Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged diesel
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 >
2005 Dodge Sprinter
Nov 13th
Okay, so it’s true that unless you’re a small business owner, an FBI agent on stakeout or a serial killer, full-size vans haven’t been even remotely cool since the 1970s, assuming you’re willing to concede that they were even cool then. So you can be forgiven for not realizing that Dodge has just done some significant shaking-up of the full-size van market with the introduction of the Sprinter.
That’s right, the die-hard Ram Van is no more. Unlike Ford and Chevrolet, who have fielded evolutionary updates to their full-size vans in recent years, Dodge threw the blueprint away entirely and badge-engineered this German behemoth instead. The newest van to wear the Dodge crosshair grille stands head and shoulders above the competition, literally, and it’s built by Mercedes. Yes, it’s big. How big is it? You’ll find Sprinters wearing Freightliner badges as well as Dodge’s nameplate. No, seriously, how big? Most of the Sprinters you see will have DHL, UPS or FedEx livery. But you can buy your own, too.
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2005 Volkswagen Touareg TDI V10
Oct 31st
Volkswagen’s fantastic Touareg has garnered its fair share of awards and attention since its introduction last year. This summer the Touareg added a new trick to its impressive resume: torquey, efficient diesel power.
The Touareg diesel was available in Europe from the beginning, but VW brought it to the U.S. to show its commitment to diesel. The five-valve per cylinder 5.0 liter V10 is a direct-injection turbodiesel. The simplified injection system reduces the amount of clatter and soot produced, and the Touareg TDI is quiet on the road. It’s also powerful; it’s hard to argue with 310 horsepower and 553 foot-pounds of torque. Fuel economy is improved by about twenty percent over the V8 Touareg. Volkswagen’s 4XMOTION four-wheel drive system provides power to all four wheels. The Touareg TDI can tow up to 7700 pounds. More >