browellm

LOL, just watched Clarkson on TG. In summary

"If you want to go off-roading....by a Defender.

If you want a car with loads of room in it for transporting kids and stuff, buy the E61.

If you are insane, and I mean clinically insane so that you wake up in the morning and think, 'I am an onion', then buy the X3"

He really is a harsh *******, sometimes.

Doctor Diesel

Right then

Yes the X3 is not quite as well finished inside as an X5 but What the Hell was clarkson on about???

we have a sport 2.5l and the ride is just fine, No we don't plan to "Off Road" but I'm sure the X-Drive will work well in the snow and ice next winter up here in Scotland.

As a family car, it is brilliant, the kids can see out, my wife (5'1") has a higher driving position and can still get in and out easily, bluetooth works, the storage pack is great and the boot is cavernous.

Personally I don't care what JC thinks, we love our X3 and are not about to worry about anything anyone says about it,

on a personal note, I think the seats, leather and a few features like the ENORMOUS sunroof are quite a bit better than my E60

As a family, having the 530d and the X3 makes great sense.


there you are rudy, you knew I'd chime in eventually!

DD

Doctor Diesel

Oh, and by the way, I did once get stuck in an off roader on eaglesham moor above glasgow....it was in a DEFENDER 110....ha ha ha...really!, needed a tractor to rescue us.

on TG, note the range rover also got stuck!!!


In reality, the X3 is a SRV.....School run Vehicle

jonboy

I'm borrowing a Z4 at the moment and have to agree with the point on reduced quality of interior fittings.

Here are some examples.

- Top of dashboard is a black grained surface, not soft touch and very thin, if you tap on the surface it sounds tinny and thin

- inside of the a pillars is shiny hard black plastic, normally a felt material

- top of the sreen where the roof joins is shiney hard black plastic, not even an attempt at soft touch

- lower part of the central transmission tunnel also made of shiney black plastic and is poorly aligned where different sections meet.

- leather on drivers seat (in a 2500 mile car) is badly creased and sagging (know how it feels!)

On the other hand it drives like a hoot, nice and pointy, lovely exhaust rasp and excellent engine ad gearbox combo.

My only thought on this is that maybe for this market sector this is the norm but I still can't help thinking that it detracts from BMW's image.

BTW - apologies to the taste police on this forum but i have sucummed and am having an acs rear spolier fitted - sorry y'all

jonboy

jonboy

re JC on TG

Over recent years JC has developed a dislike of all things BMW (M series aside). He doesn't like the flame surfacing style and has a pre-conception of BMW drivers.

In TG magazine the 5 series fought it out for last place with the Jaguar, behind the A6 and MB. Prime reasons were style and iDrive. However, in What Car the e60 was voted executive car of the year ahead of the Jaguar, A6 and MB!

Sometimes a magazine (and car show) seems to develop a "house" dislike of a brand and it develops into a type of comedy genre - in JC's case though not really funny. I think that it undermines his credibility somewhat. Re the e60, James May gave it the thumbs up - before being verbally abused by JC.

In short I'd disregard JC's comments - he's more vaudeville than serious motoring journalist.

jonboy

ISUK

Hi Joe 540,

I agree with your comments about certain interiors looking better than others (beauty in the eye of the beholder and all that) but if you look at my spec I have the auburn/ black interior. I still think the E39 was way better in terms of quality. A friend of mine just sold a 2000 model year 523i which had the black interior and headliner with light yellow leather and vavona wood. That interior felt really special and had great materials quality.

In the same vein, jonboy I also have a Z4 but it has dream red leather which comes with a grey interior. The grey plastics look great in this car and subjectively the interior feels better quality than my E60.

DocD,if you got stuck in a Defender what on earth were you doing and did the lady in your avatar help to "bounce" you out? I think we deserve to be told

Doctor Diesel

the defender bottomed out on a wee hill, four wheels left off the ground (and a bent rear propshaft!!

it was fun thoug, watching them trying to "bounce" it out......needed a big tractor and a friendly farmer though!.

The nearest my wifes X3 will get to "off road" will be when it mounts the pavement outside the little darlings school along with all the other SRV's