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Dynamic Handling Package
I'm now about 300 miles into the car and decided that it was okay to give "Sport" vice "Normal" a little whirl on a completely bogus 15 mile drive to get gas (I know, not so green; I'll recycle extra next week). For those of you wondering if "Sport" makes a difference -- oh, yeah, it does. Suspension stiffens, throttle changes, and steering changes dramatically toward a sportier weight and feel. I giggled like a little boy with a new BB gun. If I didn't fear the VA State Police so much, I'd have been over 100 in the blink of an eye. (Not to self: Plan road trip to Montana.)
The car I really wanted now was a new 335i, but we needed some "utility" capability particularly for our dogs. Being a big 3 series fan the new X3 seemed to fit the bill much better than our previous V8 Toyota 4Runner (which was good for what it was, but it was not a BMW).
Driving on "Normal" I'd been thrilled by how similar the X3 was to my experience with 3 series sedans; not the same, but by far enough that I was a happy camper even after having to accommodate the "utility" requirement.
With "Sport" in play, I'm speechless (almost). I now totally get the 0-60 times compared to the last 335i and I can see giving one a run for it's money through the twisties. I'd been confused by a reviewer giving an X6M better marks than an M5; now I can kinda see it. The new 335i will almost certainly beat the X3, but the margin seems likely to be far smaller than I'd thought.
This car doesn't just make me smile, it gets the "little boy with a new toy" giggle going!! People will think I'm nuts, but I don't care. This thing is fun. Thanks BMW!!!
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