OT- I did the Car and Driver Editor for a Day

I had the chance to take part in the Road and track and Car and Driver Editor for a Day event. It was held a Fed Ex Field. It was a really good event and not only did I enjoy it but I learned a few things. We basicly got to test a few vars and then write up our thoughts. We drove a BMW 530 XI, Cadillac STS, Cadillac SRX and a Lexus RX 350 (all with less than 200 miles on the odo). There were 2 autocross courses set up, 1 for the sedans and 1 for the SUVs. We had an instructor in the car but they pretty much let us have at it as hard as we wanted. Fed Ex is an awesome lot. The courses were simple but had a standing start to full acceleration, threshold breaking, sweepers, slalom, and a decreasing radius turn. Having autocrossed I understand understeer; however, one of the instructors/writers really helped me to realize how I can reduce the effects from easing up on the wheel�it made a huge difference for me. These are my thoughts on the cars: BMW 530XI- This was the car that probably had the biggest disappointment for me. I don�t care much for the new exterior styling; however, the interior was nice and roomy. I expected the BMW to be solid, which it was. The car had a solid brake feel as well. I did not like the auto tranny, it really held between gears making the shift feel awkward. All 3 of the vehicles experienced a relay problem that we were told would not affect the safety of the cars that it has to do with a sensor in the steering wheel. The light on the dash for AWD and DSC caution stayed on�seems strange for 3 new vehicles to have the same problem. I expected the BMW to be more of a fun car to drive, it was not, and the excitement was not there. Don�t get me wrong, the BMW performed better than the Cadillac STS, it just did not live up to my expectations. Cadillac STS- This car drove like I thought it would�like a big car. I was impressed by the acceleration. Braking was good but lacked a feel and drive involvement. The interior is very small compared to the BMW, something I did not expect. The interior was pretty cheap, especially on a $54K car. It has a smooth and quiet ride though. Lexus RX350- Felt like any other SUV. I think the styling is old and the interior is a love it or hate it�it�s not for me. Very quiet and comfortable. I got this thing going on the course and scared my passengers when the roll over light and chime went off, no problems though. Cadillac SVX- This car was the biggest surprise. A V6 model that had very good acceleration and awesome handling for this type of vehicle. Very smooth through the slalom and felt solid in every aspect. I really like this car, its heavy but that is what you would expect. Again, acceleration, braking, and handling of a sedan with the roominess and functionality of an SUV. Believe it or not this is the one I would have chosen to drive again.

Nice write-up. I've driven the SVX and had a similar appreciation for what cadillac has done with the crossover segment.

I have driven all the cars and can say you're pretty dead on about your write ups. The SRX drive pretty close to the STS, but carry around 800lbs more. They did a wonderful job at making it drive like a sedan. IMO its the best crossover on the market. I am also disappointed with the 530. They seem to have taken the Bimmer character out of the car. They are more sluggish feeling in the steering and gone toward that over amount of electrotech luxury in the suspension. With the horrible I drive and the lost of feel I would rather get a Benz.

BMW seems to have accomplished two things with their overly techno'd 5; they've screwed up the steering feel and they've made what would normally be a bullet-proof reliable part of the car ridiculously unreliable. And it's not only the steering. I've had six Bimmers (still have two), but their new cars are awful. If you check out the BMW message boards, you'll see them full of posts about faults in the steering system and other glitches. Come on BMW, just make a solid, reliable system without mucking it up with all the bogus systems designed to "help" the driver. This is just marketing driven crap.