Re: You drive a car, not a magazine..(m) (archive)

Frankly, if you're obsessed with 0-60 times and out and out accelleration you would probably do better buying a Imprezza or an Evo anyway. It's the whole package that matters. Also on a winding damp road I'd certainly be more comfortable in the 4WD X-type with my kids and get where I'm going quicker than in any rear wheel drive BMW.

A quality reply from a more mature headed person......

maybe that's why you drive an 'X' and why every BMW driver on the road feels the need to race us!

2002 3.0 Sport auto in glorious Emerald!.

Joe, As you noted, there have been almost as many different acceleration figures posted on the X-Type as there are magazines. Each magazine has there own testing procedures and testers. The fact is, we operate our cars for a much longer period of time than any of the journalists. In each report, they publish both subjective and objective comments. Even the objective numbers (0-60, braking distances, etc.) wind up being different because of the techniques used, the particular cars loaned by the manufacturer and maybe even the mood of the tester (and possibly the advertising budget). They all try to provide, each by different methods, the maximun performance numbers for a given car. Your X-type, or mine, might be capable of pulling numbers that are better or worse because of manufacturing tolerances. How much of what is printed pertains to the real world? I guess it depends on whether you try for the fastest 0-60 times and slam on the brakes each time you stop the car. The fact is, for the majority of people, they drive their cars nowhere near their car's limits. I suspect they reach their own limits long before they get close to their car's limits.

In the end, performance means something different for each individual. Even if 2 different brands of cars were tested and the numbers were exactly the same, each cars dynamics would be different. That's what gives different brands their character. Some BMW loyalists prefer the harder edge to a BMW 3 series, some prefer the softer feel of the 5 Series. Who's right? I suggest both are. The same can be said for the X-Type. It feels different from either a BMW 3 or 5 series. It does not feel like an Audi, even with Quattro. Choosing any of these cars for purchase has to be based on the individual's preference for the car's dynamics. I would suggest that in our normal driving, we can accelerate and stop just as quickly in any of these cars. What we should do is pick the one that most shares the driving feel and design that we prefer. It should be more about personal preference, not merely numbers in a magazine.

Mike

We will have to wait until 2003 to really know for sure. There have been so many inconsistancies with the X it's first year out, five different mags could report five differnt times. My X had a DME upgrade before I took delivery. 2 of my 3 loaner X types blew engines(some help from me). The last loaner I had felt quick...my X I picked up Saturday(finally) does't feel as quick.

Actually, my buddies IS300 feels a lot quicker. And I drove a 330i, and X type (3.0), and a IS 300 in BOTH BMW's ride and drive and Jaguar's and in back to back comparisons, there is now way a 5 speed 3.0 X Type is as fast as a 330i 5 speed. But the X is no slouch...you want real speed, put a bottle of NOS on your car.

Joe

Follow Ups:

[ Follow Ups ] [ X-Type Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.