Lexus wins another major handling comparison (this time with the 3IS IS350 f sport)
05-06-13, 02:57 PM
#166
Sorry, but BMW is making huge strides in suspension and steering technology, as well as MB, Audi and Lexus... heck, even GM.
Traditional suspensions are a thing of the past. I know cars like BRZ or E46 M3 might feel purist, but they can't hold a candle to cars with active suspensions that control squat on launch, sway during turns, and can be adjusted to ride as soft as town car or as stiff as a sports car.
Electronic steering is a requirement for these new suspension technologies to work well. It will take some years for manufacturers to tune these systems to have the same feel as traditional mechanical systems, but there is no going back to the old stuff. Anyone who doesn't realize that, simply hasn't driven a modern bmw with M sport package.
Traditional suspensions are a thing of the past. I know cars like BRZ or E46 M3 might feel purist, but they can't hold a candle to cars with active suspensions that control squat on launch, sway during turns, and can be adjusted to ride as soft as town car or as stiff as a sports car.
Electronic steering is a requirement for these new suspension technologies to work well. It will take some years for manufacturers to tune these systems to have the same feel as traditional mechanical systems, but there is no going back to the old stuff. Anyone who doesn't realize that, simply hasn't driven a modern bmw with M sport package.
05-06-13, 03:36 PM
#167
Sorry, but BMW is making huge strides in suspension and steering technology, as well as MB, Audi and Lexus... heck, even GM.
Traditional suspensions are a thing of the past. I know cars like BRZ or E46 M3 might feel purist, but they can't hold a candle to cars with active suspensions that control squat on launch, sway during turns, and can be adjusted to ride as soft as town car or as stiff as a sports car.
Electronic steering is a requirement for these new suspension technologies to work well. It will take some years for manufacturers to tune these systems to have the same feel as traditional mechanical systems, but there is no going back to the old stuff. Anyone who doesn't realize that, simply hasn't driven a modern bmw with M sport package.
Traditional suspensions are a thing of the past. I know cars like BRZ or E46 M3 might feel purist, but they can't hold a candle to cars with active suspensions that control squat on launch, sway during turns, and can be adjusted to ride as soft as town car or as stiff as a sports car.
Electronic steering is a requirement for these new suspension technologies to work well. It will take some years for manufacturers to tune these systems to have the same feel as traditional mechanical systems, but there is no going back to the old stuff. Anyone who doesn't realize that, simply hasn't driven a modern bmw with M sport package.
05-06-13, 08:07 PM
#168
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Sorry, but BMW is making huge strides in suspension and steering technology, as well as MB, Audi and Lexus... heck, even GM.
Traditional suspensions are a thing of the past. I know cars like BRZ or E46 M3 might feel purist, but they can't hold a candle to cars with active suspensions that control squat on launch, sway during turns, and can be adjusted to ride as soft as town car or as stiff as a sports car.
Electronic steering is a requirement for these new suspension technologies to work well. It will take some years for manufacturers to tune these systems to have the same feel as traditional mechanical systems, but there is no going back to the old stuff. Anyone who doesn't realize that, simply hasn't driven a modern bmw with M sport package.
Traditional suspensions are a thing of the past. I know cars like BRZ or E46 M3 might feel purist, but they can't hold a candle to cars with active suspensions that control squat on launch, sway during turns, and can be adjusted to ride as soft as town car or as stiff as a sports car.
Electronic steering is a requirement for these new suspension technologies to work well. It will take some years for manufacturers to tune these systems to have the same feel as traditional mechanical systems, but there is no going back to the old stuff. Anyone who doesn't realize that, simply hasn't driven a modern bmw with M sport package.
Even the choice of materials for the current F30 3 series suspension shows that BMW has allowed cost cutting to impact on its core values of handling : now the rear suspension has cheaper heavier steel links where previously the E90 suspension was all aluminium for less unsprung weight.
It seems like its BMW's competitors that have embraced the newer advancements in suspension technology and moved forwards whereas BMW is actually taking backward steps in the handling/steering/suspension department. The F30 3 series and F10 5 series no longer nail the ride-handling balance like the E90/E39/E60 of old used to do.
So chances are, "a modern bmw with M sport package" probably handles and rides worse than its immediate predecessor.
I think the C&D editors' assessment of the the modern day F30 335i M-Sport bears that out.
Last edited by natnut; 05-06-13 at 11:35 PM.
05-06-13, 10:02 PM
#170
The main point of the C&D comparo was that the M-Sport 335i had worse ride and worse handling than both the Cadillac ATS and the Lexus IS.
Even the choice of materials for the current F30 3 series suspension shows that BMW has allowed cost cutting to impact on its core values of handling : now the rear suspension has cheaper heavier steel links where previously the E90 suspension was all aluminium for less unsprung weight.
It seems like its BMW's competitors that have embraced the newer advancements in suspension technology and moved forwards whereas BMW is actually taking backward steps in the handling/steering/suspension department. The F30 3 series and F10 5 series no longer nail the ride-handling balance like the E90/R39/E60 of old used to do.
So chances are, "a modern bmw with M sport package" probably handles and rides worse than its immediate predecessor.
I think the C&D editors' assessment of the the modern day F30 335i M-Sport bears that out.
Even the choice of materials for the current F30 3 series suspension shows that BMW has allowed cost cutting to impact on its core values of handling : now the rear suspension has cheaper heavier steel links where previously the E90 suspension was all aluminium for less unsprung weight.
It seems like its BMW's competitors that have embraced the newer advancements in suspension technology and moved forwards whereas BMW is actually taking backward steps in the handling/steering/suspension department. The F30 3 series and F10 5 series no longer nail the ride-handling balance like the E90/R39/E60 of old used to do.
So chances are, "a modern bmw with M sport package" probably handles and rides worse than its immediate predecessor.
I think the C&D editors' assessment of the the modern day F30 335i M-Sport bears that out.
With that being said, F-sport and M-sport are expensive options. Most buyers aren't going to go for these. I wonder how traditional models perform.
05-07-13, 07:17 AM
#171
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06-01-13, 07:35 AM
#172
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Thread Starter
The comparison test between the 2014 IS350 F-Sport, the BMW 335i M-Sport and the Cadillac ATS (Sport Pack) is now online :
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test
GM's MRC is light years ahead of many other companies' suspension system.
06-01-13, 09:57 PM
#174
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The comparison test between the 2014 IS350 F-Sport, the BMW 335i M-Sport and the Cadillac ATS (Sport Pack) is now online :
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test
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