Car Of The Year 2007: Stage 2 - Public Road

Car Of The Year 2007: Stage 2

BMW M3

One of the world's best all-rounders is beaten by value and efficiency.

No car provoked more impassioned discussion or, in truth, earned more praise than the BMW M3. The wide-ranging talents of this extraordinary machine generated heated debate and polarised the judges after it effortlessly moved through to Stage Two of the COTY process.

Any minor flaws were crushed under a tide of admiration for the M3's ability and manners at the opposite extremes of motoring. The judges discovered the BMW could trundle four adults comfortably, fluently, through heavy traffic - asking only that the gear lever be occasionally massaged - or play hardcore, track-day master whenever the circumstances permitted.

Against three of the five COTY criteria, the M3 scored heavily. But the question of value - does the price accurately reflect its qualities? - weighed heavily on a majority of the judging panel.

This is the third consecutive year that an E90/E92 3 Series variant has fronted up to COTY. In 2005, the 3 Series sedan went through to the second stage; in 2006 the Coupe rose to the podium as a top-three finalist. How, then, could we justify the M3's inclusion? Easy. Eighty percent of the M3's components are new, even when compared to the 335i Coupe: new 4.0-litre V8 engine - most strongly aligned to the M5's V10 - new front and rear suspension, and a body that shares only the doors, lights, bootlid and glass with the Coupe. The reality is, the M3 is effectively a bespoke model that could conceivably cost double, if it were not built on the same assembly line as a 320i and didn't share its basic engine architecture with the M5.

The judging panel was beguiled by the M3's blend of brutal performance, so effectively combined with refinement and flexibility, and agreed that the electronic dampers gave the M3 a notably more compliant and surprisingly more comfortable ride than the stiff-legged 335i.

Driving with ESP off demands considerable concentration, but the driver quickly discovers that the M3's inherent balance is there to be exploited by a masterpiece engine that revs to 8400rpm and delivers an endless stream of intoxicating power and noise. Yet the torque curve is virtually flat between 3500rpm and 6500rpm, and delivers 80 percent of its 400Nm peak from just 2000rpm.

There was universal criticism of the lack of steering feel around centre and an interior that doesn't feel or look sufficiently special. We also discovered that tapping into the engine's Porsche-like performance shrinks the range to 350km; and, while acknowledging the showroom appeal of specifically setting up the dynamics of your own car, the judges were united in the view that having 54 combinations of damper, steering, throttle and stability control settings was plain silly.

Ultimately, the M3 cannot be COTY. It has the performance, dynamics, equipment and technology to be a winner, but stumbled in two crucial criterion. The rigour of the COTY process has proved year after year that the crown can go only to a contender that scores above average (or better) in every category. The value concerns raised by a $157,000 super-coupe cannot be ignored, and, accordingly, no judge scored the M3 above the median. Fuel consumption also proved a road-block - a high-performance V8 and frugality seldom coexist.

No, the M3 is not COTY. But for those who can afford it, this BMW remains a true performance bargain, one of the world's best-ever all-rounders.

- Peter Robinson

BMW X5

A high water mark in SUV dynamics, but diluted by ride quality.

In creating the second-generation X5, BMW discarded just about everything ... except the best-handling-luxury-SUV reputation the first one had earned.

Scanning the COTY judges' notes makes it pretty clear that they succeeded. Here's a quick selection. "Very good dynamics." "Quite agile." "Feels very wieldy." "Big car, but surprisingly agile." "Rock-solid, but cat-agile." Bruce Newton seemed to share this view, but his handwriting made it hard to be sure. "Boasty, well-catrolld antar," he noted. It was left to Peter Robinson to deliver the definitive verdict with perfect clarity: "Still the best-handling SUV, but at expense of ride."

And ride was a big issue, even after the X5 had advanced to Stage Two and public road testing. The BMW's stiffness in roll, which does so much for its handling agility, affects ride comfort. Nearly every judge remarked on the amount of annoying head-toss, the inevitable result of making something so tall corner like a car. It didn't matter whether the very-expensive Adaptive Drive anti-roll suspension option (both the six-cylinder petrol and turbo-diesel models at COTY 2007 had it) was fitted, or not (as in the V8), the X5's ride isn't appropriate for its luxury SUV role.

This wasn't the BMW's only dynamic imperfection. Most judges complained of the low-speed heaviness of the steering, and several questioned the value of the variable-ratio Active Steering system as a whole.

Other technologies were given the thumbs-up. The X5's ESP is near-perfect in its calibration, for instance. And the optional HUD (head-up display), which can project a digital speedo readout onto the interior side of the windscreen, is the best we've seen. Other technological advances weren't so obvious, like the FlexRay high-speed internal data sharing system BMW helped develop. The X5 is the first model to use it. It's hard to say for sure that it represents an advance, but certainly the electronic systems were communicating perfectly, something that couldn't be said of the FlexRay-less 3 Series coupes involved in COTY 2006, which continually posted phantom malfunction messages.

The X5's drivetrains scored highly. While the willing muscle and reasonable thirst of the six-cylinder turbo-diesel was generally preferred to the smooth, rev-hungry petrol six, the 4.8-litre V8 made some judges excited. "Brilliant V8 beal - hai to und window lown to hear it!" scribbled Newton.

The flipside to the big BMW's fine performance was, naturally enough, below average scores against the Efficiency and Environment test criterion. Thanks to significant growth in pretty much every direction, the second-gen X5 models all weigh in at above 2000kg. Fuel consumption is heavy in the petrol models, and acceptable in the turbo-diesel. For environmental impact, the BMW was ranked alongside the M3, Freelander and Kluger.

Other quibbles centred on long-standing BMW issues. "Hate the iDrive," from Jon Hawley, was an opinion shared by some other judges. There was also mass head-shaking at the price of the optional, and popular, third-row seat: $5000 in the sixes and $3000 in the V8. Head shaking, it should be said, happened at every mention of X5 option prices. All three X5s supplied were fitted with options, many in the case of the two sixes.

When it came to judging value, however, these options were considered separately from the vehicle basics. The third element was resale, an X5 strong point. Judges' scores for this criterion varied from a little above average to some way below, depending on their view of the high starting prices. "So spam. Quet," noted Newton, by this stage utterly incomprehensible.

But there was no mistaking the vote following Stage Two. The X5's ride was too much for most judges. Luxury prices, after all, should buy genuine comfort.

- John Carey

HONDA CIVIC TYPE R

Honest driving fun compromised by peaky engine, hard ride and polarising style.

The Type R's progress to the second stage of COTY testing might surprise some, but the Honda just kept on impressing with its sporting ability, bubbly character, surprising civility and excellent functionality. It looks like a feral egg but has the character of a playful puppy, always up for an adventure. One judge after another fell for its guileless charms.

The process was fascinating to watch. Pre-drive scepticism almost always gave way to post-drive enthusiasm and affection. "The M3 makes you feel inadequate, this is so accessible," enthused Stahl. It was a sentiment that resonated with plenty of other judges. Nothing wrong with the M3, it's just that normal human beings felt like they were getting maximum gain out of their driving efforts in the Type R. The slot-car handling, short-throw gearchange, strong brakes, talented chassis and grippy tyres simply delighted all and sundry.

Only a curiously uncoordinated ESP tune spoiled the party, and even then it was really only on dirt - a surface the Type R probably won't see very often. But such was the car's fundamental correctness that it was safe, even fun without it.

If the ESP tune was a curious faux pas, then the K20A i-VTEC 2.0-litre engine was, for some, the Achilles heel. Peak power is produced at 7800rpm, peak torque (a mere 193Nm) at 5600rpm, and the cut-out set at 8300rpm. All sound and fury without enough substance thought Hawley: "I think it would work better with a normal 2.0-litre or even a turbo," he noted.

No doubt the wonderful TFSI engine in VW's iconic Golf GTI presented itself in the minds of judges every time it became apparent the Honda wasn't progressing as quickly as the audio and constant gear-snatching suggested. One thing everyone agreed on, however, was that the engine was more civil than its astronomical rev limit suggested. It was actually tractable enough to be used around town.

That was among the Type R's many surprises (mostly delightful). And they didn't all have a technical basis. The pricing, at $39,990, is certainly in the hot-hatch ballpark, particularly considering the high level of standard equipment.

But there's real and surprising intelligence here that you simply don't expect based on the boy-racer exterior and split-level, flashy interior. The rear seats offer a relatively huge amount of space, additional storage underneath, and a brilliant fold-flat function that expands luggage room cavernously.

The Type R's functional abilities flow straight from the mainstream Civic hatch upon which it is based. That car is designed for Europe and built only in the UK. The tip is that we will get the five-door version sometime in 2008. The Japanese designed and built Civic sedan - a COTY second-rounder in 2006 - bears little technical relationship to the UK-sourced hatch, the latter even eschewing the more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension for a torsion beam.

Whether it was that, a more focused tuning philosophy, or both, the Type R rode pretty hard. It was at its worst at low speeds, but never really improved that much. Combine that with the engine's peakiness, and some minor annoyances like the huge wing blocking the rear view and the love-it-or-hate-it Star Wars presentation of the cockpit, and it was obvious the Type R wouldn't progress beyond the second stage.

No matter, making it to the Mornington Peninsula Stage Two test was worthy recognition of a car with surprising talent. It was, in its own way, a victory.

- Bruce Newton

SKODA ROOMSTER

Wagon, mini SUV or big hatch? It may be impossible to pigeonhole, but the Roomster works.

Somehow, the COTY test program almost always manages to throw up a surprise. In 2007 it was the Roomster. This impossible-to-categorise car, made in the Czech Republic by Volkswagen's value brand Skoda, was only knocked out at the end of Stage Two. And then, only just. In a scene that could have been scripted to show that the five criteria are a wonderful leveller, the Roomster's affordable functionality took it as far as the M3's exotic supremacy. Both went close to making it through to Stage Three, and a shot at the title.

The Roomster began winning minds and hearts from the moment the judges saw it. "Love the concept," noted Peter Robinson. The easy flexibility of the Skoda's three-section rear seat also impressed during the static evaluation. Equally user-friendly was the cargo compartment. "Amazing internal configurations. Great storage," enthused Sally Dominguez, though she questioned the wisdom, for Aussie conditions, of the optional fixed glass sunroof fitted to two of our Roomsters.

Unlike many flexibly functional cars, the Roomster also made friends on the proving ground test tracks and the public road. The Skoda's excellent dynamics earned generous praise. "What an endearing little car," noted Jon Hawley. "Totally dependable handling." While its ride comfort on smooth stuff wasn't perfect, on rough roads it was a different story. "Ride on rough bitumen is brilliant," wrote Peter Robinson.

Although the Skoda is endowed with great stability, thanks in part to a wheelbase longer than the larger Octavia, its electronic dynamic aids aren't particularly well tuned for Australia. "ESP pretty useless. Also, ABS on dirt very ordinary," wrote Michael Stahl. He was right, too. Strangely, one of the three Roomsters supplied by Skoda for COTY testing lacked the supposedly standard ESP system. Our inquiries no doubt caused embarrassment in Skoda's Sydney headquarters. A thorough check revealed that our test car was one of two such Roomsters that had made it onto the boat to Australia. The other no-ESP Roomster, by chance, had also ended up on the company-owned fleet. Wheels was assured by Skoda Australia boss Matt Wiesner that both would be sent for resale in another right-hand-drive market.

Performance isn't a Roomster strength. Perhaps because its handling is so good, the Skoda's acceleration and hill-climbing ability is adequate rather than exciting. With the 1.6-litre petrol engine, anyway. But Skoda does at least offer an alternative to spark ignition. The 1.9-litre turbo-diesel, teamed only with a five-speed manual at this stage, wasn't to everyone's taste. "Diesel is the pick, for its extra available torque," said Jon Hawley. "Petrol engine feels less utilitarian to me," countered Michael Stahl. Other judges remarked that the automatic six-speed offered with the petrol engine was a better choice than the five-speed manual.

If performance was an issue, efficiency wasn't. The Roomster achieves good results in the official ADR81 fuel consumption test. And while it can match the space and seating capacity of a typical compact SUV, it weighs much less. The Roomster scored above average for environmental impact.

Value was the toughest call for many judges. What is it exactly, wondered those who like to compare the prices of COTY contenders with their natural peers? The problem stemmed from the fact it has no obvious competitor.

"Categorising it is hard," noted Ged Bulmer. "Is it a small SUV, a stretched light car or a mini wagon?" Others argued that the Skoda's prices undercut base level compact SUVs, while offering similar functional ability and vastly better dynamics, although inferior performance. One thing is for sure; whatever the Roomster is, exactly, it's good. Good enough, in fact, to go farther in COTY 2007 than anyone expected...

- John Carey

VOLKSWAGEN EOS

Sun-seeking convertible crept up on COTY favourites.

Eos was the goddess of the dawn in ancient Greek mythology, but it's fair to say that Volkswagen's version isn't really the dawn of anything. So thoroughly sussed is VW's little sun-seeking four-seater, however, that it rose and shone almost all the way to the final stage, and the Wheels COTY crown.

Four-seater convertibles have always been about compromise. Catching a tan on the move meant putting up with leaden performance, prison-porridge dynamics, a cramped rear-seat and a useless luggage area. The Eos is still about compromises, but it's been startlingly successful in minimising most, and eliminating what is arguably the worst of them.

Starting with a very stiff foundation - built from a shortened Passat chassis - the Eos uses warm-remoulded steel sheets to strengthen the A-pillars and crossmembers to provide a rigid platform with palpable benefits in handling and ride comfort. To get this coupe-convertible integrity elsewhere, you're looking at almost twice the money (and only parallel performance) in BMW's 325i Convertible.

The Eos's coupe-convertible hardtop, by German sunroof specialist Webasto, is a marked improvement on any similarly-priced existing system and does include a couple of firsts. Acceptably trim kerb weights and potent 2.0-litre turbo FSI petrol and turbo-diesel powerplants also add surprising performance to the pose value. It's a coupe-convertible that you won't regret buying instead of the GTI.

Judges were unanimous in their praise for the Eos's styling inside and out, with roof up or down, though the big doors are quite a stretch to close from inside. Quality is tangible throughout, with superb front seating and a better-than-adequate, two-perch rear. "Interior looks more upmarket than the C-Class, admittedly with help from the $7K Individual package," enthused Bulmer. The back bench is inevitably narrowed by the roof mechanism either side, but head, foot and legroom are all liveable.

The petrol engine's the peach, here mated to a sufficiently sweet six-speed manual. It's not as quick or agile as a Golf GTI, but with memories of Volvo's gorgeous but disappointing C70 still fresh from COTY 2006, pretty much everyone was impressed with the Eos's chuckability and the near absence of scuttle shake.

High-speed stability was a revelation, although cruising speeds also highlighted a diverse range of turbulence-created wind instruments. As a result the Eos's sliding sunroof was best left closed; open, it actually creates more noise than having the tin top all the way down and side windows up.

The diesel was the disappointment, despite its trick DSG tranny and optional Individual package. NVH issues, heavy handling and a choppy ride (partly blamed on the sports suspension that's part of the Individual bundle) made it feel a bit old-school.

Luggage space in both variants is literally and figuratively flattened by the roof's stowage, though more than 50 percent of its original capacity remains.

So where did the drop-top drop its bundle? Er, nowhere in particular. Apart from the previously mentioned wind noise - and the dynamically dull and NVH-ridden diesel's shortcomings - the Volkswagen scored strong sevens and eights in most areas. Good scores, but, when dawn had turned to dusk, scores that unfortunately brought it up just a few points shy of god-like.

- Michael Stahl