Just got back from a road trip in my F30 with a buddy of mine that owns a TL that is a few years old. Before this trip my buddy teased me about owning a BMW and wondering what all the fuss was about. He can afford whatever he wants so it wasn't a jealousy thing at all.
Anyway, we took this road trip from the Bay Area to Mammoth and Death Valley. I offered to let him drive and at first he was reluctant. When we left Mammoth I offered to let him drive again and he finally accepted. In a matter of a few miles he went from an annoying non-BMW guy to a gusher. He used the word awesome so much I thought I was listening to Jeff Gordon praise his team, owners, sponsors and fans after a NASCAR victory; awesome, awesome, awesome!
He loved the different settings from Eco to Sport + and kept switching to feel the noticeable difference. He loved the adaptive suspension, the power, the transmission, the HK sound, the sport seats, the M-sport steering wheel.
From that point on he could not get enough of it. He drove most of the remaining 500 miles of the trip. I had to sit there and keep hearing the word awesome and look at that sh*t-eating grin on his face. I reminded him all cars have gotten better since his TL was new and downplay the BMW thing a bit. He wasn't buying it.
We get back to his house and his wife asked how the trip went and he turned into a BMW salesman going on and on about how amazing the car is an how he wants to go get one. His wife gave me that look
To all the enthusiasts that think BMW has lost its way and the ride and steering are not the same as the beloved E90, I get that. There is a lot of truth there. BMW is not the same experience as previous generations. So, by comparison the F30 may be lacking. But to my buddy who comes from another model, the F30 is awesome. So while BMW is losing some enthusiasts to other brands there are guys like my buddy that can't wait to get their hands on one.