Allegedly a 270-HP BMW Minivan Is In the Works and It’s Rad

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The minivan has had a tough few decades. Their once glorious crown as the preferred people carrier has been usurped by the massive unibody SUVs. Well, as the off-road-focused Ford Bronco and a new line of Jeep Wranglers see massive attention from the SUV world, the minivan may have its opening to step back into the limelight. To aid in the cause, there are now rumors of a hybrid BMW minivan with 270-hp driving around in camouflage. 

Does BMW make a minivan? 

A couple of months ago, Motor1 spied a rather peculiar BMW wrapped in camouflage. It looks like an SUV but lower. And longer. And kind of fat. Could it be? Yes! It sure as hell looks a whole lot like a BMW minivan prototype. 

According to the spy source, what was seen sleuthing around in camo was a BMW 2-Series Active Tourer with full production lights and body. The spy shots suggest a sharper, slightly bigger van for the European market. The newest reports suggest there is something even cooler lurking beneath the hood. 

Someone on the BMW Blog started mentioning the possibility that the BMW minivan might get a 270-hp plug-in hybrid powerplant. This new PHEV van’s engine will be replacing the 225xe and will be called the 230xe. The 270-hp figure will come from a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine supported by an electric motor. This would make it quite the hot minivan. 

Will America get this European minivan? 

BMW Minivan | BMW

As is with most things, Europeans always get the coolest cars. The fact that BMW already makes a van for our friends across the pond and most Americans aren’t even aware tells you all you need to know about the state of the people hauler in America. 

There are still far more questions than answers about the new hybrid BMW minivan. BMW hasn’t said much, but if this turbocharged 2.0-liter hybrid happens, then we know it will at least be a big step up from the older, smaller version. 

The 225xe sports a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine combined with a small electric motor for a total system output of 224 hp. The new hybrid BMW minivan will not only have much more power but will also likely ditch the old six-speed automatic transmission for the eight-speed auto. 

Not only are there cooler power options, but there are also just more of them for the new BMW minivan. The 2 Series Active Tourer will be offered with a choice of four powertrains. These include the gasoline 218i (155 hp), 220i (178 hp), and 223i (200 hp), with the latter two featuring some hybrid technology. On the diesel side, (yes there’s a diesel BMW minivan), there will be the 218d with 148 hp. 

The new BMW minivan is also getting a new look

Two BMW minivans parked next to each other
BMW 2-series GT 300 | BMW

On top of all the killer performance upgrades and options, the new BMW minivan is also getting a new look. The 2AT will get sleeker, sportier lines than the older version while still growing in size. The Active Tourer will replace the strange minivan sedan mix, the BMW Grand Tourer. Other slimming features include pop-out door handles, slim-profile headlights, and new side mirrors. 

The overlook is aggressive and cool while offering more space and performance. It honestly sounds like the best upgrade for a minivan of all time. Let’s just hope we can see a BMW minivan stateside sooner rather than later.  

RELATED: BMW Recall: 50,000 Sedans, SUVs, and Sports Cars Have Dangerous Braking Defect

The post Allegedly a 270-HP BMW Minivan Is In the Works and It’s Rad appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

A MotorBiscuit Chat: Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder on EVs, ADAS, and Used Car Prices

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Shopping for cars today isn’t just a matter of dealing with historically high used car prices. Between debating over electric vehicles and navigating through advanced driver-assistance system terminology, car buying is more complicated than ever. But it’s something Cars.com’s Executive Editor, Joe Wiesenfelder, has decades of experience in. And at the 2021 Chicago Auto Show, I managed to pick his brain on the situation surrounding these high used car prices, ADAS, and the state of EVs.

“Supply and demand…on both sides” is driving used car prices up, Joe Wiesenfelder says

Used cars with prices on their windshields in a California lot | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Although they’re starting to come down, used car prices are still higher than they’ve been in years. In some cases, used models are trading at higher prices than their brand-new counterparts. But what’s been the driving force behind this trend?

“It’s the same old story, it’s supply and demand,” Joe Wiesenfelder told me. “But there are many different things affecting both sides of that.” On the production side, for example, there’s the continuing microchip shortage caused both by COVID-related production shutdowns and increased electronics consumption. And with fewer new cars available, car shoppers increasingly turn to used models. The current spikes in used car prices are because the supply can’t meet the demand.

However, chips aren’t the only things in short supply: seat foam and tire rubber are running low, too. And it’s not purely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe Wiesenfelder explains. The recent Texas winter storms caused petrochemical plants to close—and you need petrochemicals to make plastics. Wiesenfelder also informed me about a fire at a Renesas Electronics microchip factory in Japan; the company accounts for 30% of global automotive microchip manufacturing. After the March fire, the company said it would take 100 days to get the factory back up to full capacity, Reuters reports. And the Suez Canal blockage certainly didn’t help.

“I’m tired of the ‘perfect storm’ analogy, but in a way, it all kind of came together.”

joe wiesenfelder

Plus, the demand for new vehicles isn’t because people can’t stop shopping. At first, regulations didn’t classify dealerships to be essential businesses. Things changed, though, “once it was recognized that…at minimum, people needed to keep their vehicles moving,” Joe Wiesenfelder says. And vehicles go off-lease even if the leaders aren’t driving them. Therefore, they needed new cars—that weren’t available—to lease in their place.

Joe Wiesenfelder appreciates some ADAS features, but not all of them

Rising used car prices are also tangentially related to rising new car prices, Joe Wiesenfelder mused. With many lightly-used cars offering similar features to their new counterparts, buying the former isn’t necessarily an issue. Especially since cars increasingly offer multiple ADAS features as standard.

Joe Wiesenfelder has more or less witnessed both ADAS’ and partially-autonomous vehicles’ rise firsthand. Before he was Executive Editor at Cars.com, he wrote for Wired and got a taste of a very early autonomous vehicle prototype. But when it comes to these features’ latest versions, his impression is rather mixed. “I love features that make you arrive less fatigued—that assist. I’m more skeptical of the ones that take over,” he says.

His main problem with software like GM’s SuperCruise or BMW’s Traffic Jam Assist isn’t that they’re unsafe per se. It’s more that they force the driver to pay attention even when they’re steering the car. And what’s the point of paying money for these systems if they don’t safely allow you to, for instance, look at your phone, he muses.

However, Joe Wiesenfelder also noted that the culture surrounding partially-autonomous vehicles has changed since he started covering them. In the early days, “no one ever trusted the idea of letting the computer drive the car,” he explains. Now, because these driver-assistance systems are fairly robust, people are much more comfortable with the idea. But “the limits are still a concern,” he points out. Overly-conservative ADAS features get turned off, so they’re functionally useless from a safety perspective. And if consumers don’t understand these systems’ limits properly, the consequences can be deadly.

For maximum EV ownership satisfaction, quality home charging is essential

“I have very strong feelings about infrastructure regarding EVs,” Joe Wiesenfelder tells me. To him, while home chargers aren’t “the only infrastructure that matters,” they’re perhaps the most important.

“Home charging is the only realistic and satisfying way to own an EV,” he explains. Unless you’re going on a long trip, you just plug it in at night and carry on. And even then, most US households have a second car that serves as the gasoline-powered road trip machine.

Regarding public charging stations, Joe Wiesenfelder feels that they provide a safety net for “the uninitiated.” He acknowledges that they can be useful if someone is running low on their remaining range. And some automakers, such as Tesla, are trying to curb range anxiety with larger packs and more range. But even so, the most convenient public charging option—DC fast charging—is still less convenient than charging at home. And more to the point, fast-charging too often damages the EV’s battery.

Still, one of the biggest hurdles, besides overall cost, is that preparing a home for EV ownership and charging is “complicated,” Joe Wiesenfelder says. Installing a home charger requires wiring and service upgrades, permits, contractors, and so on. It’s getting easier, but it’s still an expensive and time-consuming process that internal-combustion cars don’t have to deal with. As such, educating potential EV owners about this process, as well as supporting them through it, is absolutely necessary.

Luckily, educating consumers is something Joe Wiesenfelder and his team excel at.

Follow more updates from MotorBiscuit on our Facebook page.

RELATED: The Best Electric Vehicle Chargers for Your Home

The post A MotorBiscuit Chat: Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder on EVs, ADAS, and Used Car Prices appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

The Best Midsize SUVs Under $35,000 with Standard Safety Systems According to Consumer Reports

by Gabrielle DeSantis

When it comes to shopping for a safe SUV, Consumer Reports’ picks for the best midsize SUVs under $35,000 make for a good starting point. Not only are these models among the most affordable new SUVs on the market today, but they also come stocked with standard safety systems. So if you find yourself searching for a safe midsize SUV under $35,000? You may want to put these new SUV models at the top of your list.

The 2021 Kia Telluride is the best midsize SUV under $35,000

2021 Kia Telluride | Kia

Price: $32,790 – $42,690
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick
NHTSA Safety Rating: 5-Stars

There’s no denying that the 2021 Kia Telluride has a lot going for it. Consumer Reports lauded it with a 96 overall score and ranked it as the best midsize SUV with three rows. That’s not the only praise that Consumer Reports has heaped on this SUV, either. In fact, according to Consumer Reports, the 2021 Kia Telluride is the best midsize SUV under $35,000 with a slew of standard safety systems.

Consumer Reports isn’t wrong either. The 2021 Kia Telluride comes stocked with some of the best driver-assist safety features. In fact, even base Kia Telluride models come standard with forward collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist-rear, lane-keeping assist and lane following assist, and more. 

The 2021 Mazda CX-9 is a safe and affordable three-row SUV

Price: $34,160 – $46,805
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
NHTSA Safety Rating: 5-Stars

The 2021 Mazda CX-9 is also a safe and affordable midsize SUV. It comes standard with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alerts, and radar cruise control with stop and go. With so many safety features to its name, it’s no surprise that the IIHS named the new CX-9 a Top Safety Pick+ for the 2021 model year.

The Mazda CX-9 has plenty else going for it too. After all, Consumer Reports did highlight it as one of the best midsize SUVs under $35,000. According to the organization, this affordable SUV is “engaging to drive thanks to its nimble handling.” It also delivers an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, which is pretty respectable if you’re also in the market for a fuel-efficient SUV.

The 2021 Ford Edge has key safety features standard

Price: $32,750 – $43,600
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick
NHTSA Safety Rating: 5-Stars

The 2021 Ford Edge was also among Consumer Reports’ picks for the best midsize SUVs under $35,000 with standard safety systems. Though, it’s no surprise as to why. This year’s new Ford Edge is standard with sought-after safety features such as a blind-spot information system with cross-traffic alerts, a lane-keeping system, and pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking.

The 2021 Ford Edge also earned high marks in Consumer Reports’ road tests. With a standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine under the hood, the organization says that this year’s new Ford Edge SUV “delivers smooth acceleration without the initial hesitation found in some rivals.” Opt for the available twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6, and the organization says that this new SUV “brings some serious hustle.”

The 2021 Nissan Murano is one of the best midsize SUVs under $35,000

A blue 2021 Nissan Murano parked in the woods
2021 Nissan Murano | Nisssan

Price: $31,810 – $44,360
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
NHTSA Safety Rating: 5-Stars

The Nissan Murano benefited from some pretty impressive upgrades for the 2021 model year. One of those upgrades included making Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 system standard. The system consists of automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, rear-cross traffic alerts, blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, and high beam assist.

While the 2021 Nissan Murano does find itself among the best midsize SUVs under $35,000, it does have its downsides. In fact, according to Consumer Reports, rear and side visibility isn’t great in this new SUV. Handling isn’t very sporty either. Further, overly light steering “reduces driver confidence.”

These SUVs make nary a compromise when it comes to safety

There are plenty of benefits to choosing one of these SUVs. Not only are they among the best new midsize SUVs under $35,000, but they also come standard with several safety systems. 

RELATED: Consumer Reports: Best SUVs Under $40,000 With Standard Safety Features

The post The Best Midsize SUVs Under $35,000 with Standard Safety Systems According to Consumer Reports appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by

Guerrilla Artist Fakes Downtown LA Freeway Sign: Stays Up For Years

by Gabrielle DeSantis

This is the 20th anniversary of one of the greatest freeway sign pranks ever pulled off. A guerrilla artist fixed a notoriously bad freeway sign right in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Right out in the open, he made the addition, and it lasted for years before the state of California caught it. It was an elaborate production that looked too real, right down to the reflectors in the letters. Only in LA.

This happened in August 2001. Not all Los Angelinos actually go through downtown, so we need some help, at least in the days before Waze or Google Maps. Los Angeles street artist Richard Ankrom would miss going north on Interstate 5 traveling down the 110 right in the heart of downtown. A number of freeways converge there in the shadow of LA City Hall. The sign informing you of the proper lane was a small, unnoticeable sign off to the side. It was not part of the giant overhead signs normally used for such big freeway transitions. 

The artist wanted to make a freeway sign that would aid travelers and go undetected

Fake downtown LA freeway sign | Richard Ankrom

Ankrom’s plan was to make a sign to add to the overhead that would fix the problem. He was versed in sign making, so that would be easy. It was the installation that was challenging. Should he get caught-even trying to improve things, it would result in a huge fine and prison time. 

He discovered CalTrans specifications for its signs to get started. Then he stealthily measured existing signs and matched a Pantone color chart to them. Construction took place in his Lincoln Heights digs. Getting the round reflectors for the letters proved the biggest challenge to making it. 

Ankrom found the reflector company and told them he was doing props for a movie. They went for the story and he was set. Making the sign proved to be simple. The finished product was indistinguishable from a real CalTrans sign; he even weathered it a bit to blend in.

Planning how to install his fake freeway sign was very elaborate

But now the hard part was the next step; installing it over the busy downtown freeway. This took more planning. He enlisted a few friends to film his attempt from a number of vantage points around the sign. They would capture footage for a video he would make should this be successful. 

His truck got a fake company sign on the doors. Ankrom purchased the proper hardhat, fluorescent orange vest, and other accouterments to make it appear legit. He also faked a work order in case he was stopped. And to look even more official, he carried a clipboard and cut his hair. 

With everyone in place and his fake truck, clothing, and clipboard ready, he made his move. Ankrom parked his truck near 4th and Beaudry streets, grabbed his stuff and approached the sign. Disappearing under some brush, he soon popped up next to the sign.

Some real CalTrans workers toiling nearby eyed Ankrom as he made his approach

Fake LA freeway sign close up
Fake LA freeway sign | Richard Ankrom

Ankrom was sure he would get caught as some CalTrans workers just off of the freeway spotted him. They seemed more interested in what he was doing than what they were there for. But he casually set up his ladder and began his ascent to the catwalk in front of the sign. What seemed like a million cars were scurrying below.

He said he had to purposely slow down to make it look like this was just another stop in his day. But he was very nervous. He drilled the holes, yanked the sign into position, screwed it down, and he was almost done. 

Why did Ankrom wait eight years to tell the world?

Guerrilla artist Richard Ankrom
Guerrilla artist Richard Ankrom | Nate Rogers

Grabbing his tools, he walked the catwalk to the ladder, climbed down, got into his truck. He never looked back. His fake sign stayed in place for years before CalTrans found out through a series of interviews seven years after the stunt. Why did Ankrom wait that long to tell the world? After seven years, the statute of limitations runs out and he can’t be arrested. 

The sign itself was a much-needed aid for busy LA travelers. CalTrans left the sign and eventually made an official one that remains to this day, 20 years after the prank. The story is an oft-told tale that proves art can be more than, well, more than just art.

RELATED: Is It Illegal to Own a Street Sign?

The post Guerrilla Artist Fakes Downtown LA Freeway Sign: Stays Up For Years appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

/by