I recently sold my convertible M4 and I have a 320d Touring as a DD. I have owned 2 x Z3M's, a Z4M, a V8 M3 convertible and an old 318is (plus a Countryman One MINI, which shall be considered as a BMW to me). As you can realize I like BMW's and enjoyed all of them for what they could give. Never had any "important" issue with any of them, and I find they are really close to "production perfection"; I mean they hit very high levels of cost/effect, where the "effect" is, from time to time, more sporty or practical. The cost/effect to me is always very good; of course both cost and effect are pretty high for "non-exotic" cars. With BMW's you normally have a price premium vs. the "same model" from other makes but also a sort of satisfaction premium. The "non-SUV-nor-family" BMW's are among the latest options to daily drive sophisticated rear-traction cars, and to me this is a must, and "true" M models give real sport feelings, have unbelievable chassis and engine finesse and character, combined with surprising practicality. In this respect I don't really get the GTS-like versions, that, to me, don't belong to BMW and don't get so much higher than the M models, while being way more expensive and way less practical. I can tell for sure an M4 is not a 458 (not to mention a 488, I guess), but if one considers what more you can do with it (e.g. fit 2 more people inside) and how much less it costs (say half), then a clearer picture comes out. But still 2 different animals. Of course all the "subjective" values like brand, looks, noise, wow-factor, exclusivity... are not comparable, and contribute (together with absolute performance) to justify the difference in price. Corrado
Just a little tip for the BMW hunters out there. Stay well away from anything with the N63 TTV8 engine in it. Horrible horrible engine.
First off is the valve seals. They leak and result in a nice big cloud of blue smoke on start up and at idle. To do it right, engine out job at about 18hrs of labor. The cams need to be removed from the heads. Second is timing chain issues. Who ever engineered this engine decided to use a chain that I wouldn't use on a bicycle. Signal row made out of cheap steel. They stretch badly and is a known problem. Engine out job to replace. 3rd, vacuum pump leakage and failure ( crazy noise from the engine and a bad noise) engine out job to replace. Stupid stuip stupid (did I say stupid?) engineering. Stay well away. Oh, they also like to send connecting rods through the block..
Hey, I've got a BMW, too. '91 325i. Modified. It's my daily driver. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
If you can stand the down time. They will try to fix the car before the lemon law comes into effect, which could extremely frustrating if the car will be your daily driver. I wouldn't put yourself through the aggravation in the first place. Just buy something else. Porsche Cayenne, or a Panamara are 2 good options, and by far a better machine.
Looking at the GLE Coupe as well. Porsche Pan is fugly (and a sedan), uglier than a Tesla, would not own either of those. Cayenne is overpriced. Macan is a parts-bin pile of crap.
BMW peaked with the E46/E39/E53/etc generation imo. I know many love the E90's especially the M3, but they were too heavy and it's only gotten worse. The real tragedy is that they didn't make an E46 M3 sedan. There has been movement of top chassis guys among BMW, Merc and Audi in the last 5 years or so, and it's visible in the way all their cars drive. As a long-time BMW fan, today their products are probably the least likely I would buy among them, Porsche, Merc, Audi, Lexus and Cadillac. I count around 18 different models not even counting the M models. Signs of the company being run by sales/marketing rather than product people.
Well I just picked up my 3rd BMW this year ('16 535ix), which is weird because I haven't been a BMW enthusiast since the BMW E36 era. In fact, I swore off BMW about 15 years ago after becoming fed up with local dealers and the new styling direction. Yet this year when it came time to replace some of our cars, I kept comparing BMW to its competitors and I found myself preferring them time and again. So here I am now. I'm not terribly impressed with most modern cars and, with the exception of the I8, nothing that BMW is building today is game changing. Back in the days of the E36/E39 and even the beloved e46...BMW was doing something on a whole other level from the competition. These days, its a much tougher call, but I think BMW probably is offering the most well rounded products... at least IMHO. However, the I8...the i8 is just fricken amazing. Image Unavailable, Please Login
A nice looking 1991 (e34?) M5 just popped up at Motorcar Studio in Atlanta, along with a 2002 and a Bavaria, so I'm guessing it's part of a collection... No affiliation with the seller or the car(s) - just thought of this thread when I looked at the M5's pics. Used 1991 BMW M5 for Sale in Atlanta GA 30306 Motorcar Studio If I had the space and spare cash, that looks like a car I could play with for a year or two and break even or better, assuming it has no immediate major needs. Therein lies the rub...
Took my E46 M3 out tonight to run errands (via back roads of course). Damn it's a good car to drive on twisties. Not fast in absolute terms these days but so involving!
I don't understand how you couldn't find a single car (!) in the current BMW lineup that would suit your taste but would consider buying something from Lexus and Cadillac. Obviously to each their own but, as a current BMW owner, I would never consider those two. And I really do feel like BMW is, as you said, offering enough models and options that you'd be able to find at least one that hits the right spot. The fact that they have so many different models is really a sign of the times and a natural evolution. Porsche for instance delivered 5 times more Cayennes/Macans than 911s in 2015.
Been 10 years since we sold the E36. Tried to find a good 911 for Jennie, but ended up with a 640i. I think it will be good DD for her. Really nice car inside with good look outside. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Just picked up this baby and drove it straight home from central cali wine country Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
This is my new F10 m5. It's painted grigio madio through BMW individual which is a vintage Ferrari color. She has red interior with extended leather, suede headliner, night vision, and upgraded audio. Manual transmission with carbon ceramic brakes. I've owned every single M5 and by far the E39 and the F10 are the best versions. I really loved the v10 car but both transmissions ruined it for me. Most new cars I personally hate, the technology takes away allot of what I look for in a car. The m5 has rack and pinion steering and was offered in manual so I was drawn to it again. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
