Friday, March 3, 2000 - North Shore News - 37

A less-expensive version of
the X35 with a 3.0-litre inline
six cylinder engine is in the
works, but there’s no word yet
on whether it's coming to
Canada.

X5°s are built in
Spartanburg, South Carolina.

extendible fuad tloor ($625),
ski bay ($390), Hi-Fi Sound
Svstem ($1,750), Privacy Glass
($400), and power rear seats
($495),

With some of these
Options, my test car came to
020.

Navigation system could he

contrals, power moonroot,
power windows with anti-trap-
ping feature, and front arss-
rest/storage and rear arnirest.

: D

Available options include
Navigation System ($3,575),
Park Distance Control ($795).
Rear Side Airbags ($725), $77,

BMW's navigation system never
gets Upset or raise i
when you go the wrong way.

1 found some problems

From page 36

tear seats folded, cargo area
doubles.

The outside door handles
are large, pull-type handles
which are casy to grip, but
require a strong tuy to release
the door, Children wiil find
chem difficult to open. In
addition, the deors are heavy,
and fee} stiff when opening
and closing.

Navigation system useful,
but not perfect

My test vehicle was
equipped | with BMW's option-
al navigation system, the first
working navigational system in
Canada.

It consists of'a small colour
flat screen in the centre of the
dashboard, a GPS (Global
Positioning Satellite) transmit-
ter, and a CD ROM map which
contains a detailed of the
cities cf Toronto, Montreal and
Vancouver, and ail the major
routes in between them.

To operate the navigation
system, the driver or passenger
presses a Menu button, and
then selects the destination they
want to go to by using a round
dial — rorating the dial moves
the cursor to different options,
such as the stereo or the navi-
gation system, while pressing
the dial selects the option.

The user can input their
destination as a street address
or the cross-streets at that par-
ticular iocation. The user
selects to view 2 map of the
area with a cursor showing
exactly where their vehicle is,
and a highlighted suggested
route to the destination -— or
they can opt for a simple direc-
tional arrow with distances to
each turning point.

Once the navigation system
is programmed with your des-
tination, it will offer audible
commands each ime you
approach a turning point —
the driver does not have to
take their eyes off the road.

For example, about a kilome-
tre from the next turn, a
woman’s voice says, “Left cura
ahead.” As you approach the
turn, she says, “In 200 metres,
turn left.” Sometimes she will
say, “Left curn at the second
intersection.” If you miss the
turn, she will instruct: “If pos-
sible, make a U-turn.” If you
continue to drive, the naviga-
tion system will re-program
another route to your destina-
tion. When you get there, the
voice says, “You have arrived.”

Untike human navigators,

with the system however. It
tends to select major routes
and ignore secondary routes
which may offer a faster and
more direct route to your des-
ination. On occasion, | tound
that it ignored the most obvi-
vus route, and selected a
longer, More time-consuming
roate. Hyou use the system in
your own neighbourhood, you
probably won't find it very
useful because you'll know the
area better than the computer.
But if you don’t know exacdy
where you're going, or if
you're in a strange area, you
can rely on it to get you there,
eventually,

The price of the optional
navigation system, $3,575,
could buy a lot of map hooks
though.

- Strong emphasis on safety

Like all BMW's, the X5 is
equipped with an extensive
array of safety features.

The cabin features dual
front and side airbags, and
inflatable tubular “head”
airbags for front and rear pas-
sengers. As mentioned, there
are adjustable head restraints
for all passengers, five three-
point seatbelts, and the front
seatbelts have a pyrotechnic
tensioning system.

X5s also include an anti-
theft system with remote con-
trol, an impact sensor that
unlocks the doors and turns
on the lights in the event ofa
crash, front and rear crumple
zones, and side impact beams.

Base price : $68,800

The XS 4.4)’s base price of
$68,800 includes the 4.4-litre
V8 engine, five-speed
Steptronic transmission,
Traction Conirel, Dynamic
Stability Control, Hill Descent
Control, 18-inch tires, alloy
wheels, four-wheel disc brakes
with ABS, roof rack, xenon gas
discharge headlamps, heated
mirrors and washer jets, and
speed sensitive wipers.
Standard interior features
include leather upholstery and
poplar wood trim, heated
eight-way power front seats
with three-position memory,
automatic dual-zone climate
control, premium
AM/EM/CD stecea system
with ten speakers, power
tilt/telescopic stcering wheel,
central door locking, cruise
control with steering wheel

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162 PEMBERTON AVE.
| LIGA. ET SO

FER fit aia are & AUTOBODY HERDS

DOMESTIC & IMPORT SPECIALISTS
“QUALITY WORKMANSHIP”
PRIVATE INSURANCE & ICBC REPAIRS

eel OF + Istsecurity & faxes OAC

Boe OF + isusecuiity & taxes OAC

Brand new, 8 pass, power group, power
driver seat, deep tint glass, remate key-
less, a/c, tilt, saeed conirel, am/im
stereo CD & much more. Was $32,085

2000 GG Sonoma Ext Cab

Sportsite, foglames, alc, locking differential,
Vortec 4300 V6, automatic, aluminum wheels,
port suspension package, am/tm stereo CB play-
er, tilt, speed control, powar windows, ower
locks, & much more. Was $25,225. Stk#

339 or 3.9%

36 mo, low km lease. $2.060 Purchase
maatce

or°2, 759

Cash purchase price

2000 GNC Sierra SLE 4X

Extended cab, dual S-way power saat adjusters,
deep tinted siass, high hack buckel seats, a/c,
Verlec 5300 V8, Autotrac 4W0, am/m/cass/CD,

4 aluminum wheels, power windows, power locks,

ih yy: eed control & much more. Was $42,209.

5475 or 2.9%

36 mo. low km lease $3.500 Purchase
finance

or *36,398

Cash purchase price

2000 GMC Sonoma 4X4

Extended cab, Highrider off-road performance pkg,
auiomatic, 3rd door, remote keyiess, Vortec 4508
VG, power windows, power locks, tilt, speed con-
trol, amfnyeass/CD, aluminum wheels & muck
more. Loaded vehicle, Was $33,990. Stk 26133

*399 or 3.9%

36 mo tow km lease. $2,090 Purchase
OP + Ist/security & taxes CAC finarice

or 29,984

Cash int price

2060 Gi Jimm

4X4, Vories 4300 V6, 1S9GHP enging, Ad Me
door locksiwindows/mitrors, 4 wheel anti-tock
braking system, remote keyless, tilt wheel, cruise
santrol, am/im/CD, fecking al aifereniial & mach
mare. Was $38,225. Stke

°378 or 1.9%

3G mo. low kn tease. $4,865 Purchase
OP ¢ tst/securty & taxes OAC finance

or °34,

| 4X4, leather interior, dual. pi

© Vortec 4300 V5 En ica © 200 HP « 4 wheel dise

+ 4 wheel anti-lock braking system, chreme 5
weeks arilie & bumper, ami stereo, tittwheel,
a iterential automatic atic headlights & much

a Was $24,735. Stk# 20206
£206 or 2.9%

36 ino. low km lease. $1,575
OP + Ist/security & taxes OAC finance

or “21,188

Cash ae price

2000 GMS C Jimmy SLT
ower seats, heated
seats, HD ‘trailer package, power jocks/win-
dowsharrars, tilt, speed contro}, aaviiCD play.
er, fo lames, plectranic contrat at & much

¥298'or 1.9%

36 mo. low km lease. $5.300 uy
OP + Sstsecurity & taxes OAC finance

or "30,900