Motor Vehicle Tips

I have to bare up front that I own an older 3-series BMW, so I am quite conscious of its capabilities and flaws. And as many different sorts of autos that I drive, I am always happy to come back to my baby. But when I got behind the wheel of the new 330i (Edmunds pricing at $39,184 ) I could tell that this machine was a sharp step up in performance within a quarter mile.

At my first ride in the driver’s seat, I couldn’t get over the ergonomics of the wheel. Each automobile has one, and I’ve handled a few unusual ones, but my grip hasn’t felt more at home than with this 330i. ( Sadly , it wasn’t a heated steering whilst like the 7-series, and it was quite cold outside.) Then BMW buddies this steering wheel with very precise steering for a sedan-level car.

The German automobiles avoid that Yank makers’ design, instead they provide a slower launch, but smoother, linear acceleration. And the silky 6-cylinder engine is particularly noticeable with a manual transmission in this vehicle. BMW eventually added a 6th gear for the stick shift, and I say it is overdue. My old one has fifty thousand miles and the gearing still makes me look for 6th when I run up thru the gears – but sadly there are only five available. Since the 330i generates 255 hp, much more than I am used to for daily driving, I could have to upgrade my radar detector.

Yes, the car basics are impressive – engine, ride, steering (even the wheel ), but the electronics controls are a laughable discontentment. Anybody which has driven this automobile has a tale about turning on the turn signals from one side to the other and back again, in a vain attempt to turn them off. I know people in the area gave me a wider berth, thinking I used to be a confused and lost driver. The turning signal lever does not ‘click’ into place as the remainder of the world has come to ordinarily expect turn signals to function. With the 330i, you tap the signal, such as for passing, and it automatically flashes 3 times and then turns off. But you can hold the lever a little longer, and you get your normal-action from the turn signal. But on a soft turn, where the signal does not turn off, you need to flick it the other way to turn it off. But in the hurry of the instant, if it is more than a flick, then you just indicated from your signals that you are turning in the opposite direction. And this goes back & forth once in a while till you get accustomed to it.

Other electronic oddities are the Navigation/Radio controls. There are some models of autos where you can intuitively muddle your way to what you need to get done. I could not generate that kind of luck whilst I was driving. My passenger had to repeatedly go thru the owners’ manual that didn’t offer much guidance to get the map or radio station the way we wanted. And we didn’t even have the added i-drive option that so many purchasers complain about. I’m at a loss to provide an explanation for the miss-timing of the automated windshield wipers. I love that Jaguar has this feature down pat, but the 330i wipers were always going too swiftly or too slow ; so kept having to manually adjust the automated windshield wipers. An electronic improvement over the prior 3-series model is the traction control system. The old model would cut the power to the wheels in an obvious fashion, while this model is a seamless experience of artificially superior driving skill.

So whilst the driving experience is a quantum level improvement over the last generation change at BMW, their electronics package gives me some hesitation in purchasing one of these machines. In bumper to bumper traffic, the electronic gadgetry of the 330i becomes more annoying; and only on curvy roads without traffic or law enforcement can you experience the thrill of what this car can offer.

To read more about cars and see some of the most expensive cars in the world, visit thesupercars.org and along the way, have a look at BMW 3 Series used.

Tips and Articles 3 Series Bmw, Berth, bmw, BMW 330i, Buddies, Cylinder Engine, Discontentment, Ergonomics, Gears, German Automobiles, Launch, Linear Acceleration, Manual Transmission, Quarter Mile, Radar Detector, Steering Wheel, Stick Shift, Thousand Miles, Turn Signals, Vain Attempt, Yank

I used to work with a guy who told me that his wife worked for Colt Cars in Cirencester England. I can recall saying "who the devil are they!I guess this was a little rude but I though I had heard of most car manufactures and I didn’t know these guys. Fortunately for me he ignored how rude I was and went on to explain that the aforementioned Colt Cars were in fact a joint venture with Mitsubishi, who I did know and was set up largely to import cars into the UK.

I had forgotten that Britain used to have strict import quotas on foreign vehicles in a vain attempt to protect British manufacturers from the threat to their market from foreign imports. It was not until the people of Britain AKA the Great British public finally worked out that British cars were rubbish and started buying foreign cars instead, this spelled the end for the UK car manufacturers which is a shame but sadly true.

There was a small backlash from people of a certain generation against buying foreign cars particularly Japanese ones but when their Morris Maxi’s and Marinas finally rusted into oblivion they begrudgingly grasped the nettle and now wouldn’t be seen driving anything other than a Micra or Yaris or indeed a Mitsubishi Colt.

Mitsubishi have had mixed fortunes over the years with some successful models and of course you can’t really mention Mitsubishi without talking about their successes with the Ralliart division and the whole Evolution phenomenon. Aside from this though the history of Mitsubishi is quite complex and they have had business partnerships with companies you would not have expected, notably Volvo and Daimler Chrysler to name but two.

Mitsubishi Corporation is a huge concern in Japan of which Mitsubishi Motors are a subsidiary of and with a history that dates back as far as 1917. The logo of three red diamonds, which is shared with over forty other companies within the group, predates Mitsubishi Motors itself by nearly a century. It was chosen by Yataro Iwasaki who was the founder of Mitsubishi. Apparently this represented the badge of the Tosa Clan which had first employed him and his own family emblem was three diamonds. The name Mitsubishi is an amalgamation of Mitsu ("three") and Hishi (literally meaning "water chestnut", which is often used in Japanese to denote a diamond or rhombus).   

Mitsubishi are currently the seventh largest car manufacturer in Japan and seventeenth in the world which puts them as fairly large but not huge by any standards. The main problem for Mitsubishi was that there was a lack of models for the public to choose from, they have however in the last few years worked hard to improve their range of models.

After working with Chrysler since the 1970’s Mitsubishi were then involved with Daimler Chrysler until around 2005. They have also had alliances with Proton and Hyundai but now after some quite drastic financial reorganisation the company seems to be more settled and were able to reveal the award winning I model in 2006. The latest Mitsubishi Lancer received a good reception and Mitsubishi has also now joined up with Peugeot and Citroen to produce the 4007 and C-Crosser these will be sports utility vehicles based on the Outlander. The actual Outlander has superior fuel economy and lower C02 emissions than anything else in its class.

The Shogun or Pajero whose name is rumoured to be rude in Spanish is another vehicle which has ensured Mitsubishi’s success over the years. The latest version is far more refined and is now pitched at the luxury SUV market.

A lesser known fact about Mitsubishi is that Jackie Chan has had a long association with the company so with him on their side I guess they will always be a contender! 

Tips and Articles Automotive, autos, Backlash, British Cars, British Manufacturers, Business Partnerships, car, Car Manufacturers, Cars, Cirencester England, Colt Cars, Colt Mitsubishi, Contender, Daimler Chrysler, Foreign Cars, Import Quotas, Marinas, Micra, mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Colt, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors, Nettle, Vain Attempt, Yaris