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Road Test: BMW X5 xDrive 35d
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.
First Impressions: MINI Cooper S Clubman
In the Ridestory Garage
I'm fortunate again to have extended access to another car, this time a MINI Cooper S 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.
What's different?
Potential MINI buyers will find one characteristic of the Clubman very appealing. And that's size. The Clubman is longer and definitely more roomy inside than a standard size MINI. Hop in the back seat and it's actually functional. So four adults in a MINI can be comfortable? In a word, yes.
Clubman uniqueness continues though. In addition to the extra leg room, the rear of the Clubman opens up with two barn-like doors. Swinging the doors out provides easy loading and access to the rear of the car. An additional suicide door on the passenger side provides access to the rear seat.
MINI performance
Just because it's a MINI doesn't mean performance is lacking. This Clubman happens to be the 'S' version, delivering 172 turbocharged horsepower. My initial impressions can't detect any turbo lag. In fact, the MINI's 4-cylinder has got a nice punch with just a little rasp to the exhaust note. It's loads of fun to keep high in the rev range.
In addition, my test car has a six-speed manual transmission. Which, for me, is exciting. If you're a regular reader of Ridestory, you know I'm not a fan of automatics. And, for the most part, the MINI's manual is quite enjoyable. It's a little notchy, definitely not as smooth as the BMW 328i's manual. But fun none the less.
Does MINI mean strength in the car market?
News regarding the future of the car market hasn't been good lately. Bankruptcy and bailouts don't exactly exude confidence. But if the future of the automobile is anything like what BMW is delivering with the MINI brand, enthusiasts will continue to be happy drivers.
Look for my MINI Twitter updates over the coming week and I'll of course post more about it here on Ridestory.
Patrón Highcroft Racing launches new online fan initiatives
ALMS team to use Facebook and Twitter to better reach their fans
There's no doubt that social media has grown by leaps and bounds, more so in the last year with the introduction of Twitter. That growth now includes the world of auto racing.
Patrón Highcroft Racing recognized the importance of connecting with fans through social media and has launched a larger online presence, providing fans an easier way to connect through Facebook and Twitter.
The significance of this goes beyond just providing insight into the team and its activities. It gives the team and their primary sponsors a moment, however brief, to communicate their brands. Through social media, they have the unique opportunity to take better charge of their brands and control the message. Why let someone else talk to your fans when you can, and should, do it.
I'd love to hear from you about other race teams taking advantage of social media. Let me know by leaving a comment below and I'll build a reference list for race fans.
If you're interested in being a fan of the team, you can visit their Facebook as well as their Twitter profiles.
Thanks to SpeedTV for the links to this story.
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?
2008 RS6 Avant: The hottest Audi yet
Just continuing along with an Audi theme today, Audi recently released some fantastic images of one of their hottest model's yet, the RS6 Avant.
Yes, it's a wagon. But it's a very fast, very powerful German wagon! Just think of it as a high-performance 5-door.
Drool over the photos because that's probably as close as you'll get to it. Only a limited number are set for release now in 2008 and all have been claimed by some high-rolling soccer moms shuttling kids and dogs around town.
The specs? Incredible...
• 580-horsepower, 480 lb-ft twin-turbo V10 TFSI
• 0-62 mph in a scant 4.6 seconds
• Top speed: 155 mph
• Quattro all-wheel-drive
• Optional ceramic composite brakes
• 6-speed tiptronic
Audi counting down to kickoff
Take a moment and check out the updated Audi USA web site. They've got a clock counting down until the moment of truth. No doubt referencing the much talked about advertising campaign they are launching during this Sunday's Super Bowl.
More than likely the new campaign will center on establishing a new image for Audi here in the states. Unfortunately for Audi, their brand isn't held in the same regard as Mercedes and BMW. The focus will be to change that impression, positioning Audi as a major player in the luxury performance segment.
When you visit Audi's site, register for your own sneak preview of the Audi Super Bowl commercial. As a registered viewer, you will be able to watch it Sunday morning.
Tesla and the Volt collide
Martin Eberhard, the recently ousted co-founder of Tesla Motors, blogged recently about what steps he thinks GM should take on making the Chevrolet Volt a viable electric vehicle. His suggestion is to look to an interim solution, one that can get the buying public interested in a green vehicle from GM until better batteries come along that bring the price "...down by at least a factor of two and increase the capacity by something like a factor of two."
About a year ago, Eberhard met with GM's Bob Lutz for about two hours. From the sound of Eberhard's post, he and Lutz had their own reasons for meeting, which worked out to mutually agreeable, even though not voiced. And Lutz admitted somewhat to meeting the challenge of an electric vehicle because of Tesla.
"If some little West Coast outfit can do this, we can no longer stand by," he said.
"My motivation for talking to him was mostly to try and nudge GM towards change. His motivation seemed to be to learn as much as he could from me. This was okay by me – GM mass-producing EVs is good for the world because of the sheer number of cars they can sell, and good for Tesla Motors because it validates the market in the eyes of the consumers and the press," Eberhard explained.
He goes on to say that he thinks GM's Volt program is viable, considering the money, support and personnel that has been dedicated to the project.
Eberhard talks about how in the interim, GM could develop a Range-Extended Electric Vehicle. Such a vehicle could use a small gasoline engine of about 75hp to reduce the cost of the vehicle.
He explains how an electric car with a 200 mile range uses a battery system costing $20,000 or more. There's no way you can make a $30,000 car with a high-priced battery set up.
But a vehicle with a battery pack that goes 50 miles costs significantly less, about $5,000. You still achieve gas savings by having the battery system covering you on your local errands while having the ability to go on longer trips with the assistance of the gasoline engine. Then it's merely a matter of time for battery technology to catch up, thus reducing your reliance on the range extending gasoline engine.
Let's hope GM takes the lead here. It would be great to see GM get in the game and give the likes of Toyota and Honda a run for their money in a growing competitive market.
What do you think about Eberhard's proposal? Would you be more willing to drive an electric car if you had the option of going further with an onboard gasoline engine? Of course, it would help if the car looked good, such as the Volt and Tesla's roadster! Do you have any other ideas to help make the electric car experience better and more performance minded?
Review of Autophile Apparel
My friend Tyler, auto apparel aficionado, asked me to review his site, Autophile Apparel. With full disclosure in mind, Tyler has sent me three shirts and a couple of stickers.
First of all, Autophile's designs are cool. For me, his Give Me A Boost! shirt is my favorite. The simple look of the black Autophile T is nice as well. Tyler has a terrific eye and his apparel the look that should appeal to up and coming motor heads as well as oldies like me. As far as product, Autophile delivers. Keeping designs fresh and new looks flowing will be one of Tyler's challenges. The other is getting the word out. And that's going to be the toughest one. Autophile Apparel is one of many online apparel stores. Competition is everywhere. Getting noticed is just one part of the solution. More on this in a moment.
Right now Autophile Apparel is a simple store front for their shirts. Navigation is quick and easy, with photos of their products clearly visible as you choose color and size. Is the Christmas wreath on the home page something leftover from the holidays? Sorry Tyler, but it's probably time for that to go!
As long as we're on the topic of site design, I have a few suggestions. Remember, suggestions are just that. Take them with a grain of salt. 
But my ideas are commonplace and I think many others will agree with them. First, reduce the size of the Autophile logo at the top. It's good to let people know where they are but this can be accomplished with a nice masthead that incorporate's the navigation. You'll also move more of your page contents above the 'fold', letting visitors see more of your site without scrolling.
Consider dedicating space for news items, such as a sidebar. Tyler got a great plug from a Swedish magazine, Street Xtreme. But this tidbit is getting lost among his product shots. Setting aside site news makes it easier for visitors to find and they will know where to look each time they visit. Site news can be important. It gives you the opportunity to plug yourself. Just make sure it's updated frequently. Which brings me to my next point.
Blogging. This one word now encompasses so many things, from branding to marketing to selling. Done right, the addition of a blog to a store front such as Autophile Apparel's can be the difference in increasing sales and being recognized in a niche. Now Tyler need not become a ProBlogger such as Darren Rowse or Chris Garrett, but by blogging about what he knows, Tyler can strive to become an apparel expert, leveraging his knowledge and expertise to gain notoriety. By using a blog, Tyler can, in a subtle way, draw attention to his products. No hard sell here. Don't be obvious or blatant about it. As the blog builds with knowledgeable information, more and more people will visit and link to you, hopefully increasing sales.
Social Media is also a great way to get some attention. If Tyler decides to add a blog, Stumbling some of his better posts will help draw traffic, especially if it's worthwhile information.
Again, you're not blogging or using Social Media to pat yourself on the back. Readers will see right through this. As I mentioned above, be the expert, write from experience, you'll get noticed. No doubt about it, It takes time. But so does starting any business. You've got the cool product Tyler, now sell it. Enough said.
Anyone else have any suggestions for Tyler? What do you think of his apparel? Add your comments here and I'll forward them on to him.
Your car goes digital
The digital car: mobile productivity or dangerous device?
Your hearing more and more about the growing trend to turn your car into a digital power house. The hardware is available to connect bluetooth capable phones and laptops plus an incredible variety of entertainment devices.
The car manufacturers are doing an amazing job helping consumers with their new found digital motoring lifestyles. Many auto makers are now building Bluetooth capability into their cars. For example, do you have a cell phone that has Bluetooth? By simply "pairing" it with your car, you can answer calls hands-free, hearing your caller over your car's stereo speakers. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's explain some of the technical details first.
I may have thrown you for a loop with the mention of Bluetooth and "pairing." You've finally got WiFi and hands-free down, but now you've got other gizmo terms to learn. Well, conveniently enough, here's the definition of Bluetooth straight from Bluetooth.com.
"Bluetooth wireless technology is a short-range communications technology intended to replace the cables connecting portable and/or fixed devices while maintaining high levels of security. The key features of Bluetooth technology are robustness, low power, and low cost. The Bluetooth specification defines a uniform structure for a wide range of devices to connect and communicate with each other."
"...Bluetooth enabled device(s), almost everywhere in the world, can connect to other Bluetooth enabled devices in proximity. Bluetooth enabled electronic devices connect and communicate wirelessly through short-range, ad hoc networks known as piconets."
So, in a nutshell, Bluetooth devices can talk to eachother, wirelessly, when placed a short distance away. Now, on to "pairing."
Again, I'll borrow a definition from the experts at Bluetooth.com. According to them, "Pairing is the process of establishing a new relationship between two Bluetooth enabled devices. During this process a link key is exchanged (either before connection establishment was requested or during connecting phase)." So think of it as two people introducing themselves with a firm friendly handshake.
Ford's new Sync feature in their cars offers Bluetooth connectivity to your phone as well as voice activated dialing. Definitely a hands-free system. Based on technology from Microsoft, Sync debuted last fall and is available on twelve 2008 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models: Edge, Explorer, Five Hundred, Focus, Freestyle, Fusion, Milan, MKX, MKZ, Montego, Mountaineer and Sport-Trac. Ford promises more Sync-equipped vehicles in the future.
But back to our cell phone example. Your car and your phone have Bluetooth. You'd like to make and answer calls, hands-free. Just enable Bluetooth on each, pair your phone and cars audio system and simply talk, freeing your hands for the task at hand, driving the car. It's worth mentioning the legal implications briefly here. Many citites and states are enacting laws controlling whether or not you can use your phone while driving. Talking hands-free while driving will help you be productive without breaking any laws. I'll get into this in more detail later.
But what if your car doesn't have Bluetooth? As long as your cell phone does, the simple solution is to purchase a Bluetooth-capable ear piece or headset. Many are available at different price ranges. Shop around online and you can find some great deals. Also take the time to research the best models. User reviews are a great source here. Business people as well as everyday folk use the various devices on a daily basis and share their experiences. See what they have to say and consider buying with their recommendations in mind.
Not only is Bluetooth connectivity possible between your car and mobile phone, but you can also turn your vehicle into a mobile WiFi hot spot. Trendhunter talks about WAAV's AirBox, a cool gadget you can slide under a seat in your car.
The AirBox is a broadband cellular router that gives you a high speed connection while on the move. With the AirBox installed, devices such as PDA's, laptops and game consoles will have access to a broadband connection, wherever you may be. Surfing and gaming is merely a cell tower away.
All this talk though about digitizing your car might make you wonder. How important is it? Many of us talk on our cell phones while driving. A distraction, definitely. Safe, probably not. The ramifications have already proven to be deadly. As cars become more like digital devices, the potential for driver distraction climbs rapidly. Phones, PDAs, and laptops being the primary distraction to the driver, but DVD players and gaming consoles, used by passengers, contribute to the danger as well.
City and state laws are changing nation-wide to reflect or deflect the trend. It's never a good thing when the government noses into your business but, in this case, safety on our roads trumps it. Many cities have passed laws outlawing talking on the phone or text messaging while driving. Phoenix is a perfect example. A recent accident involving a teen text messaging while driving prompted the city to enact a law banning text messaging while driving. We're not sure how you enforce it but it's in the books. Phoenix is just one example. Many other cities have already passed laws banner cell phone use while driving with others considering it.
The best way to approach all of this new vehicle technology is to first check with your local or state government and see if any laws exist regarding driver distraction while the vehicle is moving. Laws may cover cell phone usage, text messaging, even laptop or entertainment devices near the driver. If laws do exist, consider purchasing what you need for hands-free driving. Laws usually assume your driving safely as long as both of your hands are on the wheel. You are considered distracted holding a phone to your ear or sending a text message.
If your car shopping, look to the various car review sites for information about the availability of Bluetooth in cars by the various manufacturers. Not only will you have a new car but a car considered on the cutting edge. Being safe and technologically hip is a good thing. Not to mention you'll be better prepared and knowledgeable about what the future might bring in the automotive world.
Top Gear and the Ferrari 599 GTP Fiorano
Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson reviews Ferrari's incredible 599 GTP Fiorano. Another high performance Ferrari to drool over!
