BMW X6-Either You Love It Or Hate It
BMW X6-Either You Love It Or Hate It
The BMW X6 is the third in BMWs X line up. The concept car was shown in 2007 in Frankfurt Motor Show and the production followed the March next year. The X6 is a coupe-SUV -based on the X5- with a sleek style and fun drive but it has limited off road ability. There are options of two diesel and three petrol engines. Diesel engines are better with X6 40d giving the best balance of performance and fuel consumption. The X6 boosts a “love it or hate it” design which is not everyones bread and butter. This might be the only car having so many different buyer opinions. From the bottom it looks just like the X5, while above the waistline, is a coupe with a shallow glass area and sleek roof making it a Sports Activity Coupe as BMW calls it. 19 inch alloys and xenon headlamps come as standard across all models.
There is no doubt that the petrol engines return an excellent performance but they prove very costly to run, the diesel engines are better in the sense that they give similar figures of performance at comparatively low running costs. The basic 30d does the 0-62mph in 7.5secs which results in easy overtaking on the road. The 40d does the same in 6.5secs and the range topping M50D gives 0-62mph in jus5.3secs. X6 has very agile drive for its size, weight and height. It handles very well on sharp turns and corners. The X6 has a incredible road grip thanks to the Dynamic Performance control technology that adjusts the torque across each axle.
The BMW X6 has not be tested for Euro NCAP rating yet but it sure can get five stars when put through the test. It comes with a decent amount of safety feature that include ten airbags, electronic stability control, Isofix child seat anchors and tyre pressure monitor. The engines that and technology that power X6 have already been tried and tested in other BMW models and no major issues reported. All of these increase the drivers confidence in driving X6. Though the BMW X6 is a bulky car, still there are only two individual seats at the back making it a strict four seater.
It boasts a decent 570 litres of boot space and underneath there is a storage space for items you dont want others to see. The rear visibility is poor but parking sensors make up for it and come as standard across the range. Going for a diesel engine surprisingly lowers the running costs, the 35i is the most efficient petrol returning 28.0mpg with 236g/km of carbon emissions. On the other hand even the biggest culprit in diesels the M50d does 36.7mpg with CO2 emissions at 204g/km. Insuring the X6 will always be expensive but BMW offers a Service Inclusive deal for just 400 that covers the vehicle for five years or 60,000 miles whichever comes first.
Top 5 Handheld Gps Manufacturers
Handheld GPS units are extremely popular for a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking, geocaching, hunting, kayaking, snowshoeing, and skiing. Although there are many different GPS manufacturers to choose from there are five main manufacturers that are extremely popular for handheld GPS units. Each company has their own unique models to choose from.
Below are the five Handheld GPS Manufacturers to consider when searching for a GPS device.
GPS Manufacturers
Garmin
Garmin is likely one of the most popular manufacturers for GPS units as well as many other products. Garmin began its business 21 years ago in 1989. They comprised at that time of a few engineers who got together to develop and construct navigation and communication devices. Today Garmin has offices all over the world and well over 7,000 employees. They design and market units for:
Automotive navigation
Marine devices
Aviation
Fitness
Wireless GPS for smart phones
Outdoor receivers
The Garmin handheld GPS units are well known for offering great quality as well as the latest technology. They are often voted the best in their class.
Magellan
The Magellan Corporation has changed ownership and name several times. The original Magellan Corporation was founded in 1986 but in 2001 they were acquired by Thales, a large electronics company. In 2006 Thales Navigation was purchased by Shah Capital Partners who changed the name to Magellan. Then in 2009 they were bought out again by MiTAC International Corporation. The consumer GPS units are still marketed under the Magellan brand. They have an extensive line of handheld GPS devices as well as automotive navigation devices. Despite the constant change of ownership Magellan still does and always has produced good quality GPS units.
DeLorme
DeLorme has been in business since 1976. They create technology, mapping products, and data not only for consumers but also for professionals. Although they always produced great quality products they really earned a name for themselves in the 1990s when they pioneered GPS solutions for laptops, Palm OS devices, Pocket PCs and recently for Bluetooth applications and color topographic maps and aerial imagery. They have a fairly good selection of handheld GPS devices.
Lowrance
Lowrance Electronics Inc. is one of the oldest GPS manufacturers. They began in 1957 and have a pioneer in developing Global Positioning System mapping instruments. They have an extensive line of SONAR and GPS units for outdoor recreation as units for aviation, marine and automotive. They have a decent selection of handheld GPS units.
Bushnell
Bushnell offers a wide range of outdoor technology tools such as binoculars, scopes, rangefinders, trail cameras, flashlights and of course handheld GPS units. They have been in the high performance sports optics industry for over 50 years. They only have a few handheld GPS receivers but they are tailored for all outdoor activities. More basic in design and features than the other GPS manufacturers listed above their units are ideal for any sportsman looking for a GPS device made simple.
With so much choice in handheld GPS manufacturers it is not hard to find a model to suit your outdoor activities and all your needs.
[Top]Benefits of Buying a Used Car
It is time to replace your current vehicle and many prospective car buyers are faced with one hard, controversial decision: Do you buy a new or used vehicle? There are many good reasons to buy a used car, such as having a greater selection of vehicles in your price range, but probably the biggest draw for used-car buyers is affordability. Buying a used car could get you the most vehicle for your money by far, but has a little more risk involved.
Price
There is no doubt that buying a used car compared to buying a new car is going to be less expensive. New car owners often take a significant knock as brand new cars can lose a lot its value in the first year alone! Second hand buyers has the added advantage of being able to step up to a better model within the same price range.
Depreciation
It is really true that once you drive a new car off the showroom floor, its value will drop instantly. Cars depreciate steadily over time, but the steepest decline usually happens within the first two years of ownership. In rare instances, some models can even lose 40 percent or more of their value in the first year. With a used car, there is still depreciation, just a lot less rapidly. Improved reliability with certified pre-owned programs
Even though used vehicles usually don’t carry the same factory warranties as new cars, the original maintenance plan on a new car is often transferable to a second owner, even when buying from a private seller. If you buy a certified pre-owned vehicle from an authorized dealer you can also opt to purchase an extended warranty for the vehicle.
Insurance
Insurance rates are significantly affected by the age of a car. A used vehicle will in most cases be less expensive to insure than its newer counterpart.
Wider Selection
You would be able to buy a better equipped or more powerful version of the vehicle model you want, or you might be able to choose from a wider selection of car brands and models by opting for a used model, for the same price as a new car. Also, your selection of cars, and options further increase because you can buy used cars privately as well as from second hand dealers.
No Long order periods
Brand new cars have to be ordered from the factory in the country of manufacture, and you may have to wait for weeks or even months for your car to be delivered. Some luxury brands have up to a 12 month waiting period.
Individual’s needs differs widely and, the decision to buy new or used all comes down to what you can afford, are you willing to take on a little risk, or do you need complete peace of mind.
[Top]Increasing Automotive Performance
The automotive performance of a car is always related to the amount of fuel consumed by it. However, a cars performance can be increased in certain ways without negatively affecting the gas mileage of a car. Given below are few tips:
Performance chips: Computer chips that operate most new cars these days keep track of how much horsepower and torque can be displaced. Using performance chips or recalibrating the current chip used in a car can help in increasing the torque and horsepower to a great extent.
Cold air Intake: Power of a car engine can be increased if the temperature of the air that enters the car can be reduced. An under the hood modification in the form of cold air intake can help in this. Such an enhancement also beautifies the engine bay by making it colorful and attractive. Such a unit will also make an appealing sound.
Reusable air filters: Throughout the life of most of the cars, about 6 to 12 auto air filters are used without facing any problem, but when not in use most of them end up at the landfills for waste materials. Even though reusable air filters cost thrice as much as normal air filters, they are washable and last much longer than the regular ones. In fact, when you buy a reusable air filter for your car, it is actually the last one you will be ever buying for it. These air filters help you to increase acceleration and horsepower, besides having a very positive impact on the environment.
Performance exhaust systems: Another way to unleash horsepower, trapped up torque, and improve the overall automotive performance is by using “catalyst-back exhaust systems” (cat-back) for cars. Such a system installed in a car reduces exhaust back pressure by using low restriction performance mufflers and large width exhaust pipes while keeping all the important emission parts in their proper place. In addition to better performance, the exhaust system emits awesome sound.
To improve the automotive performance of your car, you may have to bear additional costs. While shopping online for the auto aftermarket products always opt for a trusted wholesaler. That way you will be able to acquire good quality automotive parts at very low prices. The auto aftermarket products/ services for increasing automotive performance of cars include accessories, replacement parts, appearance products, lubricants, various tools and equipments required for repair and service repairs. If you do the shopping yourself, you will be able to save a lot.
In 2007, the auto aftermarket had done better than in 2006, with a total sale of $285.5, which is a 4% increase from the previous year. In the light truck and car section alone the auto aftermarket experienced $211.4 billion sales while in case of heavy duty vehicles the aftermarket sales figure stood at $74.1 billion.
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