What Separates A Luxury Vehicle From the Pack

For today's (admittedly short) post, I want to open the forum on what truly makes a "luxury" vehicle a luxury vehicle. Back in the late 90's and early 2000's, luxury vehicles truly stood on a pedestal all their own. Makers like Audi, BMW and Mercedes were considered among many true tier luxury vehicles. Usually swaddled with leather and fine woods on the inside, advanced (for the time) technological features, and comfortably powerful engines. Thrown into the mix were Japanese competitors Acura, Infiniti and Lexus who brought their best to combat these luxury giants. Lexus gained infamy for its dealership experience and high reliability marks. Infiniti, although facing a bleak beginning, soon was able to niche into its own as one writer described as "the Japanese BMW." Acura still is strangely in limbo, trying to shed it's image as simply "nicer Hondas" and with their new advances in technology they are truly setting their crosshairs on the heavy hitters.

But these days, what do you perceive as luxury? 
Simply a leather strewn interior? You can get that in a Honda Civic.  Turbocharged engines? Most modern brands have at least one or multiple turbocharged offerings. Advanced features such as swiveling headlamps and passive entry? Available on your well endowed Mazda3. So how are these poised luxury brands reaching ahead of the pack? Each is approaching at a different angle but they have certainly all made a strong case for themselves as true luxury vehicle manufacturers.

Let's get into some examples. Recently, Audi is approaching more and more to the autonomous vehicle. In fact, it is one of the most mainstream brands that is most nearing to the technology. True, Google has been testing their own autonomous technology on the homely Prius. But Audi wants to take that further. They are working to create a system that can actually take you to your destination, allow you to exit your vehicle and then find a parking spot and park all without any driver assistance.  It is ideas and (hopefully) executions like this that start to put space between luxury brands and more commonplace brands.


Another example that comes to mind is Mercedes-Benz. Not only does Mercedes lay claim to creating the "original" automobile, they have pioneered the streamlined integration of features such as seatbelts and air bags. While resting on those laurels might be sweet, they need to press and advance to keep one cut above the rest. Their modern offerings can be had with complete LED lighting inside and out, "magic" sunroofs and complete leather interiors rivaling offerings from extreme luxury giants Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

So what do you think? What is your idea of "modern" luxury. Does it simply come down to leather here and there, maybe a splash of wood trim and calling it a day? Or does every single detail and feature of the vehicle work in cohesion to give the customer the most absolute luxury experience.

10 Vehicle Features We Didn't Know We Needed

I haven't had a chance to update in awhile (I feel like I can only use this excuse so much) but today I am finally get around to posting some new material. Working with cars and around cars, you begin to learn and understand how they tick and what makes them work. New vehicles are extremely intuitive and safe, with features that can monitor your blind spot and even actively pull you back in your lane if you swerve out. Eventually, vehicles will be driving themselves. I wish I was kidding but this is a reality we should all be ready to face.
Some vehicle features, once used, are so sorely missed and desired on new vehicles that customers mentally add them to a list of "must-haves" when making a vehicle purchase. Today, I want to outline a few features I think are some of the most useful and successful with new car customers.

Heads-Up Display

The heads-up display has found prominence in the luxury car market and has even trickled down into mainstream markets as well. BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz all offer their own iteration of a heads-up display which put simply displays a variety of useful information such as current speed, navigation directions, and media options. The reason this is so useful is because it allows drivers to make inputs without taking their eyes off the roads so it has a two-fold use.

Hands Free Trunk/Liftgate

An ingenious yet simple idea that will surely catch on to most modern vehicles. It allows the driver to open the trunk or rear hatch of a vehicle by simply waving their foot under the rear bumper. When you have a hand full of groceries, children or any sort of luggage this is seriously a welcome feature. Ford has implemented the technology on the Escape, Volkswagen on the Passat and multiple German luxury brands.

Easy Fill Tire Alert

Nissan has introduced this innovative feature for their most recent generation of the Altima. How the system works is when you fill any of your airs with tires, there is no need for a gauge anymore. As you fill the tire, the car will honk the horn when the amount reaches the recommended psi. This eliminates the need for dealership visits for filling up tires and pesky low-tire notifications.

Surround View Cameras

Recently, the camera has become an automotive staple once reserved for the luxury market it is available on nearly every mainstream vehicle and for a great reason. But one camera was simply not enough for automakers, they wanted improved and intuitive use. Range Rover on new models has actually integrated five cameras on a single vehicle that can combine to form a birds-eye view if you will. This combined with parking sensors surround the vehicle, you can trust that your $80,000 luxury SUV will remain scratch free.

In-Vehicle Wi-fi and LTE Connectivity

Chevrolet has been on the surge to turn their brand around by offering more premium vehicles with much improved dynamics and features. One such innovation, which Audi is also working on, is in car connectivity. How it works is it makes your vehicle a mobile hotspot, allowing you to connect and use data sent from the vehicle. Although, yes, this could lead to safety concerns, the idea is extremely innovative and is something sure to be seen on higher-end vehicles and eventually mainstream makers.

Dynamic Suspension Adjustment

A neat feature that is quickly showing up in all sorts of vehicle segments from mid-size family sedans to extremely high end performance vehicles. This electronically adjusts aspects of the vehicle such as steering effort, suspension stiffness and engine response to change your vehicle from a comfortable cruiser to a full blown sports car. Customers love choices, and this opens up even more doors we didn't know existed.

Heated Windshield Wipers

Along with defrosters in the front window as well as the back window, companies are taking this approach even farther. Range Rover and Jaguar have long utilized a fully heated windshield which is much more effective and responsive than a typical defroster. One new innovation that is rising is heated windshield wipers. When the blades are encased in ice, they actually warm themselves up and free themselves which also clearing the ice on the windshield. Brilliant.

Panoramic Sunroofs and Moonroofs

A feature that has actually been around for quite some time but it still extremely important and aesthetically pleasing. Panoramic sunroofs essentially utilize the unused space on the roof to accommodate extra panels of glass. This gives the vehicle and larger, airier feel and is a delight to passengers. It offers the benefits of a standard sunroof two fold.

Self-Healing Paint

An extremely innovative and useful feature that Nissan has released within recent years is the concept and execution of self healing paint. How it works is somewhat complicated, but in short in utilizes sun rays as well as special polymers within the paint surface to fill and hide light scratches. Sadly, it may not be able to heal from the deep key marks left from a now past relationship.

Active Blind Spot Monitoring

One of the biggest hurdles of vehicle operation is blind spots. These are zones that either are hidden by body panels or are out reach by the side mirrors or a combination of both, easily one of the most frustrating issues. Automakers have created a simple but very effective fix with blind spot monitors. They used special sensors located on the rear of the vehicle to detect any sort of presence in a spot that would be unsafe to navigate in to. A double benefit is that vehicles with such safety features also gets more slack on insurance costs.

-Cameron

BMWinter

Hey everyone. I have been slacking, I will admit. With spring break come and gone, and now entering April (only one month left of school!) I haven't posted as much as I would like. We have been hit with flurries of snow, torrents of hail and rain, as well as days with strangely warm weather. I think the warm weather has won out and is here to stay. That is, until warm becomes the 'surface of the sun' hot as Oklahomans commonly feel. However, in the past month I have had the chance to drive some very different vehicles and today am gonna give a quick little review of the cars and what I liked and disliked.

2015 435i xDrive

The 4 Series is a new addition for BMW, moving from simply calling it a 3 Series Coupe, it spawned into its very own nomenclature. It is a gorgeous vehicle, very low and wide with an aggressive stance. In this form, the M Sport with 19 inch wheels, it looks even more menacing. Under the hood you have 300 horsepower at your disposal meaning this is no slouch. The interior is plenty luxurious, although there are slabs of hard plastic place throughout that are not pleasant to the touch. This 4 Series was heavily, heavily optioned out and costs roughly $62,000. Beauty is pain, as they say.

2015 750i xDrive

The 7 Series is the BMW answer to the Mercedes S-Class, however the 7 is languishing in it's age and will need a replacement post haste if it wants to remain competitive. However, thats not to downplay how great this car is. It features a 4.4 liter twin turbo V8 putting out almost 450 horsepower, and for a 5,000 pound machine it gets up in a hurry. The interior is where the drawbacks and age really show themselves. Although luxuriously equipped, compared to its class it is lacking. Heres to hoping the next generation gives Mercedes a run for its money.

2015 X3 28i (Top) and 35i (Bottom) xDrive

The X3, the compact SUV is a delightful little car. It mixes the sporty appeal of the 3 Series while taking some luxury cues from its big brother, the X5. The 28i is powered by a turbo 4 cylinder good for 240 horsepower, but the 35i uses the familiar turbo six cylinder for 300 horsepower. Both are plenty fast and plenty quiet, the 4 cylinder feels much more nimble however. They have very useable cargo space that stepping up to a larger vehicle might not be your best answer. I advise anyone with interest in a small SUV to check out the X3. Or maybe it's stylish brother the X4:

-Cameron

Special Topic: Why Is Racism Still An Issue?

Just a mere few days ago, a video surfaced of members of SAE, a fraternity at the University of Oklahoma, engaging in a chant. But this was not an uplifting chant, nor was it positive in any aspect. The video shows the members chanting racist slurs, further by saying these types of people would never be in the SAE house. The video is extremely deplorable, brutally racist and so bigoted that it would only be a matter of moments before it caught the attention of the internet.

And it caught on like a wildfire. The video went hugely viral, and news of the chant spread not only throughout Oklahoma but to a national scale. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram exploded with backlash of the reckless and cruel fraternity video. For those of you who have (somehow) not seen the video, here is is:

As soon as it exploded, actions were taken swiftly and harshly. The president of the university came out with a public speech condemning the fraternity and its action, saying this in no way reflects what OU stands for and their disgraceful actions would have consequences. The fraternity was completely disbanded and exiled from the campus, the house was dismembered. However, the attention has little but died down. There have been spots on national news, people across the nation are outraged and Oklahoma is in the crosshairs for peaceful protests because of its now perceived racist image.

But why is racism still in issue? Even in this day 2015, 40 years after that historical movement in Selma, Alabama we are accosted with stories about racist offenses. Is this simply internalized from our ancestors? Is there proper education provided in schools and universities about these negative comments, how they affect those they are aimed towards? Is it the media to blame, social media not excluded. No one is quite sure. In a world where we are all uniquely different and each and every one of us is (or should be) capable of success, why?

The fire started by this fraternities ludicrous actions may slowly abide, but it will never be forgotten. They have left another stain on Oklahoma's already tarnished reputation and it seems that we are caught up in a constant game of catch up. Until we, as a state, much more a nation, can truly end racism and live in a realm of equality, we must sleep in the bed we have made.

-Cameron

Personal Update: My First 2 Weeks At Jackie Cooper BMW

Is anyone reading really surprised I work at BMW? Hear me out, hear me out. Through a series of connections, I was set up with a series of interviews and eventually landed the spot for position of BMW Genius. What exactly is a BMW Genius? It is my part to instruct new and returning customers about the vehicles when they purchase them or return at a later date. I pair their phones, set up the radio, show them each and every function of the vehicle. Before I even applied I just knew, this is the perfect job for me!

I am going on my third week now and everything has been wonderful. All of the staff are friendly, funny and engaging. If I ever have any questions, they happily answer it for me. I have taken some time to test drive each vehicle to get a feel for it and learn new functions of it. Ranging from a bare bones 320i to the elaborate 650i xDrive Convertible, I have had some seat time in some amazing cars and am learning every single day.

This coming weekend will the the Oklahoma Auto Show where local dealerships will come to display their latest and greatest and I, along with my two other Genuises have been instructed to help. I actually feel involved and part of a team because of events such as this, I cannot say that about some previous endeavors. My job is not necessarily fast paced but I love it nonetheless. Going from a crummy retail job to something I truly enjoy and have no resistance to coming to work has been a godsend to say the least.

I will try and post more as I get further settled into my position, but I can already tell it will be nothing but smooth sailing from here on out.

-Cameron

Interesting Facts You May Not Have Known in the Automotive World

Let me apologize in advance for that click-bait title. It's hard not to follow the all-powerful Buzzfeeds example because it just works so darn well. But ah yes, as the title states today I want to go over a few things about the automotive world that your common pedestrian might not know. There isn't much that is "secret" about the car business, it is fairly cut and dry. However, there are quirks and neat facts about these companies that (still) surprise others when I mention it to them. If you breeze through this list and aren't seeing any new information than perhaps we should get together because you are the kind of person I want to be friends with. But, on to the point!

Did You Know?...

Volkswagen houses a crazy number of different car companies

Volkswagen has a much higher presence in other parts of the globe than here in the United States and the list of companies under its corporate umbrella are staggering. There is, of course, Volkswagen. But also included are:

-Audi

-Bentley

-Bugatti

-Ducati (Motorcycles)

-Lamborghini

-Porsche

-SEAT*

-Skoda*

* brands not available in the U.S.

This makes VW synonymous with GM as a giant vehicular force to be reckoned with because of it's brand diversity and size!

Acura=Honda, Infiniti=Nissan, Lexus=Toyota

This one I have found a 50/50 balance of those who know and those who had no clue. In 1986, Honda was one of the first mainstream manufacturers to create a "premium, luxury" brand. The vehicles Acura introduced relied heavily on Honda components but were devised to be more luxurious and upscale to set them apart from the lesser pack. 3 years later, both Nissan and Toyota were not going to sit idly by and offered their own luxurious counterparts, Infiniti and Lexus, respectively. In modern day, these brands have gone to great lengths to differentiate their mainstream offerings and upscale offerings and it's a formula that has proved to be very successful. All praise to Honda however, for without Infiniti and Lexus might not exist.

Sexy, right?

Almost all "import" vehicles are actually made here in the United States

Due to the rising cost of importing vehicles from countries such as Japan and Germany, automakers are shifting their production to right here in North America. This is important for multiple factors: it reduces the cost of importing, meaning vehicle price would be lower to balance this, it provides multiple jobs for Americans every year, it lessens the time of production if a vehicle is ordered, and so on. For example, various Volkswagen models are made in Tennessee. The vast majority of BMW SUVs are actually created in South Carolina. However, this isn't to say each and every component of the vehicle is American, quite the contrary. Most parts are actually imported but then assembled at the plant here.

I aimed to keep this list fairly short and simple, as I will add different facts and info throughout the life of this blog so make sure you check back every so often and you might just learn something new for once!

-Cameron

Spotlight: BMW X6 xDrive35i

Okay, yes. Another review of another BMW. I'm sorry what can I say, they have always had a special place in my heart. In the winter of 2013, my mom traded up from her lovely 2006 Alpine White 330i sedan to a more burly Space Grey X6. The X6 has about 100 more horsepower and torque but suffers from a weight gain of almost 2000 pounds. Thats a lot of extra mass to move. The 3 series, on average, weighs about 3,500 to 4,000 pounds. The X6 can weigh upwards of 6,000 pounds! 

However, the X6 is much more posh than the 3 series. With luxuries like a heated steering wheel, keyless access to the doors, and fine leather throughout the vehicle, it's a gem of a car. This post is simple, and short, and simply to showcase the X6 and it's interesting curves and lines as well as the bold interior. I'll throw in a few photos of her 3 series as well. I am proud to say I hand-detailed both vehicles in the photos, detailing has become a huge hobby of mine so if you or someone you know needs a nice detail job, I'm your guy.

At the end is a bonus video showing off the nice exhaust note of the X6 as well. Thanks for reading!

-Click to enlarge images-

-Cameron

6 Questionable Cars on Sale Today

Design is subjective. One mans priceless piece of art is one mans worthless piece of art. Be it a painting, sculpture, drawing, anything in which a creative process was used to construct the piece. Cars are in this very same vein. Cars typically take months and months to conceptualize, detail and finalize a design. A lot of sweat and hard work goes into designing a vehicle, their very life and sales ride on that. As the saying goes "don't judge a book by its cover" but when your typical consumer plans to purchase a vehicle, their very first impression is from exterior design. As years have passed, automakers are pushing the envelope on vehicle design, a gamble that has struck big for some and a sour note for others. I want to cover those sort notes, as a (admittedly) subjective view of some of the most ill-designed vehicles that currently are on roads today. As with my previous list, this is in no set order they are all 6 different examples. Let's get started shall we?

-Click on images to enlarge them-

6. Kia SOUL

This car is very precise on it's demographic. It is focused on younger adults, who may or may not have kids, who need ample space and a funky design to stand out amongst the crowd. Their formula worked, these things sell in masses. The styling is different, sure, but maybe too different for the sake of being different. The odd looking face, strangely styled massive wheels and weird pseudo SUV stance are just a bit much for my tastes.

5. Lincoln MKT

Oddly enough, I went from praising a Lincoln in a previous article and am now bashing on one? This car is an entirely different beast though. The MKT is essentially a Lincoln Edge, a vehicle Ford sells that has equally funky but somehow more appealing styling. This Lincoln is, to put lightly, a disaster. The  weird kink in the belt line along the back, the hilariously oversized whale-inspried grill, and poser wagon look will not do this SUV any favors in the future. Which, surprisingly looks bleak as 2015 will be the end of the MKT. Good riddance.

4. Nissan Cube

Okay so I am starting to see a pattern. I really do not hate all boxy, small vehicles for younger demographics. Honest. But maybe it's because they all look similar that I group them into one "nope" group. The Nissan Cube is a vehicle that has long been on sell in its home market, Japan, before being brought over in 2009. The asymmetrical window, buggy headlights, strangely rounded yet also flat body and a very quirky interior all contribute to the fact that this vehicle is for those with more daring taste than I.

3. Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Regardless of how successful this vehicle has been for MB (seriously, the factories cannot keep pace with demand), the styling is extremely forced. They tried to incorporate so many trends and cram it into one design and it's just a busy looking little car. The fake air vents on the back, the styling trying to pose as the much costlier CLS-Class, the base model is outdone even by a Honda Accord in luxury. Oh, and it's also front-wheel drive making one of the first Mercedes to adopt this. Yeah, not my cup of tea.

2. BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo

BMW is on a serious binge of hits and misses. In one corner, the have the beautiful 4 and 6 Series models, and then on other they have models like. This. The 5-Series Gran Turismo is BMW's answer to Americas hatred of hatchbacks and wagons. They tried to combine the functionality of those body styles with a sedan and it just did not work out well. The rear end looks like it was grafted from a wagon, with the front coming from a sedan and the slumpy middle section is just very vague. Opt for either a wagon or a sedan, don't try and meet in the middle with this Frankenstein like vehicle.

1. Fiat 500L

The Fiat brand, after being absent in America's market, has returned since 2010 with its widely popular (more common) 500. However, Fiat noticed a need to fill a niche: "Customers want a Fiat, but they want more functionality and room. Let's balloon the 500 way up!" and like magic, we have the 500L. However, unlike the simple and fun design of the 500, the 500L is drab. It resembles a mini-van minus the sliding doors, it's only true competitor might be the Mini Countryman which trumps this vehicle in almost every aspect. The growing trend of downsizing SUV's may have its merits, but automakers are seriously scrambling and throwing money just to fill these niches.

-Cameron

Top 5 Interiors for 2015

2015 is just now under way and with it, it has brought a fleet of new vehicles. Now, new can be a relative term. Some vehicles have been on sale prior to any auto shows. In this case, automakers call these a "face-lift" or "mid-generation refresh" and the purpose being to keep the vehicle fresh and sales up. More exciting for automakers is releasing brand new models, either continuations of a famous nameplate or a brand new name plate!
The Detroit Auto Show is an amazing conglomeration of cars, trucks, SUV's, hybrids, etc. from almost all modern day automakers. This is essentially a chance to showcase brand new models as well as focus on changes of current models, such as different trims or special editions. This all can get a little repetitive (read: boring) so let's just get to the point!
The interior of a vehicle is arguably where you will be spending about 97% of the time. These companies have gone to great lengths to lux up interiors with genuine wood finishes, brushed aluminum accents, stitching throughout and buttery smooth leather. Most companies are catching up, as interior quality for all major brands has seen a massive increase in quality in the past few years. In execution, some interiors are just simply more inviting and unique so here are my choices for the top 5 interiors for 2015 vehicles. (Note this list is not in any particular order!)

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5. 2015 Volvo XC90

The XC90 is a very capable SUV from Volvo that first debuted in 2002. This model (shown above) is BRAND new, meaning this poor vehicle had been on the market thirteen years until a new model was revealed. For comparison sakes, the Honda Accord changes body styles about every five years. But alas, with a new model comes an improvement of just about everything to improve on! This interior is absolutely stunning, the color combo does great things for it. Almost all of the interior panels are stitched in leather and the wood is a fine open pore matte variety. Volvo is known for safety and quality, and this interior seriously does not disappoint those values.

4. 2016 Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG 4Matic

The Mercedes lineup is truly a force to be reckoned with, every model offers something substantial and beautiful at the same moment. This model, the new C-Class just recently hit showrooms and is heavily influenced from the much pricier S-Class which is certainly not a bad thing. The interior reflects this, as all of the details are addressed. The steering wheel is thick with a flat bottom to exude sportiness, the center dash area flows so organically while also being ergonomic. Details such as the air vents, the computer in the gauges and the red stitching show Mercedes isn't playing games anymore.

3. 2015 Lincoln MKC

I will admit I am not initially a fan of American automakers. Yes, the make good cars. Yes, they can be just as reliable as the competition. Yes, they can be as stylish. Well, granted most of these things they started truly focusing on within the past five years and it shows. The Lincoln MKC is a compact crossover that has relations with the Ford Escape but you would never know from the outside or in. The cockpit is very minimalist but it flows. The use of light colors to contrast dark colors and complimentary wood shades is impressive. The stitching on the door panels and dashboard spice things up too. Lincoln nailed it this time around.

2. 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe

Okay, I really don't have a preference for Mercedes but they can do an interior like it's nothing. This S-Class coupe is a replacement for the CL, which was at the time a replacement for the S-Class Coupe... either way, it's a home run. The interior is nothing short of world class. It is on par with automakers such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce (no, really.) The leather is hand stitched throughout the interior as well as decorative stitching on the seats which gives it such a unique look. Every angle and detail is cohesive and purposeful, the digital dash that spans to the middle of the console and the Burmeister stereo covers are just small examples. For just about over $100,000 of course you get what you pay for.

1. 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP460

A promising debut from Lamborghini for 2015, the Huracan is (in my humble opinion) one of the cleanest and most realized designs Lamborghini has put out. As per requirement, an incredible interior must match the extremely enticing exterior. Now, the focus is mainly on driver capability and this interior is able to utilize it which always keeping form. Down to the shape of the air vents, to the no frills almost futuristic center stack leading to that ominous looking red ignition button. Luxurious? Maybe not. Utilitarian? Definitely.

When you really think about it, the interior of a vehicle can dictate its fate between being bought or left to languish on the lot. And the automakers are all starting to fully grasp this concept. Honda Civics now have features that BMW's did in the not too distant past, just one bit example to show how times have changed. Of course this isn't the end. These companies are clever and creative. The design of vehicles will never stop evolving and expanding. Its the ones who lead to pack who will come out on top while everyone is simply playing catch-up.

-Cameron