusiast. You know what I mean. It’s much more fun to drive a car, even with just a hint of performance, rather than a truck or SUV.

The American market has struggled to accept diesel’s, unless it’s a pickup truck. The low-end torque makes diesel power ideal for towing trailers and hauling loads.

But when I heard I’d have access to a BMW X5 for a few days, I hate to admit it but I got excited. I have, of course, read a lot about the X5 and BMW’s take on the world of SUV’s. But I have never driven one, plus this was a diesel. Would driving a diesel be any different than a gasoline powered car or truck? What about the noise? And just how “green” would it prove to be?

What about today’s diesels?
Some years ago, U.S. auto makers introduced buyers to diesel-powered cars with mixed results. Those 70′s era Oldsmobile’s and Cadillac’s emitted such a clatter that it startled most potential buyers to dash the thought of better mileage for smoother running and quieter rides. Still land yachts, just not so noisy.

Any previous opinions I held regarding today’s diesel vehicles were quickly dashed with this X5. Diesel engines have come a long way and BMW has done much to quell consumers fears about engine clatter and smelly exhaust.

Can you tell its a diesel? Well aside from the X5′s graphics, you can when accelerating from a standing start. But the engine is at full grunt doing the job of getting the car up to speed. But standing outside the X5 as it idled or when at cruising speed, it was quiet and smooth.

The diesel X5 comes in two forms, the xDrive 30d or 35d. Each is powered by a turbocharged 3-liter in-line six, with the 35d bestowed with twin-turbos. The 30d has 235 horsepower and the 35d with 286.

BMW’s diesel produces a hefty 425 lb-ft of torque at a low 1750 rpm. It accelerates to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, impressive for a 5111-lb SUV. For those wondering about mileage, the EPA rates the diesel X5 at 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. I easily achieved these numbers, particularly on the highway where my local freeways are relatively flat.

The X5′s handling easily rivals many “sports” sedans and is a ball to drive. The low end torque powers it through corners quite nicely and makes you think you’re driving something other than a heavy SUV. Fun, yes, but the weight will catch up with you with a nod to understeer that is easily controlled and expected.

Electronic gadgetry
Hallelujah, I was able to pair my iPhone with iDrive! Or, more specifically, with the Communications center of BMW’s disputed entertainment hub. I wasn’t so successful with the 3 Series I tested not long ago so I was pleasantly surprised by my success this time around.

What I was disappointed with was the quality of the system itself. The iDrive control knob is nicely weighted and feels like it should be linked to a grade-A entertainment system. Unfortunately, the expected BMW quality ended there. The other buttons used to access the system were a hard plastic that didn’t mesh well with nearby surfaces. The BMW standards guide may need a revisit.

I did find the iDrive system easy to navigate. BMW has taken much heat over the system since it was introduced and has simplified it. To those ends, they may have let the on-screen graphics suffer. A visual update is needed, especially in the age of computer gamers and hybrid “greenness” measuring dash displays.

How about the competition?
You can see how the diesel X5 faired against it’s competition in this comparison published by Motor Trend. Based on their results, Motor Trend favors Volkswagen’s Touareg TDI.

You benefit from German engineering in both the BMW and VW, but the Touareg seemingly wins out with a better designed interior. You want your time behind the wheel to be a great experience, not only in driving dynamics but in the quality of the environment. BMW may be lacking here, but first hand experience will be your best guide.

Any true-blue BMW fans out there? What do you think of a diesel BMW, particularly an SUV? Is it high time American buyers accept diesel, particularly with its miles per gallon advantage? Or will the higher showroom sticker price turn buyers away, not to mention the higher cost at the pump? Let me know what you think, especially if you are an X5 owner.

I just finished another long term test, this time in BMW’s latest version of the MINI, the Clubman. Since BMW took over MINI, the car has taken on a new life, building on an already unique brand and creating an all new following. The Clubman version of the MINI expands on it even further. With an extended wheelbase and split rear barn doors, the Clubman gives MINI buyers another choice at being just a little different.

Where’s the nearest track?
I was expecting the MINI to handle like a go cart but I thought it would come at the expense of a smooth ride. I was wrong. BMW has done an excellent job of tuning the Clubman’s suspension. When you’re tackling your favorite back road, this MINI corners flat and quick, with minimal body roll.

But when you’re simply in a get to point A to B mode, be it city streets or the freeway, this MINI is quite smooth. It absorbs the majority of road irregularities, with the occasional thump from rough city streets. I haven’t driven a standard size MINI Cooper to compare it to the Clubman. To be fair, the Clubman’s ride may be benefiting from its slightly longer wheelbase.

Performance in a small package
MINI has developed an all-new 16-valve 4-cylinder for their cars, with the ‘S’ models outfitted with twin-scroll turbos and direct injection. The motor puts out 172 HP and 177 lb/ft of torque. I noticed after driving it for a short time that the turbo does take a moment to spool up but when it does, the Clubman accelerates quickly with a nice rasp from its twin tail pipes.

BMW decided to use Getrag to build their MINI manual transmission and it appears to have been a good choice. Not quite as smooth as the manual in the BMW 3-series, the Clubman’s six-speed is sweet. Shifts are crisp with nary a doubt as to which gear you’re in. It took me a moment to get used to the “slide left and up” for reverse (my daily driver is a five-speed) but once past that, it’s fun to find the right gear for the moment, keeping that little buzz saw under the hood in the power band.