Argh - there be trouble brewing
Well Ashe and hts will be very happy to note that out of an 11 car round-up of sports-sedans by Road & Track, the G35 came out on top of our beloved 330i.
Fear not though, because almost every reviewer chose the 330 as the best car of the bunch. Before tallying up the points for "price" the 3er had an 8 point lead (308 to 300 i think) which included everything else from aesthetics to handling to ergonomics, etc. Of note, the 330 came in as the leader in all performance categories, and tied the G35 for 1/4 mile (despite the 50hp difference). After adding the price points though (200 for the g35 for being the cheapest, and 182 for the 330 which came in $7500 more), the G35 came out on top.
The entire article was full of praise for the bimmer, and qualifications for why the G35 won (and it was not because it was the BEST sports sedan in the mix). We all know this means nothing, and it all depends on whether or not you'od rather spend the $7500 on the 330 (obviously most of us would), but as always comptetion is a good thing and will only make our options in the future better.
Fear not though, because almost every reviewer chose the 330 as the best car of the bunch. Before tallying up the points for "price" the 3er had an 8 point lead (308 to 300 i think) which included everything else from aesthetics to handling to ergonomics, etc. Of note, the 330 came in as the leader in all performance categories, and tied the G35 for 1/4 mile (despite the 50hp difference). After adding the price points though (200 for the g35 for being the cheapest, and 182 for the 330 which came in $7500 more), the G35 came out on top.
The entire article was full of praise for the bimmer, and qualifications for why the G35 won (and it was not because it was the BEST sports sedan in the mix). We all know this means nothing, and it all depends on whether or not you'od rather spend the $7500 on the 330 (obviously most of us would), but as always comptetion is a good thing and will only make our options in the future better.
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no trouble here . . . the G35 is an excellent car.
I love my 330 but you can't deny the competition is getting fierce !!!
I love my 330 but you can't deny the competition is getting fierce !!!
Hopefully some stiff competition for BMW will help us to reap some benefits with future BMWs.
I saw a G35 on the way home from work yesterday. Ugly as hell from behind, IMO.
...It appeared to be a pretty nice looking car from the side, but I only saw it briefly as I blew by. :thumb:
...It appeared to be a pretty nice looking car from the side, but I only saw it briefly as I blew by. :thumb:
joes325xi said:
I've decided to keep my 330i and hope to trade-up to a 535 (or similar) sometime down the road.
W H A T ? ? ? ?
When did this happen ? ?
When did this happen ? ?
hts said:I've decided to keep my 330i and hope to trade-up to a 535 (or similar) sometime down the road.
when does the 535 come out? i though no one was sure if displacement would be (or could be) that high in the i-6 --- i guess they could be going back to a 3.5 liter V-8.
I went out to the Infiniti dealer yesterday and messed around with the new Infiniti. I thought it was homely from the front, okay from the side and non-descript from behind. The interior was fine (except for the ugly but highly functional steering wheel) but it reminded me of a Dodge Intrepid - the quality of the materials simply wasn't up to BMW standards; the opening and closing of doors, hood, storage compartments, trunk and glove box wasn't as satisfying from a tactile perspective and the hood actually uses a support rod. I'm sure the Infiniti drives as well at R&T said it did but I didn't have to look hard to understand how BMW justifies the premium price - it is just a well engineered car with premium materials and excellent build quality. BMW attention to detail and the subtleties of the car make for a timeless look, class-defining driving characteristics and a premium quality automobile. I'd rather have my 325i than the new Infiniti any day. :thumb:
Every time I see a G35, I'm reminded of a Passat... which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
BMW could walk away with the category if they could just drop their price somewhat, or increase their option content to add some more standard equipment.
BMW could walk away with the category if they could just drop their price somewhat, or increase their option content to add some more standard equipment.
Price Drop = Trouble
There is a reason the 330 is as expensive as it is - engineering! If BMW starts to drop the price, sacrifices will have to be made. More often than not, the sacrifices are to quality. As it is, there has been some rumblings of older 3 series cars being more reliable and better built. I don't really care how expensive a car is as long as it is worth it.
And the 3 series is worth every single penny. :thumb:
There is a reason the 330 is as expensive as it is - engineering! If BMW starts to drop the price, sacrifices will have to be made. More often than not, the sacrifices are to quality. As it is, there has been some rumblings of older 3 series cars being more reliable and better built. I don't really care how expensive a car is as long as it is worth it.
And the 3 series is worth every single penny. :thumb:
Re: Price Drop = Trouble
It took until 2001 for them to make the CD player standard. There is no incremental cost associated with installing a CD player vs a cassette player. That has nothing to do with engineering or quality... it's just pure gouging.
Audi can build just as good products with a better value equation... but since they're not the market leader, they have to be somewhat price conscious. Apparently BMW doesn't need to.
No... many of the items are pure profit oriented. For instance, my 2000 323i has a cassette deck.... in the YEAR 2000! CASSETTES... what are those?!? Why not an 8-track while we're at it.jm8571 said:
It took until 2001 for them to make the CD player standard. There is no incremental cost associated with installing a CD player vs a cassette player. That has nothing to do with engineering or quality... it's just pure gouging.
Audi can build just as good products with a better value equation... but since they're not the market leader, they have to be somewhat price conscious. Apparently BMW doesn't need to.
Re: Re: Price Drop = Trouble
You need the Tape holder case from the accesory catalogueJPinTO said:
If the acura's great ergonomics and interior build quality/materials were enveloped by lexus' super-athletic chassis and suspension and all driven by infiniti's engine and drivetrain (once the 6 speed comes out) and this all still cost $7500 less than the comparble bimmer, then we'd have some real competition. Unfortunately i don't see those 3 companies merging any time soon. I wonder what the car would look like if they were all melded togeher?
Re: Re: Re: Price Drop = Trouble
It's on order.... [email protected] couldn't even include one of those thing.KP said:
You need the Tape holder case from the accesory catalogue
Yesterday. We were out in Tyson's (Baby's R US, Toys R US, etc.), and Ben needed a bottle, so Anna climbed in back and I decided to take JC into Rosenthal Infiniti to check it out (again). As we checked it out, it just didn't seem all that great. I really do live my Bimmer, I just wish there were some things about it that were better. Namely, I'd like better acceleration. Secondly, I'd like nice leather (I opted for the 'ette 'cause I thought the E46 leather blew). That's about it. The G would give me both of these things (in spades, especially with the 6-speed, which is the only one I'm considering), but at the expense of some other things I'm not too fond of. Although I haven't driven a 5-series, I think the 530 would definitely be a performance set-back, and while I'm sure the 540i hauls, it seems like it's not very nimble or tossable (one of the traits I adore most about my 330i).
So, my hope is that the new 5-series will allow me to have nice leather (I'm sure it will--I like the 5-series leather) and to have sub-6.0 second performance. I'll gladly pay $40k (Euro delivery, of course, being the cheap-arse that I am. That, and of course I can't wait to get back to Rothenberg for some more Schneeballens!!).
So, my hope is that the new 5-series will allow me to have nice leather (I'm sure it will--I like the 5-series leather) and to have sub-6.0 second performance. I'll gladly pay $40k (Euro delivery, of course, being the cheap-arse that I am. That, and of course I can't wait to get back to Rothenberg for some more Schneeballens!!).
Alan F said:
A 380hp twin turbo 3.0 5-series will be incredible! And that's not even the M5!
And that's not even the M5!Are you sure? You may be the (or get) butt jokes from the rest of us
hts said:
So, my hope is that the new 5-series will allow me to have nice leather (I'm sure it will--I like the 5-series leather) and to have sub-6.0 second performance. I'll gladly pay $40k (Euro delivery, of course, being the cheap-arse that I am. That, and of course I can't wait to get back to Rothenberg for some more Schneeballens!!).
I'm not going to be turned off by a couple of spy pictures. Although, for that matter, I'm not unimpressed with the 7-series' exterior styling. If I were in the market for a 7-series type car, I certainly wouldn't NOT consider it just because of its rear end.
And what else am I going to get? At 40 years old (when I expect to replace my330 now in a few), unless something better comes along (I've all but given up on the G35, I suppose the RX8 might interest me, but prolly not), maybe the new Audi A6?
And what else am I going to get? At 40 years old (when I expect to replace my330 now in a few), unless something better comes along (I've all but given up on the G35, I suppose the RX8 might interest me, but prolly not), maybe the new Audi A6?
Well, since your are thinking 5-series, there is always the Mercedes E series to think about.
hts said:
Will it be offered with a manual gearbox, or am I going to have to leave the shifting up to the car (like an old lady)?
To be perfectly honest, it really doesn't matter. I've always thought that MB's were kinda' stodgy...a little too old money for me. I prefer the sporting characteristics of the BMW line-up.
Of course, if Lexus ever gets off its duff and offers a more competitive (i.e., MUCH improved) GS400 with a manual gearbox....
To be perfectly honest, it really doesn't matter. I've always thought that MB's were kinda' stodgy...a little too old money for me. I prefer the sporting characteristics of the BMW line-up.
Of course, if Lexus ever gets off its duff and offers a more competitive (i.e., MUCH improved) GS400 with a manual gearbox....
DaveN323i said:
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