OK, so the day came and went and it's time for reviews...
First the bad new: no pictures (I destroyed my camera a few months ago, and my friend brought his... with old batteries. so the camera died before we took the first picture!)
The good news... I'm going again tomorrow with my dad, so I'll make sure I get pictures!
So here goes the review...
Part 1 - The Cars
Group 1:
- Audi A6 3.2 FSI quattro (255 hp)
- BMW 528xi (230 hp)
- BMW 535xi (300 hp)
- BMW 535xi with M sports package (300 hp)
- Mercedes E350 4matic (268 hp)
Group 2:
- Audi Q7 3.6 (280 hp)
- BMW X5 3.0is (260 hp)
- BMW X3 4.8i (350 hp)
- Mercedes ML500 (302 hp)
The match-ups:
- 5er vs. A6/E-class
- X5 3.0si vs. Q7 (6-cylinder match up)
- X5 4.8i vs. ML500 (8-cylinder match up)
All had OEM tyres… and all tyres were pretty new and had a lot of threading.
Part 2 - The Presentation
Same as last time... to educate buyers on the difference between 4WD/AWD systems on the market, as well as to compare the system among the manufacturers present.
BMW boasted that theirs is superior mainly due to the 0-100/100-0 rear/front distribution capacity.
Same as last year (
click for previous review).
Part 3 - The Circuit
Same circuit as last year... the closed circuit was composed of several driving exercises testing the cars stability and driving dynamics. The whole circuit was delimited by lines and cones to show us were to go.
I] Roundabout
Objective: to test the car’s body roll.
Target speed:40 km/h
II] Steer (avoid) and brake
Objective: to test the car’s steering capabilities under breaking (ABS). The surface before and around the object to avoid was slippery. The point was to avoid the object and while turning to engage the ABS (but not to the point of stopping).
Target speed: 45 km/h (until breaking point)
III] Tight handling
Objective: to test the car’s handling dynamics (high stress on suspension), steering/dry-traction capabilities and power steering reaction. It was a hard left, hard right, hard left and finally a hard right.
Target speed: 40 km/h
IV] Loose handling
Objective: to test the car’s handling dynamics (progressive stress on suspension) and steering/dry-traction capabilities and power steering reaction. It was a hard left, easy right, easy left and finally an easy right.
Target speed: 40 km/h
V] Steer and avoid
Objective: to test the car’s steering capabilities and reaction time without breaking. We had to maintain our speed and essentially simulate avoiding a car by quickly changing lanes (to the right) and then tucking back in (to the left).
Target speed: 50 km/h
VI] Braking
Objective: to test the car’s breaking capability and stability. Once we hit a line, we had to slam on the breaks until completely stopping.
Target speed: 70 km/h (until breaking point)
Part 4 - Performance ratings
I’ll give each car a 0-5 rating (0=crap, 5=excellent) for each segment of the circuit and for general characteristics.
Group 1
__________528xi_ 535xi___ A6 _____ E350
GENERAL
Interior __ 5 ____ 5 ______ 5 ______ 4
Exterior __ 5 ____ 5 ______ 4 ______ 2.5#
Comfort __ 4.5 ____ 4.5 ___ 5 _____ 5
Handling __ 5 ____ 5 _____ 5 ______ 3.5##
Power ____ 4 ____ 5 _____ 4 ______ 4
# I'm really not a fan of the body... but that is purely subjective.
## Very loose steering & suspension... seemed built for comfort, not driving dynamics.
CIRCUIT
I] Roundabout _____ 5 ____ 5 _____ 5 _____ 3.5
II] Steer and brake _ 5 ____ 5 _____ 5 _____ 4
III] Tight handling __ 5 ____ 5 _____ 5 _____ 3.5
IV] Loose handling __ 5 ___ 5 ______ 5 _____ 4
V] Steer and avoid __ 5 ___ 5 ______ 5 _____ 4
VI] Braking ________ 5 ____ 5 ______ 5 ____ 5
Overall ___________5 ____ 5 ____ 5 ____ 4
Group 2
_______________ X5 3.0 ____ X5 4.8 _____ Q7 ___ ML500
GENERAL
Interior _________ 4.5 ____ 4.5 ____ 5 _______ 5
Exterior ________ 5 ______ 5______ 5 _______ 4
Comfort ________ 4 ______ 4 ______ 5 _______ 5
Handling _______ 4_______ 4 _______ 3 ______ 4.5
Power _________ 4.5 _____ 4* _____ 3 _______ 5
* Yes, I rated the 4.8 below the 3.0... simply because the 4.8i is too powerful (read explanation below).
_______________ X5 ______ Q7 ___ ML500
CIRCUIT
I] Roundabout ______ 4 ____ 3 ____ 4
II] Steer and brake _ 4 ____ 3.5 _____ 4.5
III] Tight handling __ 4 ____ 3 _____ 4.5
IV] Loose handling __ 4 ____ 3 _____ 4.5
V] Steer and avoid __ 5 ____ 4 _____ 5
VI] Braking ________ 5 ____ 5 _____ 5
Overall____________ 4.5 ___ 3.5 ____ 5
Part 5 - The Verdict
GROUP 1
528xi
Excellent performance and handling. The 230 hp are more than enough for everyday driving. I can only imagine the European 530xi version with 272 hp being an even better car. You can't go wrong with this choice.
535xi
Same as above, with a little extra spice. The 3.0 TT engine is simply marvellous... I mean a real charm. Low-end torque and throttle response is phenomenal. I think this is the ideal engine for the 5er, more than plenty to have some fun... then again, I've never driven the 550i!
E350
I would have to say the disappointment of the day. The car feels very boaty (soft floating suspension) and offered very little in terms of driving dynamics. To put it in a nutshell, the E350 is a pure luxury sedan, great for a stroll around the city and in my mind can not be referred to as a
sport luxury sedan. Plus it broke down after 10 laps or so (and this was only the 2nd Montreal session (of 8), and Montreal is only the 2nd stop on the tour). To sum it up... a disappointment.
A6
A great performer as well... it is pretty much on par with the 528xi on all accounts. Very comfortable and great dynamics. Of the group, only the 535xi was superior, mainly due to its engine.
GROUP 2
X5 3.0si
Good performance and dynamics. Very comfortable car with great ergonomics. Not many complaints in terms of what you want from a non-off-road SUV.
X5 4.8i
Same as the 3.0... only scary due to the engine. The first impression of the engine was an audible joy of symphony. Great acoustics... but it stops there. The 4.8 is simply too powerful for that body type!
Let me elaborate: the E53 4.8is had pretty much the same power... only the car was seriously lowered (and stiffened) and although I've never driven it, I'm sure that made the power manageable. Now imagine dropping that engine to a standard body X5 with a much higher centre of gravity. It made the car a little scary to drive, at least on the track we tested on.
In terms of the engine itself, it was great. The power and torque were great, but it made little sense to be used in a truck.
Mercedes ML500
After driving the E350, I was expecting the ML to be the boat of the bunch but it was just the opposite. Great dynamics for a truck, possibly even a bit better than the X5. It felt the least truck-like of the bunch.
Plus the power was more suited for a SUV. Therefore I imagine that based on the ML and my dad's 4.4i E53, a rating of ~300-315 hp is the ideal for an SUV the size of the ML/X5... IMO of course.
My only complaint about it is the rear aesthetics of the car.
Audi Q7
As much as I wanted the Q7 to rock... it was a let down. I loved the look and the interior cockpit was great (like the A6), probably even the best... but to sum it up, it's a big ass boat!
The 3.6, although delivering a healthy 280 hp felt like it wasn't moving. The truck felt heavy and it had the most body roll of the bunch.
Not made for intense driving.... probably great for soccer moms though.
Part 6 - Final Thoughts
The goodThe bad
- Boaty Q7
- Boaty E350
- Scary 4.8i
The ugly
The end.... for now.
Pictures to come tomorrow.
