Road Tests: Long-Term Test

"No fair!" cried our associate editor every time that she saw her charge for the month sitting in the garage while she was forced the keys to some awful press car or another. "I want to drive the Bimmer!" With a stomp of her feet and a frown on her face, this month's driver had good reason to pout. Unfortunately, our Teutonic beauty was grounded for most of the month, as the driver for the month was encumbered with one road test after another by the powers that be.

So she only got to put about 300 scant miles on it, barely getting out of third gear in the 30-minute commute from her digs in the 'hood to the rarefied air of West Los Angeles. This is not for lack of enthusiasm but her obeisance to stern decrees that she was to put as few miles on it as possible, as previous overenthusiastic drivers took it on long-distance jaunts that racked up more miles than it should have on the first anniversary of its two-year lease. So, with the taste of sour grapes still lingering, she set about criticizing the BMW which taunted her with its inaccessibility.

The car, while otherwise beautifully furbished, seems to have an issue with air getting to its occupants. For instance, the constant creaking of the windows was annoying. They didn't completely close to make solid seal. If a stiff wind or some bumps got in your way, the windows would make their presence apparent. Moreover, the HVAC system, though easy to use, can't be shut off by one touch; you have to turn the fan all the way down. Even when the fan is turned off, the air still blows unless you manually shut off each vent.

Furthermore, the seats, although adjustable in a myriad of ways, never perfectly fulfilled her driving position requirements (she's been told she's high maintenance). First of all, getting into the driver's seat is no easy task. The thick side bolsters of the sport seat make it a little difficult to slide in. Secondly, the shape of the doors doesn't allow the greatest access to the interior. However, once most drivers strap themselves in, the car fits like a glove. The seating position, the wheel, the responsive steering and handling, and the interior styling, suck the drivers into the seat so that they become one with the car. How very zen.

Our BMW still garners plenty of looks, even in Los Angeles where, like rhinoplasty recoverees, Bavarian sweeties are a dime a dozen. Chalk it up to the slate blue metallic paint. Blue is the new black, you know. It was especially noticeable during the staff's jaunt to racing school in the midst of the Mojave desert, comprised of towns that are not storied for their, ahem, cosmopolitan savoir faire (the hotel barkeep didn't know how to make a cosmopolitan, for cryin' out loud!).

However, when she was lucky enough to drive it, she did take note of the precise tuning of the suspension, as well as steering and handling that is arguably unmatched by any other car out on the road. Our photo editor, who got to drive it out to Lancaster, was reminded why BMW is still the "Ultimate Driving Machine":

"The BMW embodies the majority of my ideals for a car. It's steering is a little stiff, but nimble and responsive. The brakes have excellent feel and feedback. The engine purrs in harmony to my every nudge of the accelerator. The car is quick off the line, the suspension, though stiff, isn't jarring and the shifter's touchy nature forces you to become an aware driver. It's not just a get-around-town car; it's the kind of car that gives you the excuse to drive around the corner just because you want to drive it."

Total Odometer Reading: 24,839
Best Fuel Economy: 25.0
Worst Fuel Economy: 17.3
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.