Quote:
Originally Posted by NewM3driver
Hey Joe.... Exactly which of the BMW's on my list are some of the most "Niche" vehicles in their history? I would hardly consider the 3 series and 5 series niche vehicles.
Secondly, you're missing my very valid point. They are splitting up options that should go together into separate packages forcing you to pay a lot of money for things you don't want. Example: The rear view and surround view cameras are in two different packages, forcing you to take heads up display which I find distracting. Also, all the individual options are becoming laughable. An X6M? A 3 series GT? An M4? What's the real difference between the 1 and 2?
I have had the opportunity to live with the brand for decades. I know what the older cars that MADE BMW what it is today "used" to drive like when the company was about building true performance cars... when "the ultimate driving machine" meant something. BMW drivers and Mercedes drivers were different breeds. Now BMW is soft luxury, and Benz is making their cars stiff and taunt. Go drive an E39 series 530 sport. Pure harmony. BMW has not gotten a car "that right" since.
You are a newcomer to the brand, and obviously have been swooned by their marketing bullshit. I'm not whining, but i'm not happy the entire brand has gone soft. The truth is you have not been around the brand long enough to truly understand where I'm coming from and that's honestly not meant to be a dig. If you knew the old BWM, the New BMW would be disappointing you too. The allure of any BMW is the silky smooth straight 6 engine. Anyone that has driven those legendary 6'ers for years KNOWS the raspy, coarse, 4 cylinder engine plagued with turbo lag is a sad excuse for a BMW power plant. But it fills a cheap "Niche" to get new comers into the brand... it sells cars to folks that can't afford the 6ers. It's not about gas milage. Its about selling a cheap BMW to the accord buyer.
Hopefully the new M3 will bring promise and the new X5 will handle reasonably well. There was a time I never considered other brands, but I'll cross shop Porsche and Range Rover this time for sure. BMW simply does not excite me anymore.
I can afford to play the BMW game but I'm far too smart to pay individual prices for black paint.
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Niche Vehicles: The M3 and all your MT's are "niche", BMW sells very few of them, in another automotive company they'd never exist, the Gran Coupe is of the same mold.
Splitting Options: BMW is a big business and big businesses are about making money. You have bought almost a dozen BMW's brand new. You have the money. Spend it. Or buy a Kia. Can't have it both ways.
Marketing Bullshit: BMW was never some hobbyists brand, never some enthusiasts paradise. That's a false perception you've allowed to consume you. At Burger King you don't really "Have It Your Way", Coke isn't really "The Real Thing". "The Ultimate Driving Machine" is just an ad-man's tagline, nothing more.
4 Cylinder Engine: Last time I checked, the N20 is faster than classic M3's in the E36 and E46 ilk and most of your 5's. There's not a car on the road that I haven't blown past when the situation deemed it necessary. Gobs of power is something that no F30 owner is complaining about.
Newcomer To The Brand: I cut my teeth and took my road test in my dad's 1980 7 Series, went to prom in my dad's 1982 5 Series, spent years tossing around my mom's E36 and E46, have owned an E93, E90, and F30. Check your assumptions before you make them.
Moving On For Money: Your issue with BMW seems to be that they've changed and are asking you to spend more money so you're thinking of leaving. There isn't anything else you really needed to add. Just say you can't afford a BMW any more and that's that. For years BMW gave you a free sport suspension and nice gadgets. That day is done. Gotta pay to play now.