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Old 12-13-2017, 01:27 PM   #23
John V
No more BMWs
 
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Carmudgeonly Ride: Ram, MS3, CX-5, RX-8
Location: Glenwood, MD
Posts: 14,753
Quote:
Originally Posted by wdc330i View Post
I think BMW wants it both ways--to still be perceived as the hardcore driver's car and to cash in on luxury car sales.
Well, they used to do that pretty well. A base E46 323i was a quiet, comfortable car that was relatively capable on the performance front without shouting about it. If you wanted to tip the balance towards the performance side you could get a 330i. If you wanted to tip it further you could get an M3. But they all had the same underlying competence. The average BMW driver probably didn't care about the nice brake feel or reasonable steering feel or the nice body control / ride balance. But it was there.

The thing that happened with the F30 is the subtle aspects of performance went away. The throttle response, brakes and steering got weird and soggy. The ride was Lexus-like in its sponginess. But they also don't have the jewel-like build quality and reliability that Lexus is known for. They're not silent going down the road like a Lexus.
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