HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US AS SUBARU GOES LARGE WITH THE 3-ROW ASCENT CROSSOVER... PAT GOSS REVEALS WHY PARTS MAY NOT BE WHAT THEY SEEM... JOE LIGO FINDS A MUSCLE CAR OF YORE THAT PURRED WITH POWER... AND BMW TURNS AN EXECUTIVE SEDAN INTO A TRACK STAR, THE NEW M5...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

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IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

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MADE IN AMERICA.

John: IT SEEMS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT ITS TAKEN THIS LONG FOR SUBARU TO RECOMMIT TO THE 3-ROW CROSSOVER.

AFTER ALL IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE THE UNINSPIRED TRIBECA EXITED THE SCENE.

BUT THEN, THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE THINGS IN THEIR OWN TIME.

AND WITH SALES NUMBERS CONTINUING TO CLIMB, THERE CLEARLY WAS NO URGENCY.

BUT, THAT TIME IS NOW, SO LET'S FIND OUT IF THE NEW ACCENT CAN ASCEND THE FAMILY-SIZE CROSSOVER RANKS JUST AS QUICKLY.

* TO US, THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2019 SUBARU ASCENT AND THE UNLAMENTED TRIBECA IS THAT THIS ONE SEEMS A GENUINE ATTEMPT TO COMPETE IN THE GROWING 3-ROW CROSSOVER MARKET.

THE TRIBECA ALWAYS SEEMED LIKE, A BIT OF AN ODD-LOOKING AFTERTHOUGHT.

TRULY, BUILT FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES THIS TIME AROUND, THERE'S GENEROUS ROOM FOR SEVEN OR 8-PASSENGERS, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU KEEPING SCORE AT HOME, THE ASCENT PACKS UP TO 8-USB PORTS AND 19 CUP HOLDERS.

[ENGINE STARTS UP] YOU'D THINK THAT THIS WOULD CALL FOR A 6-CYLINDER AH-LA TRIBECA.

BUT, NO, THE ASCENT MAKES DO WITH A NEW 2.4 LITER TURBO-4; YET STILL CLAIMS IT WILL TOW 5,000 POUNDS.

CONSIDERING THAT IT MATES TO A CVT, WE'RE A LITTLE SKEPTICAL; THOUGH ITS 260 HORSEPOWER AND 277 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE FEELS UP TO THE TASK.

BEING A SUBARU CROSSOVER, MEANS ALL-WHEEL DRIVE IS STANDARD, AND THERE'S A DECENT 8.7 INCHES OF GROUND CLEARANCE TO BOOT.

DESPITE SPORTING THE SAME SUBARU GLOBAL PLATFORM AS THE COMPACT IMPREZA, THE ASCENT'S STRETCHED 113.8 INCH WHEELBASE KEEPS IT PLENTY STABLE, YET, ALSO QUITE NIMBLE, AS WE FOUND OUT AT OUR TEST TRACK.

HERE, IT PERFORMS MUCH LIKE A BIGGER OUTBACK.

THERE IS A SOLID PRESENCE, WITH VERY LITTLE ROLL, AND NO TOP-HEAVINESS.

STEERING IS SUPER-LIGHT, BUT FEEDBACK IS SERIOUSLY LACKING.

STILL THE ASCENT RESPONDS QUICKLY TO INPUTS.

AFTER A SPEEDY LURCH OFF THE LINE, IT'S SLOW-AND-STEADY AS SHE GOES, HAVING US WISHING FOR A V6, BUT THE CVT PERFORMED BETTER THAN EXPECTED DOWN THE STRAIGHT.

SIXTY MILES PER HOUR TAKES 7.3 SECONDS TO HIT, WITH 15.8 SECONDS FOR THE QUARTER MILE TRIP AT 89 MILES PER HOUR.

ASCENT IS THE LARGEST SUBARU EVER, AND WHILE THE EXTERIOR IS MORE MIDSIZE, IT BORDERS ON FULL-SIZE ROOM INSIDE.

BOTH PASSENGER, AND CARGO VOLUME ARE GREATER THAN SEGMENT LEADERS HONDA PILOT, AND FORD EXPLORER, FALLING JUST SHORT OF THE VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS.

FOR LUGGAGE, THERE'S 17.6 CUBIC-FEET OF SPACE BEHIND THE THIRD ROW, 47.0 BEHIND THE SECOND, AND 86.0 CUBIC-FEET WITH ALL SEATS FOLDED.

WHETHER, YOU CHOOSE THE SEVEN OR 8-PASSENGER ARRANGEMENT, THE EXPANSIVE SPACE IS HIGHLY CONFIGURABLE.

EVEN THE 3RD ROW IS ACCEPTABLE FOR ADULTS, THOUGH, THE SEAT BOTTOMS ARE VERY LOW TO THE FLOOR.

FOR THE DRIVER, SEATS ARE TYPICAL FOR SUBARU, A BIT HARD, BUT ADEQUATELY COMFORTABLE.

IT'S A FAIRLY QUIET SPACE AS WELL, SAVE FOR SOME AGGRESSIVE ENGINE NOISE THAT SEEPS IN WHEN YOU BURY THE THROTTLE.

EYESIGHT DRIVER ASSIST TECHNOLOGY IS OF COURSE, STANDARD ON ALL ASCENTS, WHICH INCLUDES AUTOMATIC PRE-COLLISION BRAKING.

BUT FEATURES LIKE, BLIND SPOT DETECTION AND LANE CHANGE ASSIST REQUIRE AN UPGRADE.

YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE OUTBACK FAMILIARITY IN THE REAR OF THE ASCENT, BUT THE REST OF THE BODY IS JUST BLEND-IN GENERIC CROSSOVER, AS SUBARU SURELY WANTED TO AVOID REPEATING ANY TRIBECA STYLING CONTROVERSIES.

COULD IT USE A LITTLE MORE POWER?

LIKE MOST SUBARU'S, YES.

BUT THE 2.4 LITER DID PERFORM BETTER THAN EXPECTED, THOUGH ITS HYPER THROTTLE RESPONSE FROM A STANDSTILL TAKES A LITTLE GETTING USED TO.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR TOURING TRIM ARE 20-CITY, 26-HIGHWAY, AND 22-COMBINED.

THE ASCENT STARTS AT $32,970, BUT FOR $2,200 MORE, YOU CAN STEP UP TO PREMIUM TRIM WITH ENHANCED DRIVER ASSIST FEATURES, MAX TOWING CAPACITY, NICER TRIM INSIDE AND OUT, AND AN 8.0 INCH TOUCHSCREEN FOR MULTIMEDIA.

LIMITED TRIM ADDS EVEN MORE, UNTIL YOU TOP OUT WITH TOURING TRIM FOR $45,670.

VISUALLY, THE 2019 SUBARU ASCENT DOES NOT STICK OUT FROM THE REST OF THE 3-ROW CROSSOVER CROWD.

BUT, EARLY SALES NUMBERS SHOW THAT SUITS SUBARU BUYERS JUST FINE.

THEY JUST WANTED A LOT MORE OF WHAT THEY BOUGHT A SUBARU FOR, AND NOW, THEY'VE GOT IT WRAPPED IN A STILL FAMILIAR PACKAGE.

WE PREDICT THE ASCENT IS GOING TO BE, YET, ANOTHER MILESTONE HIT FOR SUBARU, THE LITTLE BRAND THAT CAN!

* ITS BEEN SEVEN YEARS SINCE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CLOSED UP THEIR MERCURY DIVISION.

DURING THE MARQUE'S 73 YEAR HISTORY, IT WAS MOSTLY KNOWN FOR UNEXCITING, BADGE-ENGINEERED VERSIONS OF FORD BRAND CARS.

ONE OF THE RARE EXCEPTIONS WAS THE FIRST-GENERATION MERCURY COUGAR.

NOW, IT MAY HAVE THE BONES OF A MUSTANG, BUT AS OUR JOE LIGO SHOWS, THIS CAT KNOWS WHERE IT'S AT.

* Joe Ligo: WE TEND TO ASSOCIATE MUSCLE CARS WITH YOUTH, BUT AS THE MARKET EXPLODED IN THE MID-1960s, CUSTOMERS OF ALL AGES WANTED IN ON THE ACTION.

IMAGINE YOURSELF CAR SHOPPING IN 1968.

ALL THE KIDS ARE CRAZY FOR MUSTANG'S AND CAMARO'S, BUT YOU WANT SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE MATURE... WELL, MERCURY HAS A CAR FOR YOU, JUST LOOK FOR "THE SIGN OF THE CAT."

AND THERE YOU WOULD FIND THIS DASHING 1968 MERCURY COUGAR.

THE NAME "COUGAR" WAS ORIGINALLY SUGGESTED FOR THE VEHICLE THAT BECAME THE FORD MUSTANG.

AFTER THE MUSTANG'S WILD SUCCESS, MERCURY NEEDED A SPORTY CAR OF THEIR OWN, AND GAVE THE COUGAR NAME A SECOND CHANCE.

LAUNCHED FOR 1967, MERCURY BASED THE COUGAR ON THE MUSTANG PLATFORM, BUT IT HAD COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STYLING AND A 3-INCH LONGER WHEELBASE.

ADVERTISING WENT ALL IN ON THE FELINE THEME, EVEN USING REAL LIVE COUGARS.

THE IMAGE OF A BIG CAT SITTING ATOP A LINCOLN-MERCURY DEALERSHIP SIGN, SOON BECAME THE SYMBOL FOR THE ENTIRE DIVISION.

POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WERE DIRECTED "TO THE SIGN OF THE CAT."

WITH ELEGANT BUT AGGRESSIVE STYLING, AND A TOUCH OF EUROPEAN FLAIR, THE COUGAR APPEALED TO A MORE SOPHISTICATED DRIVER.

FEATURES LIKE, HIDEAWAY HEADLIGHTS AND SEQUENTIAL TURN SIGNALS ADD A DAPPER TOUCH.

FOR A BASE MODEL COUGAR, THIS INTERIOR HAS A WONDERFUL 1960s FEEL, BUT IT DOES LOOK RATHER SPARTAN COMPARED TO THE LUXURIOUS GT AND XR-7 MODELS.

[ENGINE STARTS UP] THIS CAR ALSO HAS THE BASE ENGINE, A 289 CUBIC INCH V8, MAKING 195 HORSEPOWER.

ALSO, AVAILABLE THAT YEAR WERE 302, 427, AND 428 CUBIC INCH ENGINES, TOPPING OUT AT 390 HORSES!

TRANSMISSIONS OFFERED INCLUDED THREE AND 4-SPEED MANUALS, OR THIS CAR'S 3-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

THIS RESTORATION FEATURES SEVERAL MODERN UPGRADES, BUT THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE REMAINS AUTHENTIC.

YES, IT'S A TAD LARGER THAN A MUSTANG, BUT IT STILL FEELS VERY LIGHT AND MANEUVERABLE FOR ITS AGE.

EVEN WITH THE SMALLEST 289 ENGINE, THIS CAR DOESN'T FEEL WEAK.

IT'S GREAT FOR JUST CRUISING AROUND.

BUT WHENEVER, I PUT MY FOOT TO THE FLOOR, I CAN'T HELP BUT FANTASIZE ABOUT THAT OPTIONAL 428 BIG BLOCK.

BUT MORE POWER COSTS MORE MONEY...

BUT EXPECT TO PAY TWICE AS MUCH FOR A FULLY LOADED XR-7, AND UP TO $150,000 FOR AN EXTREMELY RARE COUGAR GT-E.

BUT WITH TOTAL 1968 PRODUCTION OVER 113,000 UNITS, A REGULAR COUGAR SHOULDN'T BE TOO HARD TO CATCH.

AS THE MUSCLE CAR ERA PASSED, THE COUGAR BECAME A SOFTER, MORE LUXURIOUS VEHICLE WITH LESS FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE.

AFTER A BRIEF REBIRTH AS A SPORT COMPACT, IT LEFT PRODUCTION FOR GOOD IN THE EARLY 2000s, WITH ALL OF MERCURY FOLLOWING IN 2011.

BUT FOR A GOOD 20 YEARS, THE MERCURY COUGAR STOOD AS THE SYMBOL FOR AN ENTIRE BRAND, SOMETHING FEW VEHICLES HAVE EVER DONE.

AND AFTER DRIVING THIS 1968 MODEL, I CAN SEE WHY.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A "MATURE" MUSCLE CAR WITH A TOUCH OF CLASS, YOU'LL FIND IT, AT "THE SIGN OF THE CAT."

John: THE RIGHT PARTS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

PAT GOSS KNOWS WHAT TO LOOK FOR, AND WHAT TO AVOID, DOWN IN GOSS' GARAGE.

Pat Goss: TIMES CHANGE, CARS CHANGE, AND PARTS THAT GO IN THEM CHANGE.

AND WE HAVE WITH US TODAY, OUR PARTS GURU, TOM TAYLOR.

TOM, WELCOME BACK TO GOSS' GARAGE.

Tom Taylor: THANKS FOR HAVING ME BACK, PAT.

Pat: HEY...YOU KNOW, I CAN REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY, LIKE THAT OLD FALCON SITTING BEHIND US, WHERE ALL CARS, HAD SPARKPLUG WIRES.

Tom: RIGHT, YOU'D HAVE ONE IGNITION COIL THAT WOULD SEND CURRENT THROUGH MULTIPLE SPARKPLUG WIRES, A SPARKPLUG WIRE FOR EACH SPARKPLUG.

AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH GONE AWAY.

YOU'LL HAVE SEPARATE IGNITION COILS FOR EACH CYLINDER WITH LITTLE BOOTS THAT GO DOWN TO THE SPARKPLUG.

AND WHAT PEOPLE MAY NOT REALIZE IS THESE BOOTS SHOULD BE REPLACED AS PART OF ROUTINE MAINTENANCE LIKE THEY USED TO REPLACE THE SPARKPLUG WIRES.

Pat: YEAH, THESE ARE SUBJECTED TO OIL, FUMES, AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS, AND UH...YOU KNOW, THEY DO DETERIORATE WITH USE.

Tom: IF YOU LOOK AT THEM, THEIR INSIDE IS A LITTLE CONDUCTOR COIL-WIRE AND THE OUTSIDE IS AN INSULATOR, VERY SIMILAR TO A SPARKPLUG WIRE.

REPLACING A WHOLE SET OF THESE COSTS THE SAME AS REPLACING ONE IGNITION COIL AND ITS BOOTS.

SO, IF YOU'RE REPLACING THESE ALL AS PART OF ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, YOU MAY NEVER GET AN ERROR CODE OR A MISFIRE OR SOMETHING THAT MIGHT OCCUR IF THE BOOTS WERE BAD.

Pat: OKAY, SO GOOD ADVICE THERE.

NOW, EVERYTHING IS ELECTRICAL ON MODERN CARS THAT BRINGS US TO WHERE WE GET THAT ELECTRICITY FROM, THE ALTERNATOR.

Tom: YES, OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE A LOT MORE ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES, HEATED SEATS, AND THAT SORT OF THING.

SO THE OUTPUT OF THE ALTERNATORS HAS JUMPED FROM AVERAGING 65 AMPS TO OVER 200 AMPS ON A LOT OF CARS AND THE ROTATING MASS INSIDE THE ALTERNATOR HAS INCREASED A LOT, SO TO REDUCE THE JERKING OF THE SERPENTINE BELT SYSTEM THAT DRIVES THE ALTERNATOR.

THE PULLEYS NOW HAVE A...IT'S CALLED A DE-COUPLER OR A CLUTCH, A FLEXIBLE MATERIAL THAT ABSORBS THAT TENSION WHEN, AS ALTERNATOR CYCLES ON AND OFF.

Pat: YEAH, AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT SOME OF THESE WILL PHYSICALLY LOOK THE SAME AND MAY BOLT UP, BUT THEY DON'T WORK RIGHT.

Tom: RIGHT, THESE ARE BOTH OFF AND FED A FORD 4.6 LITER, BUT THIS IS OFF AN OLDER ENGINE THAT REQUIRED LESS AMPS.

IT'S A CONVENTIONAL PULLEY, AND YOU CAN'T MIX, AND MATCH THE TWO.

IF YOU PUT THIS ON THE CAR ON THE CAR THAT NEEDS THIS, YOU'LL GET THE JERKING AS THE SYSTEM CYCLES ON AND OFF OR YOU MIGHT EVEN GET A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BECAUSE THE WHOLE SERPENTINE BELT SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING LIKE IT WAS DESIGNED TO.

Pat: GOTCHA, TOM, THANK YOU.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

* Stephanie Hart: PREMIUM BRANDS ARE LAUNCHING NEW AND SMALLER ENTRY LEVEL SEDANS, TRYING TO ATTRACT EVER YOUNGER BUYERS.

AND CADILLAC IS NO DIFFERENT.

OUR SPY CAUGHT THE 2021 CADILLAC CT4 TESTING IN MICHIGAN.

IT'S EXPECTED TO REPLACE THE LARGER ATS.

DESPITE THE CAMOUFLAGE, WE CAN SEE DESIGN INFLUENCES FROM THE ESCALA CONCEPT; THE WIDE GRILLE AND DISTINCTIVE VERTICAL, AND HORIZONTAL FRONT LIGHTING.

DUAL EXHAUSTS ARE THE MOST OBVIOUS FEATURES WE CAN SEE, SO FAR IN THE REAR.

EXPECT A TURBO CHARGED 4-CYLINDER UNDER THE HOOD, MATCHED WITH AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC, SENDING POWER TO THE REAR WHEELS.

THE WRAPS WILL COME OFF FOR A DEBUT NEXT YEAR.

John: WELL, THERE'S NO TELLING WHERE WE'LL END UP DRIVING.

SO, OFF WE GO ON THIS WEEK'S QUICKSPIN.

* UTILITIES CLEARLY, RULE THE ROAD THESE DAYS, AND LATELY, THE SMALLEST ARE STEALING THE SPOTLIGHT.

THAT'S WHERE THE ALL-NEW 2019 LEXUS UX COMES IN.

THE U STANDS FOR URBAN, THE X FOR CROSSOVER.

AS THE MOST COMPACT CROSSOVER IN THE LEXUS LINE-UP, IT'S ABOUT 5.0 INCHES SHORTER THAN THE NX, BUT WITH SIMILAR PROPORTIONS AS ENGINEERING COUSIN TOYOTA C-HR.

A SOLID FEEL COMES FROM TOYOTA'S NEW GLOBAL ARCHITECTURE COMPACT PLATFORM.

THE FRONT WHEELS OF THE UX 200 GET POWER FROM A 2.0 LITER I4 GOOD FOR 169 HORSEPOWER.

IT SHARES THE SMOOTH CVT WITH THE TOYOTA COROLLA HATCHBACK, SO THERE'S A FIXED RATIO FIRST GEAR THAT MAKES LAUNCHES MORE FORCEFUL BEFORE THE BELT AND PULLEYS TAKE OVER.

THE HYBRID UX 250H ADDS 6-HORSES, A TWO-MOTOR-GENERATOR HYBRID TRANSMISSION, AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

WE FIRST SAW THE UX AT THIS YEAR'S GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW, AND RECENTLY HEADED TO SWEDEN FOR A DRIVE.

Stephanie: IT HAS TOUGH, YET, NIMBLE HANDLING" John: INSIDE THINGS ARE ON THE SPORTY SIDE OF LUXURY, WITH A TECH FEEL AND FUNCTION.

AND WHILE, ROOM IS AT A PREMIUM, THERE'S NO SKIMPING ON SAFETY.

LEXUS SAFETY SYSTEM+ 2.0 IS STANDARD.

LEXUS IS WELL VERSED IN PRODUCING PLUSH CROSSOVERS ON A LARGER SCALE.

SO, THEY'VE OBVIOUSLY, WORKED HARD TO FIT LUXURY AND A MODERN ENERGETIC ATTITUDE INTO THIS MUCH SMALLER PACKAGE, FOR A RAPIDLY GROWING MARKET.

THE 2019 LEXUS UX STARTS AT $32,000 WHEN IT ARRIVES IN DEALERS THIS DECEMBER.

WHEN IT COMES TO INFUSING THE FUN FACTOR INTO DRIVING, NO ONE DOES IT LIKE THE 2019 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA.

IN FACT, WE NAMED IT OUR 2018 MOTORWEEK DRIVERS' CHOICE FOR BEST CONVERTIBLE.

THE ORIGINAL MX-5 CAPTURED DRIVERS' ATTENTION AT ITS 1989 CHICAGO DEBUT, AND HAS CONTINUED TO DO SO FOR FOUR GENERATIONS.

AND WHILE, WE'VE PERSISTENTLY PRAISED HOW IT HANDLES, WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED MORE POWER, AND MAZDA LISTENED.

ENGINEERS GAVE THE SKYACTIV-G 2.0 LITER I4 LIGHTER PISTONS AND RODS...AND OTHER TWEAKS, ADDING 26 PONIES, NOW UP TO 181.

TORQUE COMES IN EARLIER, AND THE REDLINE GOES HIGHER... MAKING ROWING THROUGH THE STANDARD 6-GEAR MANUAL EVEN MORE ENTERTAINING.

INSIDE, THE INTIMATE COCKPIT THERE'S A FIRST-TIME TILT-AND-NOW TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL PLUS, STANDARD REARVIEW CAMERA.

LOW SPEED EMERGENCY BRAKING IS AVAILABLE TOO.

SO WHILE THIS, 2019 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA HASN'T GONE THROUGH A LOT OF CHANGES, THEY'VE DONE EXACTLY WHAT'S NEEDED TO MAKE THIS GREAT LIGHTWEIGHT ROADSTER EVEN MORE SATISFYING TO DRIVE.

ON SALE NOW, PRICES STARTS AT UNDER $26,000.

KIA GOT THEIR STATESIDE START WITH SMALL CARS, AND A RUGGED LITTLE SUV.

BUT LATELY, THEY'VE BEEN MAKING THEIR MARK WITH CROSSOVERS AND EVEN A SPORT SEDAN.

WELL, THEY KICK OF 2019 WITH AN ALL-NEW FORTE; THE 3RD GENERATION OF THEIR COMPACT SEDAN.

AND IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG TO SEE THE STYLING RESEMBLANCE TO THE STINGER.

GOOD CALL ON THEIR PART, AND EVEN BETTER CALL TO JUST GLEAN THE HIGHLIGHTS.

Brian Robinson: IN ADDITION TO LOOKING A LOT SPORTIER, THE NEW FORTE HAS GOT A LOT OF MECHANICAL UPDATES AS WELL; CHIEF OF WHICH IS THEIR IN-HOUSE DESIGNED CVT.

IT DOES A GOOD JOB OF SIMULATING AN ACTUAL AUTOMATIC IN THAT THERE ARE SHIFT POINTS ENGINEERED IN ALONG THE WAY AS YOU ACCELERATE.

AND, WHEN YOU GET ON THE GAS, THERE'S A CLEAR DOWNSHIFT, AND A NICE LITTLE SURGE OF POWER, WHEREAS IN A TYPICAL CVT YOU STEP ON THE GAS, AND YOU GET A LOT MORE ENGINE NOISE, AND THEN EVENTUALLY SOME POWER COMES ON.

John: THAT POWER COMES FROM A 2.0 LITER I4 THAT DESPITE A HEALTHY 147 HORSEPOWER OUTPUT, PRIORITIZES FUEL ECONOMY, WITH UP TO A 35-MPG COMBINED RATING.

A STANDARD 8.0 INCH TOUCHSCREEN HIGHLIGHTS THE ROOMY AND COMFORTABLE CABIN.

ARRIVING AT DEALERS NOW, THE 2019 KIA FORTE STARTS AROUND $18,000.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPIN'S, SOON!

IT SAYS WONDERS ABOUT WHERE BMW'S PRIORITIES ARE RIGHT NOW, THAT THE LATEST 5-SERIES WON OUR MOST RECENT DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST LUXURY CAR.

BUT NOT SO FAST.

BMW MAY INDEED BE PLACING A HIGHER PRIORITY ON LUXURY THESE DAYS, BUT THEY HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN WHAT GOT THEM THIS FAR IN THE FIRST PLACE.

IT'S TIME FOR THE NEW M5.

* TURNING THEIR MOST LUXURIOUS 5-SERIES SEDAN EVER, INTO THE 2018 BMW M5 WAS PERHAPS HARDER THAN USUAL; BUT THOSE BAVARIANS ARE NEVER ONES TO SHY AWAY FROM HARD WORK, OR IN BMW'S CASE, MIXING A LITTLE BIT OF CONTROVERSY INTO EVERYTHING THEY DO.

MUCH HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE ABOUT THIS 6TH GENERATION M5s ALL-WHEEL DRIVE FORMAT, BUT THE STANDARD M XDRIVE SYSTEM IS HIGHLY REAR-BIASED, AND IF 4-WHEEL TRACTION IS THAT OFFENSIVE TO YOU, YOU CAN ALWAYS DIAL IN A 2-WHEEL DRIVE MODE WHENEVER YOU WANT.

OVER THE YEARS, JUST ABOUT EVERY ENGINE CONFIGURATION HAS BEEN USED IN THE M5, BUT CURRENTLY, A TWIN-TURBO CHARGED V8 REMAINS THE WEAPON OF CHOICE.

THE 4.4 LITER PUSHES OUT 600 HORSEPOWER THROUGH ONE OF THE LOUDEST EXHAUST SYSTEMS, WE'VE HEARD ON A STOCK BMW.

BIGGER TURBO'S, DIALING UP ALMOST 25PSI OF BOOST, ARE JUST ONE OF THE MANY UPDATES THAT HAVE INCREASED OUTPUT TO 553 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

EVEN WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, WEIGHT IS DOWN FROM LAST GENERATION, BY THE USUAL MEANS, MORE ALUMINUM, AND CARBON FIBER, BUT WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT WELL OVER TWO TONS HERE, AT 4,370 POUNDS.

WITH ALL OF THAT IN MIND, WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DETERMINE IS, DOES THE F90, AS IT WILL FOREVER BE KNOWN BY BIMMERPHILES, FOLLOW THE BMW TREND OF BECOMING LESS OF A DRIVER'S CAR?

AND BY HERE, WE MEAN, DOMINION RACEWAY NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA; WHERE THE SUMMER TEMPS WERE HOT, BUT THE M5 STAYED COOL, CALM, AND COLLECTED.

BUT NO ONE CAN DENY THE INSANE AMOUNTS OF POWER THAT THIS CAR PUTS DOWN OUT OF THE CORNERS, OR THE EFFICIENCY BY WHICH IT DOES IT.

THE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC IS A TRUE AUTOMATIC, NOT A DUAL-CLUTCH UNIT, BUT ITS CLOSE ENOUGH TO NOT HOLD YOU BACK ON THE TRACK TOO MUCH, AND BETTER THAN JUST ABOUT ANY MANUAL THAT PURISTS ARE SURELY CRYING FOR RIGHT NOW.

GETTING IN THE CORNERS, THE M5 IS VERY RESPONSIVE, SEEMINGLY SHEDDING WEIGHT THE FASTER YOU GO.

BRAKING IS JUST AS GOOD AS YOU'D EXPECT WITH THE OPTIONAL M CERAMIC ROTORS, AND THEY EVEN SHAVE ANOTHER 50 POUNDS OF WEIGHT.

IT'S NOT A COMPLETE RETURN TO FORM, BUT BMW IS CERTAINLY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WITH THIS M5 WAY MORE OF A DRIVER'S CAR THAN THE LAST GENERATION.

HEADING IN A STRAIGHT LINE, YOU'LL SEE 60 MILES PER HOUR IN JUST 3.2 SECONDS.

THAT'S ALMOST A FULL SECOND QUICKER THAN THE LAST M5.

HERE, THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE IS SURELY WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLDEN LEVELS OF TRACTION.

LAUNCH CONTROL IS AVAILABLE, AFTER YOU FIGURE OUT THE SECRET HANDSHAKE TO ENABLE IT, BUT AFTER A FEW RUNS, IT SEEMS TO DIAL BACK THE FUN A BIT, JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING HOLDS TOGETHER.

DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, 11.4 SECOND QUARTER MILES AT 127 MILES PER HOUR ARE AS EASY AS JUST PUNCHING THE GAS, RELEASING THE BRAKE AND HOLDING ON.

THE USUAL AERO ADD-ONS, AS WELL AS THE CARBON-FIBER ROOF, GO A LONG WAY IN TRANSFORMING THE SEDATE EXECUTIVE SEDAN LOOK OF THE 5-SERIES, INTO THIS AGGRESSIVELY STYLED PERFORMANCE MACHINE.

INSIDE, JUST ABOUT EVERY SURFACE GETS UPDATED OR ENHANCED; MOST SPORTING AN M LOGO.

BUT, NONE OF THE CHANGES SUBTRACT FROM THE VERY LUXURIOUS CABIN.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 15-CITY, 21-HIGHWAY, AND 17-COMBINED, WITH OUR AVERAGE AN APPROPRIATE 16.9 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM FUEL.

THE M5 STARTING PRICE IS $104,595, WITH NO SHORTAGE OF OPTIONS TO TACK ON FROM THERE.

WE WOULDN'T CALL IT THE HIGHLY DESIRABLE MUST-HAVE AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORY OF THE YEAR, BUT THE 2018 BMW M5 IS A COOL PIECE, AND A HIGH-TECH LUXURY PROJECTILE OF MASS TRACK DESTRUCTION.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, WHEN WE SAMPLE STYLE LIKE ONLY THE BENTLEY CONTINENTAL CAN DELIVER, AND THEN HYUNDAI ADDS REAL DRIVING DYNAMICS TO THE QUIRKY VELOSTER COUPE.

TIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS; WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS AND CARGO LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, DIGITAL FIT PROTECTION FOR YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

FROM THE COLD OF WINTER, TO THE HEAT OF SUMMER.

RAIN-X SILICONE ADVANTAGE WIPER BLADES ARE ENGINEERED FOR USE ACROSS ALL SEASONS.

MORE INFORMATION AT RAINX.COM.

HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *