lozgti

No,its not a slating thread.They just seem to have turned into the Volkswagen beetle of the car world.They are not exclusive in anyway and some (X6) are just daft

Suppose you could say the same about most companies but wheras 10 years ago it would be a Vectra hanging off my bumper,more likely than not,the ten cars behind me are all Beemers.

Once I saw the attraction but to me they just seem as mainstream as Vauxhall now (though I'd ****** your hand off if you offered me an M5,Z8 or a classic )

Do you still love them and do you still think the propellor says 'special car' anymore? (just that I saw an X6 the other day and thought WT hell?! maybe they are thinking the same and trying something radical!)

The Zohan

BMW have made some great cars over the years and are now a victim of thier own success and marketing.

Much Like Subaru BMW is a brand/image chavs aspire too and the cars are now iin their price range...

SiPie

Sure clarkson mentioned on an episode of Top Gear last year that the 320 had outsold the Mondeo over the course of the year.....

Seems about right considering the number you see.....

In Silver with personalised plate obligatory

mart360

The guys i work with are always going on about E36, & E40 & E25, and how the E44ba2 out handles the E44Ba1 etc....


drives me up the wall, why cant they say 316 or 520 ffs

that said some of the current range are very nice, some however wouldnt grace my drive


Mart

Petem95

I'm amazed BMW is still seen as a desirable brand as they're just so common now.

UK car sales stats for May showed BMW 3-series as the 3rd best selling car, behind Astra and Focus!! (ok the 3-series range is big, ie Saloon, Coupe, convertible etc etc - but still!)

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

So what if they're common, if they're good cars?

Here is the write-up I did a couple of years ago, shortly before I changed my '05 STI for a 330D - I judged the various cars on their merits, picked the Beemer, and I don't regret the change for a moment.

Dieseldog

That's bad, but not as bad as when people post "1er" or "3er" instead of "1 series" or "3 series". That really gets on my ****.

Jaybird-UK

A good car doesnt need to be exclusive.

NACRO

Mass market rear wheel drive cars with a class leading range of engines and fantastic driving dynamics.

Yes they sound really boring.

NACRO

That's how people refer to them in their country of origin.

BlkKnight

I've a 330D can't fault it. Purchased as a sensible replacement to my STI wagon!

richie001

iTrader: (3)

Subaru Drivers aren't much better

Flatcapdriver

The thing is, there are 1500 X6s coming into the UK and 1300 are already sold so it doesn't really matter what you or I think, however I still think they're special in that BMW is one of the few companies manufacturing RWD cars on a mass scale with some of the best engines on the market.

There isn't another manufacturer with the range of engines that continually win awards that BMW has and although it attracts its fair share of numpties in vanity models, there are plenty of Z4Ms, M3s, 335is, M5s, M6s etc to offset the muppet brigade.

Shark Man

I see them on the same level as Subaru - slightly unconventional, but want to be conventional as possible so they appeal to the mass markets.

BMW took a step backwards when they started using fly-by-wire throttles, deleted the LSD option and made a SUV. All of which came about by conforming to mass market demand.

M3s stopped being M3s when they were offered in a carbriolet derivative. Driver's car? Erm, <cough> Hairdresser </cough>

M5s stopped being M5s when they no longer gave the buyer a full manual (non SMG) version, its now just a rich numpty's plaything (i.e they don't need to be able to drive - the car sorts out all their mistakes).



Also a colour other than a shade of silver would make nice a change


(This is from a BMW owner ).

The plus thing is, despite them reforming to the same boring conventions of other manufacturers (thrill-less and uninvolving driving dynamics) . They are the last remaining mass production car manufacturers to offer a front engined-RWD setup in practical saloon/estate. And one of the only manufacturers to retain a straight 6 petrol engine (which, by design, is superior to any 4pot, 5pot V6, V8 or V10), whilst everyone elese resorts to Vee engines and FWD/traverse layouts for "cost and packaging" reasons

One thing that spoils most BMWs, which many a BMW owner(and dealer) often fails to notice on their car is the detrioration in ride and handling quality after about 4-5 years and 50,000miles. As many BMW models I know of use absolutely shyte quality rubber bushings, that become more sloppy than a *****'s you know what, and the shocks aren't that much more durable either when used on bumpy UK roads. If the driver can't notice this degradation in ride control and handling, then it really shows what kind of person buys these cars; they have no clue of how the car should ride, drive or handle, and don't notice the detrioration. Then you get a non-BMW driver (or a purist) to jump in a used second hand BMW take it for a spin and proclaim its crap. They are right, but it didn't come out the factory like that (run-flats aside).

Leslie

I have had one or two of the interesting ones over the years, such as an M535i and an M3 Evo etc.

I have always found them to be well built cars with a touch of class and the handling has always been just as they say-very good.

Maybe you see so many for those very reasons. I admit that their styling has gone a bit "different" in recent times but I bet they are still just as good to drive.

I really like my BMW Mini Cooper now, handles as well as anything I have ever had and is a deceptively fast car on a cross country run, as well as doing 44 or so to the gallon on a long run.

Many people seem to run Beemers down just because they think it is the fashionable thing to do, but you can't get away from the fact that they are good cars.

Les

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Its just a car, like a Mondeo or a Vectra, more expensive as its serving a slightly different customer base, so what if they are common, that's becuase people buy them.

I do think there is/has been a bit of a blind worship of all things German but they do make a good car, usually they do very well in back to back tests with their peers, they arent perfect but they are nearer than a lot of other brands.

The image did use to irk me a bit, the insufferable smugness, selfishness and agression that was sometimes seen, the X5 was the zenith of the BMW as the ***** car of choice, competition from Land Rover, Porsche Audi has diluted this and maek the X5 seem comparatively modest. Clarkson pinched my theory that the ***** had moved into Audi's and Mercs. BMW drivers dont really seem to be the gits they once were.

I do also think that their sales are going to suffer, being as they are expensive and by and large at the less economical end of the market, that said they do produce some very frugal models such as the 118d, but that does cost 20k upwards, lot of money to spend to save a couple of hundred on road tax but if you are changing anyway. They will however adapt faster and more effectively than almost any other car company.

I think the car market would be a lot duller place without BMW, RWD across the range (Mini notwithstanding), M Cars, Z3 M Coupe (proof they do have a sense of humour) and good engineering.

The X6 will sell, I saw one and wanted to hate it, but I liked it, grudgingly, it is basically a car that started developmetn before everything went **** up, it will still do well but not as well as it would have done, it is prehaps symbolic of what has gone wrong with the car market in general, alternatively its the future, I cant decide ?

grovesy

A 3 series is now a cheaper option on our company list than a Mondeo

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I suppose thats down to residuals, though the new Mondeo is very good its never going to be a better long term bet because of its badge.

ScoobyWon't

Exactly what I was thinking last summer. They've all gone to RS4s or those Q7 things. And the one's who are real "I'm a gangstar" ***** got Range Rover Sport's.

I'd much rather have a BM' on my drive than an Audi of any description.