We’re currently visiting family in South Africa. Arrived in Johannesburg and picked up a 320i rental and then drove 6 hours to Durban. Car fully loaded with four of us plus luggage. Nicely specced including sunroof, comfort access and numerous other options with only 6000km on the odo, and the latest curved screen drive. Impressions: Comfortable, capable, efficient, great auto gearbox (very responsive), good handling and ride, spacious. Easy to live with daily. Good looker too in M Sport trim. And quality build, no signs of cost cutting at all. B48 engine very responsive and capable. I’m not a fan of the new Hex digital speedo and rev counter. The idrive is not anywhere as intuitive as the previous versions. Thankful for Apple CarPlay that meant I don’t need to mess about learning my way around the native Idrive environment. I’m not against touch screen at all and ok with even climate controls being embedded in it. But just cannot gel with the speedo and rev counter. I miss little things like the econometer, and the analogue linear characteristics of the previous dials. Even the previous fully digital idrive version I feel is better and easier to live with. This is just tech overload and unfortunately it dilutes the driving enjoyment. I cannot help but feel it’s no longer the Ultimate Driving Machine, but instead the Ultimate Tech Appliance now. Traditional BMW traits are being eroded in favour of tech, and the cockpit is no longer one that feels familiar to me. With the loss of the 6 cylinder sound I’d have hoped the tech would make up for it (certainly that’s BMWs intention) but I can’t help but feel the all round package is just simply a good looking car, solid, well built, practical, fast enough. I’d have this versus anything from the competition. But it just does not excite me at all. Something is missing. It is absolutely not representative of BMWs traditional mission of the Ultimate Driving Machine. Forgetting the M5 and trying to be more than fair in my criticism, even my F20 118i excites me more despite its simplicity. Anyway it’s great for long journeys across South Africa, so will enjoy it for what it is. BMW is doing absolutely the right thing catering for the mass market to remain profitable, it’s just that old fossils like me who value the BMWs of old are very much in the minority now.
I think the lack of steering feel in modern none M car BMW's is the biggest failure of the group. No doubt the chassis and handling are still great but BMW have not perfected electric steering feel in the same way a manufacturer like Porsche has. It is this to me that really needs attention to recreate that BMW feel and therefore driving pleasure from generations ago.
Agreed and should have mentioned that. Yes no feedback at all in the steering. Although I like the steering wheel thickness and design.
Ah, I've fond memories of a road trip with my wife (who is from SA) travelling from Joburg down the N3 to Durban, back in 2008. We detoured to the Drakensberg on the way then stayed in Umhalunga, and a few years ago I had a week in Balito, lovely. South Africa constantly blows my mind, such a beautiful country. It's got ridiculously expensive compared to how it used to be though, comparatively speaking inflation has been even worse than the UK. That said you can still get a decent steak and chips in Spur for £10, which is not bad going! I see the 320i is in classic South African white, which to be fair given the weather out there is a sensible choice, even as a private vehicle.
View attachment 12161 Exactly the route and destination we ended up. Umhlanga is great, and eating out is still cheap by British standards. We rented an Airbnb on the beach with stunning views. Tomorrow we leave Umhlanga for Johannesburg so a 6 hour trip through the Drakensberg and so lots of twisters to test the car’s capabilities. Then a week spent with our JHB family and lots more eating out before jetting ourselves home. Hoping the wet weather abates and I can soon get the M5 out from winter hibernation. View attachment 12161
A nicely specced hire car you have there. Interesting feedback on your experience with the newer G20 car, I can agree with some of this having had a previous G22 and now the G21.
Sounds great, enjoy the drive! I'm very lucky as my wife's brother in law is the manager of a private game reserve up in the Bushveld, so we are treated to this sort of thing on a regular basis. Quite different to life in the UK! Around there every second 'car' is a bakkie (pick-up), with most being either a Hilux or Ranger, which to be honest would be my choice too given the roads!
Ha, very good. Sadly it does feel like all car companies are putting screens first rather than the car. Maybe to appeal to the bigger spending demographic of the millennials who are the next generation of new car buyers, rather than do anything that appeals to the pre 2000's crowd i.e. me. I know one of the BYD's have a fancy rotating central screen... oooooohhhhh arhhhhh. Why? what for? Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.
