New beemers.. :(

[kilotango]

So i just got back from testing out the new F30 LCI 330i and unfortunately the X1 1.8.

Coming from an E46 330Ci that i've owned for about 4 years now..I really dont like what BMW have become, and where they are going. Sure, the EU has alot of say in what car manufacturers can and cant do... but there is just no way im going to commit on buying any of these new petrol cars right now. The power is there, and its comfortable but i just didnt feel like it had a soul.. it was just extremely bland. im not sure how to describe it properly.

i own an older Jetta Mk4 TDI which i use for longer/family trips, so im thinking rather to find a decent E60 530d rather and keeping it maintained. what do you guys think? For the price tag of these new cars, i just dont think i'd be satisfied with them.

Unfortunately the dealer didnt have any of the diesels for me to check out...particularly the 320d or 330d... so if anyone has these.. your advice would be appreciated on whether they are worth taking a look at or not?

 

[HitokiriZed]

The power is there, and its comfortable but i just didnt feel like it had a soul..

Dude, you kinda marginalised everyone that drives an F30/ newer BMW. :bin:

You're quite right tho - you should look for a car that speaks to your soul. Best to test drive everything and decide.

Good luck

 

[kilotango]

The power is there, and its comfortable but i just didnt feel like it had a soul..

Dude, you kinda marginalised everyone that drives an F30/ newer BMW. :bin:

You're quite right tho - you should look for a car that speaks to your soul. Best to test drive everything and decide.

Good luck

ahh.. my bad, i didnt mean it like that at all! didnt mean to offend anyone, eeek!

coming from an older BMW, its just a bit of shock to the system, thats all. i remember sitting in a relatives new 325 E36 after they got it years ago for the first time, and it was the highlight of my life back then.

the noise, the feel.. everything about it was just bursting with awesomeness.. i coveted that car for most of my life until i got my current E46.... which hit the "spot" immediately...although i will still stop and stare at any E36 325i, that passes me by.

i havent had much experience with later models, until recently... and it was a little disappointing in my opinion

hoping to check out the diesels once they get some... fingers crossed.

 

[cOlDFuSiOn]

The models which still have some soul are the 6Pot N55/B58 ones. :coolShake:

I drove the pre facelift F30 320d, good car even though it had teething issues, good consumption, but yes I got bored.

Go drive a few models and see.. I actually think the best non M BMW at the moment is the 240i.. My 2c. :=):

 

[Lizzard]

OP, dont feel sorry for your opinion. I mean even I dont like the newer bmw's as they are starting to be "plastic".

A work colleague drives the new F30 320d and it looks stunning in that red colour. Ask him to have a sit in it and started comparing it to my own E90. The dash just felt blunt, lets be honest here for a second. That stupid ipad sticking out of the dash just doesnt do it for me, it feels like an after thought. The dashboard itself with it's right angles and dials, it feels modern but still it feels out of place, the part where the gear lever is I must say :blowheart:, look BMW did that part right and it looks stunning. As far as the motor goes, I can imagine that you felt that sudden punch and then nothing as you reach the higher rpm, which makes the 330i screams for more and that addictive sound coming from the exhaust. The newer ones except the M doesnt have that anymore, sorry guys, but that is how it is. BMW moved to an asma pump over the n/a and for what, only they know. They gave up the driver experience for the fuel economy one. Yes, these new ones makes alot of power but it is the same, suddenly you have power and then nothing. Modding them well that is a different story but which normal guy goes and pulls a car of the dealer floor and mods it.

But all this is based on own experience, driving a newer bmw or lets be honest here, driving anything other than the 3 liter 6 cylinder is not going to be the same. And that F30 LCI 330i you drove, well it is a measly 2Lt 4 cylinder turbo engine, I mean com' on. This is just stupid, who calls a 2Lt a 3 Lt cause it has a turbo on. BMW needs to fix this.

OP, there will be people on both sides, people will always be offended by what a person says as it is just human. But your opinion is yours, thank you for reviewing these cars and given your opinion on the new F30 330i seeing that you are already driving a E46 330ci.

 

[kilotango]

The models which still have some soul are the 6Pot N55/B58 ones. :coolShake:

I drove the pre facelift F30 320d, good car even though it had teething issues, good consumption, but yes I got bored.

Go drive a few models and see.. I actually think the best non M BMW at the moment is the 240i.. My 2c. :=):

cheers mate, infact alot of people have told me the *40i's are brilliant. the dealers dont seem to have any though..still too new for our side of Africa. we've yet to see any of the 2 series as well

the local dealer probably hates me right now, i can literally see them saying "oh f#$k here we go again" when i visit.. because i've been so hard assed about checking these cars out properly. the sales guy told me the x1 1.8 would be my ideal car after a long discussion on what i was looking for. he really really talked that car up... when we got back from a short drive, i told him it was kak, and he seemed hurt and offended :roflol:

---

OP, dont feel sorry for your opinion. I mean even I dont like the newer bmw's as they are starting to be "plastic".
............
OP, there will be people on both sides, people will always be offended by what a person says as it is just human. But your opinion is yours, thank you for reviewing these cars and given your opinion on the new F30 330i seeing that you are already driving a E46 330ci.

thanks for your words Lizzard, considering the commitment involved in actually financing and signing off on one these i've test driven... i really couldnt do it. Unless you're looking at higher end models with the big engines or the M's.. that whole "ultimate driving machine" thing doesnt work anymore.. at least in my opinion.

 

[msm]

I have similar sentiments on the 4 cylinders models I drove - drove them in the 3 series and 5 series and they felt utterly boring. I don't care about their "paper" power - these are no longer driving machines.

Thankfully the 6 cylinder models, are still good. In my opinion the 6 cylinder diesels appear to be getting better and better through the generations.

 

[kilotango]

I have similar sentiments on the 4 cylinders models I drove - drove them in the 3 series and 5 series and they felt utterly boring. I don't care about their "paper" power - these are no longer driving machines.

Thankfully the 6 cylinder models, are still good. In my opinion the 6 cylinder diesels appear to be getting better and better through the generations.

im really keen on trying the diesels before i write this whole adventure off. just praying they can get some test cars into the country soon. they'll probably kill off the I6's in the next 3 series the way things are going...

 

[Luigi_S]

You are quite right on the newer Beemers. Previous Beemer before my F30, which only lasted me 7 months, was an E46 M3. I guess that's why the newer F30 was such a disappointment, like it was built by Toyota rather than the BMW I knew in the past, and contrary to the above posts, it's not just about the engines. I felt the I6 also a little lost in the F30's.

It just feels like the older Beemers, they got the whole package right, not just relying on the engine or the chassis.

 

[Malicezn]

You would have to prise the keyfob of my 330d from my cold lifeless hands.

I'm thoroughly delighted with my F30 and constantly find excuses to drive it more!
My 5th BMW and coming from a 3.0d X5 I did find it slightly snug inside but she is absolutely beautiful and aesthetically pleasing inside and I love the "iPad stuck to the dash".

The diesel torque combined with the ZF box is really enjoyable and I find myself using cruise control even in town to avoid the inevitable speed fines. You just don't feel how fast your'e going!

My only gripe really is that I never got the electrically adjustable memory seats. That was a misunderstanding more than anything else as i have electrically adjustable lumbar support. Sigh. Who needs that? :roflol:

 

[kilotango]

You are quite right on the newer Beemers. Previous Beemer before my F30, which only lasted me 7 months, was an E46 M3. I guess that's why the newer F30 was such a disappointment, like it was built by Toyota rather than the BMW I knew in the past, and contrary to the above posts, it's not just about the engines. I felt the I6 also a little lost in the F30's.

It just feels like the older Beemers, they got the whole package right, not just relying on the engine or the chassis.

ahh, so you did feel that disappointment too? its sad hey...

i dont know what they did with the older cars. i've just stood next to a E46 M3 while it was idling, and felt goosebumps :chef:

 

[CaTcH21]

Ironically I feel the older BMW 's (pre E90) were garbage, especially the interior.

As it stands ,sadly I find BMW as a whole, garbage.

 

[MikeR]

Ironically I feel the older BMW 's (pre E90) were garbage, especially the interior.

As it stands ,sadly I find BMW as a whole, garbage.

Clowns - every town has one.

@Kilotango....I agree with your sentiment, find that 530d.

@Lizzard....:coolShake: On the money.

 

[msm]

Ironically I feel the older BMW 's (pre E90) were garbage, especially the interior.

As it stands ,sadly I find BMW as a whole, garbage.

I guess you got your dates mixed up a bit - it's the 1st of Jan, not 1st of April...

 

[325iSmk2]

Funny thread!

 

[GoCart]

I purchased a E60 530d this past September, it has been an expensive and troublesome time since then, but it remains a great car, and the balance of power and economy is brilliant.

Take your time and get a M Sport, it looks the absolute business.

 

[Rotinaj]

The models which still have some soul are the 6Pot N55/B58 ones. :coolShake:

I drove the pre facelift F30 320d, good car even though it had teething issues, good consumption, but yes I got bored.

Go drive a few models and see.. I actually think the best non M BMW at the moment is the 240i.. My 2c. :=):

Nope they are still very much toasters.

 

[ChefDJ]

I purchased a E60 530d this past September, it has been an expensive and troublesome time since then, but it remains a great car, and the balance of power and economy is brilliant.

Take your time and get a M Sport, it looks the absolute business.

I tend to think the previous owner of your car neglected to carry out what we deem as necessary preventative maintenance, being the car nuts we are.


This topic as a whole is one that springs up a few times a year, and there will always be mixed opinions as well as very strong opinions.

I too cannot justify the prices of the newer BMW's for the lack of quality feel I experience when climbing into them. I will however say that this is limited to the 3ers, 1ers, smaller X's... The F10, F01, G11, E70 are all still able to give me a sense of quality build and have decent engine sizes.

In my mind though, the best generation of cars of any brand, be it BMW, Benz, Jaguar... all come from the 2000 to 2008 era. I struggle to fall in love with anything newer.

 

[Gizmo]

The turning point for me was the e90, everything before then was built by engineers to last much longer than motorplan, this however is not good for business because people keep their well-built car long after motorplan expires instead of trading it in on a new model. Accountants took over bmw and softened the cars with expensive electronics and parts that don't last long in order to make them uneconomical to run out of motorplan so you are forced to trade it in once motorplan is up. You now buy a new car every 3-5 years instead of every 10-15years.

 

[e46monk3y]

The turning point for me was the e90, everything before then was built by engineers to last much longer than motorplan, this however is not good for business because people keep their well-built car long after motorplan expires instead of trading it in on a new model. Accountants took over bmw and softened the cars with expensive electronics and parts that don't last long in order to make them uneconomical to run out of motorplan so you are forced to trade it in once motorplan is up. You now buy a new car every 3-5 years instead of every 10-15years.

Bean counters...

also I am a big fan of Chris bangle, his designs, sure, were polarising but they were unique, the e90 is a great looking vehicle in my opinion (just too big for me) and possibly one of his best designs was the e46 (Chris Bangle) compare that to the F30 and there is simply no comparison.

All the new BMW design language is very one shoe fits all motto..