Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged BMW
2011 BMW X6 M
Sep 8th
The question of what, exactly, the BMW X6 is, and how to classify it, is not made any easier with the installation of a race-bred 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8.
Really, it was already confusing enough. This big BMW’s coupe-like five-door body and sporty lines would defy convention even if they weren’t riding on a tall, SUV-like chassis with all-wheel drive. And now, a powerful engine and the performance credentials of BMW’s M division are added to the mix? I just don’t know what to think. More >
2011 BMW 550i
Jul 13th
This is an automotive truth: BMWs are happier with manual transmissions. I have yet to drive a BMW that wasn’t dramatically more fun when equipped with a stick. I sampled the all-new 550i last spring and came away generally unimpressed; it was a competent luxury sedan that could tackle the twisties with aplomb, but not markedly cooler than a comparable Audi A6.
Drop a six-speed manual transmission into the equation, however, and the 550i is transformed into a serious piece of driving equipment. BMWs aren’t about being comfortable when stuck in rush-hour traffic, in the end. This is a car that demands driver engagement. Even the cupholders are inconvenient, an afterthought. More >
2011 BMW X5 XDrive 35d
Mar 27th
When BMW introduced its first SUV, the X5, in 1999, it seemed like a pointless departure for the brand, a bit of bandwagon-jumping that was at best superfluous and at worst ridiculous. BMW proved everyone wrong, though; the X5 combined BMW’s automotive handling expertise with just enough towing capacity and off-road ability to take the sport-utility class to the next level. Other high-end SUVs have followed the X5′s lead.
These days, the X5 is more of a large, wide station wagon that can go anywhere than it is a truck of any sort. It’s still got the ability to tow and haul, of course, but with a fresh redesign that adds more painted surfaces in place of utilitarian plastic, the X5 is unlikely to be anyone’s workhorse no matter what its towing capacity is. After spending a week with the diesel-powered X5 XDrive 35d, it’s clear that this sport-ute is more about a comfortable ride and a high-style arrival than it is about tackling muddy ditches. More >