Quote:
Originally Posted by Germanauto
Quote:
Originally Posted by DocB
What? Steering in the M340 is loads better that recent models. Unless of coarse you need formula-1 steering in the way to work.
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It's not even debatable at this point. The consensus from reviews (and my own driving impressions) are that the G20 is a way better car than the F30, but if you were expecting E90 levels of feedback you'll be disappointed. To add to that the car has simply become too large. Nobody's asking for a Formula 1 car, but what we do ask for is for a BMW 3-series to drive like ones that made C&D's 10 Best every year.
Our new choice for a compact sports saloon? A FWD Ford Focus with a kidney grille grafted up front.  |
This segment of cars will never again be the way they were in the past. This trend is not limited to bmw. A prime example is that electric power steering is here to stay and feedback through the steering column will never be as natural and tactile as it once was. It's futile to even hope for it. One or two manufacturers might have managed to create some mediocre level of feedback, or quasi feedback, in their EPS systems, but they're still not the same. They still lack the more natural feel and tactile feedback of a well designed hydraulic system.
Also, forget about the car and driver top ten. It's mostly for entertainment purposes, not to be taken 100% seriously. Look at the article comparing the m340i and g70 for example. The m340i not only bested the g70 in nearly every performance metric, but bested it by a healthy margin. Additionally the authors admit that the m340i was the superior car on a windy backroad. Yet they give the g70 the nod for being cheaper and "good enough for the daily commute". Since when was "cheaper and good enough for the daily commute" a metric by which to judge a luxury sport sedan. Car and driver whined about how bmw had missed the mark with the f30 due to its being a duller sport sedan than its predecessors. Now bmw apparently regained some of that swagger in the g20, despite ever tightening legislative constraints, and car and driver whines about the stiffer suspension. I guess they'd rather trade in excellence for mediocrity just to pay less and be more comfy. Why not just get an Altima then. After all, car and driver obtained fairly decent performance from the newest Altima, and it's far less expensive than the g70.
The mainstream car sites and periodicals have become a joke. Don't take them seriously. They're best suited to the waiting room at the dentist, and even then I'd rather just play chess on my phone while I wait.