Due to the broken moon roof, heavy steering and couple with an engine that’s somewhat “unfriendly” to the automatic transmission (covered in part 1: ) I’ve decided to take the BMW 328i back and switch for another car after one week. I called Enterprise up and they told me the only equivalent car they have at the time is a Volvo S60. Given that I’ve never driven one before I decide to make the switch so I ended up with a 2009 steel gray Volvo S60 with a black interior and about 5000 miles. Following is the summary of my impression for the car:

Exterior: Given that the S60 is at the end of its production cycle (2009 being its 9th year for the current generation) so obviously the car looks dated. However, the styling is unique enough so even after a pathetically long production cycle it still stands out in its own Scandinavian distinctive way. Paint job although is nothing to write home about but yet not bad by any means. This particular car has four gazillion-spoke chrome wheels that makes me want to puke my brain out but with other wheel options such as the one in the picture it is actually a somewhat handsome car, perfect for young executives/professionals in their early 30s.

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About two weeks ago my car was sandwiched while waiting at the light, someone decided I must have been moving because “my brake light is off”… Hey idiot, ever heard about the concept of PUTTING THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL? Just because my brake light is off doesn’t automatically mean that I am moving! Anyways, long story short, both the front and rear bumpers of my car were damaged so the insurance company got me a loaner from Enterprise while my car was in the body shop.

How I got the 328i from Enterprise you might ask… Well, the rate I was given is for a premium class car but lucky for me they ran out of premium cars on that day. Due to company policy they have to upgrade me to luxury which means I got the only luxury car on the lot, a 2008 black on black BMW 328i with about 25,000 miles. Following is the summary of my impression for the car:

Exterior: Well, there really is nothing to write home about the 328i’s exterior styling. Given that this is a base model so it comes with standard halogen headlight, which means no BMW angel eyes, bummer… Also, since this is not a sport package so the standard issue 16-inch wheels are at all four corners. I’ve stated before that I am not a fan about BMW’s paint job in recent year and this one is no exception, orange peel is very noticeable on this car given the black paint. It’s really not a surprise to me since I’ve noticed visible orange peel on BMW’s much higher end models such as 7-series and M6. Overall the styling is plain, inoffensive but very suitable for the class’ best seller, it is just like a Honda Accord in the entry level luxury sedan segment.

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I have to say that there is nothing awfully exciting right now or in the near future for me. If I absolutely must have to get a new car within the next 12 months here are some candidates:

Acura TL – SH-AWD + 300hp is inviting but the size a bit too big for my taste. 300hp would not be “enough” to offset the added weight by SH-AWD, something like 330hp is more desirable. Oh by the way, not to mention the ugly new front and rear styling, huge turn off…

BMW 335i – A very possible replacement candidate as long as I can overlook the interior styling. Oh and if I do get one I’ll make sure I lease it instead of purchase it.

BMW 335di – More expensive than the petrol 335i and not much (if any) performance gain.

BMW 135i – Kind of expensive for such a little car, the one in my liking would be around $43k… Also, it is 2 doors short for being ideal

Infiniti G37 – I’ll definitely consider this if something happens to my IS350…

Lexus IS250/350 C – Thanks but no thanks, weighs too much, not enough doors and performance isn’t as well as the sedans.

Pontiac G8 GT – I am really liking this car right now, a poor man’s 5-series at around $32k loaded. The only downsides are the gas-guzzling V8 and its GM heritage, not to mention that Pontiac is on its way and that doesn’t sit too well with me…

Based on the list looks like I’ll be driving my current ride for a long time to come.

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The word that often associates to the German interior styling is “subtle”. Personally I don’t know what the definition of “subtle” is in a dictionary without actually looking it up but based on many German cars’ interiors I saw I wouldn’t be surprised if “subtle” can be defined by the word “bland”. In my opinion it’s one thing to have the interior looking clean, ergonomically sound and “subtle” but it’s a totally different thing if the interior looks dated, 20th century and “bland”.

When I was car shopping back in March 2006 my final two choice were the Lexus IS350 and BMW 330i. 330i has the handling advantage but the IS won out on styling (interior and exterior) and acceleration. Granted it wasn’t much of a contest between the two back then but even after test driving the new 335i I am still convinced that I would still make the same decision if it was 335i vs IS350 instead of 330i. Why? I just couldn’t get pass on how bland and outdated the 3-series interior looks like. Kudos to BMW for making such an awesome performance machine but at the same time they’ve really bombed on the interior design.

As for the Audi interior, I honestly don’t know why there is a consensus that Audi is the benchmark. I had an 2.0T A4 for 2 weeks and the interior of that thing is nothing to write home about. Material use is above average but not class leading, fit-and-finish is good but same as its counterparts, then here comes the styling. Although I know styling preference is very subjective but I think I can still tell the differenence between subtle and bland…

Bottom line, bland is NOT subtle and when the newer model has a more oudated interior than the one it replaced (E46 vs. E90/92) then there is a problem…

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I took my lightly-modded (Eibach Pro-Kit springs) IS350 to the track back in April, 2008; the followings are my observations, thoughts, and of course, the pictures:

1. At a short track like Street of Willow with many turns and short straight aways, high horsepower cars (like mine) have limited advantages. The real “kings” are those nimble and tossable cars like MiniS, Evo, WRX, Civic, and S2000.

2. The paddle shifter on my car works better than I expected, I was able to toggle between 3rd and 4th gear around the track “almost” like a car equipped with real manual tranny.

3. The IS350 is a worthy car on the track at hands of an experienced driver. My instructor (Sherman) took my car around the track at an amazing pace, some of the stuffs he did were pretty amazing and I’d never thought were possible. He operated the paddle shifter just like a real manual tranny and much to my surprise he said he actually like using it! Maybe those auto editors should talk to Sherman next time before they decided to bash the IS…

4. Even with the Eibach springs, there are still too much body roll in my opinion. So before I take it to the track again next time I’ll try to get the strut and sway bars installed.

5. The stock brakes on the IS350 performed superbly, it never faded.

6. The stability system (VDIM) on the IS350 was very intrusive. At one of the turns if I carry too much speed into it, the VDIM will go active and cut off the gas. It was very annoying but later on I’ve learned to adapt my driving according to it. On the other hand, I think IS350 is a very safe car to take to tracks because it is impossible to spin out due to the intrusive VDIM. There were numerous times I could easily spin out but was saved nicely by it. I thought about using the “paddle dance” to have it disabled but decided against it due to my inexperience.

Update: Since the track day I have installed the F-sport sway bars (front & back) and F-sport intake to the IS350. I intend to take it back to SOW either late 2009 or early 2010 when a new set of tires are installed so stay tuned!

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Last but not least, here are the pictures:

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It is the common knowledge within the automotive industry as well as the auto enthusiast community that the 3-series is getting softer with each generation. Thus there are critics from the auto publications and the so-called “purists” claiming that it has lost the “soul” (whatever that is…).

Personally I don’t think the 3er is “falling” per se, it is just that the competitors are getting better so it really doesn’t stand out that much anymore compare to say, 10 years ago.

Let’s see who were 3er’s competitors back in 1999:

• Audi A4 (the closest one in my opinion)
• MB C-class (luxury yes, handling… didn’t stand a chance)
• Saab 9-3 (what’s that again?)

Now fast forward to year 2009:

• Acura TL/TL SH-AWD (arguably the best FWD car up to date, the SH-AWD version can give the 3-series a run for its money handling-wise. If one can get past the looks then this is a great value)
• Audi A4 (still a formidable and worthy challenger, although getting fatter with each iteration)
• Infiniti G37 (need I say more? It’s probably the best value in the whole automotive industry)
• Lexus IS350 (this car is one pedal and couple more inches for rear seat away from being perfect)
• MB C-class (getting better with each iteration)

Now this just makes you go… Wow, how the time has changed!

Source: http://autos.msn.com

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Went to the Audi performance driving event several months ago so I had an opportunity to drive the A4 3.2 Quattro on the infield track at California Speedway in Fontana as well as its competitors (328xi, IS250 AWD and C300 4Matic). Overall I have to say that I am not impressed by the new A4 at all.

The interior material quality is no longer class leading, both the Lexus and Bimmer have better quality materials. Fit and finish is still top notch but which one isn’t in this segment? Okay, maybe not so much for the Infiniti…
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