It's a newish car so nothing can be wrong with it.

[Barry Cade]

The Volvo did 17,000 easy miles and 2.5 years on Premium Pirelli P7 Eco's. Still 3mm on the front and 5 on the back, but all 4 needed changed cos they were cracked to **** Most tyres are lucky to see 3 years now. I get plenty call outs to Runflats- most folk dont even know the air has come out, and I see them when the inner sidewall has disappeared...as in not there anymore.

 

I try hard to like BMW's. They look nice (IMO) , RWD, and most best of all, not an Aldi. But then I drive one and hate them. I can't be the only one who thinks there is far too much rubberyness in the steering and driveline. Then they start to bing and bong and I just get irrationaly angry.

[robinmasters]

How have they managed to wear the edges? All the BMWs I encounter slow down to walking pace to get round corners. 'Ultimate Driving Machine'.

 

...135i...3.0 engine

WHY CAN'T THESE PEOPLE ABIDE BY THEIR OWN RULES? If I was ever put in a position where I had to drive one of these regularly, I'd be down Halfords for some of them stick-on chrome numbers to correct the model number the day I picked the thing up.

[dieselassist]

this thread reminds me of many tales from my mate who is a BMW technician, at a Bimmer dealership; one in particular from a few years ago- customer bought a 3 series- the 1.6 versions, so '316' - it had 16inch wheels fitted when he bought it new from the dealership, n decided soon after purchase to fit some 18in BMW rims, which he bought off the rack at the dealership n had them  fitted - my mate told him in passin the 16's would suit it more...

...back in for his first service he reported some tracking issues, n a knock from the rear n 'scary in the wet'... they checked everything on the lift n found nothing amiss, the mechanics roadtested it n agreed it wasn't that comfortable handling n corning wise n the service advisor suggested refitting the 16's, so the customer brought them in... they refitted these, n reported to the customer all was well, after more road-testing by the mechanics... 

 

...brilliant replied the bimmer customer that's that solved... 'yes - follow me to the front desk so we can sort out the bill'... 'what bill' replied the customer... "...€850 for 9.5 hours of labour'... the customer went white with shock, but as he'd fitted bigger rims to his poverty spec bimmer, all the raodtesting n switching over rims was outside the remits  of a first service'... presumably, he had the car on finance n had to hot foot it off to get the cash, to settle bill, before he could be reunited with his car....

[Urko]

How have they managed to wear the edges? All the BMWs I encounter slow down to walking pace to get round corners. 'Ultimate Driving Machine'.

 

 

WHY CAN'T THESE PEOPLE ABIDE BY THEIR OWN RULES? If I was ever put in a position where I had to drive one of these regularly, I'd be down Halfords for some of them stick-on chrome numbers to correct the model number the day I picked the thing up.

I know but they have been at it for years.

 

In my misspent youth* of racing them with my VR6 (GL model with steel wheels) Passtit estate, I used the badge as a rough guide to my chances - but they started pulling shit like putting 2.5 engines in 323s - you'd think it'd irk the Jormans what with their love of rules (No DIY on Sundays etc) - maybe it's their idea of humour.

[Cheggers]

All new cars are shit...check

All new cars are leased...check

I can have a complete respray and retrim in Elephant foreskin for less than the cost of one repayment...check

 

 

Eyes down for a full house...

 

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

[oldford]

Parked next to a 2014 BMW 1 Series today (nasty things) and spotted this almost bald front tyre and the other side was just as bad. Still, the owner probably thinks that as it's a BMW and starts every morning it must all be okay so need to worry, not even for the sake of the two small children that are transported in it. I doubt the owner will do anything about it until it goes in for a service or worse, until it's submitted for its first MoT in 2017.

 

I think it's fair to say us shite drivers are far more diligent on this kind of thing.

To be fair on the face of it that tyre looks totally legal to me, I've passed far worse looking tyres than that on a MOT test.

[hauserplenty]

...Hit me...

 

All BMW/AUDI drivers are _________s.

 

[/Mercedes apologist]

 

German cars are not meant to be hot-rodded. Their testing is too meticulous. After all, you get* what you pay for. I believe that edge wear might be due to cost-cutting, of both the suspension and the tires.

 

Not to mention the aggressive driving style that BMW's lend themselves to. It's great, just not my bowl of porridge. At least a Benz comes with turn signals. [/sarcasm]

[twosmoke300]

To be fair on the face of it that tyre looks totally legal to me, I've passed far worse looking tyres than that on a MOT test.

That's very true - some makes of tyre look totally slick but still meet legal limits . A lot of people inc mot testers don't realise that the shallower treads on a tyre ( mainly on the edges ) don't have to meet the 1.6mm legal limit just the full depth main treads .

[beko1987]

I took a look at the cars at work the other day and my tyres and gareths crv ones are the best I saw, and our cars are prob worth £800 all in!

[rovamota]

To be fair on the face of it that tyre looks totally legal to me, I've passed far worse looking tyres than that on a MOT test.

The wear bars were well into making extra tread!

[rovamota]

Today on Autoshite, in yet another episode of "All modern cars are rubbish ..."

It's nothing to do with whether it's modern or not even though it was on a 2 year old car that's just not safe.

[xtriple]

I can't get this modern mindset at all. No one seems to do anything to their cars at all. No one washes them, checks under the bonnet or tyres or anything. I suppose where I live is a normal street/area now but you need a bit of cash to buy anything round here, expensive houses. The woman next doors tidy 02 Saxo never gets any attention and disappears every now and again for repairs when it's broken again. Once, there was so much bird shit on the roof I went and washed it off myself, not for her, but 'cos I felt sorry for the car.

 

Lass on the other side had an 04 Corsa that sounded like a skeleton having a wank in a tin. It disappeared and has been replaced by a new Peugeot on lease. It has already got a scraped bumper and black rear windows...

 

Another girl up the road has a new Clio on pcp, it has dents and wheel trims missing and looks a right state, but, 'it's only a car innit' she's going to get a shock when it goes back...

 

Lady over the road has a Honda 4x4 thing. 03 reg and she's had it since it was nearly new. The cam chain (I think it's a chain?) snapped the beginning of the year at just over a 100.000 miles. Turns out an 'MOT is a service isn't it?' isn't a good way of looking after cars. It got repaired but the bill was a bit steep.

 

It seems to be at epidemic levels that no one looks after anything; everyone thinks I'm mad for washing my car/leathering it after and always fiddling with it.

[rovamota]

This kind of sums up modern motoring mentality...

https://youtu.be/OUE5fcdBf9Q

[Roverageous]

It sums up modern mentality full stop.

 

I have friends that just don't care about anything they own - or rather the things they have that they don't own and that now seems to be 'normal'. They don't own their house, cars, ipads, phones and it's all ok because they'll just get replaced next year. Hell I've got one friend who always has two phone contracts running because he 'gets bored' of his phone after a year because he wants the latest and greatest.

 

It'll hit them at retirement.

[Squire_Dawson]

It's all a conspiracy to bring in more $/€/£. It always has been. Big business controls everything. As long as the markets can be stimulated and fools made to junk undesirable 'old' crap, the big corporations will be happy. Tyres used to last circa. 30,000 miles when engineers ran things. Old = bad, new = good. If people did not waste and throw away and constantly buy new, the economy would collapse overnight. Hence the so-called 'third world'. People such as Lewis Mumford and Vance Packard were onto this long ago; sadly the people who need to read them the most never do.

[Squire_Dawson]

I forgot to add, those 1 Series look like a shoe.

[fordperv]

Xtriple I agree it confuses the life out of me the whole views on maintenance, the Mil has a 1.2 05 plate corsa which rarely gets washed or cleaned so I just take it and clean it, it gets serviced because I tell her it needs doing she tells me just get it sorted, I will say it's a really nice sounding corsa though because of it, none of that chain rattle nonsense

[Asimo]

That irritating rubbery suspension feel is probably a direct result of the marketing department insisting upon ENORMOUS wheels and very low profile tyres.

To make such tyres bearable at all on a road car, a lot of squashy rubber has to go into the suspension. This is ok when new thanks to very clever engineering but rubber bushes etc wear quickly leading to the squidginess, and probably to accelerated tyre wear.

[mouseflakes]

... spotted this almost bald front tyre and the other side was just as bad

 

It's quite shocking how many cars you see with very worn tyres (regardless of the car's age - though I get the OP's point). I often wonder if I should slip a note under their wiper - not rude or anything, just to make them aware in case they hadn't noticed. But I don't want to get lumped by a disgruntled owner who might catch me at it, so I don't do it.

 

* Saw a car parked up by Gordale Scar a year or so ago (nothing to do with Joe I'm sure ). The threads were showing on one of the tyres. I felt quite concerned for anyone in or near it on the road.

[rantingYoof]

The BMW 118d seems to be the default car-of-choice that nearly everyone I've recently known who's claimed that they are car-hunting has proudly come back with.

 

 

One of these was a 118d convertible.

 

I don't think there's a more horrific car than a bland grey German diesel convertible.

Fortunately I get to walk past a pristine C70 convertible with a blown 2.4 in it every day when I go to work so this is suitable compensation.

[pshome]

A friend at the factory sent me the new 2017 BMW top model wheel design:

 

[twosmoke300]

Can't be ! Not in super cool black or graphite grey

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I can't get this modern mindset at all. No one seems to do anything to their cars at all. No one washes them, checks under the bonnet or tyres or anything. I suppose where I live is a normal street/area now but you need a bit of cash to buy anything round here, expensive houses. The woman next doors tidy 02 Saxo never gets any attention and disappears every now and again for repairs when it's broken again. Once, there was so much bird shit on the roof I went and washed it off myself, not for her, but 'cos I felt sorry for the car.

 

Lass on the other side had an 04 Corsa that sounded like a skeleton having a wank in a tin. It disappeared and has been replaced by a new Peugeot on lease. It has already got a scraped bumper and black rear windows...

 

Another girl up the road has a new Clio on pcp, it has dents and wheel trims missing and looks a right state, but, 'it's only a car innit' she's going to get a shock when it goes back...

 

Lady over the road has a Honda 4x4 thing. 03 reg and she's had it since it was nearly new. The cam chain (I think it's a chain?) snapped the beginning of the year at just over a 100.000 miles. Turns out an 'MOT is a service isn't it?' isn't a good way of looking after cars. It got repaired but the bill was a bit steep.

 

It seems to be at epidemic levels that no one looks after anything; everyone thinks I'm mad for washing my car/leathering it after and always fiddling with it.

 

That's nonsense. Car neglect is nothing new. If it were, 80% of Mark 2 Jaguars would still be on the road. We'd be overrun with 3 million old Cortinas, 3 million Escorts etc. Watch an old TV programme from the early eighties and see the state of some not very old cars. Scrapyards 40 years ago were full of old shit cars that nobody looked after and serious tyre issues were far more common.

 

Regarding the 1 Series - I had one recently for 8 days and 2000 miles, a brand new 118d auto. It was absolutely superb - fast, very quiet at speed, 50 mpg overall, steers and handles like a dream and it had a very good ride too. Brilliant navigation system and a nice well made feel to the whole car. Most cars piss you off on some way, but this didn't. But I am willing to listen to someone who probably hasn't actually driven one.

 

This 'new cars r shit' is bollocks. Face it, if someone else were to pay the bills, we'd all have one gladly.

[twosmoke300]

"Well made feel " designers mission accomplished !

Bmw are no better made than French shite these days but hide it well under blue puddle lights and soft close grab handles

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Not at all although I disagree - IMHO the 1 coupe is the only current BMW that is decently proportioned.

 

The only others I've ever liked were the original 6 series and the 8 series - everything else is either pig ugly (most of 'em) or just really boring (3s and 5s) 

 

It's been out of production for a couple of years.........it's the 2 Series now. Still not much of a pin up, but lovely to drive. A 220d manual, if I could comfortably afford one.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

"Well made feel " designers mission accomplished !

Bmw are no better made than French shite these days but hide it well under blue puddle lights and soft close grab handles

 

Which French car? 

[twosmoke300]

Most of them . The same accountant led design is across all manufacturers now . Profit and image is all . Most bmws will use the same Bosch electrical equipment as most other cars . The same rubbish Bosch sensors with a designed in lifespan .

French stuff tends to get small niggly faults but zee Germans lean towards massive expensive failures . Put it this way, in 4 years of trading I've replaced 4 Audi , two vw and one vaux engine but not one psa . Don't see many beemers in cornwall but of the handful I see one has had to go to a specialist for timing chains/ guides etc on a sub 100k car with massive service history .

[rantingYoof]

Regarding the 1 Series - I had one recently for 8 days and 2000 miles, a brand new 118d auto. It was absolutely superb - fast, very quiet at speed, 50 mpg overall, steers and handles like a dream and it had a very good ride too. Brilliant navigation system and a nice well made feel to the whole car. Most cars piss you off on some way, but this didn't. But I am willing to listen to someone who probably hasn't actually driven one.

 

 

I've not driven any of them and I've no doubt they're deeply appreciated as brilliant machines to someone like you who appreciates the fact they're RWD, handle well and return decent MPGs.

 

The people I'm referring to can spend their money on what they want, of course, but when they do six miles a day commuting to work and back, don't know what FWD and RWD means, and have a generous budget which could easily put them in a decent, if slightly older 330 (petrol or diesel), but have simply gone "NOOO MUST BE NEW AND GET IT NAOOO", I facepalm a bit inside.

 

Someone with criteria of "very comfortable, very safe, lots of toys, practicality is a must" ended up in a poverty spec three-door 116d, when a higher equipped 1 year old V40 would have been better in every conceivable way.

 

What I've realised from this post is that I'm definitely guilty of blaming a car when I should be blaming an attitude more, and I don't know what relevance it has to this thread or anything, so I'll show myself out.

[pshome]

 

This 'new cars r shit' is bollocks. Face it, if someone else were to pay the bills, we'd all have one gladly.

 

 

Give me a 'new' for free and i will sell it the next day to buy something nice 'old'.

No way i will drive a 4 wheeled computer designed to empty my pockets (how well filled they are doesn't matter) and make itself obosolete after a set number of miles or years.

[Urko]

 

That's nonsense. Car neglect is nothing new. If it were, 80% of Mark 2 Jaguars would still be on the road. We'd be overrun with 3 million old Cortinas, 3 million Escorts etc. Watch an old TV programme from the early eighties and see the state of some not very old cars. Scrapyards 40 years ago were full of old shit cars that nobody looked after and serious tyre issues were far more common.

Agreed - there was a lot worse neglect when the MOT was less stringent.  I dunno what sort of MOT they have in rural Ireland but I've seen some horrors that wouldn't pass ours - maybe they are just more relaxed about it (fair play to them).  France was hilarious before they had an MOT and it's not exactly strict now. I went to see a French bloke I know who mucks around with old cars - he had a Vespa 600 (car) and he was busy filling up a hole in the floor with mesh and filler - I told him that wouldn't pass a UK MOT and he was amazed.

 

I think the issue is that it's more difficult for those of us who want to tinker with stuff and repair it when it goes wrong - partly things are much better made and that's good, but also they often seem to be deliberately designed to resist any attempt to repair (?recycle) them and demand expensive replacement in the event of failure.  I read on the ALDI forum when I had one about a geezer with a recent model where the day running LEDs in the headlamp had failed and the only way to solve that was replace the whole unit at a cost of several hundred pounds.  Never mind the cost though - what a waste or the earth's resources.

 

Regarding the 1 Series - I had one recently for 8 days and 2000 miles, a brand new 118d auto. It was absolutely superb - fast, very quiet at speed, 50 mpg overall, steers and handles like a dream and it had a very good ride too. Brilliant navigation system and a nice well made feel to the whole car. Most cars piss you off on some way, but this didn't. But I am willing to listen to someone who probably hasn't actually driven one.

 

 

Fair enough - I haven't driven one, just seen a lot with bald front tyres.

 

This 'new cars r shit' is bollocks. Face it, if someone else were to pay the bills, we'd all have one gladly.

 

 

Incorrect.  Just plain incorrect - I wouldn't exchange the fun* I get from tinkering with and occasionally even driving my cars.