Practice, patience perfect BMW M5’s sequential shifter
Automotive journalists drive vehicles, evaluate the pertinent data, and distill it into a valid opinions. Usually, we can make it stick by backing up our opinions with examples, if not hard evidence. But in the case of my recent review of the BMW M6, much as I enjoyed the car, I was flat wrong about one fairly harsh criticism. Many other reviewers I know made the same accusation, which offers me scarce satisfaction, because weÂ’ve perpetrated an error.
Me? IÂ’ve seen the light. Thanks to a week with the superb new 2007 BMW M5, which is possibly the quintessential high-performance sports sedan in the world. There are others, and some of them great competitors, but the M5 is right up there at the top.
First of all, critics of the 5-Series styling are hung up on the almost-cliched grumbles about the 7-Series, which were accurate grumbles, ranging from style to the needlessly complex “iDrive†control knob, although the styling curiosities have mostly been smoothed out sufficiently by now. The 5 corrected virtually all the disagreeable lines and even though it had some unusual contours and curves, I found it vastly more appealing. Same with the 3-Series, which followed. It’s better still, in my opinion.
But the 5 undergoes some significant tweaks to become the M5. Much more rigid, firmer suspension, little extra air-dams and a pair of dual exhausts tip off the exterior. New instrumentation and seats and trim alter the interior. But the key change is in the drivetrain – a 5-liter V10, which comes with more horsepower than anyone could use without drawing the attention of lawmen.
The actual count is 400, unless you push the little “power†button, in which case you get 500 horsepower. All of them set to gallop by a 7-speed automatic transmission that really isn’t just an automatic, but a sequential manual gearbox that wants to be manually shifted. If the gearbox sounds like it’s out of a Formul;a 1 racing production bin, so is the engine, if not the fantastic brakes, and suspension parts.
The M5 has the same drivetrain as the M6, which is a fabulous car, but with which I found fault because of the sequential manual gearbox (SMG). I noted that when I had the chance to drive the M6 hard, through the rolling hills around Elkhart Lake, Wis., and on the Road America road-racing track there, that the shifting was not at all satisfying,. I compared it to the smoother-shifting Mercedes, and the astoundingly quick-shifting Audi auto-manuals.
WeÂ’re talking here about automatic transmissions that can be shifted manually, without a clutch, by not only having a sport shift-gate to put the gear stalk into, but remote paddles on the steering wheel, which the driver can upshift of downshift at a touch without taking either hand of the wheel.
When driving the M6, and the superb Z4 M Coupe, I noted to a BMW press-fleet director that I had never driven the M5. Presto, within two weeks, a glistening blue M5 sedan appeared at my door. The sedanÂ’s inherent heft makes it less exotic than the sleek M6 Coupe, but together, they cover the market about as well as any cars costing from $81,000 to $95,000 could. The M5 starts at $81,895 and rises as the options mount. Obviously, this is not a car for ordinary buyers and drivers.
As I prepared to begin a week of test-driving of the car, I thought it over. BMW doesnÂ’t make many technical mistakes. Driven by an unyielding determination to enhance a driverÂ’s experience, not to intrude in it or obscure it, the company came up with a fantastic active steering system. Some magazine types criticized it, and a few still do, even though a direct comparison of the same car without active steering proves immediately the benefits of the system. It quickens the steering response as you go faster, or if you swerve dramatically. It is amazing how the system can virtually eliminate the corrections needed for similar swerves without it.
With that in mind, I reasoned that I would give BMW the benefit of the doubt with the SMG also, and assume that the difficulty and awkwardness I experienced in shifting the sequential manual gearbox could have been driver related, more than engineering related. Instead of starting out with a chip on my shoulder, I decided to try to adapt my driving to the car. Previously, I had driven hard, flipped the upshift switch and was frustrated with what seemed a 2-3 second delay before the shifter engaged the next gear. I had tried letting off slightly, letting off abruptly, and not letting off at all, but the delay was present no matter what I did.
Approaching the M5 with my new and revised attitude, I started up that wonderful-sounding V10 and shifted into the sport mode. I decided that rather than simulating a stick shift, I would shift it as though it were a stick shift car. With a manual transmission, you start up, then you let off the gas as you step on the clutch, shifting by hand at the same moment, or thereabouts, and then smoothly letting off the clutch as you gradually step on the gas.
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So I did that with the M5. I started up and accelerated a fair amount, then I let off what I imagined would be just about the right time span to declutch and reclutch, and as I let off the gas, I flipped the right-hand paddle – the one with the plus sign on it – then I stepped smoothly on the gas again. When I did that, I found that the car had smoothly moved up a gear. After about three or four shifts, I found that my rhythm was just right, and I could upshift with accurate control, or downshift, for that matter.
At that point, where my instincts tuned in to what the car wanted, needed, and demanded, shifting the SMG was entertaining and fun. Once I felt comfortable with it, I could then work on quickening my exchanges. Sure enough, letting off the gas quickly, as I snapped it up a gear, and stepping on it more quickly again, brought me quicker response and more fun.
As a seven-speed, you are pretty sure of always being in a proper ratio, and you rarely need to rev the V10 up over 7,000 RPMs It will rocket from 0-60 in less than 5 seconds, but its exceptional brakes will also haul it down from 100 kilometers per hour to 0 in 2.6 seconds. With Electronic Driver Control, the driver can choose whether comfort, cruising or performance firmness is the objective. Active steering also contributes to the precision driving experience.
The iDrive is still there, but you can use voice commands to override it. Besides, such technical nitpicks shouldnÂ’t even enter the discussion of a car with such exhilarating performance.
Now, most sane folks would be more than happy driving a 530, which is the same sedan without the external tweaks, and with lessened – but still outstanding – brakes, suspension and power, with a 3-liter 6 instead of the 500-horsepower V10.
Then again, some uncompromising car-buyers want the utmost in potential power, handling, and overall performance. For those buyers, there are not many choices. The Mercedes AMG sedans do the job, and so do the Audis, from the S4 or S6 to the RS 4. They have gotten as good as they are mainly because they are attempting to keep up with the BMW M5.
And now there is an entirely new M5. And it is so good, drivers will have to concentrate on living up to the potential that the M5 offers.
New Santa Fe takes giant step for Hyundai design
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. — The 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe offers a giant styling step forward for the Korean automaker. Styling is a superficial way to judge a vehicle, and what is contained within all that stylish flair is more important, but style is just about the only place where the Santa FeÂ’s predecessor could be faulted.
The current Hyundai Santa Fe was a big sales success, and carved the Korean automaker an effective niche in the SUV world. But to me, it also described the shortcomings of the Korean car industry, primarily that its efficient, well-built bargains with strong durability were often lacking in styling logic and in refinement, that elusive and subjective quality.
Hyundai has upgraded all its vehicles, and while striving for excellence it has attained a top three initial quality rating from JD Power pollsters in every segment, except for the Santa Fe. The new model almost certainly assured Hyundai of running the table.
I donÂ’t mean to impugn the current Santa Fe owners. The vehicles took on an ever-improving look as time passed, and more and more of them appeared. But I didnÂ’t like the gratuitous fin-like humps on the front fenders, and the little contours and swoops that were added just to be added. To me, again, the Santa FeÂ’s styling shortcomings were amplified when the smaller Tucson came out, completely clean and sleek in style.
So now it’s the Santa Fe’s turn. Hyundai introduced the vehicle to the media in Santa Barbara, but denied it is planning a new model called the “Santa Barbara†which will be introduced in Santa Fe. After all, Hyundai also introduced the Tucson in Portland, but it never followed up with a “Portland†it could introduce in Tucson. But it’s a dry heat.
While reinventing its models from the smallest compact, up through the superb midsize Sonata, and the superlative full-size Azera, Hyundai has been worthy of credit for exceptional style, and for going well beyond the lure of the corporate 10-year, 100,000-mile warrantyÂ’s promise. While that powertrain warranty did much to raise the companyÂ’s standard since 1998, it is reinforced by HyundaiÂ’s claim that its warranty costs have dropped 50 percent in the last three years.
The midsize crossover SUV market is crowded with outstanding competitors, and Hyundai engineers benchmarked some of the best of them, such as the Toyota Highlander and RAV4, Honda Pilot, and domestics such as the Chevrolet Equinox and Ford Explorer and Escape.
Hyundai wanted to shoot high for Santa Fe development, so it also closely examined upscale models, such as the Lexus RX330, Acura MDX, Volvo XC90. It also mentioned comparisons with the newest and sportiest Acura RDX and Mazda CX-7, although such claims of sporty similarity with that pair might be more fanciful than accurate.
But the target of fulfilling the handling capabilities of a good midsize sedan, while also providing the interior room and flexibility for three rows of occupants, clearly is met by the new Santa Fe, which is 7 inches longer, 1 inch wider, 2 inches taller and with a track stance 2.9 inches wider when compared to the current vehicle.
The styling, however, remains the most compelling improvement to me. Built on an entirely new platform, and not on the new Sonata platform, the Santa Fe front end has a distinct grille opening, with very slick glass-encased headlights, with an outer lens that curves around the front corners of the car.
The side slopes gracefully from a “Z†shape at the front wheelwell on an upward sweep to the rear, without any of those humps, bulges and needless contours that marred the preceding model. The taillights are horizontal slashes that fit the scooped rear window. As the first venture from Hyundai’s new California design studio, the exterior styling is worth five stars, or an “A,†whatever tops your grading system.
Hyundai is also improving on its engine building. After years of making good copies of Mitsubishi engines, Hyundai has now stepped forward to advance its own engine creativity. When DaimlerChrysler brought out its 2007 Dodge Caliber, it entered a joint agreement with Mitsubishi and Hyundai on a new, world-class 4-cylinder engine project. The result, being built by Chrysler in Michigan, was actually designed by Hyundai, after a major revision when its first attempt was discarded.
That engine is not present in the Santa Fe, but two new engines are loaded with the latest technology, including variable valve-timing. Both the base 2.7 and upgraded 3.3 V6 engines match the previous displacement, but Hyundai officials insist both are entirely new. The 2.7 buyers can choose between a 5-speed stick or an optional 4-speed automatic, while the 3.3 selection gives you a 5-speed Shiftronic automatic, with a Borg-Warner electronic all-wheel-drive system that can lock in 50-50 front and rear torque.
For power, we won’t quibble, and fuel economy estimates are improved for both engines. The new 2.7 “Mu†engine has 185 horsepower (an increase of 15) and 183 foot-pounds of torque, with improved fuel economy estimates of 21 city/26 highway. The 3.3 “Lambda†engine has 242 horsepower and 226 foot-pounds of torque, an increase of 42 horsepower over the current engine, plus EPA fuel estimates of 19 city and 24 highway.
The new platform and body combine for a stiff shell that, overall, is 50 percent stiffer than the current Santa Fe, and, Hyundai claims, 59 percent stiffer than ToyotaÂ’s Highlander. McPherson strut front suspension with independent rear multilink handles the Santa Fe well, and all four corners get coil springs and gas-charged dampers.
Inside, blue backlighting of the instruments is impressive, and carries over to color-coding of the cupholders, and seatbelt buckles. Other interior surfaces are tastefully two-toned in either grey or beige.
Compared to the current model, the new Santa Fe is longer and taller, and it has such features as more third-row headroom than a Lexus RX even though itÂ’s 2.1 inches shorter overall. That fold-down third row seat also has better legroom than the Highlander, MDX, or XC90. The second seat tumbles forward and out of the way at a touch, for easy access to the third row, as well.
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John Kravcik, HyundaiÂ’s vice president for product development, makes a strong case for his companyÂ’s objectives. Among them is the safety of side airbags, but an even bigger emphasis is on stability control. Kravcik cited insurance industry findings that 34 percent of fatalities could be prevented by stability control systems, which can prevent loss of control and rollovers. ThatÂ’s 10,000 lives per year.
“Our Tucson was the first, and for 2006, 53 percent of our vehicles have stability control,†Kravcik said. “For 2007, with the Santa Fe introduction, 73 percent of Hyundais will have stability control.†For a not-too-subtle comparison, Kravcik produced a chart that shows competitor stability-control percentages as Honda’s 45, Volvo’s 35, and 20 percent for Toyota and General Motors.
On the Santa Fe, such attention to safety is underscored by standard 4-wheel disc brakes, with 4-channel and 4-sensor antilock and electronic brake distribution.
Perhaps most amazing is that with all the upgrades, the new Santa Fe has lowered prices at every model. The GLS starts at $21,595 with the 2.7 and front-wheel drive, the sportier SE starts at $24,295, and the top Limited model opens at $26,595 including leather and other premium interior touches.
Built in Hyundai’s Alabama plant – where 50 percent of all U.S.-sold Hyundais will be built by the end of 2006 – the new Santa Fe has projections for 90,000 sales in its first year. Forty percent of them, Kravcik said, will be all-wheel drive, with the other 60 percent front-wheel drive.
Driving hard in the front-wheel-drive Limited model, my co-driver and I agreed that the Santa Fe looked good, and felt pretty good, but we didnÂ’t think the handling was as precise and refined as we had anticipated. Later we drove an all-wheel-drive version and thought it was better, but felt tail-heavy, almost as if the same vehicle suddenly was given a heftier rear axle with more weight but no alteration. Another tandem of journalists gushed praise about the handling to Hyundai officials during a lunch stop conversation, and I countered by saying we found the opposite to be true.
However, on the return trip, in a different Limited with front-wheel drive, we both thought the handling was much more crisp, much more precise, and more impressive. Later, I found the lunch-table associate and he said they drove back in the Santa Fe we had driven up, and he agreed the handling was not as precise. So we determined that it might be something as simple as less air pressure in the front tires, or a lack of consistency in different production vehicles at the introduction.
Regardless, step back and look at the new Santa Fe, and you can appreciate the giant step forward it represents for Hyundai. If all thatÂ’s lacking now is a tiny, final tweak of refinement, the new Santa Fe is a lot closer to bargain perfection than most of its competitors.
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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