Quote:
Originally Posted by NoTempoLimitN54
And you know why Coca-Cola made that mistake? Because they were doing 'focus group testing' and the testers took one sip of original Coke and one sip of New Coke (without knowing which is which) and prefered New Coke. The company made it's decision based on that.
Then when people drank an entire can they preferred old (Classic) Coke. Some people think Coca-Cola did it for publicity. They're not that clever. It was actually one of the biggest and most costly product blunders ever made by a major American corporation.
BMW -used- to be about designing a car that would reveal itself to you as superior after you drove it for a significant amount of time. Especially for American drivers used to big heavy floaty boat-cars.
I've got a base level F30 328i as a loaner today. No sport package  . I should hopefully be back in my E92 335i 6MT tonight. A good A-B-A test.
So far I can report initial impressions:
F30 is the same exact size as my E39
Steering is WAY too light and dead of feel
Non-sport suspension is comfortable on bad roads but way soft and lets the car "float" which I think is so un-BMW-like
N20 engine has decent power and good fuel economy but feels slow compared to N54 and sounds like a Diesel when idling
ZF 8spd Auto is the best auto I have ever driven. I like the stick-style shifter, and the fact it shifts into neutral for you when stopped at lights (I used to do that manually when driving auto)
What I don't like is that it's too clever. I had a frustrating minute trying to get it in gear before I realized that if the door is just slightly ajar, it won't go into gear. -seriously?- You engineers mean to tell me that there is no reason ever that one might want to creep the car forward with the door open?
While this was happening (I'm trying to get into my storage unit) there is a strange guy coming up behind me. He wasn't a threat, but what if he was? I can't get my damn car in gear to get the hell away?
What if I'm a woman or other person who doesn't think so logically when a potential threat is approaching. Because the door is not perfectly shut the car won't move forward??? What if a freaking dump truck with bad brakes is coming up behind the car?
I don't want my car dumbed down to protect the stupid from themselves.
Thank the car god I have a manual E92! |
I bolded some things you said. Now please, see again some things I said in post #52:
Many people are getting loaner F30's that are either base models or oddly optioned. This does not do much for the F30's case. I have had base non I drive E90's, that was not a fair way to judge them either.
On the fence about the F30? That's normal as every new 3 series seems to do that. BUT. Drive the one closest to what you drive now. If you have an Sport suspension E90, only drive a Sport or M-Sport F30. If you have an N54/N55 E90, don't drive an N20 F30. Have summer tires, well don't go and drive an all season equipped car-BMW is trumping the MPG's of these cars and that's due to the super low rolling resistance tires that give horrible braking. The M-Sports have much grippier(higher dusting) pads and summer tires on staggered wheels as an option. Also make sure you select Sport or Sport+ on the drive. Then at least you are fairly judging if the F30 is worth owning.