I feel sorry for anyone owning a 3 series BMW these days
Discussion
I have driven almost every car being in the car trade for the last 22 years althou having a break from it for the last 6 years.
I drove a 330 ci M sport yesterday for 12 mile each way and i can seriously say that anyone that owns one should go and find a e30 convertible 325 sport and buy one instead!
It had no thrills on Acceleration, brakes are poor with car weaving about while braking. steering was like driving a speed boat in a harbour at 6 knot, Clutch is on the limit of needing to be replaced at 44,000 and the speakers well! the sound coming from them was a very poor so much i had to turn it off,to top it all last night the F-ing cars Alarm woke us up and the neighbours 5 times so i had to lock the dam thing with out the alarm.
I was very glad to get out of the car after driving it. then went out last night in my wifes Audi A3 2.0 TDI sports s-line and boy that even as twice the speed let alone being the more of a driving machine an BMW state that they are! while looking for a car for my wifes needs we test drove a few BMs from dealers and i thought they were a batch of bad cars, and now this one is the same, my friend owns this car and i have no idea how i am going to start with telling him how bad this car is. even my run-about peugeot 406 estate is a better car.
The sporty BMWs were great cars, fun to drive, fast and sounded great too in the 70s 80s early 90s the 2002turbo, 6 series was awsome e30 was a box but was fun to drive and the e36 was a great looking new concept and now todays cars i have no answer for them apart from all looking like Toyotas and datsun, the most cars broken down on the side of a motorway or road is a BMW Ive seen a V10 M5 with smoke pouring out of engine bay and exhausts pulled up on the A3 near petersfield to while out jogging a man with a new 3 series 3 weeks back having 25 miles on the clock that the engine had died in the middle of around a about, i atleast helped him push the car to one side and there he sat for 3 hours and yet as i said to him theres a BMW Dealer 6 miles away. My wife had a company car 4 years bad, it was a new 318 and for the 2 years of her driving it she had it for 1 year because it had to have warranty work listed ; new engine then gearbox then they said the axle was on its way out so that was replaced, Aircon fan started to blow high and low high and low all day long main headlights got stuck on, BMW Dealer came out saying sorry the car was in Norways time zone! My ass! and so it spent more time having parts being replaced in the Dealership.
So whats going on with the Brand! can anyone tell me!
But first if you enjoy your car and youve never driven the older generation of BMWS then go out your way and try them because there where the driving machines not like the crap BMW produce today.
Also i read alot of problems people have with them here too. x5 died after 10 days! Mmm come on BMW My friend works for BMWGB and he gets some much stick too from complaints.
I drove a 330 ci M sport yesterday for 12 mile each way and i can seriously say that anyone that owns one should go and find a e30 convertible 325 sport and buy one instead!
It had no thrills on Acceleration, brakes are poor with car weaving about while braking. steering was like driving a speed boat in a harbour at 6 knot, Clutch is on the limit of needing to be replaced at 44,000 and the speakers well! the sound coming from them was a very poor so much i had to turn it off,to top it all last night the F-ing cars Alarm woke us up and the neighbours 5 times so i had to lock the dam thing with out the alarm.
I was very glad to get out of the car after driving it. then went out last night in my wifes Audi A3 2.0 TDI sports s-line and boy that even as twice the speed let alone being the more of a driving machine an BMW state that they are! while looking for a car for my wifes needs we test drove a few BMs from dealers and i thought they were a batch of bad cars, and now this one is the same, my friend owns this car and i have no idea how i am going to start with telling him how bad this car is. even my run-about peugeot 406 estate is a better car.
The sporty BMWs were great cars, fun to drive, fast and sounded great too in the 70s 80s early 90s the 2002turbo, 6 series was awsome e30 was a box but was fun to drive and the e36 was a great looking new concept and now todays cars i have no answer for them apart from all looking like Toyotas and datsun, the most cars broken down on the side of a motorway or road is a BMW Ive seen a V10 M5 with smoke pouring out of engine bay and exhausts pulled up on the A3 near petersfield to while out jogging a man with a new 3 series 3 weeks back having 25 miles on the clock that the engine had died in the middle of around a about, i atleast helped him push the car to one side and there he sat for 3 hours and yet as i said to him theres a BMW Dealer 6 miles away. My wife had a company car 4 years bad, it was a new 318 and for the 2 years of her driving it she had it for 1 year because it had to have warranty work listed ; new engine then gearbox then they said the axle was on its way out so that was replaced, Aircon fan started to blow high and low high and low all day long main headlights got stuck on, BMW Dealer came out saying sorry the car was in Norways time zone! My ass! and so it spent more time having parts being replaced in the Dealership.
So whats going on with the Brand! can anyone tell me!
But first if you enjoy your car and youve never driven the older generation of BMWS then go out your way and try them because there where the driving machines not like the crap BMW produce today.
Also i read alot of problems people have with them here too. x5 died after 10 days! Mmm come on BMW My friend works for BMWGB and he gets some much stick too from complaints.
Edited by shelbysteve on Friday 13th April 10:24
You went back and edited that post and it still reads like that? 
Personally, if I want excitement I get in a different car to the BMW daily driver. As a daily drive, however, 7 years old and with 108,000 on the clock, I have no complaints about mine. It does what I want it to do and incurs no more maintenance effort than I would expect for a car of it's age that does the miles that I do in it. So much so that I don't feel the need to go and spend £30k on a new one.
Personally, if I want excitement I get in a different car to the BMW daily driver. As a daily drive, however, 7 years old and with 108,000 on the clock, I have no complaints about mine. It does what I want it to do and incurs no more maintenance effort than I would expect for a car of it's age that does the miles that I do in it. So much so that I don't feel the need to go and spend £30k on a new one.
So after a 24 mile trip in what sounds like an old shed, you feel ok to condem then all!
*tut*
edited to add, I just read you post again
T'is the school holidays after all 
*tut*
edited to add, I just read you post again
T'is the school holidays after all Edited by Donut on Friday 13th April 11:09
Edited by Donut on Friday 13th April 11:10
Edited by Donut on Friday 13th April 11:10
Donut said:
So after a 24 mile trip in what sounds like an old shed, you feel ok to condem then all!
*tut*
edited to add, I just read you post again T'is the school holidays after all
*tut*
edited to add, I just read you post again
T'is the school holidays after all Edited by Donut on Friday 13th April 11:09
Edited by Donut on Friday 13th April 11:10
Edited by Donut on Friday 13th April 11:10
LOL
I edit cos my mind goes faster than i can type one thing that ive not got the hang off yet even at the age of 38! and then i have a habit to sudmit post and then read the crap i have written.
Edit PS 25 miles! I am now going round it with a spanner to help it drive better than only 25 miles of being a nightmare.
Edited by shelbysteve on Friday 13th April 11:37
apache said:
I must admit lookswise the new ones remind me of Kryten and I have it on good authority that the build quality has suffered greatly in the newer models. IMO the last good BMWs were the E34, 36 and 38
Mmmm i see your point http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:5-
22 years of driving everything and less than 50 miles in said problem car, but then you do have a mate who works for BMW, and he gets lots of complaints (or should it be complaynts) so it must be right. Holy Oxford dictionary Batman
Each to their own, and I bet you think all BMW's are driven by people who can only possibly buy them for the badge too...
Each to their own, and I bet you think all BMW's are driven by people who can only possibly buy them for the badge too...
Edited by housemaster on Friday 13th April 15:10
housemaster said:
22 years of driving everything and less than 50 miles in said problem car, but then you do have a mate who works for BMW, and he gets lots of complaints (or should it be complaynts) so it must be right. Holy Oxford dictionary Batman
Each to their own, and I bet you think all BMW's are driven by people who can only possibly buy them for the badge too...
Each to their own, and I bet you think all BMW's are driven by people who can only possibly buy them for the badge too...
Edited by housemaster on Friday 13th April 15:10
I bet you think all BMW's are driven by people who can only possibly buy them for the badge too...
No! Not at all. I couldnt care for badges or labels i am the last person in the world to thing like that.
I am saying the product istn as good as it was, i bought and sold worked BMW's and tryed very hard to break one or two of them and i could years back. Its now i wondering whats going on with them.
BMW have a new team heading BMW that are more interested in accounting and Money making but cutting costs and having not driven one for a few years till now its starting to show! The headoffice is showing that they want to sell Quantity instead of Quality, I dont see the original work force thats there are happy with it either!
Take a guy thats worked at the headoffice and takes delivery of a companycar M3 and then week later he takes it back as he hated it. But 10 years back he had the same type of car and you could get him out of it!
I wont to see them back on form not with there Badges high up in the air as the bonnets are up on them so much.
I had a 330ci sport (2003) last year and loved it. I haven't driven a million cars, but I thought it was a great drive. Responsive, planted to the road and an all round pleasurable experience. Now bearing in mind I want another one (house sale permitting) what else should I look at. I've thought about it, but nothing hits me as an alternative for mid £20k's.
Cheers.
Cheers.
shelbysteve said:
housemaster said:
22 years of driving everything and less than 50 miles in said problem car, but then you do have a mate who works for BMW, and he gets lots of complaints (or should it be complaynts) so it must be right. Holy Oxford dictionary Batman
Each to their own, and I bet you think all BMW's are driven by people who can only possibly buy them for the badge too...
Each to their own, and I bet you think all BMW's are driven by people who can only possibly buy them for the badge too...
Edited by housemaster on Friday 13th April 15:10
I bet you think all BMW's are driven by people who can only possibly buy them for the badge too...
No! Not at all. I couldnt care for badges or labels i am the last person in the world to thing like that.
I am saying the product istn as good as it was, i bought and sold worked BMW's and tryed very hard to break one or two of them and i could years back. Its now i wondering whats going on with them.
BMW have a new team heading BMW that are more interested in accounting and Money making but cutting costs and having not driven one for a few years till now its starting to show! The headoffice is showing that they want to sell Quantity instead of Quality, I dont see the original work force thats there are happy with it either!
Take a guy thats worked at the headoffice and takes delivery of a companycar M3 and then week later he takes it back as he hated it. But 10 years back he had the same type of car and you could get him out of it!
I wont to see them back on form not with there Badges high up in the air as the bonnets are up on them so much.
Nah, can't agree. Bears no resemblance to my experience, sorry.
All mass produced cars are built by ac
ants (and no that's not a spelling mistake!)what world are you living in, the same reason that most audi, seat and skodas all share parts, A3 diesel a driver's car, I smell a troll, its one of the most sterile drives ever. I've had an A4 quattro, Merc AMG Cclass, BM 330ci and M3 in the last 5 years and none are better built than each other, all suffer quality issues, all have crap dealers and all are designed primarily to make money, not stir the soul, if you want quality then you need to look higher up the ladder
ants (and no that's not a spelling mistake!)what world are you living in, the same reason that most audi, seat and skodas all share parts, A3 diesel a driver's car, I smell a troll, its one of the most sterile drives ever. I've had an A4 quattro, Merc AMG Cclass, BM 330ci and M3 in the last 5 years and none are better built than each other, all suffer quality issues, all have crap dealers and all are designed primarily to make money, not stir the soul, if you want quality then you need to look higher up the ladderI have driven almost every model of BMW that has been manufactured over the last 20 years (I can remember taking delivery of a brand new 1987 E24 635csi) and currently run 50+ BMWs, over the years they have suffered problems but then what car maker hasn't ? My BMW fleet average 3 million miles a year and I would guess that if I calculated the days off road due to failures it would be less than 5 per vehicle.
My drivers have always commented on how good the new 7 is, and they spend their life behind a wheel so can give a realistic idea of the product rather than a slightly 'biased' version from some one who has driven 20 odd miles.
If you drove one for more than 24 miles, oh sorry 25 miles you might get to realise that they actually do what they are meant to do.
BMW is a premium brand, an aspirational marque that most 'normal' people would want to own.......and is the most successful privately owned car maker in the world.
And no I don't work for BMW.
My drivers have always commented on how good the new 7 is, and they spend their life behind a wheel so can give a realistic idea of the product rather than a slightly 'biased' version from some one who has driven 20 odd miles.
If you drove one for more than 24 miles, oh sorry 25 miles you might get to realise that they actually do what they are meant to do.
BMW is a premium brand, an aspirational marque that most 'normal' people would want to own.......and is the most successful privately owned car maker in the world.
And no I don't work for BMW.
Edited by bmwdrivernigel on Saturday 14th April 01:08
Please dont feel sorry for us!
I have the use of
E30 325i Manual Convertible
and a
E28 525e Automatic Saloon
and a
E34 520i Manual Saloon
and a
E39 525i Automatic Touring
and a
E87 118d manual
and have driven numerous E46 3 Series & M3, E34 518i Manual Touring, E39 M5, E30 Touring, various E60 5 Series
All are 'fun' and rewarding to drive, I acknowledge Audis are probably better made but they have one of two problems.... they are either front wheel drive or four wheel drive
And no I dont work for a BMW Dealer!
though some say I have more stock than one!
I have the use of
E30 325i Manual Convertible
and a
E28 525e Automatic Saloon
and a
E34 520i Manual Saloon
and a
E39 525i Automatic Touring
and a
E87 118d manual
and have driven numerous E46 3 Series & M3, E34 518i Manual Touring, E39 M5, E30 Touring, various E60 5 Series
All are 'fun' and rewarding to drive, I acknowledge Audis are probably better made but they have one of two problems.... they are either front wheel drive or four wheel drive
And no I dont work for a BMW Dealer!
though some say I have more stock than one!
Edited by mustard on Saturday 14th April 13:37
We have a relatively lowly 2004 320td Compact. Not the most exiting car for sure, but it has very respectable performance, pleasant balanced RWD handling, has not had a single penny spent on it other than tyres and a set of discs/pads in 3 years/70K (it did come with 3 years free servicing).
And when we filled up yesterday with diesel the trip showed 625 miles on the tankful. Our record is 653 and I reckon if you were on a real economy drive you could top 700.
All in all, it has been a superb car.
And when we filled up yesterday with diesel the trip showed 625 miles on the tankful. Our record is 653 and I reckon if you were on a real economy drive you could top 700.
All in all, it has been a superb car.
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