[cobramite]

Originally Posted by Ghasley

Alot of owners choose to drive their cars for what they are, transportation, rather than frequently post. I was active in the specialist circles (e28’s, e30’s, etc) but I have other interests, as do the vast majoirty of car buyers. You are mis-reading my posts. I love BMW, always will…even you might admit quietly that occasionally BMW loses its way. I assure you I’m not living in the past, I just wish BMW would use logic when evolving the product line. Everyone seems to be enamored with sub 5 second 0-60 times in a 5,000lb SUV when its still underbraked, running on runflats and with marginal visibility. You are welcome to embrace all functions through a touchscreen and I love that most functions have found their way into a centralized interface….but come on, HVAC? fan speed?…its unfortunate and less intuitive. Want adaptive cruise? Its buried in a package that isnt necessary.

And lest you brand me as the antithesis to the fanboy, I have multiple X7’s for my workplace runabouts. I dont drive them but once or twice per year and hadnt given the HVAC controls much thought until recently. They are perfect for what I need them to be and I have several more on order, I just wont be the primary driver.

"Sub 5 second 0-60 SUVs"?
I'll take my sub 4 second X6 M60i which is a highly competent, excellent handling and braking vehicle.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by Ghasley

BMW seats have gone downhill…

I also thought this, so I got the multi contour thinking I could make them comfortable for me with the multitude of adjustments they offer. I'm over a year in and have not managed to get comfy on long drives so I cursed the seats.
Then one day my wife and I were in a mattress store talking with the owner about the various foam mattresses being offered today and I asked him how long a foam mattress should provide comfort. He said...well, as you age, your back and body will change long before the foam will give way. I'm of the opinion it is we who change and no longer find seats in cars as comfy as we remember them being.
Case in point, my son has my former e46, I had a chance to drive it again a couple of weeks ago and could not get comfy in those seats. The seats hadn't changed, it was me. My son says he loves the seats and I recall I used to brag about them. Dang, this getting old shit ain't for sissies!

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

I also thought this, so I got the multi contour thinking I could make them comfortable for me with the multitude of adjustments they offer. I'm over a year in and have not managed to get comfy on long drives so I cursed the seats.
Then one day my wife and I were in a mattress store talking with the owner about the various foam mattresses being offered today and I asked him how long a foam mattress should provide comfort. He said...well, as you age, your back and body will change long before the foam will give way. I'm of the opinion it is we who change and no longer find seats in cars as comfy as we remember them being.
Case in point, my son has my former e46, I had a chance to drive it again a couple of weeks ago and could not get comfy in those seats. The seats hadn't changed, it was me. My son says he loves the seats and I recall I used to brag about them. Dang, this getting old shit ain't for sissies!

Spot on.
I've spent my career in orthapedics and can gurantee you that this is true. Someone's favorite chair 30 years ago could very well be torture today.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by cobramite

Spot on.
I've spent my career in orthapedics and can gurantee you that this is true. Someone's favorite chair 30 years ago could very well be torture today.

Sorta like an ex-wife Ohhhh, that was bad, that was very very bad I take it back, I take it back

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

Sorta like a wife Ohhhh, that was bad, that was very very bad I take it back, I take it back

[Ghasley]

Originally Posted by Marty in NY

I also thought this, so I got the multi contour thinking I could make them comfortable for me with the multitude of adjustments they offer. I'm over a year in and have not managed to get comfy on long drives so I cursed the seats.
Then one day my wife and I were in a mattress store talking with the owner about the various foam mattresses being offered today and I asked him how long a foam mattress should provide comfort. He said...well, as you age, your back and body will change long before the foam will give way. I'm of the opinion it is we who change and no longer find seats in cars as comfy as we remember them being.
Case in point, my son has my former e46, I had a chance to drive it again a couple of weeks ago and could not get comfy in those seats. The seats hadn't changed, it was me. My son says he loves the seats and I recall I used to brag about them. Dang, this getting old shit ain't for sissies!

Well said and an excellent point. My e30 and e28 seats were Recaro designed and built, BMW just covered them. I believe the sport seats were functionally identical through the e36. The e46 seats were also quite good. The multi contour seats in my 21 X5 45e were just ok...but the e30 seats remain more comfortable(not going off memory but rather 3 or 4 nice, long drives each year).

I'm not trying to bash BMW, I remain a voluntary fan. I'm just saying that the ethos has been eroded...not that many BMW's were ever going to cross the stage at Barrett-Jackson but they used to make a few cars that should. I'll admit, I'm not the smartest car guy ever...I passed on buying a M1 and instead opted for the e30M3 and the e28M5. I sold my M5 to a guy on the opposite coast from me at the time and backed out on a deal I had made for a late 50's 300sl that Stirling Moss had raced. I like to drive my cars and didn't think I would drive it much. BMW makes alot of cars these days that are solution to non-problems. 0-60 in a heavy suv, within normal operational parameters like navigating through traffic/merging/on-ramps, is pointless. The X5/X6 M60i is a remarkable achievement but its rational purpose is less clear. It isn't a car one would track, stoplight to stoplight has never been of interest, brake fade and tire wear are very real weaknesses if looking at it through a sports car lens and it isn't a highly capable off-road vehicle. Its fine for runs to the slopes or Costco but the excess power is detrimental in inclimate weather as are the rock hard run flats.

I'm sure I'm an outlier but I buy 3 or 4 vehicles each year for personal and business and I'm struggling to see products within the BMW line that are of interest. BMW isn't alone as Mercedes jumped the shark years ago, Audi still builds some cool cars in limited runs, Porsche does too. The X5 will likely be fine for 2025 once they work through the unnecessary and PREVENTABLE LCI debacle.

The XM and IX will be abject failures in the marketplace and mark my words, some manufacturers will take radical financial hits from which they may not recover. Audi/BMW/Mercedes will each take a bath on their all electric lines for the foreseeable future...and thats from a family who lives with an Etron. Great vehicle, never an issue, doesnt look offensive (Ix, Neue, et al) but it is an in town runabout and it excels in that role.

I'm a silent/passive investor in a company (that may or may not ever make a monetary return) that is attempting to commercialise photovoltaic paints. The two major/commercial applications would be for commercial building coatings and automobiles. In beta presently is a test mule(painted with the photovoltaic paint) that the goal is to recharge (obviously in direct sunlight all day which also has its challenges) the vehicle batteries with enough solar power for about 50 miles of range while its parked during a typical 8 hour day. Its a long way off from achieving that goal (by a factor of 10) but its going to be necessary in conjunction with building out the charging infrastructure nationwide, which has its own set of very difficult hurdles.

Back to the main point, other manufacturers are building reliable, interesting cars each year and BMW seems to be missing some opportunities...especially when it comes to reliability and when it comes to missed opportunities, I don't believe BMW has or will be building a pure hybrid. For at least the next 10 years, that's going to be the vehicle that the market is screaming for. Sure, a plug in hybrid works for me (home charging nightly, etc, etc) but over 50% of the population are renters with little to no opportunity to recharge at home. In the meantime, BMW doesn't offer an electrified pure hybrid alternative. The Japanese and the Koreans do and yet the high line German brands seem to think the leap from ICE to electric doesnt have an intermediate step. Its going to be interesting to watch how the automotive industry evolves and some massive mis-steps are emerging before our very eyes.

[cobramite]

^^^^^Sorry to hear that my new X6 M60i has "no rational purpose" and is loaded with weaknesses.
Pretty sure BMW knows a good bit more about product development and marketing than you do.
Hater gotta hate.

[Ghasley]

Originally Posted by cobramite

^^^^^Sorry to hear that my new X6 M60i has "no rational purpose" and is loaded with weaknesses.
Pretty sure BMW knows a good bit more about product development and marketing than you do.
Hater gotta hate.

LOL...not hating on anyone's car choice. No doubt BMW has brilliant product development and marketing talent. I never said your X6 is loaded with weaknesses but it is loaded with compromises. Heavy vehicles eat brakes and tires...the hybrid version on the same chassis, driven "rationally" defeats one of those shortcomings (my 21 X5 45e was still on its original brakes at 60,000 miles).

I'm not a BMW hater but I'm not a BMW apologist either. The X5/X6 has been a solid profit center for BMW for a couple of decades now and its a shame that the LCI hasn't gone smoothly. Had it gone well I would still be driving the X5 50e. I didn't say your X6 M60i has no purpose, I said no rational purpose. Less than ideal cargo efficiency, compromised visibility are a couple of areas where it could be better but its a cool car. Enjoy it.

[LDT]

Originally Posted by Ghasley

LOL...not hating on anyone's car choice. No doubt BMW has brilliant product development and marketing talent. I never said your X6 is loaded with weaknesses but it is loaded with compromises. Heavy vehicles eat brakes and tires...the hybrid version on the same chassis, driven "rationally" defeats one of those shortcomings (my 21 X5 45e was still on its original brakes at 60,000 miles).

I'm not a BMW hater but I'm not a BMW apologist either. The X5/X6 has been a solid profit center for BMW for a couple of decades now and its a shame that the LCI hasn't gone smoothly. Had it gone well I would still be driving the X5 50e. I didn't say your X6 M60i has no purpose, I said no rational purpose. Less than ideal cargo efficiency, compromised visibility are a couple of areas where it could be better but its a cool car. Enjoy it.

"The LCI hasn't gone smoothly" I hate to break it to you but for every problem listed on Bimmerpost there are thousands of happy drivers who have problem free LCI vehicles and have no clue that this forum even exists.

[The Libertine]

Originally Posted by swainbmw

Not to bash you, or criticize your judgment that’s like going from a Q8 to Q5 Both really nice cars but just much smaller the macan is very over priced . I would’ve stuck with the. X5 Not to mention the ridiculous pricing on service and maintenance

While I enjoyed my X5 I actually wanted something smaller in scale and more nimble. Also, the X5 was a few months shy of its warranty expiring, and I traded it in at the height of the post-Covid used car market and got one heck of a deal.

Yes, Porsche service pricing is higher; however, the trade off is a far superior ride and handling.

[Ghasley]

Originally Posted by LDT

"The LCI hasn't gone smoothly" I hate to break it to you but for every problem listed on Bimmerpost there are thousands of happy drivers who have problem free LCI vehicles and have no clue that this forum even exists.

Perhaps if they wisely elected to purchase the 40i or the 60i rather than the 50e. That doesn't rule out the other CEL issues communicated to me by the service manager, overwhelmed by the quantity of problems he and his team are trying to address or the lack of transparency between BMW corporate and the dealerships. I love BMW's and they will get the issues sorted...just a little sad that the BMW to which we have all been attracted brought something to market before it was sorted. You've got cars "bricking" for their new owners in just a few hundred miles. That's inconsistent with BMW's hard earned reputation.

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by Ghasley

LOL...not hating on anyone's car choice. No doubt BMW has brilliant product development and marketing talent. I never said your X6 is loaded with weaknesses but it is loaded with compromises. Heavy vehicles eat brakes and tires...the hybrid version on the same chassis, driven "rationally" defeats one of those shortcomings (my 21 X5 45e was still on its original brakes at 60,000 miles).

I'm not a BMW hater but I'm not a BMW apologist either. The X5/X6 has been a solid profit center for BMW for a couple of decades now and its a shame that the LCI hasn't gone smoothly. Had it gone well I would still be driving the X5 50e. I didn't say your X6 M60i has no purpose, I said no rational purpose. Less than ideal cargo efficiency, compromised visibility are a couple of areas where it could be better but its a cool car. Enjoy it.

"LCI hasn't gone smoothly" really?
A few guys on a forum report a glitch here and there and that gets translated into some kind of a disaster, BS
WTF do I know as a fool who bought a BMW SUV with "no rational purpose", more troll BS.

[hotvee]

Originally Posted by LDT

"The LCI hasn't gone smoothly" I hate to break it to you but for every problem listed on Bimmerpost there are thousands of happy drivers who have problem free LCI vehicles and have no clue that this forum even exists.

Each case is individual. Not all of these thousands of happy owners have well-built cars. Some of those who are not happy simply do not go to the forum and get rid of the car in the first months of ownership, and some do not attach importance to the little things. The fact is that many problems are quite common. Therefore, each path is individual. My experience with the G05 has brought me more headaches than pleasure behind the wheel, in my case it's a real rattling machine, with crap paint, burrs in the welds that make noises and tons of warranty claims, due to which I drove the loaner for 3 months out of the year since the car was under repair awaiting the replacement of various spare parts, such as the steering wheel column, sunroof drive, cv boots and much more. Plus, some functions in BMWs are just poorly engineered, such as ventilation and seat massage. Adding to this that the number of complaints about LCI is apparently even greater than about the preLCI (my local dealership service has become overloaded since the spring of 2023), plus very controversial interior and exterior solutions, as well as trims simplifying for the US market, no matter what anyone says, I’d rather try another brand than give BMW second chance.

[cobramite]

Lots of LCI hate here, sounds like a few who can't afford a new one so they sheet on the party.

[swainbmw]

I typically get a new car every 10,000 miles this time around and I have several friends that have lci I will be sitting out buying the LCI for at least two years Regardless of my mileage, which probably will be around 30,000 no buying problem here just don’t wanna live at the dealership in a service loners did that for 15+ years driving range rover drove more service cars than I did my own car. So I’m smart enough to read between the lines when people post problems they’re not lying they’re telling the truth because their cars are living in the service department that tells me stay away from them till they sort their problems out.

[Ghasley]

Originally Posted by cobramite

"LCI hasn't gone smoothly" really?
A few guys on a forum report a glitch here and there and that gets translated into some kind of a disaster, BS
WTF do I know as a fool who bought a BMW SUV with "no rational purpose", more troll BS.

Troll BS? A glitch here and there?...there is a 20+ page thread on the CEL debacle. I saw the number of X5's and X6's waiting their turn to get fixed at the dealer last month. The helpless looks on the faces of the service writers with whom I have enjoyed spending time and appreciated the great service over the years...its palpable among those on the inside. Do I hope BMW solves it quickly? Absolutely. Will they? Absolutely. But to brush it off as a glitch here or there is disingenuous. Its a real thing....ask your service manager at your dealership.

I don't know how to more clearly communicate to you than I already have that I love and admire BMW, they just aren't playing to their potential presently. One of us is on the right thread "After BMW, which car did you buy".

[LDT]

Originally Posted by swainbmw

I typically get a new car every 10,000 miles this time around and I have several friends that have lci I will be sitting out buying the LCI for at least two years Regardless of my mileage, which probably will be around 30,000 no buying problem here just don’t wanna live at the dealership in a service loners did that for 15+ years driving range rover drove more service cars than I did my own car. So I’m smart enough to read between the lines when people post problems they’re not lying they’re telling the truth because their cars are living in the service department that tells me stay away from them till they sort their problems out.

Beautiful X5

[swainbmw]

Originally Posted by LDT

Beautiful X5

Tks I’ve really enjoyed the Matt Black also she just turned over 10,000 miles and zero trips to the dealership.for Mechanical problems

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by Ghasley

Troll BS? A glitch here and there?...there is a 20+ page thread on the CEL debacle. I saw the number of X5's and X6's waiting their turn to get fixed at the dealer last month. The helpless looks on the faces of the service writers with whom I have enjoyed spending time and appreciated the great service over the years...its palpable among those on the inside. Do I hope BMW solves it quickly? Absolutely. Will they? Absolutely. But to brush it off as a glitch here or there is disingenuous. Its a real thing....ask your service manager at your dealership.

I don't know how to more clearly communicate to you than I already have that I love and admire BMW, they just aren't playing to their potential presently. One of us is on the right thread "After BMW, which car did you buy".

"helpless looks on the faces of service advisors", give it a break Pal. You are so full of crap it is coming out of your ears.
You "clearly communicate" your disdain for BMW here on an enthusiast forum. Do you really think you are going to persuade anyone to not buy a new BMW.
Get a life.

[Ghasley]

Originally Posted by cobramite

"helpless looks on the faces of service advisors", give it a break Pal. You are so full of crap it is coming out of your ears.
You "clearly communicate" your disdain for BMW here on an enthusiast forum. Do you really think you are going to persuade anyone to not buy a new BMW.
Get a life.

I'm unemotional who purchases whatever. I still own several BMW's so I naturally want them to do well, to carry on the tradition of excellence.

You seem to be a little wound up that anyone could ever consider that something might be amiss. I dont have any skin in the game and I'm not trying to convince anyone to do anything. I have other cars so I'm not advocating for anyone to buy or not buy a BMW. I was just commenting on this thread, which I assumed was for those who bought something else...

[eelnoraa]

Ghasley & Marty in NY

I am with you guys on the seat for sure. My favorite seats are in this order: E82 sport seat > E36 sport seat (vader seat) > E39/E46 sport >> G05 sport seat.

Oh and that steering, modern F and G BMW hold no candle to E, night and day kind of degradation.

And I still have E46. E39, E82 with me. Comparison to G05 isn't memory vs present. It is back to back, present vs present. Even my wife, whose daily driver was another E82, she said X5 steering is Mercedes steering

[Inspector Detector]

I had an 2013 X5 that got totaled a few months ago because of a fender-bender that ended up costing more than the car’s value. While I wasn’t really ready or wanting to purchase a new vehicle I was sort of forced into it. I looked at Porsche and Mercedes SUVs, but ultimate came back to the X5 50e. I just love it. I was sort of hoping for a Porsche because I wanted something different, but when I compared everything from the other brands the X5 just seemed to give me more bang for my buck. I’ve had the car for 3 weeks and I love it. I especially love the plug-in ev part (especially with gas prices nearing $7/gallon here in Los Angeles at the moment).