Tests and Features

Test Drives2013 BMW 335i xDrive: BMW's All-Around MVP4.5/5
For two decades the standard-bearer of the BMW brand has been the 3 Series, a versatile model available in coupe, sedan, convertible, and even wagon body styles. The German marque has also thrown nearly every conceivable drivetrain at this entry-level luxury car, with only rotary power absent from the list …
Test Drives2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3: Battery-Powered Luxury, With A Twist4.0/5
Luxury hybrid cars are nothing new, but the unique approach that several high end brands have taken when adopting battery technology separates them from their non-premium counterparts. It seems that for every Lexus RX 450h that leverages hybrid design to improve fuel efficiency, there's a vehicular counter-point that instead adds …
First DrivesBMW 3 Series Gran Turismo - A Question of Cross-Breeding
Palermo, Italy- In North America, the GT or Gran Turismo designation very often implies a performance-oriented sports car driving experience, but the true European definition is that of a comfortable touring car, one that can carry passengers and their luggage over long distances, and that is exactly what the 3 …
First Drives2012 BMW M5: A monster with a taste for luxury4.5/5
These days, every luxury brand has its own line of powerful and sporty models. Mercedes-Benz has the AMG Division, while Audi has its dynamic RS models. And then there’s Jaguar and its high-performance R models. At the Bavarian manufacturer BMW, the Motorsport division is tasked with creating cars that are …
Test Drives2013 BMW 335i: Life’s little pleasures4.0/5
The BMW 3 Series is the Munich-based manufacturer’s bread and butter. It’s offered in a wide range of configurations (sedan, wagon, coupe and cabriolet) and even the most basic of the various 3’s is desirable. Yes, the equipment level isn’t the greatest and the engine isn’t very powerful, but the …
Test Drives2011 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive: The eagle finds its nest4.5/5
Alpina is a German outfit that has been modifying and transforming BMWs for a half-century with remarkable care, light-years beyond the garish and juvenile mutations of some European tuners. This firm’s creations have been wholeheartedly endorsed by the Munich-based manufacturer since 1964 and the company has been recognized as a …
First DrivesBMW 650i 2011: Luxury, elegance and pedigree4.0/5
In general, when a new coupe and cabriolet are launched, the hard top model is marketed first, followed by the soft top version a few months later. Not so with the new BMW 6 Series. In an effort to take advantage of the lucrative spring cabriolet market, BMW has introduced …
First DrivesBMW 650i 2011: Luxueuse, élégante et embourgeoisée4.0/5
En général, lorsqu’on lance un nouveau coupé et un cabriolet dérivé de ce même coupé, c’est le modèle à toit rigide qui est commercialisé en premier, alors que la version à toit souple arrive souvent quelques mois plus tard. Cette fois, avec la nouvelle Série 6, c’est le contraire qui …
Test Drives2011 BMW 550i: An ICBM For the Rest of Us4.0/5
At 110 kilometres per hour, it barely felt like it was stretching its legs. Sloughing off the assaults of a buffeting crosswind and impervious to the needling of the irregular pavement surface, there was no doubt in my mind that BMW’s obviously expansive engineering department spent a significant amount of …
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