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Look Inside: Now Brighter & Bolder! The Best First Annual Digital Drive Awards High THE CAR OF THE FUTURE 19 Amazing New Options Just Around the Bend NOKIA’S Tech LATEST It’s a phone (but you knew that already, right?) PHOTO Cars BLOWOUT Great Cameras, Awesome Tools APRIL 25, 2006 www.pcmag.com

Our First Digital We picked ten of the most technolo- gically advanced cars on the market and rated them on their digital smarts. BY BILL HOWARD THE AVERAGE AMERICAN SPENDS weeks each year in a car. It’s no won- der we’re demanding smarter, safer, and more entertaining automobiles. Yet for all the billions spent on devel- opment, the fusion-powered fl ying cars of science-fi ction movies have stubbornly failed to appear. Cars still run on rubber tires powered by the same gas-powered, environment-unfriendly engines. But are cars really as primitive as all that? A look at the higher-end machines now reaching the street shows that, in fact, Detroit, Munich, and Tokyo are embrac- ing technology to improve the driving experience and the car’s underlying mechanical functions. MORE ON THE WEB We’ve picked the ten most technologically com- For extensive slide shows of pelling cars from this year’s models as fi nalists for our all the Digital Drive fi nalists, go to go.pcmag.com Digital Drive awards. They range from the fantasti- /digitaldrive. cally expensive Mercedes S550, which costs more than $100,000 in our recommended configuration and includes just about every gadget on the market, to the more modest but still technically impressive hy- brid Honda Civic, attractively priced for soccer moms everywhere. We rated each of the cars based on a mix- ture of the built-in technology, the relative merits of the entertainment system and GPS, and how much fun the overall experience was. We also gave a special nod to the best uses of environmentally friendly tech. Not ready to buy a new vehicle? Give your car’s tech level a boost with our favorite accessories. We also look down the road, to show you what a high-tech car (and dashboard) of the future might look like. Want even more? Keep up with the latest in car tech every day at our Web site www.technoride.com. 56 PC MAGAZINE APRIL 25, 2006

Drive Awards Photograph by Vic Huber APRIL 25, 2006 PC MAGAZINE 57

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COCKPIT CONTROLLER The cockpit control wheel and nearby buttons handle naviga- tion, entertainment, climate, and trip-computer functions. Adjacent buttons make the controller easier to use than BMW’s iDrive, but there’s still a learning curve. CAMERA IN WINDSHIELD The lane-departure warning camera in the windshield watches pavement markings. If you drift out of lane without the blinker on, the M45 gently beeps. The M45 and its FX35 sibling are the fi rst cars in the U.S. with this feature. LUXURY WINNER INFINITI M45 CHECK OFF JUST TWO OPTIONS ON THE ORDER FORM FOR THE Infi niti M45—the Technology and Journey packages—and you’ll be driving the most technologically advanced car you can get for under $100,000, our Digital Drive winner for luxury automobiles. This big sport sedan (roomier than even the BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class) is the first car to offer lane-departure STEERABLE warning; it has a camera at the top of the windshield that watches pavement markings HEADLIGHTS and beeps if you veer out of lane without your blinker on. Another camera next to the Xenon headlights turn as you turn the steering wheel, rear license plate monitors backing up, and the 8-inch in-dash display overlays posi- helping you see around tioning lines to show your path when the wheels aren’t pointed straight ahead. sweeping curves. A cockpit controller—the automotive version of your PC’s mouse—sits on a ledge on the dash. Once you learn how to use it, or if you use voice recognition, you get access to a fi rst-rate Xanavi navigation system. One mode of the LCD displays just the right amount of information on your trip, climate control, the audio system, and your Bluetooth phone. No other car maker does that integration better. Infi niti has included a line-in jack, a 14-speaker Bose audio system that plays MP3s and WMAs, Sirius or XM Satellite radio, climate-controlled front seats for convenience and comfort, and laser-based active cruise control. In addition, the car automatically tightens seat belts if it senses a crash is imminent. The 335-hp V8 engine is so powerful that you may want to step back to the six-cylinder M35, saving $6,310 and a couple of mpg; with the M35, you also have access to the V6-only all-wheel drive option. Our only complaint: We wish the gas mileage were better. REAR-VIEW CAMERA TECH SPECS The backup camera sees what’s PRICE: $47,800–$59,300 Recommended options: Technology package ($4,200): behind you. Green- yellow-red MILEAGE: 17 city, 23 highway navigation system, premium audio with six-disc changer dashed lines projected on your OVERALL 4.5 and MP3-WMA playback, 14 speakers, intelligent cruise dash LCD screen show what’s TECHNOLOGY 5.0 control, lane-departure warning, and XM Satellite or Sirius directly behind and far away; NAVIGATION 4.5 radio. Journey package ($2,750): climate-controlled front seats, steerable xenon headlights, upgraded stereo with 4.5 ENTERTAINMENT curved orange lines show your FUN FACTOR 5.0 six-disc changer and MP3 playback, rear camera, and reversing path given the current ECO-FRIENDLINESS 3.0 precrash seat-belt tightener. All-wheel drive, $2,500 steering-wheel position. www.infi niti.com (six-cylinder M35 only). APRIL 25, 2006 PC MAGAZINE 59

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ENGINE The engine compartment is home to a 110-hp gasoline engine, a 20-hp electric booster motor driven by a NiMH battery pack (recharged by the engine and by braking), and a continuously variable transmission. NAV SYSTEM Despite minor setup hassles, the Alpine navigation system works well. Flip up the display and you have access to a PC Card socket. The dash also has a line-in jack. ENVIRO AWARD AFFORDABLE WINNER HONDA CIVIC HYBRID SPEEDOMETER The speedometer at the THE BEST AFFORDABLE CAR YOU CAN BUY TODAY IS THE HONDA top of the dash shows Civic Hybrid. It’s well made and reliable, and its noteworthy tech- the speed, the fuel- nologies make it exceptionally eco-friendly. A modest but effective economy status, and the fuel-tank status. assortment of tech options (navigation and sound, mainly) make it our Digital Drive winner for best affordable car. Unlike the gas engine in the Toyota Prius, the Civic’s electric motor runs only in conjunction with the gasoline engine. This means that the 20- hp electric booster motor is more of a power booster than a power source. Even so, the car’s gas mileage is competitive. The Civic qualifi es as a ULEV, or ultra–low- emissions vehicle, in the eyes of the Environmental Protection Agency. There’s no need to agonize over the options list: Get the excellent Alpine naviga- tion system for $1,500—it beats the Prius’s Denso option. The audio system plays MP3s and WMAs, and has a line-in jack and a PC Card socket for your music, and you can add a dealer-installed iPod adapter for $214 or a built-in XM-capable radio for $444. Except for its somewhat cramped rear seat, this is a near-perfect sub- $25,000 car. TECH SPECS INSTRUMENT PRICE: $22,400–$23,900 Recommended options Alpine CLUSTER MILEAGE: 50 city, 50 highway navigation system, $1,500. Ac- The main instrument cluster OVERALL 5.0 cessories: iPod adapter, $214. has a tachometer. Ribbon TECHNOLOGY 4.5 XM Satellite Radio, $444. gauges indicate the health of NAVIGATION 3.5 ENTERTAINMENT 4.5 the battery and whether the FUN FACTOR 4.0 hybrid system is assisting or ECO-FRIENDLINESS 5.0 being charged by the engine. www.automobiles.honda.com APRIL 25, 2006 PC MAGAZINE 61

ENVIRO AWARD FINALIST TOYOTA PRIUS THE TOYOTA PRIUS DESERVES CREDIT FOR THE ADVANCED ENGINE technology that gives it double the gas mileage of most other The hybrid synergy-drive entries on our list. But its mediocre nav system drags the car’s engine propels the Prius overall score down below that of its most prominent competitor, forward on electric-only, the Honda Civic Hybrid. gasoline-only, or a combina- Options are sold in packages. Set aside at least $3,000 to jump tion. Energy regenerated during braking is stored in an from two to six airbags and get Bluetooth; a killer stereo with a line-in jack that also NiMH battery array. plays WMAs and MP3s; a backup camera; and keyless entry. The Denso navigation system is underwhelming, largely because of its clunky interface. Still, there is cool tech here—under the hood. The Prius’s combination of a gaso- line engine and electric motor typically returns fuel mileage of over 50 mpg in urban driving, and, no matter how you push a Prius, you’d be hard-pressed to dip below 40 mpg. The Prius can run off its electric motor (at low speeds), the gasoline motor alone (when not accelerating or charging the battery), or both, when full power is called for. The 210-volt NiMH battery recharges both from the gasoline engine and from regenerative braking, which uses generators to slow the car and convert power into energy. (The car still has regular disc and drum brakes.) Every Prius comes with a useful but hard-to-reach center-console LCD dash screen that lets you track the interplay among the gas engine, electric motor, regenerative brakes, and battery. COCKPIT The clean layout and swept-back TECH SPECS dashboard make the interior look PRICE: $22,305–$29,381 Recommended options: Package C especially spacious. The LCD MILEAGE: 60 city, 51 highway ($3,205): side airbags, side curtain air- panel comes standard on all Prius OVERALL 4.0 bags, stability control, backup camera, models, not just the ones with the TECHNOLOGY 4.5 Bluetooth, premium audio with WMA, optional navigation system. NAVIGATION 2.5 MP3 playback. Package D ($5,730): ENTERTAINMENT 3.5 xenon headlights, navigation. Package FUN FACTOR 4.0 E ($6,890): adds leather trim. ECO-FRIENDLINESS 5.0 www.toyota.com/prius 62 PC MAGAZINE APRIL 25, 2006

FINALIST MERCEDES-BENZ S550 THE NEW MERCEDES-BENZ S550 TOWERS ABOVE EVERY OTHER car when it comes to technologically advanced features. And when it comes to price, too. Most nondriving functions are han- dled by the Comand cockpit controller and monitored on a deeply recessed center-console LCD. The Comand controller is superior to BMW’s iDrive and nearly as good as the Audi A6’s MMI. But- tons surrounding the controller let you preselect navigation, phone, and entertain- ment. A list of further choices pops up on the LCD as you scroll through the menus or when you enter a voice command. The standard navigation system runs off a 20GB hard drive. An in-dash PC Card CONTROL WHEEL slot lets you play MP3 or WMA music through the 14-speaker, 600-watt stereo sys- The Comand control wheel tem. There’s a line-in jack in the console. Bluetooth? Of course. puts most commands at the The Night Vision Assist option bathes the road 500 feet ahead with infrared light, driver’s or passenger’s fi nger- which is scanned by a windshield IR camera; a clear-as-day black-and-white picture tips. Select functions with a button—entertainment, phone, shows up in an 8-inch LCD panel in the driver instrument cluster. Distronic Plus seat controls, and heating. (what Mercedes calls intelligent cruise control) uses short- and long-range radar for active cruise control and automatic braking: If you’re not braking hard enough to avoid a crash, the car takes over and brakes you to a complete stop. Distronic Plus also reaccelerates for you in stop-and-go driving. Sporty drivers will appreciate seat bolsters that inflate and deflate as you go around corners, holding you in place. Active body control holds the whole car level through turns. If you’ve got the money, Mercedes provides the pinnacle of price-is- no-object automotive technology. TECH SPECS PRICE: $87,175–$111,000 Recommended options: Distronic MILEAGE: 16 city, 24 highway Plus (active cruise control, braking), $2,850. Night vision, $1,775. OVERALL 4.5 REAR-VIEW CAMERA TECHNOLOGY 5.0 Dynamic, massaging front seats, This camera shows you obstacles NAVIGATION 4.0 $1,800. Window shades, $700. Dual ENTERTAINMENT 4.5 sunroofs, $1,000. Sirius satellite radio, behind the car, your path as the FUN FACTOR 4.0 $500. Keyless go, $1,000. Rear wheels are currently turned, and ECO-FRIENDLINESS 2.5 camera, $700. Active body control, the best path for parallel parking. www.mbusa.com $7,777. Power rear seats, $1,120. APRIL 25, 2006 PC MAGAZINE 63

FINALIST BMW 3 SERIES FOR THE HOTTEST TECHNOLOGY IN BMW’S DAZZLING 3 SERIES, look under the hood, not at the dash. Variable valve timing and variable-length intake manifolds help the smallest of BMW’s se- dan lines burn fuel economically, handily meet emissions stan- dards, and blast past 60 mph in a hurry. Choose your options care- fully, however, because BMW’s tech-heavy checklist can blast the $32,000 base price past $50,000—pricey for a compact, rear-drive sedan that seats four or fi ve people snugly. NAV SYSTEM Highway cruisers will love the radar-assisted active cruise control, which keeps BMW’s navigation system, pace with the car ahead of you, and the steerable xenon headlights that guide the supplied by Siemens VDO, uses both voice input and the iDrive car around curves. The Steptronic automatic transmission can be shifted manually; controller and has a split-screen if you don’t do stop-and-go driving, the six-speed manual shift is a gem. We like the mode, typically showing a premium package’s leather seats, Bluetooth connectivity, and Mayday calling, but map plus iconic turn arrows. most of the technology is standard: stability control, six airbags, run-fl at tires, and a line-in jack for MP3 players. We’d pass on the navigation system, because it requires BMW’s mediocre iDrive control knob, which we found awkward to use. We also didn’t think active steer- ing, which turns the car more sharply (for the same steering-wheel effort) at lower speeds, was worth the price. A nicely but not excessively equipped BMW 3 will cost IDRIVE about $40,000. If you really must have every option, step up to the roomier 5 Series The force-feedback iDrive knob, included and check out the infrared night vision and head-up display. only with the nav Of our ten favorite tech cars, the 3 Series is best at remembering that the driver, system, handles not microprocessors, should be in charge. navigation, enter- tainment, climate control, and audio TECH SPECS functions. We found it awkward to use. PRICE: $31,595–$51,715 Recommended options: Premium package (Bluetooth, MILEAGE: 20 city, 30 highway Mayday calling, leather seats), $2,900. Steerable xenon OVERALL 4.0 headlights, $800. BMW Assist (Bluetooth, Mayday service), TECHNOLOGY 4.5 $750. Parking sonar, $350. Active cruise control, $2,200. NAVIGATION 2.5 Consider: Steptronic manual/automatic transmission, ENTERTAINMENT 3.0 $1,275. Premium sound, $1,200. Sirius satellite radio, $595 FUN FACTOR 5.0 (yes, $595). Cold-weather package, $1,000. ECO-FRIENDLINESS 4.0 www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/3/ 64 PC MAGAZINE APRIL 25, 2006

FINALIST ACURA RL IN THE RAREFIED WORLD OF $50,000 SPORT SEDANS WITH superior tech features, only the Infi niti M provides more tech- nology for about the same price as the RL. Just about everything NAV SYSTEM is included on the RL, too. The lone options choice—the $3,800 The NavTraffi c option Technology package—gives you run-fl at tires, NavTraffi c, and overlays traffi c information Acura’s Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS). on the nav screen—green for The fi rst-rate NavTraffi c system, made by Alpine, uses real-time traffi c data to smooth fl ow, yellow for slow, pinpoint accidents and color your route green, yellow, or red, based on traffi c fl ow. and red for stop-and-go. CMBS is a smarter active cruise control that adds moderate to heavy braking to avoid or mitigate accidents. It even tightens seat belts before a crash. You’ll also want a few of the dealer-installed options: a backup camera (it integrates with the nav display), backup sonar, or both, and an iPod adapter. Everything else comes standard in the tech-heavy RL—much of it activated by a big control knob in the center console—including steerable xenon headlights, six air- bags, tire-pressure monitoring, keyless entry, a ten-speaker Bose stereo system with a DVD drive that plays MP3 and WMA audio, and Bluetooth. Though the 4,012- pound, 194-inch-long RL isn’t particularly fuel-effi cient, the 290-hp V6 engine is ultra–low-emissions certifi ed. TECH SPECS ONSTAR DISPLAY PRICE: $49,915–$53,715 Recommended options: Technology MILEAGE: 18 city, 26 highway package, $3,800. Backup camera, Acura includes OnStar OVERALL 4.5 $495. iPod adapter, $214. safety and information TECHNOLOGY 4.5 service for now, but OnStar NAVIGATION 4.5 is going to be a GM-only ENTERTAINMENT 4.0 product in the future. FUN FACTOR 4.5 ECO-FRIENDLINESS 3.5 www.acura.com APRIL 25, 2006 PC MAGAZINE 65

FINALIST AUDI A6 4.2 SOME DAY EVERY CAR WILL HAVE A COCKPIT CONTROLLER. Today, Audi’s A6 luxury sports sedan leads the way with its integrated MultiMedia Interface (MMI). How does it work? You select a function such as Nav, CD, or AM/FM via one of eight buttons, then you navigate screens via the knob. In addition to the 7-inch screen in the console, a smaller LCD in the gauge cluster provides key navigation, phone, and entertainment information. Bluetooth is stan- dard, and the Bose audio system plays MP3s and WMAs. The six-cylinder A6 3.2 might be an even better choice if price is an issue, because it costs $10,000 less. You don’t get a V8 engine, but you can have Audi’s continuously variable transmission (CVT) if you opt for front-wheel drive only. Because it has no gears, the CVT drives more smoothly and gets better gas mileage. The all-wheel- drive Quattro drive train requires an automatic transmission. TECH SPECS COCKPIT PRICE: $54,485–$66,510 Recommended options: Technol- CONTROLLER MILEAGE: 17 city, 23 highway ogy package (navigation, xenon The MMI, or MultiMedia OVERALL 4.0 headlights, parking sonar, Sirius or Interface, lets the driver TECHNOLOGY 4.5 XM Satellite Radio). Adaptive cruise NAVIGATION 4.0 control, $2,100. or passenger use the ENTERTAINMENT 4.5 sur rounding buttons to FUN FACTOR 4.5 choose functions without ECO-FRIENDLINESS 3.0 fi rst using the controller. www.audiusa.com FINALIST CADILLAC STS AMERICA’S PREMIER LUXURY SPORTS SEDAN OFFERS VIRTUALLY every technology feature you might want: radar-based active cruise control, magnetic ride control, a Denso navigation system, Blue- tooth connectivity, an awesome Bose audio system with 15 speak- ers, XM Satellite Radio, xenon headlights, stability control, six airbags, performance brakes, and tire-pressure monitors. Go with the V8 Luxury Performance version with the 320-hp Northstar engine ($58,980). The fi ve-passenger, rear-drive STS (all-wheel drive is optional) is one of the fi rst GM cars to offer OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation: Press the OnStar button and tell the operator where you want to go, and spoken directions are downloaded to the car. They’re linked to the STS’s integrated GPS sensors and played back as you approach turns and off-ramps. Bristling with all this digital gear, the STS is equipped to do battle with the BMW 5 Series, Lexus LS 430, Infi niti M45, and Mercedes E-Class. TECH SPECS PRICE:$41,740–$61,130 Recommended options: OnStar NAV SYSTEM MILEAGE: 17 city, 26 highway Turn-by-Turn Navigation, estimated NavTraffi c service on the $10 per month subscription. Active OVERALL 3.5 Denso-based navigation TECHNOLOGY 4.0 cruise control, Bose premium audio system overlays current NAVIGATION 3.5 (in packages). All-wheel drive, $1,900. traffi c conditions on your ENTERTAINMENT 4.0 FUN FACTOR 4.0 route in red, yellow, or green. ECO-FRIENDLINESS 3.5 NavTraffi c covers the two www.cadillac.com dozen biggest U.S. cities. 68 PC MAGAZINE APRIL 25, 2006