[thedean786]

Congrats BMW 3-series.....

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/30/s...list-revealed/

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by thedean786

Congrats BMW 3-series.....

For the 17th straight time

[UltimateBMW]

As expected. Viva le Dynasty!

[scollins]

Ummmm, that's "Car & Driver's 10Best", not MotorTrend......

I just received my copy today. Also in this issue is the "Sport Sedan Shootout" between the BMW 328i, Infiniti G35, Cadillac CTS and MB C300. All had manual transmissions too. The winner? The BMW 328i of course! The MB came in last, the Caddy in 3rd and the G35 in 2nd.

[ChineseGuy]

Malibu is in that list?....cause of fuel efficiency or what?

ps. i wonder why G37 not in there

[18LLC]

Originally Posted by ChineseGuy

Malibu is in that list?....cause of fuel efficiency or what?

ps. i wonder why G37 not in there

because 335 not there?

[ChineseGuy]

Originally Posted by 18LLC

because 335 not there?

what you mean?

isn't the 335 included too? it says 3 series...

[!Xoible]

Originally Posted by ChineseGuy

what you mean?

isn't the 335 included too? it says 3 series...

but why isnt a 335 there? jk

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by ChineseGuy

Malibu is in that list?....cause of fuel efficiency or what?

ps. i wonder why G37 not in there

Cause it's an overrated pos. Drive one for yourself. It's better than the G35, but it actually isn't all that much cheaper than a similarly equipped 3 Series/C Class, and that's a problem, considering how easy it is to see where Infiniti made the cost cutting moves.

[ChineseGuy]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Loyalist

Cause it's an overrated pos. Drive one for yourself. It's better than the G35, but it actually isn't all that much cheaper than a similarly equipped 3 Series/C Class, and that's a problem, considering how easy it is to see where Infiniti made the cost cutting moves.

haven't drive one yet, but i've seen those reviews that us e90post'ers wrote...something about it handles far better than the 335? thought that's enough to make the list...

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by ChineseGuy

haven't drive one yet, but i've seen those reviews that us e90post'ers wrote...something about it handles far better than the 335? thought that's enough to make the list...

Well, here's my thoughts on the car after having driven one. It was a 5AT, loaded, sport and all. Visually, I found it lacking. The edges (or lack thereof) make it lack any sort of presence. The only eye candy that I thought was to be found was the front end's headlight and grille design. Other than that it seemed bloated and overweight (the latter is a sad truth). The car was really missing something from the profile view. I've come to believe that it needs some sort of equivalent to shadowline trim or something. The window edges look incomplete and almost cheap.

Anyways, the driving experience was a mixed bag. The car was more refined than, say, it's predecessor, and the interior is nice, but there's more to it. It lacked the necessary torque to give you any sort of sensation in the back. It felt like a lot of noise...all show and no go (still pretty fast in relative terms though). I loved how the Infiniti dealer was so boastful; I played along.

CA "Oh yeah, the Infiniti's laying waste to the competition. Look at all the major mags. It wins in all the categories. It looks hot. It is hot. This thing is selling."
Me *I was laughin in my head during this* "Yeah, it sure does seem to be like a lot of bang for the buck. Wish it had come out earlier, I think I made to early of a decision with my 3".

I felt like playing along. Wasn't enough to get him to let me drive it by myself, but he was okay with what I did anyways. The transmission responded well, but I think it could've used another gear. The engine noise itself is pure audible sex at cruising speeds lower than 45mph, but it still sounds rough, or rougher than the 3's inline 6 at speeds greater than that, or if you push it past 4k. I was dissapointed in that.

The interior design is interesting to say the least. There were a lot of buttons, but at least they made sense. A bit too much clutter if you ask me, but functional nonetheless. The steering wheel was just okay. Visually and physically it was just blah. The materials used in the IP were average. The only thing that looked interesting was the "washi-style aluminum". Everything else felt kinda cheap. The gauge cluster looked cheap too, but it tilted as a whole with the steering wheel (which btw is automated in terms of adjustment...nice touch). The purple accents are nothing special.

All in all, the car is a lot of hype. It's a good car, but in comparison to the CTS that I saw at the local Tampa autoshow about four weeks ago, it's no comparison. Close, but no cigar.

[TwiBlueG35]

Just for fun, here is my prediction for the 2009 CAR AND DRIVER 10 BEST List:

BMW 3-series
Honda Accord
Nissan GT-R (replacing Corvette)
Toyota Corolla (replacing Malibu)
Honda Fit
Mazda MX-5
Porsche Boxster/Cayman
Subaru Impreza WRX STI (replacing GTI)
Mazda Mazdaspeed3
Cadillac CTS

I am sure and willing to bet my life that at least two of these ten would be there and I can tell you which two: 3-series and Accord. Car and Driver wouldn't take them off no matter what.

[quagmire]

Originally Posted by TwiBlueG35

Just for fun, here is my prediction for the 2009 CAR AND DRIVER 10 BEST List:

BMW 3-series
Honda Accord
Nissan GT-R (replacing Corvette)
Toyota Corolla (replacing Malibu)
Honda Fit
Mazda MX-5
Porsche Boxster/Cayman
Subaru Impreza WRX STI (replacing GTI)
Mazda Mazdaspeed3
Cadillac CTS

The GT-R will be competing against the ZR1 for the slot next year. It will be interesting to see which hyped upped models will get the spot.