The Jalopnick article had a hysterical headline:
The 2019 Audi Q8 Boldly Shows Audi's Willingness To Make A Terrifyingly Ugly Car
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The Jalopnick article had a hysterical headline:
The 2019 Audi Q8 Boldly Shows Audi's Willingness To Make A Terrifyingly Ugly Car
The article is kinda funny. I dont think its that bad. For me its probably the best looking SUV Audi has ever made. Reminds me of the Urus in some parts. I dont like the palstic bits under the headlamps and my opinion on fake tailpipes is unchanged. But otherwise...its kinda neat.
Yes please. I'm always happy to read about your car adventures.Me too. A cup holder works well also.
On an unrelated note, I'm going to start the head gasket job on the MG this evening. Would folks here be interested in photos/a write up of it? If so, I'll do it, but if not I won't(don't want to clutter up the thread if no one is interested in reading it). At least I know I'm on one person's ignore list so it won't bother them
Yeah, I agree. Looks distinctive, but I need to see it in darker colors. The plastic bits are the safety system sensors I think.
[doublepost=1528220550][/doublepost]New BMW X5 was leaked
More info here: https://www.autoblog.com/2018/06/05/2019-bmw-x5-redesigned-sneak-peak/
- updated I6 (40i) and V8TT (50i)
- new generation of iDrive
- A wheelbase that is 1.6 inches longer than its predecessor’s, a 1.1 inches increase in vehicle length, an extra 2.6 inches of width and a 1.0 inches increase in height
- Customers can also specify an Off-Road Package, which is being offered in a BMW X model for the first time. Available for all model variants, the package’s specification includes rugged underbody protection at the front and rear of the vehicle, along with the two-axle air suspension and electronically controlled rear differential lock. The Off-Road package features its own special graphics in the instrument cluster and center display, and an extra button on the center console for selecting the four driving modes. The driver can therefore activate the ideal settings for the vehicle’s ride height, the xDrive system, the accelerator response, the transmission control, and the DSC system’s corrective inputs in preparation for driving on a range of surfaces, such as sand, rock, gravel or snow.
- The all-new BMW X5 can now be specified with remote engine start and heated and cooled cup holders in the center console
- optional 4 wheel steer (called IAS)
- The standard Active Driving Assistant on the new BMW X5 includes Blind Spot Detection, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Collision Warning, Frontal Collision Warning and Pedestrian Warning with City Collision Mitigation (which now also alerts the driver if cyclists are detected) Cross Traffic Alert Rear, and Speed Limit Information.
- Available as an option, the Driving Assistant Professional package is comprised of the Traffic Jam Assist with extended hands-off time (expected to be available from 12/2018) as well as the Lane Keeping Assistant with active side collision protection. The Automatic Lane Change feature can be used on highways when the Lane Keeping Assistant is active. Holding the direction indicator in the required direction is all it takes to initiate a lane change. If the sensors detect that there is space in the adjacent lane and that no other vehicle is approaching at high speed, the driver benefits from helpful steering assistance during the lane change. Another component of the system is the evasion aid, which can help avoid collisions with vehicles or pedestrians suddenly appearing in the driver’s path. As soon as an evasive maneuver corresponding to such a scenario is detected, the system assists the driver with steering inputs to direct the vehicle into a clear adjacent lane.
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The Audi looks much better than the BMW IMO - front, side, rear, and interior all look better.Yeah, I agree. Looks distinctive, but I need to see it in darker colors. The plastic bits are the safety system sensors I think.
[doublepost=1528220550][/doublepost]New BMW X5 was leaked
Hahaha, yeah, I agree, in fact, there are design elements I really like. Manufacturers are just always trying to create a distinctive design language, and when you're dealing with some fixed engineering reqs, there's only so much you can do.
Order successful! Not the exact OEM SVT wheel off the 2013 GT500, but the exact same mesh design and finish in charcoal with Mickey Thompsons. Showing Tuesday for a delivery. I think this car will look so much better with contrast of the gloss black paint on the car sitting on 20 inch wheels versus the stock 19 inch wheels.
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So, before I dig into pulling the head, I wanted to do one last test.
One standard "older" diagnostic test is called a leak-down test. Basically, the piston for any given cylinder is brought to top dead center with the valves closed(compression stroke) and the cylinder is charged with compressed air. An engine in good shape should "leak" a relatively small amount of air. If the leak is a bit more dramatic, it's often possible to pinpoint the problem by listening-rings "hiss" through the crankcase breather, exhaust valves through the tailpipe, and intake valves through the intake.
Unfortunately, leakdown testers are pricey, so I decided to cobble my own together.
I don't show the air source here, but any compressor, air tank, or even spare tire can be used.
The hose on the other side is from my compression gauge-it seals to a spark plug hole and has a quick-connect on the end.
I tried this several times, but I could visibly see the gauge moving. This was on cylinder #2. With careful listening, I could actually hear air hissing out the spark plug hole with the plug removed on #3. That's significant as it indicates that there's "crosstalk" between the cylinders...so the head gasket is indeed bad.
Getting the head off isn't a huge deal-I just need to drain the coolant, undo the head stucks, remove the rocker arm, remove the push rods, remove the heater valve, and the head SHOULD pop right off. I'll attack that when it gets a bit cooler this evening.
One standard "older" diagnostic test is called a leak-down test. Basically, the piston for any given cylinder is brought to top dead center with the valves closed(compression stroke) and the cylinder is charged with compressed air. An engine in good shape should "leak" a relatively small amount of air. If the leak is a bit more dramatic, it's often possible to pinpoint the problem by listening-rings "hiss" through the crankcase breather, exhaust valves through the tailpipe, and intake valves through the intake.
Unfortunately, leakdown testers are pricey, so I decided to cobble my own together.
I don't show the air source here, but any compressor, air tank, or even spare tire can be used.
The hose on the other side is from my compression gauge-it seals to a spark plug hole and has a quick-connect on the end.
I tried this several times, but I could visibly see the gauge moving. This was on cylinder #2. With careful listening, I could actually hear air hissing out the spark plug hole with the plug removed on #3. That's significant as it indicates that there's "crosstalk" between the cylinders...so the head gasket is indeed bad.
Getting the head off isn't a huge deal-I just need to drain the coolant, undo the head stucks, remove the rocker arm, remove the push rods, remove the heater valve, and the head SHOULD pop right off. I'll attack that when it gets a bit cooler this evening.
Good luck. In my experience what should be easy, rarely is! But I'm sure you are much more capable.
Love it so far, my expectations were pretty well framed, even without much hands-on experience in advance.
The bold is just right on point, pretty much exactly the "elevator pitch" version of my thoughts. Per the post of mine you quoted, I was right there on a JGC purchase (Overland + High Altitude, loved it), we just got the desire for a 3-row (that maybe Jeep with eventually build ...). Definitely when you get into the higher trims, it's a notable difference, and with the R/T, it picks up all sorts of "sport" elements, the seats are more like a sport sedan, the suspension is lower and a touch stiffer vs. other trims with the 5.7L it just moves effortlessly, I mean, this beast is 5000+ lbs. The transmission is brilliant, since the engine has plenty of power everywhere, it's not "over-tuned", so it's incredibly smooth, but also responsive (even has paddle shifters, which actually lock the gear down, to the rev limiter).
The biggest surprise is the interior, the fit/finish/materials, and the uConnect system (which you know all about) are just fantastic. I'd say the exterior F&F is about what I'd expect in this market segment, but the interior is really stellar.
Clearly, the DD in general, and the R/T and SRT models specifically (with the vented/ducted hood, the SRT with it's massive wheels/tires, Brembo brakes, etc.) is big and some models really have an in-your-face design - which is kind of the point - or you can opt for one the more traditional finishes that still have some nice design elements. With the Tech Package - which, 1) should just be standard on the R/T, and 2) is really more of a "Safety Tech" package, it's just loaded up with features.
I think the R/T trades a little AWD prowess for more performance related execution vs. an Overland, but it seems just about perfect for our use (and it does, amazingly, have a low range switch).
We did our first 6 passenger trip, it was like a mile,
, but we got a good sense of the room and it's terrific. For lower gear trips, we can probably just use the space behind the seat, but for longer trips/ more gear (like our lobstering trip to The Keys), I'll use a hitch carrier, one of the 500lbs spec models, for the overflow (dive gear and booze )Q8 and X5 are rather underwhelming and a bit hideous. I'm not sure what Audi was thinking with the Q8. Let's hope it gets a refresh in a couple years. Not sure how I feel about the blue anodized bar in the headlights of the X5 M edition (I'm assuming here it's the M). Looks tacky. The speedometer and techometer design looks mighty interesting, though. I expected it to receive the current digital BMW dash. The general shape and arrangement makes me think BMW copied from Audi. Which does make sense; Audi make the cleanest digital dash on the market right now. Even the upcoming/impending MBUX system isn't as clean cut.
I believe the Q8 will come head to head with MBZ's next-gen GL/GLS which is much larger and the upcoming BMW X7.
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I've been saying it for years. Apple is so hunkered down that they let the competition blow past them. To me, at the moment, it feels like Apple has set iOS and the iPhone range as their number one priority rather than what they were known for years. The iMac Pro is a nice peace offering, but it doesn't do justice to the damage done by Apple over the last eight years.
Unlike the late Jobs, Cook doesn't have that "grab 'em by the balls and squeeze 'til they rupture" spirit of taking on enemies and outdoing them by a mile.
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Did you opt for an animal cage for the cat/dog or does Dodge not offer one? I've never seen a dealer offer an official one but it seems nearly every dealer has a third party company that operates within and provides cages for animals.
I believe the Q8 will come head to head with MBZ's next-gen GL/GLS which is much larger and the upcoming BMW X7.
What part of CarPlay do you not understand?
[doublepost=1528237502][/doublepost]
I've been saying it for years. Apple is so hunkered down that they let the competition blow past them. To me, at the moment, it feels like Apple has set iOS and the iPhone range as their number one priority rather than what they were known for years. The iMac Pro is a nice peace offering, but it doesn't do justice to the damage done by Apple over the last eight years.
Unlike the late Jobs, Cook doesn't have that "grab 'em by the balls and squeeze 'til they rupture" spirit of taking on enemies and outdoing them by a mile.
[doublepost=1528237806][/doublepost]
I was wondering why you needed a third row. I think the fact that it's an SUV and still retains some sporty rigidity while having a sweet engine adds to the pleasure of driving it. There's SUV and there's SUV, if you get what I mean. I think that's why performance SUVs are popular with people who want some thrill in their large vehicle without downgrading to a full size sport sedan.We did our first 6 passenger trip, it was like a mile,
Did you opt for an animal cage for the cat/dog or does Dodge not offer one? I've never seen a dealer offer an official one but it seems nearly every dealer has a third party company that operates within and provides cages for animals.
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Alright, phase 1 is complete. I've done a lot of this so many times that it's kind of fallen into the "no big deal" category.
First of all, I apologize for the crummy/fuzzy iPhone photos.
As I mentioned, the first step was draining the coolant. In the less than 3 years I've owned the car, I've done 2 full coolant changes and several partial changes, so this time I just brought it down to below the level of the head. I opted not to remove the heater valve or thermostat housing this time-I just disconnected their hoses.
From there, it was time to start taking stuff off.
First, the carburetors come off to leave the bare intake and exhaust manifold.
There are 4 1/2" nuts backed by big fender washers that hold both the intake and exhaust in place. One those are removed, the intake manifold pulls straight off.
From the factory, the two ends of the exhaust manifold were also held on with studs. Everyone replaces these with 1/2" head bolts to make the exhaust manifold a lot easier to remove. As long as the engine is to stay in the car, the exhaust manifold just has to be unbolted from the head and not removed completely.
From there, the valve cover came off.
The keen-eyed viewer will see an obvious issue here-the oil coating the rockers is "milky" looking. This indicates a breech between the oil and coolant passages, and is a sure sign of a blown head gasket. This obviously happened the last time I drove the car, as I hadn't noticed it previously.
In any case, I skipped photographing a few steps, but the rocker shaft comes off(four nuts for the shaft itself, four that also double as head bolts). Then, the rest of the head studs came out. This is probably bad of me, but I used an impact to zip these off. The pushrods also come out-these just pull out with a small "wiggle" to make sure the tappets don't come out with them.
With the rocker shaft off, the engine can be "bumped" a few times with the starter to use compression and help break the seal between the head and block.
A bit of manhandling later and off it comes.
Just to check the valve condition, I put kerosene in each of the combustion chambers, and didn't observe any appreciable leaking.
I can then turn my attention to the gasket.
It's difficult to see, but just as I suspected there's a small breech in the fire ring between cylinders 2 and 3.
I did a bit more clean-up work tonight. I basically just used a paint scraper to clean the loose crud off the head and block, but that's it. I also used a tap to CAREFULLY chase the stud holes in the block and blow them out with compressed air.
The rule of thumb is that factory studs never go bad, but for peace of mind I spent the money on new studs. Unfortunately, there are no-inbetweens on MG head studs-either you re-use the factory studs or you go whole hog and buy racing grade ARP studs at $100+ a set. I'm waiting on those to arrive, but I think that once they're here I'll be ready to button it back up with a new gasket.
Start to finish, this took me about an hour. I guess-as they say-practice makes perfect.
First of all, I apologize for the crummy/fuzzy iPhone photos.
As I mentioned, the first step was draining the coolant. In the less than 3 years I've owned the car, I've done 2 full coolant changes and several partial changes, so this time I just brought it down to below the level of the head. I opted not to remove the heater valve or thermostat housing this time-I just disconnected their hoses.
From there, it was time to start taking stuff off.
First, the carburetors come off to leave the bare intake and exhaust manifold.
There are 4 1/2" nuts backed by big fender washers that hold both the intake and exhaust in place. One those are removed, the intake manifold pulls straight off.
From the factory, the two ends of the exhaust manifold were also held on with studs. Everyone replaces these with 1/2" head bolts to make the exhaust manifold a lot easier to remove. As long as the engine is to stay in the car, the exhaust manifold just has to be unbolted from the head and not removed completely.
From there, the valve cover came off.
The keen-eyed viewer will see an obvious issue here-the oil coating the rockers is "milky" looking. This indicates a breech between the oil and coolant passages, and is a sure sign of a blown head gasket. This obviously happened the last time I drove the car, as I hadn't noticed it previously.
In any case, I skipped photographing a few steps, but the rocker shaft comes off(four nuts for the shaft itself, four that also double as head bolts). Then, the rest of the head studs came out. This is probably bad of me, but I used an impact to zip these off. The pushrods also come out-these just pull out with a small "wiggle" to make sure the tappets don't come out with them.
With the rocker shaft off, the engine can be "bumped" a few times with the starter to use compression and help break the seal between the head and block.
A bit of manhandling later and off it comes.
Just to check the valve condition, I put kerosene in each of the combustion chambers, and didn't observe any appreciable leaking.
I can then turn my attention to the gasket.
It's difficult to see, but just as I suspected there's a small breech in the fire ring between cylinders 2 and 3.
I did a bit more clean-up work tonight. I basically just used a paint scraper to clean the loose crud off the head and block, but that's it. I also used a tap to CAREFULLY chase the stud holes in the block and blow them out with compressed air.
The rule of thumb is that factory studs never go bad, but for peace of mind I spent the money on new studs. Unfortunately, there are no-inbetweens on MG head studs-either you re-use the factory studs or you go whole hog and buy racing grade ARP studs at $100+ a set. I'm waiting on those to arrive, but I think that once they're here I'll be ready to button it back up with a new gasket.
Start to finish, this took me about an hour. I guess-as they say-practice makes perfect.
Attachments
By the phone needing to be on a mount for Waze, I mean it has to be forward facing and upright for the GPS to work correctly or am I wrong about that?
Do you mean where it tracks your location on the map? No. Even if you connected via Bluetooth and had directions read out to you, you could slip your phone into your coat pocket whilst driving and not have it interfere.
What if the phone is sitting sideways in my pocket, screen facing towards the passenger door for example? Will it think the car is turned 90% and give incorrect directions?
Nope. Never heard of that being a problem. While it isn't the correct term, there's a certain amount of error correction programmed into GPS and phones with active GPS to prevent that kind of problem. I tend to go by bluetooth audio and throw the phone sideways, upside down, whatever and never had issues.
Phone GPS is a bit quicker than normal GPS. I'm not sure on accuracy but suffice to say, problems like that were thought of when they were developed for use. I use an S8 which has a magnetometer and I've never run into the issue you're describing. I think you'd have to move a certain amount in a different direction for the location to show up and cause a route change.
If you do a long road trip, especially in areas with terrible cellular reception, I recommend buying or renting a standalone GPS unit, like a Garmin handheld. I keep one in whatever car we use on a long trip where reception sucks.
Those are the BMW Laser Lights. X5M hasn't been announced yet.
New generation of iDrive
https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-n...t-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-2018-idrive/
I'm looking forward to MBUX. Mercedes is doing great things with AR.
No, this is smaller. Q8 competes against the X6 and GLE Coupe. Q9 will be the upcoming full-size SUV.
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Agree. BMW's interior design is getting bland.
AR? I'm surprised you are. I had you pegged as non-fan of MBZ. @ Laser Light system, couldn't they have used silver coloring and not that blue? I'm not liking that new iDrive at all, though.
Interesting. I was going by a car show video I saw late last year where someone was talking about the Q8. I can see why Audi chose to design the Q8 like this. It'll fit in with the X6 and GLE Coupe eyesores. I hope the Q9 is going to be... toned down. I know Audi has plans on abandoning their conservative design now that they're established nearly every where, but I feel at odd with modern design. I know, funny coming from someone who hates Audi's bland design language. Something middle of the road would be nicer. And real exhaust outlets!
That Q8 is a few fake panels away from mimicking a transformer.
I can't see the YouTube video you posted. Something on my browsers is blocking it. I probably messed up a router setting the other day. Though is it the video of the husband and wife using their MBUX system to meet up for a run at the beach?
Is an augmented reality display something that would distract you more than just a navigation system?Those are the BMW Laser Lights. X5M hasn't been announced yet.
New generation of iDrive
https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-n...t-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-2018-idrive/
I'm looking forward to MBUX. Mercedes is doing great things with AR.
No, this is smaller. Q8 competes against the X6 and GLE Coupe. Q9 will be the upcoming full-size SUV.
[doublepost=1528245120][/doublepost]
Agree. BMW's interior design is getting bland.
Thank you. I just assumed all these years the phone had to be "pointed" in the proper direction. I suppose that's still the case if I'm walking.
I would assume so if you're using a compass app. Unfortunately, I've never used my phone's GPS while walking or even on a run. I rarely carry a phone for the latter.
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Your post clued me into what he was talking about. I checked out a video. That's a very good question. I'm not sure if I'd be distracted if I used it or if I'd even use it over a third party app like phone navigation. I suppose it'd be useful for places you've never been to with confusing roads. It'll help you get onto the correct road or street. I suspect the AR will be featured in heads up displays in luxury cars within a few years.
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Huh, who would've thought that the Porsche Cayenne would eventually evolve into one of the better looking cars in the segment?
Still can't wrap my head around SUV coupés. Some are better than others, but overall they're all awkward looking. Why select a Q8 over the Q7 unless you didn't want to wait for the updated interior?
Still can't wrap my head around SUV coupés. Some are better than others, but overall they're all awkward looking. Why select a Q8 over the Q7 unless you didn't want to wait for the updated interior?
I’m more of a Mustang fan in general, But the new 2018 Shelby Super Snake is horrible from the front. Its like a body kit that doesn’t match the car. That hood does blend with that specific body style, the Grill insert is unattractive, but they were trying to achieve the whole *Wide body* look. It just seems over-emphasized. (In fairness, I don’t like the S550 body style.)
But..it certainly doesn’t lack the performance:
But..it certainly doesn’t lack the performance:
- 5.0 Supercharged/Over 750 HP
- 0-60>3.5s.
- Brembo Six Piston calipers
- 20” wheels
- Penske Suspension
- $114,000
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