WTF happened to BMW?

[Sasquach]

So i took my Scion iM in for service, and they had offered me a rental car for the day. (the Toyota dealership seems to be partnered with Enterprise, so i guess they provide free rentals instead of loaner cars. They have an enterprise counter next to the service counter)

Anyways the Enterprise guy provided me with a current gen BMW 330i Xdrive. (the sedan, not the coupe with the pig nose) I believe its a base model, or a lower end one.

My impressions of that car was....UNDERWHELMING.
Power = Fine. I think it was equipped with the 2.0 turbo, same engine as my X1.
Technology = good. It did have the smaller screen so it actually felt kind of tiny in the enclosure. But the graphics and screens were high quality.
Ride = meh.
Interior = Kinda sucks honestly. Material wise...fine. Nothing special. The switchgear were all flush buttons. And the layout is a tad different than in my X1 so it took a bit to find out where things were. The Design though...very underwhelming. It just felt...like a car. Nothing stood out. And just being inside felt very....plain. Feels like theres absolutely no personality to this car design.

The one thing that stood out, which is something super mundane but i noticed it....is the turn signal stalk.
In my X1, its got the BMW style where you flick it and it just goes back to the neutral position. A little annoying to get used to but no big deal once you do. In my Scion iM its the traditional style where you flick it, and either it retracts back to neutral after making a turn OR you have to manually click it back to neutral.
The 3 series went back to the traditional style like the Scion instead of the X1's way.

Ok so thats no big deal...but flicking the stalk, the stalk felt CHEAP, like a flimsy piece of hollow plastic. The scion's stalk felt and clicked with more heft. The BMW X1 feels more solid. WTF?
Heck i think the steering was also lighter than my Scion...which is light already. Not gonna compare much more to my X1, its equipped with the sport package so drivability wise its better.

The car was very underwhelming to me. I would not get it if i was in the market for it. I might have a different impression if i drove a higher end model...maybe. But the interior ambience was a huge letdown.

Are all the new ones cheap like this? I mean they're pretty much copy/pasting all the interior and exterior design elements across the whole range now....taking the same sausage/different length mantra to a whole new level of bleh.

 

[bob saget]

A lot of people have spoken on what is happening with BMW. DeMuro put out a video on the brand I believe on one of his other channels... Some feel their quality has gone downhill in a major way, or that they are diluting the brand with about 50 different compact SUVs/Crossovers/etc.

I know if I was looking for a status ride () from one of the big German brands, out of MB, Audi, and BMW, the latter would be my last choice.

 

[Quickstrike]

I don't think BMW has ever been known for their interior layout. It has always been on the blander/simplistic side compared to the competition.

Steering resistance is just added/subtracted by the electronics. Artificial.
I think you might need the m-sport model for the steering weight to get heavier when you go from comfort to sport mode.

Base models are usually just plastic throughout to cut down on costs. BMW's don't look/feel as cheap when they are equipped with Nappa Leather seats, stitched leather in the door panels and on the dash.. wood trim.

Turn signal stalk aside, you can't really compare a bare-bones 3-series to one that is optioned out or even a 5 series as they come standard.

Sit in a 5 series or higher, optioned out with 20-way adjustable Nappa Leather comfort seats and you won't say it feels cheap.

 

[KAC]

I just don’t like BMWs at all. And with the recent cars they have gone full retard. I am sure that they are reliable or have some good things but the pig nose, the absolutely crappy interiors (from a materials or options or looks standpoint) and the firm leather (fake?) seats just don’t do it for me.

I really like the new X5 back side and even the front is quite passable but for the money you usually get less power, heavier car, lower number of features and stiff interiors.

I used to like BMW when it was part of Bond movies like Tomorrow Never Dies and stuff but since then it has been downhill IMO.

 

[Clockwork]

I used to like BMW when it was part of Bond movies like Tomorrow Never Dies and stuff but since then it has been downhill IMO.

So like a 1997 750il? A car that was like $91000 (~$151k in today's money).

I think I am starting to understand.

On topic, I agree that most BMW output has become very corporate and sterile. Not just in terms of the interior space, but the actual feeling when you drive. However, they wouldn't be doing if it didn't appeal to the majority of their customers.

 

[Silent-Runner]

i hate the new grills. But i still love their M-line, although you kinda have to win the lottery to buy one nowadays. Also they charge absolutely ridiculous prices for anything done at the dealership.

As for the 750il (E38), well, they were the absolute top models back then. Great cars, no question.

 

[Elysian]

i hate the new grills. But i still love their M-line, although you kinda have to win the lottery to buy one nowadays. Also they charge absolutely ridiculous prices for anything done at the dealership.

As for the 750il (E38), well, they were the absolute top models back then. Great cars, no question.

I saw one of the new 4 series the other day, and the new grills do not look ANY better in person, absolutely awful. I don't know how BMW got to that design and thought "hey this is great" but they need to fire some people.

 

[Silent-Runner]

I saw one of the new 4 series the other day, and the new grills do not look ANY better in person, absolutely awful. I don't know how BMW got to that design and thought "hey this is great" but they need to fire some people.

yep, they look just plain dumb. They could've easily made it like this:

 

[Sasquach]

yep, they look just plain dumb. They could've easily made it like this:

I think the problem with BMW is that if they just did this, IT looks very samey.

they went with the huge nostrils, and it is just way over the top. And unlike some other gargantuan grilles it just doesnt look good over time, and yeah it doesnt look any better in real life lol.

 

[UFO]

Ok so thats no big deal...but flicking the stalk, the stalk felt CHEAP, like a flimsy piece of hollow plastic. The scion's stalk felt and clicked with more heft. The BMW X1 feels more solid. WTF?
Heck i think the steering was also lighter than my Scion...which is light already. Not gonna compare much more to my X1, its equipped with the sport package so drivability wise its better.

If you have a problem with BMW build quality, you probably should stay away from anything from VAG completely.

 

[Silent-Runner]

I think the problem with BMW is that if they just did this, IT looks very samey.

they went with the huge nostrils, and it is just way over the top. And unlike some other gargantuan grilles it just doesnt look good over time, and yeah it doesnt look any better in real life lol.

every car with these fugly grills looks downright fugly, no matter what brand, and no, it does NOT get better over time. The thing is, everyone hates them, but almost every brand just ignores their customers when it comes to that specific part. Very strange and honestly it does not help their sales either.

 

[Sasquach]

every car with these fugly grills looks downright fugly, no matter what brand, and no, it does NOT get better over time. The thing is, everyone hates them, but almost every brand just ignores their customers when it comes to that specific part. Very strange and honestly it does not help their sales either.

Maybe not "betteR" over time, but everyone eventually gets used to it since it has become the norm. And yeah its personal preference whether someone likes the over the top designs or not.

If you have a problem with BMW build quality, you probably should stay away from anything from VAG completely.

I dont have a problem with the build quality, i was just surprised that the rental car felt far sterile and bleh than i would that thought.
When we got our 2017 X1, my impression was "damn this is nice, me likey"
When i got in the rental 3 series my impression was...."oh....huh....bleh"

Granted my X1 is a top spec model, but i dont think theres going to be too much to add to the base 3 series that would have give me that same impression i got with the X1.

 

[logical]

About the X1 vs the 3 series:


I got a loaner X1 while the shop was working on my car awhile back and I was shocked how bad everything was. Everything felt plasticky and looked like a Toyota. I honestly dont remember what exact trim it had but no BMW trim should be as bad as what I was in. I picked up my wife from work in it and her first thought immediately was "ew" On the outside it looked OK but on the inside it felt like an older Rav 4 or something.


BMW is notorious for marking up all trims and nickle and diming to the death for the amenities so if you sat in a base model you would probably have no choice but to pay for the premium packages just because you would be feeling like youre in a eco box.

 

[UFO]

I dont have a problem with the build quality, i was just surprised that the rental car felt far sterile and bleh than i would that thought.
When we got our 2017 X1, my impression was "damn this is nice, me likey"
When i got in the rental 3 series my impression was...."oh....huh....bleh"

Granted my X1 is a top spec model, but i dont think theres going to be too much to add to the base 3 series that would have give me that same impression i got with the X1.

Not sure what you mean with sterile but compared to BMW about all cars look kind of sterile. Give me an example that doesn't.