[garymazeffa]

I would like to hear back from my follow members regarding James Healey review of the E90 in the USA Today of May 12th. He calls the new 3-Series as "sour to view" & "uglification". He states that "it looks especially bad in white, better in silver and dark hues. He continues by saying that the previous 3 was so very nice-looking.

I would agree that the previous 3 was a great looking car but when you put them together the new 3 looks more contemporary and more in tune to today;whereby, the the older 3 looks just that...older.

Please go to: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...12-bmw-3_x.htm

[Nathan]

The guy is obviously an idiot. I do agree with him climbing into the rear seats though, it is small.

The new 3 looks awesome. no doubt

[YYdoodle]

I wouldn't give too much weight to what the guy says (good or bad)... USA today isn't exactly a car enthusiast publication, nor even considered a serious paper in the world of journalism Besides, it's just one man's opinion.

The previous 3 was very nice looking yes, but so is the current 3. Just take a look at the white pics thread in teh photo gallery, it is most definitely not "especially bad" in that color At least he's not complletely off his rocker and agrees with everyone that it's one mean driving machine :rocks:

[Athos]

I think this is a fair review and I agree on most points. Obviously, I disagree with him on looks but that is a subjective issue anyway. He's entitled to his opinion and I think it's good that he put it out there. I can't stand namby-pamby reviews. This way we know where the reviewer stands and can decide accordingly. I agree with him on the back seat. I was also glad to finally see something on gas mileage.

[DHC]

Yeah, the ne'er-do-wells on another E90 message board were claiming some sort of victory now that the great arbiter of taste (USA Today) has spoken.

I usually ignore reviews on movies, restaurants, etc. because I like to make my up own mind. In my opinion, the E90 is a fantastic car to look at. Even better to drive.

Can't wait till mine has arrived (mid to late June?). If anyone were to come up and say, "what an ugly car!" then I'd simply respond, "I love it ... have a good one".

[mfstout]

I wouldn't call the e90 ugly. It's definitely different. I actually don't see the car as an evolution of the 3. I think it's an entirely different car. I'm still on the fence on the design. I like the back, part of the middle, but I still find myself hating the front. Somehow the car as a whole still doesn't work for me on the outside. The inside's fine, nice, refined. The ride is awesome. I think the article was fair, it is just one opinion after all. But I will say that this is the first article I have seen where someone was less-than positive on the looks and I appreciated the writer's honesty. To me the car just isn't anywhere near as refined on the outside as the e46. Just my opinion.
I wish they had just turned the 6 design into the new 3. I think BMW had the answer right in front of their noses and they decided to make the 3 different for change's sake. I hope it sells well. I love the product from a driving standpoint. I just think it's a bit absurd to claim you're creating great designs when half the people who see them hate them. Great design usually speaks for itself. I think this new 3 design still needs some work.

Drive fast.

sparky

[deutschmann59]

If this guy thinks the new 3 is ugly, I'd love to see what kind of car he considers nice.

[garymazeffa]

I agree, the rear seat is still a tight fit. One has to remember that despite all of the press regarding this car being larger and wider, it is still only 178 inches in length.

I do know this regarding the style. I have taken the new Bimmer for a test drive on three occasions ( I am waiting for the x drive in the fall). Each time it turned heads on the highway with one person coming up to me at a convenience store to admire the car.

If Healey wants to witness ugliness all he needs to do is to view the new Audi 4 & 6 series. The front grills on those cars look like they are from the Mel Brooks production of "Spaceballs".

[peakpro]

I agree with the review. It rides great but it is ugly.



Many posters have similar feelings.

[peakpro]

Originally Posted by ncoutinho

The guy is obviously an idiot. I do agree with him climbing into the rear seats though, it is small.

The new 3 looks awesome. no doubt

There are allot of doubts.


It lost a poll to the new Lexus 300 based solely on looks, on the car and driver website.

There are heated debates on many chat rooms and BB's.

It is just not grabbing the long time BMW buyer.

I find it bloated and boring.



.

[peakpro]

Originally Posted by garymazeffa

I agree, the rear seat is still a tight fit. One has to remember that despite all of the press regarding this car being larger and wider, it is still only 178 inches in length.

I do know this regarding the style. I have taken the new Bimmer for a test drive on three occasions ( I am waiting for the x drive in the fall). Each time it turned heads on the highway with one person coming up to me at a convenience store to admire the car.

If Healey wants to witness ugliness all he needs to do is to view the new Audi 4 & 6 series. The front grills on those cars look like they are from the Mel Brooks production of "Spaceballs".

the audi grill is awful...too bad because it's not a bad car otherwise..

[Nathan]

When i first looked at it, i found it pretty fugly and boring. However, after it grew on me, and after i saw it in person a couple times, and not to mention taking the wheel and driving it hard, I became a believer.

Its definitely looks much better than what we all thought BMW might do to it. That said, there are a lot of better looking cars on the road; trying to beat the BMW handling is another question.

[Armen52]

I predict the E90 will be a phenomenal success because or despite its looks. I don't think the car's length is such a factor in rear-seat room as the headroom is. If my heads hitting the headliner over any tiny bump do I care if my legs are feeling less than comfortable?

Honestly not all of the new BMW designs sit well with me. I think most of them are so close to being the great designs they could have been but they fall short just a bit.

That said, I respect BMW for striking out and trying something new and different. Most cars on the market today are so much like other cars that the whole thing is now boring and totally uninspiring.

Sure some of the BMW designs won't be perfect. But there is no arguing that age-old saying "The greater the risk, the greater the reward." Nobody is really taking as much risk with their designs as BMW is today. Audi isn't doing much besides that big grille, and only a couple cars from other manufacturers strike me as anything a little new and different. In the long run I think it will pay off.

[JBOO]

Unlike the 7 and 5 series who received (and still receive) negative press for their styling, the majority of reviews I have read on the new 3 (other than USATODAY) have been positive towards it styling. As with the 7 and 5, it's bound to turn off some of the BMW tradionalist, but will be a sales success nonetheless.

[garymazeffa]

The 7 has been updated and looks more "together". The 6 looks absolutely beautiful. At the end of the day, BMW sales are up substantially along with profits. So much for the critics. GM & Ford wish they had a similar problem!

[frothboy]

The first time I saw the e90 I was not sure what to thinki. Its different. It grew on me very fast. I loved the e46 and in my opinion the e90 is better in every way. I knew I had come full circle the other day when I saw a fully loaded e46 330 parked next to a e90 325 and the e90 was much better looking. Obviously Mr Healey is not a BMW guy, but to call the e90 ugly is stupid.

[Athos]

Like most of us on this board, I love the way the e90 looks. But I think it's ok for Healey and others to say they think it's ugly. They're just stating their opinion--which is good in a review. Someone can be critical of the looks of a particular model and still appreciate BMWs in general.

[voltron1011]

I remember reading a review about the new Acura RL. When the author pulled into a gas station, he got many positive remarks from people on how good his new Honda Accord looks.... If I am shelling out that kind of dough for a car, I don't want it mistaken for a car that costs 2/3 the price.

[a burrito]

that guy doesnt know what the hell hes talking about.