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This fall at the Paris auto show, we'll see the follow-up to the BMW X3. Its dimensions are very close to those of the first-generation X5, but its sheetmetal is adorned with a farewell selection of "flame surfaces" one can attribute only to recently departed chief designer Chris Bangle.

Inside, we're promised a major cabin upgrade. Look for an integrated, rather than pop-up, navigation screen, BMW's joystick transmission lever, and the latest iDrive controller. New options will include active steering, radar-based cruise control, a head-up display, night vision, and lane-departure warning. The cargo volume increases only marginally, from 55.1 to 56.5 cubic feet, but that's enough to keep rivals such as the Audi Q5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK at bay. What about the X3's greatest current weakness, its subpar ride quality? Klaus Draeger, board member in charge of research and development, responds: "Although the new X3 is even more competent and rewarding to drive, we also made sure that the ride comfort is up to scratch. The revised suspension is more progressive, more responsive, and more compliant overall."inline_mediumwraptextright32091177/features/news/1003_new_bmw_x31003_07_z+bMW_x3+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

As we pull onto the highway away from Windhoek, Namibia, the first car that passes the taxi is a red Honda S2000. My taxi driver scrupulously obeys the speed limit, and we're soon passed again, this time by a black BMW M3 convertible. Then another M3 convertible goes past. The dueling M3s are soon forced to slow down as a crowd of baboons crosses the highway. BMWs negotiating a baboon chicane: Welcome to Africa!inline_mediumwraptextright26782304/features/great_drives/1003_bmw_x5_driver_training_namibia_africa1003_01_z+bMW_x5_driver_training_namibia_africa+caravan.jpgTrue

I was one of the first journalists to drive the ZDX, and I enjoyed my entire experience. I was, let me say, up around Monterey and Carmel in California, enjoying a fabulous couple of days of sightseeing, dining, and staying at the wonderful Post Ranch Inn. It was a luxurious vacation experience in the lavishly appointed and trimmed ZDX, a car that follows in the design shadow of the ungainly BMW GTs, cars I find grotesquely unattractive. The second I set eyes on the ZDX, I gasped audibly. But on second glance (when I opened my scrunched eyes), the ZDX was definitely more shapely and better proportioned. And I quickly got used to driving it on the twisty narrow roads around Carmel Valley and south on Highway 1.inline_mediumwraptextright32354727/reviews/editors_notebook/1002_2010_acura_zdx1002_04_z+2010_acura_zDX+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue