Quote:
Originally Posted by bimmerjph
Well said
I don't mean to keep bashing the F30. I apologize if it seems that way, and am happy for you if you are happy with the F30. Its just where do you draw the line and say enough is enough. You know what I mean? Isn't the point of the 5 series for someone that whats more space and luxury than a 3?
@BJ
While we (drivers) are not the majority we are far from being 1/100. BMW has one of the largest (if not the largest) and most dedicated enthusiast communities. So I KNOW your comments are completely BS.
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Thanks.
Everyone has to decide for themselves when enough is enough.
When I first read about the F30 I thought it would be too big and heavy to be fun.
The exterior design caught my eye and I decided to give it a fair test drive.
That's when I knew I was going to get one.
Luckily, my first test drive was a 328i sport line, and the sales guy set it to sport mode. I didn't really know a lot about the drive modes, so I never had to experience the non sense of "comfort" and "Eco" modes.
In sport mode, which should be the default and ONLY mode for sport/Msport, the steering was nice weighted, shifts came quick and solid, ride was great.
I couldn't understand what people were talking about making negative comments like "soft" and "sluggish".
Were they driving some other car than what I drove?
Well, they kind of were. In subsequent test drives I tried "comfort" and "Eco" modes and was shocked at how much they sucked. I can see how someone's initial experience with the F30 can give them a not so great experience. It's all about the drive mode.
First, initial impressions do weigh heavily on some people.
My thing is that a potential driver needs to test a 328i or 335i in sport line or Msport ONLY. Then, the drive mode NEEDS to be in sport or sport+. Don't bother with other modes. Then you'll have a much better impression of what the F30 is all about.
Yes, the steering effort is still a bit lighter than the E90, but it's not as light as some say.
I have a 135i with hydraulic steering, and if the F30 doesn't feel that light to me, then I know some nay sayers are just being overly picky, or just want to be negative about it.
The F30 may not be to everyone's liking, and that's fine, we all have our likes. But I get tired of hearing the same few comments over and over, about the light steering effort as if it's that extreme, and it's the only factor that's important.
The sport suspension does feel a bit less firm than before, but the over all ride and body control is better, and performs beautifully.
The biggest pick I have with all F30's is BMW's nth degree of trying to squeeze every MPG they could. Doing that they made some very poor tire choices, and that has shown badly, especially in some early reviews and tests. People still quote the worst performance test/s, and seem to ignore subsequent tests that show much better acceleration, and better braking.
I guess most people really are drawn to the negative even when the positive is staring them right in the face.
