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2019+ BMW 3 AND 4-SERIES FORUMS (G2x Generation) General G20 Sedan / G22 Coupe / G26 Gran Coupe Discussions The Many Reactions of the G22 + Base 430i Test Drive

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      10-17-2020, 10:05 PM   #1
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So, this week I was picking up my father's 5-series from service with my son, and at the dealer we happened to come upon a G22 4-series coupe probably spec'd out in how I imagine many cars will end up like, with a Sport-Line appearance, xDrive, the 2.0L 4-cylinder engine (30i), and the convenience package. So, I have a slew of first impressions of the design, from not only me and my son, but also two customers and my mother and father who I showed numerous photos to, and for the hell of it, I test drove it since I was curious how a stripper spec (at least dynamically) will handle. I will start with the powertrain and driving dynamics, and then dig deep into design towards the end for those who may be light-hearted.

Powertrain
The B48 is very nice for a 4-cylinder. Being a cylinder snob myself, the sound of a 4-cylinder in most if not all cases will never satisfy me, however, the power is just right. I am not someone who chases 0-60 times, so 255hp is plenty, but more importantly, there is 295lb-ft of torque available at a low 1550rpm. This helps make the car feel just quick enough for most if not all needs at a BMW estimated 5.3 seconds, which is plenty. However, from a 5-60 standpoint (roll), there is a noticeable lag that does cause a wait and then proceed experience for power. Otherwise the engine is very smooth for a 4-cylinder, with a lot less clatter than the previous N20 engines which could sound like diesels on startup. Its surprisingly smooth even towards redline. BMW's Active Sound Design (ASD) is still as annoying as ever. I didn't play with the settings; however I assume based on recent updates you can turn it down, but it would be greatly appreciated if it could be turned off entirely.

Driving Dynamics
Once in the BMW lineup, sportiness would come standard on every car. This was no matter what the engine, trim, or options. Three years ago I bought my son a cheap $1K 2000 E46 323i on its original clutch and 160k miles. We called the car "The Jalopy" because it was an old stripper spec BMW with a peeling clear coat - shockingly the car was reliable up until it was rear ended with 190k miles – and looked like a beater despite having a strong heart. But what I remember best about that car was how great the handling was, even for what at the time was a car older than my son at 18-years old and on basic all-seasons. That car was so much fun to push on backroads, and still had that BMW magic.

So, the reason for testing this 430i, which only was equipped with 19' Bridgestone All-Seasons and the Convenience Package, was to see if BMW gives you the magic standard, or whether now its pay to play. Well, the answer is sadly no. When pushing the car and wanting to let the rear end go, things get a bit messy. I'm hoping the blame is more because of the poor rubber and not the chassis tuning, because I honestly think that may be the largest reason for this, but the rear end's control is not as fine tuned as it should be, it feels a bit sloppy if I'm honest with grip feeling a bit lacking. Another large reason for this is the steering. I've been saying it for ten years now, but BMW's steering is still bad. The feel is improved from the previous racks, but that was a pretty low bar set. Add onto that the ratio feels non-linear in its movements its just not what I would want in a BMW, with no sense of the front end. While this model is ~250lbs lighter than the M440i, it still feels hefty. This is due to the fact that, well, the car is hefty at ~3700lbs, and the steering likely adds to the feeling with its vagueness, not to mention the car gets bigger and bigger with every generation it seems. Its the same size as an old 6-series, even the wheelbase is longer than an E32 7-series, and its two inches short of a mid-sized E-Class coupe! Seriously? It's a coupe, why does it need to be so big! Body control is much improved from the base F32 428i I drove year ago, with motions in check and responding to steering input, but there is still some lean in the corners. The brakes have just enough bite, for those driving hard the M-sport brakes are probably a better bet, and upon braking you can definitely notice the front end has less weight up front due to the smaller engine and better distribution than its 6-cylinder cousin (M340i). The suspension is pretty good. Despite being the base setup, its very comfortable on most road surfaces, and easily livable. In regular city and highway driving the car is smooth as can be and the ZF transmission is buttery smooth and quick to react, however, a manual would most definitely improve this cars fun factor.

Overall, the car is calm, comfortable, soft and quiet, it can travel down a backroad, however it clearly doesn't like to be pushed too much or rushed in a sense. There's a lack of feedback throughout the car (not just the steering) which really hurts driver confidence in my opinion hindering how this car is driven. Is this due to the missing options? I think maybe so. I know that BMW can make a 3-series handle well. I have driven the new M340i extensively and tested a fully optioned 330i at UDE and those cars while still having some faults (lack of feedback mainly), at least felt more familiar and natural in their handling and athletic nature to what a BMW should be. Are they perfect? No, but much better. Its just sad because while those cars are great, they are very costly. This 430i, which had only a few options (19' All-Seasons, Heated Seats and Steering, Live Cockpit Pro, and Convenience Package) was listed for $53,985! It seems the car needs the "Dynamic Handling Package" to hopefully improve which then also requires the M-Sport Line and Adaptive M Suspension to be added as well adding to the cost.

In contrast, last year I drove a base Alfa Romeo Giulia, a complete stripper with no options, and that car handled excellently, with communicative and quick steering, sublime chassis tuning, and always eager and ready to dive into corners. Another honorable mention was the Genesis G70 which could be had fully optioned with a Turbo V6 for less than this stripper 430i.

So, the fix is most likely there. BMW can most likely make a proper 4er, it just lies in correctly optioning the car, which can easily land you past the $60,000 mark, and if I'm honest, seems a bit too much for a two-door coupe. Add to the fact that the styling is "controversial" and the 3-series seems like a better, cheaper, and more practical alternative, and for once better looking compared to its coupe sibling. Coincidently, Throttle House made a video on the M440i today, and they said if looking for a 2-door coupe in the BMW range that prioritizes handling above all else, look no further than the 2-series, and I have to say I agree with them.

Interior
Take a 3-series and hit copy and paste. Overall nothing new, and materials are generally okay. The leather padded areas are nice, the design is relatively modern, but my usual complaints of hard plastic on the center console and lower door panels still persists, along with the boring door card design and cheap top plastics. Luckily BMW has addressed some my complaints, and padded a portion of the center console for a knee rest, and a SansaTec upper dash and door top is optional along with red leather.

Tech
Its iDrive 7.0. Works good, no more bugs since the last time I used it, and its got Apple Carplay, all the goodies. The gauges, well... they still suck.

Design
And for the part that everyone loves talking about, the design. Let me also say one thing, I have many times loved controversial BMW's. I loved the E60 when it came out, I loved the E65 LCI, I loved the original X3,X5, and Z4 even the new X7, all from the get-go, no adjustment needed or specific colors.

So, onto my thoughts on the G22. I do not one bit like it. The color is beautiful, and the wheels look nice, but I can't get behind this design. The grill just stands out way too much, and not in a good way. It almost seems like BMW was trying to find a way to rival Merc on their giant emblems, to scream that they are a status symbol. As if people didn't hate BMW drivers enough, now they will see giant kidney's in their mirrors to show off the fact that they bought a BMW. The grills are out of proportion with the car. Big grills can work, however they only work if the car is big as well, like the X7. Another problem is that most of the time, only 1/3 of the grill is open, as the top half has active shutters, and the middle portion is hard plastic for the plates.

The headlights are also horizontally large which then contrast the grills that are not wide but extremely tall, almost like someone puckering in their lips. This makes the car look extremely wide. And why is there a hood-line? I thought the G-chassis cars were going to bring an end to what was ultimately one of the F-chassis' cars only downfall when it came to their design.

Another problem is the lines, the grill is so prominent and, in your face, but the bodylines of the car are very soft. Take the side profile, there is a sharp bodyline which curves up at the lower portion of the door, but this looks cluttered as its also intersecting the breaks between the different panels on the door and side skirts. There is a faint shoulder line which is becoming a common trend in the industry among brands, and one below the door handle. The door handle also has a huge circular cut out which is placed weirdly since there is no bodyline that intersects it like past generations. The reverse kink is not ugly; however it looks similar to that of an Audi A5 or Chevrolet Camaro, a bit too generic. The rear is probably one of the car's better angles. The taillights look fine, if a bit played out looking similar to a list of other cars.

The biggest takeaway was realizing how big this car is. At 188 inches and 73 inches wide, its hard to describe the car as small. To put it into perspective, that is the same size almost exactly as the second-generation 6-series (E63), two inches short of an E-Class Coupe or E60 5-series. The 4er just has a lot of visual mass, mainly from the front and side. The E60 looks surprisingly more athletic to me eyes, even 17-years after its debut.

So onto some other reactions.

My Son: He despises this design. He says the side and rear are fine, but the front is just a disappointment. He says he cannot unsee teeth with the specific Sport-Line bumper and thinks there are other ways to create a bold design while still retaining historical elements.

My Father: He said that while it is ugly, it is still better than the 2-Series Gran Coupe loaner he received. He is also a man who bought two E60 5-series, with the first one being right when they came to dealerships. He thought the car was aggressively shouty, and while "sporty" it lost the elegance that he found in previous generations.

My Mother: This was the funniest reaction. She is the typical BMW buyer these days. She does not know much about how a car works or the different aspects, she knows about Inline-6's and what steering feel is - although could likely not identify it - and has owned many BMW's from two E36's - a sedan and the easily forgotten California Top Ti - two E46's, and an E90. She had a G30 for short period of time before she stop driving all together. Growing up and living in Europe for years, she has always loved German design whether it was VW, Mercedes, or BMW, but she hates with a passion the trend of large grills regardless of brand. She saw the rear first, she liked it, she saw the side, said it looked sporty, and when she got to the front, she gasped (literally). She said it looked like the character Jaws from James Bond with his large bright and shiny metal teeth.

Perspective Customers - I had overheard a conversation between a couple looking at an X5. They brought the test drive car back and parked it next to the 4er. The woman said, "It kind of reminds me of my old A5," and the man said, "Jeez the grills are larger here than they are on the X5."

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      10-17-2020, 10:41 PM   #2
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Nice review!

From the pics, I noticed that the base sportline looks passable in the arctic blue color. I saw another thread with the same car in AW I believe. And it looked fugly there. So yes. No base white 430i!
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      10-18-2020, 12:22 AM   #3
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Nice write up thanks for sharing jstein55.
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      10-18-2020, 02:17 AM   #4
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Great write-up and I couldn't agree more with the design flaws.
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      10-18-2020, 02:33 AM   #5
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Good write up. Even if the G22 didn't have the large grilles it would still look out of whack due to its proportions and body lines which don't seem to flow. Hopefully BMW get the new 2 series coupe right.
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      10-18-2020, 02:57 PM   #6
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I passed one of these going the other way on 95. That grill caught my eye immediately...it just stood out way too much and overtakes the front end of the car completely. Not a fan.
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      10-18-2020, 03:04 PM   #7
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You honestly need to be compensated for your write ups. Clean, cut, and clear.

Previous write ups actually made me test drive a C43 & C63.
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      10-18-2020, 03:09 PM   #8
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The lines are extremely soft near the rear.
The one feature that I think they did right was the mildly shark nose you can see from some angles. I hope for the H model to keep that but also learn the grill to body ratio. I doubt the FL will lose the grill.
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      10-18-2020, 03:15 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by am3r1ka View Post
You honestly need to be compensated for your write ups. Clean, cut, and clear.

Previous write ups actually made me test drive a C43 & C63.
Thanks for the kind words. I've always wanted to be an automotive journalist, so anytime I get a nice test drive I just love to write about it, especially if it helps out any perspective buyers wanting to know more about these cars.
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      10-18-2020, 03:25 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ikester19 View Post
Good write up. Even if the G22 didn't have the large grilles it would still look out of whack due to its proportions and body lines which don't seem to flow. Hopefully BMW get the new 2 series coupe right.
I'm also hoping the next 2er is going to be good but I am worried. I have no doubt it will be larger in every dimension, heavier, and more fussy in its design, with a priority on tech over dynamics, but hopefully I am wrong. Fingers crossed.
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      10-18-2020, 05:40 PM   #11
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Nice review. Thanks for sharing.


fyi - the over boosted E46 power steering was on the 2001 model.
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      10-18-2020, 05:43 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tturedraider View Post
Nice review. Thanks for sharing.


fyi - the over boosted E46 power steering was on the 2001 model.
Thanks.

Huh, I thought it was also on the 2000 model but I guess not. I had an E46 330i as well and I remember the steering being heavier but I guess it may have just been because the 323i was so old
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      10-18-2020, 06:10 PM   #13
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based on your and C&D review it appears bmw built a german camry
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      10-18-2020, 08:17 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Smooth 330i View Post
based on your and C&D review it appears bmw built a german camry
Yeah its a bit sad. The car is very comfortable and soft, but to be honest, a Mercedes C-Class and Audi A5, along with other cheaper competitors do that as well. The gap between it and the competition is no longer as big as it use to be in my opinion, if anything, all these companies are making the same car in a sense, with the difference really being between aesthetics and technology.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jstein55 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smooth 330i View Post
based on your and C&D review it appears bmw built a german camry
Yeah its a bit sad. The car is very comfortable and soft, but to be honest, a Mercedes C-Class and Audi A5, along with other cheaper competitors do that as well. The gap between it and the competition is no longer as big as it use to be in my opinion, if anything, all these companies are making the same car in a sense, with the difference really being between aesthetics and technology.
exactly ... it will be interesting to see sales numbers of these new models ... clearly they are targeting folks that want isolated quiet soft ride with a badge but as you pointed out their competitive advantage is almost none unless you get I6. Most likely they will be offering attractive lease rates.
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      10-18-2020, 09:57 PM   #16
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Thanks for the very detailed and comprehensive write up. You really hit the nail on the head when you mentioned how the front of the car is so overdone yet the side is full of soft body lines. It's as if the designers for the front, sides, and rear all worked in separate departments. As a whole the car is sort of a mess. Not profoundly ugly per say, but for sure a bad effort.

That's very surprising to hear this thing is nearly as large as the E63 6-series, which was in dealer showrooms as recent as a decade ago.

I don't know when they intend to make these cars stop growing. The whole point of getting a 2-series is to have the less practical, sportier BMW. If that thing grows in size and weight then doesn't that defeat the entire purpose? Porsche gets it with the Boxster/Cayman; they let the Macan/Cayenne appease to the public and generate volume while the small sporty cars remain true to their roots. The Mazda Miata is another example.
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      10-19-2020, 02:59 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Germanauto View Post
Thanks for the very detailed and comprehensive write up. You really hit the nail on the head when you mentioned how the front of the car is so overdone yet the side is full of soft body lines. It's as if the designers for the front, sides, and rear all worked in separate departments. As a whole the car is sort of a mess. Not profoundly ugly per say, but for sure a bad effort.

That's very surprising to hear this thing is nearly as large as the E63 6-series, which was in dealer showrooms as recent as a decade ago.

I don't know when they intend to make these cars stop growing. The whole point of getting a 2-series is to have the less practical, sportier BMW. If that thing grows in size and weight then doesn't that defeat the entire purpose? Porsche gets it with the Boxster/Cayman; they let the Macan/Cayenne appease to the public and generate volume while the small sporty cars remain true to their roots. The Mazda Miata is another example.
Very true regarding the design of the G22. Still can't understand how the designers at BMW could go from the sleek design of the F32 and somehow end up with the G22. IMO it's a total ballsup, The G22 is not ugly however in terms of the evolution of the F32 it's kinda gone from looking like a horse to a donkey!!
(No disrespect to donkeys!)
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      10-19-2020, 04:35 PM   #18
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Thanks so much jstein55 ! Glad to see a good detailed review of a 4 at last! I'll add my brief commentary:

Quote:
Originally Posted by jstein55 View Post
Driving Dynamics
Once in the BMW lineup, sportiness would come standard on every car. This was no matter what the engine, trim, or options. Three years ago I bought my son a cheap $1K 2000 E46 323i on its original clutch and 160k miles. We called the car "The Jalopy" because it was an old stripper spec BMW with a peeling clear coat - shockingly the car was reliable up until it was rear ended with 190k miles – and looked like a beater despite having a strong heart. But what I remember best about that car was how great the handling was, even for what at the time was a car older than my son at 18-years old and on basic all-seasons. That car was so much fun to push on backroads, and still had that BMW magic.
I wanted to highlight this most as this needs to be stressed. That magic is what made me fall in love with my E46, and that magic isn't there anymore, even on my RWD, passive 704 M suspension, go-flat Michelin PS4S, M340i. A sense of oneness, a sense that the car is an extension of your own body. You have to really push to find that sensation on the G20, it is there if you dig for it, but you experienced it every single day with the E46! Hell, you experienced it 8 out of 10 times in the E90!

Quote:
Design
The biggest takeaway was realizing how big this car is. At 188 inches and 73 inches wide, its hard to describe the car as small. To put it into perspective, that is the same size almost exactly as the second-generation 6-series (E63), two inches short of an E-Class Coupe or E60 5-series. The 4er just has a lot of visual mass, mainly from the front and side. The E60 looks surprisingly more athletic to me eyes, even 17-years after its debut.
On those Bangled cars I'll agree with you to a point. Even back then I felt that the E60 looked "wrong" in standard form, however I thought it was so awesome in M5 form. It exuded "car from the future", and it seemed so muscular it was popping out of its skin. A monster in a good way!

Good things first. Let's pretend for one moment, regardless of your stance; the grilles don't exist. I was absolutely thrilled to see Arctic Race Blue originally, and your pictures confirm a slightly more metallic version of Steel Blue Metallic (Stahlblau), one of my all-time favorite BMW colors. Combined with the Cognac leather, there is a definite impression of class and elegance. Here's a reminder of what the older color looks like:



Now other items. The size is the most worrisome trend. I always saw coupes as inherently sportier and more exciting than sedans because the visual weight of a coupe was lighter than a sedan. Yet now, with both the coupe and sedan being effectively the same size, the larger size of the sedan fits the practicality mold for families and the larger size of the coupe goes contrary to the impression of sport and agility.

Rebuttal to this is that with the 6-series gone, BMW seems determined to make you feel that that the 4 is a baby 8 not an upscale 3. While I don't quite see it, it would explain the overall "softening" of the 4's lines.

The pricing gap ensures that even the cheapest 8 available is massively more expensive than a fully loaded M440i as well, $70,725 vs $88,000!!

Yet by dimensions, the 8-series is only 3 inches longer and 2 inches wider, and very close to the same height. Here's the two side-by-side:




And rear 3/4s:




It truly looks like for those who want an engaging inexpensive coupe that is small enough to toss around, it's 2 series/M2 for four seats, Z4 for two seats, or a car rhyming with Upra for 2 seats and a roof...
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      10-19-2020, 05:33 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by -EndOfAnEra- View Post
Thanks so much jstein55 ! Glad to see a good detailed review of a 4 at last! I'll add my brief commentary:

I wanted to highlight this most as this needs to be stressed. That magic is what made me fall in love with my E46, and that magic isn't there anymore, even on my RWD, passive 704 M suspension, go-flat Michelin PS4S, M340i. A sense of oneness, a sense that the car is an extension of your own body. You have to really push to find that sensation on the G20, it is there if you dig for it, but you experienced it every single day with the E46! Hell, you experienced it 8 out of 10 times in the E90!

On those Bangled cars I'll agree with you to a point. Even back then I felt that the E60 looked "wrong" in standard form, however I thought it was so awesome in M5 form. It exuded "car from the future", and it seemed so muscular it was popping out of its skin. A monster in a good way!

Good things first. Let's pretend for one moment, regardless of your stance; the grilles don't exist. I was absolutely thrilled to see Arctic Race Blue originally, and your pictures confirm a slightly more metallic version of Steel Blue Metallic (Stahlblau), one of my all-time favorite BMW colors. Combined with the Cognac leather, there is a definite impression of class and elegance. Here's a reminder of what the older color looks like:

Now other items. The size is the most worrisome trend. I always saw coupes as inherently sportier and more exciting than sedans because the visual weight of a coupe was lighter than a sedan. Yet now, with both the coupe and sedan being effectively the same size, the larger size of the sedan fits the practicality mold for families and the larger size of the coupe goes contrary to the impression of sport and agility.

Rebuttal to this is that with the 6-series gone, BMW seems determined to make you feel that that the 4 is a baby 8 not an upscale 3. While I don't quite see it, it would explain the overall "softening" of the 4's lines.

The pricing gap ensures that even the cheapest 8 available is massively more expensive than a fully loaded M440i as well, $70,725 vs $88,000!!

Yet by dimensions, the 8-series is only 3 inches longer and 2 inches wider, and very close to the same height. Here's the two side-by-side:

And rear 3/4s:

It truly looks like for those who want an engaging inexpensive coupe that is small enough to toss around, it's 2 series/M2 for four seats, Z4 for two seats, or a car rhyming with Upra for 2 seats and a roof...
Great post from you as well, I definitely see the resemblance to the 8 as shown by your photos, especially in the side profile, even the window design looks like a reverse of the 8er's and they both share the soft body panels and shoulder-lines. Honestly, I kind of wish they never made an 8-series and just made that the design the 4-series coupe, but about 8 inches smaller than the current 8. That would have made for an excellent 4-series that not only looks different from the 3-series sedan counterpart but still aggressive enough to stand out and still retain most of the historical BMW elements.

That photo of the E46 really just shows how great that design was, it was sporty, but like you said also beautiful and elegant. I feel as if BMW is loosing the latter a bit too much with their cars as of late, even on the 8er which looks great, it doesn't have much elegance to it.

I know the market of course is wanting sport above else, and that has resulted in the crazy grill trend, but I do wish BMW would at least cater more to their loyal clientele who have stuck with them for years and joined the BMW family for the magic first and foremost, not because it was the fastest or how the most high-tech features. Maybe even follow the Porsche route, and use the money from your best selling products to make an enthusiast special, hell even Mercedes does this with the AMG GT and Audi with the R8. Right now the closest thing we have to that is the 2-series and as great as that car is, its still very compromised due to its platform, and its future is a bit uncertain - I like the Z4 and Zupra but refuse to count them because of the lack of manuals - and the i8 which was a car for clout chasers at best.

I just try to remain hopeful that BMW won't lose the plot too much, but with every generation of new cars it gets a bit harder and harder, I think they are honestly a bit too unsure of where they should go. The looks get more and more aggressive but ironically the drive gets softer, heavier and less engaging, and even with the electric cars, they are still cheaping out and sharing the platform with gas cars, when its clearly a failed strategy for both MB and Audi (MB even is quickly readying a replacement for the failed EQC).
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      11-11-2020, 05:56 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by jstein55 View Post
Add onto that the ratio feels non-linear in its movements its just not what I would want in a BMW, with no sense of the front end.

You and I seem to be one of the few remaining BMW "purists " on this forum. Very nice write-up.

I love almost everything about my 330i except it's size and steering and that one critique is my biggest pet peeve as well.

Such a shame BMW can not get the steering right b/c this car handles so well despite it's size. Looks like they have turned the 4 series into a Grand tourer.
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