I apologize for the long post, but I had this to say.

I don't ask much of a car. It needs to run for cheap (I'm still in high school), carry me, a few friends and/or surfboards, still be fun, and that's about it. Comfort? I would like a/c, maybe a manual or canvas sunroof, and a 1-disc cd player with iPod connection that doesn't sound like the speaker on my $10 cell phone. I'm easy to please. But car companies today have it all wrong.

Automakers need to wise up and learn that a lot of power does not make up for a lot of weight. Case in point - the BMW 135i. All these car magazines are hyping it as the second coming of the 2002tii. Automoble Magazine told me to go put my order down right now. But I won't, because I don't want a 3-Series that's a foot shorter yet only about 100 pounds lighter. The only real advantage of having a smaller car besides the parking is the less weight, and the 135i fails badly.

The 2002tii was such a hit because of it's light tossability giving it the ability to whup the Cudas that had more than twice the power. Granted, I have yet to drive the 135i, but why would I want a car that has the same stats as a new Mustang GT, who's predecessor was so thouroghly whooped by the tii? The GT suffers from the same problem; yet it is slightly better to accomodate my 6'3, 200 lb girth.

The 135i weighs so much partly because it shares it's roots with the E46 3-Series, but also because it has so much unnecessary crap added to it, like navigation, upmarket stereo, power crap that my car doesn't have manual, and a 306 hp twin turbo six. A new 2002 should have manual stuff, almost stripper interior, 15 inch wheels, sporty suspension, and the 2.0 liter four as seen in the Euro-Market 320si. All that other b.s. should be an option for the rich people who want to pretend to like to drive.

I would much rather have a car that goes 0-60 in "just" 6.5 seconds yet is as throwable as an MR2 than a luxo barge that may be just a little bit faster. What would you rather drive through the proverbial canyon every day - a Miata or a Escalade?  

Well said mr. Dannyf..

I am just as frustrated as you are with this ongoing "bigger and more is better" debacle..

Most every car nowadays is overweight, overpriced, over engineered and over regulated by the danm fun-police.

I currently drive a e36 BMW thats mostly stock (except for the suspension which is very much not stock), but I love this car and to me is the last BMW model that was a real drivers car. The E30 and 2002 etc. were of course better: pure unaltered driving bliss, and the E46 is an amazing Nurburgring car as well as the M5 etc, but to me as a driver, what stands out is a car thats not too expensive, lightweight, and a joy to toss around the local canyons and track without worrying about some idiot computer telling me what to do all day.

My e36 is going up for sale soon, and I'm thinking of a Miata to build out, or an e30 M3. M3 is like 3x as much, and its worth every penny but I don't know if I have the funds to support a fun car that costs that much to begin with.