[MMY]

Evening, perhaps admittedly prompted by a couple of glasses of fine Italian red vino (Germany does have some nice whites in fairness), I figured that the bright sparks in Munich must have some resource allocated to monitoring digital channels like this forum, but then I wondered if it has any influence. As we are by and large commenting on our experience with the new model, or speculating on its options, we are essentially behind the curve in that (I assume) the specification, characteristics etc of the G30 will have been honed and refined for a number of years which it takes to bring a new model from concept to production. And given that forums such as this are populated by enthusiasts, a small fraction of the potential target market, I doubt whether opinions expressed here carry any weight...but hey, it's great to share stories and experience!!

[Playdrum]

Originally Posted by MMY

Evening, perhaps admittedly prompted by a couple of glasses of fine Italian red vino (Germany does have some nice whites in fairness), I figured that the bright sparks in Munich must have some resource allocated to monitoring digital channels like this forum, but then I wondered if it has any influence. As we are by and large commenting on our experience with the new model, or speculating on its options, we are essentially behind the curve in that (I assume) the specification, characteristics etc of the G30 will have been honed and refined for a number of years which it takes to bring a new model from concept to production. And given that forums such as this are populated by enthusiasts, a small fraction of the potential target market, I doubt whether opinions expressed here carry any weight...but hey, it's great to share stories and experience!!

If BMW actually read boards like this we would truly have our dream car, but I'm sure they don't care enough to really know what thier core buyer has to say.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Playdrum

If BMW actually read boards like this we would truly have our dream car, but I'm sure they don't care enough to really know what thier core buyer has to say.

They will be listening to the wider market, that is where sales are most important. Who is their core buyer these days?

Have you never been asked to share in BMW product surveys? Quite enlightening, in what they are most interested.

I've written and had dialog with BMW, including their UK Technical Department. Assurance is all serious issues, comment and feedback does go into the system.

Problem with forums, they are often a mixed bag of information and 'noise'. Enthusiasts and complainers ("the G30 doesn't drive like the E39", or "my car has bust" types), don't necessarily represent the middle ground.

[ArchJR]

A friend with a problematic 335d vents continuously on Facebook and caught the attention of BMW of North America. I think this monitoring has more to do with damage control than product development. Customer clinics, automotive journalists, customer surveys, and dealer feedback must all matter more than armchair experts.

And let's face it, the fans that populate forums will complain all day long, but still justify sticking with their preferred brand. As in, sure the 5-series has gotten soft, but if you option it with ZMP, ZDH, 2NH, and some M-Performance parts, then it is still the Ultimate Driving Machine. And they'll gladly pay $6,000+ more for that privilege compared to "non-enthusiast" customers, so the Quandts win in the end.

[NewM3driver]

I think they keep tabs on it to get an idea of customer feedback. Remember, this is a skewed population of enthusiasts. Most folks that buy the vast majority of these cars just get in and drive them and are for lack of a better word, oblivious.

[agentrnge]

I've never seen an "official bmw" response to any forum post.
I've seen a few insider replies, and a few instances of what you could almost call leaks.
It would be nice to think they were here in a corporate presence, but I doubt it. Forum members are such a small percentage of the world market its probably not worth their time.

[CeEl]

Originally Posted by agentrnge

I've never seen an "official bmw" response to any forum post.
I've seen a few insider replies, and a few instances of what you could almost call leaks.
It would be nice to think they were here in a corporate presence, but I doubt it. Forum members are such a small percentage of the world market its probably not worth their time.

I have heard of people who got contacted by BMW after forum post, e.g. after complaining about a defect that the dealer couldn't fix after repeat attempts.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by CeEl

I have heard of people who got contacted by BMW after forum post, e.g. after complaining about a defect that the dealer couldn't fix after repeat attempts.

Interesting.

I know for a fact that Tesla really listens to their clients on the forums, but that's expected given how small of a brand and niche they are. The majority of their clients are tech nerds who are easy to please since their client base is pretty homogenous, whereas with BMW you have the driving enthusiast crowd and the growing "I don't know what RWD is I just want the badge" crowd.