Articles in Long-Term Test Autos
Introducing The Green Car Driver’s 2017 BMW i3 with Range Extender Test Car
The BMW i3 is a car that has long fascinated me, both for its unusual and handsome good looks, unparalleled greenness, and the story that goes with it. While we’ve spent considerable time with the i3 since its launch, the Bavarian EV gained additional range and power for 2017 and …
The Road to Philadelphia – the BMW 535d’s Final Journey and Review
It feels like only yesterday that we took delivery of the Moonstone Metallic BMW 535d in Munich at the BMW Welt. The 5er was something we had waited for with great anticipation, after having spent over two years with BMW’s first clean diesel sedan, the 335d, which was followed by …
2014 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec – 6 Month Review and Report
The arrival of our 2014 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec 4Matic was heralded by not one, not two, but over a dozen major snowstorms and blizzards. As we noted before in these pages, it wasn’t the most optimal time to begin life with a long-term test car but those were the cards …
2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel: Six-Month Review and Report
If you’re an automotive journalist who regularly reviews cars, there’s nothing like 14 winter storms in your neck of the woods to stop you dead in your tracks.
Few automakers equip their cars with winter tires and no-season (our term for all-season) tires aren’t effective for driving following a significant snowfall.
In …
European Delivery Redelivery: The Voyage of the 535d and the Asian Emperor
One of the many benefits of doing European Delivery is that your car is delivered to you not once, but twice. For our long-term BMW 535d, the first delivery was in late December at the BMW Welt in Munich. The second was at BMW’s flagship dealership in New York City, …
Introducing The Diesel Driver’s Next Long-Term Car: the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec Sedan
NEW YORK—A 2014 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec 4Matic sedan is the newest member of The Diesel Driver’s long-term fleet. The Iridium Silver Metallic Benz was delivered to Jonathan Spira, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, on Tuesday.
The E250 is part of a wave of new diesel-powered vehicles that have been put on sale for …
Introducing The Diesel Driver’s Next Long-Term Car: the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel
NEW YORK—A Chevrolet Cruze Diesel is the newest member of The Diesel Driver’s long-term fleet. The Tungsten Metallic Cruze was delivered to Jonathan Spira, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, and Bas Alferow, the associate editor, at a Chevrolet dealership in New York on Monday.
Because the Cruze – with the exception of its …
What Will The Diesel Driver’s First Long-Term Car in 2014 Be?
The Diesel Driver’s long-term fleet, which last week added a 2014 BMW 535d, has included the BMW 335d, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec, the BMW X5 xDrive35d, and the BMW ActiveHybrid 5.
In January, The Diesel Driver will add another long-term car to its mostly diesel-powered fleet. Almost …
Introducing The Diesel Driver’s New Long-Term Car: the 2014 BMW 535d
MUNICH—A BMW 535d sedan is the newest member of The Diesel Driver’s long-term fleet. The Moonstone Metallic 535d was delivered to the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Jonathan Spira, at the BMW Welt here early Friday morning.
The 535d was first announced for the U.S. market in May of this year, shortly after BMW …
What Will The Diesel Driver’s Next Long-Term Car Be?
The Diesel Driver’s long-term fleet has included the BMW 335d, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec, the BMW X5 xDrive35d, and the BMW ActiveHybrid 5.
In one month’s time, The Diesel Driver will add another long-term car to its mostly diesel-powered fleet. Almost a dozen new models have been …
2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 5: The 2,000-Mile Road Trip – Review and Report
Despite the fact that gas-electric hybrids having been around for more than a decade, and BMW has offered one for the better half of one, there remains a sense of novelty to driving a car without the gas engine running. Especially with the soaring cost of fuel, hybrids have been …
2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 5 – Review and Test Drive
BMW introduced its first hybrids, the ActiveHybrid X6 and ActiveHybrid 7, back in 2009. Since then, the luxury segment has seen the introduction of hybrids from a variety of automakers, including Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.
What the ActiveHybrid 5 has in common with its ActiveHybrid predecessors is BMW’s ActiveHybrid branding. Other than …