[tturedraider]

Just posted this on the E46 forum, thought I'd do it here, too.

Do y'all think some of this has been done in the E90?

BMWs are the Ultimate Driving Machines......

Why don't they do what the Japanese do and steal their competitors' best practices? :dunno:

I'm talking about all the "little" things that the Japanese do so well that make their cars so trouble free - power windows, electronics in general, engine cooling systems, make their (BMW's) engine components (water pumps, alternators, etc) and suspensions more durable, reducing NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) i.e. annoying little squeaks and rattes, etc. And why does BMW paint their interior plastic trim instead of making the plastic in the color they need. I've never seen another car that does that.

I'm kinda thinking they (German engineers) are so focused on the Ultimate Drive, down deep they don't really think those other things are really important. But, it's been proven it can be done and it seems it would be so easy.

Just imagine how stupid crazy we'd all be about BMWs if they were the Ultimate Driving Machines that didn't have little sniggling issues along with them!!!

Whachy'all think?

 

[graphicguy]

Truthfully, one of the reasons I bought the 330i is because of the little things it did better than the IS 350 I was looking at.

For example.....
--330i has more/better wood throughout.
--i-drive nav works without looking at buttons....the "wheel" is intuitive with tactile feedback
--you can actually see the guages and i-drive screen while wearing sunglasses (try that in the IS....the radio and maps completely wash out and are totally unreadable)
--can't program the IS navi when the car is in drive (even at a stop light)
--surprisingly the two IS 350s I test drove had numerous squeaks and rattles
--leather seems thicker, more durable in the 330i than in the IS 350

I won't even mention the near ideal supple ride/handling of the 330i over the harsh ride of the IS 350.

I could go on.....You get the picture.......

 

[Spoonie G]

reducing NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) i.e. annoying little squeaks and rattes, etc.

Sorry to break this to you but japanese cars rattle a hell of a lot more than BMWs. I'm speaking from experience.

 

[akhbhaat]

The irony here is that BMW's cars are built with exceptionally tight tolerances. One might think this improves reliability, but in reality it actually contributes to the problem. Less-than-perfect components can occasionally wreck serious havoc when used in a machine built to fairly exacting standards.

 

[e46Christian]

Sorry to break this to you but japanese cars rattle a hell of a lot more than BMWs. I'm speaking from experience.

My experience has been the opposite. My 93 300ZX Twin turbo is totally rattle free, as were other Nissans and Mazdas - whereas both E46's are plagued with annoying rattles. Still love them, though.

 

[NaTuReB0Y]

you can't compare bmw quality/reliabilty to Lexus........it's unreal!

Lexus will eat BMW for lunch..........

Lexus is the not the #1 Luxury seller in the world for no reason.......

 

[graphicguy]

you can't compare bmw quality/reliabilty to Lexus........it's unreal!

Lexus will eat BMW for lunch..........

Lexus is the not the #1 Luxury seller in the world for no reason.......

Good luck with that. That's not been my experience at all with Lexus. Matter of fact, I'd say it's just the opposite (which is one of the many reasons I opted for the BMW).

Can't make a direct correlation, but maybe the recent bouts Toyota is having with QC and recalls is seeping into the Lexus brand.

I think they've taken their eye off the ball. Maybe all this talk about them overtaking GM as the world's largest car company is really starting to show strain on all of Toyota's brands.

 

[Next M3]

Lexus IS NOT the number one luxury car in the world, BMW is.

 

[akhbhaat]

I've long praised Lexus for their generally excellent business strategies, but I'm really beginning to think that they're losing focus.

There's all this wild talk of a Lexus supercar (the LF-A) to take on Ferrari, Porsche and the like, alongside a new super sedan (LS600h L) to go up against Bentley and Rolls Royce. Is Lexus mad? Their heretofore tight focus (offering a truly value-oriented luxury car) was the principal motivator behind their stunning success; and now they're apparently setting themselves up to compete in markets they have no real business in. At least, not yet...

 

[Blax]

There's all this wild talk of a Lexus supercar (the LF-A) to take on Ferrari, Porsche and the like, alongside a new super sedan (LS600h L) to go up against Bentley and Rolls Royce. Is Lexus mad? Their heretofore tight focus (offering a truly value-oriented luxury car) was the principal motivator behind their stunning success; and now they're apparently setting themselves up to compete in markets they have no real business in. At least, not yet...

It's Phaeton-esque.

 

[ImportsRhot]

I thought the LS600L was up against the top model S class, disregarding AMGs

 

[Bob Shiftright]

'cause... thye're not the same kind of cars!!!

The BMW 7 Series, for example, has more than 120 electric motors, including 38 just for the front seats

You will never find this amount of complexity in a Honda. You may come to something in a BMW (like the lean-on-snap-off fan blades) and say "What were they THINKING when they designed this???" There's never that question in a Honda -- they did it because it was cheaper or more reliable, or usually both.

MOST people won't ever notice the difference between 38 motors in the front seats, or 4.

So yeah -- BMW could make a car as reliable as a Lexus. But then it wouldn't be a BMW.

 

[NaTuReB0Y]

LS 600h L will compete with the S Class and 7 Series.......

LS 650h(V-12 5.0L w/ 500bhp AWD) will compete with Maybach, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley.