In defense of the E46 318i with oil burning engine I once had. Mine had the standard suspension that handled very well in the real world. And, yes I've had a Peugeot 605 V6 which combined handling and comfort very admirably. But it was a FWD...Yep E46:
- Dirty cheat handling... they make the rear suspension rock hard so that the journos say they change direction quickly. Mini is the same. My old Peugeot 309 and 406 would show BMW how to make a car with real world suspension that handled properly.
Mine had the standard suspension.It was fine in the front, but not great in the back, just like my wife’s mini. However, I once did have the misfortune to travel for a few hours on the M6 in the back of a 330 coupe with M suspension. It was really uncomfortable and unpleasant.In defense of the E46 318i with oil burning engine I once had. Mine had the standard suspension that handled very well in the real world. And, yes I've had a Peugeot 605 V6 which combined handling and comfort very admirably. But it was a FWD...
I agree some cars look as you described the Astra at 20yrs old, but not all. I'm driving a 150k miles 18 year old Volvo S80. I've been underneath and its free from any significant rust, paint and headlamp lenses are not faded and seats are still the most comfortable of any I've sat in. Its only really costing me in the usual consumables. But not all cars are built to last 20 years like it seems my Volvo is.It’s easy to have a downer on the manufacturers, but many have struggled to even survive over the years. There are plenty of 20+ year old cars for sale on Autotrader, and most new cars today will, if reasonably well cared for, see their 20th birthdays (changes in legislation excepted).
There are features in my car that I detest, but they’re more than made up for by the good things.
PS. I wouldn’t want to be tooling around in a 20 year old Astra. Saggy seats, faded paint, weakened body shell, rust, worn carpets, dull headlight lenses, etc etc. most could be sorted, but you’d spend a fair old wedge, and it’d still be a 20 year old Astra.
Great minds think alike, exactly what I want. But we are an extreme minority. No manufacturers cater to our wishes. Gadget counts sell cars to most first time buyers.Dashboards lit up like Christmas trees are MOT failures? Is it too much to ask for a high quality car with genuine inherent build quality but minimum gadgets? If I could buy a new Merc W124 today, I would.
At the risk of sounding like an old person (which I kind of am!) but my cars also have loads of standard features that I don't want and won't ever use. My Merc has loads - stuff like automatic parking etc. - although at least none of them actively annoys me. On the other hand my wife's Outlander has keyless starting which is something I actively dislike and would definitely prefer not to have.Great minds think alike, exactly what I want. But we are an extreme minority. No manufacturers cater to our wishes. Gadget counts sell cars to most first time buyers.
I loved my E34 530i. It was the best all round car I have owned. You could press on quite hard before its handling deteriorated and yet it was still comfortable and refined. The build quality will never be repeated again. It was reliable and simple to fix. BMW supported it even when it was 12yrs old. I only moved it on because I fancied a change. The Mercedes SL320 that replaced it was better looking, but that was about it. A bygone era.Different people like different cars, was ever thus. Trick is to find a brand you like & stick with them. All motors have their quirks, BMW certainly do but they are not dull.
I'm on my 3rd BMW, current 1 year old 330i is the best yet but not as comfortable as my previous 5 series. Just great all rounder, can do 50mpg on a run but accelerates quickly & is very quiet.I loved my E34 530i. It was the best all round car I have owned. You could press on quite hard before its handling deteriorated and yet it was still comfortable and refined. The build quality will never be repeated again. It was reliable and simple to fix. BMW supported it even when it was 12yrs old. I only moved it on because I fancied a change. The Mercedes SL320 that replaced it was better looking, but that was about it. A bygone era.
Does having 4 cylinders instead of 6 make much difference? I ask because the modern equivalent of my 1999 528i would be a 330, and I really love the silence and smoothness of the 528 and the way it turns into a rocket at about 4000 RPM.I'm on my 3rd BMW, current 1 year old 330i is the best yet but not as comfortable as my previous 5 series. Just great all rounder, can do 50mpg on a run but accelerates quickly & is very quiet.
I don't think it is quite as solid as my older 3 series but a much better car all round. I also really like the looks but many don't.
Keep the e39 528, and curate it carefully!Does having 4 cylinders instead of 6 make much difference? I ask because the modern equivalent of my 1999 528i would be a 330, and I really love the silence and smoothness of the 528 and the way it turns into a rocket at about 4000 RPM.
Thanks, Martin. That is what I've been doing since I bought it with just 80,000 km. Now at 144,000, and still feels new. It also has the "M" features, beautiful leather, and a fantastic stereo with CD-changer and an extra amplifier in the boot. But it is 24 years old. But, as you say, my recent visit to a BMW showroom did not awaken any particular desires. They all looked cheap and gimmicky (and amazingly expensive!) compared to mine. So I will do as you suggest.Keep the e39 528, and curate it carefully!
Modern things may be quicker on paper, have more toys, blah, blah, blah.
BUT in enjoying owning&driving a thing that was right then, yet remains so good now: well: you'll not find an equivalent that hits that spot. For whatever set of values you value - and it is your taste & circumstance in the round that matters, not internet-fanboi-nonsense -
...if what you have pleases you/ remains a great answer , for you: just take care of what you have. And - enjoy it!
Yep E46:
- Dangerous on/off power characteristic coupled with dangerous on/off-for-ages traction control meant heartstopping moments at crossroads etc.
- Dirty cheat handling... they make the rear suspension rock hard so that the journos say they change direction quickly. Mini is the same. My old Peugeot 309 and 406 would show BMW how to make a car with real world suspension that handled properly.
- Sports seats... a park bench would have been more comfortable
Run flat tyres.
The only car that was as bad was an Audi A4 1.9 TDi that I inherited when I got a new job. Was it a diesel or was it a steam engine?
- I posted that from the POV of my second e39 - a 535 with the nicest, smallest, but smoothest (also free-revving/ pulls hard to 6K5, , unlike the larger versions all-done by 5k) version of the BMW v8