Loved #2; I too would crop the bush at the bottom.
Were there too many exposure differences in #1 to warrant a HDR? Mind you, the result is very good though and it is a lovely photo...
Hey! Another SX4! I thought I was the only person in the world who drove one...except mine is the sedan...not the hatchback.
Oh...and I definitely like your cropped version of the second one better. I assume you were using a tripod, but it still seems really soft. I keep trying to sharpen it in my mind.