Mike, if there's a Bentley manual for your E90

(There is Porsche content)

In January, I bought a certified 2011 BMW and I wanted to share my thoughts - thought actually - because it is the same or similar everyday.

Every morning, I open the door, slide the key fob thingy into the key fob thingy holder, push the start button and the BMW turns over. I am immediately bombarded with about 10 chimes, gongs and go-go lights on the dashboard. To this day I have no idea what they are for.

I back out of my driveway. Put the car in gear and step on the gas. Mostly - nothing happens - then whoosh all the power hits and I am off all herky jerky, like I just learned to drive clutch. (The BMW is an automatic).

I turn down my street and the BMW rumbles along like a big flaccid lump of ....

and I think to myself how lucky I am........

THAT A BOXSTER IS IN MY GARAGE and I WILL NOT HAVE TO DRIVE THIS THING IN A COUPLE WEEKS.

Porsche. There is no substitute.

No joke.

I totally agree. One button per task is much better ergonomically than having one knob like iDrive where uou have to work your way through menues to complete a simple task.

You shouldn't have to take your eyes off the road just to turn on a stereo, adjust temperature or turn on a bun warmer.

but the basic ergonomics are bad enough.

I feel like i am driving a great big heavy laptop rather than a car. In fairness, I have not taken a 3+ hour drive yet. Maybe it will grow on me.

The problem might very well be that I am spoiled. I suspect so. How can I settle after driving nirvana?

JM
It will get easier over time; we have an 08 328i--very few options-- and it has run like a clock for 60K miles (knock on wood).
The for first few months the plethora of small buttons seemed a bit overwhelming but it does get easier after a while.

Likes:
Enough power to get around, the manual gearbox is very light as is the clutch. Steering seems very direct and connected with the Conti SSR
RFT's but the ride suffered; Conti DWS tires will replace those soon. Quiet, great gas mileage and roomy enough for our needs.
After 6 years this car still looks very contemporary--styling wise.

Dislikes:
DIY repairs are are disliked by BMW, given how little info there is in the manual about doing basic maintenance, repairs on simple stuff get very expensive--just price getting a new battery; I cringe at what a major repair might cost.

You'll find it's worth its weight in gold.

Mine is well worn from my various adventures, stem to stern, as was that for its predecessors - two E36's.

R

Thanks for the tip, Roger--I'll see what's out there.

Not cheap, but detail unlike any manual you've ever seen before.

With this in hand, I've successfully tackled many projects I'd not have otherwise even considered.

[www.bentleypublishers.com]

Mine is a 2011.

Mike's is a 2008.

Like his, yours is an E90. The F30 is 2012 onward.

Maybe contact Bentley and inquire -I'd be surprised if the 2011 E90 were substantially different from the preceding years.

An M3 and a 750iL are going to be very different cars. But neither will feel like a Boxster.

And I never expected it to feel anything like a Boxster. But I prefer (I think) my partner's chevy cruze to this thing.

There is too much that is just plain dumb. There is more that is disappointing. The radio in my 1995 Chevy is 3 times better than the one in this car for instance.

My Saab, the one I basically rebuilt to my specs, is a much more enjoyable car to drive. Is it objectively better, probably not. But If I had a to choose a car, I would take the Saab every time. In fact, I have been putting off selling the Saab. But it is 14 years old.

The overriding feeling is weight. I just bothers me. leaving aside the unnecessary electric do-dads. But I worry most that the mechanics on the car will be fine, the electrics are not going to hold up. We will see, i suspect.

Sounds as though you bought an E90 (the 5th generation 3 series - the current being the F30). Reviews of the E90 have always been very positive. The 335i would have given you the power you feel your new-to-you 3 series is missing.

That aside, did you spend much (any?) time in the car before you bought it, as many (most? all?) of the issues you have should have been easily identified at that point.

About the only car (note 'car', not 'truck') in the Porsche line-up that would almost give you the passenger space of the E90 would be the Panamera, which is 'somewhat' more expensive

A 3 series v. a Boxster? Apples and Oranges.

It is an E90.

Power is not the issue. The car has plenty. It is all the collateral stuff. Stuff you don't notice the first week. Like Gongs. Like the self dimming mirror that you can't undim. Stuff like the crappy radio reception.

To be fair, I drove 10 or so cars and disliked all of them - more or less. This car I disliked less than most. It was also the least expensive by a lot.

I require a 5 passenger car to take kids etc. That limits the scope of my search.

For instance, I like the Jaguars, but they were MUCH more expensive. I considered the 2014's - in fact I drove one for over a week but I HATED those - I drove the 2011's several times.

My choice came down to this car or the equivalent Volvo. This car was about $10k less. Made the choice easy.

I understand this is a family sedan. I get that many people would love to have it. I am just happy I can drive the boxster when there is no snow on the ground.

I am sorry that your new (to you) car disappoints you, JM.

I don't know which particular BMW you are discussing, but I've owned an '11 BMW 328iX for 3 1/2 years. Other than its dimensional limits (I feel a 5-series/M-B E-Class/Audi A6 or such would fit our travel needs better) I've been quite pleased with the car. The I-Drive (a nightmare in its original iteration) is much simplified and becomes familiar in a short time. And I find that, for a sedan the car is very nimble and has good performance. The run-flats are not my favorite part of the car, but that technology has been improved to the point at which the compliance is much better.

I will grant that, for their size, current BMWs are heavy. It's a problem that afflicts today's cars in general. I understand that the upcoming 5-series replacement will benefit from an intensive weight-reduction effort.

I do not consider myself a BMW aficionado, but am happy with this car. In 35K miles it's been absolutely bulletproof. I wish I could say the same of my '08 Boxster S, as much as I dearly love it.

With each new generation of iDrive, it has got better and better. The current iteration is acknowledged to be one of the best, if not the best, in the industry.

iDrive, and it's kin, allow the driver to make a vast array of selections that simply would not be available with buttons on the dash or console. Whether we all want or need those selections is another question.

But, in any event, it's where car technology is headed.

Obviously, I'm a long-time fan of BMW, as well as Porsche. I like them both, for different reasons, and I can appreciate each without disparaging the other, particularly when comparing apples and oranges. Maybe I'm just lucky.

It is probably not fair to compare a sports car to a family sedan. But that is what BMW purports to do all the time.

I bet there are a lot of cross shoppers.

"Other than its dimensional limits (I feel a 5-series/M-B E-Class/Audi A6 or such would fit our travel needs better)"

You're right on the money, Bob. I am SO disappointed that BMW NA is not importing the 5 series wagon. Audi, too has stopped importing its A6 wagon into NA.

Which leaves the E350 wagon, the most likely replacement for my current 5 series wagon. I do NOT want to replace my car a truck, or SUV, or whatever euphemism is currently in vogue..

I've driven the F30 model, Roger, and definitely prefer my E90. While there's more power, the "Twin Four" lacks the sweetness of my inline six. And the shut-off/restart is annoying. I'd hate to have to keep defeating the function every time I got in the car.

As you said, the Boxster and BMW are apples and oranges, not comparable.

Many reviewers feel the E90 has a more 'connected to the road' feel than the F30. I've driven both, and agree. Having said that, if I were compelled to choose between them, I'd probably take the F30 - a little bigger, and a somewhat more refined ride (our roads here are in terrible shape).

I agree entirely about the twin-scroll turbo inline-4's lack of sweetness. See my post here:

[pedrosboard.com]

I wonder if the stealer could permanently turn off the start/stop 'feature'. I think I've read it can be done.

I've got a 986 S and a BMW E92 (328Xi coupe), so I'm qualified to comment. IMHO, I own them each *because* they are so different: For highway driving I prefer the BMW, super comfortable and great for long drives. If I'm feeling playful then naturally I'll want the Boxster, but I find both cars to be exceptional. It's kinda like bicycles- different machines for different conditions and uses,

I've spent a good bit of time in the new 3 series, which is 'objectively' better in most every way, but absolutely no fun. Worst part is the steering... zero on center feel (compared to the E92), which might be because of the electric steering, or just the geometry BMW choose. Honestly the car felt like an Accord (horror!) . BTW, I've also driven the 981, and found the e-steering to be just fine, so I'm sure BMW's choice of 'feel' (or lack thereof) was deliberate, not an unintended consequence.

Good luck with your cars!

The dealer advised that it can be disabled. He said that in the first two minutes in the car. Because that was a dealbreaker for me.

Other things that bothered me were the turn signals, the joystick gearshift, (in the 5) the electric e-brake, the fact that I could not operate the car at all without 10 minutes of instructions.

I liked the feel of the 4 as compared to the 6. I could not tell you why. For all I know, that car had been warmed up more or something spurrious. The other problem is that the dealers had loaded all the cars. I wanted to pull stuff out, but that was not readily available.

Unfortunately all cars are moving in this direction, driven by environmental and safety requirements (not bad reasons, at least). Unfortunately the implementation sometimes leaves something to be desired: everything's going turbo because turbo motors have fuel efficient 'elastic' capacity, while electronic accessories are now common to reduce parasitic losses to a minimum, along with raised hoodlines to improve pedestrian safety. 'Embrace change!'

It is not a wagon, it is a hatch, but it is bigger than a 5 series.

I would have considered it, except it had the joystick control that I absolutely hated. I am no fan of the I-drive either, but that is a different matter.

I would not keep one of those even if I received it for free. Perhaps the stick would be viable?

In any event, do not discount that hatch next time you go searching- assuming you can deal with the interface issues.

You're right - the 3 GT is a contender. I've been in it, but haven't driven it.. It's quite a bit longer, and higher (including the seating position) than the 3 sedan and wagon, but not wider. It's said to have backseat legroom approaching a 7 series.

The 3 GT luggage area has slightly more volume than the 3 wagon, but because of the sloping hatch, practical utility may be less. Neither the 328i wagon, nor the GT, offer the interior space of the Merc E350. Of course, the E350 is more expensive and offers even less feedback to the driver than the 328i wagon or GT.

The electric steering in the 5 series has been hugely criticized by the automotive media. I've driven it and was equally disappointed. By comparison, the electric steering in the 3 is superb. You and I agree that the E90's mechanical steering is better. Porsche got it right with the 981.

I drive an E39, widely regarded as the pinnacle of driver involvement of the various generations of 5 series. For that reason, I've spent a fair bit of coin and a LOT of time keeping it in excellent shape. It's been no mean feat. And it won't live forever.

You're right - the 3 GT is a contender. It's longer (including wheelbase) and taller (including the driving position) than the 3 sedan and wagon. Backseat legroom is said to approach that of a 7 series. Although the 3 GT has slightly more luggage volume than the wagon, the former's sloping hatch will reduce practical utility somewhat. The 3 GT provides a reduced driving experience when compared to the 3 wagon (F31).

Merc's E350 offers substantially more interior volume, but less feedback to the driver than the 3, although superior to the 5.

The electric steering in the 5 series has been widely regarded as almost disastrous. I've driven it and was equally disappointed. In contrast, the F30's is considered very good. Your E90's mechanical steering is superior. Porsche nailed the 981's electric steering.

My 5 series is an E39, considered by many as the pinnacle 5 series driving experience. For that reason, I've spent a lot of money, and a lot of my time, keeping it in excellent condition. But it won't live forever.

Unfortunately, you're not going to see wagons in the BMW and Audi any time soon. SUV's are the "in" vehicles which outweighs the fact there is more carrying space in a wagon. On a number of occasions, people have commented on just how much room tnere is in the back of our 328i wagon. Even had comments about how sporty it looks. People just don't buy them because they're not SUV's.

Electronics are just what people want. Have you watched Ford commercials? It's all about being able to check your text messages and emails.

Few people really care about driving anymore. Just get me there. Drive for me. Shift for me. Brake for me. Watch the lane for me. Keep me in touch with my 500 "friends and followers".

Guenter, BMW currently offers a 3 series wagon, and Audi offers the A4 Allroad, I've driven both, and prefer the 3.

I'd prefer the 5, or an A6 wagon, just because for that type of car, I like something a little larger.

I think that BMW may no longer offer a manual transmission in its wagon. I know Audi doesn't.

You're right; for wagon money, people can buy a sport-ute. For the vast majority, that's a no brainer - they want the truck. I prefer something that handles like a car because it is a ...car.

I think this also rings volumes on why BMW's reliability is not what it once was. Way too many things that can fail. If I recall correctly, each front seat in the 7 series has 22 motors in them to make adjustments. That's 44 possible things to go wrong, not including heating and cooling that most seats now have. Who knows how many different systems each of those ten bongs and chimes is checking. Let's hope you never find out when one day you hear only nine.

Oh, and by the way, my 997's pdk is pretty herky jerky on cold startups in automatic mode. Once the car is driven and warm, however, it is just dandy, even if I stop to run an errand. Upon restart, it's a-okay.