[SexyRoger]

Originally Posted by RobM2

Picked up my X3 M50 today. Here's the build:

Brooklyn Grey Metallic
M Alcantara/Veganza
Driving Assistance Professional Package
20" M Jet Black Bicolor 1036M Wheels with All Season Tires
M Sport Professional Package
Premium Package

Super early thoughts:

• I like the exterior. Sorry folks. I also like the G01, so not throwing shade, but I think the G45 is a natural evolution and the earlier models are going to look dated. The M50 looks better than the standard X3. The car looks great in both BGM and the new Dune Grey, which my dealer also had when I picked up mine.
• My opinion on the interior is complicated. It isn't universally bad. In fact, if you accept the minimalism thing, it is mostly okay. But some parts of it are abysmally awful. Like criminal. I'm looking at the doors and the door handles and the incredibly cheap plastic where the door controls are. The seat memory buttons feel like a shitty kid's toy. I wouldn't be surprised if this is fixed by 2026 MY.
• The M Alcantara interior is nicer in person than it looks in videos. I like it and am glad I got it. The non-woven dash is also nice.
• There is a spare tire under the trunk liner
• The car drives incredibly well. Feels poised and planted, engine has gobs of power, it is a proper BMW.
• The "modes" are kind of silly and it won't let me automatically start in Sport mode.

tl;dr I like the exterior, the interior is mixed, the drivetrain & suspension are great. More later.


Here ya go

Looks good, I am going to wait for most of the millennials to default on payments. Get one cheap at 60% lower price. It's also made in the USA.

[ModernAngel]

Originally Posted by Gfit

There are already a dozen or more threads hating on the new design. Well pretty much every new design but that’s another topic. Can we all please just let the members that bought one have just once thread without crapping on it? Just one!

I’ve been on car boards and groups for literally the past 25 years. Granted, they’ve basically always been for sport compact/sports cars. This is the first time I’ve really spent some time in an SUV community and holy crap some of y’all really have some strong feelings and the need to voice them for what is, let’s face it, a holistically boring class of vehicle.

Lord knows I see a ton of cars I think look like crap out there. Have never felt the need to spend a bunch of time apparently trying to “save” folks who do like them from their own opinions. Different strokes for different folks y’all. Personally, I have zero brand loyalty so if a company makes a car I don’t like anymore I just go buy one from a company that does. I don’t make it my life’s mission to try to change the direction of the company’s design team so I can keep buying the same car model ad infinitum with it meeting all my personal taste metrics.

Anyway, everyone’s free to state their opinions here, of course, so God bless.

[Alan l.]

I sat in a M50 at my local dealer and I think they did a great job on the exterior. I like the rear especially. Interior design is nice/minimalist but the one thing that jumped out at me was how cheap the material was on the backs of the seats and trunk area. It literally had the texture and semi discoloration of a cheap plastic toy. I was shocked in all the years of driving and sitting in various BMW's i've never seen them use a material THIS cheap looking.

Is it a deal breaker? No. Its a good overall package but just a pitty that cost cutting reached this level.

Alan

[Keweenawbee]

I have yet to read anything about improvements in voice assistance. How can I keep my eyes on the road with the lack of buttons this new model has?

[patch5674]

I had watched a few YT videos here in EU, they did static walkarounds of a final pre production model and then the first drives dropped the other week.

I couldn't believe that they would leave the door trim around the door handle and the vent sliders in that plastic.

I can't believe even the pre production models had them in plastic.

I say this as someone who has a G60 coming - I don't get too annoyed by not having fabric in the door bins and other clear cost cutting measures (even if the G30 did have it) etc. But the door handles being in harsh black plastic is really bad.

My 2 F40 1 Series had metal door handles and I believe they have retained metal for the F70. You touch and interact with a door handle every single time you drive the vehicle.

[EWL5]

Can any of you new owner's post the Monroney sticker (you can hide your VIN)?

Of great interest to me is the actual wattage for the HK system. Thanks!

[ModernAngel]

Originally Posted by EWL5

Can any of you new owner's post the Monroney sticker (you can hide your VIN)?

Of great interest to me is the actual wattage for the HK system. Thanks!

The Monroney unfortunately doesn't list the wattage of either the standard "hi fi" audio or H/K upgrade. Mine doesn't, anyway.

[EWL5]

Originally Posted by ModernAngel

The Monroney unfortunately doesn't list the wattage of either the standard "hi fi" audio or H/K upgrade. Mine doesn't, anyway.

I know the HiFi is 100W. There is a discrepancy w/the HK wattage since the US website has had a known typo for a while. I just want to know the official wattage for the G45!

Thanks!

[TXSchnee]

The G45 was designed during covid shortages. Some of the “cost cutting” was due to the belief parts would be harder to source. Any new or mid cycle refresh of any make that was designed during covid has the same cheap looking alternatives (my ‘24 Cayenne S E Hybrid has black plastic seat adjustment buttons instead of the metal on the pre-mid cycle update). There is a reason the XM interior is so much nicer than the new M5, one was designed prior to covid, the other during. Of course the manufacturers may not go back to the nicer materials once cost savings and lack of complaints (aka people still buying the vehicles) shows them they do not need to worry about materials. I would urge people to note the cost reductions on the owner surveys they get.

[The Libertine]

Originally Posted by avi66

I always pause for reflection when a car manufacturer cuts cost so drastically in the areas the users regularly come into contact with, or sees virtually all of the time, so it’s in your face.

To me this is an action of last resort by the manufacturer, and makes me wonder what cost cutting it did in the areas we can’t see, or why it made certain decisions, like the cost of making the side vents electronic with capacitive sliders and motors etc. rather than an elegant manual solution ????

Yup. Regardless of how great the drivetrain is, sitting in and being subjected to a low-quality cabin will ultimately detract from the overall ownership experience.

[Mavus]

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

The G45 was designed during covid shortages. Some of the “cost cutting” was due to the belief parts would be harder to source. Any new or mid cycle refresh of any make that was designed during covid has the same cheap looking alternatives (my ‘24 Cayenne S E Hybrid has black plastic seat adjustment buttons instead of the metal on the pre-mid cycle update). There is a reason the XM interior is so much nicer than the new M5, one was designed prior to covid, the other during. Of course the manufacturers may not go back to the nicer materials once cost savings and lack of complaints (aka people still buying the vehicles) shows them they do not need to worry about materials. I would urge people to note the cost reductions on the owner surveys they get.

this is incorrect. covid had nothing to do with it. take a look at other brands. it was designed to meet co2 and cost targets.

[wartnig]

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

The G45 was designed during covid shortages. Some of the “cost cutting” was due to the belief parts would be harder to source. Any new or mid cycle refresh of any make that was designed during covid has the same cheap looking alternatives (my ‘24 Cayenne S E Hybrid has black plastic seat adjustment buttons instead of the metal on the pre-mid cycle update). There is a reason the XM interior is so much nicer than the new M5, one was designed prior to covid, the other during. Of course the manufacturers may not go back to the nicer materials once cost savings and lack of complaints (aka people still buying the vehicles) shows them they do not need to worry about materials. I would urge people to note the cost reductions on the owner surveys they get.

What a load of trash . This is so incorrect.

[TXSchnee]

Originally Posted by Mavus

this is incorrect. covid had nothing to do with it. take a look at other brands. it was designed to meet co2 and cost targets.

You think cheap interior materials is due to CO2 targets?

[TXSchnee]

Originally Posted by wartnig

What a load of trash . This is so incorrect.

How is it incorrect? Auto manufacturers designed vehicles during the covid pandemic assuming shortages would stay consistent. They cheapened a ton of items on all vehicles (all brands have shown this) because of this. Not sure why people on here have forgotten that pre-covid BMW was already talking about cutting materials to realize a 20% per vehicle profit. As per usual the other people on here makes me reconsider whether it is worth it to stay looking at the forums. Generally they are low rated people such as yourself, thinking you score reputation points by being an ass.

[g20jprad]

Originally Posted by SexyRoger

Looks good, I am going to wait for most of the millennials to default on payments. Get one cheap at 60% lower price. It's also made in the USA.

That's so funny and probably very true.

[Mavus]

Originally Posted by TXSchnee

You think cheap interior materials is due to CO2 targets?

no most likely cost target but a vehicle as a whole has co2 target and manuf facility has co2 targets. every material and component bought from suppliers has co2 target.

[JoeyO]

I don’t necessarily buy the covid excuse. I believe the auto industry is just so darn competitive now-a-days that there is extreme pressure to cut very little bit cost out of every design. Much of these products were designed 4-6 years ago, before covid even hit. Sure there was a lot of doom and gloom during covid, but I don’t think anyone was thinking the pandemic or its shortages would still be around after 4-5 years. Product engineers have to be much more forward thinking than that. Just to tool up a certain part or casting could take up to a full year. There is nothing instantaneous about product design. As an engineer, myself, there’s always an eye on the end-date, the release date. Product development is a science all onto itself. Gantt charts are never fun.

Having said that, now that covid is over, does anyone really think quality will improve in the next redesign? Probably not.

[avi66]

Originally Posted by JoeyO

I don’t necessarily buy the covid excuse. I believe the auto industry is just so darn competitive now-a-days that there is extreme pressure to cut very little bit cost out of every design. Much of these products were designed 4-6 years ago, before covid even hit. Sure there was a lot of doom and gloom during covid, but I don’t think anyone was thinking the pandemic or its shortages would still be around after 4-5 years. Product engineers have to be much more forward thinking than that. Just to tool up a certain part or casting could take up to a full year. There is nothing instantaneous about product design. As an engineer, myself, there’s always an eye on the end-date, the release date. Product development is a science all onto itself. Gantt charts are never fun.

Having said that, now that covid is over, does anyone really think quality will improve in the next redesign? Probably not.

The real issue is the political drive to EV that is consuming massive amounts of money with generally little appetite from consumers.

This is have a big impact on traditional ICE car manufacturers, and consequently massive cost cutting to build a war chest to survive ZEV mandates and banning of new ICE sales.

Watch out BMW China is going to eat your lunch.

[Chrisss_GER]

Originally Posted by EWL5

Can any of you new owner's post the Monroney sticker (you can hide your VIN)?

Of great interest to me is the actual wattage for the HK system. Thanks!

The german BMW website says 750 watts with 15 Speakers. One subwoofer in the trunk.

[avi66]

Originally Posted by Chrisss_GER

The german BMW website says 750 watts with 15 Speakers. One subwoofer in the trunk.

Any idea where the 15 speakers are located in the G45 ?

I assume a HK mid and passive tweeter is classed as a single channel but counts as two speakers. Hence, 15 speakers split across 9 channels according to BMW.

Front door right & left = 4 speakers/2 channels ?
Centre channel = 2 speakers/1 channel ?
Rear door right & left = 4 speakers/2 channels ?

Not sure about the other 5 speakers and remaining channels; possibly left & right D pillar = 4 speakers/2 channels ? Plus 1 other speaker but 2 channels somewhere ?

Also any info on how the output is split between the RAM, which on AKEV 3 HK usually drives all mids plus their passive tweeter, whilst the booster on the ALEV 3 HK has traditionally driven the lower freq under seat woofers only.

Here’s what the UK configurator shows, but no mention of location or speaker types -

[Chrisss_GER]

Originally Posted by avi66

Any idea where the 15 speakers are located in the G45 ?

... -

I have no idea. But I'm curious if there are more speakers in the front door (maybe where is the yellow mark in the picture) or only the one speaker with the h/k badge (white mark in the picture).

The G01 had also one speaker in the middle of the front door.

Maybe some G45 owners can tell us more

[EWL5]

Originally Posted by Chrisss_GER

The german BMW website says 750 watts with 15 Speakers. One subwoofer in the trunk.

Thanks! Websites have been known to be wrong but the sticker is a legal document (I think) so it can't be wrong!