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BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Feels like we wrote about Consumer Reports' 2022 Brand Report Car and 10 Top Picks a few weeks ago, but it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in four categories for your debating pleasure. Starting with the brands, last year's top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This year, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize thanks to "Superb road test scores and solid results in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys." Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the top three. Mini, eighth last year, jumped five spots to get the last step on the podium. The rest of the top 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last year), Honda (down one spot from last year), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight). The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CRÂ’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." Last year's top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This year's list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the top ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and four luxury brands. Buick again ranked as the best domestic, dropping to 12th after being 11th last year. The big mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump up to 16th attributed to better reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla's improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to 17th. Dodge climbed one spot to 15th. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot.  CR's top 10 vehicle models The 10 Top Picks list is practically a new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride.

BMW X4 M40i spotted testing in Germany

The stream of segment-busting BMW variants is showing no signs of letting up, and with the latest addition now upon us, questions have been circulating as to whether the Bavarian automaker would do an M version of the new X4 crossover. The jury may still be out on that proposition, but the latest intel suggests that, while a full-on X4 M may not be in the cards, a next-best-thing X4 M40i is in the works. And that appears to be what we're looking at in this fresh batch of spy shots.
Spotted for the first time undergoing testing in Germany, this X4 is tipped to be the next addition to the M Performance line that's already given us near-boiling models like the M135i and M235i on the one hand and the diesel-powered M550d, X5 M50d and X6 M50d on the other. Power in this case is tipped to come from the same 3.0-liter turbo six as the upcoming M2, producing between 360 and 380 horsepower.
Unlike the current top-of-that-specific-line X4 35i, which has two tailpipes on one side, this partially-camouflaged prototype has one pipe protruding from each corner of the rear bumper, but looks like it could easily accommodate twin pipes on both sides. Expect commensurate suspension, brake, rolling stock, aero and trim upgrades to come as part of the package, though they likely won't be quite as substantial as those applied to the X5 M and X6 M.

BMW shows off 245-hp, hydrogen-powered 5 Series GT

With BMW's Innovation Days 2015 underway, the German luxury brand is showing off its latest piece of hydrogen-fuel-cell technology. Based in a 5 Series Gran Turismo, the system Í– co-developed with Toyota – promises to deliver on the promise of zero-emissions motoring, without the lengthy recharge times associated with plug-in electric vehicles. At the heart of BMW's latest FCV prototype is a new electric motor derived from the i sub-brand. It produces the equivalent of 245 horsepower, making it roughly comparable in output to the brand's latest 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder gas engines. It draws its fuel from a hydrogen fuel tank that sits between the axles. The BMW-patented storage system can hold enough compressed hydrogen to take the hunchbacked 5 Series 300 miles before refueling. BMW and Toyota first inked their FCV partnership back in 2013, with the goal of having "an initial group of approved components ready by 2020," and sales beginning at some point in the next decade. While Toyota has been touting its successes with hydrogen in the form of the new Mirai, this 5 Series marks the first time since the agreement was signed that the German company rolled out one of its hydrogen-powered cars to the public. Check out the 5 Series GT fuel-cell vehicle in the gallery up top, and then scroll down for the official press release from BMW. Long range, short refuelling times, zero emissions: Hydrogen fuel cell drive system points the way to the future of BMW eDrive technology. As part of its research and predevelopment work in the area of drive technology, the BMW Group has focused on the use of hydrogen as an energy source for more than 30 years now. In 2006 the first luxury sedan for everyday use to be powered by a hydrogen combustion engine was unveiled – the BMW Hydrogen 7. And more than 15 years ago the BMW Group also began to direct its spotlight onto hydrogen fuel cell drive systems. A constant stream of significant advances – in terms of energy efficiency, performance capability and everyday practicality – have likewise been made with this technology, which converts hydrogen into power for an electric drive system, rather than burning it inside the engine. The results of the research and development activities in the field of hydrogen fuel cell drive systems will be presented in driving demonstrations for the first time during the BMW Group Innovation Days 2015.