BMW and M Power Owners

Soldato
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Okay, so the selling point is:

Compromise on the car, so that you can compromise on other activities as well.

Where do I sign?
Selling point for me was its cheaper, faster, waaay better tech and better refuelling options (I hate petrol stations with a passionm charging at home and work is a godsend) and much lower running costs.

The others are fringe benefits.

It seems to be very hard to convince some people out of the petrol car owning mindset, funny thing is I have experience of both types of cars I'm willing to best most people arguing against an EV have never owned onw.
 
Soldato
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It seems to be very hard to convince some people out of the petrol car owning mindset, funny thing is I have experience of both types of cars I'm willing to best most people arguing against an EV have never owned onw.

Most people haven't, and won't until they are forced to. There is little point in trying to win an argument with a someone holding their fingers in their ears shouting la-la-la-la. If it doesn't have a BMW badge on it, and have buttons, knobs (not just the one in the drivers seat) and switches everywhere and make a stupid loud noise then it's no good. Not to mention you must be able to add and configure it in alt least 400 different ways, with a tech pack, sound pack, seat pack, sunroof pack, dog pack, lights pack, ambience pack, convenience pack, and who know how many other random crap things they offer.

I'm curious to know if you've ever even driven a model 3.
He'll never answer or test drive one, it's easier just to bash something you have no experience of than use first hand evidence.
 
Man of Honour
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Of course I'll answer, I've not driven a Model 3 and my only experience of Tesla is the Model S.

How many Tesla drivers pick them for reasons other than hilarious BIK?

This is, after all, the BMW thread so you can't be surprised to receive quite different views if you pop in to go on about Tesla is it? Shock as people in BMW thread prefer what BMW has to offer. For me a car is about the whole package, it's not enough to just have a great drivetrain. The rest of the fundamentals must be right too.
 
Caporegime
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Most people haven't, and won't until they are forced to. There is little point in trying to win an argument with a someone holding their fingers in their ears shouting la-la-la-la. If it doesn't have a BMW badge on it, and have buttons, knobs (not just the one in the drivers seat) and switches everywhere and make a stupid loud noise then it's no good. Not to mention you must be able to add and configure it in alt least 400 different ways, with a tech pack, sound pack, seat pack, sunroof pack, dog pack, lights pack, ambience pack, convenience pack, and who know how many other random crap things they offer.

What BMWs have you driven ?
 
Soldato
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This is, after all, the BMW thread so you can't be surprised to receive quite different views if you pop in to go on about Tesla is it?

I responded to a comment from a few others, hardly going on is it?

Shock as people in BMW thread prefer what BMW has to offer.
Again, it goes back to not giving others a chance or being informed in the first hand.

For me a car is about the whole package, it's not enough to just have a great drivetrain. The rest of the fundamentals must be right too.
What are your fundamentals, that must be right? I assume you'll only ever buy a BEV if BMW make one that fits your fundamentals, as you are brand loyal.

Some people simply buy a car for a badge, or because it looks 'cool', or because it is within their budget. Others for performance, or they have no choice as it is a company supplied vehicle.

Anyhow, lets not take the thread off-topic, whatever it is.
 
Man of Honour
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What are your fundamentals, that must be right? I assume you'll only ever buy a BEV if BMW make one that fits your fundamentals, as you are brand loyal.

I am fairly brand loyal but only because BMW consistently make products that suit my tastes - I want something fairly traditional looking with an excellent, well crafted interior with decent quality materials and feel, as well as decent driving dynamics and a really nicely integrated infotainment system. BMW consistently offer this so I buy their products.

That said I am currently driving a rented Mercedes A Class and the new interface in that is very good, infact I am surprised at just how impressive a package it is, so I am quite able to appreciate good products whoever makes them.
 
Soldato
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I want something fairly traditional looking

Traditions change, things that almost remain static are 4-wheels. After all if they didn't we'd all be driving around in Model T lookalikes, right?

well crafted interior with decent quality materials and feel

Indeed, I much prefer the interior of a car with excellent cloth seats than cheap leather or plastic, comfort is a must, that is one thing that I don't like about our current car(s) too much fake leather and plastic.

really nicely integrated infotainment system

Integrated, as in not sticking out, or well suited to the vehicles options?

I'd like someone to develop a system that gets over the air updates, and isn't out of date after 2 years. It would be much better when the car is 8 years old and you actually have the latest maps, and such rather than just dumping the responsibility on Google/Apple.


That said I am currently driving a rented Mercedes A Class and the new interface in that is very good, infact I am surprised at just how impressive a package it is, so I am quite able to appreciate good products whoever makes them.

It's alright, much better than the 2015-2018 A-Class was.

However least BMW have a decent chance of existing soon, can't say the same for Daimler's Mercedes, they are showing how utterly terrible they are are being forward looking. Estimated to have several billions €'s fine to pay at the end of this year due to their lack of effort.
 
Soldato
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I am fairly brand loyal but only because BMW consistently make products that suit my tastes - I want something fairly traditional looking with an excellent, well crafted interior with decent quality materials and feel, as well as decent driving dynamics and a really nicely integrated infotainment system. BMW consistently offer this so I buy their products.

That said I am currently driving a rented Mercedes A Class and the new interface in that is very good, infact I am surprised at just how impressive a package it is, so I am quite able to appreciate good products whoever makes them.
BMW fail at the infotainment side of things that’s for sure
 
Soldato
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There's a voice that keeps on calling me.
BMW infotainment has been best in class for a long long time. Mbux from merc is very good now aswell. The Audi setup is like its cars a tad bland, and lexus/toyota is stunningly rubbish.

I do like the current volvo offering, although they take the mick when they want to charge £300 for carplay/android auto.
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Oct 2006
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BMW Infotainment has been very good but it was starting to fall behind the competition particularly when it comes to the digital instrument cluster. They do seem to be improving it quickly and are at last going to offer Andriod Auto support.
 
Man of Honour
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2 Jan 2009
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I had a new Model S 100D for a week and there's no doubt it's an interesting car. The performance is certainly there, and the software features on the big screen are nice and modern. That said, knobs and dials are much easier to use, Touchscreen is inherently flawed when it's in a moving car. The supercharger network seemed to all work nicely, but obviously for mass adoption there aren't nearly enough bays. And it's £24~ to charge up there, so not free as some would have you believe (unless you have an older model).

And while the electric performance is nice and instant, it doesn't fill the void of a nice rumbling V8, if you're into cars, that is.

However, the general quality is closer to a Vauxhall Astra than a premium German car for example. Lots of odd fittings and cheap plastics everywhere. It's not bad, but for the price, not good enough.

They look nice enough on the outside but a little bland, but that's obviously subjective.

As for infotainment, iDrive is perfectly fine and just as good for the most part, and much nicer to control with the wheel.

BMW certainly don't have much to worry about when they join the electric market properly. I wouldn't really want one over a current decent spec 530d, G30 or F10, certainly not for the huge extra cost.
 
Soldato
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Whilst I partly agree with you, BMW offers map updates for 18yrs and are ota on most newish systems. But you have to pay for the updates.
Exactly, their infotainment is dated the day its installed.

Not only that they tried to charge for carplay at one point which they backed out of. I drive was great in 2002 but today its kind of dated.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Jun 2005
Posts
9,066
Location
Nottinghamshire
I had a new Model S 100D for a week and there's no doubt it's an interesting car. The performance is certainly there, and the software features on the big screen are nice and modern. That said, knobs and dials are much easier to use, Touchscreen is inherently flawed when it's in a moving car. The supercharger network seemed to all work nicely, but obviously for mass adoption there aren't nearly enough bays. And it's £24~ to charge up there, so not free as some would have you believe (unless you have an older model).

And while the electric performance is nice and instant, it doesn't fill the void of a nice rumbling V8, if you're into cars, that is.

However, the general quality is closer to a Vauxhall Astra than a premium German car for example. Lots of odd fittings and cheap plastics everywhere. It's not bad, but for the price, not good enough.

They look nice enough on the outside but a little bland, but that's obviously subjective.

As for infotainment, iDrive is perfectly fine and just as good for the most part, and much nicer to control with the wheel.

BMW certainly don't have much to worry about when they join the electric market properly. I wouldn't really want one over a current decent spec 530d, G30 or F10, certainly not for the huge extra cost.

I'd say you get used to a touchscreen quickly, its a bit like going from a nokia to an iphone, once you get used to it you wonder how you did without it (the car also has very good autopilot meaning using it for a few seconds is no problem, entering a destination into the nav is much better than using idrive for example.

£24 to charge up is a bit misleading, this is petrol car driver mentality. first of all in this country its highly unlikely you will charge 0-100. Whats more likely is that you will charge 50 miles to get you back home.

For example I once charged my car for 5 minutes as thats the only shortfall i needed to get home after a long journey then I got home and plugged it in as normal.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,158
I had a new Model S 100D for a week and there's no doubt it's an interesting car. The performance is certainly there, and the software features on the big screen are nice and modern. That said, knobs and dials are much easier to use, Touchscreen is inherently flawed when it's in a moving car. The supercharger network seemed to all work nicely, but obviously for mass adoption there aren't nearly enough bays. And it's £24~ to charge up there, so not free as some would have you believe (unless you have an older model).

And while the electric performance is nice and instant, it doesn't fill the void of a nice rumbling V8, if you're into cars, that is.

However, the general quality is closer to a Vauxhall Astra than a premium German car for example. Lots of odd fittings and cheap plastics everywhere. It's not bad, but for the price, not good enough.

They look nice enough on the outside but a little bland, but that's obviously subjective.

As for infotainment, iDrive is perfectly fine and just as good for the most part, and much nicer to control with the wheel.

BMW certainly don't have much to worry about when they join the electric market properly. I wouldn't really want one over a current decent spec 530d, G30 or F10, certainly not for the huge extra cost.
Nailed it. The quality issue is the biggest one for me. I remember the first time I stepped into a Model S; I was amazed at how plasticy and low quality it felt.
 
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