In any case, Paul may not have driven most of those cars but if we keep supporting him I’m sure he’ll get the chance, and he deserves it.

Until then, at least he’s man enough to admit when he made a mistake on the road, which is more than can be said for a lot of nutjobs out there…

1. nope, i was the only idiot who was cornering too fast and the car went out of control.

2. no comments, have not driven any of those models yet.

3. perhaps to a certain degree when the suv is a bmw. and i think the r in r&h is the comfort element, in my dictionary.

4. active steering does provide countersteer assistance. google it up. example link:

“Don’t confuse this with common variable-assist power steering, which merely makes the wheel feel lighter at slow speeds and firmer when going fast. The technology also links up with an electronic stability-control system for further advantage: If the car senses it’s about to skid, an electric motor can automatically apply a subtle countersteer to stabilize the car.”

http://money.cnn.com/2003/11/12/pf/autos/bestcars04_best_tech/

other links:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=active+steering+countersteer&btnG=Search

5. i agree with your comments on idrive, i wonder if theres is some way to allow easier viewing of the lcd screen. perhaps replace the twin meter panel cluster with a full lcd screen like the optional one in new mercedes benz s-class cars – then have the gps map appear on the lcd.

http://paultan.org/archives/2006/10/20/sharps-in-vehicle-dash-lcd/

but i suppose bmw tried to help with the situation with the idrive favourite buttons – your frequently accessed destinations can be programmed into one of the 10 buttons.

I like that part where you claim the change of surface made you nearly ditch the car. Usually, you will be travelling in a close convoy. Did the others experience the same situation too or did you actually press the brake pedal at the apex of the turn?

And how do you rate this new X5 with the old version, the Touareg, the Cayenne, the ML350, the Range Rover 4.2L, the Range Rover Sport or the Q7? I mean if this is your first experience with a luxury SUV (or SAV as claimed by BMW), I am sure you will be impressed with its performance. But how is the new X5 compared to the others?

Fine the X5 can out corner a Proton Waja, but in reality (at least here in Malaysia), is R&H more important than comfort (in SUV context)?

And Active Steering really doesn’t help when you oversteer the car as you do not how much input you need to countersteer. Active Steer actually blurs the input further, and often when drifting the car, you need a few laps to learn how sensitive it is at that speed. The variable ratio works in tandem with speed, not the direction of the car. Then again, the system makes sense in normal driving condition.

In the X5, you need to set your steering input early and do not shift its weight balance when executing the corner. The high CG can easily upsets it and surprise you. No matter how good it is, it is still an SUV and you have to respect that fact.

The iDrive Sat nav is basically the same as others (the digital map). I still think the GUI is complicated and you need to stop and set your destination. But then again, a computer geek might not have any problem with it.

Judging by the comments here, it shows that Malaysians will put looks at the top, price as second.

i am impressed with the Adaptive Drive system. Soon, all dampers will go magnetic.And soon, our car battery will be as big as a the engine itself as more and more electronic devices are used.

…thats why BMW made ROLLS ROYCE.

(cant imagine suspension mantainence cost! should be really-really kaya lo)

November 21, 2006 @ 11:05 pm

this is going to be very expansive….

————————-

Err…I think you meant ‘expensive’. Yeah I agree with you that its gonna cost a bomb once it arrives in Malaysia.

anyway….unlike the japs which usually only do cosmetic changes, this is a truly magnificent effort by BMW

DOUBLE WISHBONE suspension, promiss a greater handling for this vulgar machine i guess

ULTIMATE driving machine, with ultimate fuel tank.

There is just not enough leg room at the back and I am suprise if this SAV can have 3 grown up men at the back. Well, I am 5 11, and I dont think there is enough space for me at the back. unless I’ll be the one driving =)

boot space is just fantastic. Big. The engine looks okay and it should be good enough to ferry the 2tonnes worth of metal. Everything apart from the rear legroom, this BMW X5 is awesome.

Not really understand what the video is talk about but sound really interesting :p

phisto: if u get paid to write a review how can it be called a review anymore?

GOOD JOB! to BMW designers and Engineers.