[Obioban]

I'd agree that nobody has really picked up the slack when BMW dropped the ball. Caddy is the best driving option out there, but the interiors are crap and have a certain... reputation.

I do think BMW traded short term sales gains for long term success. People bought BMWs because they had a reputation of being sporty, even when individual people didn't always care. That reputation has been lost, and their sales are now suffering. These days, there is nothing exceptional about BMW and people are starting to realize it. Brand reputation matters-- and BMW without sportiness is just a crappier Mercedes.

C&D has known for a while, because they test cars and care about how they drive :P

My last 15 cars have been BMWs. Some new, some used, some CPO. At this point, they haven't made a single car I desire to own since the e90 went out of production, and even that I like significantly than the e46/e39 generation of cars.

Nobody has replaced what BMW once was, but that doesn't mean I'm going to keep buying new BMWs.