Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Subaru Legacy PZEV Sedan
For some people, it's not just about the look, and it's not always about the drive. For some people, it's about both! That is where the Subaru Legacy PZEV Sedan comes into play. People who would like the Subaru Legacy PZEV Sedan are the same people that know that it's not just about the destination, it's about the drive to the destination.The 2009 Subaru Legacy PZEV Sedan is one of those cars
Subaru Legacy PZEV Sedan
For some people, it's not just about the look, and it's not always about the drive. For some people, it's about both! That is where the Subaru Legacy PZEV Sedan comes into play. People who would like the Subaru Legacy PZEV Sedan are the same people that know that it's not just about the destination, it's about the drive to the destination.The 2009 Subaru Legacy PZEV Sedan is one of those cars
Monday, April 27, 2009
2009 Seat Exeo Review
Overview
To the untrained eye it's hard to tell the difference between the new Seat Exeo and the current Audi A4. The front and rear light clusters and, of course, the badge give the game away.
With this in mind the ordinary family saloon buyer looking to cut costs may consider the Exeo a wise choice. Indeed, the 2.0 TDI PS Sport we tested costs £19,230 whereas the equivalent Audi A4 TDI retails at £23,425 - over £4,000 more expensive.
This car, however, is based on the previous-generation A4, first built in 2001. It's not a cynical rebadging exercise, though: Seat has taken the trouble of changing 30% of the parts.
It's not a direct rival to the current A4 anyway - it's taking on the likes of the Ford Mondeo and the Vauxhall Insignia, and it's hard not to be seduced by the thought that you are getting Audi quality for Seat money. Prices start at £17,735 for the generously equipped entry-level Exeo and that's pretty competitive when you compare it the base-spec Mondeo which starts at just over £17,390. It's here the Exeo starts to make sense.
The Exeo uses the new generation of Volkswagen engines so it's not been short-changed. The old noisy, lethargic and unrefined pumpe duse diesel engines makes way for a torquey 2.0-litre common-rail engine and there's also a smooth-revving 2.0-litre in the line-up. So are you really getting Audi quality at Mondeo money? Read on to find out.
With this in mind the ordinary family saloon buyer looking to cut costs may consider the Exeo a wise choice. Indeed, the 2.0 TDI PS Sport we tested costs £19,230 whereas the equivalent Audi A4 TDI retails at £23,425 - over £4,000 more expensive.
This car, however, is based on the previous-generation A4, first built in 2001. It's not a cynical rebadging exercise, though: Seat has taken the trouble of changing 30% of the parts.
It's not a direct rival to the current A4 anyway - it's taking on the likes of the Ford Mondeo and the Vauxhall Insignia, and it's hard not to be seduced by the thought that you are getting Audi quality for Seat money. Prices start at £17,735 for the generously equipped entry-level Exeo and that's pretty competitive when you compare it the base-spec Mondeo which starts at just over £17,390. It's here the Exeo starts to make sense.
The Exeo uses the new generation of Volkswagen engines so it's not been short-changed. The old noisy, lethargic and unrefined pumpe duse diesel engines makes way for a torquey 2.0-litre common-rail engine and there's also a smooth-revving 2.0-litre in the line-up. So are you really getting Audi quality at Mondeo money? Read on to find out.
Reliability and Quality
The previous-generation Audi A4 was a pretty solid car, so we think it's fair to assume your shiny new Exeo will stay bolted together for years to come. The cabin is of a decent quality but we did get a rather annoying rattle from the alloy trim on the gearlever.
The mechanicals and exterior quality should stand the test of time if customer satisfaction surveys are a guide. In the 2008 JD Power Survey the A4 finished 20th out of 100 models - not bad- but Seat finished 21st out of 28 brands - not particularly good. Still, we think the A4 result gives a more accurate picture for the Exeo.
The mechanicals and exterior quality should stand the test of time if customer satisfaction surveys are a guide. In the 2008 JD Power Survey the A4 finished 20th out of 100 models - not bad- but Seat finished 21st out of 28 brands - not particularly good. Still, we think the A4 result gives a more accurate picture for the Exeo.
On the road
There are three engines on offer with the Seat Exeo: a 2.0-litre 140bhp common-rail diesel, a 170bhp diesel and a 197bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol.
We tested the 140bhp diesel and came away extremely impressed with the low-down pull - the maximum torque of 236lb-ft is delivered as low as 1,750rpm, ideal for A-road cruising and more than adequate for town driving. It will take you from 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds and then all the way up to a top speed of 133mph and that's on par with a similar powered Ford Mondeo and even a BMW 3-Series.
The 170bhp does 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds with a top speed of 142mph and the petrol will complete the benchmark sprint in 7.3 seconds and top out at 149mph.
Handling-wise the Exeo is pretty predictable: dynamically it's not in the same league as the Mondeo and 3-Series, but it's acceptable and you'd have to be a picky travelling salesman to start complaining to the fleet manager about it. Turn in and the car will respond nicely - it's not prone to too much body lean because the springs are rather firm. But it feels safe and secure and it's only when you are charging into a corner that you'll start to experience any levels of understeer.
The old A4's steering didn't feel particularly precise but the new Servotronic power has helped things on the Exeo. There's a bit more weight now to give you more confidence behind the wheel.
The brakes have a nice progressive feel but the gearchange is fractionally notchy at times, particularly if you are going down from third to second.
We tested the 140bhp diesel and came away extremely impressed with the low-down pull - the maximum torque of 236lb-ft is delivered as low as 1,750rpm, ideal for A-road cruising and more than adequate for town driving. It will take you from 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds and then all the way up to a top speed of 133mph and that's on par with a similar powered Ford Mondeo and even a BMW 3-Series.
The 170bhp does 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds with a top speed of 142mph and the petrol will complete the benchmark sprint in 7.3 seconds and top out at 149mph.
Handling-wise the Exeo is pretty predictable: dynamically it's not in the same league as the Mondeo and 3-Series, but it's acceptable and you'd have to be a picky travelling salesman to start complaining to the fleet manager about it. Turn in and the car will respond nicely - it's not prone to too much body lean because the springs are rather firm. But it feels safe and secure and it's only when you are charging into a corner that you'll start to experience any levels of understeer.
The old A4's steering didn't feel particularly precise but the new Servotronic power has helped things on the Exeo. There's a bit more weight now to give you more confidence behind the wheel.
The brakes have a nice progressive feel but the gearchange is fractionally notchy at times, particularly if you are going down from third to second.
Safety and Security
The 2001 Audi A4 secured 4 stars out of 5 for adult occupant protection and 1 star out of 4 for pedestrian safety in the Euro NCAP crash tests. That's not too shabby for a 2001 car but the game has moved on and there are now better-performing four-doors out there including the BMW 3-Series, Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia.
Stability control with electronic brake assist is standard as are front, side, and passenger airbags. Front active head restraints are also standard-fit.
An alarm and immobiliser are also included on the Seat Exeo's standard equipment list.
Stability control with electronic brake assist is standard as are front, side, and passenger airbags. Front active head restraints are also standard-fit.
An alarm and immobiliser are also included on the Seat Exeo's standard equipment list.
Running Costs
Thankfully the VW group diesels are refined and frugal. Official fuel consumption for the 140bhp version is 51.4mpg and that compares well with rivals. The 170bhp diesel returns 48.7mpg and the petrol 36.7mpg. Emissions levels are reasonable: the lower-powered diesel emits 143g/km of carbon dioxide which will put you in the Band F for road tax. The 170bhp emits 153g/km (Band G) and the petrol 179g/km (Band I).
Insurance will be affordable since the diesel models in groups 12 and 13. A group 14 rating for the high-powered petrol version should keep premiums low.
You won't pay a king's ransom if you choose the Exeo as a company car: Benefit-in-Kind rates are pegged at 19 % for the 140bhp diesel, 21% for the 170bhp diesel and a very affordable 23% for the petrol model.
Insurance will be affordable since the diesel models in groups 12 and 13. A group 14 rating for the high-powered petrol version should keep premiums low.
You won't pay a king's ransom if you choose the Exeo as a company car: Benefit-in-Kind rates are pegged at 19 % for the 140bhp diesel, 21% for the 170bhp diesel and a very affordable 23% for the petrol model.
Comfort and Equipment
The benefits of having an Audi A4 as a base are obvious as soon as you step inside the Exeo - this is probably the best cabin of any Seat. All the controls and switches respond with a satisfying thunk and the layout is no-nonsense and logical. All the materials look and feel decent and the addition of chrome on the rotary dials and the more aesthetically pleasing chromed circular vents offering an overall feeling of quality.
Fire up the Exeo and there's a slight sense of disappointment. The common rail diesel engine is noisy and rumbly, which is especially tiresome when you're pootling around town. It does settle down once you get up to motorway speeds, though.
The ride, although fidgety at times, is compliant and nicely balanced to give you reasonable comfort levels when cruising. The driving position is a little low but the seats are comfy and there's plenty of legroom and headroom available in the front and the back. Wind and road noise is well contained.
You can fold the rear seats down to get more space from the 460-litre boot. We stuck three golf bags in there with no problem with two rear seats folded down.
Base models get stability control, cruise control, electric windows and mirrors, split-folding rear seats, CD player and climate control.
Fire up the Exeo and there's a slight sense of disappointment. The common rail diesel engine is noisy and rumbly, which is especially tiresome when you're pootling around town. It does settle down once you get up to motorway speeds, though.
The ride, although fidgety at times, is compliant and nicely balanced to give you reasonable comfort levels when cruising. The driving position is a little low but the seats are comfy and there's plenty of legroom and headroom available in the front and the back. Wind and road noise is well contained.
You can fold the rear seats down to get more space from the 460-litre boot. We stuck three golf bags in there with no problem with two rear seats folded down.
Base models get stability control, cruise control, electric windows and mirrors, split-folding rear seats, CD player and climate control.
Used Value
Used prices for the Exeo are unlikely to be in the same league as the current Audi A4, but Seat still performs pretty well in the second-hand market.
The 140bhp 2.0-litre diesel will be the pick of the bunch and we expect it to retain between 38-40% of its original value after three years/36,000 miles. That trumps the 2.0-litre diesel Ford Mondeo's 35% residual value.
The 140bhp 2.0-litre diesel will be the pick of the bunch and we expect it to retain between 38-40% of its original value after three years/36,000 miles. That trumps the 2.0-litre diesel Ford Mondeo's 35% residual value.
2009 Seat Exeo Review
Overview
To the untrained eye it's hard to tell the difference between the new Seat Exeo and the current Audi A4. The front and rear light clusters and, of course, the badge give the game away.
With this in mind the ordinary family saloon buyer looking to cut costs may consider the Exeo a wise choice. Indeed, the 2.0 TDI PS Sport we tested costs £19,230 whereas the equivalent Audi A4 TDI retails at £23,425 - over £4,000 more expensive.
This car, however, is based on the previous-generation A4, first built in 2001. It's not a cynical rebadging exercise, though: Seat has taken the trouble of changing 30% of the parts.
It's not a direct rival to the current A4 anyway - it's taking on the likes of the Ford Mondeo and the Vauxhall Insignia, and it's hard not to be seduced by the thought that you are getting Audi quality for Seat money. Prices start at £17,735 for the generously equipped entry-level Exeo and that's pretty competitive when you compare it the base-spec Mondeo which starts at just over £17,390. It's here the Exeo starts to make sense.
The Exeo uses the new generation of Volkswagen engines so it's not been short-changed. The old noisy, lethargic and unrefined pumpe duse diesel engines makes way for a torquey 2.0-litre common-rail engine and there's also a smooth-revving 2.0-litre in the line-up. So are you really getting Audi quality at Mondeo money? Read on to find out.
With this in mind the ordinary family saloon buyer looking to cut costs may consider the Exeo a wise choice. Indeed, the 2.0 TDI PS Sport we tested costs £19,230 whereas the equivalent Audi A4 TDI retails at £23,425 - over £4,000 more expensive.
This car, however, is based on the previous-generation A4, first built in 2001. It's not a cynical rebadging exercise, though: Seat has taken the trouble of changing 30% of the parts.
It's not a direct rival to the current A4 anyway - it's taking on the likes of the Ford Mondeo and the Vauxhall Insignia, and it's hard not to be seduced by the thought that you are getting Audi quality for Seat money. Prices start at £17,735 for the generously equipped entry-level Exeo and that's pretty competitive when you compare it the base-spec Mondeo which starts at just over £17,390. It's here the Exeo starts to make sense.
The Exeo uses the new generation of Volkswagen engines so it's not been short-changed. The old noisy, lethargic and unrefined pumpe duse diesel engines makes way for a torquey 2.0-litre common-rail engine and there's also a smooth-revving 2.0-litre in the line-up. So are you really getting Audi quality at Mondeo money? Read on to find out.
Reliability and Quality
The previous-generation Audi A4 was a pretty solid car, so we think it's fair to assume your shiny new Exeo will stay bolted together for years to come. The cabin is of a decent quality but we did get a rather annoying rattle from the alloy trim on the gearlever.
The mechanicals and exterior quality should stand the test of time if customer satisfaction surveys are a guide. In the 2008 JD Power Survey the A4 finished 20th out of 100 models - not bad- but Seat finished 21st out of 28 brands - not particularly good. Still, we think the A4 result gives a more accurate picture for the Exeo.
The mechanicals and exterior quality should stand the test of time if customer satisfaction surveys are a guide. In the 2008 JD Power Survey the A4 finished 20th out of 100 models - not bad- but Seat finished 21st out of 28 brands - not particularly good. Still, we think the A4 result gives a more accurate picture for the Exeo.
On the road
There are three engines on offer with the Seat Exeo: a 2.0-litre 140bhp common-rail diesel, a 170bhp diesel and a 197bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol.
We tested the 140bhp diesel and came away extremely impressed with the low-down pull - the maximum torque of 236lb-ft is delivered as low as 1,750rpm, ideal for A-road cruising and more than adequate for town driving. It will take you from 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds and then all the way up to a top speed of 133mph and that's on par with a similar powered Ford Mondeo and even a BMW 3-Series.
The 170bhp does 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds with a top speed of 142mph and the petrol will complete the benchmark sprint in 7.3 seconds and top out at 149mph.
Handling-wise the Exeo is pretty predictable: dynamically it's not in the same league as the Mondeo and 3-Series, but it's acceptable and you'd have to be a picky travelling salesman to start complaining to the fleet manager about it. Turn in and the car will respond nicely - it's not prone to too much body lean because the springs are rather firm. But it feels safe and secure and it's only when you are charging into a corner that you'll start to experience any levels of understeer.
The old A4's steering didn't feel particularly precise but the new Servotronic power has helped things on the Exeo. There's a bit more weight now to give you more confidence behind the wheel.
The brakes have a nice progressive feel but the gearchange is fractionally notchy at times, particularly if you are going down from third to second.
We tested the 140bhp diesel and came away extremely impressed with the low-down pull - the maximum torque of 236lb-ft is delivered as low as 1,750rpm, ideal for A-road cruising and more than adequate for town driving. It will take you from 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds and then all the way up to a top speed of 133mph and that's on par with a similar powered Ford Mondeo and even a BMW 3-Series.
The 170bhp does 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds with a top speed of 142mph and the petrol will complete the benchmark sprint in 7.3 seconds and top out at 149mph.
Handling-wise the Exeo is pretty predictable: dynamically it's not in the same league as the Mondeo and 3-Series, but it's acceptable and you'd have to be a picky travelling salesman to start complaining to the fleet manager about it. Turn in and the car will respond nicely - it's not prone to too much body lean because the springs are rather firm. But it feels safe and secure and it's only when you are charging into a corner that you'll start to experience any levels of understeer.
The old A4's steering didn't feel particularly precise but the new Servotronic power has helped things on the Exeo. There's a bit more weight now to give you more confidence behind the wheel.
The brakes have a nice progressive feel but the gearchange is fractionally notchy at times, particularly if you are going down from third to second.
Safety and Security
The 2001 Audi A4 secured 4 stars out of 5 for adult occupant protection and 1 star out of 4 for pedestrian safety in the Euro NCAP crash tests. That's not too shabby for a 2001 car but the game has moved on and there are now better-performing four-doors out there including the BMW 3-Series, Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia.
Stability control with electronic brake assist is standard as are front, side, and passenger airbags. Front active head restraints are also standard-fit.
An alarm and immobiliser are also included on the Seat Exeo's standard equipment list.
Stability control with electronic brake assist is standard as are front, side, and passenger airbags. Front active head restraints are also standard-fit.
An alarm and immobiliser are also included on the Seat Exeo's standard equipment list.
Running Costs
Thankfully the VW group diesels are refined and frugal. Official fuel consumption for the 140bhp version is 51.4mpg and that compares well with rivals. The 170bhp diesel returns 48.7mpg and the petrol 36.7mpg. Emissions levels are reasonable: the lower-powered diesel emits 143g/km of carbon dioxide which will put you in the Band F for road tax. The 170bhp emits 153g/km (Band G) and the petrol 179g/km (Band I).
Insurance will be affordable since the diesel models in groups 12 and 13. A group 14 rating for the high-powered petrol version should keep premiums low.
You won't pay a king's ransom if you choose the Exeo as a company car: Benefit-in-Kind rates are pegged at 19 % for the 140bhp diesel, 21% for the 170bhp diesel and a very affordable 23% for the petrol model.
Insurance will be affordable since the diesel models in groups 12 and 13. A group 14 rating for the high-powered petrol version should keep premiums low.
You won't pay a king's ransom if you choose the Exeo as a company car: Benefit-in-Kind rates are pegged at 19 % for the 140bhp diesel, 21% for the 170bhp diesel and a very affordable 23% for the petrol model.
Comfort and Equipment
The benefits of having an Audi A4 as a base are obvious as soon as you step inside the Exeo - this is probably the best cabin of any Seat. All the controls and switches respond with a satisfying thunk and the layout is no-nonsense and logical. All the materials look and feel decent and the addition of chrome on the rotary dials and the more aesthetically pleasing chromed circular vents offering an overall feeling of quality.
Fire up the Exeo and there's a slight sense of disappointment. The common rail diesel engine is noisy and rumbly, which is especially tiresome when you're pootling around town. It does settle down once you get up to motorway speeds, though.
The ride, although fidgety at times, is compliant and nicely balanced to give you reasonable comfort levels when cruising. The driving position is a little low but the seats are comfy and there's plenty of legroom and headroom available in the front and the back. Wind and road noise is well contained.
You can fold the rear seats down to get more space from the 460-litre boot. We stuck three golf bags in there with no problem with two rear seats folded down.
Base models get stability control, cruise control, electric windows and mirrors, split-folding rear seats, CD player and climate control.
Fire up the Exeo and there's a slight sense of disappointment. The common rail diesel engine is noisy and rumbly, which is especially tiresome when you're pootling around town. It does settle down once you get up to motorway speeds, though.
The ride, although fidgety at times, is compliant and nicely balanced to give you reasonable comfort levels when cruising. The driving position is a little low but the seats are comfy and there's plenty of legroom and headroom available in the front and the back. Wind and road noise is well contained.
You can fold the rear seats down to get more space from the 460-litre boot. We stuck three golf bags in there with no problem with two rear seats folded down.
Base models get stability control, cruise control, electric windows and mirrors, split-folding rear seats, CD player and climate control.
Used Value
Used prices for the Exeo are unlikely to be in the same league as the current Audi A4, but Seat still performs pretty well in the second-hand market.
The 140bhp 2.0-litre diesel will be the pick of the bunch and we expect it to retain between 38-40% of its original value after three years/36,000 miles. That trumps the 2.0-litre diesel Ford Mondeo's 35% residual value.
The 140bhp 2.0-litre diesel will be the pick of the bunch and we expect it to retain between 38-40% of its original value after three years/36,000 miles. That trumps the 2.0-litre diesel Ford Mondeo's 35% residual value.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Feature: Best of 2009 Shanghai Auto Show
Detroit may be in the doldrums, but Shanghai is swinging: the Chinese motor industry is growing rapidly, investing in design expertise and preparing to have a significant global impact in coming years.
And besides the domestic manufacturers, who are producing ever-more interesting concepts, the established European and Western car-makers are finding that they can't afford to ignore China, where new-car sales are rising exponentially. Here's the low-down on the most important cars of this year's Shanghai Auto Show.
Bertone Mantide
Based on the 620bhp Corvette ZR1, the insectile Mantide (Italian for 'praying mantis') is a one-off, road-legal creation from the Stile Bertone studio for a private client.
Designer Jason Castriota - the man behind the one-off Pininfarina P4/5 - says it's inspired by jet-fighter aircraft, and its fuselage-type body, butterfly-opening doors and canopy certainly make it look ready to fly away.
Though the underpinnings are Corvette, the extra-aerodynamic Mantide is some 100kg lighter, thanks to its carbon fibre bodyshell and interior - which help it to 217mph and 0-60mph in less than 3.5 seconds. Downforce is 30% better than that of the Corvette, thankfully.
Buick Business Concept
Chinese buyers love GM's Buick brand - they see it as the epitome of American luxury - and the Business Concept MPV is suitably kitted out with armchair-type seats, plush burgundy and cream suede upholstery and carpets, and high-tech LED displays.
The work of the GM-SAIC Pan-Asia joint research and development facility, it incorporates traditional Chinese patterns in its trim, and evokes Chinese crystal sculptures in its headlight design. It shares its hardware with the Chevrolet Orlando and thus also the upcoming new Vauxhall Zafira, and also previews a next-generation GM hybrid powertrain.
Source:http://www.channel4.com
Jaguar XF 5.0 (2009-) Review
The new 3.0-litre diesel is the pick of the Jaguar XF range. How can it not be? It's relatively low on emissions, it'll return 42mpg and the 271bhp version sprints from 0 to 62mph in just 6.4 seconds and then all the way up to a limited 155mph.
So why bother with a thirsty V8? The new £49,900 5.0-litre is also limited to 155mph, only beats the diesel to the 62mph benchmark by only 0.6s but can't come close to matching the 3.0-litre's fuel consumption managing a distinctly unimpressive 25.2mpg.
Factor in an additional £5,700 premium and the 380bhp 5.0 looks like an unnecessary luxury - until you consider the price of the XFR. At £10k less than the high performance XF, the 5.0-litre offers a lot of bang for your bucks.
Source:http://www.channel4.com
Jaguar XF 5.0 (2009-) Review
The new 3.0-litre diesel is the pick of the Jaguar XF range. How can it not be? It's relatively low on emissions, it'll return 42mpg and the 271bhp version sprints from 0 to 62mph in just 6.4 seconds and then all the way up to a limited 155mph.
So why bother with a thirsty V8? The new £49,900 5.0-litre is also limited to 155mph, only beats the diesel to the 62mph benchmark by only 0.6s but can't come close to matching the 3.0-litre's fuel consumption managing a distinctly unimpressive 25.2mpg.
Factor in an additional £5,700 premium and the 380bhp 5.0 looks like an unnecessary luxury - until you consider the price of the XFR. At £10k less than the high performance XF, the 5.0-litre offers a lot of bang for your bucks.
Source:http://www.channel4.com
Monday, April 20, 2009
Chevrolet Volt
Chevrolet CruzeChevrolet LacettiChevrolet Nubira SedanChevrolet Aveo SedanChevrolet AveoChevrolet HHRChevrolet EpicaChevrolet Nubira SWChevrolet VoltChevrolet CamaroChevrolet CaptivaChevrolet SparkChevrolet MatizGeneral Motors has unveiled some details of the Chevrolet Volt, the final production model based on the prototype of the same name.2011 Chevrolet VoltChevrolet VoltThe Chevrolet Volt is
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet CruzeChevrolet LacettiChevrolet Nubira SedanChevrolet Aveo SedanChevrolet AveoChevrolet HHRChevrolet EpicaChevrolet Nubira SWChevrolet VoltChevrolet CamaroChevrolet CaptivaChevrolet SparkChevrolet MatizThe beginning to build the Chevrolet Camaro is planned in early 2009, although the first units will not reach market until the first quarter of 2010.2010 Chevrolet CamaroChevrolet
Chevrolet Captiva
Chevrolet CruzeChevrolet LacettiChevrolet Nubira SedanChevrolet Aveo SedanChevrolet AveoChevrolet HHRChevrolet EpicaChevrolet Nubira SWChevrolet VoltChevrolet CamaroChevrolet CaptivaChevrolet SparkChevrolet MatizThe Chevrolet Captiva is an all-terrain light Chevrolet especially oriented to the European market. It is basically the same car as the Opel Antara, but unlike it, can have up to seven
Thursday, April 16, 2009
2009 BMW 750Li: The Best Luxury Sedan
The 400-horsepower BMW 750Li has rear-wheel steering. Below 40 miles per hour, the rear wheels can turn as much as 3 degrees opposite the direction of the front wheels, thereby reducing the big car’s turning radius.
I'm quite certain that somewhere right now, emotionally shattered BMW technicians are gathering in a church basement for a support group, huddled around the cookies and the coffee urn, their hands fairly vibrating with frustration. For as well deserved as is the title Ultimate Driving Machine, BMWs also have earned the reputation as the Ultimate Hangar Queen, taking up residence in dealership service bays and sending mechanics over the crumbling edge of insanity. Hello -- sob! -- my name is Dieter and I'm a BMW tech . . . . Hello, Dieter, keep comin' back. . . .
Yes, BMWs have middling initial quality and distinctly less-than-middling reliability -- so sayeth J.D. Power -- but people still buy them and adore them, because they are inarguably spectacular cars. Even the BMWs that I loathe are great cars. The new 135i is uglier than a Radcliffe glee club, but it's also fierce, fervid, delicious, a bottle of Bollinger that's lost its cork.
And then there's this car, the 2009 BMW 750Li, the flagship of BMW's starfleet, which might be -- one hates to draw lines in this particular sand -- the best luxury sedan in the world. Oh, sure, it could be better. It could run on the tears of disgraced CEOs or cure warts of the keister. But as an executive saloon, as a synthesis of power and grace and ease and prestige, the new 7-series demands that we reset our calipers, raise our ceilings and throw out our measuring sticks. There is now a new standard.
And yet, the 750Li boldly/daringly/foolishly leverages its greatness on the fulcrum of one of the company's perennial weaknesses: electronics. This car comprises a blazing amour fou of control modules, sensors, microcontrollers, solenoids and mechatronic actuators, all wired together with the CAN-bus network from hell.
Our fully optioned $110,170 test car provides an acute example. Among the systems: night vision display with enhanced pedestrian detection; active blind-spot detection; lane-departure warning; park-distance control; head-up display; adaptive headlights with high-beam "assistant"; three high-resolution cameras on the rear deck lid and front fenders.
Of course, there's an 80-gigabyte, hard-drive-based navigation system, satellite radio and premium audio system; and a completely redesigned version of the multifunction iDrive controller (the previous system was nicknamed "iQuit").
My favorite? The integral active steering system, which is to say, rear-wheel steering. Below 40 miles per hour, the rear wheels can turn as much as 3 degrees opposite the direction of the front wheels, thereby reducing the big car's turning radius. Great for parking and tight city traffic. Above 40 mph, the wheels turn in phase with the front wheels to increase handling responsiveness, cornering and agility.
Does integral active steering perform as advertised? Has Hasselhoff had work? This car runs like mighty winged Pegasus, carving mountain roads and dicing switchbacks as if it were an M3 with a pituitary problem. No big car has ever had so much rail-to-rail slaloming agility, such effortless composure at the limit. It's uncanny, it's eerie, it's surreal.
Indeed, the effect of all these electronics is to knit together a kind of digitized meta-reality where the surly bonds of physics have slipped a bit, a place where this enormous, heavy sedan can dance like a sports car. Think of it like the world of "The Matrix," inside of which Keanu Reeves can fly, or act.
And so we arrive at the truest portrait of the 750Li: half machine, half machine code; a kinetic sculpture, partly aluminum and steel, partly a stream of zeros and ones. Wonderful, epic, historic.
But can you trust it?
I really don't know. On the one hand, I'm utterly smitten by the technology. I love piloting a leather-lined spaceship with a 20-way adjustable captain's chair with heating/cooling and massage function.
There are moments on the interstate at night -- when the ghostly thermal-imaging night-vision display is on, the head-up display is reading out navigation messages, the lane-departure warning system is gently reminding me to use my turn signals, and all is bathed in serene LED cabin light -- that the 750Li really feels like something that comes after the Automobile.
Still, I'm nagged by doubt. All of these exotic systems, such as the head-up display (Nippon Seiki), lane-change warning (Hella) and night vision (Autoliv) come from suppliers in Japan, Germany and Sweden, respectively. The 750Li is practically the U.N. of Tier 1 suppliers. Considering the state of global comity, a question occurs to me: Can they all get along?
Bear in mind, all of this gear is overlaid on the car's, the brand's already fraught electronics: the e-throttle-equipped 4.4-liter, 400-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V8 with variable valve timing on intake and exhaust cams; the adaptive six-speed ZF transmission; the adaptive dynamics system, which itself has four distinct modes (Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+), which ratchet up performance thresholds for the engine, transmission, brakes, steering and stability control. The braking module governs anti-lock, traction and stability control, brake "drying," brake-fade compensation. . . . It just goes on and on.
What few buyers appreciate is how difficult systems integration is on a car like this. For the BMW 750Li to work, every system and subsystem has to mind-meld with the others in a cold chatter of instant, endless algorithms, faultlessly, every time, forever and ever, amen. No wonder they go buggy.
So when I say the 750Li is the best luxury sedan in the world, imagine a weather-balloon-size asterisk. I guess, as long as it starts, it is.
I'm quite certain that somewhere right now, emotionally shattered BMW technicians are gathering in a church basement for a support group, huddled around the cookies and the coffee urn, their hands fairly vibrating with frustration. For as well deserved as is the title Ultimate Driving Machine, BMWs also have earned the reputation as the Ultimate Hangar Queen, taking up residence in dealership service bays and sending mechanics over the crumbling edge of insanity. Hello -- sob! -- my name is Dieter and I'm a BMW tech . . . . Hello, Dieter, keep comin' back. . . .
Yes, BMWs have middling initial quality and distinctly less-than-middling reliability -- so sayeth J.D. Power -- but people still buy them and adore them, because they are inarguably spectacular cars. Even the BMWs that I loathe are great cars. The new 135i is uglier than a Radcliffe glee club, but it's also fierce, fervid, delicious, a bottle of Bollinger that's lost its cork.
And then there's this car, the 2009 BMW 750Li, the flagship of BMW's starfleet, which might be -- one hates to draw lines in this particular sand -- the best luxury sedan in the world. Oh, sure, it could be better. It could run on the tears of disgraced CEOs or cure warts of the keister. But as an executive saloon, as a synthesis of power and grace and ease and prestige, the new 7-series demands that we reset our calipers, raise our ceilings and throw out our measuring sticks. There is now a new standard.
And yet, the 750Li boldly/daringly/foolishly leverages its greatness on the fulcrum of one of the company's perennial weaknesses: electronics. This car comprises a blazing amour fou of control modules, sensors, microcontrollers, solenoids and mechatronic actuators, all wired together with the CAN-bus network from hell.
Our fully optioned $110,170 test car provides an acute example. Among the systems: night vision display with enhanced pedestrian detection; active blind-spot detection; lane-departure warning; park-distance control; head-up display; adaptive headlights with high-beam "assistant"; three high-resolution cameras on the rear deck lid and front fenders.
Of course, there's an 80-gigabyte, hard-drive-based navigation system, satellite radio and premium audio system; and a completely redesigned version of the multifunction iDrive controller (the previous system was nicknamed "iQuit").
My favorite? The integral active steering system, which is to say, rear-wheel steering. Below 40 miles per hour, the rear wheels can turn as much as 3 degrees opposite the direction of the front wheels, thereby reducing the big car's turning radius. Great for parking and tight city traffic. Above 40 mph, the wheels turn in phase with the front wheels to increase handling responsiveness, cornering and agility.
Does integral active steering perform as advertised? Has Hasselhoff had work? This car runs like mighty winged Pegasus, carving mountain roads and dicing switchbacks as if it were an M3 with a pituitary problem. No big car has ever had so much rail-to-rail slaloming agility, such effortless composure at the limit. It's uncanny, it's eerie, it's surreal.
Indeed, the effect of all these electronics is to knit together a kind of digitized meta-reality where the surly bonds of physics have slipped a bit, a place where this enormous, heavy sedan can dance like a sports car. Think of it like the world of "The Matrix," inside of which Keanu Reeves can fly, or act.
And so we arrive at the truest portrait of the 750Li: half machine, half machine code; a kinetic sculpture, partly aluminum and steel, partly a stream of zeros and ones. Wonderful, epic, historic.
But can you trust it?
I really don't know. On the one hand, I'm utterly smitten by the technology. I love piloting a leather-lined spaceship with a 20-way adjustable captain's chair with heating/cooling and massage function.
There are moments on the interstate at night -- when the ghostly thermal-imaging night-vision display is on, the head-up display is reading out navigation messages, the lane-departure warning system is gently reminding me to use my turn signals, and all is bathed in serene LED cabin light -- that the 750Li really feels like something that comes after the Automobile.
Still, I'm nagged by doubt. All of these exotic systems, such as the head-up display (Nippon Seiki), lane-change warning (Hella) and night vision (Autoliv) come from suppliers in Japan, Germany and Sweden, respectively. The 750Li is practically the U.N. of Tier 1 suppliers. Considering the state of global comity, a question occurs to me: Can they all get along?
Bear in mind, all of this gear is overlaid on the car's, the brand's already fraught electronics: the e-throttle-equipped 4.4-liter, 400-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V8 with variable valve timing on intake and exhaust cams; the adaptive six-speed ZF transmission; the adaptive dynamics system, which itself has four distinct modes (Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+), which ratchet up performance thresholds for the engine, transmission, brakes, steering and stability control. The braking module governs anti-lock, traction and stability control, brake "drying," brake-fade compensation. . . . It just goes on and on.
What few buyers appreciate is how difficult systems integration is on a car like this. For the BMW 750Li to work, every system and subsystem has to mind-meld with the others in a cold chatter of instant, endless algorithms, faultlessly, every time, forever and ever, amen. No wonder they go buggy.
So when I say the 750Li is the best luxury sedan in the world, imagine a weather-balloon-size asterisk. I guess, as long as it starts, it is.
2009 BMW 750Li: The Best Luxury Sedan
The 400-horsepower BMW 750Li has rear-wheel steering. Below 40 miles per hour, the rear wheels can turn as much as 3 degrees opposite the direction of the front wheels, thereby reducing the big car’s turning radius.
I'm quite certain that somewhere right now, emotionally shattered BMW technicians are gathering in a church basement for a support group, huddled around the cookies and the coffee urn, their hands fairly vibrating with frustration. For as well deserved as is the title Ultimate Driving Machine, BMWs also have earned the reputation as the Ultimate Hangar Queen, taking up residence in dealership service bays and sending mechanics over the crumbling edge of insanity. Hello -- sob! -- my name is Dieter and I'm a BMW tech . . . . Hello, Dieter, keep comin' back. . . .
Yes, BMWs have middling initial quality and distinctly less-than-middling reliability -- so sayeth J.D. Power -- but people still buy them and adore them, because they are inarguably spectacular cars. Even the BMWs that I loathe are great cars. The new 135i is uglier than a Radcliffe glee club, but it's also fierce, fervid, delicious, a bottle of Bollinger that's lost its cork.
And then there's this car, the 2009 BMW 750Li, the flagship of BMW's starfleet, which might be -- one hates to draw lines in this particular sand -- the best luxury sedan in the world. Oh, sure, it could be better. It could run on the tears of disgraced CEOs or cure warts of the keister. But as an executive saloon, as a synthesis of power and grace and ease and prestige, the new 7-series demands that we reset our calipers, raise our ceilings and throw out our measuring sticks. There is now a new standard.
And yet, the 750Li boldly/daringly/foolishly leverages its greatness on the fulcrum of one of the company's perennial weaknesses: electronics. This car comprises a blazing amour fou of control modules, sensors, microcontrollers, solenoids and mechatronic actuators, all wired together with the CAN-bus network from hell.
Our fully optioned $110,170 test car provides an acute example. Among the systems: night vision display with enhanced pedestrian detection; active blind-spot detection; lane-departure warning; park-distance control; head-up display; adaptive headlights with high-beam "assistant"; three high-resolution cameras on the rear deck lid and front fenders.
Of course, there's an 80-gigabyte, hard-drive-based navigation system, satellite radio and premium audio system; and a completely redesigned version of the multifunction iDrive controller (the previous system was nicknamed "iQuit").
My favorite? The integral active steering system, which is to say, rear-wheel steering. Below 40 miles per hour, the rear wheels can turn as much as 3 degrees opposite the direction of the front wheels, thereby reducing the big car's turning radius. Great for parking and tight city traffic. Above 40 mph, the wheels turn in phase with the front wheels to increase handling responsiveness, cornering and agility.
Does integral active steering perform as advertised? Has Hasselhoff had work? This car runs like mighty winged Pegasus, carving mountain roads and dicing switchbacks as if it were an M3 with a pituitary problem. No big car has ever had so much rail-to-rail slaloming agility, such effortless composure at the limit. It's uncanny, it's eerie, it's surreal.
Indeed, the effect of all these electronics is to knit together a kind of digitized meta-reality where the surly bonds of physics have slipped a bit, a place where this enormous, heavy sedan can dance like a sports car. Think of it like the world of "The Matrix," inside of which Keanu Reeves can fly, or act.
And so we arrive at the truest portrait of the 750Li: half machine, half machine code; a kinetic sculpture, partly aluminum and steel, partly a stream of zeros and ones. Wonderful, epic, historic.
But can you trust it?
I really don't know. On the one hand, I'm utterly smitten by the technology. I love piloting a leather-lined spaceship with a 20-way adjustable captain's chair with heating/cooling and massage function.
There are moments on the interstate at night -- when the ghostly thermal-imaging night-vision display is on, the head-up display is reading out navigation messages, the lane-departure warning system is gently reminding me to use my turn signals, and all is bathed in serene LED cabin light -- that the 750Li really feels like something that comes after the Automobile.
Still, I'm nagged by doubt. All of these exotic systems, such as the head-up display (Nippon Seiki), lane-change warning (Hella) and night vision (Autoliv) come from suppliers in Japan, Germany and Sweden, respectively. The 750Li is practically the U.N. of Tier 1 suppliers. Considering the state of global comity, a question occurs to me: Can they all get along?
Bear in mind, all of this gear is overlaid on the car's, the brand's already fraught electronics: the e-throttle-equipped 4.4-liter, 400-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V8 with variable valve timing on intake and exhaust cams; the adaptive six-speed ZF transmission; the adaptive dynamics system, which itself has four distinct modes (Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+), which ratchet up performance thresholds for the engine, transmission, brakes, steering and stability control. The braking module governs anti-lock, traction and stability control, brake "drying," brake-fade compensation. . . . It just goes on and on.
What few buyers appreciate is how difficult systems integration is on a car like this. For the BMW 750Li to work, every system and subsystem has to mind-meld with the others in a cold chatter of instant, endless algorithms, faultlessly, every time, forever and ever, amen. No wonder they go buggy.
So when I say the 750Li is the best luxury sedan in the world, imagine a weather-balloon-size asterisk. I guess, as long as it starts, it is.
I'm quite certain that somewhere right now, emotionally shattered BMW technicians are gathering in a church basement for a support group, huddled around the cookies and the coffee urn, their hands fairly vibrating with frustration. For as well deserved as is the title Ultimate Driving Machine, BMWs also have earned the reputation as the Ultimate Hangar Queen, taking up residence in dealership service bays and sending mechanics over the crumbling edge of insanity. Hello -- sob! -- my name is Dieter and I'm a BMW tech . . . . Hello, Dieter, keep comin' back. . . .
Yes, BMWs have middling initial quality and distinctly less-than-middling reliability -- so sayeth J.D. Power -- but people still buy them and adore them, because they are inarguably spectacular cars. Even the BMWs that I loathe are great cars. The new 135i is uglier than a Radcliffe glee club, but it's also fierce, fervid, delicious, a bottle of Bollinger that's lost its cork.
And then there's this car, the 2009 BMW 750Li, the flagship of BMW's starfleet, which might be -- one hates to draw lines in this particular sand -- the best luxury sedan in the world. Oh, sure, it could be better. It could run on the tears of disgraced CEOs or cure warts of the keister. But as an executive saloon, as a synthesis of power and grace and ease and prestige, the new 7-series demands that we reset our calipers, raise our ceilings and throw out our measuring sticks. There is now a new standard.
And yet, the 750Li boldly/daringly/foolishly leverages its greatness on the fulcrum of one of the company's perennial weaknesses: electronics. This car comprises a blazing amour fou of control modules, sensors, microcontrollers, solenoids and mechatronic actuators, all wired together with the CAN-bus network from hell.
Our fully optioned $110,170 test car provides an acute example. Among the systems: night vision display with enhanced pedestrian detection; active blind-spot detection; lane-departure warning; park-distance control; head-up display; adaptive headlights with high-beam "assistant"; three high-resolution cameras on the rear deck lid and front fenders.
Of course, there's an 80-gigabyte, hard-drive-based navigation system, satellite radio and premium audio system; and a completely redesigned version of the multifunction iDrive controller (the previous system was nicknamed "iQuit").
My favorite? The integral active steering system, which is to say, rear-wheel steering. Below 40 miles per hour, the rear wheels can turn as much as 3 degrees opposite the direction of the front wheels, thereby reducing the big car's turning radius. Great for parking and tight city traffic. Above 40 mph, the wheels turn in phase with the front wheels to increase handling responsiveness, cornering and agility.
Does integral active steering perform as advertised? Has Hasselhoff had work? This car runs like mighty winged Pegasus, carving mountain roads and dicing switchbacks as if it were an M3 with a pituitary problem. No big car has ever had so much rail-to-rail slaloming agility, such effortless composure at the limit. It's uncanny, it's eerie, it's surreal.
Indeed, the effect of all these electronics is to knit together a kind of digitized meta-reality where the surly bonds of physics have slipped a bit, a place where this enormous, heavy sedan can dance like a sports car. Think of it like the world of "The Matrix," inside of which Keanu Reeves can fly, or act.
And so we arrive at the truest portrait of the 750Li: half machine, half machine code; a kinetic sculpture, partly aluminum and steel, partly a stream of zeros and ones. Wonderful, epic, historic.
But can you trust it?
I really don't know. On the one hand, I'm utterly smitten by the technology. I love piloting a leather-lined spaceship with a 20-way adjustable captain's chair with heating/cooling and massage function.
There are moments on the interstate at night -- when the ghostly thermal-imaging night-vision display is on, the head-up display is reading out navigation messages, the lane-departure warning system is gently reminding me to use my turn signals, and all is bathed in serene LED cabin light -- that the 750Li really feels like something that comes after the Automobile.
Still, I'm nagged by doubt. All of these exotic systems, such as the head-up display (Nippon Seiki), lane-change warning (Hella) and night vision (Autoliv) come from suppliers in Japan, Germany and Sweden, respectively. The 750Li is practically the U.N. of Tier 1 suppliers. Considering the state of global comity, a question occurs to me: Can they all get along?
Bear in mind, all of this gear is overlaid on the car's, the brand's already fraught electronics: the e-throttle-equipped 4.4-liter, 400-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V8 with variable valve timing on intake and exhaust cams; the adaptive six-speed ZF transmission; the adaptive dynamics system, which itself has four distinct modes (Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+), which ratchet up performance thresholds for the engine, transmission, brakes, steering and stability control. The braking module governs anti-lock, traction and stability control, brake "drying," brake-fade compensation. . . . It just goes on and on.
What few buyers appreciate is how difficult systems integration is on a car like this. For the BMW 750Li to work, every system and subsystem has to mind-meld with the others in a cold chatter of instant, endless algorithms, faultlessly, every time, forever and ever, amen. No wonder they go buggy.
So when I say the 750Li is the best luxury sedan in the world, imagine a weather-balloon-size asterisk. I guess, as long as it starts, it is.
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