A friend of mine emailed me a link to a forum that discussed an advertisement that claimed that the Chevrolet Cruze outhandled the BMW 328xi. The link never discussed exactly what parameter the Chevy bested the AWD BMW in. Was it in the slalom? Was it the skid pad? Does it matter? Here was my response:

The reason I own six BMWs is because I love the way they drive. There are kids in turbo Honda Civics and Supercharged Camaros that could eat my cars lunch on a drag strip, but that is not where I get the most enjoyment out of my cars. I've owned a lot of cars and driven countless others. BMW knows what they are doing as far as the "feel" of control and superior handling. The thing about performance numbers in a vacuum, is that they are pure advertising fodder. When a commercial tells me that the new Hyundai has more "X" than a BMW 7 series; all I can think is: "Since when is the guy who was in the demographic to buy a 7 series even considering a Hyundai?" It only sounds cool if you were considering a Hyundai in the first place.

I don't expect the slowest, least performance oriented all wheel drive, version of the BMW 3 series to be a stellar performer. That is what M3s are for. If you are buying a Chevy Cruze this may make you feel good. If you are an automotive enthusiast, this doesn't come as a big surprise.

As of today my stable consists of: 1987 BMW L6, 1988 BMW M6, 1992 BMW 325i sedan, 1995 BMW 325iC Convertible, 1995 BMW M3, 2002 BMW 325i sedan and a 2000 Ford Expedition 4X4. I own these cars (the BMWs) because I love the way they drive. The Nissans, Hondas, Mazdas, Mercedes Benz, Chevrolets, I have driven; no matter how fast or cool looking have not lived up to these old BMWs in my heart and mind. If money were no object, I would have a barn full of old BMWs. Hell, I'm well on my way there now...