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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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#6 ·
Actually, wifey is very mechanically inclined. Back before we were married (and were very poor) I used to have to pull the engine on my VW Beetle regularly. I did it on a back street since, at the time, we had no garage. She would be under the car helping all the way.

Nowadays things are different. But the emphasis is similar. She recognizes that we don't need (or want) a larger house, but a 6 car garage would be a big improvement!
 
#4 ·
My taste is fixed on flat or inline 6 motors, classical sports car (not Corvette) handling, and mechanical sounds/sensory inputs, so the 335d will be with me as long as it can show itself to be reliable enough. But the new BMW diesels will excel in fuel economy as that is what BMW has concentrated on in developing the new platforms and drivetrains. Gone will be the mechanical immediacy of our e90 sport package while the new cars cater to the millenials' taste in electronics and passive systems.
 
#5 ·
to me the 328d brings nothing to the table to get me to sell my 2011 335d with 50k miles on the clock. the 535d I don't want to spend the cash outlay on since my 335d is paid for and the 535d will run me 60k. wife and I are going to wait to see what's out in about 2 years and then maybe move to a low mileage CPO 535d, of course for something totally different we keep eyeballing the new stingray since we are empty nesters
 
#10 ·
My wait was non-existent. I ordered the car on August 19. Completion date is tomorrow - September 6. Note, that necessarily means that the dealer changed a car that it had on order to my spec. This could not have been a new order placed by the dealer at that time. In any event, 18 days from order to completion must be some sort of a record!

Best,
<TED>
 
#11 · (Edited)
The specs on the two cars are so different that it is hard to compare them for me. We got the D beacuse it had power, and the added bonus of really good mpg. Now it seems BMW is only interested in the really good mpg. For us the power is what we care about and the mpg is a nice bonus. Being 85 HP and 145 TQ. down to the 335d isn't going to work for us. Good luck with your car, hope the wait flys by. As foir the 535, we will check that out when the time comes, it might be a bigger car than we want, but it will get a test drive. N4S
 
#12 ·
I test drove one couple of days ago. I found the power to be fine. I have a 335d and a x5d. It doesn't have the incredible surge of torque that pins you to the back of the seat like the 35d. However, the car pulled surprisingly well in low rpms, especially when compared to 328i. I had a 328i as a loaner all day so it was a good comparison point for me. I drove around town for about 25mins and I never found the power lacking. I didn't take it on the freeway because it was in the middle of rush hour so I don't know how it would do on the freeway passing situations.

I'm going to wait for the 328d wagon and test drive that before I make up my mind on which one to order. However, after reading everyone poo pooing on the 328d, I was very pleasantly surprised.
 
#13 ·
Tesla

Good to hear about the 328d. I test drove a Tesla a few weeks ago and found that to be a very exciting alternative to diesel. The model S is a big car, much larger than the 3 series. Its all electric and the infrastructure for charging isn't there yet. But the car only has 1 gear in the induction motor, no fluids except washer fluid, never needs anti-freeze, and the thing launches like a rocket with no sound whatsoever. The torque is endless, and because the bottom of the car is a 1700lb battery it hugs turns with no body sway at all. Amazing machine that could probably last a decade - except for the electronic panels inside.

It's too expensive, but I could imagine using a 328d for a few years until prices come down and charging stations become ubiquitous.

But folks, if you think the 335d is fun go ride a Tesla.
 
#14 ·
Good to hear about the 328d. I test drove a Tesla a few weeks ago and found that to be a very exciting alternative to diesel. The model S is a big car, much larger than the 3 series. Its all electric and the infrastructure for charging isn't there yet. But the car only has 1 gear in the induction motor, no fluids except washer fluid, never needs anti-freeze, and the thing launches like a rocket with no sound whatsoever. The torque is endless, and because the bottom of the car is a 1700lb battery it hugs turns with no body sway at all. Amazing machine that could probably last a decade - except for the electronic panels inside.

It's too expensive, but I could imagine using a 328d for a few years until prices come down and charging stations become ubiquitous.

But folks, if you think the 335d is fun go ride a Tesla.
I looked at the Tesla 2 seater (actually a Lotus) before I bought the 335d. It seemed like a fun car for my daily commute and I already have a 220 line going into my garage area. At that time, the wait was about a year and there were questions on the company's viability so I didn't do it.

The Tesla S is a different car with a different mission. It is a car that I would like to drive on long trips, but it has a drivetrain that is inimical to that mission. Even if charging stations were readily available (and not busy - a mutually inconsistent circumstance), it is a 4 hour wait to refuel. It is well over 24 hours on 110. An 1100 mile trip to visit my daughter would
ttake infinitely longer in the Model S. It just doesn't work for me. Yes, I could commute in it, but I 'd be hauling around much more car than makes sense.

The 328d makes a lot more sense to me. I work 7.7 miles from home, but I take a route that is about 12 miles over little used back roads to make the drive enjoyable. A Tesla S would be like a truck on those roads. (My Fiat Abarth is big enough for that route!)

The Tesla is interesting, though...
 
#15 ·
Ted, I test drove a 328d and it's not a bad set-up. Acceleration is brisk, decent enough, but not the freight train-like pull of the 335d. Nothing wrong with the engine at all...not buzzy as some gassers complain about. My major less-like (not an unlike, just not liking it as much as previous) was the steering. It didn't have the same connectedness to the road that the 335d (or any E90) had.

Actually, my wife and I were thinking of getting the 328d as an alternative to the 'yet-to-be-produced' diesel X3 or X1 (we would go diesel in a sedan over non-diesel in an SUV/Cross-over), but the 328d didn't fare as well against our other contender and we ended up just ordering an MB GLK 250 BlueTEC which will arrive in a couple of months.

I'd give BMW a 'B' for execution, but it was clear that the 328d was set-up as a bump down into a lower notch of diesel sedan, as paired up with its bigger brother the 535d. This isn't a bad thing, because at BMW now has the 535d/328d pair to cover a wider market of diesel drivers. The 328d in particular may actually be a very good thing for diesels (BMW) and increase % take rate for diesel v gas, in much the same way as the 35d X5 did over the 3.0 and 4.4.

Don't forget the pics and write up when the 328d arrives! :)

Cheers
D.
 
#16 · (Edited)
My major less-like (not an unlike, just not liking it as much as previous) was the steering. It didn't have the same connectedness to the road that the 335d (or any E90) had.
.
This is my issue with the new F30 also. Hate the steering. I had 2 loaners, 328i and 328xi within the past 2 months. 1st time I got a basic 328i and I actually said out loud to my self "what da F they did to steering" coming out of the dealer lot . And the muffler sounded like Reanults in Europe.

2 weeks ago I got a 328xi loaner with variable steering. Drove it in the sport mode the whole time. It felt little better than the 1st car but no way near my 335d w/o sports pkg.

I am truly disappointed with new F30s and not looking to buy another BMW until they fix the steering. After new 5 series you would think they would have fixed the steering by now.

Currently I am debating to buy a 3 year extended warranty to keep 335d for few more years or get something else. My short list now: Audi S4,SQ5 or Lexus is350 F sport. And maybe Q5 tdi just for diesel sake. Too bad no SQ5 TDI coming to States side. Of course I will be test driving them before deciding.
 
#17 ·
#18 ·
Supply of these cars seems very low still... I don't think I've seen one on any local dealer lots here yet... but honestly I haven't looked terribly hard. I'm more interested in the 328xd Sport Wagon for drives to Tahoe in the winter... and if history serves, wagons are even harder to find anywhere, nevermind diesel variants. If I can find one to test drive, maybe I'll try for ED sometime in the next year or so... otherwise, my 335d is still a blast to drive... just no AWD and being a sedan means its utility is a little less. :D

Oh, and honestly, without Eco Credits, the 328d variants are just a bit priced out of the bracket, imho.
 
#20 ·
I picked up a 328d last weekend. Somewhat of an impulse buy. So far I am averaging 43.3 mpg for the first 700 miles. I like the car, it definitely handles really well and it goes fast enough for me. It cruises real easily at 75 mph. It has the M sport package with the blacked out kidney grills. I think it looks sharp.
 

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#22 · (Edited)
Mp0i, Glad you like it. Nothing like a 3-series diesel for long trips. In August I did 6,500 miles in my oil burner.


Sent from BimmerApp mobile app
 
#24 ·
The GL gets an average of around 22.5 to 23 mpg. in mixed driving. On the highway I can get it up to 26-27 mpg. Very comfortable road SUV.

M6pwr - I was wondering who was driving the car for 41 miles!! Must have been quite a test drive. I got almost a 1000 miles on it now and am getting 45+ mpg. I live near the Wild Animal Park, Ramona is just a nice drive away.
 
#25 ·
M6pwr - I was wondering who was driving the car for 41 miles!! Must have been quite a test drive. I got almost a 1000 miles on it now and am getting 45+ mpg. I live near the Wild Animal Park, Ramona is just a nice drive away.
Well, we're practically neighbors. 78 up to Ramona would be such a great drive if it were not for all the non-BMW traffic dawdling along.

I'm in the market for a new BMW and am torn between getting a 2014 435i coupe and a 2014 328d - - which says a lot about what I think of the 328d.
 
#28 ·
The M sport front end with the black kidney grills is what caught my eye. So far I have been able to avoid having to install the front plate. I will wait till I get a "fix it" ticket from my local law enforcement officer when he pulls me over for speeding.
 
#31 ·
The M sport front end with the black kidney grills is what caught my eye. So far I have been able to avoid having to install the front plate. I will wait till I get a "fix it" ticket from my local law enforcement officer when he pulls me over for speeding.
for when/if that happens...

http://gominigo.com/BMW.html

not having a front plate ended up being semi-fortuitous for me... when i got pulled over a while back, rather than write me up for speeding, the officer chose to write me up for no-front-plate instead....

congrats on the new oil-burner!
 
#32 ·
There are a lot of things to like about this new car. One that is diesel oriented in particular is that the computer now can tell you how much DEF is left in your tank. Instructions on filling the DEF in the manual sound easy too. I think I will buy one bottle of BMW DEF just to get the bottle and then refill the bottle as a delivery system. The nice thing about the BMW bottle is that it screws onto the filler, then you push it down and DEF begins to flow. When/if the DEF tank gets full, flow stops. You release the pressure on the bottle and it unscrews. You can't over fill or spill. Given the corrosive properties of DEF, that is a good thing.

BMW still doesn't know what it will tolerate in biodiesel. The filler flap says B7, the manual says (alternately) no biodiesel at all (more or less impossible to do legally in PA since all diesel in PA has to be at least 2% bio) and B5. It's great to get clear guidance from the manufacturer!

The car seems to match the EPA mileage figures easily in comfort mode...
 
#35 ·
note per the ASTM 975 spec that diesel can have up to 5% biodiesel content. BMW specifies fuel meeting this spec so they cannot give you grief for using up to B5.

ASTM 975 would not include homebrewed biodiesel, unless you had it tested by an approved lab and certified as such.

VW only allows B5 on N American cars unless it is registered in Illinois, where it is difficult to find anything but B11 due to tax incentives.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Just ordered a 2014 328d, Mineral Gray M Sport, from Valencia BMW in L.A., Internet Mgr Robert Grass. $500 under invoice. Great deal, I think. Looking forward to delivery in late Nov/early Dec.
 
#39 ·
Valencia, that's quite a distance from Ramona. Will it be it worth the trip? Were the local boys not willing to deal? (Escondido and Vista)
 
#40 ·
BMW of Escondido? $500 under invoice before incentives? I didn't bother to ask. Before I decided on the 328d, I was looking at the 435. The best BMW of Escondido would do is $600 off msrp. Valencia would do $1500 off on one just going into production, and $750 above invoice for a December allocation/order. My son lives in L.A. and is about to take delivery of a 435 at Valencia and he hooked me up with the Internet Mgr. I'll take the train up and have a good time driving the 328d back.

Honestly, I didn't even try to deal with the Escondido folks on the 328d. It might have been possible to haggle. The Valencia internet guy was very direct and up front; immediately said BMW was giving the dealers "money in the trunk" and gave me the back of invoice price straight off the bat.
 
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