MotorWeek

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

Join us as we spend some quality drive time in BMW's updated X7... Then, we're propping our hoods for some often-overlooked car care... We'll set up camp for an RV adventure way down south... Then, hoist the sails in Mazda's new flagship, the CX-90...

So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: While, BMW got serious about their SUV game around the same time as most other luxury brands, it took them until just a few years ago to deliver a 3-row example.

This year, that X7 is updated with new style and new tech.

So, let's see if that makes it the ultimate premium 3-row family machine.

When it comes to utility vehicles, bigger seems to be better for a lot of people.

So, for BMW, there's none bigger or better than the X7 3-row utility, which for 2023 gets a comprehensive update after just 4-years on the market.

That includes a facelift to bring it more in line with the new 7-series carline, which is to say joins the more vertical, aggressive grille party.

Also, the actual headlights have been moved lower in the front fascia, with squinty DRLs above for the first time on a BMW.

In back, taillights take on a 3D posture, with a new chrome bar connecting them.

There are also multiple new M Sport packages to choose from to spice up the exterior, with larger air intakes up front, high-gloss black trim, upgraded exhaust, cascade grille lighting, and 22 inch wheels, as well as M Sport brakes... ...and the interior too, with aluminum trim and exclusive steering wheel.

But, by far the biggest change inside for '23 is a new dashtop curved display that eliminates the typical BMW well-hooded gauge pod and blends 12 inch Live Cockpit Pro into the 15 inch infotainment touchscreen, which now features iDrive8.

Both a Head-Up Display and a large panoramic sunroof are standard.

Whether, set up for two or three passengers, 2nd row seat room remains plentiful, and though the X7 doesn't look ungainly large like many of its competitors, access to the 3rd row is quite good.

Cargo space is reached through a fairly unique, Range Rover-style, split tailgate, which is quite oddly satisfying to watch unfold.

There's room for 48.6 cubic-feet of goods behind the 2nd row, with a max of 90.4 cubic-feet.

The base xDrive40i has always been the sensible choice, even more so now with a new inline-6 turbo getting a significant bump in horsepower from 335 to 375, and a 48 volt mild-hybrid system that results in a total of 398 pound-feet of torque.

At our Mason Dixon test track, there was enough to blast this big beast to 60 in just 5.4 seconds.

That's only about half a second slower than the V8 did the deed back in 2019.

Making that optional 523 horsepower V8 simply overkill at this point.

Our best quarter-mile pass was 13.9 seconds at 100 miles per hour.

All X7s get a quick shifting sport-tuned 8-speed automatic transmission, which adds a new Sprint Function that finds the lowest usable gear instantly and maxes electric boost with a hold of the left shift paddle.

What fun!

New looks and updated tech are cool, but BMW has also addressed dynamics as well, with a retuning of all chassis systems, including the optional Dynamic Handling Package which adds adaptive suspension with roll stabilization and uses GPS and camera data to prepare for what's coming.

We're not sure if our slalom course was anticipated, but the X7 sure felt well-equipped to handle it.

All-wheel-drive is standard on all X7s, along with comprehensive drive modes.

Pricing starts at $78,845, and it's a significant step up from there to $104,095, if you want the V8.

Even more reason to stick with the 6-cylinder as far as we're concerned.

It took the ultimate driving machine folks quite a bit of time to enter the 3-row family crossover segment, but when they did, they were able to create their largest utility ever and keep it consistent with their values.

For 2023, the BMW X7 gets even more dynamic, embraces new tech, and looks better too.

All things that should keep the BMW faithful coming back for more.

The pandemic changed how we live, work and play.

One byproduct of that has been an explosion in the popularity of RVing!

This year some 67 million of us will take an RV road trip, and that includes our own Stephanie Hart.

She recently headed south to Louisiana to find out how RV camping is evolving to meet the demands of today's road warriors.

STEPHANIE HART: I'm about an hour outside New Orleans and I'm going RVing at Sun Outdoors, a luxury RV resort.

I am all in!

Some of my goals: Escape the daily grind, connect with friends, and explore nature.

Sun Outdoors is loaded with resort-style amenities that propel the RV experience to the next level.

I didn't know RV camping could be this luxurious.

There's also a lazy River!

Consider my "out of office" message officially activated.

RV camping has certainly evolved over the last few years to satisfy all types of wanderlust.

And new, emerging RV technology is fueling our desire to explore farther.

Couple that with the pandemic forever changing our daily routines and it's no wonder RVing is the in-thing these days.

An RV Industry study shows 40 percent of people who bought RVs in 2022 purchased them to work from the road.

MONIKA GERACI: Even if you are still going to an office-- maybe you have that flexibility that you are working remotely on Mondays-- and Fridays-- and you can take that long weekend and do your Zoom from a camp ground such as this one that has great Wi-Fi, beautiful views and you can still be working while also spending time with family or friends.

STEPHANIE: And thanks to advances in solar technology, the workday can easily be spent off the grid.

Solar panels can power some, if not all of your RV's electrical needs, like air conditioning.

This IBEX Little Horn Garage by Forest River earned its reputation for accessing remote places.

And its new independent suspension enhances the adventure.

BRANDON ROGERS: It gives you a better tow, it gives you less bucking, it keeps all-- both tires on the ground.

STEPHANIE: A larger RV, like this luxury 5th wheel Eagle by Jayco, also works for boondocking since it's prepped for solar.

An overlanding package is also available.

As you can see, it's elegant and modern inside.

This pro tablet controls all of the basic functions of the RV.

And the best part is it pairs to an app on your cell phone.

So, if you're at the beach all day you can adjust whatever you want, when you want; things like leveling, the temperature, and the slide outs.

RVing is all about exploring, so we drove out of the resort to experience some nearby Creole charm.

Louisiana is well-known for its gator's.

Turns out these bigger guys are always hungry.

Yikes!

The smaller gator's on the other hand, actually crave some TLC and like to pose for photos.

Go figure!

After all of that excitement, we headed back to the resort and I test drove an all-electric RV.

As part of my RVing adventure, I'm behind the wheel of the Winnebago ERV2.

It's really smooth on the road, it has great visibility, and it's easy to maneuver.

It felt a lot like an Expedition.

This Ford E Transit prototype is designed for people who work from the road.

Winnebago hopes to improve its range in the next generation, but the house battery is already substantial.

DUANE CYRUS: The ion blade technology is a battery developed by Lithionics, a company that Winnebago actually just purchased.

What's great about that is: 15,000 watt hours, so extended run time... 7 days of boondocking without a problem.

STEPHANIE: Whether, you satisfy your adventurous spirit or just wind down at a posh resort like this one, RVing equals freedom.

And one of the best things about being here is doing absolutely nothing, unplugging from the world, and relaxing.

And it certainly helps being in a heated pool at a swim-up bar overlooking a beautiful lake.

JOHN: With so many important parts under the hood, it's easy for the average DIY-er to gloss over some of the simplest ones.

So, we asked out Audra Fordin to highlight some of those overlooked maintenance calls in MotorWeek's "Your Drive."

AUDRA FORDIN: Maintaining your car is a task, and if you own a car, well then it is such a priority to make sure that you do take real good care of it.

You know, putting a good coat of wax on your car is going to help the finish, to prolong its life, and that's certainly an overlooked maintenance.

In addition to that, take a look at your headlights.

Headlights used to be glass, now headlights are plastic.

Because they are plastic, they oxidize from the sun.

You can see here, there's a haze coming over this headlight.

I call that cataracts because there's actually... uh, light that's being limited, that you can't see through.

Something as simple as using a headlight polish, with a chamois and some elbow grease, is going to help you to clear the headlight and restore it back so that you can get great visibility on the road.

Another overlooked maintenance is your engine air filter.

Think about the air filter like your lungs, taking in air so that your body can breathe.

Your car breathes also, and it needs fresh air in order to breathe.

Take a look at this air filter.

It's filthy, it's got oil and debris and all kinds of blowby.

This restricts the amount of air that can actually be pulled into the engine while your car is trying to breathe, which limits how much fuel you're going to burn, and this costs you...a 10 percent fuel economy.

Another very important overlooked maintenance is your tires.

To make sure that your tires are rotated every other oil change makes a difference.

You know, if you think about the tires on your car, they are your car's shoes on its feet, just like you have shoes on your feet.

You can tell how you're walking, if your car is in alignment, just by looking at the tire tread.

Most important here-- about tires-- is to check your tire pressure.

You'll find the sticker on the driver's side door jam, it has the correct pressure for your car, and to check your tire pressure every month, especially when you have seasons change, to make sure you have the correct tire pressure in your car.

That will make sure that your tires last the most life.

If you have any questions or comments, you can reach us right here, at MotorWeek !

JOHN: Back with us once again is Stephanie Hart with all the latest MotorNews!

STEPHANIE: This past month has seen some incredible new vehicle reveals, starting with the mid-size 2024 Ford Ranger.

The all-new Ranger will come only as a 4-door SuperCrew with a five-foot bed.

For powertrains, there's a carryover 2.3 liter EcoBoost 4, and an optional 2.7 liter EcoBoost V6.

Pricing starts at about $34,000.

And we're finally getting the Ranger Raptor here!

It will rate 405 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque from a 3.0 liter twin-turbo V6.

Expect FOX Live Valve shocks with front and rear e-lockers.

In other pickup news, GMC announced the full-size Sierra HD AT4X, a premium off-roader.

Standard is a 6.6 liter gasoline V8; optional is a 6.6 liter Duramax Turbo-Diesel V8.

Overlanding potential is bolstered by Multimatic dampers, 35 inch tires, and unique AT4X appointments.

Shifting to Euro sports cars, Porsche unveiled the 2024 718 Spyder RS, powered by a 4.0 liter 6-cylinder engine making 493 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque.

It will start just over 160-grand.

From Japan, word is Acura's Integra Type S will start at $51,995 with destination... roughly 6-grand more than the latest Civic Type R. But, expect more standard luxury features like, heated leather seats.

And Toyota announced the return of the Corolla NightShade Edition, adding black trim and bronze wheels to the Corolla sedan, hatchback, and now the hybrid model.

And that's it for this week's MotorNews.

GREG CARLOSS: Ten months have passed since this 2022 Kia Carnival became a member of our long-term fleet, and this...ah-hum, "multi-purpose vehicle" has truly delivered.

In addition to being incredibly spacious for hauling the cargo needed for our road test crews; the comfortable seats, refined nature, and all-inclusive safety systems make it one of the best family haulers on the road today.

I will concede the Carnival doesn't look like a traditional minivan, but after 10 months of vigorous family testing, we can confirm it is, in fact, a minivan.

And that's by no means a dig, because we are well-documented van fans.

As a father of two small kids, the Carnival has made my weekends easier in more ways than one, although I will say the second row lounge chairs, while comfortable, are lost on kids in car seats.

But being able to move them fore and aft as well as inboard and outboard is nice.

There are plenty of creature comforts in place, too; in fact, with so many of them, it almost seems odd to have to manually deploy the rear sunshades.

With our odometer now over 21,000 miles, we're averaging a good 22.6 miles per gallon from the Carnival's smooth and steady 290 horsepower 3.5 liter V6.

We'll shift gears to the sportier side of things with an update on our Acura Integra on the next MotorWeek Long-Term Road Test Update!

JOHN: If you've been following Mazda lately, you'll know-- they've been fielding some serious new designs; you could even say, they're latest efforts are 10-times better than before.

After all, the CX-3 became the CX-30, then CX-5 became the CX-50, and now it's the CX-9's turn.

So, let's find out, if this all-new CX-90, their largest SUV yet, is a real multiplier or if it's all just a numbers game.

Don't think of this 2024 Mazda CX-90, so much as an updated version of the CX-9, as it's more of a complete rethink of their 3-row crossover, the first built on an all-new, large vehicle platform for the brand.

And this platform carries a host of surprises.

Not only does it make the CX-90 bigger by every dimension, but it's a rear-drive architecture, and features all-new powertrains, including the brand's first plug-in hybrid, and even an inline-6 engine.

Why an inline-6 to replace the CX-9's turbo-4?

Well, in general terms, I6s are better balanced, run smoother, and can deliver more torque at lower RPM.

Just ask the BMW faithful, or any of the truckers you see going down the road hauling more than 20 tons of cargo with their inline-6s.

There are two versions of the longitudinally mounted 6, both assisted by turbocharging and a 48 volt mild hybrid system.

Output for the base Turbo is 280 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque; this Turbo S cranks it up to 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet.

The PHEV, on the other hand, is based on a naturally aspirated 2.5 liter I4, working with a 100 kilowatt electric motor to deliver 323 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque.

A 17.8 kilowatt hour battery delivers 26 miles of EV driving.

It's not the prettiest SUV, but it does have very smooth body work; plus, the longer hood and 7.5 inches of wheelbase stretch over the CX-9, give it more stately proportions.

All CX-90s come with i-Activ all-wheel-drive and the brand's first 8-speed automatic transmission; the longer wheelbase allows tow ratings to step up from 3,500 pounds to 5,000.

At the test track, our Turbo S launched effortlessly with good grip on the way to a 6.4 second 0-60.

The smooth vibes continued throughout the quarter-mile, with refined power delivery, seamless shifts, and a noticeably more solid and stable feel at speed than the CX-9.

Our best time was 14.7 seconds at 98 miles per hour.

Through the cones, it still behaves like a Mazda, with very good steering feel and a solid presence in corners at low to moderate speeds.

Some understeer and body roll will show up when pushed hard, but Mazda's Kinematic Posture Control uses subtle selective braking to help the vehicle rotate, and safety systems will step in well-before it gets out of sorts.

Another unique element the CX-90 brings is seating arrangements for 6, 7, or 8.

It's the 8-seater that's standard with 3-across bench seating for 2nd and 3rd rows.

Seven seaters get either captain's chairs in the 2nd row, or more contoured seats for the 3rd; 6-seaters sport 2nd row captains and the contoured 3rd row.

Cargo capacity varies with seating, but is at best 15.9 cubic-feet behind the 3rd row, 40.1 behind the 2nd, and 75.2 with all seats folded.

As far as what it's like to actually live with, the CX-90's cabin is a clear step up, including on some trims suede-like materials, intricate stitching, and real wood, all consistent with what we've seen from the brand lately.

A 10 inch dashtop touchscreen is standard for infotainment, with upper trims getting a larger 12.3 incher.

We applaud Mazda's inclusion of plenty of old-school manual controls for radio and climate, which keeps menu diving limited to secondary functions.

PHEVs get a few unique controls and readouts to monitor drive modes and battery level.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the Turbo S are 23-City, 28-Highway, and 25-Combined.

We averaged a good 26.5 miles per gallon of Regular.

Pricing begins with the base Turbo at Select trim for $40,970, PHEVs are available in Preferred trim and above starting at $48,820, and the Turbo S starts at $53,125.

Force multiplier is a military term for when strategic elements come together to produce results greater than would have been possible without them.

Well, no high-level math skills are necessary here to see that the 2024 Mazda CX-90 is clearly more than just a much better CX-9; it's now a force to be reckoned with in the 3-row family crossover segment.

Well, 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-- for our full-on Road Test of Hyundai's electric streamliner, the IONIQ 6.

Then, it's off-road luxury in the Land Rover Range Rover.

We'll tune in for the facts on dyno tuning and visit a car club that's almost as vintage as you can get!

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... To order a DVD of this program, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... ANNOUNCER: For more than 30 years Lucas Oil products has helped people tackle mechanical problems in the automotive, marine, and industrial fields.

From our original four core products... Lucas Oil has developed over 400 custom products to help both professionals and do it yourselfers.

To learn more visit Lucasoil.com.

Lucas oil, keep that engine alive!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

Learn more at AutoValue.com and BumperToBumper.com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek .

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it Tire Rack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(car engine revving) You're watching PBS.