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When I drove the all-new BMW M5, I was thoroughly impressed. Really, BMW outdid itself.

Its interior was trimmed in a very beautiful and detailed fashion. Clearly, BMW has been applying lessons learned from its other outfit, Rolls-Royce. This is also present with other BMW products as they now benefit from little touches like glass switches and leather stitched dashboards on par with Rollers.

That said, I started to get a strong feeling during and after my time behind the wheel. And it's been happening when driving so-called Swiss Army Knife-type vehicles.

Simply put, why would I opt for a sedan with an obscene amount of power and uses a variety of settings to make it "sporty?" Why wouldn't I just take that $120,000 and buy a pure-bred sports car and a dedicated luxury automobile?

Although I enjoy what's possible from these vehicles that can deliver a Jekyll and Hyde type of experience, the reality is that they're always compromised.

When I recently drove a Mercedes-AMG CLS53, its suspension was so taut that it made around town driving downright uncomfortable. At what cost? To pretend this 4,000+ pound four-door coupe can set a Nürburgring lap record?

It's silly.

That said, I've got to ask: Are Swiss Army Knife-type vehicles BETTER or WORSE than PURE offerings?



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