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2019+ BMW 3 AND 4-SERIES FORUMS (G2x Generation) General G20 Sedan / G22 Coupe / G26 Gran Coupe Discussions G20 3 Series compared to G01 X3 - My review

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      02-20-2019, 07:45 PM   #1
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G20 3 Series compared to G01 X3 - My review

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We were invited out to take a look at the new g20 3 series today. We took a 10-15 test drive including some highway speeds in a sport model. Here are my takeaways comparing it to my g01. None of these are actual measurements, just my perception.

The interior is very nicely finished and a welcome update over the f30. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it is nicer or more luxurious than the g01 interior, just different. I felt I was sitting higher in the car than the f30. What I don’t think is different is the seats. I think it is the exact same seat the g01 uses. It has decent rear passenger room but not as much as the g01.

The car feels very similar in driving to the g01, confident and controlled. Perhaps a tad more taunt but feels a lot more solid than the f30. I would say that road noise on the freeway is very close to the x3. Both the g01 and and new g20 riding on run flats have some highway road noise but much better than the f30. I felt like my g01 was a tad quieter. I can’t help but wonder if bmw will ever get start and stop system working smoothly. It’s still very noticeable on start-up after all these years. My Porsche was quite a bit smoother.

BMW personal assistant failed about 3 times with me asking various things. It’s supposed to know if the voice is coming from the driver or passenger side and make adjustments to temp or heated seats based on which mic picks up the voice. It also was triggered several times by me just saying “bmw” in a sentence rather than “hey, BMW”. I know the trigger word can be changed but I think this system has a long ways to go to be useful. Also, I’m not overly impressed with idrive 7. Seems like they tried to merge more things together rather than categorizing features. My time was limited with the new system but lots of things have definitely been re-organized so there will be some learning curve.

The hud display is larger than previous f30’s and also features a rpm slide bar which was neat. Lastly, the new digital dash is really great. One solid screen not encumbered by rings seems to make the dash seem limitless in possibilities. At any given time, I had lots of different information readily available and the ui was cool and well laid out. I thought the transposed rev counter would bother me but it didn’t.

Overall, I came away impressed. The car is by no means dramatically different from previous 3 series (never is), but enough has changed (namely the suspension and handling) to make it seem like a worthy upgrade. We’ll probably be getting one when our lease is up on our 4 series convertible in August. Just thought I’d share my impressions.
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      02-21-2019, 06:53 AM   #2
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Very well written thanks.

I thought the seats might be the same.
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      02-21-2019, 11:56 AM   #3
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So do you think the steering feel is back to BMW standards?
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      02-21-2019, 03:44 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skier219 View Post
So do you think the steering feel is back to BMW standards?
That is a hard question to answer. I will say it feels tight and agile. The car seemed very capable but I’m not sure you would see a big difference unless you were really pushing the vehicle. Much like all the new g series cars, BMW has added back some great driving dynamics. One thing they can’t overcome is the size of these vehicles. They can hide some of the weight but not all of it. When you compare these modern BMW’s to the vehicles that set the benchmarks, they are quite a bit larger and heavier. But that is why I will only ever go as high as an x3 or 3 series. Anything else feels too big to me.
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      02-28-2019, 03:11 PM   #5
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to each his own, but I find the G20 interior to be much better designed than the 01, the G01 looks like an updated F30 design while the G20 is like a baby G05.
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      02-28-2019, 03:20 PM   #6
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so it's better than the old one, drives similar to another BMW, shares some parts with its SUV counter part......hmmm
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      02-28-2019, 03:24 PM   #7
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Awesome, thanks for confirming that the HUD had an RPM display. I heard it mentioned quickly in one of the Portimao press launch reviews but couldn't find any solid info on it.
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      02-28-2019, 03:27 PM   #8
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Which is better or which do you prefer? New X3 or new 330i?
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      02-28-2019, 03:47 PM   #9
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Thanks for sharing your experience.
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      02-28-2019, 03:52 PM   #10
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Thanks for sharing.

Your point about the size is right on. I read this new 3er's wheelbase is 3 inches longer than the F30. The car is looking massive and is just 1 inch shorter than the E60.

The general consensus of the G chassis cars seems to be that driving dynamics are improved over F chassis but they still leave something to be desired. I think this new 3er falls into that category. Probably better than most [but not all] competitors, but that's not saying much as the 3-series used to always be heads and shoulders above the competition to drive.

I'll have to drive it for myself to see if it's good "enough" for me, otherwise I will seriously have to consider other brands; I'd have no choice. When you sell your soul to be everything to everybody [in the pursuit of volume] you're bound to disappoint somebody.

Last edited by Germanauto; 02-28-2019 at 04:04 PM..
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      02-28-2019, 04:21 PM   #11
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interesting comparison. its always good to see other peoples perspective. Wish more on this forum would post up their impressions and comparisons on various models. I enjoy reading the feedback.
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      02-28-2019, 04:23 PM   #12
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to me the X3 and 330 sport line drive almost identical, obviously the sedan is more sporty, more powerful engine. But the m sport model is where the difference shows and you get that bmw feel we're all used too. Much more stiff, much tighter steering, the m sport feel like my old E90
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      02-28-2019, 04:34 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Germanauto View Post
Thanks for sharing.

Your point about the size is right on. I read this new 3er's wheelbase is 3 inches longer than the F30. The car is looking massive and is just 1 inch shorter than the E60.

The general consensus of the G chassis cars seems to be that driving dynamics are improved over F chassis but they still leave something to be desired. I think this new 3er falls into that category. Probably better than most [but not all] competitors, but that's not saying much as the 3-series used to always be heads and shoulders above the competition to drive.

I'll have to drive it for myself to see if it's good "enough" for me, otherwise I will seriously have to consider other brands; I'd have no choice. When you sell your soul to be everything to everybody [in the pursuit of volume] you're bound to disappoint somebody.
That sucks, I really don't want a bigger than f30 car. Otherwise I'd get a 5-er. Hopefully M3 will still be nimble and light on its feet
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      02-28-2019, 04:50 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MT4life View Post
That sucks, I really don't want a bigger than f30 car. Otherwise I'd get a 5-er. Hopefully M3 will still be nimble and light on its feet
Double checked and the G20 is actually 1.3 in longer than the F30. I should have doubled checked before throwing that number out, I heard it in a recent youtube video whose host clearly didn't know what he was saying.

The proximity to the E60s length is accurate though.
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      02-28-2019, 05:22 PM   #15
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iDrive 7 is good once you get past the bugs. I like it more in every way over iDrive 6. The G01 seats sucked, very hard and uncomfortable, too bad BMW didn't fix that
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      02-28-2019, 06:23 PM   #16
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      02-28-2019, 10:05 PM   #17
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All BMW has grown my g30 5 series is as big as E32 short wheel base 7 series
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      03-01-2019, 06:25 AM   #18
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Greta review. Thanks for sharing.

Incidentally, did you have a chance to examine HUD configuration what-can-be-displayed options?
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      03-01-2019, 09:07 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmtespar View Post
That is a hard question to answer. I will say it feels tight and agile. The car seemed very capable but I’m not sure you would see a big difference unless you were really pushing the vehicle. Much like all the new g series cars, BMW has added back some great driving dynamics. One thing they can’t overcome is the size of these vehicles. They can hide some of the weight but not all of it. When you compare these modern BMW’s to the vehicles that set the benchmarks, they are quite a bit larger and heavier. But that is why I will only ever go as high as an x3 or 3 series. Anything else feels too big to me.
One thing though: G20 is lighter than F30, and F30 is lighter than E90. So they're just larger by a few inches, not heavier. In the last decade, all BMWs have been getting lighter and lighter. But the rhetoric from pre-2010 is still alive, people think it's still happening, because you know, we have to find something to complain about.

The heaviest 3 series ever was E90. Let that sink in
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      03-01-2019, 10:22 AM   #20
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Interesting take on the seating, I actually sat in one the other day and was impressed on how low the seating felt. To me it felt lower than my F80
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      03-01-2019, 10:36 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cortexiphan View Post
One thing though: G20 is lighter than F30, and F30 is lighter than E90. So they're just larger by a few inches, not heavier. In the last decade, all BMWs have been getting lighter and lighter. But the rhetoric from pre-2010 is still alive, people think it's still happening, because you know, we have to find something to complain about.

The heaviest 3 series ever was E90. Let that sink in
The only person I've seen complain about weight is the OP. The rest of us complain about the steering and sheer size of these cars. It's hard to feel like your car is dancing in corners when it's physically massive.
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      03-01-2019, 02:55 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Germanauto View Post
The only person I've seen complain about weight is the OP. The rest of us complain about the steering and sheer size of these cars. It's hard to feel like your car is dancing in corners when it's physically massive.
G20 is:

7 inches longer and 1 inch wider than E90;
10 inches longer and 5 inch wider than E36.
It’s not a massive difference by any means.

And in my experience, it feels smaller than E90 and F30 when you’re actually driving, because it’s more agile and tighter overall.
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