Attention E46 owners: Stop Hating

Hey, no one is saying that the E90 is perfect. But for christsake, it cannot be as bad as many of you are proclaiming.

The E46 was and still is a fantastic car. No one is debating that. However, overall, the E90 will be an even better car. No one has more at stake here than BMW. Do you really think that they would build a car that they thought was in any way inferior to the previous generation? They are literally placing billions on the line, and if they have to make a few consessions in terms of features, comfort, and convienence in order to compete with Lexus and Infiniti, they must do so. But, in comparison, BMW will always be the driver's car because BMW knows that is their niche.

The game is different now. Back when BMW introduced the E36, Mercedes and maybe Jaguar were the only real competitors. All of a sudden, the Japanese come along and start building luxury cars with more standard features and better reliability. How do BMW and MB compete? They remind consumers of their company heritage and claim to offer a better driving exprience. However, that type of marketing only appeals to a certain, and relatively small, group of consumers.

What BMW and MB must do is offer similar features and reliability as the Japanese, while at the same time cater to their core customers (driving enthusiasts) by offering cars that are more rewarding to drive while at the same time not being to harsh in terms of ride quality. A delicate balancing act to say the least.

So, those of you who are malcontent with the E90, I say that you cannot truly blame BMW for the consessions that are made with the E90. They are just trying to be competitive. They have to move forward with styling, and, in my opinion, they have done a very good job with this while taking a few chances that they knew would not be appreciated at first. They must also be competitive in terms of ride and comfort. Do not expect a non-sport package E90 to be as crisp as a non-sport package E46.

Finally, be supportive of BMW if you are truly a fan. Let them know if you are unhappy with their decisions and the direction that they are taking with their cars. I'm sure that most of the people who work at BMW are enthusiasts just like ourselves, and they would love to hear that we want BMW's to continue to be the Ultimate Driving Machine and not another boring Lexus/Infiniti dork-mobile.

Reply » Attention E46 owners: Stop Hating

I could not agree with you more! I like my 1999 323i more and more everyday. I also really like the e90 and will place an order in the next 3-4 weeks. I wonder how may people who bash the e90 have recently purchased an e46 in the past couple of years. It would be interesting.

Reply » Attention E46 owners: Stop Hating

Good post. It seems like the guys who couldn't wait for the new car to come out, and bought the out going model instead are the ones trying the hardest to rationalize their move by bashing on the new model. I'm not specifically talking about anyone here, but I really noticed this happening on other boards for other makes. Maybe we could have a similar thing happening here?

If navigation, i-drive and active steering were all standard equipment on the new 3, I would be bashing BMW right now. I really like the new car a lot - it seems like a worthy successor. Everyone complains about the rear of the car, but I dislike the front more. I think it will grow on me like the E60 has over time.

Reply » Attention E46 owners: Stop Hating

I like the exterior styling very much. I'm sure the engine, drivetrain, and suspension refinements make for substantially better performance. I'll definitely consider the E90 when the time comes for me to get a new car.

My only beef is with the downgraded dash design.

Reply » Attention E46 owners: Stop Hating

Quote:

The dash, is killing me that line is so annoying......Why... they could not round it off? The rear looks fine but I also don't like the headlight turn signals intergration into the front fender.

That Buick badge is

Reply » Attention E46 owners: Stop Hating

The dash looks much better in person. The above "Buick" pic was taken with and/or modified to stretch out the frame left to right. The dash is much more compact in real life and has a nice curve to it (the center of the dash is closer to you than the sides).

In the E60 forums there has been much discussion of this less "driver oriented" dash. In part it's because the I-drive screen and especially navigation functions must be equally available to the front passenger. For safety and convenience the passenger can input addresses. Think of it this way: no more nagging about getting lost....you just input the data and the car tells your husband where to go!

Smartly, in the new 3, the I-drive is optional. And, having a 5 series with I-drive/Navigation I am not totally convinced I would order I-drive in the new 3....especially since I'd get a stick....too much distraction and not enough free hands.....and the voice activation just doesn't do it for me.

FWIW...I drove an E46 330 for 3 years and think the E90 is a beautiful and more capable car.

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