BMW’s biggest selling model range, the 3 Series, has been voted the most reliable car in a survey of Britain’s vehicle leasing companies. The poll, which covered the reliability history of nearly 900,000 vehicles in 2008, also revealed that BMW was the most reliable manufacturer overall.
In an historic win over the Japanese car manufacturers who traditionally dominate in reliability surveys, BMW topped the charts in this year’s annual FN50 reliability survey. The BMW 3 Series was the most rated model for reliability, with the MINI hatch and BMW 1 Series also making the top ten, sitting fifth and seventh most reliable respectively.
A few days back we showed you a US version of the X5d today we offer up some more photos of the US spec 335d. A reader of the site, Sean, was able to snap a few shots while attending the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance. The car looks great in white those wheels are spectacular and could be one of the best BMW has released in some time (available only on the 335d with Sport).
In the past we have covered the 335d extensively. Within the next week we should have the official pricing numbers and some other info on the car. If there are any questions you may have in regards to the BMW diesels in general, please ask away. We will do our very best to obtain the answers. Thanks again to Sean for the photos!
Last Thursday the New York Times published a review of the new iDrive. We did not link to it or even acknowledge its existence for several reasons. It was so poorly researched and contained so many falsehoods that we thought we would first like to review it and make some corrections. The thing is, our friend, Jonathan Spira at the BMWCCA was faster to the draw than we were. He made some corrections to the NYT piece and as always he drives home the same points we would.
The latest version of iDrive in the new 7 Series
As a public service, here are five key points where the Great Gray Lady got it wrong, with full clarification.
NEW YORK TIMES: Earlier iDrives were so slow to respond that changing any setting was best performed while the car was parked.
We say: While pre-4.0 iDrive systems set no speed records, this is simply not correct. While the Gen 1 iDrive (as introduced in September 2001 in the 2002 E65/E66 7 Series) was a bit of a laggard, it was also built on a platform that was discarded fairly quickly. Even this system was fast enough to be used when driving; its complex menu structure, however, did slow the driver down—but that is clearly not what The Times had in mind.
Starting with Generation 2 (introduced in the 2004 E60/E61 5 Series), iDrive, while not setting speed records, could not be characterized as slow, either. Subsequent software upgrades provided some improvement in speed, and the Gen 3 iDrive (introduced in March 2007) could even be considered snappy.
For Jonathan’s full public service announcement please click on over the BMWCCA forum here
With people taking deliveries of 2009 models with the new iDrive system some unannounced goodies are being found. The latest and most news worthy is that the system will play DVD movies. The movie will only play when the car is placed in “Park” and the hand brake is on. Not sure how often you would use this but the fact it is available is a plus.
Youtube video from: Ase2dais and his new US ‘09 ///M3
We had heard rumors of what company was producing the new iDrive system software (Becker) but really have been unsure of the hardware manufacturer. Now we know. BMW went to the source their top competitors, Audi and Mercedes Benz, utilize for hardware: Preh Inc.
Preh inc. produces climate control, radio units, and other electronics for current BMW models and will for the future 7 Series. This company has flown under our radar until now but we are very impressed with their product line and overall investment in future technologies.
The biggest surprise in this release is that the new controller utilizes ceramics to add weight and add a sense of coolness to the touch.
It is officially official. The diesels will begin production in November and will be delivered to dealers mid December.
The 335d will have a best in class EPA fuel economy of 23/36 MPG making it the most fuel efficient BMW ever sold in the US as well as the highest rated EPA MPG 6 cylinder engine ever in the US. With 0-60 in 6.0 seconds it is quicker to that mark than the all new Audi A4 3.2 and the MB C350.
I apologize for the delay but this took longer to complete than I anticipated. This is an in depth account of our delivery day at the BMW Welt in Munich.
The overall experience was amazing on many levels. Having completed several deliveries at the previous center this was a huge change. Above you will find many photos with descriptions easily viewed by placing the cursor over “notes”, for larger (though not full quality) photos click here. Most of the photos within the story below are included above but several are from past trips etc. and can be viewed larger by clicking on them. Complete delivery story below.
Due to the current world-wide financial situation BMW will stop production at the Leipzig plant for a week later this month. The decrease in demand and overall global market conditions have made this decision necessary. The closure will occur during week 44, the last week of this month, and will cause a disruption in the production of about 2800 cars. Leipzig produces both 1 and 3 Series variants. The monthly closures will continue until further notice.
On one hand it is a bit disheartening to see how bad the current economic situation has become for this to become necessary. On the other it is good to see that BMW is trying to match supply to demand in order to preserve the residuals of previously sold cars (as much as possible). They are accomplishing this by not offering a lot of incentives to move stagnant inventory. If this will actually work is still up for debate, but at least they are trying to do something. This is far better than just staying the course like many of the other brands did for so long.
Today is the beginning of the Paris Motor Show. BMW will introduce several cars to the world at this show: the X1 “concept”, the refreshed 3, the newly designed 7 and a pair of Active Hybrids (7 and X6).
As the day unfolds we will try to keep you updated as much as possible. The presentation of these vehicles by BMWAG, Dr. Norbert Reithofer and Dr. Klaus Draeger, can also be seen live at 1:45 pm Paris time which is 8:45 am East Coast time. It may also be streamed regularly there after. We also have a copy of the speech for you to view below.
As we have indicated in the past BMW will be introducing several models at the Paris show. The new 7, the redesigned 3, and concept form of the X1. BMW will also be showing off some of their future hybrids; the X6 and 7 series specifically. The increased push for efficiency has begun and expect this to be an additional selling point for all BMW models.
If you have the chance to look over this 70 page guide to the show it is worth the time as it has a lot of great info in it, though much is not geared to our market. It details the new models (again) and explains changes to the other model lines; new X3 versions, diesels being offered in the One series convertibles for the EU, and other mobility technologies. Much of it has been summarized here before but it puts it all in one place in a downloadable format.
Worth noting is that on page 48 it states the new iDrive will be introduced this autumn in the 5 and 6 series cars but once again we are reminded this is for the EU so the states may not see this until later.
You will not see the X1 mentioned but all indications are it will be there!
BimmerFile is dedicated to bringing you the most interesting news, links and reviews related to the BMW brand and it's vehicles.
We believe in the old school BMW ownership experience. We believe in garage nights with a six pack and some friends. We believe in 2002s, in E30 M3s and E34 540s with the 6 speed. We believe in progress in both design and engineering but we haven't lost sight of what made the brand and its products great all those years ago. And yes, we believe in the manual transmission.
We long for the days of the wave and for the days of roll-up windows. Yet we love the gadgets on the inside and the xenons on the outside.
In short, we can't get enough of BMWs. This is BimmerFile.
Sections: Awards, E90 3 Series Nov 11th, 2008 No Comments 
