Yesterday our production editor, Caroline Pardilla, and I set out for a 2,500+ mile road trip between LA and Vancouver. So far we've stopped at the capital building in Sacramento. (Unfortunately, Governor Schwarzenegger wasn't there to explain to us how California's public schools can be fixed by spending less on books but more on standardized testing.) As we left Sacramento, the outside temp thermometer in the 330i climbed to a high of 113 degrees near Redding. Yet the car was unflustered, cruising along quietly at high speeds, with the A/C cranked.
Fuel range thus far is excellent, and we averaged 25.9 mpg on one 379-mile tank even though neither of us has made any attempt to drive the car frugally. We do like the cruise control system in the Bimmer. There's no power switch to fool with. Just pull the lever and it's set, and a helpful analog speed marker swings up (on the outside of the speedometer). Tug the lever again and you can adjust the speed -- that's as easy as it gets.
Toward the end of the day, we rolled into McCloud, CA, a lovely little mountain town at the foot of Mt. Shasta (it's 10 miles east of Interstate 5 on CA Hwy 89 and worth visiting if you get the chance). Tomorrow we drive up snow-covered Shasta and do a little hiking. Stay tuned.
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