If you like to drive like your hair’s on fire, deciding between the athletic American 2008 Chevrolet Corvette hardtop coupe and the Bavarian corner carver 2008 BMW 335i is a bit like choosing between cocaine and cocaine. If you’re a more sensible motorist, it’s like choosing between A.H. Hirsch 16 Year Old Reserve Pot Stilled Sour Mash Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Schloss Rüdesheim VSOP brandy. in either case, the question is a matter of taste and price. Hence this test: which performance car offers the better buzz for $40k?
In recent years, BMW designers have suffered from the automotive equivalent of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, in which individuals become preoccupied with imagined or minor defects in appearance. Victims often resort to eating disorders. In this case, BMW turned to compulsive cosmetic surgery, pulling and tightening the sheet metal, and nipping and tucking away curves. Many BMW models look like they’ve had more work than Joan Rivers – with even scarier results. And don’t forget the gluteal implants (a.k.a. the Bangle butt).
Fortunately for the 335i, BMW has dialed back somewhat on the severity of the car’s look. The eyes (headlights) don’t look as overworked, the sides less scalloped, and the bulging trunk less Bangley. The overall comportment is now conservatively sleek and muscular without the distractions.
Compared to the Corvette, the cockpit of the 335i is an over-engineered fussy affair. I wish BMW’s automobilingenieure would have spent more time studying how to make it easier getting in and out of the car, rather than on the creepy mechanical arm that hands you the seat belt. Ingress and egress is much more difficult than the Vette’s. Front seats and steering wheel adjust 1,001 ways, yet I was never quite able to get the seating position exactly where I wanted it. And the tiny back seats? They’re not Mustang bad. How’s that for a compliment.
Much of the tester’s interior was a cream beige– which most buyers should should avoid. With only 14K miles on the odometer, the car was already fouled by smudges that stand out on the light-colored upholstery. The 335i’s instrumentation is classically European, which is a good thing, as are the tiny cup holders, which is a bad thing (unless you are on a diet – or only drink Red Bull).
The door-mounted power window controls are too far out of reach. I know I’m being picky, but BMW need only to take a ride in any Honda to find window controls that lie conveniently where the hand naturally rests. Can’t we expect as much from Germany’s vaunted engineers?
Once you’ve finally lost patience fiddling with the seat controls, you press the start button to animate the 3.0-liter dual overhead cam, 24-valve inline turbocharged engine. At idle, neither ‘Vette nor 335i telegraph their performance potential. But the BMW is a far smoother mill. Tooling around town under 3,000 rpm, you wouldn’t guess you were driving anything other than a vanilla four-cylinder Honda Accord. Give the go-pedal a kick, the turbo spools-up, and I’ll see your zoom-zoom and raise you zoom-zoom-zoom-zoom-zoom-zoom– all the way up to the car’s 7,000 rpm redline.
After driving the Corvette for three hours, the 335i’s dearth of horsepower is a major letdown. The fact is that the BMW has 136 fewer ponies to play with and weighs nearly 300 lbs more. This is more a testament to the ‘Vette’s strength rather than the Bimmer’s deficiency. Once the turbochargers catch their breath, the 335i hunts triple digits like a lonely cougar chases young himbos.
Ride quality is fully on par with the Corvette, which is a compliment for cars that offer this level of handling performance. And nimble it is. (Feel the force I do.) Despite its extra heft, the 335i weaves its way through corners with exceptional confidence and ease. The only demerit I would offer: the rear end gets hoppy under hard acceleration on anything less than a glassy smooth surface.
So how does this add up to a win over the ‘Vette? If you like to feel that the world is watching your every move or if you worship at the altar of Hippoi Athanatoi, the ‘Vette is the clear and unequivocal favorite. But the Corvette is frustrating to drive around town. A driver dare not do more than tickle the accelerator for fear of alerting the state police. The car requires a closed track to fulfill the full measure of its creation. The restraint required is maddening.
Conversely, with the 335i, BMW offers an elegant performance package that can be freely enjoyed with unrestrained abandon on surface streets and highways. In the real world, agility trumps epic grip. Day in and day out, the BMW 335i is simply more fun to drive.
[The vehicles reviewed, insurance and gas provided by CarMax]
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In the real world, agility trumps epic grip.
There’s a joke in there somewhere.
Continue with the logic in this comparison, and you’ll end up in a Miata. Or an RX-8, if you need a rear seat that adults can actually fit into. While I’m personally a fan of this line of argument, it doesn’t seem to carry much weight for those who value power and grip. And they clearly greatly outnumber those who prioritize fun in everyday driving. Where, frankly, BMWs could be better.
Switching topics, TrueDelta.com has a lot of reliability information on the E90 3-Series. The cars require very few repairs in their first year or so, then worsen to about average. Too early to say how they hold up after the warranty ends.
For our latest vehicle reliability information:
http://www.truedelta.com/latest_results.php
Strictly speaking, the Corvette is more agile than the 335i; that’s why it is two classes up in SCCA Solo. But I get the idea :)
Because autocross is the be all end all of car measurement.
And strictly speaking, the corvette is 4 classes up. SS vs DS.
Strictly speaking, the Corvette is more agile than the 335i; that’s why it is two classes up in SCCA Solo. But I get the idea :)
To me an agile handling car changes direction quickly, accurately and easily. The Corvette requires much more driver effort to do so. Prior GM efforts to improve this have resulted in numb over boosted steering, which have degraded steering accuracy. I much prefer the way the new ‘Vette’s drive compared to older models. And I’d rather have this steering on a track. But compared to how the BMW steering guides you, the Corvette tiller feels thick and heavy.
I doubt the two cars are cross shopped at all. You either need 4 seats or you dont and these cars are marketed to completely different buyers. Same way you shouldnt compare the Z or Cayman to the 335i. Two seaters are a different animal. I think with the new Camaro coming out they need to take the Corvette further upscale.
I agree totally about the two cars not being cross shopped. BMWs are bought by narcissistic Yuppie pricks, while Corvettes are bought by balding beer-gutted middle aged white males looking to impress bar sluts and women with big hair.
@William –
While I admire your comments on both vehicles, your conclusion for the making the decision:
Conversely, with the 335i, BMW offers an elegant performance package that can be freely enjoyed with unrestrained abandon on surface streets and highways. In the real world, agility trumps epic grip. Day in and day out, the BMW 335i is simply more fun to drive.
… doesn’t make sense. Neither car can be ‘enjoyed with unrestrained abandon on surface streets and highways’, unless you mean until the points on your license end the fun.
For pure close to the edge of the performance envelope driving that won’t get you arrested, there are any number of cars that will get close to the edge without getting you arrested and or ticketed. I think back many years to my 1968 Opel Kadette Rallye – 1.9L, four speed, extremely primitive by today’s standards, but I could get close the edge with it without undue attention being garnered. By today’s standards, a base model Ford Focus would smoke it in speed, handling and braking, but in 1968 it was a lot of fun. I could easily get arrested and/or ticketed in my muscle car – a 1968 Olds 442 – if I wasn’t careful, though; something about the 13.5 quarter mile time, I seem to remember :-).
That said, I agree with what others say – I don’t cross shop a two seater against a four seater (kind of). I have had two seaters when I was single and when I was a DINK (remember that, anyone?). And the price of admission does not enter into the equation for me, at least. I have four vehicles, each with specific tasks in mind, from shuttling customers and colleagues in comfort and quiet, to hauling the family and toys, to bringing stuff home from landscaping supplies to Home Depot or Lowes runs. And then there is the cheap to buy, feed and insure four cylinder economy car. Of course we have four drivers, so that does give everyone something to drive – but for the fifth in two years when my third and last (thank God) teenaged daughter gets her license – could be some good pickings out there for the wife to have as her primary driver that I can have fun with on the weekends when I’m not exploring the performance limit (and my sanity limit) on my dirt toys!
BMWs are bought by narcissistic Yuppie pricks
A stereotype usually uttered by the guy in a 03 Grand Am.
Don’t forget that you can have a warranty friendly 390 hp 335i courtesy of your local Dinan dealer.
Then you’ll be able to see the Vette taillights disappearing less rapidly in the distance while you enjoy your Ultimate Driving Machine.
Why don’t you compare it to the M3 like Car and Driver. At least it would have been a fairer fight.
I agree with the others though. One is a balls to wall sports car and the other is a great sport sedan. Two different markets, if you ask me.
And I will take the repair bills of the Corvette over the BMW any day!!!!
“I agree totally about the two cars not being cross shopped. BMWs are bought by narcissistic Yuppie pricks, while Corvettes are bought by balding beer-gutted middle aged white males looking to impress bar sluts and women with big hair.”
Wow, bitter much?!
Don’t you think Usta Bee was being satirical? If that wasn’t meant tongue-in-cheek, ol’ Usta gotta problem.
So let me get this straight: The heavier, slower, more expensive car wins the comparison? And any advantages the Corvette possesses over the BMW don’t count as disadvantages to the BMW? I guess we’d have to say then, to be fair, that any advantages the BMW has can’t count as demerits to the Corvette? Except I don’t think that’s how you scored this.
Sounds like you used some pretty obvious double standards to crown the BMW.
You should go work for Car and Driver!
So let me get this straight: The heavier, slower, more expensive car wins the comparison? And any advantages the Corvette possesses over the BMW don’t count as disadvantages to the BMW? I guess we’d have to say then, to be fair, that any advantages the BMW has can’t count as demerits to the Corvette? Except I don’t think that’s how you scored this.
Sounds like you used some pretty obvious double standards to crown the BMW.
Due to BMW’s styling choices in recent generations I’ve been somewhat predisposed not to like their cars much lately. So I was quite surprised to discover that I preferred the 335i over the Corvette. In fact, I liked both cars better than I though I would before I began driving them, so there’s really no wrong answer here. But in this case, I preferred the heavier, slower, more expensive car because its real world handling dynamics felt much lighter, precise, communicative, and responsive. Most drivers don’t take their personal cars to tracks to race them, which is where the Corvette’s advantages would become manifest. If you’re a track guy, this Vette’s for you. The BMW’s handling dynamic advantage is something that drivers can tap into every time they take the wheel.
You should go work for Car and Driver!
Yes, I hear they have an opening.
I agree totally about the two cars not being cross shopped. BMWs are bought by narcissistic Yuppie pricks, while Corvettes are bought by balding beer-gutted middle aged white males looking to impress bar sluts and women with big hair.
So what is a narcissistic Yuppie prick with a taste for bar sluts and big-haired women to do?
(I’m asking on behalf of a friend, of course. This has absolutely nothing to do with me. Nothing.)
So what is a narcissistic Yuppie prick with a taste for bar sluts and big-haired women to do?
(I’m asking on behalf of a friend, of course. This has absolutely nothing to do with me. Nothing.)
Two words: Cadillac Escalade (Escalaid!)
So I was quite surprised to discover that I preferred the 335i over the Corvette. In fact, I liked both cars better than I though I would before I began driving them, so there’s really no wrong answer here. But in this case, I preferred the heavier, slower, more expensive car because its real world handling dynamics felt much lighter, precise, communicative, and responsive.
Well, that all sounds very objective and professional, until I read the following:
The fact is that the BMW has 136 fewer ponies to play with and weighs nearly 300 lbs more. This is more a testament to the ‘Vette’s strength rather than the Bimmer’s deficiency.
At this point you’ve abandoned any pretence of being an objective evaluator. If the Corvette’s advantages are going to be automatically discounted from the evaluation by fiat, then what is the point, really? Why didn’t you just write an article about how much loved the BMW 335i, and leave it at that? Then at least you would not have had to pretend you were objectively weighing the pros and cons of each.
What exactly is everybody complaining about? Mr. Montgomery would prefer to spend his 40K on a BMW 335i over a base Corvette, what is wrong with that? Plenty of other people do the same thing daily, that’s why BMW is increasing its sales (mostly) whereas Corvette sales mostly decline after the first year of production.
It seems to me that a good portion of the readership on this website is really well off starting with anoldbikeguy ‘the price of admission does not enter into the equation for me’. I wish we all could have the luxury of buying cars with price being no object but, alas, most of us don’t. Considering how to spend 40K on 1 car and 1 car only is a lot more common than having no price limit. In that group sure there is a good number of people who won’t cross-shop Corvette and BMW coupe but I would bet a princely sum, assuming I have had it, that a lot more people do cross-shop these 2 cars, even if only in their head if not the actual dealer visit.
Why not just get the plain BMW 328? Where I live any car that accelerates to 60 in under 11 seconds would just end up smashed into the back of a minivan so a fast car is pointless. All BMWs pretty much handle the same so you might as well save your money. The extra power is really just something you can crow about on the internet.
It is like listening to Dick Vitale rattle on about the Duke Basketball team. After a while you grow to hate both Vitale and Duke.
“Hippoi Athanatoi?”
Immortal horsepower?
Well, that all sounds very objective and professional, until I read the following:
The fact is that the BMW has 136 fewer ponies to play with and weighs nearly 300 lbs more. This is more a testament to the ‘Vette’s strength rather than the Bimmer’s deficiency.
At this point you’ve abandoned any pretence of being an objective evaluator. If the Corvette’s advantages are going to be automatically discounted from the evaluation by fiat, then what is the point, really? Why didn’t you just write an article about how much loved the BMW 335i, and leave it at that? Then at least you would not have had to pretend you were objectively weighing the pros and cons of each.
This was a road test, not a drag race or tractor pull. If HP were the only measure of what constituted a good car, there wouldn’t be any need to test drive them. We could just read the Dino results and proclaim the car with the most peak HP the winner.
“Hippoi Athanatoi?”
Immortal horsepower?
Yes sir! The immortal horses of the gods, the divine steeds that pull their chariots.
I’m usually the first one to claim that people who say “Car X is never cross-shopped with car Y” are wrong, because I know from experience that very different cars are cross-shopped quite frequently. But in this case, I have to say the “these cars are not cross shopped” argument is correct.
Sure, these cars are cross-shopped with each other since they’re the close to the same price, but it’s pretty stupid to compare the two if you aren’t going to use a level playing field. If you want ‘refinement’ and ‘agility’ then you’ll take the BMW (although the Vette is more than refined and agile enough in my opinion), and if you want supercar-level performance (the base C6 not only absolutely destroys the 335i performance-wise, but outperforms many other more expensive cars as well) the 335i can’t even compare.
So it’s not as if you can’t compare these cars, but if you lean heavily towards either the refinement side, or the performance side, it is impossible to make an objective comparison. I don’t really see what the point of this exercise is, because you really didn’t need to even drive the cars to come to your conclusion.
By the way, based on your criteria, wouldn’t the 335i beat the M3 as well? Wouldn’t it beat a Ferrari F430 too? Comparison tests are great, but if you don’t see the appeal of supercar-level performance then you might as well compare the Vette to a Dodge Caravan
We could just read the Dino results and proclaim the car with the most peak HP the winner.
Bill, I fail to see what Fred Flintstone’s pet has to do with this comparo. ;-)
William–Thank you for writing these two articles. I think it’s refreshing to see two different cars compared against each other, beyond the usual performance metrics.
@ra_pro :
December 31st, 2008 at 5:45 pm
“It seems to me that a good portion of the readership on this website is really well off starting with anoldbikeguy ‘the price of admission does not enter into the equation for me’. I wish we all could have the luxury of buying cars with price being no object but, alas, most of us don’t.”
I think you misunderstood my comment. Why I buy a vehicle I don’t get up in the morning and say, gee, I want to buy something today for $xx, let me see what I can buy for that amount. Rather, I need a vehicle for a specific reason, like a third vehicle when daughter number 1 got her license. I wanted something safe, not too fast and that she couldn’t get a whole bunch of kids into. Also, having bought a new house the year before, I was heavily into the landscaping/decorating phase, ergo, I bought a compact pickup with a four cylinder.
Years earlier, when we had out third daughter, it became necessary to get something big enough to haul a double stroller, portable crib, etc., while still able to pull my boat – therefore we got a GMC Safari – much roomier than a minivan or sport ute, but able to tow the boat while still getting pretty decent fuel economy.
My point is that I have a specific need and buy according to that need and set a price limit before seriously looking by investigating what the price of admission is for various vehicles that meet that need. And I rarely have more than one car payment – that is one of the crazy things I see with people – two car payments that added up are half as much or more than a house payment makes no sense to me at all – but I am a frugal SOB!
BTW, the last new car I bought was in 1995. I tend to buy from the original owner or at least certified pre-owned, as I drive on the order of 30-35K miles a year and don’t intend to get ‘upside down’ on the loan as a previous article implied a majority of people who buy new cars are for the first three years after purchase.
Bill, I fail to see what Fred Flintstone’s pet has to do with this comparo. ;-)
Oops!
While I’m still at odds with this comparison, if you did cross shop these two with the intent to make a long term ownership purchase, I beleive the Corvette would return more value for the money. Older Corvette’s, if well cared for, tend to become quite collectable, special automobiles, while a BMW will likely become a rather ordinary, throw-away car as it gets older.
When I was shopping for a car in 2005, I cross-shopped the C6 Corvette with the E46 M3.
If I was buying a car today, I would cross-shop a 335i and Corvette (the new M3 is in Z06 price range now), so there are people who would chose between the two when looking for a car.
If you want ‘refinement’ and ‘agility’ then you’ll take the BMW (although the Vette is more than refined and agile enough in my opinion), and if you want supercar-level performance (the base C6 not only absolutely destroys the 335i performance-wise, but outperforms many other more expensive cars as well) the 335i can’t even compare.
The fact is, nearly all people who buy these kinds of cars are buying for material rewards, and would hardly if ever use the qualities they are known for.
If you don’t believe me, think about the times you’ve been to local track events. Extrapolate the counts of unique cars you see there, then divide by approximate number of those performance vehicles in your area. You’ll find that percentage to be close to 0.
There’s this persistent and incorrect meme among the “enthusiast” crowd that more is better. But cars like these are so far up on the curve of diminishing returns since they can’t really be driven to their ability regularly.
Agenthex, I see Vettes at SCCA wheel to wheel road races all the time. BMWs not nearly as often, though when I autocrossed I’d see both very regularly.
Interesting comparison; I for one would not have thought to compare the two.
William,
Why test a BMW with a manual transmission, but not the Corvette? I just assumed the BMW would be an auto when I read the Corvette review. I traded in my 99 C5 (Z51, manual) for an 01 330i sedan (sport package, manual). I did not consider for a moment even test driving the automatic BMW. And yes, the coupe is the more appealing shape, but I chose the practical route of having actual headroom in the backseat, along with ease of entry from real doors.
Also, what’s with the “I’m ugly” caption for the second BMW photo? I’m just confused on that one. Are you serious? Maybe my facetious meter is taking the day off.
You mention that you just never got comfortable in the BMW’s seats. You don’t mention your height/build. Those sport seats can be pretty snug, but it helps to have a driver reference.
Also, am I the only Firefox user that has to click twice on the stars to get that section to come up? Works in IE with a single click.
Why test a BMW with a manual transmission, but not the Corvette?
Availability at the time of the test.
Also, what’s with the “I’m ugly” caption for the second BMW photo? I’m just confused on that one. Are you serious? Maybe my facetious meter is taking the day off.
The editor captions the photos. I understood this to be a humorous play on the Body Dysmorphic Disorder analogy I wrote about.
You mention that you just never got comfortable in the BMW’s seats. You don’t mention your height/build. Those sport seats can be pretty snug, but it helps to have a driver reference.
I’m pretty average: 5’11”, 200 lbs
Also, am I the only Firefox user that has to click twice on the stars to get that section to come up? Works in IE with a single click.
I sometimes have this problem with IE as well. The only time I never have this problem is when I use Safari on a Mac.
This was a road test, not a drag race or tractor pull. If HP were the only measure of what constituted a good car, there wouldn’t be any need to test drive them. We could just read the Dino results and proclaim the car with the most peak HP the winner.
But my argument with you isn’t about who won, but the basis on which you made your decision, and the criteria you used. You state quite openly that you refused to use the Corvettes advantages as demerits against the BMW. Which is not only illogical, it makes you look foolish as an objective reviewer.
I’m sure if you were judging their abilities in a tractor pull, you would discount the Corvette’s advantage if it could pull more.
Etc.
You state quite openly that you refused to use the Corvettes advantages as demerits against the BMW.
He clearly thinks the BMW has more than enough power for driving purposes, and therefore addition hp is diminished returns.
I can’t see why anyone would be confused. Are you thinking of a situation where the reader is literate enough to read the review but so much as to compare two numbers?
You state quite openly that you refused to use the Corvettes advantages as demerits against the BMW. Which is not only illogical, it makes you look foolish as an objective reviewer.
I guess that I read a different set of reviews. The ones that I read selected one each of the best $40,000ish performance cars available from the US and Germany, and addressed which one that the reviewer would prefer to live with, on the street, in day to day driving.
You don’t have to agree with the conclusion, but the question was reasonable and the thought process was rational. If the reviews had focused on the question of which car would be preferable on a race course, it’s clear that the author’s opinion would have been different.
You don’t have to agree with the conclusion, but the question was reasonable and the thought process was rational.
I’ve already stated that my problem wasn’t with the conclusion. But with the explicit statement that the reviewer was not going to let the Corvette’s strengths count against the BMW. Which, any way you look at that statement, is a clear and obvious contradiction of the whole point of doing a comparative review.
You don’t understand what diminishing returns means. I’ve used it twice and you are still confused.
You don’t understand what diminishing returns means. I’ve used it twice and you are still confused.
Thank you for providing a very good example of same.
Which, any way you look at that statement, is a clear and obvious contradiction of the whole point of doing a comparative review.
Again, that’s wrong. The question posed by the review was one of which of the two cars that the reviewer would prefer to live with as a daily/frequent driver on the street in this price range.
The answer here was the Corvette’s strengths didn’t appeal to the reviewer in the context of day-to-day street driving as much as did the BMW. The Vette’s popping issue, which is the subject of a TSB, had something to do with it.
I think it’s humorous that you keep asserting that I don’t understand the purpose of the review, which is nonsense. Of course I understand what the reviewer was attempting (?) to accomplish (?). My criticism is with the how, not the what.
And it is precisely within the context of the review’s goals as described by you that the reviewer’s methodology becomes – how to put this delicately? – hazy.
So the goal is/was to discover “which of the two cars the reviewer would prefer to live wtih as a daily/frequent driver on the street in this price range.” OK. In that case, why would the reviewer pick the car that had this problem:
“Compared to the Corvette, the cockpit of the 335i is an over-engineered fussy affair. I wish BMW’s automobilingenieure would have spent more time studying how to make it easier getting in and out of the car, rather than on the creepy mechanical arm that hands you the seat belt. Ingress and egress is much more difficult than the Vette’s. Front seats and steering wheel adjust 1,001 ways, yet I was never quite able to get the seating position exactly where I wanted it.
This seems to me to be a fatal flaw for a “daily driver” that you want to use “every day” on “the street”. Note as well even reviewer had to concede that the Corvette was far superior in day-to-day convenience and liveability.
The Corvette is also faster. And lighter. And cheaper. So why did the BMW win?
Well, because first you discount all the Corvette’s advantages. THen, apparently, you discount all the BMW’s disadvantages. Then you’re left with the BMW as the “winner” because of its greater “precision”.
Ha ha. Am I the only one who sees the comedy in “precision” being the defining quality in a review that itself possesses none?
Give it up, people.
I think it’s humorous that you keep asserting that I don’t understand the purpose of the review
Keep laughing, because it’s obvious from your replies that you don’t.
The summary of the reasoning used is included in the final paragraphs above
But the Corvette is frustrating to drive around town. A driver dare not do more than tickle the accelerator for fear of alerting the state police. The car requires a closed track to fulfill the full measure of its creation. The restraint required is maddening.
Conversely, with the 335i, BMW offers an elegant performance package that can be freely enjoyed with unrestrained abandon on surface streets and highways. In the real world, agility trumps epic grip.
Apparently, the author disagrees with your priorities. Live and let live, except on the internet, I guess.
Thank you for providing a very good example of same.
Without understand what an absolute comparison is (which you seem to), and then what a linear relationship is (twice as fast is twice as good), one cannot then understand diminishing returns.
In general, you seem unable to assess relative size relationships. Perhaps to make it easier for some readers, the author should put explicit ranks and quantities on his descriptions. That could be an educational opportunity for them.
Apparently, the author disagrees with your priorities. Live and let live, except on the internet, I guess.
Ah, these reviews are the gifts that keep on giving, aren’t they? Thanks for giving another wonderful example of how totally confused and self-contradictory our reviewer turns out to be. After discussing the tremendous power available in the Corvette, our reviewer states quite categorically:
“Nonetheless, the Vette makes for an easy daily driver with a surprisingly smooth ride.”
So which is it? Is the Corvette an “easy daily driver”, or a smoking, snorting, meth-addicted beast that can only be enjoyed on the Nurburgring? I guess we’ll never know.
You see, one key to writing a credible review is that your evaluation of the various parameters of comparison doesn’t change from paragraph to paragraph for the same car.
Yeah. It must be that “precision” thing again.
Lolz.
Is the Corvette an “easy daily driver”, or a smoking, snorting, meth-addicted beast that can only be enjoyed on the Nurburgring? I guess we’ll never know.
His point wasn’t that the Vette was difficult to drive around town, but that it was “frustrating.” It’s apparently not a challenge, it’s just annoying.
I thought that it was pretty obvious, but the reviewer is saying that even though the Vette may be better when driven at 10/10th’s on the track, it’s not as much fun as is the BMW on the street at the 5/10th’s where most of us end up most of the time.
If you want to debate that assessment, that’s fine, but thus far, you’ve done absolutely nothing to refute that. Your idea of what constitutes a strength is clearly different, and for whatever reason, you have a tough time when someone doesn’t share your criteria.
His point wasn’t that the Vette was difficult to drive around town, but that it was “frustrating.”
Nonsense. If you find a car frustrating to drive, you don’t call it an “easy daily driver”. It’s simply not possible (or coherent) for the Vette to be both an “easy daily driver with a surprisingly smooth ride,” and a car in which “A driver dare not do more than tickle the accelerator for fear of alerting the state police.” It’s a clear and obvious contradiction from a reviewer who is hopelessly muddled about his own opinions and how to present them.
And of the two cars, recall it was the BMW that was the most frustrating to drive because of its ergonomic issues and its egregious rear-axle hop on anything but “glassy surfaces”.
You’re trying to somehow make a coherent argument out of this self-contradictory mess, but it’s not working.
It’s simply not possible (or coherent) for the Vette to be both an “easy daily driver with a surprisingly smooth ride,” and a car in which “A driver dare not do more than tickle the accelerator for fear of alerting the state police.”
Funny, but I didn’t have a problem comprehending the point being made. It’s fairly straightforward, but you are clearly motivated to take issue with it.
You seem to have a problem that those aspects of the Corvette that you find appealing are not admired by the reviewer. I’m guessing that he doesn’t like the drive by wire throttle in this particular application, which I believe that the LS3 has.
Funny, but I didn’t have a problem comprehending the point being made. It’s fairly straightforward, but you are clearly motivated to take issue with it.
What is the point then? That the Corvette is both very easy to drive on a daily basis, and also very difficult to drive on a daily basis?
Please advise.