Saw the E90 today..up close!!!

[deutsch100]

Went out to brunch today...and parked right in front of the cafe was an Artic Metallic 325i with tan leather.

First impression was ...Wow, I can't believe I am seeing one.

Rest of the look.....Yuck!!! The rear is as ugly in person, as in the pictures. The taillights are a step back in terms of looking like a new model (compared to even the E36)!!!

The front is definitely the best part of the car, but by no means attractive, and the poor 3er has had it's balls cut off. The car is as aggressive looking as a Camry. It looks very big, slab sided, wide and bloated. The E90 will never be considered a "sport's sedan". It might be a wonderful touring sedan...but never sporty.

The interior is worse in person...it is cold, flat and horribly cheap looking.

I am so disappointed. I kept thinking I would like it in person. Def. better in pictures.

Artic Metallic is a nice colour, but washed out looking and quite boring. I feel very sad now

 

[Militant-Grunt]

Went out to brunch today...and parked right in front of the cafe was an Artic Metallic 325i with tan leather.

First impression was ...Wow, I can't believe I am seeing one.

Rest of the look.....Yuck!!! The rear is as ugly in person, as in the pictures. The taillights are a step back in terms of looking like a new model (compared to even the E36)!!!

The front is definetly the best part of the car, but by no means attractive, and the poor 3er has had it's balls cut off. The car is as aggressive looking as a Camry. It looks very big, slab sided, wide and bloated. The E90 will never be considered a "sport's sedan". It might be a wonderful touring sedan...but never sporty.

The interior is worse in person...it is cold, flat and horribly cheap looking.

I am so disappointed. I kept thinking I would like it in person. Def. better in pictures.

Artic Metallic is a nice colour, but washed out looking and quite boring. I feel very sad now

I was trailing a e90 330i w/ sports package in my LR, from the behind it looks bad... Very Un-Bmw.. While the front I actually like, the side lines are too quite nice. Like deutsch said the car isnt very agressive anymore..

 

[MrElussive]

I am sure the owner of that Arctic Metallic 325i is very happy with his/her new car.

 

[bmw555]

Went out to brunch today...and parked right in front of the cafe was an Artic Metallic 325i with tan leather.

First impression was ...Wow, I can't believe I am seeing one.

Rest of the look.....Yuck!!! The rear is as ugly in person, as in the pictures. The taillights are a step back in terms of looking like a new model (compared to even the E36)!!!

The front is definitely the best part of the car, but by no means attractive, and the poor 3er has had it's balls cut off. The car is as aggressive looking as a Camry. It looks very big, slab sided, wide and bloated. The E90 will never be considered a "sport's sedan". It might be a wonderful touring sedan...but never sporty.

The interior is worse in person...it is cold, flat and horribly cheap looking.

I am so disappointed. I kept thinking I would like it in person. Def. better in pictures.

Artic Metallic is a nice colour, but washed out looking and quite boring. I feel very sad now

lol, pussification of BMW? I feel sorry for stupid assholes buying new 3er, they got punked!

 

[hosagod]

I'm sure it becoming "pussified" or "less aggressive" aren't gonna hurt its sales, as is the case with the 5 series, which everyone pretty much hated.

To each his own!

There are still plenty of other german car makers out there to please your eyes.

 

[MrElussive]

lol, pussification of BMW? I feel sorry for stupid assholes buying new 3er, they got punked!

The new 330i owns your car in acceleration, handling, braking, and luxury. I don't think people who buy a new BMW are stupid.

Several of you need to keep this in mind: You are not the center of the universe. Your opinion does not mean more than the next person's. What you think about something does not determine how other people should think.

 

[Average Jae]

Emile, you had me until i read your sig, "i haven't been this confused since no way out" *cut scene "how does Kevin Costner keep getting work?"

Adam, you mention that the new e90 will never be a sports sedan, does that mean the car has to look fast to be considered "sporty"? numbers speak for themselves, and if you really cut it, the e46 sedans don't look all that sporty imo. until you get into the zhp package. coupes are the agressive ones and we'll just have to wait a year + before passing that judgement on.

i'll wait until the coupes come out to see how they look. and what will the critics of the e90 do, once the 400hp beast called m3 comes out? (altho at this rate, i'll take the interlagos blue e46) i can't help but drool over the potental numbers of the new m.

 

[rjp325i]

The more I hear different opinions of the E90 and see its pix I am rather disappointed. I have not yet seen one close up in person. However from the pix the slab sides are just looking to get dinged again and again. Performance and handling wise I'm glad I bought my E46 w/ZHP.

 

[MrElussive]

Rofl @ Jae.

Seriously though, I must be one of the only people on Earth who actually LIKES the new 3-Series, INSIDE & OUT!! The E46 3-Series is soooooooo done already. I am so sick and tired of seeing the E46 3-Series year after year at the NY Auto Show...the same display over and over again. Every single day, I see multiple E46 3-Series all of which have accumulated permanent brake dust because the owners are too lazy to keep their rides clean (IMO, dirty wheels RUIN a car). Even almost 2 years ago when I was heavily debating between the 330Ci and G35C, the E46's age was just a bit too much for me. Not to say I don't like the E46, it is a great car, particularly the ZHP models. But come on, ya gotta admit, in with the new!!!

I think we all agree that the E90's debut was not as jaw-droppingly amazing as we hoped it would be (such as with the change from E36 to E46), but come on...it looks nice, it looks sporty, the interior is cool, it handles better, it accelerates faster, it stops harder, and it is more luxurious. What more do you want???

Okay okay, interior and exterior styling are subjective, but you all gotta stop with the cheap materials accusations....go to bmwusa.com and checkout the 330i and look at the Picture Gallery. The wood trim is beautiful, everything in the center dash looks so well integrated, and the whole interior layout just looks significantly more prestigious.
When you're doing sporty driving, all you care about is visibility, the speedo, the tach, the steering wheel, and the shift knob. If you look carefully, BMW has preserved all of these basic necessities for the sport-minded driver while offering better luxury over the E46 models.

I can't convince any of you to go out and buy an E90, nor do I care to do so, but don't hate on it when it doesn't deserve it. What you guys are doing, it's like tell me that Jessica Alba isn't an absolute hottie....it's a lie and you know it.

 

[tih2k]

I test drove the 330 at my dealer, very well done, altough I admit it felt more luxury this time around. The 330 didn't have the sport package and I guess the Logic 7 isn't labeled. The radio is way better but nothing to oooh about. It felt small inside but I have a 325cic so I guess mine is wider. On the plus, the car felt like a step up as the ride quality and electronics were above the e46. As for looks, it has got it and the taillights didn't bother me at all. Only thing is that I want one but something is telling me wait for the coupe as BMW is looking like it's getting serious again.

 

[Kirby]

Seriously though, I must be one of the only people on Earth who actually LIKES the new 3-Series, INSIDE & OUT!!

I guess it's you and me against the world, Emile. LOL.

I do agree that the E90 sedan doesn't look as aggressive as the E46 coupes of later years. BUT if you go back and look at the early E46 sedan, it was not very aggressive looking either. I think that they intentionally start off conservative and tweak the look based on market trends.

Based on the first cut of the E90 sedan, I think this car's appearance is going to evolve quite nicely.

 

[bmw555]

The new 330i owns your car in acceleration, handling, braking, and luxury. I don't think people who buy a new BMW are stupid.

Several of you need to keep this in mind: You are not the center of the universe. Your opinion does not mean more than the next person's. What you think about something does not determine how other people should think.

"acceleration, handling, braking, and luxury"? maybe you right here, but what about the spirit, bro? I don't feel any spirit in this car and without it everithing else just don't matter. Well, as Average Jae said: lets wait for coupe.

 

[Bryan330i]

I really checked out the E90 at the dealer on Saturday. They had one in stock with Graphite with black leather. The car was soooo hot!

The only problem is that the lease rate on the new 3 series sucks. Even the salesman said he could give a better lease payment for the term on a 530 over the 330. This was a bit unexpected.

 

[MrElussive]

"acceleration, handling, braking, and luxury"? maybe you right here, but what about the spirit, bro? I don't feel any spirit in this car and without it everithing else just don't matter. Well, as Average Jae said: lets wait for coupe.

Spirit comes from the drive, not how much we love or hate the looks...sure, they can go together but the look of a vehicle does not determine anything about the actual drive of the vehicle anymore. Look at the Subaru Impreza WRX...it's a pretty ugly car (although personally I love it) but it has a damn good drive to it.

Just look carefully at the things the driver really needs. The sport steering wheel is there, the gauges are big and easy to read, the shift knob is in the right location, and it still has all the key elements that made the E46 great: the smooth I6 engine, BMW suspension, and BMW brakes. All we need to find out now is if the vehicle is still as communicative as the E46 and how the acceleration, handling, and braking work together to provide the "ultimate driving experience" and I wouldn't be surprised at all if the E90 3-Series accomplishes this.

 

[jrt67ss350]

The thing that bothers me about the E90 is something that you pointed out yourself, Emile: that the car "is more luxurious." It seems to me that the focus has shifted from a car that is all about the mechanics of driving to a car whose priority is the luxury with the driving thrown in as a side benefit. That's not what I look for when I say that I want a 3 series. I mean, look at what has happened to the 3 series over the past two body styles - we have gone from the E30 to the E90. The E30 is all about the driving - there is nothing luxury about it. In the E30 you are connected physically to the road - you feel every twitch of the front wheels back through the steering wheel, the car likes to drift/oversteer at the limit, the pedals are perfectly positioned for heel/toe shifting, the car gives you engine and drivetrain sounds, the car feels very light (unlike the E46s that I have driven) the car is solid and extremely nimble and tossable. There just seems to have been a steady decline in the driving character of this car over the years in exchange for increasing "luxury." I love the E46, but I recognize that even the E46 is an extremely different car from the earlier 3ers. The E90 takes this departure one big step further.

Call the progression from the E30 to the E90 "progress" or what you will. I call it a change in focus of what the car is and what niche it fills. That's why I'm currently not a big fan of the E90.

 

[deutsch100]

I really checked out the E90 at the dealer on Saturday. They had one in stock with Graphite with black leather. The car was soooo hot!

The only problem is that the lease rate on the new 3 series sucks. Even the salesman said he could give a better lease payment for the term on a 530 over the 330. This was a bit unexpected.

Yeah...what's up with the E90 lease rates?? A heavily loaded 330cic zhp with a sticker price of $55,000 is cheaper to lease than a $46,000 E90 sedan. Odd.

 

[bmw555]

Spirit comes from the drive, not how much we love or hate the looks...sure, they can go together but the look of a vehicle does not determine anything about the actual drive of the vehicle anymore. Look at the Subaru Impreza WRX...it's a pretty ugly car (although personally I love it) but it has a damn good drive to it.

Just look carefully at the things the driver really needs. The sport steering wheel is there, the gauges are big and easy to read, the shift knob is in the right location, and it still has all the key elements that made the E46 great: the smooth I6 engine, BMW suspension, and BMW brakes. All we need to find out now is if the vehicle is still as communicative as the E46 and how the acceleration, handling, and braking work together to provide the "ultimate driving experience" and I wouldn't be surprised at all if the E90 3-Series accomplishes this.

Yes, but E46 has all this plus good looks (especially coupe, never really liked E46 sedan) so E90 looks like a step down to me. But if you like it so much my friend then stop talknig about how much you like it and go buy one, it's your money.

 

[epj3]

The ultimate driving experience shouldn't be a limpy steering wheel, a long throw not at all touchy brake pedal, and 500 electrical systems that override YOU.

 

[deutsch100]

Yes, but E46 has all this plus good looks (especially coupe, never really liked E46 sedan) so E90 looks like a step down to me. But if you like it so much my friend then stop talknig about how much you like it and go buy one, it's your money.

I agree. Get rid of your black Japanese car, and go buy an E90. Then we won't have to hear you constantly defending something you don't have. Honestly, I thinks it's cool that you like it so much. Not very often in life, can we be so devoted, and excited about a material object. So please......stop praising the
f--king thing, and go buy one. You will be, as will the rest of us, much happier

 

[bmw555]

I love the E46, but I recognize that even the E46 is an extremely different car from the earlier 3ers.

Interesting, I drove E46 325ic and 323ic and loved those cars, very lively machines, very light and nimble, although I can't say the same about E46 330ic - it felt too heavy to me. I never drove E30 but I can't say that there is big difference between E36 and E46 in terms of driving expirience. E36 interior looks more spartan than E46 interior but I actually like it.