#6 On The Road

What's the perfect vehicle for camping/touring/biking in the inland Northwest?
There are probably many 'perfect' vehicles for the task.

Any SUV can easily stash a folding clown bike and a bunch of camping gear.  But one of the very best choices for the varied demands of the Road Trip described here must certainly be the 1st generation model X3 from BMW.   It was the company's first ever SUV... they initially tried to insist that it be called a 'Sports Activity Vehicle' apparently in tepid defense of their 'ultimate driving machine' credibility. SUV? SAV? Who cares?  What matters is its practicality and performance and pure pleasure across a broad range of on-road & off-road demands while touring.  The X3 delivers...

My '06 X3?  It's especially well-suited to Northwest Road Trips because it's optioned with a very rare 6-speed manual transmission and the equally rare M-Sport Performance Package. These features provide unusual driver engagement when navigating the twists, the turns, the elevation changes and the vast distances encountered on Washington's rural highways.  The manual transmission and the AWD also combine to insure confidence-inspiring off-pavement competence (and foul-weather competence.) 

It's quiet, it's powerful, and it's nimble. It performs magnificently without working hard.  At 70mph it's loafing along, barely turning 2500 rpm in 6th gear.  It's ability to easily overtake slower-moving traffic on 2 or 3-lane roads -- downshift, pass, return, upshift -- makes for happy and stressless transit between two points.   

Due to its short wheelbase and its very firm M-Sport suspension, the X3's ride quality feels pretty choppy at low speeds around town.  But out on the open road?  The ride quality miraculously morphs into smooth, asphalt-gobbling comfort for the long haul.  I'm not sure how BMW achieves that...  Even when driving all day at speed, its silky-smooth 6-cylinder engine delivers 24mpg.  Add in the great driver-centric ergonomics & great all-around visibility....   And also add in the abject luxury of the giant sunroof that lets the Outside IN...  and you've got a Road Trip filled with Driver Delight.  
We won't mention the remarkably crisp sound system -- oops, just mentioned! -- because, curiously, I completed the nearly 1,000 miles of this high desert Road Trip without once turning on the radio or playing a CD.  This Road Trip was all about BEING out there. Present. In each passing moment.  With each passing mile.  A very, very nice place to be.  

Grateful me.