In Chicago you definitely felt like it was Mad Max during the “deep quarantine” months (March and April when literally everything was shut down and the streets were empty). Now traffic is as bad or worse than before covid, likely due to people still avoiding public transit. But speeds and recklessness are still way…

Without the bearing refresh and 6 speed, this would be a $6k car. Literally a timebomb.

Where does this leave room for the horrid Trax? Is this the replacement? My understanding is the Trailblazer is bigger, cheaper and nicer all around.

This odd in-between size class has always been about being slightly premium compared to the similarly sized compact class (which is getting to be huge these days). Compare these to their smaller siblings and you’ll see that they typically come with bigger engines, more refinement and features.

I think those are cameras, made to look like teensy-tiny retro mirrors. If you look at the interior shot, you can see a small screen on each A pillar. 

That’s less than the max MSRP for an M8 Competition, close to an RS7 Competition and about $50k less than an AMG GT Coupe 4door. It doesn’t even come close to a Panamera Turbo S or Taycan max price.

So much no. It makes the M3/4 somehow less attractive and more chaotic. It makes the others look worse as well. 

It’s a mediocre (that means below average, not bad) car in the most competitive class. I’m sorry, but this isn’t even competitive with the Telluride, Palasade, Ascent, Explorer, CX9, Pilot, or Highlander. Yet they all have MSRPs for $10-15k less.

You can pick up a 2020 QX60 with under 5k miles from Hertz for under $30k. It’s a fiercely mediocre car, but that deal is hard to beat.

If you need a 7 seat CUV, they're all going to be boring. Get a minivan, at least they're interesting and unusual these days. 

How does this compare to the B&O system in modern Volvos? That’s the best in-car system I’ve ever experienced.

But it’s not just that. The A6, A8, S60, 7 series, 5 series, 3 series, and many other sedans pass the requirements without that tapered front end. And the tapered front end itself isn’t bad (see the Miata, every Porsche, and the Giulia). The problem comes when the tapered front end doesn’t match the rest of the…

I also don’t think the grill is the problem. Some design decisions that don’t work on this car:

Ugh same. And what's even worse is that this will likely be the last stickshift bmw sold in the US. Sad! 

Some important points they forgot to mention in this article:

I have also been looking at F01s for a while. The six cylinders consistently sell for more than the V8 models for that exact reason. It’s just as fast off the line and the N55 is a durable engine.

But the parts are cheap and plentiful for the LS engines. It’s also an extremely reliable block, especially compared to the problem-plagued BMW V8s. Variations of it are sold all around the world, from delivery trucks to Corvettes to Holdens to Cadillacs. I believe they also produce the 6.2 in China, right next door…

Ok, but an 8 year old 328i is only worth about $8k. Even a minor accident is enough to total a car that cheap (totaled is when the cost of repair exceeeds 50% of vehicle value).

An X5M is a $320,000 car in Vietnam. This is a bargain in comparison.

This is worth $2500 most. The seller should sell the box separate, because that’s probably half the value of the car.