Vail, BMW, Prius, Grand Kids and More In This Month's Letter from Europe. Feb 08

Andrew Frankl, European Bureau Chief

It may seem strange that the man from Europe should write from Vail, but it was of course all in the course of investigative journalism. What else you might ask?! Would you have known for instance that the Hummer 3 is probably the least desirable thing on 4 wheels I’ve ever driven? Would you believe that the only things going slower than the utterly gutless Hummer were pedestrians? That every single Kenworth and Peterbilt went flying by? All I can say in favor of this thing is that it finally got us there from Denver. And back. That is about all. I think people in horse-drawn wagons a 150 years ago had more fun. Truly, 100% appalling.

Well, maybe not quite as appalling as the waitress in Vail who proudly announced, and I quote: "Tonight's special is a 6(!) ounce Kobe beef steak at 160 dollars." No folks, it did not include the whole cow, just in case you were wondering. I won’t name the establishment, as luckily there are plenty of perfectly fine bars and restaurants all over this truly delightful place. Let me go further. Having skied Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Courchevel, St Anton , St Moritz and Aspen, as far as the snow and the runs are concerned, Vail is second to none.

They have more groomed terrain than any other place on Earth with no fewer than 193 trails, and when they advertise “ champagne powder” that is exactly what it is. Miles and miles of it. What is even more amazing is the friendliness of the locals. They simply couldn’t have been nicer. The roads are heated and the only transport in town are hybrid electric buses. Do look for package deals as Vail is many things to many people but inexpensive it isn’t. Wonderful it is.

I know that one should not make unfair comparisons - which this one is going to be - but to step into an S class Mercedes was really like moving from a bad dream to a magical one. If there is a better car in the World, I’ve yet to find it. Maybe I should have felt suitably guilty, after all I was in the political correctness capital of the World-San Francisco. Well, I didn’t. The reason was a rather special one. I had to take two great grandmothers (combined age 187!) from one end of the City across the Golden Gate bridge to Tiburon to see their 6 weeks old great grand daughter.

I’ve never seen two such happy grand old ladies in my life. In supreme comfort they were chattering away clearly having a blast. It isn’t very often that I am truly sorry to see a test car leave The Auto Channel’s West Coast HQ but this was definitely one of them. Mercedes had some quality problems some years back but they are certainly firing on all cylinders today. I am looking forward to driving more of their diesel powered cars, which are such a hit in Europe.

Readers in America may not be aware of the cost of gas/petrol in Europe - well over 7 dollars a gallon. Consequently over 50% of all cars sold are diesel powered. The number of small cars is growing rapidly, the latest hit being Fiat’s 500, which is about as big as the Smart cars I’ve been driving in California just before Christmas. Back in California, Nissan 350Z was as exciting as ever although the interior could do with a face-lift; it is rather depressing. Nissan is launching a number of exciting new cars at the forthcoming Geneva Show and The Auto Channel will of course be there to bring you a full report.

The BMW 328i I’ve been driving of late is yet another example of why all other manufacturers try desperately to knock the Munich manufacturer of their mantle. The number of ads claiming things like “as quick”, “as comfortable” as this, as that and yet, at the end of the day none of them get it together like the 3 series.

The way it is put together, the way the engine sounds and purrs and delivers, the seats, the exceptional gearbox - just stunning. I am not a huge fan of the 7 series, but the 3 series has to be one of the most enduring and most desirable of cars.

No, it isn’t huge, forget four grown-ups in the coupe, but for what it is there are no substitutes. Silly mistake? Of course. As you sit down the safety belt comes forward assisted by a piece of metal. Completely silly, in fact laughable. Well, it would be except for the fact that on its way back into its holder the metal bit grabbed my jacket and tried to tear it off my shoulder!

Could have been expensive as it was my best jacket! Silly mistake Number Two is hereditary. Every 3 series I’ve ever driven had a speedo with at least 100 silly little lines on it. Kilometer -little lines-, miles per hour-more little lines and 90% are surplus to requirements. No big deal but silly. The good news is that stepson Alan’s 3 series has been running like a Swiss clock for 30 thousand miles and is as good as new.

Regular readers will know that my wife traded in her BMW 530i for a new Toyota Prius about a year ago. She has now done 10 thousand totally trouble-free miles and loves her car. Mind you, such is the popularity of the Prius in Marin that you are rapidly becoming the odd lady out if you drive anything else! What is astonishing is that the word Prius is now synonymous with hybrid cars even though there are plenty of others on the road. Just like Google and iPod, Prius is now part of the language, an amazing achievement. I will of course be reporting on the car’s progress as the miles accumulate. Consumption is anything between 40 to 42.5 miles per gallon on the cheapest gas. I am glad Toyota has stopped pushing the 60 miles per gallon tag, it was highly misleading. Turning to car racing, I just hope we will have some races as exciting as the last few minutes of the Super Bowl. It was sport at its finest .

I have to say a few words about the Ford Taurus. Launched upon the unsuspecting public as the 500, new boss Mulally renamed it Taurus and got the engineers to add a bit of chrome to the grill. The engine is also slightly bigger but honestly, how can you ask 33 thousand dollars for a car which handles like a whale. If the Japanese were to harpoon the Taurus instead of the innocent ones in the Pacific Ocean the World would be a better place. It will take a miracle for Ford USA to stay afloat until the new cars-designed either by Mazda, Volvo or Ford of Europe-arrive. A terrible indictment, if you ask me. The new small World car, currently called the Verve sounds promising but as Andy Taylor, boss of Ford GB’s sales director said in 1963: “small cars (he was referring to the Mini) equal small profit. Amen.