Its depressing, every time I drive BMW and see how well made they are I’m just saddened at the pathetic state of the American automotive industry, particularly GM, because GM has no idea how to build quality cars. How could the automotive industry in this country have fallen so far in relation to the rest of the world?

100,000th car, great, yet another Bangled BMW with worse quality than previous generations, especially the E46…oh, well it could be worse, it could a be GM car…

Jon.

I believe a lot of it is due to the fact that they reigned supreme and practically unchallenged for so long (50s and most of the 60s) that they did not notice the imports improving exponentially year after year. Combine that with the fact that the majority, if not all, of the people on top just wanted to make a buck and get out. They could not have cared less about the future of the company so their shortsightedness is what has cost the big 3 such a huge stake in the marketplace. American cars have improved in leaps and bounds in the past 20 years but the foreign competition has as well. Great if you’re a (non-biased) buyer though since it’s pretty hard to buy a bad car (from any country) nowadays, something that was quite easy to do in the 70s and 80s.

I like Bangle.

well to all the bangle haters, it doesn’t matter it is ugly. it is selling.

#2, you seem to be passionately envious of Chris Bangle’s success with the E90. Well it is understood that Chris Bangle had more of an influence on the E46 than he did with the E90.
Too bad you can’t get over it because the E90 is a great car, and the sales even more impressive.

#2

I have owned an E36, E46 and E90… The E90 is heads and shoulders above the E46 in every possible way. Example:

The other day, I changed my own oil. When I shut the hood, I heard an electric motor fire off and I got a bit worried. I called the dealership and found out that the car pre-charges the oil galleries after the ECU detects the hood being open for an extended period of time. The car assumes the oil has been changed and insures that the gallries are filled back up so the (well known) problem of harsh, post oil change startups is solved. This car is full of detailed tricks like that, never mind the fact that it just goes like holy hell. I love my E90!

The sad thing is we Americans want to make money and thats all. The other part of the world is in for making money but is also for a good cause. The problem with GM is they want quick results and that is all. It will take time to rebult a company. They need to invest today to make money in 2015. They wanted quick money and they were successful, but not anymore becuase competition has past them in light years ahead. Sorry GM, it will take time.

I hope I have the same luck as you, ZenDriver. I ordered one this past Friday.

I wish my car was one of those hundred thousand

ZenDriver,
#2 has no clue of what he is talking about- he is as cynical as a cynic could be.

GM GM GM, Ford is in deeper ****, its future is more cloudy, Chrysler group is doing pretty good. BMW and Toyota in my opinion are 5 years ahead of most competitors in every field, especially strategy

they dont sell those rims in the US do they?

the E90 is a very good looking car at almost every angle, no wonder they are selling like hot cakes. I had the fortune to race an E90 330i around a racetrack. Factory standard with a sport kit it was much better than I expected. Incredible handling and good torque down low. top end speed left a bit to be desired but what do you expect from a 4 door sedan. well done bmw.

Charlie,

You don’t get it: I was ready to buy a 3-Series (I still have the full range and model-specific catalogues from 2001 and 2002), but the front is just so damn ugly and the interior is just so reverse compared to what used to come in BMW’s (the fighter-jet like curved interior), plus the interior quality is not really up to snuff for the price in the E90 vs. the E46 that I could not bring myself to buy one. Instead I bought an A4.

I dislike all Bangle designs (it doesn’t matter if he actually designed it or not, he is the head of design and what he says, goes), except for maybe the Z4 which is passable.

Jon.

Oh, yeah the reason people buy BMW’s is because of the badge, seriously it now carries more cache than Mercedes. Why else would someone pay that much for a car they know isn’t good looking? The reason the 3-Series is selling so well is that it’s larger than its predecessor and now directly competes with more cars, thus the inevitable larger market.

But Audi is still outselling BMW in Europe…although, what do the Europeans know about cars?

Jon.

Oh, and does anyone know why cars are breaking down, especially the ones with all this unnecessary technology? Computers ring a bell to anyone? Has your computer ever crashed? Has a program ever stalled? Now imagine dozens of computers spread and sensors spread all over the car…while you are driving a 3200 lb car down the road at 70 mph…

ZenDriver, you can keep your ‘detailed tricks’, and I’ll keep my reliable mechanical technology.

Jon.

Asiminator,

All German cars save for the supercars are limited to 155 mph, if even that (130 I think for some cars).

Jon.

I didn’t buy a BMW because of the badge, sure that stands out in peoples mind moreso than a Toyota would, but I bought mine because it was the best driving car I could afford. Other makers in the running were Mazda and Suburu for me. Just because I went with BMW, I’m a self-indulged, status-upgrade wannabe?

Jon,

You are semi-correct; most BMW buyers get the car because of the badge, but they do that precisely because every auto journalist, enthusiast and buff book says that the 3 series is just about the best car you can get for the money if you want a compact sports sedan. Seriously, this is how badge whoring works (for every industry)- a bunch of personality-less idiots follow the trends and buy what the “experts” buy. If you want to look like some idiot rapper/thug, you buy an Escalade, if you want to look like a fast driving prick, you buy a BMW.

I am a certified fast driving prick. I’ve tracked all the BMWs I’ve owned and am a lifetime member of the BMW CCA. Surprisingly, aside from the last 40k miles I put on my first BMW (a 1994 325is that I modded the hell out of and finally put to pasture with 160k miles), I have never had a single day of mechanical downtime with 4 years with my E46 and my first 8 months (and 15,000 miles) in my E90. Even so, I don’t care- BMW has me covered with great warranty coverage and all I pay for is gas and tires. Hell, my dealership knows I track the car on a regular basis and I *STILL* get a free set of brakes on BMW’s dime when the time comes.

The E90 is a phenomenal car. If you love driving, it is just totally connected and extraordinarily rewarding to drive at speed. If you’re an engineering geek like me, it is a car that just impresses on every level; BMW just put in some amazing attention to detail and everything is just exactly how it should be. I would even agree that it isn’t the best looking BMW ever, but it is the most amazing mass-scale production vehicle.

Who cares…..

Robert,

They sell more Audi’s in Europe than BMW’s (I said this already), AND Audi won both ALMS and Lemans, and uses DI, and has perfected Turbo technology, and has the best AWD system in the world and best per price interior and it looks a hell of a lot better than anything that comes out of BMW these days…Yeah, I hate my Audi: good call there!

Jon.

ZenDriver,

I find that hard to believe, since I read E90post all the time and people get screwed by BMW every day for racing their cars (it’s in the warranty: you can’t race).

Jon.

Jon your 25) post was a joke rigth?

Jon,

The BMW warranty explicitly states that the vehicle cannot be used in “competition” just like every other new vehicle warranty (you think automakers are going to warranty race cars?). Dealers are the front line for warranty claims and some dealers have little tollerance, but press the issue with BMW NA properly and people are covered 99% of the time. I have never heard of BMW voiding a warranty for a vehicle used in autocrosses, lapping days or driving schools. I have only seen a couple of vehicles with voided warranties, but they were modified to an extream (both were forced induction and one was used for SCCA road racing and the other was ::shudder:: used for drags).

Like everything in life, one’s attitude also counts. A lot of the people on E90 Post, if they act in real life like they do on that forum, are whiney, attitude ladened and generally unpleasent young punks… the sort of folks who do not make for very good customers. If you piss off your BMW’s service department by treating your service advisor like crap, then they are going to hold you to the letter of the law. Then again, a lot of BMW owners today are simply unpleasent people and I would take what is read on E90 Post with a grain of salt. That forum is filled with attention whores (look up my name, I have a reputation for being a prick over there).

Audi sells more cars in Europe … ok but keep in mind the fact that they have “diluted” their brand with Many more entry-level models than BMW will allow themselves to do. Once the quirks are worked out of the 1er we may see BMW pass Audi like it has passed so many other makes in recent history. I still marvel that people finally caught on to how wonderful BMW is! BMW is great because they sell more and more and still don’t lose sight of what they’re trying to build; the Ultimate Driving Machine.

I am a fan of Audi, but while they continue to win awards and have the best all wheel drive system their sales in the US are 1/3 of BMW and MB. This is perception based, but a true fact regardless.

I find the interior of the A4 more enjoyable, but the handeling and power of the 3 series is just amazing.

Zan,

Unless you happen to drive on twisting scenic roads everyday with no one around, all that handling prowess is wasted. Like I said, I rather have an ‘overall’ better car, with a much nicer interior.

Jon.

ZenDriver,

I could answer your post in a very unpleasant way…thus I’ll refrain myself. As long as you are happy with your 3er, more power to you.

Jon.

I agree with Jon. The ultimate drivers car comes from none other than the Cadillac. At least there are some bright people out there who realize this and will dump their Euro trash and buy a real car like a CTS. 3 Series is a wanna be CTS and the next CTS will show this wreck the door in about a year

I do drive on twisty, scenic and generally empty roads every day and I spend 6-7 weekends a year at the track, so I bought a BMW.

Really though, I am not going to slam Audi; they have really stepped up and I think they make a pretty sweet car. In fact, so does Infiniti and Lexus. The sports sedan market is really at a peak right now and I don’t think I woul turn down a product from these 4 companies. Merceded, Saab, Jag, Caddy… I could do without.

My problem with Audi is my local dealer. I get treated like a king at Kuni BMW here in Portland. I’ve heard others slam that dealer, but I love them, they take great care of me, I always get a loaner, they bend over backwards to keep my car running top notch (even with all the hard driving and track days). I’ve never paid them a penny; BMW NA pays for everything. The Audi dealer is another story; the service department has a reputation for liking to deny warranty claims and the sales department acts like they are selling Fords (if the product is so good, why give me the full pressure, “How can I get you into this car today?” sales pitch?).

Jon, thats a valid point. I think my next car decision will be A4 or 3 series. The question is do I value what Audi offers more then the sport handling of BMW.

It is really to each his or her own situation. They are comparable cars to me. If money was no option I would take an RS4 over any car out there.

I think currently you can get more for your money with an A$ then a 3 series just based on price and options. Either way you will walk away happy if its what you wanted.

Sorry, that ^^^ was typed quickly and I did not check my sentence structures.

Jon.

I had a Audi A4 Cabrio and it was a piece of ****… Eventually the dealer took it back after 3 years… 3 YEARS!!!! and the car was already falling apart… Was at the shop more than I had the chance to enjoy it… The put me in a A6… its a nice car very nimble for its size But just doesnt have the driving enjoyment of my BMWs, I own and have owened in the past… Can’t wait for new coupe, to replace my convertible 3… Its gonna rock….

I’ve had an 2001 S4 and a 2002 A6 2.7T; and 2 E46 M3’s
Right now I dive an 03 M3 for business(Sales Manager) it has 94K on the clock, I do 12-15 track days (BMW CCA) per year and have “never” had a problem brake pads, tires, and some suspension bushings.

The point being I bought my bimmers for me, not anyone else.!! Evey morning when I walk out in the garage I get a enormous smile on my face; I don;t care if I have 200K on the clock; I love this car like no other, the sound the feel the seats the thick steering wheel…everything. Oh and while I’m at it it’s an SMG with Nav every computer geeky part available. and it’s been bullet proof

whoa, whoa, whoa… I had to post before I read anyone else’s post after I read someone saying that the e90 looks good from every angle.

After the z4 coupe, then the z4, then the m5, the 3 series may be the next best looking current bmw, but it is NOT a looker. sorry. no. blocky and trying too hard. For a good looking sedan, look up alfa-romeo or maserati or even ‘95 bmw 740i. But NO… e90 is not a good looking car. Shoot, I’d even give you decent wheelbase/hood/overhang proportions, but that car is the ugliest thing you can make with those dynamics short of adding spoilers and meaningless vents…