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      03-29-2014, 03:38 AM   #1
w1k1nG
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Exclamation crash and reliability of 3gt

after a long research and consideration, i have decided to buy an 3gt.
in my opinion the best look in 3gt is with alpine white, m sport, like the one bmw displayed in geneva last year.
so i go for it and i was the owner of one of the few m package 3gt's in turkey, considering around 200-300gt's has sold since last year according to the distributor.

everything was great about it until last week, after 6 months of usage. but on around 5000km, i had a terrible and unbelievable traffic accident.
with summer tires, sport mode, 150km/s, very heavy rain, big puddle on road and i have totally lost the control, go out of the road and the car felled over.
i still couldn't believe how it became and still couldn't understand anything about it.

luckily i didn't have any serious injuries except some small things on my hands, but the car has big damage in everywhere.

i'm not sure if anyone have watched the top gear uk this season, but like what happened there to jeremy with 1 series on flat and straight road in high speed, i totally face the same. the only difference is my conditions are worst then him except the speed.

video; http://gfycat.com/HelpfulFeistyCrustacean

the road is my everyday road to work, which is around 50km, i know every meter of it since long years. the big puddles on the location of accident is something i'm used to, i never lost control before in similar conditions with my e90 before, but with 3gt, i totally lost the control and couldn't do anything, which is shocking me.

i still couldn't find out where is the problem, is it about car, or is it about the conditions or myself.

anyhow, the price of the car is when i bought was around 80.000USD and now the cost of fix is 35.000USD, so now the situation is at the stage of evaluation by insurance company but seems that probably the car is going to be scrapped and insurance will pay my money back.

however due to the increases on usd-tl rate, prices of bmw and taxes, the 2014 3gt price increased to an incredible 90.000USD.
frankly speaking, i don't want to buy exactly same car by paying an additional 10.000usd, so i checked for other alternatives within the same price level, but it's a pity that i couldn't find anything looks better than 3gt m package yet. therefore i have totally messed up in this situation and can't decide what to do.

please let me know if you have any suggestions ? go for 3gt again by paying more money and question marks about car's reliability ? go for 4 series or 4 series grand couple ?
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Last edited by w1k1nG; 03-29-2014 at 03:54 AM..
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      03-29-2014, 07:54 AM   #2
olehead
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I live in the North East and drive my 2014 GT 335xi in some very bad conditions over 50 miles a day- at times over a foot of snow to black ice - it has the same run flats it came with and I can tell you it out performs any suv I have seen - One example - a pickup truck coming toward me lost control on the ice - I was able to swerve out of the way without losing control - while the truck ended up off the road - as long as you remember brakes are not your friend when in a skid or the backend breaks loose the car is amazing and the weight distribution is perfect - it is better than the 2011 X3 I traded in.

Not sure what is up with your insurance - mine would replace totaled cars with the same model at no expense to owner
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      03-29-2014, 08:03 AM   #3
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You are a very lucky person.
Looking at your picture and that you did not sustain major injuries, do you feel that the safety features of the GT worked in your favor?

Whether you are comfortable with a new GT, or get your GT repaired, or wish to go with another BMW model is going to be a difficult choice for you. Just consider that you DID walk away from this accident WITHOUT major injuries. That may play a part in your decision making.

Best of luck & enjoy which ever choice you make.
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      03-29-2014, 09:44 AM   #4
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In my view, given the conditions, you were hydroplaning. Whether a car hydroplanes is not something the car has control over, but a factor of the road conditions and the tires' abilities. I wouldn't necessarily attribute anything to the 3GT vs your last car. (But perhaps compare the tires' performance and road condition)

I'm very sorry to hear that the car is totaled, but I'm also glad you were able to walk away from a terrible accident with only minor injuries! That 3GT seemed to have kept you alive and in good shape
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      03-29-2014, 12:52 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lmcq784 View Post
In my view, given the conditions, you were hydroplaning. Whether a car hydroplanes is not something the car has control over, but a factor of the road conditions and the tires' abilities. I wouldn't necessarily attribute anything to the 3GT vs your last car. (But perhaps compare the tires' performance and road condition)

I'm very sorry to hear that the car is totaled, but I'm also glad you were able to walk away from a terrible accident with only minor injuries! That 3GT seemed to have kept you alive and in good shape
For What It's Worth, the "hydroplaning" comment is totally on target. Speed/Vehicle-Weight/amount of water on the roadway between the tires and the road surface all combine to create a scenario where you can not control either the direction of the vehicle, nor the stopping capability because there is no traction. It is like you are skimming across the surface of the water similar to a flat rock that has been thrown across the surface of a calm lake.

You really are extremely fortunate when considering what else could have happened if you were in contact with any other objects.
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      03-29-2014, 07:21 PM   #6
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Was your car an X-drive? I've always had 4 wheel drive SUVs before getting the 3GTxi last October. I didn't want the X-drive version when I bought it but that was all that was offered for the US. I'm so glad I got it because it handled mountain snow in Austria (this was a European Delivery car), then 2 trips to snowy Chicago and recently a terrible rainstorm near Atlanta where there were many tragic "hydroplaning" accidents - one car even caught fire after it hit a pool of water on the road and rolled into the center median. I too felt like the car was out of control when it hit the pools of water on the road - but, I can say that I've never felt safer and more confident in any other car. Other than cost, I see no downside to having X-drive in a BMW if you have road conditions that warrant it. I always felt the 4 wheel drive in my other cars were "clunky" and less nimble. Whatever you decide, please consider all wheel drive for your next vehicle. I agree with the others here that, no matter what you might have been driving at the time, you probably would have had the same or worse accident under those conditions. Glad you walked away.
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      03-30-2014, 05:21 PM   #7
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Aren't the tires from the 3GT a bit wider than the e90? If so, it may be marginally more prone to hydroplanning. That said, hydroplanning is not good and would result in a loss of control.

My 3GT has been really good in snow. Better than my previous e91.

Glad you are safe.

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      03-30-2014, 10:24 PM   #8
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Not sure. Larger in diameter, yes. But wider? I don't think so. Stock sizes are 225 wide for squared setup. 225 front and 255 rear for staggered setup. Pretty tame, especially compared to what a lot of people put on their modified 3-series sedans.
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      03-30-2014, 11:23 PM   #9
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Let me make sure I understand.

You hydroplaned at 150 km/h, rolled the car, and walked away with minor injuries to your hands.

And you're questioning the reliability (i.e. safety) of the vehicle?
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      06-29-2014, 05:54 PM   #10
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very sad to see your new car in rough shape. drive slow in bad weather conditions.
excessive speed is always the cause of accidents. $80k bmw does not mean invincible machine and you are still just a biological being.
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      06-30-2014, 03:36 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipilcher View Post
Let me make sure I understand.

You hydroplaned at 150 km/h, rolled the car, and walked away with minor injuries to your hands.

And you're questioning the reliability (i.e. safety) of the vehicle?
Exactly my thoughts.

What are you considering other than the 3gt?
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      06-30-2014, 08:11 AM   #12
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Hydroplaning is pretty common, especially if there is standing water on the road. A guy at my office crashed this year, same exact reason. I would consider all season tires, Michelins if possible, they tend to move a lot more water than summer variety.
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      07-03-2014, 04:27 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bizfiend View Post
very sad to see your new car in rough shape. drive slow in bad weather conditions.
excessive speed is always the cause of accidents. $80k bmw does not mean invincible machine and you are still just a biological being.
Agree.

The car can only do as much... it will drive you fast if you push and looks like it has done great to protect you when you lost control...

You always have to have the right tyres for the season - BMW Xdrive could also be worth considering if you intend to push hard.
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      07-03-2014, 06:38 AM   #14
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well here's a update 4 months after the crash.
i have seen four mercedes c and e class out of the road at the same place of my accident.
these are the only ones i see when i was coming to work, on rainy days, just within the four months.
i guess theres much more i couldn't see.
i'm going to apply to government about this place, because it's obviously a road problem.

anyhow now when it comes to new car, i was trying to decide since last several weeks. luckily i saw 3gt and 4gc next to each other on two dealers here. I can say that the difference is not like the photos, you have to see it in real life. 3gt is totally not comparable to 4gc. at the past, i was thinking 3gt looks great but now my mind totally changed.

so i have ordered 4gc right now and hope it will be delivered within the August.
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      07-03-2014, 09:36 PM   #15
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Glad you are ok, and good luck with the 4GC purchase. Enjoy in good health.
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      07-04-2014, 05:21 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by w1k1nG View Post
so i have ordered 4gc
Hope you went xDrive

Last edited by x-m4n; 08-06-2014 at 09:19 AM..
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      07-05-2014, 04:52 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by x-m4n View Post
Trust you went for the xDrive
everybody i have asked told me that xdrive have nothing to do on high speed hydroplaning, so i go for rear drive once again after a long research.
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      07-07-2014, 03:40 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by w1k1nG View Post
everybody i have asked told me that xdrive have nothing to do on high speed hydroplaning, so i go for rear drive once again after a long research.
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      08-01-2014, 04:34 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by w1k1nG View Post
everybody i have asked told me that xdrive have nothing to do on high speed hydroplaning, so i go for rear drive once again after a long research.
Exactly right, aquaplaning happens at speeds from about 80 km/h upwards. The physics of this have absolutely nothing to do with 2WD or 4WD.

Once the car floats (on the water layer) it floats. You can only hope to get grip back because you're leaving the puddle, or the car slows down below the dangerous speed. (Or nothing is in the way in the direction where physics take your car)
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      08-06-2014, 09:47 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeMinh View Post
Once the car floats (on the water layer) it floats. You can only hope to get grip back because you're leaving the puddle
Do agree with you MikeMinh, nothing can help when is too wet and you went too fast...

I didn't choose xDrive because I drive in city/motorways and we very rarely get snow here in London - having said that, do feel xDrive shines when the conditions go bad... We can argue this forever, I just leave you with some of the brochure bla...

-----
With the BMW xDrive four-wheel drive system, each axle uses its traction to the maximum. Your BMW provides stable acceleration out of bends. If – particularly in adverse conditions – more torque has to be applied to the road, that’s when Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) comes into operation. In addition to improving traction, the system also recognises the first signs of oversteering and understeering. Within a tenth of a second it distributes up to almost 100% of the engine torque to the front or rear axle via the transmission and an electronically controlled multiple-plate clutch before returning to the normal 40:60 distribution ratio
-----

Peace

Last edited by x-m4n; 08-07-2014 at 09:31 AM..
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      12-22-2014, 04:59 PM   #21
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i think sir isaac newton has explained why this happens.
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      01-31-2015, 05:07 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ipilcher View Post
Let me make sure I understand.
You hydroplaned at 150 km/h, rolled the car, and walked away with minor injuries to your hands.
And you're questioning the reliability (i.e. safety) of the vehicle?
+1. 150km is questionable on dry roads, unless they're of Autobahn/Interstate quality, potentially suicide on wet. Surviving a crash at that speed what you should have done was to kiss that car for saving your life, and then bought another one.
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