2009 Bmw M3 Coupe E92 Dct Cpo Clearbra Dual Clutch on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Comparison test: 2019 Acura RDX vs. compact luxury SUV competitors

Truth be told, if we were to compare the all-new 2019 Acura RDX with those compact luxury crossover SUVs it would most likely be cross-shopped against, you'd be looking at a different list. Even Acura admits that Lexus and Infiniti are the most likely bogies, but with the 2019 RDX, Honda's luxury brand is attempting to attract those customers who think as much with their hearts as with their heads. And for the most part, those folks have been buying from German brands: the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. So, to show how the new RDX compares to them, Acura actually provided examples of each during the recent press drive along with a Volvo XC60. All were determined to have greater emotional appeal than the last RDX, and we would certainly agree. For, as much as the previous-generation RDX made sense on paper, it was really hard to get excited about it. And when you're paying extra for a luxury vehicle, shouldn't you get a little excited? Well, as luck would have it, Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and I were on hand in Whistler, British Columbia, for the press launch. We didn't have an abundance of time in each RDX competitor, but in conjunction with our usual comparison chart, our impressions should provide a good first taste of how the new RDX compares. Performance and fuel economy Contributing Editor James Riswick: On paper at least, the RDX is gutsier than its comparably powered European rivals. It also weighs the same or less, which logically should mean it'll be the quickest in a straight line. During my brief drives, though, I'm not sure it really stood taller than the three Germans. It at least matches them for smoothness, which is something that can't be said about the Volvo. Fuel economy is lower than them all when you consider all but the Mercedes come standard with all-wheel drive. It's also worth noting that all the competitors are available with engine upgrades, and unless Acura's forthcoming resurrection of Type S models includes the RDX, it should stay that way. Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski: Line 'em all up in a drag race, and I have a feeling the Acura would squirt away to victory. A good bit of that, though, would be due to its 10-speed automatic transmission, which offers a huge spread of ratios and fires off extremely quick shifts. In the real world, I'd guess fuel economy will be similar across the board, so I'm willing to call that category a draw.

The 2016 BMW M4 GTS sounds so good

Critics and those hopelessly in love with the limited-edition, juiced-up 2016 BMW M4 GTS will both concede that water injection isn't a new technology, but it has also never been used on a production car with an intercooler before. It's traditionally been the realm of highly-tuned supercharged piston aircraft engines and some jets, although some pre-intercooler cars used the system as well. All that history sets the scene, but the M4 GTS steals it. Carfection takes a close, loving look at all the little details that set this BMW and its novel water-injection system apart from a typical M4, which it should be noted is no slouch at all. While it's DCT-only, it puts out 493 hp (a full 68 hp more than a normal M4). The example Carfection examines is painted in the available Frozen Dark Grey, with lovely 19- and 20-inch snowflake-style alloys set off in a color known as Acid Orange. Don't miss the startup and revving. The M4 GTS breathes through a titanium exhaust system, and it sounds monumental. As we mentioned in the reveal piece, this is a very limited-production vehicle. 700 will be built, and only 300 will make it to the States – and only 30 in the UK, where Carfection is based. Enjoy the video above.

Feds greenlight BMW X5 diesel sales for 2016 [UPDATE]

Update: The EPA also confirmed that the 2016 X5 diesel passed the tests in a statement: "EPA and the California Air Resources Board certified BMW's 2016 diesel X5. EPA is performing additional screening when it conducts confirmatory emissions tests before issuing a certificate. Our screening tests found no evidence of a defeat device in the 2016 BMW X5, concluding our certification review." The 2016 BMW X5 xDrive35d is the latest diesel model to pass rigorous emissions tests by the Environmental Protection Agency and prove that it doesn't circumvent regulations with a defeat device. The luxury SUV can now go on sale to customers, and BMW spokesman Hector Arellano-Belloc confirms to Autoblog the first of them should arrive at dealers around late January. The automaker previously delayed production of the new model at the Spartanburg plant until the EPA completed certification. Following Volkswagen's emissions cheating, the EPA, California Air Resources Board, and Environment Canada began stricter testing for diesel vehicles to ensure that they met regulations. The first models to get the additional scrutiny were the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon with the Duramax engine, and they passed with no problems. According to Reuters, the X5 diesel was the only other non-VW from the 2016 model year that the agencies needed to certify with this more rigorous evaluation. The 2016 X5 xDrive 35d starts at $58,695 after the $995 destination charge. A 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine sends 255 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic to the all-wheel drive system. BMW claims that the vehicle can reach 60 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds, and the 2015 model carries an EPA fuel economy rating of 24 miles per gallon city, 31 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined. Related Video: