NEW BMW 1 Serie

Looks nice, like it picked up some styling from the Z3, which was one of the best looking cars of all time IMHO. However, it is a COMPACT car which might be hard to return to after the room of the Prius. BMW has always been good - I had their motorcyles in the 70s and they were the best machines on the road. Prices are a bit steep though.

 

Hmm, looking at the specs

Optional Automatic Transmission (not CVT). DSC, Airbags, Smart Entry/Start, Xenon, Nav System (no mention of Voice Control for it, though they do use the God-Awful I-Drive).

The good Mileage Version has 115 HP.

Sounds about like a Prius, except Worse Mileage, More Pollution and Less Power.

So, that means with those features it will be priced around $25K MSRP right?

Unless they choose to try to undercut the Prius because of it's limitations, and BMWs reliability problems.

Oh, it's Rear Wheel Drive, so be careful in the Snow.

I bet for a price you can get Leather Adjustable Seats, a Sunroof and maybe a Telescoping Steering Wheel. (Well, maybe not for a price, but certainly for a PRICE).

 

Mercedes and Jaguar have already been going 'downmarket'.

Most analysts feel it's backfiring on them.

It's ironic because they did it in fear of folks like Lexus, Acura and even VW eating their lunch in their main market.

However, the result has been that they've diluted the brand cachet, and in fact made it easier for others to reach up into their top end sales.

BMW had resisted that so far, and I was actually kind of hoping they would keep resisting.

Until I see the prices on this puppy, I'm not going to assume they're going for the Scion market. My guess is that this is more of a step up from the Mini Cooper in target audience.

 

The latest issue of Consumer Reports, and every other analysis of Manufacturer Reliability well documents the current failings of European Manufacturers.

They've trailed the Asian Manufacturers for many years now, but this is the first year they've actually fallen behind American Manufacturers in Reliability.

It's something they better fix soon, because they're already losing sales over it, particularly to the high $$ buyers who really expect value for that money.

The best that can be said for BMW is that it's not as bad as Mercedes or VW, which are at the absolute bottom of the barrel in reliability, among all manufacturers.

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As far as Snow, I don't have to drive them, I just have to pass them as they spin or pick up the drivers after they're in the ditches.

As long as I don't have to get behind them for long, it's too darned dangerous. RWD BMWs and Mercedes are VERY common around here, and I spent all winter watching them causing grief for everyone around them.

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Note: The following is in response to a comment Boa8 Edited out.

He asked what the Lexus entry in the B1's target segment was.

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Lexus is a Luxury Brand, they don't do entry level or mass market vehicles. That's what Scion and Toyota are for.

That's exactly my point. When you start taking your Luxury Nametag and putting out entry level vehicles just to capitalize on the name, all too soon your name is no longer associated with luxury.

Jaguar and Mercedes learned that the hard way, and now it looks like BMW may be going down the same road. That's what made me sad.