The Myth of "BMW, the best handling" sedans.

Why does most of the press praise BMW's handling and/or why most people say BMW's handling is the best among sedans?  After reading in Car and Driver that a 3 series can beat a Nissan GT-R and a 911 Turbo to boot, I thought what could they possibly be thinking?  If I were an Anthropologist I could very well ask: What kind of tribe would have such beliefs?  Is that some kind of a religion?   

Reasons for BMW's above average handling:

1. I always thought that the premium money you spend on a BMW would go to way above average shocks their competitors could get away with.  Until recently most competitors sedans gain like a second per lap (to give one example) after some shock upgrades, the exception being Mercedes AMG.
That was my standard answer, until I realized BMW began to change.  By this time, IIRC, the money you pay for a BMW began to go to pay for new, green, recyclable parts - I remember a BMW ad comparing the very solid E3 with the E36 around 1999...lots of solid steel were replaced with plastic and other dubious stuff everywhere - but all recyclable...
I wonder if the money is still going to the driving experience side of the equation, or is it being directed towards the luxury side?  I believe it is, unfortunately – to wit: the iDrive, the unnecessarily complicated electric steering, the new plastic joystic as the new shift gear knob, etc.  All bad, in my book.
Other factors to account for the mythical "BMW handling" frequently mentioned by others:

2. 50/50 weight distribution - short front overhang necessitating a very rigid body due to the increased wheelbase, and a rigid body is always good to help designing a working suspension.  Good reason, bu many also do that...can it explain everything? 

3. RWD of course, but then again Mercedes, Lexus does that too, and in general they lose to BMW in the handling department.   

4. BMW's engineers are better and smarter than the rest.  That's the silliest explanation of them all, but if you look at the BMW's forums, that's the answer more readily given.  Some guys look like Mac addicts fan boys, impressive...
Of course that makes no sense, IMHO.  Their engineers are certainly no better than the ones at AMG, Ferrari, Porsche, and more recently, Infiniti.  It's not a question of brains, but of design philosophy+money wisely spent, right?  I would think so.

To compound the problem it seems to me that nowadays everybody is trying to imitate the German cars, the BMW’s in particular – since they emphasize the sportiness…have you guys noticed that? 
Every new sedan wants to be a "German car"...Ford, GM, Mazda etc.  They are just digging their own grave...A Mazda 3/6 can't be a BMW with 50cent shocks...It can't be done, period, no matter how they wish.  Now if you can't imitate, disappointed reviewers will naturally praise the original over the wannabe's, no question about that.
Now, if you want a soft car for interstate travel, in the good old American tradition (short of big "I'm not cool" Caddies), you'll have to drive a Lexus ES...Of course, you can put a Saturn emblem on the DTS, who's gonna know?   

There are also many of BMW's characteristics that are overlooked in most reviews that I see:

1. BMW steering is not quick, direct, as you'd expect from a "sport" sedan.  I believe that this is due to the fact that BMW's are engineered for Autobahns, that is, high speed handling.  It's made for cruising and slightly changing direction at 140mph, not for a last minute ham fisted correction in a (unexpected) decreasing radius blind turn in, say, California Canyon Roads.  For that I'd take an Infiniti any day.

2. Their suspension does not work well with a loaded car, meaning 4 adults and luggage.  It's engineered for an initial softness and later "bite", that gets negated when the initial soft travel is all used up by the extra weight.  Also, big potholes are a big no-no, it's apparently designed for Germany's small ripples only...

3. Their uber stiffness (due to the short overhang) comes at a price: weight.  Extra weight compared to their relatively small size.  A BMW 325i is more Nissan Versa (102in wheelbase, 169in lengh), than the bigger G35, but it is usually compared to the last (understandably given the target market) but praised for their weight advantage.  Considering the bigger size, and all the tech and safety gizmos inside a G35 (no optional rear airbags, etc), I'd say it should beat a small 3 series hands down in the relative weight department.  Never saw that happen.

4. They are small compared to the competition.  Not practical for a small family (like mine) that needs a "sporty" sedan.  An M35 is closer to a 7 series than a 5 series, a G35 is rougly the size of an 5 series...why?  I could justify a 3 series as a just married couple.  Not anymore with two daughters.  Camera gear, tripod, in laws, stroller and baby bags?  Not on a 3 series, easy on a G35, but the award for the best picnic experience calmly riding to the the top of the 3k feet Mt. Diablo with the family goes to my M35.  That's what life is all about! 

5. iDrive:  Ugly and cumbersome - almost absurd.  Need I say more?  Yes, so much for "BMW's engineers are the best" line...

6. The new eletronic transmission gizmo with the plastic joystick in lieu of the leather knob.  BMW being BMW, they'll never lose a comparo due to things like this...but maybe they should.

7. Did I mentioned they are on the smallish side?   

BMW's are fantastic cars, and deserve some of the praise they get.  But far from all.

Enough rambling, let’s discuss!

I can't say I disagree with anything you've posted... Infiniti gets a bad wrap as the "heavy" car when they compare 335, G35, IS35, but in reality the G is almost exactly the same size as a GS and 535(545, whatever).  Price drives these comparisons though, and that means they compare the 3series to the G.  This is why I thought it was LUDICROUS when they tried to compare the 135 to the G.  Pleeease.

I talk all the time about the next car being a G37 sedan... but you're right... if I have a child next year, or one on the way, it might be an M...

edit: loved your op-ed piece by the way!

I'd be ecstatic if they dropped the 7 spd into the '06 body....... weee

The current body style is good... but there's room for improvement

Rippling Hurst, terrific post.  Very interesting, and very thoughtful.

From your post I am not entirely sure whether you agree that the BMW has the best handling, as only above average handling.  Is there a consensus that BMW's do have the best handling of any sedans, or any sedans in their price points?  I confess that I have not driven a BMW, so I cannot make any judgment from personal experience.   

Is it fair to compare the handling of two sedans of different sizes?  For example, is it fair to compare the handling of the G35 sedan to the BMW 3 series sedan, or would it be more fair to compare it to the 5 series which is closer in size?

I drive an 07 G35 Sedan.  My wife drives a Honda Accord.  The difference in handling between the cars is striking, even in City driving, which is mostly what I do. If the BMW 3 and/or 5 series handles better than the 07 G35 sedan, how much better is it?  I assume the extent of the difference in handling between the BMW and G is not as great as between the G and Accord.  If the cars are not pushed hard, such as on a track or in a race, is the difference in handling between the G and BMW still quite noticeable?

I thought the question of whether and to what extent the handling of a BMW sedan is better would be a relevant corollary to a discussion of why it is better.   

Hmm...
What myth?
I think it handles better than most cars on the road
Is it better than high end cars, probably not
Comfort is greater than on my 06' FX with SP, less bumpy too
Balance is superb, you know exactly what the car will do based on your input
iDrive, well, painfull question for many, but once you've used it for some time it's great.
I really like the idea of short-cuts and position of it. There are also preset buttons for anything you like, "call wife", "navigate home", play iPod, etc. I find myself constantly reaching for knobs in FX and my hands are pretty long (being 6')
Steering, very spot on, quick, nimble
I did get active steering option, so its ratio is much-much smaller in lower speeds.
So far, the only decent car i like after bimmer in terms of hadling and road feel is new Infiniti G35/37.
Older ones felt a bit weird driving, clumsy

New Benz on the other hand is getting better.

(Begin crazy, incoherent rant)

Honestly, i've never driven a BMW. I've never felt the "desire" to. I have owned a few cars in the past (1998 Acura TL 3.2, 2x Lexus GS300, NOT the epitome of sport-handling, an '04 FX, and my 06' M)... I can honestly say, having driven the FX and the M I don't feel that I am potentially missing out on any kind of handling BMW "might" be able to potentially provide to me. I can perform some pretty.. interesting.. moves in the M without thinking twice - so it makes me wonder what BMW could possibly offer me more of?

Also - handling is a great thing, and wildly subjective. I also think there's a point when it gets "out of hand".. note the quote in http://www.carfaq.org/index.php/topic,544.html regarding the X6..


I’ll say it: in the real world, DPC comes in handy for cutting people off. If you’re turning left across traffic, you can really nail the throttle and count on the car to sling itself through the gap with no gut-wrenching stability-control stumble to interrupt your trajectory just as the grille of a Ford F-250 looms in your side window.


How many people in the real world would buy an X6 to drive it like that? My guess? None, except auto reviewers.. Am I wrong? Probably, but *I* dont think so.

Most people around here own BMW as some kind of perceived status symbol; although i'm not sure why. When you have a car (such as the 3 series) that almost anyone can walk into a dealership and get a $499 lease on, what's so special about that? There's definitely no exclusivity, and most of the market that picks them up could give a sheet about how the car actually drives..