03-07-2016, 10:33 AM | #1 |
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Reality Check - F30 road trip
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. |
03-07-2016, 12:28 PM | #3 |
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good stuff...coming from an E90 and E92, I know what people mean, but honestly the F30 is a great car, don't feel less of an enthusiast by having one.
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03-07-2016, 12:30 PM | #4 | |
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but...the cynic in me is thinking this is exactly what BMW had in mind with the softer F30.. to convert Lexus and Acura types. If you had an E90 M3 I suspect your friend would have been complaining of the harsh ride and hard to turn steering wheel. An "hardcore enthusiast" honda owner would have an AP1 S2k with a suspension mods worth as much as the car, or an engine swapped civic. Was your friend's TL even a 6MT type S or was it an automatic base TL? Don't mean, to come off negatively, just truly curious because when some colleagues get into my F80 M3 they are like WTF are these cloth seats and why is the car so bumpy?! So it seems like the sport aspects of BMW that we all love actually are a turn off to some |
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03-07-2016, 12:36 PM | #5 | |
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03-07-2016, 12:41 PM | #6 |
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All I know is that I'd trade the 6MT in the F3x for Honda's 6MT from the TL without second thought. I drove a 6MT TSX for a decade before my F30, and the transmission is what I miss most. The Acura also had better cabin materials and of course my only repair in a decade was the cruise control switch. FWD sucks though!
Honda made/makes the best 6MT of all time, especially the box in the S2000. That thing feels exactly like a bolt-action rifle. Second-closest is probably Porsche, but they are a distant second. |
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03-07-2016, 01:17 PM | #7 |
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the BMW driving experience is one of a kind
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03-07-2016, 03:18 PM | #8 | |
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My buddy has the TL with an automatic transmission. Those that have a problem with BMW catering to a broader audience either 1) don't know anything about running a business, 2) think BMW exists for their own personal use, or 3) I can't think of a third although I want to keep the category there in case a member responding to this post thinks of another one. And your point about cloth seats and a bumpy ride is spot on. Not everybody understands and appreciates or wants an M3 or any performance-oriented vehicle. That okay. That's why successful car companies build so many types of vehicles. If you think about it, its a great time for car buyers/leasers. The choices and options are amazing and cars have never been cheaper in terms of price/performance/functionality/features. Enjoy your M3. I am properly jealous, cloth seats or not |
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03-07-2016, 03:28 PM | #9 | |
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It's a shame for those MT drivers like you than BMW isn't offering a competitive MT transmission. I drove stick for most of my life and hated AT. While I still occasionally long for a MT, the 8-speed ZF in the F30 is so good I really don't think about MT anymore. I guess I've gone to the dark side. |
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03-07-2016, 03:37 PM | #11 | |
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I don't fault the complainers too much since I used to be one. I was a multiple e39 owner and felt that it was the best sedan ever made. When the E60 bangled flame surface thing came out, I hated it and kept my beloved E39 instead of buying something that wasn't worthy in my humble view. I saved $60k and continued to drive a car I loved instead. I complained, but on the E39 forum. What I didn't do was go on the E60 forums and tell the E60 owners how unworthy their cars were. What's the point of that? |
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03-07-2016, 03:41 PM | #12 |
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The MT in the BMW isn't that bad. Sure its not the S2000 but nothign is
Actually i find the STI tranny closest to the S2K. Porsche gears are spaced farther than say, Chevy SS or ATSV to name a few, and thus don't feel as good. I'd say porsche is at least a distant 4th place. |
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03-07-2016, 03:49 PM | #13 | |
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03-07-2016, 04:03 PM | #14 | ||
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03-07-2016, 04:19 PM | #15 | |
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Thanks. the f80 is pretty awesome. I'm pretty much in love with it as a daily driver/toy combo pack. BUT in full disclosure, there was a huge storm in socal today, and RE11 tires + S55 turbo power were a bit of a stressful combo. I could have used N20 + all season RFT + parking cameras + blind spot assistance, etc etc (or the wife's porky 3900lb X135 awd hatch). |
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03-07-2016, 04:23 PM | #16 | |
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There are many posts that ask why don't people have sport suspension in their F30, or why do people pay $65k+ for loaded F36 instead of base F80 , and I now feel those aren't fair comments, since F30 is purposely meant to target "normal people". As an aside, I offered my F80 to my wife many times to take on as her daily to replace her F30 335, but she flat out refused it, since she didn't like the firmer suspension, or the heavier steering feeling. I GUESSED that OP's TL driving friend would have a point of view similar to my wife and preferring the softer F30 Last edited by nicknaz; 03-07-2016 at 04:29 PM.. |
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03-07-2016, 04:38 PM | #17 |
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I understand for the most part, but the Acura TL's target market was basically 3 Series oriented drivers who valued higher reliability (perceived or otherwise) and more "bang for their buck" than 3er buyers. They were looking for a sporty handling and driving car at less than a 3 Series price. They weren't Accord and Camry buyers.
There are also a lot of consumers who have a low opinion of BMWs and BMW owners. They view BMW owners as conceited a-holes and BMW cars as overpriced extravagances. Many have zero interest in even test driving a BMW to see if all the fuss is justified. And, as with the OP's friend, many of them have the same reaction after driving a BMW. And that was true before the F3x hit the market. Last edited by tturedraider; 03-07-2016 at 04:46 PM.. |
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03-07-2016, 05:49 PM | #18 | |
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By the way, I agree with you, the 3er range is so broad there are so many reasons why people want it. |
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03-07-2016, 07:12 PM | #20 | |
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03-07-2016, 07:24 PM | #21 |
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I am a former TL owner of 8 years that just got a 2013 335 and I must tell you while the TL is a solid car it can't touch the shear thrill and joy I get from driving my 335 everyday. I know your friend shit eating grin all too well because it's what my face looks like from the minute I pull out the driveway until I return home.
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03-07-2016, 09:03 PM | #22 |
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I always thought the Acura logo was just the Honda logo pinched at the top to make it look like an A. The fact that it looks like calipers might be serendipitous.
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