What SUVs excel at both luxury and off-roading?
01-22-07, 12:26 PM
#47
Take these figures with a grain of salt. Many different things can affect skidpad figures...tire pressure, tire tread and rubber compound, vehicle load, road surface friction, air and pavement temperature, etc...
Tires are probably the biggest factor. Take any of the test results above, put different tires on the car (even keeping all other things equal), and you will likely come up with a different figure. That also applies, of course, to acceleration, braking distances, and slalom speeds.
That is why I personally don't put a whole lot of stock in published skidpad figures...there are too many variables, and it is only accurate with factory tires....or the tires that the testing organization ( in this case R&T) is using.
Tires are probably the biggest factor. Take any of the test results above, put different tires on the car (even keeping all other things equal), and you will likely come up with a different figure. That also applies, of course, to acceleration, braking distances, and slalom speeds.
That is why I personally don't put a whole lot of stock in published skidpad figures...there are too many variables, and it is only accurate with factory tires....or the tires that the testing organization ( in this case R&T) is using.
01-22-07, 01:24 PM
#48
Lexus Test Driver
01-22-07, 01:33 PM
#49
Lexus Fanatic
Where can one get these miracle .88g tires from since my GS does not even do .88g's stock? These testers get the vehicles straight off the showroom floor. No tire brand switching unless they are tire testing. R&T, Car & Driver, Motortrend have numbers that are consistent to what I posted.
http://www.tirerack.com
01-22-07, 01:39 PM
#50
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http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/t...op-gear-bmw-x3
It can have a skidpad of .99 or over a G, it won't feel nearly as good as a car/wagon.
You might not want to watch this, he gets brutal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy8lCMOZvMI
It can have a skidpad of .99 or over a G, it won't feel nearly as good as a car/wagon.
You might not want to watch this, he gets brutal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy8lCMOZvMI
Granted, I'm not a huge fan of the X3 but they both make some good points.
01-22-07, 01:46 PM
#51
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It's interesting that the X5 has "hill-descent" controll yet it stil only features electronic AWD (not a true low range 4WD system like say in a Land Rover) which is not the best for serious off-roading. Maybe they improved the system? I'm hoping they did, considering the old X5 could get stuck on anything more challenging than a croquet lawn.
01-22-07, 10:20 PM
#52
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Take a look at this video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=EkObxniYlus One seriously cool video with Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond racing a Red Devil.
Last edited by mavericck; 01-22-07 at 10:49 PM.
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