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44K views 175 replies 55 participants last post by  My328dwagon 
#1 ·
I am surprised that there is so little traffic in this forum on the 328d. There is much more discussion about it over in the F30 forum - where it takes a pasting from those who expect it to be as fast as a 328i but get twice the mileage and those who are offended because the same engine is used in the 320d in Europe!

So, let's see if we can get some discussion going!

First, has anyone gotten one in service yet? I know they have hit the dealers because I test drove one before ordering mine. There must be some of them on the road by now.

Second, I would be curious to see the impressions of other 335d owners who have test driven the 328d. While it gets trashed by the gasser owners over in the F30 forum, they tend to have different perceptions of speed than do diesel drivers. A gasser has that power hit as engine speed increases that give an impression of speed lacking in a diesel. By contrast the diesel gives a steady push that build surprisingly rapidly. I liken the difference to the sharp recoil of a rifle compared to the steady push of a shotgun. Both get the job done, though the feel is quite different. FWIW, I was impressed with the power of the 328d. Yes, it is slower than the 335d, but it is just as fast as my Fiat Abarth - though my wife will never believe that as a passenger. When I hit it hard in the 335d, the push is actually quite a bit stronger than the Abarth, but it doesn't feel as if you are accelerating as fast.

Third, as a very happy 335d owner, I bought a 328d. It isn't that much slower and the car is better balanced. I think I will be able to get it through a corner a bit faster than the 335d - though only time will tell. I didn't wring out the 328d at all. However, it seems to have the balance of my old 318i - a car which would always corner better than the equivalent 6 in its day (given equal rubber).

Fourth, one significant difference (at least to me) between the 335d and the 328d is the way they handle the DEF. The 328d has a DEF filler right alongside the fuel filler. It appears to be a straight "pour in" situation. My wife could do that. She wouldn't refill the DEF in the 335d in a million years!

Fourth, my 328d is in production in Munich and completes on September 5th. Can't wait till it gets here. I'll have more comparative information when it arrives...
 
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#154 ·
I've had my 328d for 15 months. Factory order, it only took 6 days to build and about 6 weeks to ship. No complaints. The purists may think it's under powered and doesn't handle as well as other bimmers, but it's my first and it beats the crap out of anything else I have ever driven.

Combined MPG in Chicago suburbs is 38 mpg. Highway is 42'ish at 75 mph, gets to 50+ at 60 mph or less. It will even get 50+ at 40 mph on a flat road with few stops in seventh gear. Plenty of juice for passing on the highway. I've never go much past 80 but it seems like it will just keep accelerating at that point. Not as quick off the line as the 328i but the torque really kicks in in 3rd gear and just keeps going from there.

Being in Illinois, pure diesel is hard to find, but I have a BP near enough and it's what's recommended by BMW. It's cetane level is the highest and it gets several mpg better than biodiesel (as tested in our Jetta TDI). For those who don't know, VW said it is OK to use B20 in the TDI but to reduce the oil change service interval to 5,000 miles from 10,000 miles. They gave us a very detailed memo about it a few months after we bought the TDI (a year before the 328d). It turns out the bio component of biodiesel is very much like crankcase oil and it can leach into the crankcase, diluting the crankcase oil and increasing the fluid level, neither of which is good. It won't hurt the engine to burn biodiesel but you could damage the engine if the fluid level rises. I stick with brand name B5 or less as a result. An occasion tank of biodiesel is OK if you can't find the real deal. Avoid truck stop diesel if you can, it's low grade Cetane 40 rated and has few additives. Last ditch usage if you are running on fumes.
 
#156 ·
I love my D. Long trips will give me 45 mpg or better, and a smile on my face every time I drive it. I even enjoy hand washing it. Smitten.

About the sound. I got the base hifi because I still morn the days when HK was a quality brand, and not the licensing brand it is now. Don't throw darts, the HK in these cars is better than the standard radio. What I did do was replace the speakers with the Bavsound upgrade. I promise it will be money well spent on your car.
 
#158 ·
2015 328d

Really enjoyed reading every one's posts.
I ordered mine from Munich late 2014 and it arrived in January 2015. The M Sport Suspension is what makes this car fun to drive when taking hard turns on the curves. Gas mileage has been great and it has made sense to own a Diesel in California in the last year and half even if gas prices have been low at the moment. ( Gas can't stay cheap forever)
For the past few months Diesel has been at $1.99 - $2.25 vs. Regular gas at $ 2.30 -$2.45 and up, but lets not talk about Premium fuel prices because you all know there is no comparison by far.
I have taken my car to the dealer twice already due to the engine light that has come on for unknown reasons.
Dealer says that is a common issue due to the fact that if I don't drive it and it sits in the garage for months, some emission issues sets the engine light on.
I guess because I have been in and out of the country and when the car doesn't get driven too much, this can happen?
Other than that, be careful hitting pot holes, I had a small clunking noise for a while due to it's aluminum parts but the Dealer fixed that issue as well.
I may plan to keep this car a long time depending on how Gas prices turn out in the future.
Nobody knows yet how that might turn out.
 

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#159 ·
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I have taken my car to the dealer twice already due to the engine light that has come on for unknown reasons.
Dealer says that is a common issue due to the fact that if I don't drive it and it sits in the garage for months, some emission issues sets the engine light on.
I guess because I have been in and out of the country and when the car doesn't get driven too much, this can happen?
Plausible explanation. The problem that many of us with 335d/x5d had was crystalization of the urea/ammonia that plugged the mixer (injector) for the DEF, or crusted up the sensors in the DEF tanks. Flushing with water or otherwise usually "fixed" those problems.
Or there could be something happening to interfere with the DPF regeneration after long periods...
 
#162 · (Edited)
I got mine in July of 2014. 328d with x-drive.

I love the car. Diesel is 80¢ per gallon less than premium around here, and no matter how hard I drive my car it never gets less than 40mpg.

It's just me, so a 5-series would be too big.

In another year when my lease is up, I'm going to ask my CA to find the exact same car (2017) with only a few changes from this one: a) nicer wheels, maybe 18's, b) black kidneys so I don't have to do the rip&replace I did on my current one, and clear paint protection.

Ok. It needs to be red.
 
#163 ·
My last every day car was the VW Jetta Sportwagon with the 2 liter TDI. Last I heard, when it happens, the buyback price is about $9000 or $4000 when they fix it and I keep it. Has about 250k miles on it. It was one of the first ones in SoCal. What I learned on that model I used to buy 328 Sportwagon D XDrive.

Where the JSW lagged in top speed since it's only a six gear double clutch my BMW can cruise all day in the 90's at 2200 rpm. It does that safer, quieter with better insulation and thicker glass, handles better with my P7 18's, more comfortable in my Dakota Red leather infinitely adjustable buckets, has way better air conditioning, looks better with my front black appearance package and dual pano roofs, sounds better with my Harmon Kardon 16 speaker system (I'm tone deaf haha), back up package, etc"............

Somehow I feel and know that there is a relationship. I know they both have the dreaded Bosch high pressure fuel pump. Mine went out in the VW at 105k. This wagon at 17k. Both had to have the entire fuel system replaced. BMW wasn't hip to that by 2013? Started happening in 2008. Diesel in the USA doesn't have the same lubricity as the Euro diesel! Newer generation of the HPFP have a better coating on the cam that supplies the pressure and that is lubed by the fuel. Little behind on that one BMW.

I feel the motors are the same. Both are 2 liters. The dub with a single turbo and the Beemer with the dual turbo (but one outlet) thus getting more power. If anyone can verify it would be appreciated. It's plenty of torquey for me. I'll just get more tickets if it's stronger like when I had my 996 C4 before the Great Recession. Was stopped 13 times in that one.

The six speed wet dual clutch picked better gears when in Sport mode like when sling shooting out of a curve. How come My Bimmer doesn't?
I have to manually do it? Then, I have take my eyes off the road make sure I'm in the right gear otherwise I'll over rev. Bummer. Took several program changes by VWofA to get that right. Bimmer hasn't acknowledged it. Been with the dreaded turbo lag one can downshift earlier and boost it out of the curve. Won't do it. Not in Sport mode either. Only by downshifting manually. What gear am I in again? Oh yeah with 8 gears one quickly forgets which one your in. That said the overdrives are delightful for cruising long high speed desert freeways or straightaways.

The prestige factor of owning this also kicks in some way as I'm clearly speeding but appear to be reluctantly introduced by the fuzz. Seems they don't want to talk to some potential lawyer, white collar or waspy type dude that could be behind this wheel. OK with me. Go Catch some one that can't afford to pay the fine. Haha. Maybe an old Camaro or Mustang. Haha

I'll probably will refer to the VW TDI website a lot for the coming maintance and problems. I know my turbo will go out at about 150k with religious oil changes. Otherwise sooner. At 125k I'll need new pulley's, belts, a new water pump for preventive care. I have a feeling a few sensors will go out. Most likely something to do with the turbos. More sensors, actuators etc... Cheap stuff if you know expensive stuff if you don't.

For example, coming back from Idaho in the gorgeous Salmon River area I ended up on a back mtn dirt road we ended up going over an 8000 ft high pass I hit many sharp large rocks and when got home here in SoCal noticed some abnormal tire wear. When at the stealership for my free oil change they wanted, get this, $79 for a tire rotation ( not covered) and $249 for a 4 wheel alignment? Went to Goodyear and had all done for $89.

Gotta go

Hope to hear from all fellow BMW 328 D owners and don't forget to wave when we see each other on the highway!

Bill
 
#164 ·
My last every day car was the VW Jetta Sportwagon with the 2 liter TDI. Last I heard, when it happens, the buyback price is about $9000 or $4000 when they fix it and I keep it. Has about 250k miles on it. It was one of the first ones in SoCal. What I learned on that model I used to buy 328 Sportwagon D XDrive.

Where the JSW lagged in top speed since it's only a six gear double clutch my BMW can cruise all day in the 90's at 2200 rpm. It does that safer, quieter with better insulation and thicker glass, handles better with my P7 18's, more comfortable in my Dakota Red leather infinitely adjustable buckets, has way better air conditioning, looks better with my front black appearance package and dual pano roofs, sounds better with my Harmon Kardon 16 speaker system (I'm tone deaf haha), back up package, etc"............

Somehow I feel and know that there is a relationship. I know they both have the dreaded Bosch high pressure fuel pump. Mine went out in the VW at 105k. This wagon at 17k. Both had to have the entire fuel system replaced. BMW wasn't hip to that by 2013? Started happening in 2008. Diesel in the USA doesn't have the same lubricity as the Euro diesel! Newer generation of the HPFP have a better coating on the cam that supplies the pressure and that is lubed by the fuel. Little behind on that one BMW.

I feel the motors are the same. Both are 2 liters. The dub with a single turbo and the Beemer with the dual turbo (but one outlet) thus getting more power. If anyone can verify it would be appreciated. It's plenty of torquey for me. I'll just get more tickets if it's stronger like when I had my 996 C4 before the Great Recession. Was stopped 13 times in that one.

The six speed wet dual clutch picked better gears when in Sport mode like when sling shooting out of a curve. How come My Bimmer doesn't?
I have to manually do it? Then, I have take my eyes off the road make sure I'm in the right gear otherwise I'll over rev. Bummer. Took several program changes by VWofA to get that right. Bimmer hasn't acknowledged it. Been with the dreaded turbo lag one can downshift earlier and boost it out of the curve. Won't do it. Not in Sport mode either. Only by downshifting manually. What gear am I in again? Oh yeah with 8 gears one quickly forgets which one your in. That said the overdrives are delightful for cruising long high speed desert freeways or straightaways.

The prestige factor of owning this also kicks in some way as I'm clearly speeding but appear to be reluctantly introduced by the fuzz. Seems they don't want to talk to some potential lawyer, white collar or waspy type dude that could be behind this wheel. OK with me. Go Catch some one that can't afford to pay the fine. Haha. Maybe an old Camaro or Mustang. Haha

I'll probably will refer to the VW TDI website a lot for the coming maintance and problems. I know my turbo will go out at about 150k with religious oil changes. Otherwise sooner. At 125k I'll need new pulley's, belts, a new water pump for preventive care. I have a feeling a few sensors will go out. Most likely something to do with the turbos. More sensors, actuators etc... Cheap stuff if you know expensive stuff if you don't.

For example, coming back from Idaho in the gorgeous Salmon River area I ended up on a back mtn dirt road we ended up going over an 8000 ft high pass I hit many sharp large rocks and when got home here in SoCal noticed some abnormal tire wear. When at the stealership for my free oil change they wanted, get this, $79 for a tire rotation ( not covered) and $249 for a 4 wheel alignment? Went to Goodyear and had all done for $89.

Gotta go

Hope to hear from all fellow BMW 328 D owners and don't forget to wave when we see each other on the highway!

Bill
 
#165 ·
Hello everyone. New user to Bimmerfest here. I saw this thread and thought I'd post about my initial experience with my 328d.

I bought my Alpine White 328, brand new with 37 miles on the ODO, from a dealer lot in Ft. Worth, Texas in December 2015. I really wanted red or Estoril Blue, but I also couldn't resist 10k off the sticker for a leftover 2015. I haven't been able to drive it as much as I'd hoped, but have gotten a few decent trips in and am currently sitting a little over 4,500 miles. My car before this was a Lexus HS 250h, and before that an E90 325i, a car I tragically had to give up after only 18 months after my employer posted me overseas for 3 years. Some high level thoughts so far:

- It's definitely not as quick as the E90, but I wouldn't call it slow, as long as you keep it out of EcoPro mode. There's a little diesel clatter at start up and at low speed, but it disappears entirely above 40 mph. Turbo lag isn't that noticeable, with one exception. If you have EcoPro mode on and the coasting feature kicks in (see below), there's a rather unsettling "rush" if you have to hit the gas hard to pass, as the engine spools up all the way from idle.
- The ZF 8 speed is a fantastic tranny. It's a velvety smooth shifter, and works well with this engine to get the most out of its power band.
- The steering is probably my least favorite thing about the F30. The E90 was soooooo much better. Though it still makes me wonder what the heck I was thinking when I bought the HS 250h...Overall handling is still fine, a little more body roll than the 325i, but still fun to run through the curves or take a turn quickly.
- As mentioned, EcoPro makes the throttle really slow, but it does have one feature I have grown to like a lot - the "coasting" feature, which cuts the engine to idle speed if you keep the foot of the gas and the brake. You can actually have a lot of fun with it going down a steep hill or freeway on-ramp. Let's just say I can get a good amount of speed built up by the time I hit the bottom of the High Five interchange here in Dallas...
- The ASS doesn't bother me much, though having moved on from a hybrid, I'm used to the whole start/stop thing. It's pretty much unusable, though, in temperatures above 90F with the A/C running, As in, it won't activate at all. Not cool given that 90+ is a given from late May through mid September down here.
- Speaking of A/C, it seems a little underpowered. Granted, it gets hot down here, but even keeping it set at 70 on the second highest setting doesn't really keep the interior that cool.
- Mileage has been better than expected, generally 42-43 mpg with a roughly 50/50 mix of city and highway. The Texas summer really kills my mileage, though, as it has dropped to the 37-39 range the last couple months. The ASS issue noted above is probably the big contributing factor. MPG seems to peak between around 65 mph - the computer once measured 61 mpg at a steady 67 mph for the trip between Ft. Worth and Dallas when I picked up the car - and starts tailing off noticeably between 70 and 75.
- Which kind of stinks, because you can legally drive 75 on the open highways out here, and this is one car that BEGS to be driven fast on the highway. Probably the most serene highway cruiser I've ever owned, and 600+ miles per tank of diesel as an added bonus. The Ultimate Road Trip Machine, you might say.
- Not as impressed with the H-K stereo as I thought I would be. The speakers seem rather mediocre. I had a Bose system in an '01 Nissan Maxima that I liked better.
- The "intelligent ventillation system" is a must-have for a Texas summer. It really makes a difference when your car's been baking in 97-degree heat for 8 hours. Only wish the seats had coolers in addition to heaters (the one thing I really miss from my Lexus).
- Car has been entirely trouble-free so far.

Overall I'm thrilled with the car so far. I'm still hoping to take it on a legit road trip before too long to see what she can really do!
 
#166 ·
I have 69,XXX on my 14 328d and absolutely love it. 80+ mph freeway driving yields an impressive 43 mpg average.
The HK sound system is enough for me.
My only regrets are the lack of cooled seats and my not getting HID headlights.
I'm torn with keeping it and seeing how long it'll go (zero problems so far) or trading it in on a new 17.
 
#167 ·
Checking in for the first time since purchasing our car. We bought a 2016 328d SportsWagon last October. We are just short of 14,000 miles. On my wife's 40 miles one way commute at speeds mostly around 80 mph she gets 40 mpg generally. I have achieved over 50 mpg on highway drives (@ 64 mph).

Overall we are really liking the car. A few general comments:

- Agree about the air conditioning. It feels a little underpowered in AUTO mode even at the higher intensity setting. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I suppose a browse through the owners manual might help.

- Wish the unlock feature was on the doors.

- It's a bit lower than we'd like but that's also what helps the sportiness and fuel economy.

- The rear seat is a bit tighter than we'd like too, but overall very decent for the size of the car.

- The steering wheel heater does not get overly warm. Our 2014 Acura MDX has a kick ass heated steering wheel so may be an unfair comparison.

- Also wish there were cooled seats.

- Really like iDrive. Fairly intuitive all around. A few quirks but overall, good! (way better than the awful interface on our Acura)

- Rear facing car seat makes sitting in the front passenger seat nearly impossible.
 
#168 ·
C
- Agree about the air conditioning. It feels a little underpowered in AUTO mode even at the higher intensity setting. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I suppose a browse through the owners manual might help.
If you put the system in Recirc mode, it will cool better, especially on humid days. You do have the dash temp wheel set to 3 blue dots (full cold)?
 
#173 ·
My HPFP went out at 15k miles. I hear Thru the grapevine it's the same Bosch pesky ones that VW had trouble with in 09-14. But in a 2014 model. Should had that in control by now.
Lubricity in the diesel lubes that pump. Make sure you don't drive it below a quarter of a tank and use good fuel. I use an artificial diesel made out of animal waste products here in SoCal under the name of Propel. They add way enough lube chemicals in the fuel to bring it up to Euro standards. Our standards aren't as high.
I'll do all the oil changes under the 10k limit. You want to save your turbos. I'll be happy if I get more than 150k out of them. Stealership wants $225 after my free maintenance runs out. I'll find a better bargain.
I'll budget for a new h20 pump,belt, tensioner and pulley's at 125k.
Front struts and rear shocks around that same time.
I don't know if this tranny is a DSG requiring new fluids q 45k? My old TDI JSW did and I did myself for the price of the fluids rather then the $400 + the stealership charges. Quite easy.
I'm partially deaf to high frequencies (old Pink Floyd roadie) but the HK sounds good.
No trouble with the air. I'm near Palm Springs q week and the other week it was 122. No problemo!
The Red Dakota leather seats are quite thick material. I don't have the imprint on my cheeks but if they were ventilated and or cooled certainly would be better.
That 2 liter twin turbo is so nice and smooth, quiet and torquey. However, the ZF 8 speed is not my cup of tea. Yes it's fabulous picking gears and done so smoothly and makes that motor run so efficient. I am a spirited or I should say quite spirited when I want to. Canyons, pulling out of 90 degree street corners, getting out of the way of rush hour etc....... Always safe. K. You have sport mode. But what good does that do pulling out of a 90 degree street corner in 4 gear with the turbo lag. Use the steering wheel paddles? Noticed how they're attached to the column and not the wheel. So now you have the wheel turned 180 degrees and the paddles not be good attached to the wheel are 180 degrees off cause they're attached to the column. No way my hands can do that keeping my eyes on line. K so you have the console shifter you can use without leaving ones eyes off the road. Ready to downshift and merge in rush hour. Oh, I forgot. When one thinks the shifter is in sport mode but isn't and then do a downshift merging it goes into NUETRAL. Now you have 5 pm traffic up your tail pipe. Way to go BMW engineers.
Handling is very balanced and surgically precise. Especially with the sport package! Anyone not familiar with badge nomenclature might be thinking this is a M series. Lol. Otherwise going thru the big Nevada basin the other month to Idaho sustained 110 mph at close to 38 mpg with air and xm radio makes a longer drive go shorter.
Many in the VW Tdi blogs have purchased one like me and many more are considering purchasing. VW is buying ours back in a few months b/c they cheated by way of anti smog software.
Wagon has a lot more room than some crossovers, sits lower thus has less drag and drives like a sport car.
In an auto driven society here in SoCal with all the generic futuristic looking Honda's, mommy driven crossovers, overpowered muscle cars, low mpg trucks (I use my F150 crew sparingly) it's nice to have such a mostly well engineered sport wagon.
 
#176 ·
The TDI Forum, the largest, Fred's TDi, has a thread dedicated to BMW diesels. With all the newer Tdi's being bought back by VW of America there is heavy discussion of what to buy next.

VWoA gave me their good will cards, Visa cards totaling $1000, for my trouble to all TDI owners for the inconvenience of the diesel gate fiasco.
I found out a lower speed rating, an about 135 mph vs an about 160 mph will save 50% of a set of p-7's, Cintauro's All Season run flats. $1500 for a set vs $175 apiece. I carry an auto club card and several cans of inflator as well in my boot. Not gonna find that tire in North Idaho. Will have to buy a used tire and drive back to SoCal to find one or do an air delivery (like when my 996 C-4 cabriolet did in Oregon).

Many TDi'ers are contemplating buying. Stated shortage of the 328Xd Sport wagons nationwide.
 
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