Current: '03 E46 Individual M3 Cabrio, ‘00 E38 740i Sport.
Previous: '05 E46 Individual 320Cd Coupe, '01 E38 Individual 728i, '98 E36/7 Z3 1.9, '98 E36 323i Sport Coupe, '97 E36 318i Cabrio, '05 E53 X5 3.0i Sport, 2010 E89 Z4 S-Drive 23i and '01 E36/7 Z3 2.2i Sport
I’ve said it numerous times and I still stick to what I say, the pinnacle of BMW models where the E46/E39/E38 and E53 models. Pre these models they where working up nicely with impressive models refining them in each generation.
After the above the quality went down hill imho, between chocolate engines and soft interiors it went a bit “I want you to change your car every 5 years” not “I want you to hold onto it until retirement” attitude.
Pointless models for me are mostly the X4, X6 and X7. I understand why they make them but I don’t understand why they make them
The 5 series Gt is a 7 series chassis with a 5 series interior . As most said and it’s very true, they look a bit wrong but they work very well. Drove a 530gt for a week and with dropping the kids off, buggies etc it was an impressive machine to have. Just need to squint your eyes every time you walk past the rear of the car.
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Agree with a lot of that Mr Healy. The difference from E46 touring to E91 was very obvious on build quality. Even the F25 I have now for herself doesn’t quite feel as good as the older cars in some areas. It is fantastic in others.
I actually like the 5 GT lately, especially in Sport. Wouldn’t be a first choice but as a vehicle for carrying around others, it does a great job.
I must go rescue this E46 from its slumber
Completely agree. The E46/E39/E38/E53 were the last cars designed before EU emissions targets became a pivotal focus for car manufacturers.
The additional complexity required to achieve lower CO2 targets added significant cost. This had to be offset elsewhere, with one area being cheaper interior materials. These changes in approach brought about an inevitable drop in reliability of the drivetrain and durability of the interior. To be fair, I expect this has happened across the board with all volume car manufacturers.
For me, I want to pick up a low mileage, E38 LCI before market values start reflecting that this era was the high water mark for BMW.
As for the 5 Series GT, I think it was answering a question no-one was asking. BMW aimed to deliver a hybrid of high-end saloon and SUV practicality but in the US and China, most people in that bracket just bought the X5 or X6. I think BMW learned its lesson, hence why there is now an X model for every series from 1 to 7.