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

JOIN US, AS SUBARU ADDS MORE COMFORT AND TECH TO THE ALWAYS READY FORESTER... PAT GOSS ON THE CHANGING WORLD OF DIY REPLACEMENT PARTS... JOE LIGO GOES BACK IN TIME WHEN A MERCURY PROWLED THE ROADS... AND LUXURY SEDAN MEETS THRILL RIDE IN THE NEW BMW 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.

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...

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.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, CUSTOM FIT VEHICLE FLOOR PROTECTION IN THE FRONT, BACK, AND UP THE SIDES.

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

John Davis: WHEN IT DEBUTED 20-YEARS AGO, IT WAS HARD TO SEE WHERE THE SUBARU FORESTER WOULD FIT IN.

THE BRAND ALREADY HAD A GREAT REPUTATION FOR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE WAGONS THAT COULD GO JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE.

SO, HOW WOULD A SMALL SUV FIGURE INTO THE MIX?

TURNS OUT, QUITE WELL; AS THE FORESTER HAS BEEN THE POINT MAN IN LEADING SUBARU TO RECORD SALES YEAR AFTER YEAR.

SO LET'S FIND OUT IF THE NEW 5TH GENERATION FORESTER CAN KEEP THAT GOING.

John: FOR THE 2019 FORESTER, SUBARU CONTINUES WITH THE STRATEGY THEY'VE USED THROUGHOUT THEIR LINEUP FOR YEARS NOW.

AND, IT'S NOT ALL THAT UNIQUE, ACTUALLY A TRIED AND TRUE FORMULA OF MAKING THINGS JUST A LITTLE BIGGER AND BETTER EACH TIME AROUND, AS WELL AS TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS CONCERNS AND WANTS OF CURRENT OWNERS.

THOUGH SOME THINGS NEVER SEEM TO CHANGE, WHICH MEANS ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE REMAINS STANDARD, AND THERE'S A 4-CYLINDER PANCAKE UNDER THE HOOD.

THAT BASE 2.5-LITER HAS BEEN REVISED, WITH A MODEST HORSEPOWER GAIN OF 12, TO 182; TORQUE IS UP JUST SLIGHTLY TO 176 POUND-FEET AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE OPTIONAL 2.0-LITER TURBO IS NO LONGER IN THE LINEUP.

ANOTHER THING MISSING, IS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION; A 6-SPEED IS ALSO NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

IT'S ALL CVT NOW.

BUT, WE'RE NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S NOT HERE.

THE POWERTRAIN IS SUPERVISED BY SUBARU'S SI-DRIVE ENGINE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE WITH BASIC, INTELLIGENT, AND SPORT MODES FOR THE MAJORITY OF FORESTERS; WITH THE NEW MID-LEVEL SPORT TRIM GETTING AN ADDITIONAL SPORT SHARP MODE.

NOW, NEITHER SPORTINESS NOR MUCH INTELLIGENCE IS REQUIRED TO DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE, BUT WE LIKE TO DO IT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AROUND HERE; AND IT DOES TAKE SOME ENGINE POWER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE FORESTER'S NOT WORKING WITH MUCH HERE.

SO, A LEISURELY 8.6-SECOND TRIP TO 60 SHOULDN'T COME AS A BIG SURPRISE.

THE CVT WORKS THROUGH A HANDFUL OF ITS SEVEN SIMULATED GEARS, BUT ENGINE NOISE REMAINS HIGH AS YOU WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH THE 16.7-SECOND QUARTER-MILE AT 85 MILES-PER-HOUR.

RATHER THAN THE SPORT MODEL, WE DREW THE TOP TIER TOURING FOR OUR TEST.

AND, THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF ROLLING WHEN TOURING THROUGH THE CONES, THOUGH STANDARD ACTIVE TORQUE VECTORING, WHICH WORKS WITH THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM TO SEND POWER TO WHERE IT'S MOST BENEFICIAL, KEPT GRIP FAIRLY HIGH.

THERE WAS ALSO A LIGHTNESS TO THE REAR THAT ADDED A BIT OF PLAYFULNESS TO OUR EXERCISE.

TURN INS ARE SUV SLOWISH, WITH A VERY ARTIFICIAL STEERING FEEL.

BUT IT ALL AMOUNTS TO A STEADY, SAFE, STABLE, AND PREDICTABLE DRIVING EXPERIENCE; WHAT SUBARU OWNERS EXPECT, WITH STABILITY CONTROL ALWAYS AT THE READY IF ONE STEPS TOO FAR OUT OF LINE.

EMERGENCY STOPS FROM 60 WERE QUITE IMPRESSIVE; TAKING JUST 110-FEET.

EYESIGHT IS NOW STANDARD ON ALL TRIMS, BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE DRIVING AIDS AVAILABLE; AND WITH THEM ALL WORKING, AT TIMES YOU DO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE JUST ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

AND DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BLOCKING THE DASH-MOUNTED FACIAL RECOGNITION CAMERA WITH YOUR ARM, OR THE CAR WILL TELL YOU TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD.

SO, TRY NOT TO LOOK AROUND THE REFINED INTERIOR WHILE MOVING TOO MUCH EITHER.

ALTHOUGH YOU WILL WANT TO; ESPECIALLY IF YOU GO ALL IN FOR OUR PRETTY SPIFFY TOURING TRIM.

ONE ISSUE WE'VE HEARD CURRENT OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT IS SEAT COMFORT.

AND WHILE SUBARU HASN'T REACHED VOLVO TERRITORY YET, THE NEW FORESTER'S FRONT SEATS ARE NOTICEABLY COMFIER.

BACK SEAT ROOM IS UP SLIGHTLY DUE TO A WHEELBASE STRETCH; AND CARGO CAPACITY ALSO GETS AN UPTICK, TO 35.4 CUBIC-FEET, 76.1 WITH SEATBACKS FOLDED.

THE OVERALL INCREASED REFINEMENT CARRIES OVER TO THE STREET DRIVE EXPERIENCE AS WELL.

NOW RIDING ON THE GLOBAL ARCHITECTURE CHASSIS, FORESTER FEELS NOTICEABLY MORE RIGID.

IT MAY BE A NEW PLATFORM UNDERNEATH, BUT THE LOOK IS BASICALLY THE SAME OUTSIDE.

MOST OF THE FORESTER'S LINES ARE VERY FAMILIAR, THEY'RE JUST A LITTLE SHARPER NOW.

BODY CLADDING RUNS UP THE SIDES A LITTLE FARTHER, CHROME TRIM IS MORE LIBERALLY APPLIED, AND OF COURSE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN MODERNIZED; LEDS STANDARD ON ALL.

LIKEWISE, IN BACK, THE TAILLIGHTS ARE RESHAPED, THE SPOILER EXTENDS FARTHER DOWN THE LIFT-GATE, AND THERE'S A MORE RUGGED TAKE FOR THE BUMPER.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 26-CITY, 33-HIGHWAY, AND 29-COMBINED.

WE DID IT ONE BETTER, WITH A NICE ROUND AVERAGE OF 30.0 MILES-PER-GALLON OF REGULAR.

THERE'S A SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 11.4-BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE, WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 5.1-TONS.

FORESTER BUYING CHOICES HAVE BEEN SIMPLIFIED A BIT, RANGING FROM A BASE OF $25,870, TO SPORT AT $29,770, ALL THE WAY UP TO TOURING TRIM AT $35,270.

SO, THERE'S NOTHING GROUND BREAKING OR EARTH SHATTERING ABOUT THE 2019 SUBARU FORESTER.

IT'S JUST ONE OF THE BEST COMPACT UTILITIES AROUND, NOW MADE EVEN BETTER.

AND, TO THE MYRIAD OF FORESTER FAITHFUL OUT THERE, THAT'S MUSIC TO THEIR EARS.

* John: IT'S BEEN 7 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 HAD 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 UH, THEY'RE SUBJECTED TO OIL, AND 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 EVER REPLACE THESE ALL AS 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 THE 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 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, THEN 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: WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO DRIVE AN ASTON MARTIN AND WITH THE TOP DOWN IT'S EVEN BETTER.

OUR SPY SPOTTED THE ASTON MARTIN DBS SUPERLEGGERA VOLANTE TESTING IN GERMANY.

IT'S THE SOFT TOP TWIN OF THE COUPE ALREADY ON SALE.

THE SAME 715-HORSEPOWER 5.2-LITER TWIN-TURBO V12 IS LIKELY.

A HONEYCOMB GRILLE AND FRONT SPLITTER LEAD TO LARGE LOUVERED VENTS AND SCULPTED SIDE SKIRTS.

THE REAR WINDOW APPEARS SMALLER THAN THE COUPE.

FROM THIS ANGLE WE CAN ALSO SEE A SMALL SPOILER ON THE DECK LID AND DIFFUSER WITH QUAD EXHAUST.

THE COUPE GOES FROM 0-60 IN 3.4 SECONDS...

SO A FAST OPEN AIR RIDE COULD COME SOMETIME THIS YEAR.

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

SO HERE WE GO ON THIS WEEK'S QUICK SPIN.

* WHILE SOME CAR COMPANIES ARE KICKING LARGER SEDANS TO THE CURB... NISSAN IS ADDING TO THE APPEAL OF THEIR FLAGSHIP, THE 2019 NISSAN MAXIMA.

FROM ITS BOXY BEGINNING IN THE U.S.

IN 1981, THE SHARP LINES BECAME EVER MORE FLOWING, RESULTING IN THE DYNAMIC LOOKING 8TH GENERATION.

UNVEILED FOR 2016, IT NOW GETS A MID-CYCLE REFRESH.

THE SIGNATURE V-MOTION GRILLE BECOMES MORE PRONOUNCED.

LED'S ILLUMINATE FRONT AND REAR, AND NEW WHEELS ROLL IN BETWEEN.

THE TRANSMISSION REMAINS A CVT, WHICH MAY BE A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW FOR SPORT SEDAN ENTHUSIASTS.

BUT THE MAXIMA'S MUSCLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF ITS BEST QUALITIES OVER THE YEARS.

THE 300-HORSEPOWER 3.5-LITER V6 IS QUICK OFF THE LINE.

OVERALL THIS FRONT DRIVER FEELS LIGHT ON ITS FEET AND HOLDS ON TO THE CORNERS.

CAN YOU SAY 4-DOOR SPORTS CAR?

THE "GLIDING WING" INTERIOR IS SPACIOUS AND UPSCALE.

NEW DIAMOND QUILTING AND COLOR COMBINATIONS MAKE UPPER TRIM LEVELS POP.

BUT THE UPDATES GO WELL BEYOND SKIN DEEP.

Stephanie: THE REAR DOOR ALERT IS NOW STANDARD ON ALL MAXIMAS SO IF YOU PUT A CHILD OR PACKAGE IN THE BACKSEAT YOUR MAXIMA IS GOING TO ALERT YOU ONCE YOU ARRIVE AT YOUR DESTINATION TO CHECK THE REAR SEAT.

John: SAFETY SHIELD 360 IS AVAILABLE BRINGING 6 ADVANCED DRIVER-ASSIST FEATURES; INCLUDING AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING.

SO DESPITE WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE DEMISE OF LARGER FOUR-DOORS NISSAN HAS NOT GIVEN UP ON THE FAMILY SEDAN IN AMERICA; ESPECIALLY ONES WITH LUXURY AND SPORT SEDAN OVERTONES.

ON SALE NOW THE 2019 NISSAN MAXIMA STARTS AT $33,950.

John: AS FOR NISSAN'S UTILITIES, THE 2019 MURANO CONTINUES TO ARTISTICALLY BLENDS STYLE AND SUBSTANCE.

WHEN INTRODUCED FOR 2003, THE MURANO CLEARLY WASN'T YOUR TYPICAL UTILITY.

BUT THE COMPETITION HAS CAUGHT ON THAT PRACTICAL CAN ALSO BE PREMIUM AND SLEEK.

SO THE THIRD-GENERATION MURANO'S MID-CYCLE REFRESH GOES EVEN FURTHER TO DISTINGUISH THIS DASHING CROSSOVER.

ON APPROACH, IT HAS THE BOLDER V-MOTION GRILLE SWEEPING THROUGH THE NISSAN LINE-UP.

DESIGNERS DABBLED WITH THE LEDS UP FRONT AND IN THE REAR AS WELL AS THE WHEELS.

A REVISED NAVIGATION DIRECTS THE TOP TRIMS.

DURING OUR INITIAL CALIFORNIA DRIVE, THE 260-HORSEPOWER 3.5-LITER V6 PROVED MORE THAN AMPLE.

WITH ITS CVT TRANSMISSION, POWER FLOWS SMOOTHLY TO THE FRONT OR ALL FOUR WHEELS.

CURVES ARE HANDLED AS FLUIDLY AS ITS STYLING.

INSIDE, THIS 5-PASSENGER CROSSOVER IS AS ENGAGING AS EVER.

ALL MURANOS GET NEW INTERIOR TRIMS... WITH EVEN MORE OF A LUX FACTOR IN THE PLATINUM GRADE.

ALL THIS EYE CANDY COMES WITH MORE SAFETY TOO.

REAR DOOR ALERT AND INTELLIGENT DRIVER ALERTNESS ARE STANDARD.

NISSAN'S SAFETY SHIELD 360 COMES WITH THE TOP TRIMS.

AND MORE AIRBAGS PROTECT PASSENGERS IN THE FRONT AND REAR.

THE 2019 NISSAN MURANO IS CLEARLY PART OF THE COMPANY'S BOLDEST AMBITIONS, WITH A ROOMY, ATTRACTIVE, LUXURIOUS INTERIOR, AND ADVANCED SAFETY AND CONNECTIVE TECHNOLOGY TO BACK UP ITS DRAMATIC LOOKS.

DEALERS HAVE THEM NOW STARTING AT $31,270.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICK SPINS SOON.

John: 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 M5'S 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-TURBOCHARGED 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 TURBOS, 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 2-TONS HERE, AT 4,370-LBS.

THERE ARE VIRTUALLY LIMITLESS AMOUNTS OF TUNING PREFERENCES FOR YOU TO CONSIDER; AMONG THEM, THROTTLE RESPONSE, TRACTION CONTROL, STEERING REACTION, SUSPENSION DAMPING, STABILITY ASSISTANCE, TRANSMISSION SHIFT LOGIC, AS WELL AS WHICH WHEELS GET POWER.

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.

AND, NO MATTER WHAT THE SETTINGS, THE M5 STILL HAS A VERY ARTIFICIAL FEEL THAT REMINDS YOU THAT COMPUTERS ARE DOING THE REALLY HARD WORK HERE.

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 IT'S 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.

EVEN WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, WE KNOW THE BMW FAITHFUL WILL LOVE IT.

WHICH, AFTER ALL, IS THIS CAR'S ULTIMATE MEASURE OF SUCCESS.

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, AS IT'S TIME TO HEAD TO THE MOTOR CITY FOR THE 2019 NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW.

UNTIL 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.

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.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

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] *