2017 BMW X4

Great misx of performance and Function.

Monday, May 28, 2018

Love this car, Have had it for about a month now. I was afraid that it would be terrible on gas. Im getting between 22 and 23 MPG. The suspension can be a little stiff at times. This stiffness is what makes it handle well. Its all BMW and I am happy with my purchase.

She has a small trunk out back, but I am in love!

Friday, May 18, 2018

Im a old school BMW guy, current car is a manual e46 330 ZHP. Its 15 years old and its time for a newer car. These days its really hard to find a drivers car. So originally I test drove a bunch of sporty cars like the Golf Rs and GLA45 AMGs. They drove very nice once you are going very fast on the freeways, but around town or commuting in stop and go traffic which I will be doing 100% of the time, they were horrible. The combination of turbo lag and dual clutch lag (the time you hit the go pedal to the time it actually moves) was horrible (remember I am coming from a manual). Sure they have launch control, but knowing me, the tires would be gone by the time I made it to work! So I started thinking, maybe a small crossover or SUV would make more sense than a hot hatch. So I looked at Cayennes, Land Rover Sports, etc. But then the gas price was going up and 14 mpg was not sounding to good. So now the compromise, a small crossover! My wife already drives a big crossover so we don not need another big vehicle. I never thought in my life I would own a crossover, not that I don not like them. I just thought I was a car guy that had to drive something looks manly, you know something very high and tough or very low and fast looking (i use the word looking because I bet 99% of them just drive a manly car for looks)! LOL... anyways after driving a few horrible (some had hidden body work, suspension damage, trunk full of dog hair, etc) certified and not certified crossovers. I ended up test driving the X4. Wow... it felt light and there was no lag taking off. Plus I could easily brake torque (where you hold the brakes and apply the gas so that when I release the brake the engine has build up some power and the car takes off quicker when you let up on the brake) it! The X4 has great stability in fast turns (49/51% weight balance). It gets good fuel mileage (almost 30 highway mpg). The crash ratings were very good. And the M sport package with 20 inch wheels just look awesome! Yes the trunk and rear seats are smaller than the X3, but I drive alone 99% of the time. Sure the Macan S is faster and better on a track but I cant afford one of those. So if you do not need a large trunk to carry a refrigerator, drive on a race track or through 3 feet of mud everyday, go test drive the X4!

Maybe too pretty, but at least she can dance!

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

I love sporty cars and tough trucks so I would say this X4 is more like a sporty slightly raised car or hatchback. Maybe similar to a VW golf or Civic Hatchback. Im looking at the X4 because I want a sports car but need four doors for my two kids that I pick up from school once every few weeks. This vehicle (cant call it a car or truck) has a little of everything. Its based on a car thats made into a crossover. Compared to the X3, they lowered it, added a sporty suspension and they made the cargo space smaller. So is it a car again? Bu with the trunk so small the view out back is also limited. It gets a lot of attention, so just like everything thats hip today, I worry if it will be out of style and weird in a few years? At least it drove nice, better than most cars. The headroom in back is fine for two average sized people. The trunk space is much smaller than a X3, but with the hatch you can easily load and unload stuff. So if you dont need all the space in a big crossover this is perfect for you. I guess if you need a bigger trunk or worry about how it looks check out the X3. I recommend the 28i 4-cylinder, it has good low speed response and the car had lighter sporty feel to it. But if you need lots more power then go for the 35i with the 6-cylinder, the fuel mileage is still pretty good.