Ok, first the 5 series. The 530m xi. BMW had a presentation of their 4 wheel drive. I didn't attend, but the chief editor came back to the office with the car. So I took it for a quick spin that wasn't so quick. It took me 2 hours to return the car. Every time I drive a BMW I get amazed at how firm and excellent the ride is. The handling and the quality of the materials is one level above the competition. I love the 5 series. You feel like you're one class above the Merc E or the Audi A6...
And these days everyone is buying them with the M package.
The C5. Poor handling, but then again, this car wasn't men to be a racer. The V6 rumbles quietly under the bonnet. The gearboxs violently puts the car into motion whenever you put it into D or R. I mean with other cars, the car gently starts to go forward or backward. This one jumps of it's place. I didn'l like the jumpy french. The seats are comfy for long trips. The car pulls just fine, but in the end, I just didn't like it. It lacks the X factor.
The Fiat Idea. Well, if the little engine doesn't go anywhere it sure sounds like it's a racer by heart. It was a 1,4 16v and at the end of the rev range it sounded like the engine wanted to escape from underneath the bonnet. Funny actually. A car that didn't impress me with anything. Just a car. Well, the colour did fit it well :roll:
Now here's a fiat I fell in love with!!!
Nothing really stands out when you take the whole car and compare it with the other small cars. But as a whole it's just brilliant. The looks and the funky interior make it fun as hell! Seriously, I never got bored of it.
The handling is decent and in the narrow city streets really bring this car to life. Enough space for a small car like this. A 1,3 multijet diesel engine feels alive in the little thing. The acceleration is modest but in a city you don't notice it that much.... When I first got my hand's on it I didn't really like it. BUt boy was I about to change my mind. This is a small car to own. 100 %!!!
The inside is as plastic as it can get but it just didn't seem to bother me
This car I call a sheep in wolf's clothing......it looks fast but....well it can barely move from the line
The inside really surprised me. Very livley interior. The steering wheel sit's well in the driver's hand's. Very good, I must say. The sporty character is very much visible and felt on the twisty roads. I quite liked the little yellow Jazz. 1,4 l engine with 80 or so hp. Enough for sexy young mommy's driving around the city 8)
OMG, this is a car I will long remember. It's apauling ride and "handsome" looks will haunt me for all eternity
The interior styling is getting better and better but seriously guys, put some real suspension on that car. The body roll makes you feel the Citroen 2CV is it's blood brother.
The Peugeot 607. I personaly thing the styling is cool. The ride is miles better than in the C5 but I did many more km's in this car so my oppinion could be wrong. The car had a 2.7 diesel engine. Pulls nice and I to a top speed of 245 according to the speedo. Nice. I like the colour and the seats are great. A real cruiser, I really don't know why more of them weren't sold.
More of the same can be said for the Vel Satis. The amount of space is just silly. And as long as you drive normaly this car is a first class cruiser. Seriously, it glides over the rough patches of asphalt. Unbelivable. But if you wan't to go fast around a corner....well, let's just say you'll be wanting to step out an hold your head in a toilet after the first few corners. It's really not ment to go fast. I like the car very much and it deserves to be sold in higher numbers. The seats make you wan't to go to sleep even if you just woke up
really comfortable.
The XC 90. Drives like a car. Very good ride. Great quality feel and one of the few SUV's I'd own. The looks are very fresh and silver suits it very well. I don't know how this car is off road, but I've heard it's really bad. It feels much more at home in the urban areas.
The Toyota Hilux. Very good off road and imense fun on twisty gravel roads or on damp or wet asphalt. It's very tail happy and easy to control. And inside it's not as bad as I thought it would be. The engine was a diesel 102hp. It barely moves on the normal road or on the highway, but off road or on the narrow little deserted roads, it's enough.
The Toyota Avensis cravan. 150hp diesel engine. The car has a sporty character. It lays very good on the road. Better than I expected. The inside is good but soul and passion is absent like withalmost all the Toyota's. In general, I like this car. It can be driven fast, and the chasis copes well with fast driving. Suspensio does work very well.
The Mercedes R500
We got this car for a couple of days and then we had to drive it to a racing track in Coratia, where AMG had an event going on. Pics next week. Anyway, I did quite a few km's in this car. It's big, maybe too big. Goes well in a straight line. Cornering I'm not so sure about
Top speed somewhere around 240km/h. The interior feels classy and VERY well made. Merc really has picked up their game. The car is virtualy silent at high speeds. And it's an eye catcher. People were stopping in the streets and taking photos
I think it's an interesting car, but not my cup of tea. Just too big and corny.
Hope you enjoyed the report.
The cars I drove in the past month - 6
my favourite 
are they as durable as they used to be?
Linear Mode
