Auto News 5

I drew Lincoln's flagship when I requested something, anything, with all wheels driving to get me through an impending storm. I foolishly drove the MKS into the teeth of a Michigan snow squall to attend a Cadillac-LaSalle Club meeting in a town an hour away. Much to my chagrin, this car ate up the slippery pavement and wriggled its way through slow-moving traffic as if it were equipped with spiked treads. Actually, it was equipped with ordinary all-season radials instead of the real winter tires that are most appropriate for our crappy weather. While accelerating from stoplights and while cruising at the speed limit, this car demonstrated impeccable traction and stability. During heavy throttle indulgences, the 355-hp EcoBoost V-6 causes the front wheels to hunt and peck for the right path, but that's a minor fault considering the adverse circumstances I encountered. On several occasions, it struck me that a return to Colorado's Loveland Pass in the dead of winter would be the real acid test for the MKS (see 6versus8.com). With EcoBoost eliminating the loss of power attributable to altitude and an all-wheel-drive system where the front wheels do most of the work, I think this car climbing a snow-covered mountain might finally overcome BMW's 5-series (even one optioned up with awd).inline_mediumwraptextright32131146/reviews/editors_notebook/1001_2010_lincoln_mks_ecoboost1001_01_z+2010_lincoln_mKS_ecoBoost+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

When you're seated in the back of the BMW 5-series Gran Turismo, it's not hard to imagine that you're in a car from the future. Your surroundings are very swoopy, the confines cozy but very open-feeling, thanks in large part to the glass all around you. If you need a break from the future, watching a movie or reclining a heated/ventilated rear chair for a nap is simple.inline_mediumwraptextright26664962/reviews/editors_notebook/1001_2010_bmw_550i_gran_turismo1001_07_z+2010_bMW_550i_gran_turismo+rear_interior.jpgTrue

We have just had a handful of laps on a damp racetrack in the new BMW 335is, but it only takes one trip around the Estoril circuit in Portugal to recognize that this car is no poseur in the shadow of the grandstands. The "s" that's been appended to the 335i tag stands for sport, and BMW has made adjustments to the powertrain and suspension to back that up. With the 414-hp M3 and the dynamic 335i already in BMW's lineup, though, the 335is certainly needs to make a case for itself since it's bracketed by such capable cars.inline_mediumwraptextright27864952/reviews/driven/1001_2011_bmw_335is1001_03_z+2011_bMW_335is+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

More than any other BMW product, the 5-series must walk a fine tightrope to balance the company’s reputation for sport sedans and luxury cruisers. That responsibility, to be all things to all people, is a particularly tough job for the 5-series, but with new engines, a fresh look, and refined adaptive dynamics, the new 2011 BMW 5-series is eager to battle the diverse competition in the mid-size class from Lexus and Mercedes-Benz to Infiniti and Audi.inline_mediumwraptextright27841597/reviews/driven/1001_2011_bmw_5_series1001_03_z+2011_bMW_5-Series+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

The history books would have you believe that the West was once a wild place. But if you're braving the sweltering California desert and happen upon a little town called Palm Springs, you'd never know it. The dusty bandits, merciless bounty hunters, and untamed renegades are long gone, replaced by air-conditioned cafés, opulent galleries, and swanky day spas. The only weapons in use are those rumbling under the hoods of the many exotic and classic cars cruising the boulevard. The desert people clearly favor Cadillacs over Caterhams, though - luxury rules the West now.inline_mediumwraptextright31921479/reviews/driven/1001_2010_bmw_760li_mercedes_benz_s63_amg_porsche_panamera_turbo_video1002_02_z+2010_mercedes-Benz_s63_aMG_bMW_760Li+porsche_panamera_turbo.jpgTrue