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2011 BMW 335d

The BMW 3 series recently underwent a mid-cycle refresh giving it a more stylish front end, re-sculpted hood, and tweaked taillights. The changes are subtle but the end result looks considerably more polished and attractive than the previous version. I recently took a brand new 2011 335d out for a little spin and came away impressed.

The interior of the 335d is nothing new. Compared to the new 7 series and new 5 series it's rather underwhelming. But in a good way. The fairly basic model I drove came with leatherette, dark burl walnut trim, and relatively few options. The 335d certainly isn't a stripped out model but the lack of popular tech options makes it far less intimidating. It still came with several niceties like a sunroof and power adjustable seats, granted not the seemingly infinitely adjustable seats of the 7, but you'll be able to get comfy quickly. The driving position is very natural. The single disc CD player and radio is straight forward and easy to use and has auxiliary and USB connections for your MP3 players. The 335d was also had the cold weather package that included a heated steering wheel. Other bits of tech include LED turn signals, adaptable headlights that swivel to illuminate your path as you turn the steering wheel, and intelligent high beams that turn off for oncoming traffic.

The transmission in the 335d was a standard six speed automatic. Compared to BMW's new transmission options it felt a little old fashioned. Instead of BMW's new joystick gear selector there is a standard PRND gear selector. In normal automatic mode the transmission works just fine. Shifts are smooth and unobtrusive and adds to the familiar feeling throughout the car. Slide the lever to the right and you can change gears manually. This provides a bit more involvement but the transmission feels a little slow compared to the new transmissions.

The chassis is also surprise free. Anyone familiar with BMW's ride and handling characteristics will feel right at home. The ride is both taut and comfortable while remaining communicative. The body leans a little bit in corners but only enough to remind you that you aren't driving an M3. The highway ride in the 335d was perfectly acceptable. It's not a cossetting as a 7 series but should elicit complaints from only pickiest of passengers. The standard steering reacts to inputs fluidly and turn in is sharp without being overly aggressive.

At this point, you may have noticed a somewhat foreign little letter in the model name. The letter 'd'. You likely already know the significance of the letter, but might be wondering why it hasn't been mentioned yet. Well, the answer is simple. While the presence of a diesel engine in the 335d is significant, if no one told you what was under the hood, you might not even notice it. Upon starting the engine there is no significant rattle or untoward noise. It starts quietly and idles smoothly enough as to draw little attention. The only real give away while driving is a small clatter and slight vibration just off of idle. This shows up accelerating off the line but but disappears as the revs climb. At speed, again, there is virtually nothing in terms of noise or vibration to suggest you're driving a diesel.

There are, however, a few ways in which the diesel makes its presence known. The first way is torque. This thing doesn't have a little torque. A 328i has a little torque at 200 lb/ft. It doesn't have a lot of torque. The 335i has a lot of torque at 300 lb/ft. The 335d, on the other hand, has gobs o' torque. 425 lb/ft according to BMW. Consider for a moment that the mighty V8 M3 only has 295 lb/ft. In fact, if I owned one my license plate would read “GOBS O'”. This torque means that the diesel has grunt whenever you need it. Need to pass a line of cars on the highway? In most cars that would require a few downshifts and maybe a prayer. The diesel on the other hand just flat out goes. The transmission drops maybe a gear and the sedan erupts forward on the wave of torque. The 335d also accelerates off the line with authority. What's really surprising though, it that the engine still revs. It doesn't have a stratospheric redline like the M3 but it hustles to it's peak revs much the same as a gas fired engine. If you are still in any way expecting modern automotive diesels to feel and sound and drive like truck engines, forget it. They may have a different character but are as good as any comparable gas engine.

The other big way the diesel stands out is in fuel economy. With an EPA rating of 23 city and 36 highway, the diesel is the most fuel efficient model in the 3 series line. BMW estimates the highway cruising range to be nearly 580 miles and if driven gingerly an actual owner could probably achieve or exceed that figure. This means stops for fuel will be few and very far between making the 335d a prime choice for road trips. Unless, of course, your bladder is not up to the challenge.

I also discovered a little surprise on the dashboard. When I first noticed the small gauge under the speedo, I had a brief moment of panic as the needle swung erratically from one extreme to the other. “Oh no” I thought, “Did I just manage to break the dealer's test model?” Expecting the gauge to indicate engine temperature or oil pressure I was greatly relieved when I discovered it was an instant fuel economy indicator. When sitting still or accelerating, even gently, the needle swings to the low teens. Maintain a steady speed and it will oscillate in the mid range around twenty to mid thirty miles per gallon. Take your foot off of the go pedal all together and the needle jumps up to well above fifty mpg. The gauge is mostly a gimmick as the on board computer can display the more useful average fuel economy on the instrument panel.

The final place the diesel engine gets noticed is the bottom line. The efficiency, as well as additional tech it takes to meet emission regulations means the diesel is fairly expensive. Among the 3 series sedans, excluding the M, the diesel carries the highest base price at $44,150. The model I drove was lightly optioned and carried a final price of $48,052. If you prefer a bit more performance, BMW also offers an M Sport package complete with M style front end, unique wheels, the availability of LeMans Blue paint, black out trim and several M cues scattered throughout the interior. Between the goodness of the base to the awesomeness of the Sport, the 335d provides a economical and unequally entertaining proposition for those looking for fun and frugality. The only real diesel competition comes from it's German rivals. It's also a whole lot more attractive aesthetically, dynamically, and emotionally that any hybrid available. Take that Prius! 

Test vehicle provided by the gracious folks at BMW of Minnetonka.

Dodge Challenger R/T v Chevy Camaro SS

The last muscle car I drove was a 1964 Pontiac GTO. It was the most exciting car I've ever driven. Exciting, as in slightly terrifying. The non-power assisted brakes required some serious effort to provide anything resembling deceleration. Serious planning and a little praying was often necessary to bring the beast to a halt where and when desired. The suspension had about as much body control as a dead squid. Body roll was so pronounced that even low speed turns had me sea sick. The turning circle wasn't really even measurable since I'm not sure there exists a space wide enough to complete a full circle. Your average cul-de-sac requires a three point turn with the tires rubbing on the inside of the fenders with the wheel cranked. The thumping V8 in the front had enough grunt to lighten the front end with even a gentle prod. The four on the floor provided a bolt action shifting feel unlike anything made today. And dumping the clutch with some steering lock provided easy, entertaining, and extended power-slides. It was one hell of a car.

The 2010 Dodge Challenger most accurately depicts the old muscle car styling taking a decidedly retro approach. The new Camaro on the other hand merely takes a couple of styling cues, the small vertical streaks ahead of the rear wheels for instance, from the classic designs of the 60's. It looks much more sinister and more modern. Both, however, are vying for the same piece of market share and are taking rather different approaches. The spot in the market has been dominated for the last several years by the Ford Mustang as it was the only muscle car inspired model on sale. I set out to see which one of these two recaptures that old muscle car spirit the best.

The Challenger R/T is the mid range model in the Challenger line up. It features Chysler's familiar 5.7 liter Hemi V8. The engine is connected to your choice of a five speed automatic or a six speed manual. The manual is the obvious choice for those who prefer to be involved in their drive. The manual features a retro style pistol grip shifter, and tightly space gears. When combined with the manual the engine puts out a respectable 375 horsepower. Driving the Challenger proves to be quite easy once you are comfortable with the sheer size of the car. While the EPA somehow categorizes the Challenger as a compact, it sure as heck doesn't feel compact. At 75.7 inches wide, the front passenger side fender seems miles away when maneuvering through a parking lot. The controls, however, make it easy to place the Challenger where you want it.

The styling is purely retro, and entirely awesome. The full length tail light emphasis the appearance of width. Whereas the Camaro's headlights scream aggression, the dual lamps of the Challenger effuse a sense of physical confidence. It's not going to get in your face, but pick your fights carefully. The Challenger is now offered with a Classic package that adds stripes that run from the front fender and terminate at the back of the side windows with a stacked R/T logo and 20” five spoke Cragar aluminum wheels. The Challenger is also offered in a wide pallet of colors that includes a metallic sky blue called B5 as well as the classic Plum Crazy purple.

If you are looking for a modern interpretation of the classic muscle car driving experience, the Challenger delivers. For better and worse. For better, the fairly high ride height and compliant suspension means the Challenger rides comfortably. Visibility out the front is good, the upright windshield provides a clear and undistorted view of the road. Visibility in the rear is compromised by the very thick C pillars. Combined with the width of the car, backing into parking stops might require a spotter the first few times.

The engine further delivers the proper sensory experience. It responds enthusiastically to inputs of the throttle pedal. Unfortunately, the Challenger is not a light car so the power doesn't feel breathtaking. The gear box also proved a little challenging. The pistol grip feels great in hand, but the neutral slot feels too far forward, and engagement in each gate is quite vague. This feeling of vagueness conspires with the narrow gates to induce missed shifts. Rowing up through the gears is natural enough, but I often found myself in fourth when attempting to downshift to second. The clutch was fairly light and has an average length travel. Engagement is smooth, but disengaging the clutch at speed sends an odd shudder through the gearbox. This might be a result of unfamiliarity, but it felt a little disconcerting nonetheless.

Handling was also reminiscent of a classic muscle car. It could quite literally drive circles around something like the GTO mentioned above. Compared to most cars today, though, it retains that built for straight line speed and not much else feeling. Attacking an off-ramp shows that it has decent body control, but the elevated ride height and compliant suspension tuning make the car feel floaty around corners. The steering is light and provides little feedback, but is accurate. The car responds deliberately if not athletically.

The Camaro feels much more solid than the Challenger. This is emphasized by the closer, less airy cockpit. Even at six foot tall, I didn't feel claustrophobic but there is sense of less space. The clutch travel is very short and the engagement feels abrupt at first. Once accustomed to the pedal though, it gives the driver confidence that the six speed manual transmission can handle the abuse of the 6.2 liter LS3 V8. The throws on the gear box are short and much more direct than the Challenger. I never missed a shift in the Camaro. The big V8 chucks out an impressive 426 horsepower, more inline with the top dog SRT8 Challenger. This makes the Camaro considerably faster than the R/T. Hit the gas in second gear and the engine responds immediately. Coming off low revs, the torque of the V8 does not leave one wanting for grunt. Then it hits around 3500 rpm, takes a big gulp of air, and erupts forward. The power is intoxicating. And this is before even mentioning the noise. The V8 is unobtrusive at idle with just a subtle rumble. Punch the accelerator and the pipes let loose a growl the Challenger can only dream of matching.

Furthermore, the Camaro feels much more buttoned down than the Challenger. It doesn't feel floaty, and while the suspension is tuned more firmly, it doesn't punish the occupants. Turning into a corner gives a greater sense of confidence with less body roll and better communication through the chassis. The tighter feeling cockpit also lent the Camaro to a more user friendly feel. While not a small car, it simply felt a more compact. Between the two, the Camaro is the choice pick for taking on a twisty road.

The interior is another place where the Camaro fuses retro design inspiration with a decidedly modern look. The squared off instrument binnacles with deep set gauges look great. The spacing on the speedometer seem too closely spaced to make accurate determinations of speed with a quick glance. Fortunately the display area between the speedo and tach can be programmed to display a digital speed readout. It also displays other critical information such as tire pressure and can link with OnStar to give turn by turn directions. The center console is heavily stylized, but fairly straightforward and easy to use. The auxiliary gauges, displaying oil temp, oil pressure, volts, and transmission temp, look neat but are too far out of the driving sight lines to be truly useful. The steering wheel looks cool, but in reality isn't the best user interface. The leather on the rim feels fine, if not especially nice. My biggest gripe is in regards to the deep dish. The spokes at 3 and 9 sweep backwards too steeply to comfortably grip the wheel at those positions.

Which one of these two cars is better? That is a difficult question to answer. Both are attempting to recapture the essence of the original muscle cars. The new Challenger does the better job of capturing the style. The Challenger is retro heavy for sure. The styling is more loyal to the original with fewer modern touches. It is a stunning car with immense road presence. It also is the most loyal reinterpretation of the classic muscle car driving characteristics, preferring to blast down the straights instead of hustling through the corners.

The Camaro on the other hand, borrows less liberally from the retro ink well. Its strongly creased shoulders remind one of the original design, but has more modern touches inside and out. Furthermore, the Camaro is far more adept at playing the role of sports car in addition to muscle car. It drives tighter, handles better, and sprints faster. With prices under forty thousand, either car is a good performance deal. The only thing to figure out is what is most important to you in a muscle car. Spectacular looks or athletic abilities?

2010 BMW 550i GT

If the BMW 5 series sedan could be likened to an animal,I would say it's like a horse. The 5 series sedan is capable of carrying four people in comfort. It performs marvelously in a variety of situations and are generally pretty fleet of foot. Or hoof. And, many of the 5 series designs have been regarded as classically handsome. All traits generally shared with a horse. What, then, could the new 5 series Gran Turismo be likened to?

Well for starters, the GT is not quite as handsome as the sedan. That's not to say that the GT is unattractive. The front end is very similar to the just introduced sixth generation 5 series sedan. The front end is elegant and will likely find more fans than the previous generation. The side character line is sharply creased and reminiscent of the new 7. The rear, however is where things get a little funky. The purpose of the new 550i GT is to be more practical than the sedan by virtue of it's hatch back design. The back end, however, just looks slightly swollen. It's not dissimilar from the X6, but when attached to the front of a 5 series, it looks a little ungainly. Not only that, when standing out side of the car, trying to take in all the details, one can't help but be slightly surprised by the sheer size of the thing. The tall roof and exaggerated rump make it look enormous. I would say it's more of an acquired taste. So if it were an animal it would not be as handsome as a horse.

As a long distance distance people hauler it equals the performance of a normal 5 series sedan. The front passengers are treated to the same level of luxury and gadgetry typical of a BMW. There is satellite navigation, HD radio, power adjustable heated seats, dual zone climate control, premium sound system, Park Distance Control, heated steering wheel, and even a Brake Energy Regeneration System. Rear passengers are treated to a great deal of legroom if not outstanding headroom despite the scalloped head liner. The interior styling is attractive and very well finished. If the GT were an animal it would have to be at least as capable of carrying people as a horse.

When it comes to carrying luggage, the horse, er 5 series sedan, is capable. But the GT's versatility is even greater. The new hatch back design allows for increased cargo capacity. It also offers greater ease of access thanks to the unique dual opening hatch. Press the center release switch, tucked under the chrome bar in the back, and just the bottom portion of the hatch opens, much like a normal trunk lid. The opening is fairly small but has the advantage of keeping the interior sealed off from the outside air. Close the small lid and press the button further to the right and the entire hatch raises automatically. This reveals a wide opening allowing for greater access. Drop the 60/40 folding rear seats and you have 60 cubic feet of storage. So the GT is capable of carrying more cargo than a horse.


















The new GT is also pretty fleet. The drive train is pretty much a direct carry over from the new 750i. It features the same 4.4 liter, twin turbo charged V8 that will be shared with the 6th generation sedan. It differs, however, in that the GT features BMW's new eight speed gear box. The transmission allows for strong acceleration in low gears, but also allows for tall cruising gears to help improve fuel economy. The drive train means performance should be on par with the normal sedan. The chassis is very stiff and the suspension is set up quite nicely. The GT handles bumps with nary a complaint. It also takes corners with a good bit of confidence. The GT is, however, almost unbelievably heavy at a BMW rated 4938 unladen pounds. Add fluids and a passenger or two and it's well above 5000 lbs. This means that there is a generous helping of roll in the corners. The GT, however, remains composed and grip is well maintained. This means the animal should be nearly as fast as a horse if not as agile.

If the 5 series sedan is a horse, given its attributes I would say the new GT is more like a camel. The camel is just as good at carrying people, can haul a good deal more stuff, and is nearly as fast, if less agile, than a horse. Camels, however, are not without their draw backs.

Considering the drool, the humps, and somewhat odd proportions no one I know would consider a camel as handsome as a horse. The same can be said of the GT versus the sedan regarding its looks. I would like to note, however, that BMW has successfully resolved any drooling problems the GT may have had. During my drive I did notice the GT turning a few heads. Whether this is due to the sheer size of the GT or it's odd proportions, ride a camel down the road and the reactions probably wouldn't be dissimilar. So the decision must be made if one is willing to give up the sharp lines of the new 5 series sedan in order to gain a bit of practicality. There are cultures that find camels to be beautiful creatures so this is potentially not an issue for some.

The horse and camel are also very nearly equals when it comes to rough terrain. While neither the 5 series sedan nor the GT are even remotely intended for off road use, the GT does have a higher ride height which could be comforting on a dirt road. The camel affords a much higher seating position much like the GT. Driving the GT I found myself eye to eye with small pickup and crossover drivers. The windshield seems to be almost vertical from the driver's seat. The high roof gives the front passengers more head room than they'll know what to do with. This means the GT has terrific sight-lines. At least to the front. Have your side mirrors adjusted properly because a sedan visible in the right side mirror will all but disappear behind the large c-pillar and small rear window when looking over your shoulder.

Other issues I noted during my drive centered primarily around the drive train. In a brief stint of stop and go traffic, with the car in sport mode, the car felt a little jerky at very low speeds. It seemed unsure of which gear was appropriate and the brakes felt grabby. The throttle also lacked linearity and seemed to have just a little too much initial tip in before the engine responds. These traits seemed to improve when the car was in its normal mode, so save the sport mode for the back roads. Also when powering up a hill, the gear box had to drop a few gears which resulted in an unexpected surge of power instead of just maintaining speed. One other gripe is that the LCD speedo completely washes out in direct sunlight.

While I can make no comparison on the relative fuel efficiency of a camel versus a horse, I would imagine there won't be a big difference in fuel economy between the GT and sedan. Given the GT's weight, however, fuel economy won't be its key selling point. The EPA rates the 550i GT at 15/21 for city and highway. The trip computer indicated mileage just shy of 12 mpg during my fairly short drive. The 535i GT with the turbo six should improve on these numbers but BMW does not yet have EPA ratings for it. Price won't be a selling point either. Starting at $63,900, my test car with a few options wore a price of $70,325. Go wild with the options and the price will be pushing six figures. The key selling points of the GT are its increased practicality, high level of luxury, and strong performance. So, if you are looking for a 5 series with just a bit more practicality and are willing to sacrifice some of the classic BMW elegance, the choice is obvious. Buy a camel, er, I mean the new 550i GT.

Test vehicle provided by the gracious folks at BMW of Minnetonka.