I don't take their top 10 rankings seriously , just like I don't take MT's choice of Camry as their Car of the Year seriously . . .

 

What's the difference?? Defects are defects??

 

And my point is....
Evitzee says C&D picks cars after driving them for only a couple of weeks and doesn't have to live with breakdowns...
Gene says - BMWs have decent long term reliability per JD Power
You say - Not so per CR
and I say "but wait, CR likes the 3-series and actually recommends it"
and you say "That doesnt' mean it is a CR top pick"

and now we are completely off topic......So to summarize my thoughts...and end my discussion here about the 3-series.....

Gene's point is valid - the 3-series is not the long term POS that Evitzee and many here on CL try to make it out to be and even JD Power and CR agree.

 

The 3 series is the king of POS. It is simply pathetic in every aspect when compared to the G35 and TL-S.

 

You need to explain a statement like this if you want to post it.

Especially since it is false on so many levels.

 

Agreed. There's no way the aging Accord is better than the new Camry.

But as we all can see from this 10 best list, C&D heavily favors what is the
better DRIVING car. The one that is usually sportier feeling. This is why the 3series is the king of C&D's 10 Best.

 

The new Hyundai Sonata, IMO, outdoes both the Camry and Accord in value per dollar, and ( now ) has build quality comparable to them both.....though it handles less crisply than the Accord, and therefore is probably not quite as far up C & D's desirability list. I helped a co-worker find and buy one last weekend....this car is unbelievable in what it gives you for your money.


The 3-series, I agree, ( even the Chris Bangle one ) IS the King of sedans if you consider steering feedback and chassis dynamics. Its steering system is wonderful.......but apart from that, I see little reason to buy one. I reviewed a new 325i last year and was not terribly impressed outside of the steering.

 

Have you driven a 3? From my experience, it is far from being a POS let alone the King of.

I have a number of colleagues and friends with various 3 series and I have heard no complaint about reliability. These are people who have lived with them over periods of 3-5 years.

I am no defender of BMW generally, but they are not POS.

My Toyota, in comparison, is a bucket of bolts compared to my friends' 3 series. I have had continual squeaks, vibrations since new and, in typical style, the Toyota dealerships pay my complaints scant interest. Even this circumstance I do not regard my Camry as a POS, just somewhat plauged.

 

The latest Consumer Reports 2007 New Car Preview is now in circulation. It shows the latest overall reliability data for BMW...the 3-series, 5-series, 6-series, and Z4 are all average. The X5's past record appears to appears to be slightly below average, but since the vehicle is newly redesigned, no prediction is made. The X3's record is also below average. The 7-series ( no surprise there ) has been far below average for several years...one of the worst vehicles in CR's database.

 

I had a brand new 2004 545 and that thing was a nightmare It cut off on me twice while i was sitting at stoplight, rear bulb went out, rear defrost quit working and last but not lees my radio continue giving me problems all this happen in my 2 year lease.

 

No way? Maybe you can expand on that?

The new Camry has new sheet metal. So what? That doesn't make it better.

 

 

The Accord is better built and more reliable. Camry is having a ton of problems.

 

The new Camry is completely new from the ground up. It doesn't just have a new body. I think the Accord is a great car (not necessarily great looking though), but the Camry has 4-5 years newer engineering and design.

The Accord may be more fun to drive but I wouldn't give it much else over the Camry.

 

The Camry is certainly having it's share of first year problems but it isn't a "ton" of problems. Toyota will no doubt work these issues out and the
Camry will return to the reliablity its known for.