[BMW_2014]

Ive had the pleasure of driving the last several iterations of the 3-Series, and currently own a 335i (ordering M3 in November).

If you look back in time through all of your old car magazines (I know you still have them), it's amazing how the automotive enthusiasts, specifically those writing Motor Trend, C&D, R&T, etc. have almost flipped on BMW.

In the past, it was literally nothing but praise, "BMW is leaps and bounds ahead..." stuff like that. Now, everyone is pissed at the fake sound in the cockpit, the "crappy" 6-Spd manual, the turbo V6 vs. the Naturally Aspirated V8, the weight, the handling, the looks, etc...

I'm not saying that there isn't a big different between BMWs of old and now, because there is. But I am saying that times have changed... gone are the days you can spend $75K on a sports car and not have it come with certain features. Granted you can buy other cars for much more $$ that come with less, but BMWs I feel have always been about being all around cars.

In addition, there are the realities of Global Warming and Fossil Fuels... in the USA alone, Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards will require passenger cars to average 60 mpg by 2025... you can't do that with a Naturally Aspirated V8.

Steering feel is another thing. YES, the electric steering isn't as good as the old hydraulic... but it is the way of the future. It allows for changing feeling based on driving conditions, varying steering turns lock-to-lock, auto park, etc... Over time, it will develop into a mature technology similar to the old hydraulic. If you remember, back in the day, they said the same thing about switching to power steering...

IDK, maybe it's me, but I think it's about time for people to start giving BMW a break for not being the same exact cars they made in the 1980s-1990s...

Thoughts?????