Citroën Grand C4 Picasso: Easy Going

As I'm sure that there are not only guys and girls with a craving for sportscars and concepts who come around here, I'll take a little sidestep to review.....wait for it.....a people carrier! 

The C4 Picasso has recently been facelifted, and I must say it's still one of the most stylish MPV's around, on par with the racy Ford S-Max. With its streamlined shape and balanced design it is neither simple nor extravagant, and especially in black it looks pretty good for a people carrier. Too bad I got to drive a silver one.

Just as the exterior, the interior looks nice and balanced. You can choose between a variety of colors, here most parts are white, but for a little extra money Citroën can get you any color you like. A really fun, (but confusing at first) feature is the steering wheel, of which the center stays upright when you turn the ring. One other thing that is really cool is the fact that it comes with a fridge in the center of the dashboard! Unfortunately, that is only the case if you have the version with the automatic EGS gearbox. EGS is a new name for an already outdated system called SensoDrive of which we all know that it sucks, so if you can, try and get the manual one. There's enough room for a portable cooler anyway. The seven seats are both pretty comfortable and ideal for children's parties. Fold five of them down and there's plenty of booze-room for adult's parties. One last thing about the interior: the panorama windshield is downright awesome.

Now let's get behind that funky steering wheel! The way this car feels remembers me of the old Citroëns, it drives like you're sailing it over calm water. Although there's no air-suspension anymore, the ride is buttery smooth. You won't feel the slightest bump, every unevenness is filtered out. That can be nice if that's what you like, but it's definitely not suitable for taking quick corners! For all the commuters and school-moms, I think it's all right. If you're a wannabe racing-driver (like me) you could better try the Ford S-Max, which comes with turbo engines and a sports-chassis. As I said, the C4's automatic gearbox isn't all that good. Every time the car changes gear there is a loss of power, and the front dives down. If you're in rambling traffic this can cause a bumpy ride. Just stick with manual (pun intended) and you'll be good!

If I were a school-mom I'd be a very happy school-mom with this car. It's stylish, features plenty of good options, some unique elements and first and foremost: lots of space. The foldable seats are very handy, and because of the large glass surfaces it feels even more spacious than it is. But, since I'm not a school-mom but a wannabe racing-driver I prefer the S-Max. Conclusion:

• Usual family/commuting usage? Have it.
• You prefer to push the pedal a little more than the rest? Try considering an S-Max.
  

BMW M5: Bring Along Your Mother-in-Law

The BMW M5 F10.  The Strongest BMW ever, and I got to borrow it for a day.
Photo credits: Autoblog.nl

The first M5 crammed 286 horses under its bonnet. Now, 26 years later, it’s gone completely berserk and has managed to incarcerate 274 more. Instead of a V10 in the previous one, there now is a twin-turbocharged V8. Yep, even the most expensive cars have to suffer from downsizing. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. The 980Nms of torque are available at pretty much any RPM, which makes it a seriously tail happy car if you unleash those 560 nags. Despite the higher torque and power, CO₂ emissions have lowered by 30%. BMW claims that it runs 9 miles to the gallon. I’ve tested it: you’ll never make it, just because it’s so much fun to drive. 

Acceleration from naught to 60 is done in 4,4 seconds. After no less than 13 seconds, you'll hit 160. You better have that guardian angel sitting on your shoulder, because it's fast. At least, if you want it to be. There is that one button on the steering wheel that switches the car from sport to comfort mode. If you press it, the engine management is altered, the suspension softened and the steering becomes less direct. All of a sudden this car is perfectly suitable for transporting your backache suffering mother-in-law, which is nice because that means you get two cars for the price of one. Well actually, you get two cars in one and you’ll pay for both. That doesn’t mean it’s money wasted, on the contrary. The starting price of €132000 just isn’t the kind of money that everyone is able to throw over the counter.

The M5 flies around corners due to the active-lock differential. Sometimes it makes you think that it will fly out of said corners due to its sheer power. However, the ESP ensures that it never becomes dangerous and the car lets you correct it’s movements well. The steering feels genuinely responsive, which makes it a joy to sit behind the wheel.

The interior looks and feels amazing, as we’re used to from BMW. They have made use of high quality materials all around. The seats sit like a throne, but still feature plenty of side-support for sharp turns. The steering wheel is adjustable in more directions than you'd ever  think possible. It also comes with Google Maps Satellite Navigation (only on the top-model, which I drove), it works great. It shows a picture of your destination when you arrive, to indicate that you're really in Rome and not in Ljubljana. You can't be certain enough! I’d also like to make a sing/shout-out to the inbuilt audio system, it sounds ear-pampering and it comes with the ability to stream from Spotify anywhere. It's an expensive feature but hey, if you can afford the car...

On another musical note, the downsizing of the M5’s engine has one negative effect: the sound is just not as good as in the previous M5. That M5 used to have the golden throat of Germany, but now it’s gotten a polypus on its vocal cords. Don’t get me wrong, it still sounds awesome but just not that awesome. To compromise for the sore throat, BMW’s gone and implemented a technology called Active Sound Design. It implies that the previously described audio-system inside the car is used to fan the flame on the actual engine sound. I haven’t decided yet if that is either good or bad, but it’s an interesting feature.

So, am I happy? Yes I am! The new M5 is a hell of a looker, especially in the Monte-Carlo blue color that I drove it in. The front and rear look aggressive without attracting too much attention to them. (If you buy it in this blue hue however, that part doesn’t really count) The ability to choose between Fast&Furious mode and mother-in-law mode is a welcome feature. Now, the engine may be smaller, and the sound may not be as good as that from the Gold-bethroated E60, but boy did I have a good time with it. I would definitely recommend it. If you have the money, that is.