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The BMW 5 Series was the 1st model show them the controversial 'flame' design which split opinion. However we have been fans so we were keen to ascertain if the newest design would also hit the spot. We think that BMW offers it right again using a dynamic and thoroughly contemporary design which keeps the 5 bang up to date.

The new 5 Series carries with it an assortment of EfficientDynamics technologies. There's Auto Start-Stop, optimum gearshift indicator, Brake Energy Regeneration, Active Aerodynamics and low rolling resistance tyres. In addition a state-of-the-art 8-speed automatic transmission using a longer final drive ratio to lessen engine revs at motorway speeds making an effort to achieve great fuel consumption.

In the driving stakes BMW has kept the trademark 50:50 weight distribution, which combined with the front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout, makes all the 5 Series more agile than rivals. There's also no reason to anticipate anything other than the excellent construction that we've become used to.

The latest 5 Series is evolutionary as opposed to revolutionary however when you're starting so near perfection this is not necessarily a bad thing. The 520d ED delivers strong real-world performance whilst achieving fuel economy that shames many city cars. With a brilliant mix of quality, style, performance and driving entertainment, it remains our favourite executive car.

It wasn't too long ago that Mercedes struggled to get involved with the guide but with a new array of super hi-tech engines that is certainly exactly about to change. Mercedes could have been the slowest of the German manufacturers to take fuel-efficient models to showcase, but the email address particulars are impressive.

Gone are the days when you could tell how big a Mercedes engine is just from exploring the badge. As a case in point, both E200d and E220d share a similar 2.0 litre engine. They even have the same compression ratio (an impressively high 15.5:1 since you ask) therefore the difference in power is more about engine management than old style engineering.

Either engine is much more than as much as the work of providing decent pace and given that they achieve the same official fuel consumption the option is likely to get down to budget. It is worth noting you will want to keep to the standard 17 inch wheels for the best efficiency with larger rims resulting in a hefty penalty (approximately 10 gCO2/km).

To maintain the E-Class ahead in the competition the conventional fit automatic gearbox now packs 9 ratios which works a way to explaining the wonderful official fuel consumption figures. Left to its own devices it will shuffle up into the highest gear possible however you usually takes power over affairs if you want to press on because of 'Dynamic Select' which supplies ECO, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ as well as a combination setting.

The latest E-Class takes the very best aspects of the previous model but adds state-of-the-art engines and a contemporary interior to hold it feeling fresh. The exec Mercedes has always lagged behind the 5 Series and XF in the driving stakes but it's now closer than previously meaning there is no longer a default option. Which one you choose will get down to personal taste since they all represent executive saloons towards the top of their game.

The renaissance of Jaguar continues to be one with the most surprising stories of recent years. In 2008 Tata bought the brand from Ford, who never quite reached grips in doing what to do with Jag, generating two extremely important decisions; Jaguar needed investment, and Tata put a good amount of money on the table, but crucially it didn't need management interference.

The XF is the newest confirmation that Tata was absolutely right. Jaguar never forgot developing contemporary executive saloons, it really wasn't permitted to. The XF takes your struggle to the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, and Mercedes E-Class at once and is all of the better correctly.

Jaguar has invested heavily in integrating aluminium into its production models with fantastic results. The latest XF is really a lot lighter compared to competition and is definitely 4% heavier compared to smaller XE. Such a radical weight reduction plan gets a big thumbs up from us mainly because it benefits fuel consumption, handling and performance.

Alongside the advanced construction materials the XF also boast a new 'Ingenium' engine which finally provides Jaguar with a world class diesel engine. It also contributes towards the weight loss as a result of yet more aluminium and its compact size. At exactly the same time it really is capable of producing impressive power and torque figures which imbue the Jag with sprightly performance.

There never been much wrong with the method that the XF drives or looks, nonetheless it has never a really efficient engine. With this issue now firmly addressed the combination of proper official fuel economy, engaging dynamics, impressively low kerb weight and svelte looks make for a compelling proposition.

The Lexus GS has graced the web pages of Green Car Guide for many years, but because of the performance hybrid approach Lexus hasn't truly explored the fuel consumption potential in the system, preferring to benchmark fuel economy against petrol rivals and turn the wick up than chase after diesel figures and dilute the performance. That is as yet.

The 300h has very clearly been made to take your dream to diesel rivals with fuel economy, performance and price all mimicking the front-running German offerings. Lexus has long claimed that it is petrol/electric hybrid system are able to do exactly what a diesel can, and the repost may be 'prove it'. It appears that it lets you do pay being careful what you desire, as in writing the 300h is around the job and many surprisingly for example their email list price.

To extract better fuel economy there have been some big mechanical changes. Out goes the three.5 litre petrol engine and in comes a 2.5 direct injection unit which creates a restrained 178 bhp. This is linked with a detuned electric motor which produces yet another 140 bhp providing an extremely favourable total system creation of 220 bhp. Drive is still transmitted towards the rear wheels via a CVT gearbox which as ever is fantastic for fuel economy and frustrating in case you are pressing on.

So the Lexus can beat diesel rivals for pure grunt but think about torque? The petrol engine can't get close, with 163 lb ft at the lofty 4200 - 5400 rpm it won't see which way your competitors went. But as it ever was with hybrids, that's only half the storyline. The electric motor comes towards the rescue again, having a handy 221 lb ft available from idle it fills within the gaps excellently and keeps the GS 300h inside race.

The GS remains exquisitely finished and arguably is way better suited towards the lower output system because it is competent to drive rather than razor sharp. The 300h is not any more costly than diesel rivals, has competitive fuel economy and thanks to petrol emitting less CO2 than diesel, falls into VED band B and attracts substantially lower company car tax. It also has got the benefit from emitting no PM and intensely little NOx that diesel rivals should head for expensive exhaust after-treatment. The GS still isn't perfect nevertheless the 300h is a great enough package to make you think before ordering a diesel rival. It seems that Lexus wasn't joking in the end, petrol hybrids really will take on diesels at their unique game.

The Navistar International Corporation, the parent company of International Truck and Engine Corporation, earlier entered into a consent injunction with Ford Motor Co. in which it resumes the production and shipment of the 6.4L Power Stroke? diesel engines which are intended for the automaker?s Super Duty pickup trucks. The automaker, in the said injunction, is expected to pay without deductions.

The International Truck and Engine Corporation has been Ford?s exclusive diesel engine supplier for Super Duty pickup trucks since 1979. In February, the automaker launched the new 6.4L Power Stroke for the new Super Duty. In addition, Navistar produces 225,000 to 300,000 diesel engines for Ford trucks each year.

Ford said that they had spent $1.05 billion in warranty and repairs on the previous Navistar diesel engine in Ford's Super Duty pickup trucks. Navistar said that the automaker's warranty claim is false. Ford debited Navistar about $125 million early this year. Ford said the contract allows debiting however Navistar disagreed. The two companies also have a dispute about the appropriate price for the new engine. That makes up a disagreement amounting to over $300 million a year.

On 26 February, Navistar suspended the production of the diesel engine. According to the engine supplier, the suspension is resorted to because the automaker had stopped honoring the terms under which the engines were manufactured. The suspension made Ford seek a temporary restraining order from Judge John J. McDonald of the Circuit Court of Oakland County, Michigan.

On 28 February, Judge McDonald issued an order requiring the supplier to resume production of the engine and Ford to pay with no withholding until a hearing was held. After the scheduled hearing the judge asked the companies to continue discussion to settle whether an agreement can be reached before the trial is commenced. The companies met and the judge issued consent injunction that supersedes the temporary restraining order. The said order from the judge also requires both companies to meet and resolve the contract dispute regarding warranty claims and pricing.

"I think this (consent injunction) represents a new spirit of cooperation between the two companies," Navistar spokesman Roy Wiley said. The consent injunction assuages concerns of the derailment for one of Ford's most important launches of the year.

Ford's Louisville, Kentucky plant stopped production last week and was shut down Friday after Navistar suspended shipments of the engines. The pickup truck also serves as the one of the vital keys to make Ford recover from billions of dollars of losses in recent years.

The halt of engine production threatened to disrupt production of the Super Duty, one of the most profitable product lines of Ford. In the past, a shortage of engines also has disrupted production at a Ford plant in Kentucky. That situation is now avoided by the automaker. Super Duty trucks are the most popular vehicles in their class, averaging 50 percent market share in the heavy-duty pickup truck segment during the past years. Hence, to allow production to be disrupted is perilous to the automaker.

Ford acknowledged the agreement with Navistar and said in a statement it was pleased there would be no further disruptions to the production of the F-Series Super Duty. The automaker said its Kentucky plant began ramping production back up early this week and will be back at full speed on Monday.

In 2006, Ford sold 796,000 units of the F-series trucks and 40 percent of the figure is owned by the Super Duty. The redesigned Super Duty include a new grille that blends well with Ford bumper, factory installed trailer brake controller, upfitter switches, and new interior. The Powerstroke Diesel, which is the now the subject of the controversy, was also modified to generate torque from 560ft/lb to 570ft/lb - nonetheless, the peak power output is maintained at 325 horsepower.

When you invest in a car it means that you are making a great investment. You will look out for every possibility by means of which you make your car wonderful, luxurious and comfortable. In that case, the car stereos or any other car audios are a great option.

To get the comfort of a stress-free driving, car audios are a great option. Whenever you consider the purchase of some sound system for your car, you should always think of some exclusive and a good quality piece. Be it any kind of car or any kind of road, you will just be relaxed with the sounds coming out from the car stereos.

Good quality car stereos will amplify the sound and also help you get rid of any kind of distortion in the sound. Make sure that the audio system which you buy for your car does not get overheated frequently or even at times. This can pose a risk to their life.

When you buy the car audios, consider your budget as well. You should also think from before the kind of sound system that you want to install in your car. This will help you in a better approach. The size of your car is also an important factor that you should deal with. This is because all kinds of car stereos do not fit well in all sizes of car.

Car audios generally have various components like head units, amplifiers, speakers and many other input devices. They all work together to provide a great quality sound. However, be careful to take a note of the instructions which are mentioned in the sets of the stereo systems.

It is better not to go for the cheaper ones. This is because the cheaper ones will have poor sound quality and perhaps they would also not last long. Poor quality sound systems can also cause a threat to your car. If you love your car, you should never try out these. Instead make an investment which will be worth its value.

After the investment comes the maintenance. It is up to you to maintain the car stereos properly. Proper maintenance of the stereos would ensure good quality sound.

Do not let the traffic jam outside be a cause of your headache. Make sure to purchase good car audio for your car so that they can provide you the ultimate relief that you are looking for.

The main difference between aftermarket rear control arms and stock rear control arms is the difference in the amount of adjustability. Many of the later BMW and MINI models come with non-adjustable rear arms that don't allow you to change the camber. Some of the newer models do come with adjustable rear arms, but only allow for a camber adjustment between 0 and 0.5 degrees. This is better than no adjustment at all, but usually is not enough to reach a desirable degree of camber upon suspension alterations. Since stock rear control arms in MINIs and BMWs offer little to no camber adjustability, if you choose to lower your vehicle with a performance spring set, you should strongly consider investing in aftermarket adjustable rear control arms. Anytime you add a drop to your vehicle with performance springs, a considerable amount of negative camber is added to the rear tires. Excessive negative camber in the rear can negatively affect manueverabiliy and control. Additionally, the inside of rear tires wear out quicker. The general consensus on acceptable rear camber ranges from 0 to -1.5 degrees. When aftermarket spring sets are added and used to drop the vehicle, the amount of negative camber increases. Say for instance you decide to drop your BMW or MINI 1.5 inches. This amount of drop equates to about -3 degrees of camber on the rear wheels - 100% more than the aforementioned acceptable amount! Even if your BMW or MINI stock arms are adjustable, they will probably only be able to reduce camber to -2.5 degrees due to limited extension. With aftermarket rear control arms, you can make camber adjustments from anywhere between 0 and 4 degrees. Aftermarket arms for BMWs and MINIs from reputable designers can reduce negative camber and increase handling. If you're thinking about dropping your car a few inches and already have a rear sway bar installed, performance-grade adjustable arms are a must. Too much negative camber in the rear disrupts the benefits of your swaybar. If you've installed a swaybar, especially on your MINI, you've installed it because you want to reduce understeering. Negative camber in the rear will increase understeering and, consequently, decrease the effectiveness of your swaybar. When extenable rear arms are taken advantage of, you're able to retain the benefits of your swaybar and lower your vehicle to a desirable level. Lastly, BMWs and MINIs have four rear control arms - two upper and two lower. It's only necessary to replace lower ones with performance-grade extendable arms to effectively decrease camber. Upper arms may remain stock, adjustable or not. After replacing your stock rear arms with aftermarket ones, expect a huge difference in handling and easier camber adjustments.