Cars, surprises, cold, and fun fill Chicago Auto Show
CHICAGO, ILL. — The Chicago Auto Show is, without a doubt, the most fun of the major U.S. shows. At least, from the standpoint of auto journalists who attend media days prior to the public start of the show, which continues through February 18 at McCormick Place, the Chicago show is as casual and low-key as shows at Detroit, Los Angeles and New York are intense and hectic in their attempts to out-sophisticate the rest.
McCormick Place, incidentally, is large enough to encase the Detroit, L.A., and New York shows simultaneously, they tell us, and without question, there is no need for a workout after trying to hit all the displays in a two-day stretch.
Let’s do a quick run-around, which begins with a drive from Minneapolis to Chicago. My son, and photographic helper, Jack, and I departed in a Ford Escape Hybrid. I had driven the Hybrid for the week prior to heading for Chicago and the timing was perfect, because it worked without hesitation during a stretch when it rarely got above zero in Minnesota. A lot of misinformation has been spread about how the Escape uses Toyota licensed technology, when in reality Ford did its own work, but on completion found a half-dozen of its items had been patented by Toyota. Rather than redo things, Ford decided to simply license those few items – and, in fact, Toyota used some Ford techniques in return.
The reason that’s a topic is that I had experienced a previous Toyota Prius that warned “Do Not Drive!†when it got to 20 below zero. The Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive boasts properly of being a “full hybrid,†because it will run on electric power alone, but that’s a two-headed sword, because it doesn’t want to ever run on the gas engine alone, using it instead as a generator for creating electric power. So, in severe cold, if the battery power goes to zero, the gas engine will start, but it doesn’t want to run the car. In the Honda, the gas engine runs all the time, so that wouldn’t be an issue, and further evidence that the Ford Escape Hybrid is not dependent on Toyota’s system, the Escape Hybrid can run on electric alone at low speed, on gas engine alone at high speed, and on both during mid-range or acceleration. It gets better fuel economy in city than on highway driving, similar to the Toyotas, and I got 28 miles per gallon on the 400 miles from Minneapolis to Chicago. I would have liked more, but more on that later.
It was cold and nasty on the way. Semis were off the freeway, closing them in places, and cars had skidded off on ice and packed snow every now and then. Interstate 90 just south of Madison was closed for what sounded like an indefinite period to clear up a semi and car multiple crash, so we veered east on 94, through Milwaukee, and came into Chicago from the north. We made amazingly good time, until we got to Chicago, when we again experienced the best reason for light-rail transit in the universe. Chicago’s “El†works so well because cars and traffic don’t work.
The Swissotel was our headquarters, a great hotel, with a view of Lake Michigan from our 28th floor perch. Bridgestone puts on a great welcome reception for the media, and greeted us warmly. Just as Michelin sponsors a lot of media stuff at Detroit, Bridgestone handles it all at Chicago, and its image is not hampered by the uplift in fun.
At the show, the Midwest Auto Media Association (MAMA) breakfast to kick off media days had Ford executive Mark Fields was the keynote speaker. He kicked off the whole week by proclaiming that Ford was going to rename the 2008 Five Hundred sedan as the Taurus, and the 2008 Freestyle crossover SUV as the Taurus X. The companion Mercury Montego will become the Sable for 2008.
Talk about an identity crisis! Ford’s financial woes have been big news recently, but it can’t even decide what to name its cars anymore. It started with the sleek new Lincoln Zephyr, which reclaimed a proud old name that was used back in the 1950s as Lincoln’s hottest performer. After about six months, they decided to change the name to MKZ. The reason? Ford corporate types decided that Lincoln didn’t get used enough when people talked about the Navigator or Continental by their names only, so it went to MKZ so folks would call it the “Lincoln MKZ.†Of course, those new-age marketing wizards must not have been born when the previous Zephyr lived, because NOBODY called it the Zephyr – everyone called it the “Lincoln Zephyr.†So Lincoln went away from that to try to gain what it might have had with it.
While continuing to make the Taurus as a fleet vehicle in its last days, Ford brought out a slightly smaller sedan, called the Fusion, and a roomier one, called the Five Hundred. And, Ford insisted, we had to spell it out, even though Ford had gained great fame with a numerical 500 years ago. The past few months have seen numerous stories on how sad it is that the loyal Taurus, which was the largest-selling sedan in the U.S. for years, no longer exists. More stories came when the last one rolled off the assembly line. There was enough negative publicity on the TaurusÂ’s demise to make it seem heroic in retrospect. I wondered, at the time, why they just didnÂ’t put the name Taurus on one of the new cars that would replace the Taurus.
Meanwhile, the Five Hundred didn’t sell, more because of a stodgy design – particularly the grille and front end – so new design chief Peter Horbury did a quick makeover to give it a Fusion-like three-horizontal-bar grille, and the marketing guys waved their magic wands. Presto! No more stodgy Five Hundred, and the 2008 model will indeed become the Taurus. It not only benefits from the new grille, but it also gains some clout with the new 3.5-liter V6. Curiously enough, those attributes were all marketed in a very nice Ford overview booklet at the Detroit Auto Show – exactly one month earlier. Ford boasted about what a great job they had done keeping the change secret; I believe it wasn’t all that tough, because they must have made the decision to change within the month between the Detroit and Chicago shows.
After breakfast, Toyota had an introduction to show off its new redesign of the Highlander SUV, enlarged by 12 cubic feet inside, and with 55 more horsepower by switching from 3.3 to 3.5 liters in its V6, and a hybrid version to follow.
General Motors was next, with Saturn introducing the new Astra subcompact. After the Aura proved to be such a success in its first year, the Astra will follow as the little brother this fall. The Aura won the juryÂ’s nod as North American International Car of the Year for 2007, even though it actually is a refaced Opel Vectra with a Cadillac-designed 3.6-liter V6. So the Opel-ization of Saturn continues with the introduction of the Astra, which will be a version of the Opel Astra, also built by GMÂ’s German subsidiary, with a 1.8-liter Ecotec four-cylinder. It makes good sense, economically and technically, to share key components, and that will rise again for 2008 when the new Chevrolet Malibu is introduced. It, too, is a very impressive looking sedan, and it is another version of the Vecta/Aura triumvirate.
Ford’s turn was next, although its press conference had been upstaged by the breakfast announcement. We were informed that the name-change to Taurus was important because “It would take years for Five Hundred and Freestyle to become household names.†Especially, I must add, if sales didn’t drastically improve. The question now will be whether bringing the name Taurus back will also cause the vehicle to fly off showroom floors.
Chrysler Group showed off its new Dodge models, and said the new retro Challenger would come to live for real as a 2008 model. Dodge also showed off enormous 5500 and 4500 Ram models with Cummins turbo diesels boasting 610 foot-pounds of torque, and capable of running on biodiesel.
Volkswagen displayed its new R32 sporty version of the Golf, which is now the Rabbit. Got it? VW has made the GTI separate from the Golf/Rabbit, and the GLI separate from the Jetta (which hasn’t yet been renamed), as their sporty updates. The R32 is more potent still, with the direct-injection 3.2-liter V6 and 4-Motion all-wheel drive, and the direct shift gearbox – a paddle-shifted automatic shared in Audi vehicles. BMW showed off a new Alpina sedan, an aftermarket project, while its new 3-Series coupe and retractable hardtop-convertible stole the set.
Pontiac concluded the day with vice president Bob Lutz introducing the new G8. Now, the new G8 will replace the Grand Prix, being renamed in alpha-numeric fashion as a large, rear-drive sedan with a V8. Grand Prix was a grand old name, to coin a phrase, and alpha-numeric names can be confusing to the point of being maddening. So at least GM canÂ’t ridicule Lincoln for changing Zephyr to MKZ, even if I can.
Curiously, I was one of those asked to vote on the best of several categories, including concept cars. The new Five Hundred and Freestyle were on the ballot, because, I suppose, Ford was still keeping the secret at the time it was filled out. The Volvo XC-60 was not on the ballot, but it was there, and looked great. The hotly anticipated Honda Accord concept coupe was on display, but the even hotter Advanced Concept Coupe was not. I learned, sadly, that the only one in existence was a hard-foam prototype, shown at the Detroit show. As it waited in storage to be transferred to Chicago, the severe cold temperature caused the foam to crack – so the NSX replacement was a no-show. But it was on the ballot. I considered giving it an absentee vote, but instead I gave part of a vote to the Taurus as a write-in.
Later, we discovered a spectacular new concept version of the Mitsubishi Outlander, a hot, sporty vehicle named the “Evolander†to make a connection with the Evolution version of the Lancer. It was not on the ballot, and we didn’t see it until after the vote had to be turned in. I would have ranked it right up there with the Kia Kue and the Accord coupe – which will be out this fall as the 2008 Accord – as my favorites.
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The Chicago show is so much fun because itÂ’s in Chicago, which is filled with night spots, great restaurants, and a vibrant lifestyle, the Blackhawks notwithstanding. By chance, the hockey team was out of town, so we ended up two nights in a row at the House of Blues, the latter at the annual Stars, Cars and Bars party. Jim Belushi surprised most of us by Blues-Brothering up a storm in a stage show that would have made his late brother John proud.
The next morning, we had an early start again, with Porsche talking a little racing and showing off the new redesign – subtle as it may be – of the Cayenne SUV. Then it was next door for Toyota to take over again, this time introducing two new Scion models. Toyota’s plan all along was to revise and change the subcompact entry-level Scion models, so the XA will be replaced by a new XD, which shares platforms with the Yaris subcompact, and the square-ish XB will prove, in Toyota’s words, “We will always have a box in our lineup,†although the new one is a foot longer and three inches wider. These are youth-market aimed, and have attained the industry’s youngest average age of 30, but older drivers also might appreciate the electronic gizmos and the iPod connectivity.
Maserati showed off its magnificent Quatroporte and said it would make a coupe version of that, retiring the MC Victory.
Nissan has redone the huge Armada SUV outside and in, and will offer a V8 engine in the Pathfinder for the first time, boosting it to 7,000-pounds of towing. Kia, from Korea, has a new Kue that is a stunning concept vehicle, and the sporty Rondo SX.
At that point, it was time to take off. We had a long, seven-hour drive back to Minneapolis, and we had given in to a request to seize the opportunity to test-drive the all new Ford F450. Ford trucks start with the Ranger (for now, at least), then the full-size 120, heavier duty 350, and enormo 450 with a giant turbo diesel V8, and dual wheels on the rear. As a 4×4, itÂ’s actually a 6×6, I guess, because it has six drive wheels, counting the dualies. When I saw it, I realized it was huge. It is not like having a living room on the road; it is like having a living room and a large den on the road together.
It was large enough that we passed up our trip-long plan to swing by GinoÂ’s East on the way out of town, to pick up a deep-dish sausage and pepper pizza and eat it on the way home. I never eat deep-dish pizza except in Chicago, where it is the best, and GinoÂ’s, which uses corn-meal in its crust, is worth craving whenever youÂ’re not in Chicago. We blew it, and off we went, still craving GinoÂ’s East.
We made good time, beating rush-hour, so there was only heavy congestion, not gridlock. The big Ford handled well, although it sure filled the lane with little to spare on either side. Sirius satellite radio was good too, with me seeking Coffeehouse for its contemporary singer-songwriters, and Margaritaville, for its Jimmy Buffett-flavored content, but we spent most of the trip at the three comedy stations. ItÂ’s impossible to get too drowsy behind the wheel when youÂ’re laughing at Lewis Black, countless others, or sessions by the late Mitch Hedberg.
On the freeway home, we made it to Osseo, Wis., by dinnertime – just in time to pull off and stop at the Norske Nook for a hot-beef and mashed potatos in a homemade breadbowl, with a small dose of pecan-fudge pie. The meal was great, the pie was sensational, and the coffee was…well at least it was hot. Strong does not equal good when it comes to coffee, and I’m a Dunn Brothers snob because in Minnesota, Dunn Brothers out-Starbucks and out-Caribous all the others. I know where to find it in the Twin Cities, and in Duluth, and even in Forest Lake, at a joint car-wash and Dunn Brothers(?), and I know how long my thermal mug can go between their various locations.
However, while it had been hinted to me that even that gigantic Ford F450 might get 25 or so miles per gallon with the diesel, I was distressed first to notice that diesel fuel was $2.59 a gallon – 30 cents more than premium – and I was distressed more when I calculated and recalculated my fuel economy and couldn’t make it come out any better than 9.1 to 9.7 no matter how I did it.
If it hadnÂ’t been so cold out, I could have taken solace from the fact that if I had been towing a house trailer it probably wouldnÂ’t have gotten any worse than 9.1 either. But then, I didnÂ’t have any house trailer available. That Ford Escape Hybrid’s 28.6 mpg looked really good, about then.
Domestic car-makers score with concepts in Detroit
DETROIT, MICH. — Just because the automotive age seems to be moving rapidly into the future doesnÂ’t mean there wonÂ’t continue to be significant backward glances. The Detroit International Auto Show, always a good barometer of whatÂ’s coming, displayed futuristic concept vehicles and new-wave crossover SUVs, but seemed to counter with such bows to traditions as high-powered sports cars, big trucks, and even some new spins on an old, familiar minivan.
It was the same as media preview days began with the unveiling of the North American International Car and Truck of the Year awards. The 49 North American journalists named the Mazda CX-7 and Ford Edge – two new-wave crossovers – among its three truck of the year finalists, but the winner was the Chevrolet Silverado, an entirely redesigned and reengineered version of the traditional, full-sized stalwart pickup truck as its winner.
The same jury paid tribute to the gas-price concerns of the publilc by naming the Honda Fit – a standard-setter for a new wave of small, economy cars – as one of its three finalists, but named the Saturn Aura as the car of the year winner over the Fit and the traditional best-selling Toyota Camry. The Aura is all-new, based on the German Opel sedan with Cadillac’s 3.6-liter V6 engine, and shares the competitive midsize segment with the Camry.
While those awards were a public relations coup for General Motors, GM also commanded the spotlight with the display of a convertible version of its retro Camaro concept car, plus a stunning new plug-in electric powred sports car concept car called the Volt. The car has a 40-mile limit, but also has an on-board generator that can kick in to add power. GM vice president Bob Lutz said 70 percent of Americans live within 20 miles of work, so they could make the round trip before getting home to plug in the Volt.
Lutz said he was as excited about the Volt as he ever has been about any new vehicle. However, as is usual with electric vehicles, the idea has great merit, but any projection of great numbers of such vehicles faces one as-yet insurmountable challenge: the required increase in power from coal-burning power plants can cause an increase of pollution of such magnitude that it could offset the clean-burning benefits of electric car power.
A bigger sure-thing for GM appeared to be the resurrection of the Malibu name on an interesting new midsize sedan, which looks like a Chevrolet version of the car-of-the-year Aura.
Chrysler, always known for clever auto show introductions, groped a bit for ideas at Detroit. A lengthy video and music theme about bread and butter led up to the introduction of renovated 2008 Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country minivans, which have been the company’s “bread and butter†(get it?) vehicles for 23 years – selling 11 million units in that time. Of the 35 new features claimed for the new vans, by far the most impressive is a swivel-seat idea. Second-row bucket seats spin to face the third-row seats, and a table on a floor post turns them into a picnic or card table. Following the easily stored stow-and-go seat idea, Swivel-and-Go could add another 23 years to the segment it created itself, and from which Ford and Chevrolet have faded from in recent years.
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On the second of three media days, Chrysler put an impressive African drum group to work in a very entertaining session that turned out to be a belabored lead-up to a quite lame comment that the company “marches to the beat of a different drummer†as it displayed the Jeep Trailhawk concept, plus a very impressive — and different – four-seat luxury concept called the Nassau.
On the third of three media days, Chrysler marched out its NASCAR race drivers, including Juan Pablo Montoya, former Formula 1 star who will race a new Avenger this coming season. An Avenger? Yes, it is a compact version on the just-introduced Chrysler Sebring platform, but looking like a compacted Charger sedan. A redone Dodge Viper with an 8.4-liter V10 that boasts 600 horsepower, 560 foot-pounds of torque and sub-4-second 0-60 times.
The domestic Big Three enjoys primary focus in Detroit – the hub of the U.S. car industry – even if all three are slipping against imports outside of the city. Along with GM and Chrysler Group, Ford had the most valid connection with the 100th anniversary of the Detroit show, because chairman William Ford’s great grandfather Henry Ford unveiled the Model T at the initial show in 1907.
Ford seemed most focused on futuristic but real-world presence with the announcement of a merger with Microsoft for a synchronized plan that will coordinate hands-free control of vehicle functions, Bluetooth communications and MP3 and iPod musical devices. Ford also showed off a flurry of new products, ranging from the new Lincoln MKR, to concepts such as a slick design model of the Mustang, an Airstream-inspired crossover SUV, and an Interceptor muscle-car, and a completely redone Focus compact that includes a coupe version.
Prideful as they are of their new designs and soon-to-arrive move into the future, all three Big Three manufacturers are fully aware of how they depend on worldwide partnerships to not only succeed in contemporary times, but to survive in a new and global automotive world.
Acadia gives GMC, Lutz reason for renewed pride
PALO ALTO, CA. — General Motors is rescuing itself from nose-diving market share by changing its entire manufacturing scope and switching over to high-tech engines, and is now even building trucks that arenÂ’t really trucks, in the traditional sense. General Motors vice president Bob Lutz arrived at the media launch of the GMC Acadia in Palo Alto just in time to capture the essence of what such a new vehicle can mean for the corporation.
The Acadia is a breakthrough on several fronts. It is the first crossover SUV built by GM, joining siblings-to-come such as the Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook, and a Chevrolet to be named later. With lighter, safer, unibody construction, attached to car-like, rather than truck, platform, the Acadia handles with impressive agility, particularly when compared to midsize GM trucks like the Envoy or Yukon.
By not being true, full-size trucks, apparently they must be called crossovers. Or can we call them trucklets? Whatever, they are zooming past mid and full sized SUVs in sales for the first time ever, so the emergence of the Acadia shows GMÂ’s departure from its dedicated reliance on larger, once-profitable trucks and their revised but aging, pushrod engines.
“This is about as good as we know how to do it right now,†Lutz told the assembled auto writers. “We may know better five years from now, but right now, this is it. This is something new, a crossover SUV. The Acadia has a four-cam, aluminum V6 with a six-speed transmissionÂ… ItÂ’s a traditional design, with great proportions – muscular, stable, athletic, yet with beautiful lines, a unitized body, ultramodern design, car-like suspension systemÂ…itÂ’s aerodynamic, itÂ’s lighter, and it has similar or greater interior volume than an Envoy or Yukon. This is a ‘no excuseÂ’ vehicle, and itÂ’s a perfect fit for the GMC brand.Ââ€
LutzÂ’s candor is always refreshing, and he sliced past GM loyalists in their traditional posture of defending low-tech-on-a-budget approach that GM rode to supremacy 30 and 40 years ago. Lutz simply acknowledges the importance of high-tech engines.
“The 3.6 multi-valve?†Lutz said, referring to the Acadia engine. “ThereÂ’s no limit to the power we can get out of it. Many of us felt that in this day of customers having increased technical knowledge, it helps our marketability to have an engine like this to compete against the great German and Japanese engines.Ââ€
The “high feature†3.6-liter V6, first designed for Cadillac, has dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, with variable valve-timing, and makes 275 horsepower in the Acadia. A six-speed automatic with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Traction control, and StabiliTrak further aid stability. It swept through a series of hairpin turns in the mountains, even with four on board, and there is room for a couple more in the third row seats. Three rows of seats, seating for eight, is a major selling point for the Acadia, and there is still storage room behind the fold-down third-row seats, which are surprisingly large and quite easy to access. Folding down rows two and three creates 117 cubic feet of storage.
The automatic transmission has a neat little “tap shift†button on the side of the shift knob for manual up and down shifts. That proved useful in hustling around the tightly twisting mountain roads, because you can drop down into third and be at the right spot in the power band for the curvy, hilly stuff. The little button is concave at the bottom, where you downshift, so you can do it without taking your eye off the road. I would prefer steering wheel mounted paddles, because then you could shift manually without taking one hand off the wheel.
If I had a major criticism it is that Acadia still feels big – big enough to have less of a truck feel than the larger GM SUVs, but more of a truck feel than performance oriented crossovers such as the new Acura MDX, or the Lexus RX350. Those are second-generation crossovers, with a large headstart on GM.
Lutz discussed the importance of coordinating North American, European, Asian, and Brazilian production as a preferable way to cut costs.
“If you get yourself healthy by sacrificing future products, you could be out of business,†Lutz said. “You have to forge ahead and pour money into new products. You can’t save your way to prosperity. Revenue is the answer, which means making cars and trucks that people will be willing to part with their money for.
“The quality difference is so close now. Every new vehicle has the same quality, the same safety, and all have multi-cam aluminum engines. The difference is – does your vehicle make an emotional connection with the viewer? If not, people go to ‘default,Â’ which is like buying an appliance. The default brand is, obviously, Toyota.Ââ€
When Lutz speaks, crowds gather, and every phrase divulges something special, whether it is within GMÂ’s public-relations parameters, or not. For example, he was asked if the rumored-to-be Chevrolet version of the Acadia might replace the midsize TrailBlazer.
“The TrailBlazer is somewhat similar in size, but IÂ’m not sure weÂ’re announcing any plans to have a Chevrolet version of the Acadia yet,†said Lutz. “Undeniably, midsize SUVs are rapidly declining, going extinct. Right now, we have the Outlook for Saturn, the Enclave for Buick, along with the Acadia for GMC, and theyÂ’re all different. The trick will be to make the Chevrolet version different againÂ…And from what IÂ’ve seen, it will be radically different.Ââ€
So much for not making the announcement.
John Larson, the youthful-looking GMC-Pontiac-Buick general manager, sat back and smiled at the Lutz presentation. It was suggested that being responsible for three brands with impressive new Pontiac Solstice and G6, Buick LaCrosse, Lucerne and now Enclave, and the new Sierra, Envoy and now Acadia for GMC, Larson must have enjoyed the last five years more than his first dozen at GM.
“I donÂ’t know about that,†said Larson, turning pensive. “ItÂ’s been satisfying to see some recent things come together, but for all the successes weÂ’ve had, I canÂ’t help but think about the plants weÂ’ve closed and the people weÂ’ve had to lay off.Ââ€
TheyÂ’d better be careful, or else guys like Lutz and Larson could ruin GMÂ’s image, which has faded from 1970s-era Corvettes and Camaros to a bean-counter-dominated conglomerate that had lost its soul while dwelling on tradition rather than modernization. After driving the Acadia hard through the California mountains, and talking to Lutz and Thomas afterward, it appears that maybe the lost soul has been located, and new and modernized products indicate GM can refocus on its faltering market share.
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The feature-filled Acadia, starting in the low-$30,000 range, will help that.
“We see GMC as a complement, not competition, for Chevrolet,†said Larson, who added that he interacts with his counterparts at Chevrolet on a daily basis.
Still, it always has seemed to me that GMC’s motto as “Professional Grade†is a clever way to imply it’s bigger, stronger and more exclusive than competitors, but it more subtly might include Chevy shoppers, even though the GMC and Chevy pickups and SUVs are identical under differing sheet metal.
Performance is impressive, as are the interior features. Three rows of seats and seating for eight is a major selling point for the Acadia, and there is still storage room behind the fold-down third-row seats, which are surprisingly large and quite easy to access. It takes a large vehicle to have so much territory inside those walls, and folding down rows two and three creates 117 cubic feet of storage.
The automatic transmission has a neat little “tap shift†button on the side of the shift knob for manual up and down shifts. That proved useful in hustling around the tightly twisting mountain roads, because you can manually drop it down into third and be at the right spot in the power band for the curvy, hilly stuff. The little button is concave at the bottom, where you downshift, so you can do it without taking your eye off the road. I would prefer steering wheel-mounted paddles, because then you could shift manually without taking one hand off the wheel.
If I had a major criticism it is that Acadia still feels big for a crossover – big enough to have less of a truck feel than the larger GM SUVs, but more of a truck feel than performance oriented crossover SUVs such as the new Acura MDX, or the Lexus RX350.
But still, the Acadia is a breakthrough for GM, and it may become the halo vehicle for the corporationÂ’s second largest division.
Pretty heady stuff, for a trucklet.
Just when game seems over, BMW X5 rewrites rules
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Selecting the 2007 North American Car of the Year will be the most difficult itÂ’s been in over a dozen years that IÂ’ve been on the jury. As competitive as the vote on the best of the all-new vehicles is, the companion Truck of the Year choice is even tougher, with virtually all 16 entries eminently qualified.
The new BMW X5 is a perfect example. Seven years is a long run for any vehicle without revision, but the current X5 still seems new, after having rewritten the standard for performance-oriented SUVs when introduced in 1999. Its 2006 version, in fact, was the benchmark used by Honda in designing the new Acura MDX. Regular readers might recall my recent review of the MDX – you could look it up – in which I claimed that after pushing it hard through a heavy rainstorm on a road-racing track, against competitors that included the X5, I came away convinced that the MDX could be the best SUV available.
Following the MDX introduction, I had the opportunity to attend the introduction of the all-new 2007 BMW X5. Sure enough, just about the time you get the game figured out, somebody changes the rules of the game. The new X5 looks similar to the existing one, but it drives with much more feel and precision, with more power and the availability of the almost-magical active steering system that makes it feel more agile despite being more than 7 inches longer, with weight up over 5,000 pounds. That added space contains a foldaway third row of occasional seats.
We toured the BMW factory in Spartanburg, S.C., where both the X5 and the Z4 sports car roll off the assembly line at random, almost in alternating order. We got to drive the new X5 on some great twisting two-lanes, and after the tour, we went to BMWÂ’s adjacent test track, to put the X5 through some specific drills that were much more severe than you could ever encounter in normal civilian driving.
The tests, on a skidpad, and amid some emergency handling cones on the larger track, proved that BMW had improved on every asset of the current model. Naturally, the vehicle Acura used as the MDX performance benchmark was the 2006 X5, and not the new one, which is significantly upgraded. A new 4.8-liter V8 with 350 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque, and a revised 3.0-liter inline 6 with 260 horses and 225 foot-pounds are both upgrades. The X5 is upgraded enough that I might demand a recount with the MDX, because both vehicles are both at the upper echelon of the high-performance SUV segment.
Of great relevance to the debate is that both the BMW X5 and the MDX are candidates for 2007 Truck of the Year. But they are far from alone, or from any assurance they will even be favored by enough of us among the 50 jury members to make the final three.
For anyone who thinks it’s an easy choice, consider that along with the X5 and MDX, Truck of the Year also includes among other SUVs: the just-being-introduced GMC Acadia, the Audi Q7, Dodge Nitro, Hyundai Santa Fe, Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban, Saturn Vue Greenline hybrid, and Suzuki X7. That is a very intense group, but there are more. The proliferating crossover SUV category includes the Ford Edge, the Honda CR-V, the Acura RDX, and the Mazda CX-7 – all very strong candidates. On top of that, there is the new Jeep Wrangler, and the Toyota FJ Cruiser, two of the most impressive off-road-fun machines, and, last but certainly far from least, the Chevrolet Silverado pickup.
Go back over those 16 vehicles and pick one. Or three. Or, better yet, rank them 1-16. Degree of difficulty is high, with gusts up to impossible.
BMW chooses to call the X5 an “SAV†instead of “SUV,†meaning sports-activity vehicle, rather than sports-utility vehicle. Introduced in 1999, a test-run 1,400 X5s were sold from fall to the end of the calendar year, with nearly 32,000 X5s sold in its first full year, and later, sales increased to top the 100,000 mark.
X5 project director Albert Biermann, explained that BMWÂ’s objectives for the new X5 were to raise the level of the driving experience, increase the interior feeling of luxury, and upgrade the versatility of a fun, flexible vehicle with 7-occupant capacity. “The first X5 was a true icon,†said Biermann, “and we wanted to maintain the look of a sporty SUV. The new one should never be recognized as a ‘people mover.Â’ Ââ€
Biermann pointed out the raised command seat view for the front bucket seat occupants, and that the seats in the second row have 40 mm more room. “IÂ’m 6-foot-4,†he said, meaning he must slide the driverÂ’s seat well back, “and I can sit behind myself.Ââ€
Technically, the chassis has 15 percent higher torsional stiffness, and such tricks as an aluminum hood, cast aluminum front strut towers, and even a magnesium instrument holder, contributed to a sleeker stance with a 0.34 coefficient of drag, and 50-50 weight distribution on the front and rear axles. Instrumentation resembles the 7-Series luxury car, with improved cupholders, a navigation/information screen raised up higher, closer to eye level, and a large, clamshell-opening two-tier glove compartment.
As with any BMW, the secret is in the driving dynamics, and the X5 is, in a word, spectacular. Start with DSC (dynamic stability control), which regulates brakes and power to straighten you out, and add DTC (dynamic traction control), which adjusts power for maximum traction. Those two systems combine into Adaptive Drive, which unites the anti-roll system and adaptive shock absorbers. BMW was careful to make sure the complexities merged with the revised xDrive all-wheel drive system.
As recently as three years ago, xDrive almost-grudingly adjusted from rear-drive to allow 40 percent of its torque to go to the front wheels. The new system runs at a standard blend of 40-percent front/60-percent rear, and when necessary can redistribute anything up to 100 percent of that torque to the front. The system uses a battalion of stability-control sensors with to read steering angle, the level of grip, the yaw rate, and other inputs to instruct a clutch system how to react.
BMW officials insist that xDrive shifts power quicker than AudiÂ’s legendary quattro, or VolvoÂ’s slick Haldex system. Systems such as quattro or the Mercedes concept are passive, BMW says, in that they need to sense a problem, then react to it when it gets to a critical point. The xDrive sensors can actually predict symptoms of dangerous conditions and react to prevent the X5 from getting into the critical situation.
We canÂ’t say we understand such complexities, and it may take a few turns on ice-covered streets on the hillside of Duluth to fully appreciate them. But wait, thereÂ’s more.
Active Steering is a system that seems to intimidate many of the lead-footed test-drivers of the major auto magazines, who rip it mercilessly. None of them could possibly have conducted the same tests as I did, or they would only have praise for it. What it does is add a quickening-response to the steering feel as speed increases, which feels like a heaviness. Because it takes a bit more effort to turn at higher speed, but reacts much more quickly, a good driver would tend to not oversteer the car in an emergency – which means a good driver also wouldn’t reach the point of needing to correct, or over-correct, after a severe swerve.
On the test track, I drove an X5 through various phases on the skid pad, and through the slalom cones. In normal setting, traction and stability are governed by DTC; push the DTC button and the system adjusts to later activation, so you can let the rear end hang out a little – less precise, but maybe more fun if you like that sort of tail-wagging; and hold the DTC button down for 3 seconds, and DTC is shut off so there is no brake assistance, and the yaw angle can go to the physical limit of loss of control, although the antilock brakes still work.
I drove at all settings in reverse order, starting with the least control, which was still very good and made you drive well to avoid spinning out on the skid pad; then mid-range, for significantly better traction and less chance to spin out; and then the full-on DTC, which made the X5 work so well you simply couldnÂ’t lose traction on the tight circles and figure-8s of the skidpad.
On the slalom course, I darted and dived around the cones with increasing levels of control, too, then drove alongside the row of cones on the return road to do it again.
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After trying every setting, I switched to an X5 with the optional Active Steering. The difference was incredible. Slaloming through the cones was fun without it, as the X5 required very little steering correction at each cone. But with Active Steering, it needed NO corrections when going through the cones. I did it again, faster. Then one last time, dangerously fast. No problem.
It was so impressive that on my last round, I got a good laugh from some of the instructors because instead of simply returning along the row of cones down the return road, I actually slalomed through those close-set cones without ever knocking one over.
The X5 will cost something for all that technical expertise. Base price is $46,595 with the 6, and $55,195 for the 4.8 V8, which is shared with the 7-Series and top 5-Series sedans.
Amid all the superlatives about BMW technology, there are a couple things that I think proves BMW isn’t always right. First, the “iDrive†system, with one console knob distributing control for everything from climate to audio to navigation, has become less obtrusive to me with continued usage on test cars, but it is still needlessly complex and forces you to look away from the road several times in order to operate it. And second, BMW and Mazda are among the very few who offer a manual shift-gate for their automatic transmission stalks but make you push the spring-loaded lever forward to downshift and pull it back to upshift. That seems counter-intuitive to me, probably to most other prospective drivers, and obviously to nearly all other manufacturers.
YouÂ’ll never read car-mag guys complain about that, because it might tarnish their self-appointed macho status. After all, race cars with sequential manual shifters shift the same direction, but with good reason, because a sudden jolt of torque can cause a driver to be pushed back, and he might involuntarily downshift when already near the redline. That would be a bad thing, I hear you say, amid the sound of grenading gearbox parts. But on the road, in the real world, that wouldn’t happen.
Normal instincts tell normal drivers to push forward to upshift, and pull back – or down, as you look at the pattern – to downshift. I enjoy driving every car imaginable, and I find that BMWs and Mazdas are the only ones in which I don’t use the manual gate. The situation can be bypassed if there are remote paddles on the steering wheel or column. Maybe it’s a little thing, but as one who truly enjoys such manual control, it could be a deal-breaker.
So which is better — the MDX or the X5? Tough question. I’ll just have to test-drive both of them more on normal roads (wink-wink).
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About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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