onthebuyside.com

Take advantage of other bum’s aversion to high gas prices to snatch up a fleet of luxury SUVs.

Screamer Bimmer - Forbes.com

Not long ago, sport utility vehicles weren’t fun to drive. They were top-heavy, noisy and crude. They were practical but truck-like. The “utility” part made sense; the “sport” part did not.

One of the first vehicles to change the standard was BMW’s X5 SUV, which arrived on the market in 1999. The vehicle went fast, looked sharp, had a luxurious interior and could make you think, at times, that you were driving a real sports car. It helped pioneer the “crossover” SUV segment–a group of SUVs that are closer to cars than trucks in terms of construction and/or driving dynamics. Other fun-to-drive luxury SUVs followed, such as Nissan Motor’s (nasdaq: NSANY - news - people ) Infiniti FX and Porsche’s Cayenne.

Now, BMW has created an overhauled, second-generation X5, which will go on sale at the end of November for a base price of $46,595.

Of course you have yours on order already, but it still can be nice to get some automotive pr0n.

The Sexiest BMW - Forbes.com

Just because a sports car has a ten-cylinder engine and 500 horsepower doesn’t mean it will be pleasant to drive, as anybody who has ever tested a Dodge Viper can tell you.

But when BMW takes a 500-hp V-10 and sticks it into its 6 Series flagship convertible–one of the most beautiful, sophisticated luxury cars, but one that suffers from a lack of power–it will produce a once-in-a-lifetime superstar. This new vehicle, the M6 convertible, will go on sale this fall. Pricing is not yet available, but the company’s M6 hardtop starts at $96,000.

Forbes pits the Lexus IS350 against the BMW 330i - and finds much to like.

2006 Lexus IS350 - Forbes.com

More specifically, what he wanted to know was whether I’d buy Toyota Motor’s (nyse: TM - news - people ) new $35,440 Lexus IS350, or the $36,600 BMW 330i. Frankly, it’s a tough question to answer.

Lexus wanted to build a no-compromises 3 Series fighter, which the previous IS was not. The new IS, however, proves what we always knew: Toyota knows darn well how to make sports cars.

What the new IS achieves without breaking a sweat should make all German luxury-sedan makers nervous. Though it has a couple of minor design issues, the Lexus offers a straightforward and thoughtfully laid-out interior. And this is a Lexus that can be driven like a race car, something you really couldn’t get before from Toyota.

That doesn’t mean that, by default, this is a better car than a 3 Series. The IS350 is a superb driver’s car. But it, like the BMW, has gaps in its repertoire. To find out what they are, read on.