Tooling Around in Teutonic Technocars

My assignment -- and I quickly chose to accept it -- was to drive, compare, and contrast two of the most technology-laden vehicles on the road: The BMW 745Li, which came out last year, and the new Audi A8. I live in rural Pennsylvania and normally tool around in a base-model 1996 Ford Ranger pickup, so driving these cars -- each of which will set you back $70,000 or more -- was quite a challenge. My truck doesn't even have power windows. By contrast, these luxury models do everything but fry your breakfast eggs.

The first trick for someone like me -- especially with the BMW -- is figuring out how they work. These cars have so many geegaws and features that I found learning to use them nearly as challenging as mastering a personal computer for the first time. The Audi A8 comes with a 357-page owner's manual, plus a 187-page operator's manual -- and it isn't nearly as complicated as the BMW.