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.

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.