[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW 3 Series Named Automobile Magazine 2013 All-Star

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The BMW 3 Series leads its segment in the 2013 Annual Magazine Awards.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – June 6, 2013… The BMW 3 Series continues living up to its hard-earned reputation as the best compact sports sedan in the world, and AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE backs that up by presenting it with a coveted 2013 All-Star award. As the class benchmark since its debut in 1977, the BMW 3 Series has collected over a dozen of AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE’s highly sought-after awards by remaining the best in the business.

“The BMW 3 Series has become so ubiquitous that it’s easy to forget how exceptional it really is,” said AUTOMOBILE’s Joe Lorio.

“…this BMW still can ignite an enthusiast’s fire in a way that its competitors cannot,” the article continued. “It’s in the way the steering effort loads up during a seemingly endless series of switchbacks, the way the suspension reacts with each turn of the wheel, and the way the throttle is so precisely calibrated. You can feel the connection to the heritage that goes back to the BMW 2002 and the dawn of the compact sport sedan.”

You can read the complete write-up at: http://www.automobilemag.com/feature...s/viewall.html

“We strive to keep the iconic BMW 3 Series evolving as the benchmark among sport sedans, and recognition like this is reassurance that we are doing our jobs,” said BMW of North America’s Chairman and CEO, Ludwig Willisch. “We thank AUTOMOBILE for this prestigious honor.”

[BmwF30alpine]

Not a shocker at all. It's an amazing piece of machinery. Bmw f30 ftw.

[jtuds]

It's a great car

Sometimes I'm glad I didn't drive a E90 or E46 because I have nothing to compare the steering feel to

[FotiosF90M5]

Well deserved. Amazing performance sedan.

[AMJAM]

No surprise there

[Cl0ud7]

Great car but, calling it compact....I don't know about that

[ceeslee]

Agreed, a stretch to classify as compact these days.

[buckeyede06]

Originally Posted by Cl0ud7

Great car but, calling it compact....I don't know about that

+1

[buckeyede06]

Originally Posted by jtuds

It's a great car

Sometimes I'm glad I didn't drive a E90 or E46 because I have nothing to compare the steering feel to

I have driven the E90. Owned one for years, it really isnt that much better. Pop the F30 in sport and it is pretty good. I have had my F30 for a year now and love it way more. The extra power makes up for any issues with steering feel.

There are all these BMW enthusiasts on here that just bash the F30. Well as an owner of both, I prefer the F30. It is easier to maneuver around a track too. Having that very heavy E90 steering isnt necessarily a good thing.

In summary, its not that different and I would take my F30 any day.

[M5007]

Originally Posted by ceeslee

Agreed, a stretch to classify as compact these days.

I personally would not call it
Compact. I wonder what criteria they use to determine classification.

According to Wikipedia: 4,400 mm (173 in) and 4,750 mm (187 in) long for convertibles, sedans (saloon).

[beto_L.A.]

Originally Posted by jtuds

It's a great car

Sometimes I'm glad I didn't drive a E90 or E46 because I have nothing to compare the steering feel to

I started with an e46, later I got an E90 LCI, the steering wheel felt hard and comfortable (IMO) I've had the chance the drive the F30 and putting the car on sport mode makes a difference, I currently drive an X3 so I'm used to the electronic steer...I will be returning to the F3x in about a year and I can't wait!!!
I'm glad I got a chance to drive the
E46(5yrs) & E90(3yrs) it was so much fun...and soon ill be in a F3x!!!!

[Russkey]

Well deserved!

[GT1281]

Worst BMW I've ever owned. I traded it in 9 months later for a E92 335i

[Thurman Murch]

I'm already seeing F30 m-sports being traded in even ones w manual...

The new F10s and F30s are boats... The 550/M5 great interiors tho and S63 prodigious power

Seeing many more E92Ms on the road

335is/1m great cars

The E9x m-sports are awesome and then the Ms are money

The S65 best engine ever then the E46M as a whole package is killer

Would love to have E30M

The F30s are nice and will bring new clients to BMW but IMHO don't hold a candle to its predecessors except exterior looks wise to a degree

Here's hoping the F8x is on another level

[tony20009]

The reasons cited in the magazine are the reasons why were I to have only one car, it'd be a 3er. It's the one car type that BMW invented and others have sought to copy. BMW makes other types of cars -- roadsters, luxury sedans, SUVs, etc. -- but other companies make those kinds of vehicles just as well, sometimes better, than BMW.

I have to say, I'm glad the article didn't refer to the 3er as a luxury car. It's not one, and hopefully, that'll convince folks who moan and groan about the luxury, or lack thereof, in the 3er that they are fighting a lost cause. The 3er is a sport sedan/coupe, not not, was not conceived as, and will likely not ever morph into, a luxury car, regardless of how many handy and convenient appointments with which one can imbue it.

[300hp]

2 haters so far, not bad

Good job BMW

[amdmaxx]

Fix the steering and its a winner

[Kiemyster]

i pray to god that on the LCI they reverse the joined headlights and fix the steering, and maybe give it that double breast i-drive setup instead of an iPad stuck on the dash. those are my issues with the new car, but i have to give bmw a huge thumbs up for stepping up their game on the interior. They managed to keep it clean and classy while amping up the sportiness of the interior and i appreciate that. car's profile reminds me a bit of an audi sometimes which hurts me.... but i get over it. I do miss the tank like stance of the e90, but thats why i got an E90 over the new generation.

My real issue, is the inability to differentiate between the f10 and the f30.... bmw is going back to "same sausage, different length" and the hard work that bangle did to bring each car its own identity is slowly being erased. :/

[300hp]

Originally Posted by Kiemyster

i pray to god that on the LCI they reverse the joined headlights and fix the steering, and maybe give it that double breast i-drive setup instead of an iPad stuck on the dash. those are my issues with the new car, but i have to give bmw a huge thumbs up for stepping up their game on the interior. They managed to keep it clean and classy while amping up the sportiness of the interior and i appreciate that. car's profile reminds me a bit of an audi sometimes which hurts me.... but i get over it. I do miss the tank like stance of the e90, but thats why i got an E90 over the new generation.

My real issue, is the inability to differentiate between the f10 and the f30.... bmw is going back to "same sausage, different length" and the hard work that bangle did to bring each car its own identity is slowly being erased. :/

The new x5 has the exact same set up with the lights, this is now a design theme that I doubt will change. I have to agree the E90s had a very spartan interior. The new ones have stepped it up tremendously. Msport F30s look look much better from the outside too no doubt about that. Steering feel is debatable, but the experts here seem to suggest if you like it new and fresh, F30 all day long

[Kiemyster]

Originally Posted by 300hp

The new x5 has the exact same set up with the lights, this is now a design theme that I doubt will change. I have to agree the E90s had a very spartan interior. The new ones have stepped it up tremendously. Msport F30s look look much better from the outside too no doubt about that. Steering feel is debatable, but the experts here seem to suggest if you like it new and fresh, F30 all day long

oh my god when i saw the new x5 i wanted to cry, i it resembled an ML so much. there is a huge issue with the trunk of the new X5, way to flat and odd looking. When I saw the X1 i was so happy with the design, i was hoping the new X5 would simply be a bloated version of that... but it isnt. so now im stuck between saving for the current x5m or for another e90 m3 with under 10k miles.... tough decisions. I know for sure i wont be buying the new m3, unless i can get that front custom made the eliminate the joined headlights and retrofit a double breasted idrive inside of it... Gotta hit up my boys at MAC!

[300hp]

Originally Posted by Kiemyster

oh my god when i saw the new x5 i wanted to cry, i it resembled an ML so much. there is a huge issue with the trunk of the new X5, way to flat and odd looking. When I saw the X1 i was so happy with the design, i was hoping the new X5 would simply be a bloated version of that... but it isnt. so now im stuck between saving for the current x5m or for another e90 m3 with under 10k miles.... tough decisions. I know for sure i wont be buying the new m3, unless i can get that front custom made the eliminate the joined headlights and retrofit a double breasted idrive inside of it... Gotta hit up my boys at MAC!

The only thing I hate about the X5 is the rear end, not sure why the X3'd it. I have to agree they could have done a better job back there. Wait till you see it in person though, sometimes pics don't do these modern cars justice. Either way X5m or M3 is a win win scenario

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by buckeyede06

I have driven the E90. Owned one for years, it really isnt that much better. Pop the F30 in sport and it is pretty good. I have had my F30 for a year now and love it way more. The extra power makes up for any issues with steering feel.

There are all these BMW enthusiasts on here that just bash the F30. Well as an owner of both, I prefer the F30. It is easier to maneuver around a track too. Having that very heavy E90 steering isnt necessarily a good thing.

In summary, its not that different and I would take my F30 any day.

It isn't the heft really, it's the actual "feel" for what the steering is doing and how the tires transmit what they are doing along with the whole sensation of the former hydraulic units.

The electric steering is numb on center, it feels like it's connected to nothing.
Yes, the steering "loads up" in turns, but it still lacks feel as to what the tires are doing.

This sensation is a real thing. I understand some people either don't care or don't know what some of us are going on about, but that doesn't mean it's not a real issue.
BMW needs better tuning of the system, and it seems they've already done some changes.
Current F30 builds don't use the same rack as the unit in my 7/2012 build.
There are a couple of members on here who had earlier build F30's and BMW bought their cars back for reasons not going into here.
But they got new F30's and they say that the current rack has better feel.
I think BMW is on the 2nd redesign and word is that there will be a 3rd redesign, or 4th gen rack for the 2014 models.

The major reason for the first redesign I believe was to address a constant vibration felt in the steering wheel at slower highway speeds.
Subsequent redesigns seem to be addressing the "feel" issue.
So it's not just in our heads, it's there.