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Isn't this meadow soothing? Let's pave a road through it! I'm James Riswick and these are my random thoughts published daily. Recent Posts
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CarSpace Thoughts from the CurbCar Reviews, News and Random Thoughts from Edmunds.com Automotive Editor James Riswick Feb 17, 2009 - 2009 BMW 750i: Stay Snowy San Diego!
I'm on the North American press launch for the BMW 7 Series and Mini Cooper Convertible. I don't have much time to go into the details, but I thought I'd pass on a few pictures from my day driving a 750Li around snowy San Diego county. That's right, it was snowing in the mountains. The guys from Detroit were just thrilled -- "We came to Southern California for this?!?" The above picture is me showing off BMW's new side view camera display. The cameras are located just forward of each front wheel well. It's pretty cool. They keep you have edging into oncoming traffic -- Rolls-Royce has had a similar set-up on the Phantom. They also make for a swell self-portrait. The below picture was the scene at the lunch spot in Julian, Calif., where it was a balmy 31 degrees with a lovely fog in the air. Sadly, the snow had stopped before I could snag the picture. As for the car, der neue 7er is a big improvement over its hated predecessor. I'll have more about that on either here, or over on Edmunds Daily in the future. -James Riswick 
Feb 4, 2009 - Behind the Scenes: 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 Test Drive
Going live today on Edmunds.com is my test drive of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4Matic. I think the article speaks for my favorable opinions of the thing, but here's the behind the scenes story of the above photo. It was a rare rainy day in the Los Angeles area, which was good for flowers but crap for automotive photo shoots. Nevertheless, photographer Kurt Niebuhr and I ventured out in hopes that we could actually get something done. On our drive out to Los Angeles' warehouse district (location for many Edmunds shoots), the rain let up, but the roads were obviously still wet. While driving around looking for "beauty locations" (the non-moving shots), I stumbled upon an idea. "What if we found a huge puddle and drove through it?" I pondered. "I like the way you think," Kurt replied. The search began and we quickly found a massive grouping of puddles at the end of a small warehouse street's T intersection. It was like the Great Lakes. Kurt got out of the GLK and set up on the opposite side of the intersection. I made my first run at between 25 and 30 mph, completely unaware of how deep the puddle was. Oh it was deep. Kurt was laughing quite a bit when I swung around to ask if that would work. Oh yes it would. We ended up doing about eight runs and amazingly, the puddle kept replenishing itself from its surrounding tributaries. The '90s Honda Civic hatchback parked nearby received a thorough car wash of dirty rain water (sorry). Even when charging through these puddles, the GLK maintained its impeccable composure. It only made me like it more. -James Riswick 
Jan 14, 2009 - 2009 Nissan Frontier: A Week with 'My Truck'
I've started to call this 2009 Nissan Frontier Pro4X "my truck." See, with the exception of one night, I've been driving it since last Monday, which is an absolute eternity around here. Even with cars I'm assigned to do road tests for, I'm usually in them for a weekend plus maybe two nights. That's because most cars get both an Edmunds and Inside Line write-up -- the Frontier's here just for Edmunds. But the big news is that I'm not tired of it, which is a miracle given the Frontier is a pickup. Three days into my week with a Dodge Dakota this summer and I was frantically clamoring for anything remotely sporty. I could only take our Silverado or Tundra one night at a time. But the Frontier is different. Its more compact dimensions and tight, communicative steering make it feel relatively nimble. The 4.0-liter V6 is less powerful and about a half-second slower 0-60 than the V8-powered Dakota, but it's torque-rich and I've found it perfectly capable of getting the Frontier moving around town. I'm also quite comfortable driving it, without the long-reaches or squished legs common of pickups (thanks to no telescoping steering wheels). The controls are also placed high and within easy reach. Of course, the Pro-4X's off-road suspension has made highway travel a spleen-shaking affair, but I've driven the GT-R to Vegas so I'm used to it (ditto the girlfriend). Otherwise, I've enjoyed my nine truck-driving days. The Nissan Frontier is a great example of the breed, happy playing in the snow and commuting in the city -- plus I've yet to tire of it. Personally, I'd say that's its greatest victory. -James Riswick
Jan 5, 2009 - 2009 Nissan Xterra: A Miata for the Casual Off-Roader
Even though I've driven most truck-based SUVs presently sold, I rarely get a chance to drive them. That's mostly because many are old models and therefore don't visit our garage, but also because they are quite simply a dying breed outnumbered by a whole heap of unibody crossovers better suited to the car-buying public. While truck utes like the Kia Borrego and Chevy Tahoe try their damndest to mask their true nature, the 2009 Nissan Xterra does not -- and it doesn't have to. Like the Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota FJ Cruiser, the Xterra is intended to be driven off-road and doesn't hide from the fact. If you don't like the rough ride, the stiff steering at low speeds and the three-foot climb into the cabin, buy a Rogue. But somehow, even though the relatively new Xterra is unabashedly old school, I felt a lot more connected to it than so many crossovers like the Rogue. That stiff hydraulic steering at low speeds is well-weighted at higher ones, plus a ton more communicative than its soft-roading sister's electric setup. That rough ride makes me feel more connected to the road as well, plus the truck-like roar of the engine makes me feel all macho. The FJ Cruiser is the same way and I love it. If I lived in Colorado or somewhere, I'd much sooner own one of these than a RAV or Rogue. Subsequently, while the Explorers of this world may eventually die (the Durango's already dead), I think smaller truck-based SUVs like the FJ, Wrangler and Xterra will maintain a token, dedicated fan base. They are the Miatas of the casual off-road crowd. -James Riswick
Dec 22, 2008 - 2009 Ford Escape in Canada
Greetings from Mississauga, Ontario. The hometown of one James D. Riswick. I'm up here on Christmas vacation and to get around this frozen tundra, I enlisted some help from my friends at Ford Canada who set me up with a 2009 Ford Escape XLT 4WD with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder. Other than being a way to get around, this is my first time experiencing the Escape's new four-cylinder. It's now enough to move the thing, but it's constantly moany and unhappy sounding. There'll be more Escape thoughts as the week goes on, though. To pick up the Escape, I went through what I figure to be a true Canadian right of passage. Getting the keys from the confused Sunday morning security guard at Ford Canada HQ, I marched out into the uncleared parking lot (there was about 20 cm of snow on the ground) to find the Escape covered in powder. There was a good 50 cm of snow built up in between the Escape and the Flexes beside it. With the ice scraper and brush Ford was kind enough to provide, I cleared off as much of the car as I could -- including the roof -- to avoid being one of those jerks who drives down the road providing an extra dose of blizzard to those driving behind. It took about 10 minutes, but I finally got the car cleared. Some would consider this a pain in the ass, but I live where it's 72 degrees and sunny during the 51 other weeks of the year. I can clear off one Ford Escape on week 52. But holy crap was it cold. The in-car thermometer read -14 C last night (do your own conversion) -- and to think we were just shivering in L.A.'s record-low 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Wimps. -James Riswick
Dec 19, 2008 - 2009 Honda FCX Clarity: Driving in the Future
It dawned on me yesterday that the most expensive car I've ever driven is now a Honda. Take that Rolls-Royce. With rain falling, Josh Sadlier, Warren Clarke, Paul Seredynski and I took the Honda FCX Clarity for a spin around the block to see what it's like to drive in the future. I was the first behind the wheel. Since the FCX has such a concept car feel to it, it was actually surprising to find that all the audio and climate functions worked. This was actually a real car. Albeit one powered by hydrogen and styled from the future. As such, I actually didn't think to put the weird stubby gear selector in reverse. For some ungodly reason I just assumed future car would read my mind and start reversing by itself when I lifted my foot off the brake. Sure, I may be stupid, but our long-term FX50 can steer and brake for itself, so is that so difficult to contemplate? No? OK, I'm just stupid. Like a Prius, the Clarity glides forward silently with only a mild electric motor whine. Unlike the Prius, the gas engine never kicks in because, you know, it doesn't have one. Pulling onto Colorado Boulevard, I decided to mash the gas, er, hydrogen. Acceleration is hardly brisk, but its OK for your typical Prius driver. Plus, when you lay into it, that electric motor whine turns into a high-pitched squeal -- it sounds exactly like a screaming Mini Me ("eeeeeeeeeeee!"). When you do this, the weird little dot in the middle of the huge power monitoring gauge grows in size and turns from blue to green to bright yellow. I'm not sure what that really does, but it freaks me out because it looks like HAL 9000. I half expected it at some point to respond "I'm sorry James, but I can't do that" and then cut power. One of my driving comrades actually commented that he was surprised such a futuristic car didn't talk to you. Moments later, Sadlier took off his seat belt to switch drivers. "Warning, passenger seatbelt has been disengaged," the friendly female FCX said. Eerie. The real surprise was that the FCX Clairty has really good communicative steering -- better than the Acura TSX. At our track, its performance on the skidpad and slalom was stunning given what we've come to expect from eco vehicles. I suppose when you're building a $1 million car from the future, you might as well make it handle well. So that's what it's like to drive in the future. Gears won't be changed with your thoughts and the engine sounds like Mini Me, but at least it's reasonably fun to drive. Oh, and it didn't go all Hindenberg on us. Not blowing up is always nice. -James Riswick
Dec 17, 2008 - 2009 Mercedes-Benz GLK350: I Suddenly Like Mercedes
Up until recently, I had a very dim view of Mercedes-Benz. Its cars seemed horribly overpriced, I heard they were horribly unreliable, their headlights looked like peanuts and I didn't find their interiors particularly impressive. I also had a dim view of their owners. A white Benz meant you were a rich suburban housewife. A black one meant you were a douche bag (times 8 if you own a C240). I'm not sure what silver meant, but since that seems to be the only other color people buy Mercedes in, I'll just say it meant you're uncreative (but at least not as much of a douche bag). Any way, although my opinion of Mercedes buyers hasn't really changed, my opinion of the cars certainly has. I must admit that part of it is that I'm actually driving the cars now, although my veteran colleagues are all quick to point out that Mercedes has dramatically improved with the most recent batch of automobiles. Specifically, that impenetrable, indestructable, ridiculously overengineered tank-like feeling is back. Our long-term C300 has this and so does the new GLK350 I drove this past weekend. Quite simply, the GLK feels like the most solidly constructed SUV I've ever been in. There's not a single bit of chassis flex or shutter when you go over a bump -- even the gnarly potholed pavement and rail road tracks I repeatedly drove over during a photoshoot downtown. The GLK feels like it could drive over a grenade and you'd only register a minor thump. The cars once again feel like they're constructed out of a block of iron and I think its fitting that they are starting to look a little more edgy and block-of-iron-like. Not as many rounded edges and no peanut headlights. They look solid and are solid. Their interiors are now befitting the cars' price tags and that awful old COMAND has been replaced by a much better system. And even if they aren't the canyon-carving tools that BMW produces, who cares? The latest Benz models are still brilliant to drive. They're also reportedly more reliable. Mercedes-Benz has turned things around after experimenting with cost cutting and rounded shapes. I find myself suddenly liking Mercedes and have therefore realized that if you buy one you're not necessarily doing it because you're a suburban housewife or a douche bag. There's still a good chance you are, so to be on the safe side, I'd buy a green one. -James Riswick
Dec 5, 2008 - 2009 Subaru Tribeca: Driving Position Unintended For Humans
This is how it looks when I drive the Subaru Tribeca. Note how the steering wheel is just slightly forward of my knees and just a smidge above them too. Note how its about parallel to the stereo volume knob. Note how my arm is at full lock. This is just about the worst driving position I've come across. No telescoping column and the bus-like wheel angle have a lot to do with this, but the seat is mounted far too high. The entire interior has a helicopter feel to it, as if I was hovering above it all. Despite the center console being fairly high off the ground, the climate controls still manage to be at my knee level. Then look at the LCD screen -- it's actually a touchscreen, although to touch it you have to lean far forward or be Michael Phelps. I was given the Tribeca for a weekend, but after driving it home on the Friday night, I was back in the office Saturday morning for my Z3 -- I just couldn't drive something so clearly unintended for someone my size. But it's not like I'm freakishly tall at 6-foot-3 whining either, and 6-foot Josh Sadlier also was quick to complain about the driving position. If a car doesn't fit us, particularly an SUV, that's a problem. The Ford Flex also has no telescoping wheel (which is a problem), but its high-mounted seat isn't an issue and at least its wheel angle is perpandicular like a car. The rest of the Tribeca's interior is hopelessly overstyled and looks like a concept car (curved silver buttons, fake-looking digital fuel gauge and strange plastic gauge covers that distort the numbers and look like Madonna's cone bra). This is a pointless vehicle that in no way fits in with the rest of Subaru's line-up. As I said last week, it's like a Buick Rendezvous with a boxer engine and a weirdo cabin...and a crap driving position. -James Riswick
Dec 4, 2008 - Putting $60,145 Worth of Options on a $44,600 Car
I was assigned to write the 2009 Porsche Cayenne Edmunds model review this week and as I often do, I hit the manufacturer Web site's Build Your Own function to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the vehicle's ordering structure. Since I have in the past pined away building 911s just for the hell of it, I already knew Porsches came with a staggering number of options that are mostly hilariously overpriced -- the Cayenne is no exception. So I decided to see just how loaded and how expensive I could get. I ended up putting $60,145 worth of options on a base Cayenne V6 that starts at only $44,600. That's a grand total of $105,720, and there were option boxes left unchecked. Here's what that gets you: GTS Red ($3,140), Black/Chestnut Natural Leather ($4,680), Sport Design Exterior Body Kit Package ($4,785), Stainless Steel Nose & Tail Trim ($1,480), Bi-Xenon headlights and washers ($1,560), Porsche Entry & Drive ($995), Rear Camera & Parking Sensors ($2,670!!!), Panoramic roof ($3,900!!!), Side Window Screens ($190), Air Suspension ($2,990), Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control ($3,510), Dual Twin Pipes ($1,290), 21-inch match-to-paint wheels ($7,590), Sport seats with memory ($1,420), Light Comfort Package ($610), Heated Front and Rear Seats & Heated Wheel ($1,190), 4-Zone Climate Control ($2,240), Instrument Dials in Guards Red ($1,200), Extended Leather Package ($2,505), Leather Air Vents Package ($2,160), Thicker two-tone steering wheel ($985), Leather steering column ($830), Porsche Crest in Armrest ($415), Porsche Crest in Headrests ($285), Navigation system and touchscreen interface ($3,300), 6-CD changer ($650), iPod/USB audio interface ($440), Bose Surround Sound System ($1,690), Bluetooth ($695), XM satellite radio ($750), 6-speed manual transmission ($Free!) What a freakin deal! -James Riswick 
Nov 19, 2008 - 2010 Mazda 3: It Ain't Broke, So They Didn't Fix It
"They're replacing the Mazda 3? What for? It's still so good." That was the general concensus when I mentioned I was attending the all-new 2010 Mazda 3 press event. Even though the current 3 dates back to 2003, it's still holding up remarkably well -- we editor types are still throwing awards at it and its sales figures have consistently gone up. The 3 always drove like a junior sport sedan and its interior did much to back that up. I thought this new car looked good, but frankly, I was expecting the worst in terms of driving dynamics. Thankfully, the 2010 Mazda 3 takes all that was good about the outgoing 3 and makes it even better. As Ruben Archilla, Group Manager for Mazda R&D, said, "Our customers were happy. We didn't see the need to reinvent the wheel."
The many other changes and full driving impressions will be revealed in the future Inside Line first drive by Josh Jacquot, but here are a few of the latter based on my drive yesterday through the Santa Monica Mountains. I first drove the 148-horsepower 3 i Touring with the five-speed manual. Starting this 2.0-liter four-cylinder up no longer sounds like revving up a circular saw, while power delivery feels a little smoother and a tad punchier. Even in this more basic form, the 3 carved through Topanga Canyon like a champ. I later drove a 2.5-liter 3 s Grand Touring with five-speed automatic transmission. Obviously there's a bit more oomph available, although like the outgoing car, it feels faster off the line than it actually is, running out of steam as revs rise. The steering has actually gotten a bit weightier and feelyer for 2010 in the s -- fancy that in this age of electric steering being slapped onto everything. With its smartly designed and beautifully crafted interior, I couldn't help but feel like I was driving a small Acura. In fact, I'd much rather drive the 3 than the TSX, which costs about 10 grand more. After my experiences with this all-new 3, the king is definitely still the king. The 2010 Mazda 3 remains the car to buy in the compact hatch category, and in this weak economy, I'd even venture to say its worth a look for entry-level luxury shoppers -- it's that good. -James Riswick
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