[boostm3]

Anybody check out the Jan. 18 issue of Car and Driver? Im ready to trade in my subscription.. This issue is the much vaunted '10 Best Cars of 2018' issue, and theres not one 2 series, 3 series, or M car on the entire list of contenders.. The 5 series gets a nod, but doesnt even make it beyond the first week.

Moreover, the highly media touted M2, in comparison to the RS3 and the A5/S5 in the Ride Sharing article finishes 3rd! All they talk about is how the Mighty BMW has fallen, and loses out to MB and Audi, and a host of others.

You get the feeling that BMW must have snubbed their efforts at obtaining timely samples to test drive or something in order to be so summarily banished from any favorable comments.

What is going on between BMW and Car and Driver? What's the real reason the bromance ended?

[MightyMouseTech]

Maybe there is something wrong with BMW?

[ORIGIN M.]

No reason to renew...

They clearly were not paid enough.

You have to wine & dine CD or you are not at the forefront of their minds.

Originally Posted by boostm3

Anybody check out the Jan. 18 issue of Car and Driver? Im ready to trade in my subscription.. This issue is the much vaunted '10 Best Cars of 2018' issue, and theres not one 2 series, 3 series, or M car on the entire list of contenders.. The 5 series gets a nod, but doesnt even make it beyond the first week.

Moreover, the highly media touted M2, in comparison to the RS3 and the A5/S5 in the Ride Sharing article finishes 3rd! All they talk about is how the Mighty BMW has fallen, and loses out to MB and Audi, and a host of others.

You get the feeling that BMW must have snubbed their efforts at obtaining timely samples to test drive or something in order to be so summarily banished from any favorable comments.

What is going on between BMW and Car and Driver? What's the real reason the bromance ended?

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by boostm3

Anybody check out the Jan. 18 issue of Car and Driver? Im ready to trade in my subscription.. This issue is the much vaunted '10 Best Cars of 2018' issue, and theres not one 2 series, 3 series, or M car on the entire list of contenders.. The 5 series gets a nod, but doesnt even make it beyond the first week.

Moreover, the highly media touted M2, in comparison to the RS3 and the A5/S5 in the Ride Sharing article finishes 3rd! All they talk about is how the Mighty BMW has fallen, and loses out to MB and Audi, and a host of others.

You get the feeling that BMW must have snubbed their efforts at obtaining timely samples to test drive or something in order to be so summarily banished from any favorable comments.

What is going on between BMW and Car and Driver? What's the real reason the bromance ended?

It is just their opinion.

That being said, I think this opinion is not just limited to Car and Driver. Times have changed, BMW has changed and BMW's competition has improved tremendously.

The m3 is a good example. It used to be the benchmark car that the competition strived to beat and always fell short. The M3 was always the best drivers car. Today, the market is filled with so much competition and companies are easily outperforming the m3 in stats and price.

I am a die hard BMW fan and while I like the m2, m3 cs, and m4 gts, I am not lusting for anything in the current line up. Pre-2013 I could name many cars I wanted. So while people will be buying the m2 competition and the next Gen m3/4's, Ill be hunting for my dream e46 m3.

[Z K]

BMW still makes a few good cars but they're falling behind against the competition. Anything without an M badge is pretty much not worth mentioning.

Numb controls and a more disconnected comfortable ride increases sales to non enthusiasts but dilutes the brand for car lovers.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by Z K

Numb controls and a more disconnected comfortable ride increases sales to non enthusiasts but dilutes the brand for car lovers.

Why pay the price premium for an overpriced Camry.

[boostm3]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Why pay the price premium for an overpriced Camry.

C'mon now.. Seriously!

[vinylengraver]

Just last night I watched a documentary on Amazon Prime Video depicting hundred years of BMW history.
It is pretty amazing how in the past the company used to stand head and shoulders above the competition.
Their cars and their business model were templates others were striving to follow.
And now? Seems as though competitors have caught up to them and surpassed them in many ways.

Before I posted this, I re-read C&D's instrumented review of 2013 135is.
The title of that article was: "Last of its breed"...
So true... so very true...

[stevenvillatoro]

Human beings rarely cease to be "sky is falling" doomsday theorists. Yawn.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by vinylengraver

Just last night I watched a documentary on Amazon Prime Video depicting hundred years of BMW history.
It is pretty amazing how in the past the company used to stand head and shoulders above the competition.
Their cars and their business model were templates others were striving to follow.
And now? Seems as though competitors have caught up to them and surpassed them in many ways.

Before I posted this, I re-read C&D's instrumented review of 2013 135is.
The title of that article was: "Last of its breed"...
So true... so very true...

But there's a bigger point here. The 1-series is the last car that BMW engineered before the Germans, as a car-making culture, fell out of love with driving.

R&T April 2013.

[jpdchicago]

Magazine reviews are heavily based on advertising revenues. Check the number of ads from GM, Ford and Chrysler and it should give you an idea...
True for all printed press.
BMW is getting record number in sales. Does not seem to hurt them.

[Z K]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Why pay the price premium for an overpriced Camry.

This is true... but many people will pay up to get the BMW brand on their Camry. That's what most people want - the same ride with a premium badge on the front.

A lot of my non-car friends who used to complain about BMWs being too uncomfortable or too loud now rave about the X3 and X5... I guess BMW is doing a good job.

[boostm3]

Only 2 things I really dont like about my '18 M2:

1) not a fan of fake cabin noise (ASD)

2) More important to me is I really am not a fan at all of the dead, feelingless, fakely stiff steering feel. I havent driven the competition, but are all of them steer by wire with the same basic feelingless feel?

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by boostm3

Only 2 things I really dont like about my '18 M2:

1) not a fan of fake cabin noise (ASD)

2) More important to me is I really am not a fan at all of the dead, feelingless, fakely stiff steering feel. I havent driven the competition, but are all of them steer by wire with the same basic feelingless feel?

BMW seems to be particularly bad at electric steering. Drive an S2000 or NSX and you will see what electric steering can be.

[vinylengraver]

If you watch those two promotional videos in sequence, you will know why this is no longer the car company it used to be.
They are both for the 1series. The "old" and the "new"

[boostm3]

Originally Posted by jpdchicago

Magazine reviews are heavily based on advertising revenues. Check the number of ads from GM, Ford and Chrysler and it should give you an idea...
True for all printed press.
BMW is getting record number in sales. Does not seem to hurt them.

THIS!!

Sounds like the old payola system where record companies had to pay for air play on am radio.. Hate to see it in the automotive media, but no doubt you are right. There's got to be a 'reason' as to why the M2/m240i, a last year 10 best winner didnt even get a mention this year.. Say what you want, but the car certainly doesnt drive worse than last year when it was everybody's cup of tea, nor has the competition so convincingly overhwhelmed it in 1 year's time.

PAYOLA!

[boostm3]

Originally Posted by vinylengraver

If you watch those two promotional videos in sequence, you will know why this is no longer the car company it used to be.
They are both for the 1series. The "old" and the "new"

Uhm, one was for the 1M; the other was for a 1 series sedan.. I dont think many of us wonder why the marketing may differ between the two, and its got nothing to do with the company's vision changing.

Does Chevy market the vette or camaro the same way as the malibu?

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by jpdchicago

Magazine reviews are heavily based on advertising revenues. Check the number of ads from GM, Ford and Chrysler and it should give you an idea...
True for all printed press.
BMW is getting record number in sales. Does not seem to hurt them.

Originally Posted by boostm3

THIS!!

Sounds like the old payola system where record companies had to pay for air play on am radio.. Hate to see it in the automotive media, but no doubt you are right. There's got to be a 'reason' as to why the M2/m240i, a last year 10 best winner didnt even get a mention this year.. Say what you want, but the car certainly doesnt drive worse than last year when it was everybody's cup of tea, nor has the competition so convincingly overhwhelmed it in 1 year's time.

PAYOLA!

I work in advertising and while it does play a role in this, they cannot skew the figures. Cars are out performing BMW in performance, price and value. Its a crazy time to see Mustangs and Camaros beating the m3 in lap times. BMW owners only defense is "does ur mustang have as nice of an interior, or X tech etc. etc. " which are all claims the m3 did not brag about. The m3 was never supposed to be a premium luxury package which BMW has been turning the //M Badge into an emblem of.

BMW is doing very well at catering to the mass audience and is always promoting record sales. You cannot argue that. But their success at catering to the mass audience in many regards is coming at the expense of the enthusiast audience. I dont understand why it has to be one or the other as I feel many brands, particularly Ford is doing a terrific job at releasing models which check both boxes both with their trucks and their cars.

[stooker]

Dude, you’re putting a lot of stock in C&D. It’s worth just a bit more than the toilet paper next to it in the restroom at work, and I’m surprised you actually subscribe to it. If you are a die hard BMW fan who gives a shit what they think?

But it’s true, non-M BMWs are so boring now. They have crammed so many models into the lineup it’s hard to even keep up anymore, and the future only promises to shoehorn even more in there. This just waters down the attention they need during development and the lines between the different series are more and more blurred as they continue to have cars share parts and systems across series lines. Even worse, following recent news, even the M badge is going to get watered down quite a bit in the near future.

Hate to break it to you, because you seem to yearn for the heyday of the brand. That’s long gone, but there’s nothing wrong with being a die hard fan by any means. Just don’t fool yourself and look for validation of the brand’s worth in waiting room carmagazine reviews and monthly sales numbers. Like BMWs for the reasons you like BMWs. Don’t worry about what the others say.

[ShocknAwe]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Why pay the price premium for an overpriced Camry.

Camry might even be more engaging than many of the cars in the current BMW lineup. X5M is probably the best BMW makes right now. Talk about losing focus.

[aajjcc]

1 series SEDAN?

xD

[boostm3]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Camry might even be more engaging than many of the cars in the current BMW lineup. X5M is probably the best BMW makes right now. Talk about losing focus.

With an M2 out there, not sure how you can say this. Maybe in the rest of the model lineup, but the M2 and M240i belie that statement.