Articles in Behind the Wheel
BMW 535i GT Review and Road Test
To understand the BMW 535i GT, one must throw away several preconceived notions about cars and SUVs, including ride height, interior room, and handling.
One of the reasons that the GT may be confusing to some car enthusiasts is that it has a 5er Series designation, the driving position of an X5, the interior room of an extended-wheelbase 7er, and the driving dynamics of a 5er Sedan.
Indeed, the GT is built …
New Transportation Department Safety Rules to Improve Rear Visibility
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced plans that will reduce accidents caused by blind spots behind a vehicle by requiring all passenger cars to be equipped with rear-view video cameras.
The rule, which is in the proposal stages, comes from a Congressional mandate in the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007, named after a two-year-old child who was killed when his father accidentally backed over him at the family’s …
BMW 335d Review
BMW introduced the 3er Series in 1975 as the successor to the 2002, the car that first defined the sports sedan. Since its launch, the BMW 3er Series has not only consistently defined the prototypical sports sedan, but it is also the car that other automakers try very hard to emulate.
Now in its fifth generation, the 3er doesn’t pamper driver and passengers; instead, it fully engages the driver in the …
2010 Jaguar XJ and XJL Review
Quick Cat
The new Jaguar XJ and XJL challenge the notion of what a traditional British luxury car should be. While they maintain many of the traditional Jaguar styling cues, such as the wire grille, they have a post-modern coupe-like roofline that extends over the boot, ahem trunk.
Indeed, very little has changed in Jaguar design over the past quarter century or so – until now. Thanks to Ian Callum, Jaguar’s head …
2011 Volkswagen Jetta Review
While U.S. carmakers have been busy trying – with varying degrees of success – to design and build cars that are European, Volkswagen recently introduced a German car, the 2011 Jetta, that is intended to be more American. No, it doesn’t have bench seats or a column stick shift, but it does have more room in the passenger compartment and a lower price.
For 2011, the Jetta has a sleek, new …
All Roads Lead to Rome – Italy Introduces a New Highway Code
When in Rome, Do Not Drive As the Romans Do
Driving in Italy has always been considered a task best undertaken by Italians, especially in large cities. To an outsider, it appears that anarchy reigns and traffic lights and traffic rules are advisory, at best. From speeding to driving with mobile phone in hand, a visitor quickly understands why the number of people injured on Italian roads is five times the …
