Re: <E46> 330i power increase for 2003?

["Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greg,

There haven't been any announcements yet regarding displacement increases or 
power increases for the 3-series.

As far as choosing between a 3-series BMW or one of it's competitors, it 
depends on whether you choose to select a car based on spec sheets, or based 
on the driving experience.

Car and Driver compared some of these cars to the BMW, (it's not on their 
website yet), and selected the 330i as #1.  And, SURPRISE!, even the staid 
reviewers at Consumer Reports have rated the 3-series and 5-series BMWs as 
Best Buys.  The fact that BMW can still build a "driver's car" and appeal to 
the mainstream says alot for BMW's development.

It also depends on what you want in a car.  Not everyone can appreciate the 
qualities that make a BMW "a BMW".  With all of the technical advancements 
that the Japanese manufacturers have made, and even Mercedes and Audi, they 
still haven't captured the FEEL of a true driver's car the way BMW has.

But then, your driving needs and desires will determine whether you can 
truly appreciate a driver's car.  Not everyone can, and it's not a bad thing 
whether they can or not.

If you drive the Acura TL-S, Nissan Maxima/Infinity I35/Altima 3.5, Lexus 
IS300, and only see a price comparison and/or specification comparison, buy 
the car with the specs and/or price that appeals to you.

BMW's biggest deficiency is their support network.  The quality of their 
dealer network varies widely, and most people include their service 
experiences when they judge the overall experience with a manufacturer.  
Lexus spends more time than any of the others to insure that the service and 
dealer experience is better than the others, and the ratings show that 
they're successful.

If BMW could get this right, they would certainly steal business from their 
competitors.

My $0.02...

- -rb

>
>Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 22:25:07 -0400
>From: "Greg Stapells" <gregs@domain.elided>
>Subject: <E46> 330i power increase for 2003?
>
>Hi everyone,
>
>I'm looking at trading in my '96 328i on a new 2002 330i but was
>wondering if I should hang on a few months
>for the 2003 models.
>
>I took out a 2003 CL-S 6-speed, and, while not quite the car the 330i
>is, that 260HP engine is something.  It
>seems everything out powers the 330 (Maxima, Altima, CL-S, TL-S. etc)
>and thought perhaps the bimmer is
>due for a nice power boost to remain competitive.
>
>So, does anyone have any info on the 2003 3-series?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Greg


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