Your keys, sir... Mine for a week and I'm pleased: I really like the look of the new C4 Picasso. The ride was smooth as silk and with all the space and comfort my wife questioned our sanity at owning a BMW that cost twice as much. On the motorway, I had similar thoughts! Seat back tables, arm rests, cooled drinks container - what more could a family want? Quality, that's what. Broken headrest, rear seat with a bent mechanism and loose trim, all in 8,000 kilometers. A design marvel but a quality flop.
The X5 diesel is at the end of its lease, the new one's too expensive and I am not paying the extortion that is the new Band G road tax. So a two-year-old Touareg now sits in the drive. Is it better than the X5? Well, it depends on your definition of better. It's thirstier around town, but only by 3mpg, making it cheaper given the premium asked for diesels. On the motorway it's 10mpg worse. It's much lighter to drive, better built and for normal driving more comfortable. Press on though - X5 rules.
Some people don't believe a diesel has any place in an enthusiast's driveway: how wrong they are. The 335d is very close to supercar fast when kept between 2000 and 4000rpm and it still averages 35mpg. 'In the real world' is an often used cliche but it's also where most of us drive. In this environment I don't know a better all-rounder. The six speed auto and manual override are silky smooth and build quality is excellent. As a 911 Carrera 4S driving friend said, 'I had no idea it was that good'. Try one.
