2004 Bmw X5 Sport Utility 4.4 I Blue On Tan Low Miles 81k on 2040-cars

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Ford, Toyota clean up in Best Car For The Money Awards

The U.S. News Best Cars for the Money Awards picks winners by looking at the average transaction price, five-year total cost of ownership, the regard a car has from the automotive press, reliability figures from J.D. Power and Associates and safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The result, according to the magazine, is "the best combination of critical acclaim and long-term value."
Ford nabbed six of the 21 categories that received awards this year, the Focus, Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Taurus, Escape and Edge getting trophies. Toyota and its Lexus and Scion sub-brands took another five, the Tacoma and Tundra owning the two categories given to pickup trucks. The other ten awards were split between Honda with three, Buick with two, and one each for Subaru, BMW, Hyundai, Chevrolet and Mazda.
Follow the link to see all the winners and read about why they were chosen.

Xcar checks if BMW's i8 offers moves as electrifying as its looks

If you were to plot the general opinion about hybrids since their introduction among auto enthusiasts, the resulting graph would likely be shaped somewhat like a "V." In the beginning interest was high, simply due the novelty of these new powertrains, then the line would gradually fall as the models got the stereotype of being boring commuters. Today, though, things might be back on the upswing. Vehicles like the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 and BMW i8 are showing that a hybrid doesn't have to be synonymous for dull. In its latest video, Xcar Films aims to find out if BMW's electrified sports coupe actually earns the brand's old moniker as the ultimate driving machine.
While the focus here is on what the i8 is like behind the wheel, one of the main highlights for the viewer is the interesting ways that Xcar shoots the BMW. It's not necessarily a beautiful vehicle, but seeing it in motion reveals all sorts of little intricacies that still photos don't pick up. For example, our eye catches the flying buttresses and little crevices scooped out of the corners when we get a look at the rear. It's just a fun car to look at.
With its 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine and electric motor, the i8 positions itself as the future of automotive performance. But its intriguing looks and cutting-edge use of carbon fiber would be wasted if the coupe didn't drive well. We won't spoil the final verdict, though, you'll have to watch the video above.

This is the final BMW M3 Coupe

Pour some out for the BMW M3 Coupe, folks. Production of the two-door, fixed-roof M3 has officially ended, and the orange car you see here is the very last one.
But we don't just meant the last M3 Coupe of this generation - this is the last M3 Coupe ever, since the next-gen car will launch under the name M4, staying true to BMW's revised nomenclature where coupes and convertibles will use even numbers. (Don't forget, the new 3 Series coupe becomes the 4 Series for the 2014 model year.) There will, of course, be a new M3, but that badge will only be found on the four-door version.
BMW first launched the M3 Coupe in 1986, and since then, more than 40,000 examples have been built. Sedan and convertible versions were added later in the car's life, and BMW says that the current 2013 model year convertible will remain in production until September of this year.