I test drove the 3.3T G70 sport last month and even wrote a brief review of my experience. The fact that I am choosing to spend my money on a G20 over that car means the G20 is the better fit. My biggest gripe with the 3.3T was the lack of rear leg room, the 3IS feels like a midsize in comparison. I don't buy my cars based on journalist reviews, these people have their own agenda to which I am not privy.

I test drive a car first and form my own opinion. G20 330I M Sport wins for me, the power is adequate for my daily commute, it drives better and is significantly faster than my 3IS with better ergonomics, tech and surprisingly great gas mileage. My current car gets really bad gas mileage and it is a slow car. Lastly, I hope to become a dad in the near future so having a car that can accommodate an adult and an infant seat in the back was of paramount importance in my selection.

 

True, the G70 is not designed for large families...but then, most people who look at vehicles in this class neither have large families, or are expecting a Chevy Suburban.

Congratulations. Is your wife expecting? Best of luck in her pregnancy.

In that case, I highly recommend Alex Dykes (Alex on Autos). Although his reviews are usually quite lengthy (25-30 minutes), he does not have a personal or political agenda when he does them, only a long, thorough, and complete description of the vehicle from stem to stern, and its manners on the road.

 

See, I think this is what people in the thread were looking for. Choosing a 3-series over a G70, for the right reasons, is more than cool. Having been in a few BMWs over the years, I totally understand the appeal. And I personally haven't had any seat time in a G70 - though I did get to peek at one in the mall.

I do think it's unfair to rule out the BMW solely based on price, especially when lots of incentives are sure to be coming if not available already. And the space is something I'd appreciate as well. The IS's rear seat is essentially the same size as the new G70, and it can be tight for tall folks. Since, at the office, I am often the driver when my team goes to lunch, it'd be nice to know people are not going to kick the crap out of my rear seats as they get into the car. I can live with the smaller rear seats though, since that's maybe a once-a-month affair. Mostly it's just me and my wife in the car.

Anyway, rambling aside, I would be curious about that review of yours - need to go track it down.

 

Penny pincher Huyndai fans love to critique more expensive cars and people that buy these cars. Guess what, the G70 is not better than the 3 series, it's just cheaper. The 3 series offers a lot more than the Huyndai and is well worth the price premium. Sales numbers reflect this.

 

Disagree. The G70, in the American market, is only a few months old. It has not been on the market long enough to seriously challenge the traditional 3-series domination of that market. But, as word of the G70's excellence spreads, it is likely to pick up some more sales.

One must also remember that today's 3-series is not the superb, enthusiast-oriented 3-series of 10-15 years ago (the old-school 335i, even with iffy build-quality, was probably the best and purest combination of ride-comfort/handling and steering feel/response I've ever sampled in a RWD/AWD vehicle). But, today, the steering system, suspension, and general road manners are noticeably different.

 

100% agree. All performance measures are in favor of the 3 Series.




Not relevant. You are stuck in the past with all the past trends and all the past cliches.

 

I never got to drive any other 3 series except for the last generation and this new one. I test drove one three years ago before I got my IS and I didn’t like the way it drove and didn’t like the interior at all. I have never been a big BMW fan and never even thought about a 3 series this time around but figured I would stop in since the dealer was right near the MB and Audi dealer. I didn’t even know the new model was even out and it just happened to be the first weekend the dealer got a few M340’s in. I can’t compare it to the old BMW’s you speak of but it was an easy pick for me and my wife when we test drove it against the MB and Audi based on the overall package. My wife didn’t even want to consider the BMW until I convinced her and her thoughts were the same.

My my only regret is not treat driving a model 3. I likely wouldn’t have picked it because I don’t like the ergonomics or interior but it would give me a good idea of what it is all about.

 

Of course the 3 Series is going to outsell the G70, Genesis doesn't even have dealerships to sell them. And the Model 3 was outselling the 3 Series when it launched last year so the Model 3 is now the people's champ. A lot of fake news on the forum these days. /s

I am rolling with the M340i though. When it comes to BMW, no M, no care. Even if it is a fake M. Haha.

 

That kind of sums it up. My sister had a 3 series, last gen, she got out of her lease...purchased something else. She will never go back.

 

Knock off the personal commentary please

 

It is very much relevant. it is not merely my opinion, but a fact that BMW made significant changes in most of its new-generation of models...changes that affected the road manners and driving feel. I say "most", because it does not necessarily mean that all new American-market BMWs are radically changed.

If I was stuck in the past, I would not be driving a 2018-model vehicle LOL...though, admittedly, there isn't that much on the market that I really like today.

 

15 years ago is not today.

 

To your second paragraph, respectfully I do see things quite differently.

When we think back about old cars, we tend to look at them through rose tinted glasses and what we remember tends to get obfuscated by the passage and fog of time.

Most of us haven’t driven an E46 or E90/92 and then *gotten right into* say an equivelent G20 and taken the same drive under the same conditions. And furthermore, there’s a tendency to extol the virtues of the then top model, and use that as the lens through which to judge the current base models.

The modern car is safer, has to comply with much more onerous safety, emissions and mileage requirements and expectations, and it will generally deliver a much greater level of ultimate performance than the older cars we all remember fondly.

There’s an additional dynamic in play too, and that’s the quality of the competition. To stay on the BMW topic, the 15 year old 3 series cast itself into a market where audi was still a niche player, where MB was churning out mediocre cars and dealing with the Chrysler mistake, and where Lexus still focused on its legacy values and customer. The old 3 was a great car, but it stood out as much due to inept competition as it did on its own merits. Similarly, the E39/E60 5 series were absolutely superb cars. So much better than the then E Class and A6

Fast forward to today. The Germans pretty all make superb cars. Lexus has genuinely excellent cars with legitimate sporting aspirations not always genuine credentials. Evan legacy US automakers have recent product that doesn’t disgrace. The rising tide has floated all boats.

It’s not nearly as easy and obvious as it once was to pick a standout, but that doesn’t diminish how much better modern cars can be than their older siblings and older cousins.

If you drove say an old M Sport 335 - and weren’t prejudiced as a current owner of the older car - and then drive say an M340i my expectation is you would indeed be shocked by how much better one car is than the other.

And it wouldn’t be the one you might think going in.

 

And I respect your opinion.

Quote:

The old 3 was a great car, but it stood out as much due to inept competition as it did on its own merits.

I wouldn't necessarily say inept (particularly with the 1Gen Infiniti G35 or the 1Gen Lexus IS300)...but, yes, I agree that most of its completion was simply not in the same ballpark.

 

This is a great post. BMW today is not BMW of yesterday, even the slogan "The Ultimate Driving Machine" is no longer used.