Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Impreza
I don't agree, in my bmw 335i coupe executive package model that cost $70,000 had leather peeling off in the left hand rest and the steering wheel had material peeling off. So i don't agree about the quality being better.
Also it had horrible sound insulation in the windows and you could always hear wind noise.
So far my accord is proving that you can buy a car for $30,000 and have the same quality or better.
Okay okay...the leather isn't as soft...but nothing is peeling and the insulation is perfect.
Your paying for a badge...i can't believe some people still try to fight that and say the "quality" is better.
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Your current Accord is barely two years old at this point. Your 335 however sounds like you suffer from oily skin. The only time we ever see peeling is from people with oily skin (PS I work for BMW.), it's RARE that you'll see the stitching coming apart for whatever reason.... but stranger things have happened.
Now having worked for Non-highline brands and experiencing their perception of luxury vs currently working for an actual luxury brand and dealing with their cars it boils down to build quality and materials used. No matter what you do hard plastics and imitation or lesser quality leather will never match up to the better materials used in luxury car comfort packages (
I say packages because base model luxury is significantly worse than lowerline luxury. At that point you're definitely just paying for a badge and refined suspension... at least in BMW's case). In addition to this smaller things are taken into account at such a miniscule level you'd be baffled to see how much they pay attention to/take into account when building these luxury vehicles. Even something as simple as noting the natural seating position of most drivers to offer some amenity or piece of tech that would lessen stress when behind the wheel; stress the driver might not have even known was there but definitely notices when it wasn't.
I hear, "there's something about this car that I can't put my finger on.... but it's definitely one of the best cars I've ever owned" all day long. That is your red flag for some small detail the engineers took notice of and changed that the driver unknowingly appreciated.
If you don't believe me drive the new F30 3 series or F32 4 series. You may not appreciate the synthetic road feel offered by the Electric power steering (it becomes tolerable in the sport line models which do a purposefully better job at not numbing the road), but you'll definitely notice that it's nothing to bat an eye at in terms of performance and general enjoyment.
Sounds like I should own one right? Especially working for them....
Trust me I would.... but their still bloody expensive to own out of warranty and even more expensive to modify correctly. You probably know that already having owned an E9X 335i. PS. no more issues with the HPFP's (high pressure fuel pumps); seems the biggest contributor to that was the amount of ethanol we use in our fuel and the quality gas we get here in the states/canada. They weren't having those issues in Europe... at least not on the same scale we were. On a whole the new F3X's are much more well behaved.
I can't speak much for Audi, Mercedes, Acura, Infinity, Lincoln and Cadillac having never worked closely with them; but can only assume it's roughly the same.