Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

I like the Porsche panamera/cayenne interiors the best, followed by Audi/Mercedes. Audi spends a lot of money on tolerances so their interiors have very nice fit and finish, but when I went to the auto show I noticed that the feel of material in Mercedes was noticeably more luxurious than the Audi's. So they tie in my book. Bmw would then be third only because I feel like the interiors are very similar car to car. It's simple, which is good, but then it can be a little boring. Same feeling I get when looking in a cayman.

 

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

Interesting.. I've always had the thought that Japanese were masters at electronics, efficiency, and reliability.

European cars were the masters at exteriors, performance, and interior layouts.

My dad hates driving my car because the acceleration pedal doesn't provide enough pressure back onto the foot. Although I'm used to it now, when I was first driving the car my foot would be very sore from having to hold it in place using my foot muscles.

Also, the Prius seats have zilch lumbar support and don't hold your body well around corners. And with the non-telescoping steering wheel, it's tough to find a good position.

I feel as though the German cars have better ergonomics than the Japanese cars. Fit and finish are nicer too. Every Audi that I've been in (past 1993) has had power seats with lumbar support, and height adjustment, telescoping/tilting steering wheel, etc etc. Even in non-sport models the seats hug your body well. (they are made by recaro)

Also to people who think the Prius is a luxury car... a Prius is a luxury car if you compare it to a Tercel or a Cavalier, sure. A Prius is not a luxury car when you're comparing it to the luxury monikers. This is the reason the Prius is called a Toyota Prius and not a Lexus Prius.

I think its better to say that the Prius carries a few features found in luxury cars such as the smart key, HIDs, parking assist, etc. And that was especially true in 2003/2004 when the first of the Gen II Prius was hitting the dealers. Now, many of the same technologies are found in family cars, so the novelty is dwindling.

 

you are on the right track, and yes i can understand the every one differs in what makes them "tick"

it would be a very boring world if we were all the same and if every one shared the same opinion.

also forums would be very boring if you apply the same principles

some more interesting post in the pas couple of pages, far too many for me to quote back and reply to.

what i will say is that at no stage did i call the e30 a luxury car. 20 or so years ago it was the class leader for sports/executive saloons and firmly put BMW where it is today. it is old thats for sure, but they still have strong values ( a 1990 325is has sold for £8000 in recent months, a 1987 318i has sold for £3000) i wont even get started on the M3 prices. what it does show is that the car has a huge cult following.

i'd say my time here is done, i've opened a can of worms and this thread has lead to 100's of post 1000's of people reading it and shown how enthusiastic we all are about the cars we drive which is a good thing.

while my original post were harsh and perceived as bullying it was all done to get a reaction which is whats happened.

thanks for taking the time to read my posts


Kos


ps, prius and luxury. no and never

 

I like BMWs, but the "3 series mentality" really gets me. The 3 series offers nothing more than a fully loaded sedan from any car manufacturer and odds are its less reliable and more expensive to repair! If you drive a 3 series and you say "My car is at the top of its game" thats just wrong. A 3 series isnt a luxury car any more than a v6 camry with leather and gps is. I would take just about any fully loaded sedan before I'd take a 3 series, they're cramped and they are generally unimpressive.

Now, if you had an m3 or especially an m5 you could come on here talking about how your car is at the top of its game and is a car lover's car.

The 3 series is just an every day car, just like the Prius. It may cost 30% more, it might have a few more features, and it might have the cachet of "BMW" but dont fool yourself... You're no different than any of us. Its pointless to have an argument over "which car is better" because they're both just plain old every day cars that target a different type of consumer.

***disclaimer: I didnt read this whole thread, just your first few posts and it sounded like you drive a 3 series. If you drive a m3/m5/5series/7series/6 series convertible - cool, you have a pretty sweet car - but its not really what i saw as the target of the OP's post.

 

Re: dirty diesels

With all due respect to EPA, the problem with EPA's "Green Vehicle Guide" is that it's based on, and only on, the "Bin" to which a vehicle is certified, which in turn is based on "tailpipe" emissions. The emissions that come out of the tailpipe of even Bin 5 vehicles are not only just part of the emissions a vehicle is responsible for, they have become a very small part. "Upstream" emissions (e.g., diesel truck emissions from fuel deliveries, evaporative emissions during fuel transfers, etc.) have become a more significant source of emissions for which a vehicle is responsible since Tier 2 and LEV II have been implemented.

 

A hybrid is a 21st century vehicle. That's why you feel like you have traveled back in time when you drive a regular car. That's not a snobbish remark, it's a fact. Is a BMW a more comfortable car that offers excellent performance? Yes. But, it's still old-school compared to a full hybrid.

 

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

I never feel like I've traveled back in time when I get in a "regular" car, but let's assume I did. I would yearn for the good old days where seats were height-adjsutable and had some semblance of lubar support (or side bolsters).

In other news: I drove a Lotus, which has nearly none of the electronic crap in a Prius or whatever other cars you can name these days, and I didn't feel a need to self-aggrandize because my identity is not tied to the car I drive.

 

^I didn't see that you typed "brochure." Got jealous. Then I saw "brochure." Still jealous.

 

Wives are a funny bunch. My wife came home with a brochure for front doors. Two days later I came home and had a new front door and $5000. less in my bank account.

 

$5000 for a new front door?!?! And I thought car mods were expensive.

 

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

$5k seems reasonable for a standard solid wood door.

 

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

Would prefer a home theater with that $

 

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

You can't do a home theatre correctly for $5k. And a nice solid wood door feels great everytime you open it versus the cheap fiberglass or hollow core crap.

There is a pair of solid mahogany doors on a house just up the street from me that are just over 12ft tall at the apex and each door is 4ft wide. Gothic style where they are arched into a peak and open like french doors. They have the iron gating over the peephole area even. When they open, you can see they are a couple inches thick and the hinges are something you would find on a tank.

It takes some pushing to move those beasts and once they start moving, they don't want to stop. But that solid feeling is worth every penny. I have heard through the grapevine they were close to $8000 a piece...

 

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

It seems to be assumed that a lot of people drive a Prius to make some statements about themselves. I think most people are driving them simply because they got tired of being raped at the gas station, hence driving a car that gets 50 MPG. That's not self-aggrandizement, that's common sense.

If you dislike technology and all the "electronic crap" in a Prius (and all other modern cars), this seems like a strange place for you. If you want excellent gas mileage, you have to accept technology, or perhaps consider a horse and buggy. However, you would definitely dislike those seats.

 

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

I guess it depends on the house. There's no point of installing a 12 ft tall solid mahogany front door that opens like a safebox if the rest of your walls and windows are lame, but I'm guessing that's not the case for your neighbor. Just saying in general.

I love the direction this thread has taken.

 

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

Just to be fair, where I live we have to get our cars emissions tested every few years. So I don't know if your 20 year old vehicle would pass those emissions tests.

Not being able to pass a smog test is a great reason to get rid of an old vehicle. The cost of getting a vehicle to pass a smog test can be 1000 bucks. If it's 20 years old, chances are the economics don't make sense to fix up that old vehicle.

Just looking up an E30, it weights anywhere from 2400 to 3000 lb, which is less than a Prius. Also it commonly comes with a 1.6 - 1.8 L engine with 90-130 horsepower.

A 20 year old Honda CRX HF got 50 mpg but it won't pass emissions standards of today. Plus that bucket (I mean that affectionately) wouldn't protect you in a collision.

I don't know of any current production 3-series, or 1-series for that matter, in the USA that can get Prius fuel economy.

Plus this thread is 4 friggin years old. IMO the OP was being quite a diva. I like BMWs, they have their place, and so does the Prius.

 

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

Thats really not true. A 3 series is a GREAT sport sedan, probably the best small sports sedan on the market. They are very well weighted and balanced and are great to drive.

Cramped sure, but thats not what the 3 series is about. Take it on a back country road...thats what the 3 series is about.

It may be that you are not the demographic that appreciates what the 3 series excels in...but that doesn't mean that it doesn't excel.

Theres a reason the 3 series always hits the magazine's "top" lists and is driven by more automotive journalists than any other car. Its a great car.

 

Re: Drove my wife's BMW. Boy was it crude.

I guess you didn't notice that I own a Prius. The seats are factually not height-adjustable and have little/no side bolstering.

It's not the technology, but the "I'm-so-awesome-I-drive-a-Prius-and-everything-else-is-backwards" sentiment . That's not assumed, that's from statements posted here. I mean: thread title. Seriously?