BMW ActiveHybrid 5 review

BMW’s latent scepticism about vehicle electrification must have given way to grudging acceptance midway through the last decade, hence this ActiveHybrid 5. In 2005, Munich signed a deal to collaborate with Daimler, Chrysler and General Motors on the development of hybrid vehicle technologies, and in 2009 BMW launched the X6 ActiveHybrid and the ActiveHybrid 7 limousine production models. They weren’t hybrids in the economy sense, however, as they featured V8 engines and weren’t capable of electric-only running.NicCackettRoad testerFuel economy isn't as good as it should beBeyond the gaze of us Brits, you might wonder why, given the market-leading diesel engines that the company makes, BMW has been dabbling in the global market for petrol-electric hybrid luxury cars. The truth is that some of the biggest car markets in the world remain all but closed off to diesel-engined cars. Petrol hybrids are therefore particularly important in a global sense.The ActiveHybrid 5 appears ahead of hybrid 3 and 7-series models and all will use the same parallel hybrid powertrain, which promises to combine limited zero-emissions, electric-only running with diesel-challenging real-world economy, allied to the kind of distinguishing performance we have all come to expect of a BMW.So, is it time to chop in your 535d?[EXTRACT]#EANF#

BMW M3 2007-2013 review

The BMW M3 carries possibly the most famous single-consonant, single-digit car name in the world – but just because a car wears the famous badge it doesn’t mean it gains automatic access to the league of superstars.The M3 name was born out of the company’s motor racing activities, but along the way its reputation has endured a bumpy ride. Today it may be regarded as a de facto performance superstar, but there is plenty of proof in the car’s history to suggest that the men and women from Munich haven’t always been able to hit the spot.MattPriorRoad test editorToday, the M3 may be regarded as a de facto performance superstarThe first ‘E30’ M3 was built in small numbers to legitimise its appearance at circuits around the globe, but such was the popularity of the concept – high power, low mass and a small footprint on the road – that the company was forced to consider a replacement.One followed in 1993, then another in 2000, and then a fourth-generation M3, which is what we test here in coupe, saloon and convertible forms.Those with long memories will recall that the 1993 3.0-litre M3, the successor to the great original, was lambasted for being too soft and in possession of poor steering. Initial reports suggest that type E92 might again be too anodyne to do justice to the M3 badge.Question is, what kind of M3 is on sale today, and is it still worth buying with all-new, next-generation models now on the not-so-distant horizon?[EXTRACT]#EANF#

McLaren 650S Spider review

Having given both the 12C and the subsequent Spider version a full road test examination, it’s possible that we could be accused of showing McLaren’s mainstay a little too much attention.The latest 650S, however, is much more than simply the recipient of a cut-and-paste copy of the P1’s shapely nose.MattPriorRoad test editorThe McLaren's roof folds away in about 15 seconds, at the push of a buttonThe Surrey-based manufacturer claims that more than a quarter of the car is new, and while the fundamentals remain – including its carbonfibre tub and twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 – this is a go-faster version in every meaningful respect. McLaren insists that the 650S is the product of lessons it learnt while building not only the 12C but also the much quicker and more sophisticated P1.Between them they make up the car’s immediate family tree, but more distantly there are the road cars built before the firm dedicated itself to purely automotive pursuits — namely, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and the F1, the latter proving influential enough to provide a hypercar touchstone almost 20 years after production ended.The 650, of course, stands for the engine’s metrically measured power output, while the S stands for Sport. One could be forgiven for thinking the designation redundant in McLaren’s tiny line-up, especially since the firm confirmed that the 12C would be discontinued.The car that is, in effect, then, the 650S’s predecessor rather than its range sibling provides one of the more obvious questions: is this the car the 12C should have been from day one? Is it wholly fabulous or still very slightly flawed? Let's find out.[EXTRACT]#EANF#

Ford C-Max review

The second-generation Ford C-Max replaced a model which caused controversy when it first launched. It was only offered as a five-seater, while rivals could sell you a seven-seat MPV for the same money.Ford has redressed that in part with the second-generation C-Max. This model, simply called C-Max, is still strictly a five-seat MPV; if you need two extra seats or considerably more load space, then you’ll find that in the seven-seat Grand C-Max – essentially the same car but stretched a little for a roomier cabin. MarkTisshawDeputy editor The C-Max's clever seating system can turn the five-seater into a spacious four-seaterThis new five-seater C-Max keeps the previous version's clever seating system which allows the centre rear seat to fold under the left-hand seat, and the pair to move diagonally inwards and back, to give four-seat luxury. Trim level and engine options are kept relatively simple. The C-Max is available in either Zetec or Titanium trim, and with a choice of five engines. There’s a 1.6-litre petrol available with either 104bhp or 123bhp, a 114bhp 1.6-litre TDCi, a 148bhp 1.6-litre petrol-turbo Ecoboost and a 138bhp 2.0-litre TDCi. Gearboxes are five-speed manual with the non-turbo 1.6-litre petrols, or six-speed with the rest. The 2.0-litre TDCI also gets the option of Fords’s excellent Powershift auto ’boxThe new, 1.6-litre Ecoboost is of particular note as it’s a naturally sporty engine which, because of its direct injection, low-inertia turbo and dual variable valve timing, has diesel-like thrust from below 2000rpm. The 1.6-litre TDCi is the eco champ of the range with claimed combined economy of 61.4mpg and CO2 emissions of just 119g/km, but it’s not the most satisfying to use. It isn’t an intuitive engine to get the best from and needs thought and care when timing rapid getaways from junctions. The 2.0-litre diesel, however, is impressively smooth and refined, with typical torque from low down. It works brilliantly with the Powershift gearbox, too. Don't discount the entry-level 1.6-litre petrol unit though. It's surprisingly sweet for around town; only on the motorway does it get buzzy.The C-Max rides on a chassis Ford uses to underpin cars of this size on across the globe, although some of the suspension components themselves are from the second-generation Focus models. However, every facet has been re-thought and new technology, such as dampers with better valving and a bigger diameter, is included. Suspension parts have been judiciously lightened, suspension mounts have been stiffened and the car has a wider track at both ends. There's a new electric power steering system, now that Ford is happy EPAS can deliver decent feel, and the steering rack has been quickened.Focus and C-Max drivers will find the cars familiar, but they will note improvements. Most of the 1.6-litre models have a new, sweeter-shifting six-speed manual, which is also 30 per cent lighter than its predecessor. The cars are quieter in powertrain, wind and road noise than their predecessors.They ride more smoothly and the excellent steering is sensitive and conveniently high-geared. There's a sense that these Ford products are the first to be tested in every major world market, and its engineering teams have spared no effort to make them ready.This C-Max is almost certainly the class leader in terms of driver involvement, but that isn’t the car's only talent. If you don't need the extra seats and interior space offered by the Grand but you want more space than you’ll find in a Focus or Golf hatchback, then it's hard not to recommend this excellent five-seat version. But there's plenty of competition at this price, so think carefully about whether a high-rise hatch is for you when there are full-size estates available for similar money. That said, if the C-Max’s brand of domestic transport suits your lifestyle then it won't disappoint.Looking for a used Ford C-Max for sale? Visit PistonHeads Classifieds[EXTRACT]#EANF#

Ford S-Max review

You could never accuse Ford of jumping on every passing bandwagon. MPVs were as established as McDonald’s in Manhattan by the time it launched the Galaxy in the mid-90s, and even then it was a conservative kind of people carrier, destined to become a best-selling stalwart of the DNA pool it shared with the Volkswagen Sharan and Seat Alhambra.Trouble was, the Galaxy has remained part of the MPV furniture ever since: practical, comfortable, dull and largely unchanged. So when the tie-up with Volkswagen and Seat ended in 2006, Ford sniffed an opportunity to grab the initiative and try something different in an othwerwise dull segment.SteveSutcliffeEditor-at-largeFord has managed to blend elements of SUVs and sports hatchbacks into its seven-seat MPVSo it was that Ford claimed to have produced the first truly sporty, stylish, desirable, driver-orientated, full-size, seven-seat MPV in the S-Max. The S-Max is a close relative of the more sober Galaxy and shares its underpinnings with the current Mondeo.The S-Max instantly became our favourite MPV when it was launched, and it remained the best car in the segment up until its mid-life nip and tuck. One suspects Ford knew how good it was, too, because when the time came for its obligatory facelift, by the standards of age-defying tucks, the ones to which the S-Max have been treated are mild.The real changes in the latest S-Max lie under the skin, with a whole host of new engines plus claimed improvements to the ride and handling. In a segment where, so often, extra space means a compromise on performance and driving enjoyment, Ford seems to have struck an ideal balance in making sure the S-Max fills two roles: one as a family load-lugger and the other as an engaging daily driver.Question is, does the S-Max still deserve its place at the top of our MPV list?[EXTRACT]#EANF#

Honda Civic review

Honda isn’t the kind of car maker to measure success exclusively in terms of units sold and overall market share captured – but as far as UK sales of its Civic are concerned, that’s probably just as well.This engineering-led innovator has been making Civics for four decades and more than 20 million examples have been sold worldwide.MattSaundersDeputy road test editorHonda wants to compete more closely with established European firmsBut despite having been built in the UK for more than a quarter of its life now, the Civic has never featured among Britain’s top 10 annual best-selling new cars.Into that context of unexploited potential, and borne out of Honda’s will to compete more closely with the established local powers across as many of Europe’s new car market segments as possible, comes the ninth-generation Civic five-door – the third to be assembled at Swindon.With carbon dioxide emissions, running costs, prices and kit levels that position it shoulder to shoulder with the likes of the Volkswagen Golf, Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus, this Civic at last looks as if it has the platform from which to deliver sales results.So should European drivers be pricking up their ears?[EXTRACT]#EANF#

Ford Ranger ride and handling

#EANF#[EXTRACT]Any judgement here depends entirely on your frame of reference. Compared to the on-road dynamic standards of most pick-up trucks, the Ford Ranger deserves a glowing recommendation, but those aren’t the standards that we’re used to applying in this here parish.And given that Ford’s ambition for this car is to lure 4x4 drivers into the pick-up fold, neither are they the ones we should apply now.MattPriorRoad test editorThe body is unsettled in fast direction changes, but it doesn’t feel overly precariousWhich is why ‘competent’ is about as generously as we can describe the way the Ranger conducts itself on UK roads. It handles very well, considering that it’s a 5.4m-long 2.2-tonner with an unusually high centre of roll, hybrid off-road tyres and a large lump of iron for a rear axle. It’s better, in fact, than one or two passenger cars we could mention, the Land Rover Defender being one.But in the ride department particularly, the Ranger is no match for a well sorted 4x4 like a Santa Fe or Freelander. While bumps are dealt with adequately enough, every one is felt and then bodily amplified. It reminds you that, unless you’ve got a dirt bike in the back and you’re careering down a broken forest path, you’re just not using this car properly.People who like pick-ups, and who use them as the maker intended, probably quite like that about them. But if you like Honda CR-Vs and don’t need the added utility, you probably won’t.Considering the high-profile multi-purpose tyres it’s on, the Ranger’s handling is quite tidy. Its steering is weighty and direct enough, allowing you to carve fairly quick and precise lines through corners, where body roll is reasonably well contained.Lateral grip levels are modest on asphalt, but sufficient to allow this giant to feel almost as secure and composed as most big family cars at legal speeds. But again, ‘competent’ is the defining term.