I do not like 'new' BMWs

[Vincent Brick]

I couldn't really see myself owning a BMW newer than my E30, I have little experience driving the newer ones but they are all just so large. The 235i sure is nice looking though, a neighbor has an M-Sport version in dark gray over red. *drooling intensifies*

[Hooffenstein HD]

I like my E36 but I wasn't a big fan of the E46's I test drove. I did however really enjoy the E82 125i M Sport I've been in. Awesome interior and similar upright cockpit feel to an E30. Sure it was disconnected and "over insulated" like most modern cars but it was pretty good too.

Don't have much experience with owning many newer BMW's and given that I work in an industry where I deal with them daily, I'd like to keep it that way. The expense of regular servicing is just getting blown out of all reason due to over complicated parts and that's before you even get into failure of major components.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

BMW has just become to watered down. Anyone can own an "M" car or have m sport parts put on it. Also on the racing aspect they are getting wrecked by pretty much every other brand out there compete in class. Don't qualify that great and struggle to get podiums or even top 5's. If you watch the blancpain series they usually aren't even in the top 20. They need to go back to their roots and build something to please us enthusiast not the 9-5 accounts that are buying them now just cause the badge say BMW. I hate the fact that they wont bring the M3 2 door back either I don't like the way m2 and m4 rolls off the tongue it sounds fake and not right.

[nando]

I haven't driven any of the brand new BMWs, and I agree with your points (13 speed automatic? lol), but you are wrong about BMWs after 2003 - the E90 330i for example is a really good car, it reminds me a lot of the E30 when I first got it actually. Only it's way faster, handles better, and gets twice the fuel economy, while also requiring a lot less maintenance. The steering feel is awesome (some people actually complained about it being too heavy, maybe why the newer ones are so numb).

Also, not "anyone" can buy an M car - they cost like $80,000+ these days, and I'd wager most normal people can't afford the payment on one. Also, accountants and non-enthusiasts have always bought BMWs.

What do you think the E30 was a status symbol for back in the 1980's? Uhh, the "yuppies"? Would you rather they just stop selling cars and go out of business? They'd be bankrupt if they were still building the same cars they made 20 years ago. It's not like a 1987 325e was a high performance supercar.. and the stock steering feel of the E30 is shit, otherwise nobody would be doing E36/E46 rack swaps. :p

[djjerme]

I spent some time with an E92 M3 on the track, and I didn't like it. I'll echo the steering feeling too heavy and the car just didn't give the kind of feedback I wanted. Now mind you, I was jumping back and forth between that and one of my E30's so it's probably not the fairest comparison - but still.

I haven't had the chance to hammer on an E46, but my friends 1M felt about as nimble as you can get in a newer car. Only problem was, the stock turbo failed during a track day. Apparently, it's a common issue on the 1M's and there is aftermarket support, but still.. you'd thunk it could handle a simple track day.

The thing that gets me is the size - of EVERYTHING now. Look at the new X3 - it's the same size as the first gen X5. It's not just BMW either - I loved my first gen Ford Focus because it was tossible, like an E30, and fairly nimble on the track - but the newer ones are huge in comparison. Subie's too - the Outback got fat a few years ago, and is just flat out huge now...

Again, I get it's all in the name of safety, but at some point you have say WTH?

Of course, I can nullify that whole increase in size vs safety argument with two words: Smart Car. They some how retained fairly decent crash ratings and are not much bigger then two recycling bins tied together. How are they doing that - did they find some magic formula that none of the other car manufactures know about?

[nando]

also, this will sound totally hypocritical coming from somebody who's owned a 325ix for 15 years - I hate that every single BMW now comes with AWD. They drive like Buicks, and there's no point to it other than marketing (do you really need xi in Florida or California? come on).

Given the choice between my RWD 330i and our xi - I would choose the RWD any day. But that doesn't mean that all new BMWs are bad, or even that they all need to be supercars - because most BMWs never were all that great.

yeah, the newer cars are huge. mine is about the size of a 5 series, lol. I guess that's why it makes a great DD/family car. :p

When i go between the E30 and my 330i, the E30 feels like I'm driving a bus. Seriously, the steering ratio is so damn slow.

[djjerme]

and there's no point to it other than marketing (do you really need xi in Florida or California? come on).

If we are going there - there is little need for AWD in the PNW in general. Generations of us native Oregonians/Washingtonians managed to somehow survive and make it up the mountains to ski in nothing but RWD cars. Sometimes we even put chains on...

Now - everyone moves here and is like "oh, I need an Outback so I can drive safely in the rain."

[DrJosh]

If we are going there - there is little need for AWD in the PNW in general. Generations of us native Oregonians/Washingtonians managed to somehow survive and make it up the mountains to ski in nothing but RWD cars. Sometimes we even put chains on...

This is like saying we don't need modern medicine. Generations of humans somehow survived with nothing but sticks, stones, and shaman dust. Sometimes they even performed crude surgery...

Yeah, rwd works in the snow... to an extent. I have enthusiastically driven rwd, awd, and fwd all in the snow with and without snow tires. Growing up in the PNW and being an avid snowboarder, I've had copious experience with living in the snow. Given the choice, I would (and do) pick AWD 9/10 for driving in the snow. Occasionally I'll take the e30 out on empty roads to have a little fun, or I'll get caught in a random snowstorm, but that's it for rwd. AWD is the closest thing to a hassle free snow driving experience as a regular person is going to get.

As far as non snow awd needs, how fun is it to one wheel peel your way up literally all of Seattle streets after a light rain?

[nando]

that's only because all new BMWs only come with open differentials, which does suck.

[Powling]

If we are going there - there is little need for AWD in the PNW in general. Generations of us native Oregonians/Washingtonians managed to somehow survive and make it up the mountains to ski in nothing but RWD cars. Sometimes we even put chains on...

Now - everyone moves here and is like "oh, I need an Outback so I can drive safely in the rain."

Outbacks are the new SUV's. People buy more for status rather than actually needing what they are designed for.

[TheWipprSnappr]

Maybe BMW is purposely making cars the way they do now to preserve the legacy of previous BMWs (of course I don't think that's the only reason.) I mean if new BMWs drove like old ones, old ones wouldn't feel as special.

Also, I think we should consider ourselves as bmw enthusiasts lucky. I mean, look what dodge did to the dart...

[nando]

What did they do it? Other than some of the crazy big block cars (which were produced in extremely low numbers, like the Hemi Dart) the Dodge Dart was always a kind of pile of shit - the only thing good about it was the inline 6 that you literally couldn't kill. I owned one for 10 years, it is wasn't anything special...

[TobyB]

Yeah, rwd works in the snow... just fine, especially with an LSD and snow tires

For the amount of snow we get around here, AWD is just a waste of gas.

Really.

Avid skiiers, winter hikers and snowboarders excepted.

t

[TheWipprSnappr]

What did they do it? Other than some of the crazy big block cars (which were produced in extremely low numbers, like the Hemi Dart) the Dodge Dart was always a kind of pile of shit - the only thing good about it was the inline 6 that you literally couldn't kill. I owned one for 10 years, it is wasn't anything special...

i mean they basically turned it into a corolla. I was just using it as an example of conformity that i dont think bmw has reached. Actually now that I bring that up, i think the corolla itself might actually be a better example seeing that it was once a driver's car in its own right

[ELVA164]

I find these threads tiring for most of the reasons Nando pointed out. Mostly whining about new cars by people who aren't going to buy them and aren't the target demographic.