laughing about Mercedes bragging about their C230 w/25 highway mpg and 7 speed transmission

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cwerdna @ Feb 21 2007, 06:25 AM) [snapback]393824[/snapback]</div>

Agreed. Equally high creep factor: BMW commercials . . . all which spew the same ol' drole, "look how wonderfully powerful our cars are". "Ultimate Driving Machine" ?? Are folks so dumb they can't think, "ultimate because .... hmmm ... no reason". Oh wait, I know! 'because I can burn out ... wear tires before their time!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Feb 21 2007, 11:31 AM) [snapback]393909[/snapback]</div>

Actually... BMWs are the ultimate driving machines because they can pretty much do anything.... cruise in silence at 90, hang on a corner at insane speeds. But you rarely see people burning out tires in a BMW. BMW understands vehicle dynamics in a way that very few other manufacturers (Audi and recent Cadillacs excepted) do.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jonnycat26 @ Feb 21 2007, 11:39 AM) [snapback]393914[/snapback]</div>

Yes ... Lexus too, touts it obscene power/handling . . . and maybe others as well. So there I am, hanging on a corner at insane speeds. Too bad my insane power/handling car doesn't have a computerized substance analizer ... showing that oil spill. ZOOM ~ right over the cliff. Ka-chinnnnnng (spouse paying for my funeral) . . . or the kid I just ran over ... because I'm at that insane speed. SLAM (jail door closing). I suppose the Ad man will always cater to the lowest common denominater.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Feb 21 2007, 01:34 PM) [snapback]393996[/snapback]</div>

Actually... Lexus is just known, at least in enthusiast circles, as a really fast Buick-like car. Just all floaty. Ironically that's probably even more dangerous as it gives the impression that the vehicle is more capable than it really is.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jonnycat26 @ Feb 21 2007, 06:20 PM) [snapback]394233[/snapback]</div>

They're trying to remedy that, and the new IS is a great handling car for instance and the new GS is improved as well. Lexus however do not handle like BMWs, thats coming from a very satisfied Lexus owner.

If you slam BMWs, you've never driven one. Every model they make is a true pleasure to drive.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cwerdna @ Feb 22 2007, 04:02 AM) [snapback]394420[/snapback]</div>

I'd agree with you on everything, except the Corvette. Top Gear recently tested (read: beat the hell out of) a Z06 and praised the handling as being pretty damn good.

They also raced a CTS-V against an Audi S4, and the CTS-V out-handled and out-accelerated the S4. Just destroyed it.

The Lexuses aren't even in the same league when it comes to handling and performance. They're basically luxo-barges.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Feb 22 2007, 02:37 PM) [snapback]394660[/snapback]</div>

I have no doubt about that, as the Z06 is a very likable car. I am definitely thinking of Top Gear, however.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Feb 22 2007, 01:17 AM) [snapback]394384[/snapback]</div>

I've never had one or driven one. Our neighbors DO own one and they NEVER stop talking about it. They say they can hardly keep it out of the shop (that was our story with the Range Rover that we traded in for our RX-400h)
Forbes too, has issues with BMW reliability: http://www.forbes.com/2005/07/01/cx_dl_070...?thisSpeed=9999 . . . Here's a funny web signt dedicated to BMW reliability: http://www.bmwlemon.com/ . . .
Nevertheless, slammable or not, my point was not whether it's good or bad, pretty or ugly, nice handling or not. It's the ad's that get me ... catering, it seems to men with middle age crisis issues, or the adolesent race car wanabe thing going on. It'd be nice if all auto manufacturers ran ads that glorified natural resource responsibility, rather than, "HEY, LOOK AT ME".

 

I never said anything about reliability, I said you can't beat the way they drive. I don't have a BMW either, because I can't be bothered to maintain one.

As for advertising, they advertise in a way that sells cars. The target market they're selling their cars to cares about performance, handling, and style. Thats what their ads are crafted towards. If everybody ran ads touting "natural resources" they wouldn't sell any cars. Toyota runs those ads for their Hyrbids, because thats their target market.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Feb 21 2007, 09:17 PM) [snapback]394384[/snapback]</div>

Every review I've ever read about a 3- or 5- series has raved about the feedback through the steering wheel. Other cars may be good but the opinion of people who get to drive everything is that nothing communicates back to the driver like a BMW.

A bunch of my snooty relatives were discussing the merits of their BMW 3-series at our family Xmas gathering. One of my college-age relatives had a summer job as a parking valet and was saying he'd like to get a 3-series but couldn't afford it as a full-time student. I told him to take a look at a Subaru Legacy GT, because I had bought my sister one earlier this year and it was a blast to drive. My snooty relatives looked at me with a look of disgust, and said, "Yeah, but it's still just a Subaru." Wth? The reality is, until the twin-turbo 335i came out this year, you'd have to get an M3 to outperform that little Subbie. A 328i or 330i couldn't do it.

 

Owning a BMW is always a love-hate relationship. (I guess it is the same for MB)
You love the driving dynamics, but you hate the expensive maintanence and so-so reliability.
People who don't push the driving envelope while driving won't appreciate the merits of a BMW.
And, therefore, no need to own ones.
The secrets are in suspension tuning, steering feedback and near 50/50 weight balancing.
If I have to add another point, it would be the powerful/advanced engines.
That is the so-called driving dynamics of a BMW people keep talking about.
You can't find a Lexus with near 50/50 balance. The most popular Lexus, ES and RX are simply too floaty.

For instance, some BMWs have the battery located in the trunk. Why? you take away X lbs from the front,
and you put the same X lb to the rear. Double gain for weight balancing. That is the kind of effort BMW put
in to achieve 50/50 balance.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ceric @ Feb 22 2007, 07:10 PM) [snapback]394905[/snapback]</div>

Thats actually not true, I believe the IS and the GS have pretty close to 50/50 weight distribution

 

After driving a Honda S2000, almost every car out there sucks. Even the so called driver's car BMWs.

This is a car with the best driving dynamics and the best manual shifters in the industry. If I can only make the Prius drive like my s2000.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dipper @ Feb 23 2007, 03:39 AM) [snapback]395074[/snapback]</div>

I had also the chance of driving this Honda S2000, great driving dynamics and manual shifters indeed.... But I'm quite bothered do if I can change my BMW's 4-speed automatic with overdrive and bm shifters with a manual one...