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Road Test: BMW 328i
Can I keep this a little longer?
"Boy, I could get used to this." I lost count how many times I said that to myself as I drove the BMW. I got spoiled waking up each morning knowing that my commute would be in one of the best sports sedans in production today.
I knew following my First Impressions of the BMW 328i that I would have a hard time going back to my Scion tC.
Daily driver
Let's cut to the chase. If you're in the market for a sporty four-door, money spent on a 3-series BMW would be a wise investment. You have the convenience of the extra set of doors and room for four adults, wrapped up in a svelte German suit.
Notice I said four adults. The 328i, or any 3-series BMW for that matter, is meant to be comfortable for adults in sets of four. Yes, there's room for five. But I wouldn't want to be the fifth wheel. For comparison purposes, the Pontiac G8 GT that I road tested is more comfortable for five. But the G8's real Bavarian counterpart is the 5 series.
Six-shooter but not down low
Under the 328i's hood is BMW's 3.0-liter, 24-valve, inline 6 with 230 horsepower. The Ridestory test car came with the standard 6-speed manual.
Let's get my power train quibble out of the way first. Low end torque in this motor is lacking. At first I attributed my stumbling starts from a dead stop to inexperience with the car. But I continually had to modulate the accelerator and clutch for smooth starts. Otherwise, BMW's straight six is smoothly subtle when you want it to be but takes on an aggressive rasp when driven aggressively. It is loads of fun.
Quibbles aside, I'll gladly shake the hand of any BMW engineer in charge of this cars six-speed manual. It is smooth and notch-free. And it inspired confidence. At no time did I feel I was grabbing the wrong gear, which I can honestly say, I never did. The only other car that I've driven that had a similar feel was my old Acura RSX. The single advantage the RSX's six-speed had over the BMW's was shorter throws.
A BMW owners opinion
As 328iDude alluded to in his comment following my first post about the 328i, BMW's are incredible cars.
"I can easily sign off on the fact that most BMWs, and the 328i in particular, are magnificent cars. I'm on my 5th BMW now (+1 Mini Cooper), and I can't see myself without one in the future," he said.
"(My) current ride is a 328i, used for the daily commute and also track day use. Show me another brand that offers that same versatility. Maybe a Porsche, but even that is stretching it a bit up here in the arctic Norwegian climate."
I think that's putting it rather succinctly, don't you? Those who experience a BMW, whether it be a short-term test or a long-time owner, come away feeling the same way. This is a solid, well engineered car with outstanding performance.
As I asked following my first post about the 328i, I would love to hear from BMW owners. Anyone have an opinion similar to 328iDude's? Does anyone feel differently? Maybe your BMW experience was less than stellar. Leave your comments below and help educate all of us.
Upcoming Ridestory Roadtest: BMW 328i
First of all, a quick thank you goes out to Jawna Prieto of the The Prietive Group out of Torrance, California. She's lined me up with a BMW 328i for a 7-day review. I will be taking delivery of the car Wednesday and, as you might imagine, I'm looking forward to an extended period behind the wheel.
Look for my posts over the course of the week as well as my brief snippets on Twitter.
Yes, the Ridestory garage is a bit bare. We're new to car reviews and have only done a few. But we're doing our best to build our own library of automotive impressions and will bring each to you as opportunities come our way.
You can check out the Ridestory Vehicle Reviews page for our opinions of the Pontiac G8 GT and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR.
BMW's M line grows with X6 M, X5 M
Say what you will about BMW's X6, car manufacturers are picking up on the new niche of the tall riding coupe. Case in point is the new Acura ZDX Prototype. Acura see's the potential of the new market, with their new car based on the MDX, while BMW's new X6 M is built off the X5 platform.
The X6 M is being heralded as one of the most powerful road-going BMW's built, packing a twin-turbocharged 555hp V8 engine. Mix in the advantage of all-wheel drive and you've got the makings of a true high-performance vehicle. The X6 M sprints to 62mph in a time of only 4.7 seconds, comparable to the incredible BMW M3.
Not only is the styling of the X6 groundbreaking, but it's 4.4-litre engine incorporates a world first for an M-badged vehicle. BMW has engineered the V8 to have both the turbochargers and the catalytic converter located within the vee of the power plant. This helps the engine breathe better and at a higher efficiency due to the shorter exit manifold, resulting in better packaging as the motor is more compact.
As I implied above, the X6 has no doubt raised eyebrows among BMW enthusiasts. Is it a coupe, an SUV, a sedan? All of the above. For now, it's unique, with BMW getting a lot of controversial attention. Time will tell how it translates into sales.
Top five cleanest gasoline cars
Four of the five pollute less than some hybrids
With all the attention the emerging technologies are getting in the automotive press, you tend to forget about the decades-old standard, the conventional gasoline engine.
You're definitely paying a premium to be green, with hybrid technology easily adding two or three thousand dollars to the price of a car. And most electrics, such as Tesla's roadster, are priced only for the wealthy. Makes for great red carpet press for the Hollywood-types but the everyday, commute-to-work driver, just can't afford it. Even GM's Volt will be priced in the $40,000 range, before any government subsidies kick in.
So rather than concentrate so much on the new, NADA Guides has released a list of the top five cleanest conventional gasoline cars for this year's Earth Day.
"It is no surprise that on Earth Day the automotive world will be focused on the latest and greatest hybrid vehicles, but the fact remains that consumers are still overwhelmingly buying and driving conventional gasoline cars," said Michael Caudill, spokesperson for NADA Guides. "The Top Five Cleanest Conventional Cars show that consumers have options for vehicles that are easy on the environment without the higher price point of emerging hybrid technology."
The cars that made the list were based on a combination of scores from three criteria: greenhouse gas emissions, smog-producing air pollution and combined miles per gallon. All data was based on 15,000 miles of driving per year, with 55 percent of it city driving and 45 percent highway driving.
Greenhouse gas emissions include carbon dioxide, methane gas, nitrous oxide and hydrofluorocarbons. Theses figures are expressed in tons per year. Smog or air pollution includes nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, various carbon-containing compounds (including hydrocarbons), formaldehyde and solid particulates.
It's nice to see three of cleanest cars are from American manufacturers; i.e., the 2009 Pontiac G5, the 2009 Chevy Cobalt LS and the Ford Focus S. The Hyundai Elantra GLS lands up in the middle of the pack with the 2009 MINI Cooper coming in last. It's surprising to see the MINI as the dirtiest of the bunch, with it emitting the most air pollution yet still being very efficient. You can bet BMW will work to clean it up.
As many would argue, hybrid and electric technology is not ready to replace the traditional gasoline engine. Will prices adjust eventually? Probably. But until then, you have a few options to be green without paying for it.
Audi expects to increase market share
Audi A5 and R8 lead January sales
Even though the economy is sputtering, Audi's January new car sales weren't too bad. Overall though, their car sales were down from their record sales in January of last year. In January of this year, they sold 4,722 vehicles.
Audi's two successful models? The A5 and R8. Consider this...their A5 and R8 models experienced a sales increase of more than 75%.
The Audi A5 posted a 76.3% increase over last January with 603 units sold in January 2009. The Audi R8 broke its January sales record with over 107 units sold, an increase of 75.4% over January’s sales a year ago.
Audi expects their overall market share in 2009 to increase.
"The softening economy creates challenges to our industry, but the Audi position in the market continues its upward trend. We are confident this momentum will leave Audi in a better position when the economy turns around," said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. "As demonstrated in our successful efforts surrounding the recent presidential inauguration and our Super Bowl presence, Audi intends to remain a top-of-mind choice for U.S. luxury car buyers."
Audi must be doing something right. How is it that some car makers still sell cars, even in a down economy? Sure, Audi is a luxury brand. But even wealthy buyers are having second thoughts about making purchases right now.
Can it be that Audi "gets it"? Somehow, they've figured out what buyers want. And I say that with tongue-in-cheek. Of course they get it! They deliver cars that are beautiful. Arguably with a certain German bauhaus styling, but, nonetheless, cars you want to own. Not to mention cars you want to sit in. Let's face it. You don't drive a car from the outside. The interior matters, with quality materials and workmanship making the inside of a car a nice place to be. Not to mention, a place to be during an hour long commute.
Anyone else care to chime in? Has Audi cornered the market on classic design and quality workmanship? What other car maker do you feel trumps Audi's styling?
2010 Ford Mustang update
Ford has revealed the new 2010 Mustang following an event tonight in Santa Monica, California.
Ford had many Mustang dignitaries, including Carroll Shelby and Jack Roush, on hand to help introduce the new car.
As I mentioned in my previous post, Ford has a site dedicated to the new 2010 Mustang, with further updates to come.
The styling changes aren't huge but yet a nice evolution. The car appears more muscular, especially with the more pronounced rear haunches.
The new car will hit showrooms next March.
2010 Ford Mustang reveal
Ford Mustang enthusiasts should be excited about the prospects of tonight's reveal of the new 2010 model.
On the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford will reveal the new Mustang to a group of enthusiasts at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
The SPEED Channel will show a tape-delayed broadcast of the unveiling, one hour following the live reveal in California. The broadcast will begin at 11:00 p.m. (EST).
In addition, nine local Mustang Club of American-hosted events will enable Mustang fans to watch the SPEED broadcast live.
Ford has been teasing us for some time now with occasional images of the new Mustang, with both exterior and interior detail shots giving us a small glimpse of what the car will look like. It will, of course, be all put together tonight as the car is shown publicly for the first time.
If you've been following the photo time line from Ford, it's probably safe to say the new Mustang will be an evolution of the current design. From the looks of the photos, the retro-theme will continue but maybe just a little softer. The Mustang has been a hit and I'm sure Ford doesn't want to ruin a good thing, especially in today's climate of struggling US auto makers.
A site dedicated to the new car was launched some time ago and, according to Ford, will start showing on Wednesday more images of the new car, a 360-degree view of the car's exterior as well as information on features. A replay of the reveal should also be available.
2010 Nissan Z: Retro styling or refined evolution?
The new Z: Taking the wraps off
Nissan has released photos of the new Z, set to make it's official public appearance at the LA Auto Show next month.
And coinciding with the release of the pictures, Nissan has launched Follow The Nissan Z. The car, of course, has a tremendous following and Nissan feels it appropriate to reward its fans by sending the car on a tour of the Unites States. Prior to its official launch, the new Z will show up for a series of sneak peak pit stops across the country. The new site shows where the car will be and corresponding dates. You can also sign up for updates via an online form.
Performance speculation
Right now, that's all we have is speculation. Official specifications have yet to be released but my guess is that information will come at its Los Angeles introduction.
But speculation is fun and I don't think you have to move far from Nissan's tree for ideas. Nissan's top-flight brand Infiniti has the Z's brother, the G37 Coupe, which was recently redesigned and got a performance bump along with it. The G37 has a 3.7-liter V6 packing 330 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 270 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 rpm. In addition the G37 is available with either a 7-speed automatic or a true 6-speed manual. The automatic does have a manual shift mode with rev matching when downshifting.
I think it's safe to assume the new Z will inherit these performance goodies, making for a great rear-wheel drive car for enthusiasts. True blue Z fans should be quite happy.
Has the Z's styling gone retro?
One thing I noticed immediately about the new Z is how it more closely resembles the early Z's. Is it just me or does it make you think of the original 240/260/280Z's? The new car has what appears to be noticeably shorter rear deck, or hatch, in this case. And with that shorter rear overhang, the hood appears longer. Overall, the car looks more compact. In my mind, that's a good thing. The outgoing model appeared visually cluttered to me. The new Z's look is more refined and purposeful, clearly that of a performance car. I see die-hard Z fans taking to this car even more.
Calling all Z owners
If you're a current Z owner, I would love to hear from you. What model and year do you have? What do you think of this new Z? I would be interested in hearing if you agree with me or not about the new car's styling. Do you see my comparison to old school Z's?
Porsche launches Panamera teaser
Although, how much of a teaser is it? The official photography from Porsche is what's shown above...the current model line "welcoming" the newcomer, the Panamera.
There's plenty of photography and video of Panamera mules cruising the globe. I'll reserve my styling opinion's for later when production-ready cars are shown, hopefully at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Right now, I'm not excited by what I've seen.
In addition, Porsche has launched a Panamera microsite, complete with an intro video that visually recaps Porsche's current and past models, hinting that the Panamera won't suffer any unPorsche-like deficiencies.
What's working in Porsche's favor is the success of their SUV, the Cayenne. Many criticized the company known for their exceptional sports cars for producing a vehicle that couldn't possibly perform like a Porsche.
But the critics were proved wrong as the Cayenne has been a sales success for Porsche.
Do you think the Panamera will be as widely accepted as the Cayenne? What do you think of a four-door Porsche? Cool idea or blasphemous? Let me know what you think!
How capable is Hyundai's Genesis against it's German counterparts?
For those of you out there considering purchasing a luxury sedan, it may be worth including Hyundai's new Genesis on your shopping list.
Hyundai has a tall order taking on the long-standing class leaders in the luxury or sports-luxury segment. And those, of course, are Mercedes and BMW. Both German made, the Mercedes E550 and BMW 550i are huge sales success stories and no slouches especially to the performance-minded car buyer.
But as you can see from the videos I've posted here, the Genesis is more than capable, outperforming its German rivals in acceleration and handling.
I'm excited as well about the upcoming Genesis Coupe. Great looking car that should give the Infiniti G37 coupe and its sister car, the Nissan Z, some serious competition.
Check out the videos of the Genesis sedan comparison tests after the jump.
