Look what that "new tech" has done to BMW, though. Adopting electric power steering and more computerization of basic vehicle driving functions has drastically changed the once-unique, tactile-feel and superb handling that made these vehicles the "Ultimate Driving Machine". Not long ago, I could tell and recognize the steering feel of many BMW 3-series (and some 5-series) models blindfolded (not that I ever actually drove blindfolded, of course....I didn't). But my point is that it was a unique steering feel that, IMO, was unequalled in tactile-feel by any other power-assisted system, except maybe for some Porsches. BMW (and, to a lesser extent, Mercedes) chassis engineers were also masters of the age-old automotive dilemma of balancing ride-comfort and handling-precision, with the BMW 3-series, in particular, able to combine tactile, precise handling with supple ride comfort over bumps, even with the optional Sport package and 35-series low-profile tires. I was simply stunned at the road manners of the last-generation 335i I sampled. I felt that, from a sport-sedan perspective for regular street driving, it was arguably the best RWD sedan I had ever driven up to that point...even more so than the (then-equivalent) M3, which I thought was too stiff and hard-core in comparison, more at home on a track. Many auto magazines also saw it the same way....for many years, BMW 3 and 5-series models either routinely won comparison tests or ranked near the top.
But it's no secret that more and more electronics in the new BMWs have taken away much of that former superb driving feel and experience, to the point where, now, BMWs don't really stand out much from their competitors any more. Not only that, but other competing models at Audi (A4,5,6,7), Mercedes (C, E-class), and Cadillac (CTS, ATS) have improved and are catching up to the spots BMW once held in the comparison tests.....though, admittedly, Cadillac sales recently have been down.
