lol BMW

[nando]

the funny thing is the E90 guys will say how much of a "drivers car" it is and how the F30 feels "sterile" in comparison. lol

I know better - my E90 330i is a luxobarge. But it makes a great DD and it does still have that great BMW steering and smooth inline engine with a 6 speed manual. When you lose the steering feel and handling all you have is an expensive Lexus, only it's broken all the time.

[marshallnoise]

I think people are missing the point...BMWs are largely leased. Therefore people can get tired of them and trade them in in 3 years. I don't blame those folks. You don't have to live with the car forever.

If you do live with the car forever, you begin to appreciate build quality and simplicity: hence, us.

[E30 Wagen]

I love e30s to death, but when I add up how much I've spent fixing old BMWs in the last 5 years, I wish I had just saved up for a brand new 228i with a 6 speed and sport package. It'd still cost more, but sometimes I just want to be done killing weekends swapping blown engines or dealing with NLA parts.

But I do agree about BMW chasing these ridiculous niche markets. It's crazy how many different models there are.

[88BlackS-ETA]

sure, BMW is a business - it's a business built on selling a specific type of car. When they start selling FWD minivans and 5 different crossovers and 4,000lb "M" cars, they've lost the fucking plot. The fake engine noises pretty much illustrates exactly where BMW is these days.

as somebody in another forum stated, if BMW made BMW branded rocks, people would buy them and say they were awesome. But that doesn't mean they are good.

Honestly though, I've never understood the point of an M3 convertible - from any generation. That the M4 convertible is even that much more numb and pointless doesn't help anything.

BMW is riding on momentum from their past cars that people remember driving. They can't keep churning out cars that drive worse than a Camry, cost twice as much, and are as reliable as a 1990's Jaguar forever. We can deal with high costs and poor reliability if the things actually drive well. But they don't - you can get better handling & steering feel from a Lexus or a Mustang.

Perfectly put.

[lukeADE335i]

This is why I'll probably never buy a BMW past an e46.

For something newer to haul the family in and still have some fun I'd just give in and buy a V8 Commodore SSV down here (effectively the short lived aussie built Pontiac G8 ).

6.2L LS3 motor in a chassis suspiciously similar to an e39 & can be had with either 6 speed manual or auto & Brembo brakes. Because it's a domestic product, the electronics really are only to around late-90's BMW specs, but with a limited number of mod-cons that you might actually want like bluetooth music streaming, phone hands free etc.

No autonomous driving crap. The semi-autonomous 7 series just got a terrible review down here in Wheels Magazine.

[Kevinl]

I bought my E90 because I needed 4 doors and A/C that actually cooled not just pretended to like the e30

It is way faster in a straight line and probably in corners too but its not a fun experience like the e30

[jtparts]

I have an e30 cab, going on 10 years, it's my favorite car ever, I've had ss454 el caminos, tr6, miata, 00 mustang gt, xke, and lots of unnotables. Every time I go somewhere in my e30 I get excited pulling out of the garage. I bought an e39 540 expecting something akin to a big brother to the e30. Nope. The 540 is quick, sounds bad ass, uses copious amounts of petrol and almost always sits as the e30 backs out. Now the e39 chassis is lauded as one of the best but I just find the car boring. The direction BMW has taken has a lot to do with how they forsee climate legislation impacting the performance segment overall. First and foremost they need to be viable going forward. So they are working to produce sales and have done a great job so far. Ask any new model owner that isn't an enthusiast and they generally love their BMW. Of course the question is do they love the car or what it represents? It's only those of us that know the BMW that was that raise our voices in disapproval of the feelingless cars that share the roundel and little else with our own beloved models.

[J.Rizo]

I've driven old bmws and I've driven a lot of new ones.

as much as I love the way an E30 feels, if you're a busy person (student, business owner, work 80 hours a week, etc) sometimes you just don't have the time to maintain an E30 as a daily driver. sometimes you just can't beat the peace of mind you get from a brand new car.

now, whether that brand new car has to be a bmw or not is up to the individual consumer. however, say what you want about newer bmws, they're still a great option with all things considered imo. and no matter what manufacturer you go with, they've all gone down a similar path, so theres no escaping the technological gimmicks if you're getting a new car, its choosing between the lesser of all the evils. and honestly, new cars aren't THAT bad. if you drive an f30 expecting it to feel like an e30 of course you're going to be disappointed. you have to appreciate anything for what it is.

it is what it is. theres no real point in comparing new cars to old cars.

if BMW made BMW branded rocks, people would buy them and say they were awesome.

I'd respect the bmw rock owners more than I respect any douche bag that wears those awful bmw motorsport jackets, those are definitely worse than bmw rocks lol