[Efthreeoh]

Had one as a loaner for a few hours. Didn't put more than 30 miles on it, but ugh. If that is the current state of the 3-series, then BMW has totally left me as a sales target. Out of curiosity I pulled the engine cover (to be honest I was trying to figure out if the motor was an N20 or N55), I pity the techs who have to work on these new BMWs. The engine looked more like a piece of NASA space hardware than an auto engine.

And the F3X chassis still drives like crap (I initially drove on back in 2912 before BMW supposedly revamped the F3X suspension). My wife commented that it rides and handles worse than my E90. And she's comparing a brand new F3X chassis to a 330,000-mile E90 that needs a suspension refresh (150,000 miles aged). The steering has absolutely no feel, and is completely artificially weighted. The brakes have no modulation at all; she commented "why are you slamming on the brakes"? The brakes are far over boosted on initial pedal application; I was barely touching them.

Pathetic.

If you want a driver's car, look elsewhere, like at Cadillac.

Note: The Mods moved this thread over to the F3X Forum. I originally posted it in the General BMW Forum. My rant was for BMW. If you guys enjoy the F3X chassis, then good on you. Enjoy the BMW brand, I have for 30 years.

[No Boost]

/ rant

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Stage IV

/ rant

Just priced it on BMW USA. $48,045. My wife just said "Oh please!"

[c1pher]

$48k does seem a bit high compared to other potential options out there. For just a tad more you could get a fully loaded A4 or low end S4. I think I’d rather have a Golf R or S3 and keep the change. You could also get a Lexus ES and spend less. I’d rather go 340i to get the bigger motor for the same money than go to the 430i.

I will be glad when the “gran coupe” trend ends and they call them sedans again. I think it’s all marketing to make you feel the car is more sporty and you haven’t comprised performance by getting four doors vs two. I don’t get the angle, maybe I’m missing something. BMW has gone all in on it, while Audi offers the A7 I think they market as a coupe but that’s the only one....could be wrong.

[aaaaah]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Had one as a loaner for a few hours. Didn't put more than 30 miles on it, but ugh. If that is the current state of the 3-series, then BMW has totally left me as a sales target. Out of curiosity I pulled the engine cover (to be honest I was trying to figure out if the motor was an N20 or N55), I pity the techs who have to work on these new BMWs. The engine looked more like a piece of NASA space hardware than an auto engine.

And the F3X chassis still drives like crap (I initially drove on back in 2012 before BMW supposedly revamped the F3X suspension). My wife commented that it rides and handles worse than my E90. And she's comparing a brand new F3X chassis to a 330,000-mile E90 that needs a suspension refresh (150,000 miles aged). The steering has absolutely no feel, and is completely artificially weighted. The brakes have no modulation at all; she commented "why are you slamming on the brakes"? The brakes are far over boosted on initial pedal application; I was barely touching them.

Pathetic.

If you want a driver's car, look elsewhere, like at Cadillac.

The whole 430 thing should have let you know it was a B48 not B58...

Engine covers are a thing now because if you want the efficiency gains you need heaps of process control, hence the NASA hardware part.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by aaaaah

The whole 430 thing should have let you know it was a B48 not B58...

Engine covers are a thing now because if you want the efficiency gains you need heaps of process control, hence the NASA hardware part.

Yeah, I'm so disinterested in current BMWs I don't even keep up with the new engine designations or numeral designation. This car just reinforces my decision to bother with other things. I'd rather have an inline 6 without a turbo. If BMW is throwing in 4 cylinder turbos at this price point, then it make it less interesting and far more car models from other manufacturers come into play. The fake engine sounds coming through the audio system is even more of an insult. The sport mode changed the exhaust note, but I'm not sure if that was a flap changing the exhaust flow (old school) or just a different tune in the stereo.

The engine cover just hides lazy engineering of cable routing. The last current model of car I've looked at under the hood has been the Cadillac ATS and Alfa, which were far more clean under the hood than the BMW. Granted, BMWs have never been super organized under the hood, but the B48 (I guess) is a mess.

[kern417]

k.

[Seba77W]

Cadillac !?! ???????
Hahahahahahahahahahahaaaahshahaahhhahaha?????????? ????????hahahhhahahhahhhahahahahhahahahahahahaaa!! !!:s

[GarlicBread]

What a rant... yet can?t tell the engine differences.... cool story

[Calvin36]

Can't imagine a base model loaner would be an adequate example to place most of your judgement on. But if you do decide to go Caddy, have fun with it. Heard good reviews about it but I won't be going Caddy anytime soon. More BMWs for us to have fun in!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by GarlicBread

What a rant... yet can?t tell the engine differences.... cool story

Well, that's the point friend. The numbering scheme doesn't help anymore; and back in the day you could tell the 4's from the 6's by the number of exhaust tips (not dual mufflers). The car I had had dual exhaust tips. And back in the day you could tell a 4 from a 6 by the way the car drove and the engine sound, but since BMW (...Motor Works) plays the engine sounds through the stereo, which is just fucking pathetic for BMW, so yeah, I was unsure. Just as you'd be unsure what engine is under the hood of a Buick, because that's what BMWs have become, Buicks. Hell, they might even just start making front wheel drive... oh, wait, nevermind.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Calvin36

Can't imagine a base model loaner would be an adequate example to place most of your judgement on. But if you do decide to go Caddy, have fun with it. Heard good reviews about it but I won't be going Caddy anytime soon. More BMWs for us to have fun in!

Eh, I'm not thinking the 430 grand coupe is a base model anything, hey but maybe it is at $48K.

Sorry that Cadillac hurts your ego. But BMWs used to be about driving, not idrive-ing.

[Calvin36]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Eh, I'm not thinking the 430 grand coupe is a base model anything, hey but maybe it is at $48K.

Sorry that Cadillac hurts your ego. But BMWs used to be about driving, not idrive-ing.

No one has a hurt ego here. You're the one that's throwing out insults to a car brand. Just saying if you like Caddy, more power to you bro. Just I'm not on the same boat. If you don't like BMWs anymore you're more than welcomed to leave. :

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Calvin36

No one has a hurt ego here. You're the one that's throwing out insults to a car brand. Just saying if you like Caddy, more power to you bro. Just I'm not on the same boat. If you don't like BMWs anymore you're more than welcomed to leave. :

So, one can't be critical of a car brand anymore? Really? Welcome to leave? But your ego isn't hurt? Okay...

I mean, I've only owned BMWs for 30 years (my connection to the brand goes back to the late 1970's) and have over 850,000 combine miles on them, so I can speak with some authority on the subject of BMW. And it's not that I'm a Luddite about progress of the automobile, but BMW has lost it's roots in my opinion. I preferred when even the lowest grade BMW was vastly better to drive than any other brand. Maybe everyone else has caught up to BMW or maybe BMW has lost it (probably a combo of both), but to me Cadillac has better driver's cars, even the base-model ATS 2-liter turbo.

BMW used to lead, now they are over-priced mid-pack automobiles. Sad.

[Calvin36]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

So, one can't be critical of a car brand anymore? Really? Welcome to leave? But your ego isn't hurt? Okay...

I mean, I've only owned BMWs for 30 years (my connection to the brand goes back to the late 1970's) and have over 850,000 combine miles on them, so I can speak with some authority on the subject of BMW. And it's not that I'm a Luddite about progress of the automobile, but BMW has lost it's roots in my opinion. I preferred when even the lowest grade BMW was vastly better to drive than any other brand. Maybe everyone else has caught up to BMW or maybe BMW has lost it (probably a combo of both), but to me Cadillac has better driver's cars, even the base-model ATS 2-liter turbo.

BMW used to lead, now they are over-priced mid-pack automobiles. Sad.

Not sure why you're getting so defensive. Never said you can't be critical of a car brand. Never denied Caddy isn't coming out with great cars.. as a matter of fact I even said I heard good reviews on them. I'm glad you've been driving BMWs for over 30-40 years.. congrats? I do agree though, the competition has been closing in on BMW's dominance on the sector and that's normal and even good for the car industry. That'll make them work that much harder to make great cars. BMW might have lost their way but I'm sure they'll figure it out.

It just seemed you were so wound up on how you have a great disdain on everything that BMW did so I said if you like Caddy.. more power to ya.. just not my cup of tea. You can leave you can stay. Do what you like. I can't dictate it.

[kern417]

[anotheran]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

So, one can't be critical of a car brand anymore? Really? Welcome to leave? But your ego isn't hurt? Okay...

I mean, I've only owned BMWs for 30 years (my connection to the brand goes back to the late 1970's) and have over 850,000 combine miles on them, so I can speak with some authority on the subject of BMW. And it's not that I'm a Luddite about progress of the automobile, but BMW has lost it's roots in my opinion. I preferred when even the lowest grade BMW was vastly better to drive than any other brand. Maybe everyone else has caught up to BMW or maybe BMW has lost it (probably a combo of both), but to me Cadillac has better driver's cars, even the base-model ATS 2-liter turbo.

BMW used to lead, now they are over-priced mid-pack automobiles. Sad.

In the pursuit of higher YoY sales and beating Mercedes... yes, they've become the Accord of luxury cars: sporty enough, big enough, and looks decent enough. Don't think you'll be too pleased with the G20

Sure, there's still ppl on here that complain about that dead on center feel, under dampened suspension, and lack of steering feel. But i think more ppl these days worry about hp they can get out of the car (whether they can beat a M3/M4, butt dynos), the look of their car (msport bumper, msport steering wheel, wheel gap, mperf carbon fiber pieces), and engine sound. And BMW is definitely going to cater to the majority.

[jd_perspective]

maybe you should get the "caddy that zigs" hahaha

[PennSt8]

Originally Posted by MGM135is

I will be glad when the “gran coupe” trend ends and they call them sedans again. I think it’s all marketing to make you feel the car is more sporty and you haven’t comprised performance by getting four doors vs two. I don’t get the angle, maybe I’m missing something. BMW has gone all in on it, while Audi offers the A7 I think they market as a coupe but that’s the only one....could be wrong.

A5 5 Door.

[otay]

One thing that rings true in OP's statement, is "overpriced". For those of us that have been keeping up with F30, we know you have to add many options to make it anywhere near an "ultimate driving machine". A base model is indeed crap.

I like what I drive (N55 & sport suspension), but to get into a new F36 with the options to make it a worthy choice, is over $60k.

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by PennSt8

A5 5 Door.

Oh yeah....thanks.

[englishguy84]

The suspension is soft, but it’s the steering that really lets it down. I just drove my dad’s base C300 and in Sport + it has better steering than a base 328i/330i. More feel, and less dead feeling. Never thought I’d say that.