Mini Me

Last year I drove a Mercedes GL450 from eCarOne for about a week.   That particular week, the GL came in very handy because it was my daughter’s birthday and it was nice to be able to load all the kiddos into one car and haul off to the circus.  I recall writing a very favorite review on the GL and till this day, it remains one of my favorite large SUVs.

Last week (almost exactly a year from driving the GL), I had the chance to drive a 2013 Mercedes GLK250 Bluetec from eCarOne.  At first, I was a bit hesitant to take the little SUV because with all honesty, I never really believed in small SUVs.  I’ve always had a “go big or go home” mentality and to me, a small SUV is almost an oxymoron; sort of like brown tuxedo shoes or a wool swim suit.  I mean what’s the point of giving up handling, acceleration, and sportiness for the sake of just having a little more trunk space and really no more added comfort or seating capacity? 

What’s the point?  Well, after driving the GLK for a week and really putting it to good use, I now get the point.  And the point is that you don’t have to sacrifice performance and comfort in order to get much more cargo capacity than say a comparably priced sports sedan (a.k.a. Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3-Series or Audi A4).  Hold on… Am I really comparing the performance of the legendary BMW sedan to that of a compact SUV?  The answer is no.  Rather, I’m saying that if you want a car that provides you an overall excellent driving experience while giving you tons of cargo space, then you can’t go wrong with the little GLK. 

From the outside, the GLK looks small when compared to the average SUV you see on the road today.  In fact, it’s not any longer or wider than a mid-sized sports sedan like an E-Class or 5-Series.  Once you get in the driver’s seat, the overall feel is still the same… you’re in an E-Class and it’s not till you look over your shoulder and see the cavernous rear cargo room that you realize this car is very deceiving!  The rear seat is again not much larger than that of an E-Class but as far as cargo space is concerned, the GLK is phenomenal.  Let me give you real world support to my favoritism…  I had the GLK during a week where I was doing some redecorating at home and accordingly I used it for trips to pick up various items.  I specifically recall one trip where I had two 12x8’ rugs (rolled), several boxes from The Container Store, several large bags of household items, and a full load of groceries.  All I had to do is fold the back seats down and everything fit with no issue… I probably had room for more!  In my opinion, that’s all you should ever try to fit inside the cabin of a vehicle… any more and you should have a truck.

In terms or practical everyday use, the GLK is a winner as expected.  What I did not expect is that the GLK is really a joy to drive.  I was expecting it to drive like… well, like an SUV.  However, this car rides and drives much more like a sports sedan.  In my opinion, it drives much like an E-Class or a C-Class… the steering is very accurate, the suspension is tight and responsive, and it accelerates very well for a car of this size.  There were many times where I had to remind myself that I’m driving an SUV, not a sports sedan.  And I’m someone who is very familiar with sporty driving!  I’ve been driving sports cars and performance sedans for years and I truly feel that the GLK deserves special notice for being a truly outstanding on-road vehicle.  I did not get a chance to test its off-road capabilities, but I think we all know that off-roading is not the purpose this car was built for.  All in all, I thing the GLK is a winner in terms of providing ample cargo room, passenger room, and overall driving enjoyment.

The only quam I have is the diesel!  I live in Texas and had a difficult time finding a gas station that sells diesel.  In terms of performance, I think this diesel powered GLK was excellent (power, torque, and economy) but unless you have plenty of stations around your area that sell diesel, I’d consider the gasoline version.  In either case, you can’t lose.

Till next time, thank you for reading.

An SUV Fit for a King

My first car in high school was a 1986 Chevy Spectrum that was handed down to me from my mom.  It was maroon with black plastic bumpers, maroon cloth interior (dash, carpet, steering wheel, and all), and sported a little 4 banger making about 80 bHP.  My favorite part about that car was that it was a manual transmission… but that’s all!  Oh, and did I mention it didn't have power steering, ABS, power windows or even a radio!  I was lucky enough that it had a seat belt.

I am fortunate that I've come a long way since my first car nearly 24 years ago.  I just turned 40 this weekend and have been blessed in many ways; from beautiful healthy children to a great career that affords me the opportunity to do things I enjoy.  I’m also blessed with great friends…. that afford me the opportunity to kick the tires of some really kick-ass cars!  For example, last week the guys at eCarOne gave me access to a car that I have always wanted to drive but never really thought about owning.  For a full week, I had the chance to daily drive a 2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE.  This car had it all… it was finished in a beautiful combination of metallic black exterior with ivory interior, had the luxury package, rear DVD, and a bunch of other bells and whistles that no Range Rover would be complete without.

The reason I say that I have always wanted to drive it but never thought about owning it is in itself a statement that needs some further elaboration.  You see, to me and perhaps to many others, a Land Rover is not exactly a value proposition.  In general, late model Land Rovers (Range Rover and other models) are expensive relative to their competitors (Mercedes, BMW, Lexus) and in terms of value, they do not offer all the luxury appointments for the same price point.  You may say “So what, who cares about value… it’s a Land Rover.”  Your statement would be correct, but remember this is an SUV we’re talking about.  In the SUV segment, most buyers are seeking good value.  This is not a sports car or a weekend toy… it’s a Utility vehicle and oftentimes value is high on the priority list for SUV buyers.

With that said…. The whole value proposition changes when you look at slightly used Range Rovers.  In just three years, this car has depreciated about 50% of its original purchase price.  As eCarOne is offering this car at about $50k, now it makes much more sense to buy it if you are looking for value.

On the other hand, if you drive this car, you will not be thinking about value while you’re smiling from ear to ear at how this car makes you feel while you’re behind the wheel.  I absolutely loved driving this car.  This really is no comparison to any other driving experience.  I can say that with all due honesty because I truly do not place value high on my priority list when it comes to cars.  I would much rather enjoy my car in every way than worry about resale value or bang for the buck.  A car to me is not an investment… it’s a cost and for me it’s an important part of my day and of my overall life experience.  Hence, I don’t seek value when I’m purchasing a car as I do when I’m evaluating a possible financial investment.

Case in point, I purchased a 2014 Maserati new just five months ago.  Now, less than 4,000 miles later that car is probably worth $15k less than I paid for it.  Many folks out there would call me crazy… so be it but is it crazy to spend $100 on a bottle of wine or $200 on dinner or $500 on a pair of Lakers tickets?  How long do any of those experiences last?  To each his own, right?

Now, let’s get back to the Range Rover.  I already briefly stated that I loved it, but let me elaborate.  In comparison to my Maserati Ghibli, the Range Rover Sport does not offer the most bang for your buck when compared to its competitors.  For what I paid for the Ghibli, I could have purchased a much more powerful AMG E63, a BMW M5, or even a Porsche Panamera 4S.  However, none of those cars would have given me the overall experience of owning and driving an Italian luxury sports sedan with such a rich history linked to none other than Ferrari.  By the same token, the Range Rover is a great car for the same money, you could buy a fully optioned out BMW X5 5.0 that is much faster, has more bells and whistles and much for suited for daily street driving than the Rover.  However, you would not be driving a piece of history and an iconic off road vehicle.  Land Rover only makes SUVs and makes them better than anyone else out there.  Land Rovers are internationally recognized as the crème de la crème of SUVs; at home in the African jungle as well as escorting European royalty to the most prestigious events.

I’m not going to go into much detail about this car.  I don’t need to.  If you want value and bang for your buck, then you can’t go wrong with a Lexus GX460 but if you want the pure enjoyment of driving an SUV that makes you feel like royalty, then take this car for a test drive and you’ll understand what I mean.

Thanks for reading and happy driving.

Blu-Ray in the car, coming soon to a dealer near you

I love movies and I am a huge fan of high definition. When Blu-ray won the battle against HD format, I was ecstatic. My wife could not see the difference in picture quality. Are you kidding me! The difference is huge. HD resolution is 1280x720 vs. 1920x1080. That’s 921,600 pixels vs. 2,073,600. More than double the pixels.

For those of you who are not familiar with the term. The resolution of a television is the number of pixels in each dimension that the television can display. The higher the resolution is, the better the picture quality. But I am not here to talk about Blu-ray or resolutions. My problem is when I decided to install an entertainment system in my 2009 Cadillac Escalade a few years ago; I could not find an in-car Blu-ray player. They didn’t exist.

I did some research, and supposedly manufacturers were unable to make a 10-inch screen that shows high-definition. Blu-ray came in 2002; this technology was 10 years old and they still could not make a 10-inch Full HD 1080p screen.

I love buying movies. I have a 60” at home. So I buy Blu-ray. Now I have to buy the Blu-ray and the DVD version for the car. I know I can buy the combo pack that comes with both. But that’s not a solution.  Blu-ray took over few years ago and it is growing. DVD will be obsolete soon.

You can argue and say for screens smaller than 40”, 720p is more than enough.  That is correct. As a matter of fact, 1080p resolution is worth it only for 40”-60”. Your eye will not be able to tell difference at a distance. But at this point I’m not worried about picture quality. Just offer me something that plays my Blu-ray discs in my car.

Apparently, Panasonic unveiled the first Blu-ray Player in 2007 Tokyo Motor show. And in 2009 they said they are getting ready to launch it. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi is getting ready to offer there version as well. Still nothing heard from both companies. Until finally in 2011 Engadget reported that “Audiovox shows off the industry’s first in-car Blu-ray player, the AVDBR11” with an MSRP of $349.99. That is the only in-car Blu-ray player I could find.

You know the disappointing part is that, till today, not even a single Car manufacturer offers it; I guess there isn’t a true demand for it because I’m sure they would love to make the extra money. Or maybe DVD is good enough.

And Blu-ray is not stopping at 1080p resolution. The new 4k Ultra HD resolution is the next generation Blu-ray. That will be my next year resolution: 3840x2160. That’s over 8 million pixels.

I will leave it up to you to decide whether DVD is enough or not. But one thing for sure, Blu-ray is the future.

I Stand Corrected

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the Mercedes GL450 being the ultimate SUV and specifically I sort of bashed Japanese SUVs as being soft and not fun to drive. Well, I stand corrected.

I've mentioned in the past that my wife does not particularly care for German cars, maybe because her Polish grandfather was in the WWII concentration camp or maybe that she is very practical and cannot justify the price tag. In either case, I need to purchase an SUV with three rows and rather than go with a GL450 and try to convince my wife, I thought perhaps I should drive something that she'd be happy with and see if I like it too. As such, I asked the guys at eCarOne to give me a late model Japanese SUV. They gave me a 2011 Acura MDX with Technology Package. The car only had 11,000 miles and it was immaculate.

My first thought was there is no way this has three rows because it looks and feels so compact. However, as I got in the car and open all the doors and trunk, I realized this car is anything but compact. I don't know how Acura did it but they really used the space well. They kept the outside very sporty and manageable and yet they got a lot of space out of the cabin. If you pay attention to the outside of the MDX, you'll notice that the wheels are pushed all the way out to the front, back and side and this achieves two things: 1) It reduces overhangs and give the car a sporty look; and 2) It increases wheelbase and gives the car more room and a more compliant ride. This made it possible for Acura to fit three comfortable rows in this SUV in a way that allows someone who's used to driving small cars to feel very confident and comfortable driving this larger 7-passenger vehicle. Coming from a 2010 CR-V, my wife felt right at home with the MDX and this makes my life easier because I can get the SUV that she wants and at the same time it's something I too enjoy driving.

About the driving experience.... well, in a nutshell, I was pleasantly surprised by the MDX. I have to say it's the first SUV that I actually looked forward to driving. The car is a joy to drive and be in from many different aspects. The interior is luxurious in many ways, from the beautiful wood trim that wraps around you to the polished metal accents to the feel of all the controls, to the placement of everything you need. The sound system is excellent, the driving position is very comfortable and commanding, and last but not least the ride and handling are top notch. I was really surprised by this SUV and I'm rarely pleasantly surprised!

Even the braking and handling are great. Case in point, I was heading to an appointment and was traveling on the highway at about 75mph when the car in front of me suddenly stopped because he missed his exit, and I was not sure the MDX could handle an emergency lane change at this speed but I had no choice. Well, it handled it without any issues and at that point I realized that you don't have to have German engineering to have excellent handling. I truly think it's one of the best SUVs out there.

And now let's get down to brass tax.... How much? Well, this car is priced at about $38,000 and it's brand new for about $46,000. What else can you get (new or used) for that price? Well, you could get the ML450 with much higher miles or you could also get a BMW X5 with higher miles. Both would be great cars to own but I still think the MDX would be the better choice... at least for me because my wife would be the primary driver and in my opinion the MDX is much easier to drive than either the Benz or the Bimmer. Not to mention, it gets much better gas mileage.

Bottom line; the MDX is a car that I would feel completely comfortable placing my wife and kids in. If you're in the market for an SUV, I highly suggest you take a look at this one or any other MDX that eCarOne carries.

As always, good luck and happy driving.

The Ultimate SUV

Four pre-teen girls, a 2-year-old boy, a very pregnant woman, a man who just got home from the office and a 2010 Mercedes GL450…. This is not the beginning of a joke and there is no punch line.  This was a brief description of last Tuesday night as I got home from work and buckled everyone into the GL450 to head for a 45 minute ride to the circus.  And I gotta say… the GL was a champ!

We decided to take our daughter and her three friends along with our young one to the circus.  We had 7 passengers with one of them riding in a car seat.  I didn’t think we could all fit in one car but the GL450 not only fit, it was quite comfortable and it got us there in style.

We currently own a small SUV that is comfortable enough for four but we are considering something bigger as the kids get older and the GL is at the top of my list.  Needless to say, this test drive from eCarOne was not only fun but also very helpful for me.  Other cars I am considering include the Toyota Highland Limited, the Acura MDX, and the new Infiniti JX35.  All those are great cars and I’m not going to compare in this post, but rather I want to talk about my impression of the GL450.

I picked up the GL from eCarOne about a week ago and I was a little concerned about the size of this vehicle, but my concern disappeared when I started to drive it.  Although this is one of the largest “mid-size” SUVs on the road, it did not feel that way at all.  I’ve driven a Range Rover and an Escalade and those cars feel like large SUVs.  They are generally sluggish and too soft for my taste.  However, the big Benz felt relatively nimble, well planted and very powerful.  .

Aside for the great driving dynamics, this GL450 had a lot of luxuries you’d expect from Mercedes.  I loved the dual sunroofs, the power trunk, the power folding third row seats, and the super comfortable leather seats with memory.  Again these items are expected, but nonetheless they are nice to have.   Another welcomed surprise was the sound system.  This car was not optioned with anything spectacular but the standard sound system was way beyond standard.

As for dislikes, there were one or two.  In particular, I didn’t like the fuel consumption.  During my week-long partnership with the GL, I noted roughly 14-14.5 MPG during mixed city/highway driving.  I think this is a bit below other comparable SUVs.  Another dislike was the blind spot.  However, this car was not optioned with the blind spot detection and I’m sure this would come in handy.

All in all, I truly am impressed with the GL450.  For what eCarOne is asking for this car, I can’t see a better choice.  I am sold on this car and I may actually end up owning it very soon.

Thanks for reading and happy driving.

The Crossover

Exactly one year ago, I visited my long time friend who lives in the Black Forest of Germany, bordering France and Switzerland.  He has owned a BMW ever since I met him in 1990.  I’m not sure if living in this region inspired him to get a Bimmer or having a Bimmer inspired him to seek a challenging drive.  In either case, putting a BMW on the road in this beautiful mountainous area is always a recipe for an exhilarating driving experience.

The last time I had seen him was in 1999 and he had a 1996 BMW 3-series station wagon with a 6-speed manual transmission.  It was winter and I remember the two of us driving down the mountains from his house to go visit some of his friends in France.  The sides of the mountains were covered in snow and the roads were slick to say the least.  Of course I was nervous, but we made the two hour drive with no incidents.  It was a drive I’d always remember... for the way the Bimmer performed.  It was then that I gained a new respect for BMW.  Prior to that, I had a 1995 M3 and I knew it was a rocket on the street but riding in the 3-series on slick winding roads without any issues made me respect the brand even more.

This time, my friend picked me up at the airport in a 2009 650i and before you wonder, yes we took it on the Autobahn.  And yes we opened it up.  And yes it was awesome!  I was truly impressed, but then we got to his house and he had something even more impressive… a 2010 BMW X5 fitted with the M-Sport Package.  The X5 ended up being the car we took out daily during my week long stay.  I can go on for hours about how much this car impressed me.  The bottom line is that I had never been in an SUV that handled that way.  We took a two hour trip to Zurich through damp, winding, mountain roads at decent speeds and the big SUV ate up the road like a well-tuned sports car.  I was amazed at how this huge two ton “grocery getter” took care of every turn, incline, and decline with ease.  I was once again sold on BMW.  The only issue I had was that the X5 is big and not as sporty looking as I would like.  I always thought that if I could take the X5 and mate it with a 6-series, I’d have a nice looking sleek vehicle with very good utility.

Well, last week my wish came true… enter the BMW X6.  The guys at eCarOne gave me a 2009 BMW X6 35is to drive for a week.

We all know about the huge surge in the SUV market segment in the last 10 years or so but the X6 belongs in a slightly different market segment known as the Crossover, which is built on a car platform but combines various SUV features.  Some sources claim the term crossover began as a marketing term simply to entice young buyers who needed more cargo capacity but did not want to buy a minivan or SUV.  The idea of a crossover is to combine some SUV features such as light off-road capabilities, large cargo capacity, and good ground clearance with the features of a sports car such as sleek lines, good road manners and a sporty ride.

Today the crossover market segment spans a wide range of vehicles and lacks strict definition.  In fact, I think that some manufacturers have marketed vehicles as crossovers simply to avoid calling them station wagons.  Additionally, many vehicles represented as crossovers are really just SUVs but some are truly unique and can actually be called crossovers or sports activity vehicles.  In my opinion, there are two vehicles that have prioritized sportiness over utility and truly define what a crossover should be… those are the Infiniti FX and the BMW X6.

So, what is it about the X6 that makes it unique?  Well, for starters, it has four doors but only four seats… the back seat is split by a console much like a sports coupe like the 6-series.  This was the first big surprise, but I guess this feature further amplifies the uniqueness of this car.  What else?  Well, the design is truly different… we already deemed it a crossover, but unlike the Infiniti FX, the X6 does not have a typical SUV type rear tailgate.  It is actually a hatch that has a very coupe-like slope and hence it looks completely different from an SUV.  If this car was three inches lower and had lower profile tires, you could easily mistake it for a four door coupe (i.e. Audi A7, Porsche Panamera, Mercedes CLS).  That makes the X6 different from any other car on the road, in my opinion at least.

How about the driving experience?  I’m sure you can guess that I liked it because it’s a BMW and I have yet to dislike a Bimmer!  That is true, but it’s more than just the driving experience.  I expect to be impressed when I get into a 3-series or a 5-series, especially when equipped with the sports package.  However, I don’t expect any more from an SUV or a Crossover than to haul my kids to their soccer games, accompany me to the grocery store, and occasionally pull my jet ski to the lake.  This is all I expect from this market segment, but this is not all that BMW delivers.

The X5 in Germany was a 3.0 non-turbo V6 equipped with massive 315 tires in the rear, so no matter what we did, we could never lose traction.  Simply put, the tires were way more than this car needed.  On the other hand, the X6 has the same engine but with twin turbochargers so it has another 80 HP on tap and much more torque, yet it had much smaller tires.  In actuality, the engine/tire combo on the X6 is a proper setup, whereas the X5 in Germany was overkill.

In any case, I did not expect the X6 to handle like the X5 M-Sport in Germany.  I was wrong.  Despite the more powerful engine and the smaller tires, the X6 felt just as planted and sure footed as any other BMW I’ve been in.  What’s more impressive was the twin turbo 3 Liter V6 engine.  I’ve driven this engine in a 3-series coupe, a 5-series sedan and now in an X6 crossover.  I’ve driven it mated to a 6-speed manual, to a paddle shift automatic and a conventional automatic.  All I can say is that it is simply a masterpiece of an engine.  The torque is always available, and it pulls with no drama and no hesitation.  This has to be one of the best engines that BMW has produced to date.  Inside the car, the cabin was whisper quiet and rattle free (with 40,000 miles on the odometer).  I truly had no complaints about this car, except for the 2+2 seating configuration.

Although I’m not completely sold on the back seat having room for only two, I’m completely sold on the overall looks, performance and quality of the X6.  I have a large family, so it’s probably not for me but if you’re in the market for a sharp looking alternative to the prototypical SUV, then I urge you to consider the BMW X6, especially with the 3.0L twin turbo engine.  You won’t be disappointed.

Thanks for reading and happy driving.