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328i feels like an undwhelming boat :(

67K views 955 replies 108 participants last post by  dtc100 
#1 ·
After 13 weeks of waiting for my 328i.
And after having driven it for a week.
It hurts me to say that the 328i feels like an undwhelming boat.
I'm not terribly disappointed because its a beautiful luxury car.
But I don't think it's the ultimate driving machine.
Maybe the 335i is, but I've not driven it so I can't say for sure.
Already planning to get a Z4 or the new Boxster for thrillfull driving.
Hate me for saying all this.
But I simply had to say it.
And I gave it a week.
Maybe I'll feel differently in a month.
But maybe that will be cuz I might have got used to this 328i by then.
:(
 
#329 ·
Did he(the OP) just refer to the 328 as BMW's flagship car? lol.

Let's throw out terms we do not know the meaning of. Then you get flamed. Everyone else is the bad guy though.
 
#330 ·
The first BMW we bought was a 2005 325 XI (or whatever the number was then). Pretty sure it was a scaled down version, but the first time I drove it I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The second one was a 328 XI and while it didn't seem like quite as much fun to drive as the first one, it was still the most fun I've had driving a car. Not quite sure how driving a 328 could feel like driving a boat.

As an aside, aren't you supposed to drive at like 45 mph for awhile on a new car?
 
#331 ·
The first BMW we bought was a 2005 325 XI (or whatever the number was then). Pretty sure it was a scaled down version, but the first time I drove it I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The second one was a 328 XI and while it didn't seem like quite as much fun to drive as the first one, it was still the most fun I've had driving a car. Not quite sure how driving a 328 could feel like driving a boat.

As an aside, aren't you supposed to drive at like 45 mph for awhile on a new car?
1) boats are also fun
2) thats under 4000rpm & 100mph, not 45mph :p
 
#337 ·
That was a fun car, I miss it. You pressed the sport button on that one and left it there. Awesome driving position, revved really well, I think I got around 12 mpg. It was a blast until one day the frame snapped going 30mph. Noone believed me until they looked at it. The car was resting on the top of the tires.

I probably would have driven nothing but M3-s from then on but for the frame snapping thing.

Thanks for posting BJ.
 
#347 ·
That was a fun car, I miss it. You pressed the sport button on that one and left it there. Awesome driving position, revved really well, I think I got around 12 mpg. It was a blast until one day the frame snapped going 30mph. Noone believed me until they looked at it. The car was resting on the top of the tires.

I probably would have driven nothing but M3-s from then on but for the frame snapping thing.

Thanks for posting BJ.
Snapping can't be good. Glad you liked the video. At some point when the kids are grown I'm going to get an older M3 Coupe or 'Vert just as a weekend fun car. E46 or E36?

BJ
 
#339 ·
Ok, I might have to take back some of what I said. Since yesterday I've been driving it like I stole it. And more than once I suddenly noticed the needle at spots that are probably not advisable :D
 
#351 ·
I agree with the statement that the 328i is an underwhelming boat. Mine is a baseline and its suspension is worse than my previous car a 2009 vw cc. Its way too soft and has way too much body roll. Infiniti g37s are the same price and come with a lot more standard features and offer much better performance. I really dont see how bmw is ultimate driving machine in any way. Its just not sport oriented in any way. Your pretty much paying for the brand name.
I put re050 bridgestone tires on the car and yah the handling is much more responsive but that just makes the body roll even more obvious. The front of the car literally moves up and down like a sea saw when u switch lanes fast. Not the mention the engine sounds worse than a gti.
Its a nice solid car, economical on gas and good looking but its just not meant to be driven hard.
 
#353 · (Edited)
I had a '09 CC Sport with 19's-summer tires and Eibach Springs. It had more body roll than my F30 M-Sport. So yeah, if that is your impression then it had a lot to do with your base suspension. I was actually impressed with how well the CC did stock. But it is not at the level of the Sport suspension equipped F30.

I also had a Borla and downpipe on the CC. My F30 sucked in comparison until I put an exhaust on it. It sounds as good if not better than the CC now.
 
#358 ·
CC sport is the most basic suspension on the car which comes on a $29,000 car standard with heated seats and dimming mirrors. Your 328i m sport is $41,000+. I shouldnt have to opt for better suspension on a bmw to get somewhat decent suspension. Your comparing a basic suspension VW to your m sport bmw and saying the VW had more body roll. Compare base to base and the 328i is not really that great.
 
#362 · (Edited)
So what's up with all these guys thinkin M-sport performs better. I think it's clever marketing by BMW to sell features. Or Sportsline for that matter. Or any line really. Most are cosmetic features to make the cash rich fellas feel they got something extra cool for their £££
 
#364 ·
Its $1200 over the other lines. To me its worth it purely for looks. I think the 225's are a bit on the small side. Side so I like the stagger and the more aggressive brake pads.
 
#370 ·
I like the fact that the cars have a strong enthusiast following and are easily tuneable. Everything from a mild tune to all-out rocket-like changes. The cars are tuned for fuel economy. and that's ok. But the Stage 1 tunes that are out there, really transform the car without the headaches of a lot of modifications. And in my view, the engines have lots of bandwidth.
 
#376 · (Edited)
I don't know BJ what is your definition of being wealthy. I don't think having a $100,000 salary is considered wealthy, not even by single moms you found at your Walmart parking lot.

I have been to places that I consider where wealthy people gather, where our 328s usually do not belong. It is nice however you think the way you want to, just don't lecture others, because they do live in a world that is not what you have convinced yourself of. As a result, you will forever be frustrated, wondering why people don't get what you are saying, no matter how many times you repeat it.

Repeat a lie a thousand times, it becomes truth. But if you repeat something a thousand times, people still do not get you, that is really embarrassing.
 
#377 · (Edited)
I don't know a lot of poor people but I do have at least one friend who drives a Volkswagen CC.

You can see it in the background parked in front of her home.

She also owned the world's largest private collection of Renaissance and Baroque art (approx 250 paintings, 400 drawings, and 20 sculptures). The collection spans the 14th through 18th centuries in Italian, French, and German art. Most of it was donated to the Blanton Museum at the Univeristy of Texas in Austin.

I guess after blowing all that money on art she couldn't afford a 328.



CA
 
#380 ·
My CC was one of the first in my area. My boss who has millions in cars would point it out to clients about how great looking it was and how it looked like a $60k car
 
#378 ·
No offense to anyone, but a $50,000 car is not exactly "for the wealthy". Its a car for people who are comfortable and have done pretty well. The F30 may seem like a car for the wealthy because its very refined but lets not kid ourselves here. :) Making $100,000/year means you have a great job and are probably comfortable (given you manage your finances responsibly) but I wouldn't call that wealthy unless you're single and have no living expenses.
 
#379 ·
Wealthy or not, maybe some people drive a 3 Series BMW just because they like it? :dunno:
 
#381 · (Edited)
Just to put things in perspective.

One of my clients rides the Long Island Railroad into Manhattan every day. He comes into Penn Station and then rides the subway to the office. His wife also works in Manhattan and they ride the train together.

Cost of monthly LIRR ticket . . . . . . . . . . . . . $349
Cost of montly Metrocard (NYS Subway) . . . . $104

For the two of them to ride public transportation to work costs $906/mo
 
#384 ·
Just to put things in perspective.

One of my clients rides the Long Island Railroad into Manhattan every day. He comes into Penn Station and then rides the subway to the office. His wife also works in Manhattan and they ride the train together.

Cost of monthly LIRR ticket . . . . . . . . . . . . . $349
Cost of montly Metrocard (NYS Subway) . . . . $104

For the two of them to ride public transportation to work costs $906/mo
Both my wife and I commuted from nj to long island years ago and for **** money. Our ezpass was $1200 a month. We could not save for a house until we both quit.
 
#415 ·
Seriously.

My best friend is in NC.

I have a decent sized(modest, 2800sqft+1600 sqft basement being finished+.75 an acre) home in a lake view community.

My taxes(low 5 figures) for 1.5 months equals his for a year. If I kept my wife and I's income and relocated, we would live like Rockstars. So both of us have been applying to jobs in NC, some of them paying MORE than what we are doing living in the NYC area.
 
#395 · (Edited)
Driving a brand new 3 Series optioned properly to the tune of $50,000 most certainly requires wealth that 80% of New Yorkers don't have.

Next time you visit a 7-Eleven, ask the night manager to check out your car, ask him if he thinks you're wealthy.

I really don't know what it is with some of you. Seriously.

You don't want to be thought of as yuppie scum but you drive $50,000 German luxury cars.

You don't want to be thought of as arrogant, but you treat local streets like a drag strip.

You don't want to be thought of as wealthy, but you drive cars that only rich people can afford.

You don't want to be thought of as elitist, but you look down upon BMW's without sport lines, leather, or xenon's.

You can't have it both ways, folks. You're not driving some $20,000 Honda that you optioned up nicely. You drive BMW's. Own it already. Embrace the stereotype.

BJ
 
#403 ·
Interesting turn this thread has taken. I retired at 46 after my partner and I sold our real estate. I can drive whatever I want and I drive an F30. I don't want to drive a $130,000 Porsche because I'd feel like a tool and it isn't practical for my entire life. Same goes for more expensive models. Simplifying things is more or less my top priority so I don't want a stable of cars or anything else that adds complexity. The 328i is a nice amalgamation of what I like. It has plenty of luxury as equipped and I love the way it drives.

I've coveted Bimmers for a long time. Part logic, part emotion. As a lad I sought status for sure, I wanted in and another thing, chicks dig Bimmers. Those things no longer come into play. If something sings to you in life and you can go with it without real sacrifice then what the hell. I try not to over analyze, love dies with too much analysis.
 
#407 ·
Interesting turn this thread has taken. I retired at 46 after my partner and I sold our real estate. I can drive whatever I want and I drive an F30. I don't want to drive a $130,000 Porsche because I'd feel like a tool and it isn't practical for my entire life.
Its funny when guys rationalize why they don't drive a Porsche. If it's not important to you, I get that. But the line..."it isn't practical for my entire life" just kills me. :rofl:
 
#404 · (Edited)
One thing, to me at least, that sets BMW (and other luxury German auto makers) apart from everyone else is the sound the door makes when you close it. solid contact. Its the little details like that which keep me from buying something like a Caddy over a BMW.

Every car I've ever owned suffered from cheap door syndrome. Something I've admired about other peoples BMWs.
 
#405 ·
The most solid feeling doors on any car I ever owned were on a 1992 Lexus SC300.

CA
 
#422 ·
I find it nearly impossible to come up with ONE car to make me 100% happy. That is why I have a low cost(fairly low purchase price, cheap to insure with agreed value collectors insurance, and shockingly reliable) fun car(FAST-500hp-2950lbs, looks like new, semi-rare, has not aged, handles very well, wife LOVES it, top up, top down, hardtop too, heated power seats, decent gas mileage, not hard to do my own tune-ups, comfortable enough for a cross state jaunt). I cannot come up with a car for under $100k that gives me what the Roadster does. To take all of those ingredient's and add them to what I get out of the F30 sedan...impossible.
 
#426 ·
I respect that as well your obvious ability to figure out your own utility and pursue what makes you happy. If cars were one of my top two or three interests I'm pretty sure I'd start gathering a few more, but I have competing interests from which I prefer not getting diverted. Tomorrow who knows, if I hang out here enough maybe things will change.

I was making the point that people buy cars for different reasons and for some of us an F30 is our optimal single car, not that one car satisfies all needs. I have a second vehicle I use for the beach, carrying stuff around and slumming it through parts where I'd rather be inconspicuous. I wash and detail my F30, the neighborhood car washer does the other vehicle. I'd love to get rid of it but it supports my other interests.
 
#452 · (Edited)
i don't really agree with the posts saying you should pay $50k for a 3 series for it to be a real bmw.

i mean , the OP obviously had no idea how to order his car. I just ordered mine last week. it would probably be considered fairly stripped by many here, ( 328i, sport auto, m-sport, lighting, and estoril paint), but its what i wanted and the negotiated price is just barely over $40k +tax. if you want a bmw to uh handle best, you'd probably want the sport package. if you want it to be a luxury filled gadget fest probably want the premium and tech packages which ididn't feel were worth $6000+ tax. if you want everything get all of them and dynamic handling and pay the extra money, but spending the extra money "just because" is probably not smart. If you want a stripper, get a stripper. its all about your priorities with what to do with your money. who is to say the guy who buys a 38k BMW is a poseur when all he wanted was a premium car compared to the guy with a $50k 328i, when the guy with the stripper BMW blew that extra $12k on a gold chain and diamonds in his teeth. if thats what he wanted well more power to him.

Examle my current A4 is a sport pack quattro premium plus model. its definitely not the most expensive. you could buy a prestige model CVT front wheel drive model which would cost even more that would handle worse. and it would feel more like a boat and understeer / torque steer. and if you had no idea what you were ordering then thats what you could end up with having paid even more.

I'm not super rich or anything but I do make a bit over 100k a year. So I COULD buy that stuff, but i choose not to buy it. hell it saves me $6k+tax that i can roll into my next car or spend on a vacation or some other thing i want. So like some of the really rich guys posting, who do own a 3 series when they could afford much more, you go get exactly what you want. the original posters problem is he is stupid and didn't even figure out what he wanted, before buying an expensive ass car. if you are going to buy a big ticket item perhaps you shoudl figure out what you want instead of making a dumb impulse purchase.


That said, i do like this thread, there has been some intelligent discourse in it at least. I also buy shirts and such on sale. why throw money away right? hell warren buffet supposedly drives some ancient lincoln towncar or a caddy DTS , i guess get what you want, but know what you actually do want before tossing money away.

someone mentioned that millionaires cut coupons etc. its because they are smart. my father has managed to do pretty well for himself in the last 10 years or so. my family was pretty middle class until after i got out of college. so he's probably worth in the just over 8 figures range now. that said he will still buy cars that don't have random useless to him features and buys golf clubs on ebay at a discount, or whatever. hell he drives a 2004 X3 with a squeaky sunroof and 130k miles on it probably out of nostalgia and doesnt replace it (first german car...). i guess my point is if you are smart you can make an F30 328i that handles great for probably $40k. and you'd get exactly what you want and keep all the money you dont want to spend.
 
#458 ·
i guess my point is if you are smart you can make an F30 328i that handles great for probably $40k. and you'd get exactly what you want and keep all the money you dont want to spend.
True, to a degree. If you've got real money, and you want some real auto enjoyment, there are some very nice cars out there...I don't think a 328i is it. You don't have to go crazy, but there are some very nice cars at $20k to $30k more. Hey, no use delivering it to your funeral.:thumbup:
 
#460 ·
I am still waiting for someone to bring the Malibu into the fray as the next F30 killer ... Anyone :yikes:? Or can we find some consensus here? :dunno:
 
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