I am driving a 2008 Mercedes C-Class 280 now, Just saw this BMW 328i Sport in the BMW dealer, it was the display car and the last one so I paid for it and going to take it home next Sunday.
Is there anything I should know since this is my first BMW? How is the drive? is it as silent as the Merc? Will I notice the loss of power coming from a V6 engine to a 4 cylinders one? How reliable are these cars cause I am keeping for 4 years at least.
First off welcome to the forum. From the picture, you have a Sport Line RWD. this means you have the stiffer sport suspension, sport seats, 18" sport wheels and the sport trim, big plus! I would have to believe if it is the showroom model, it must be quite loaded, I see the lighting package, premium package (I see the sunroof), if it has the tech package with the heads up display, cool! Next when you take delivery, you will not be disappointed in the performance department as the new N20 engine is quite strong (rated at 240 HP but closer to 270 HP). It is also very quiet and comfortable. What may catch you off guard is the ASS (start/stop). When the car stops, the engine turns off, let off the brake, engine goes on. You can disable the feature by pressing the button above the start button. If you really do not like it, have the dealer disable.
Hangman4358, people in my country don't have a big problem with money, and we only have one BMW dealer, so there is no competition, they don't offer test drive, not much choices, so you either you buy or leave.
If one likes the Mercedes, he will probably like the BMW. Years ago, I heard that some people in Libya went to Malta to buy things, including car parts. This may not be true anymore.
In so many countries, cars costs more than in the US. Cars are cheap in the US.
We haven't had too many complaints about reliability from forum members, so I think it would hold up quite well for 4 years.
What year was your C class? Based on some googling, what I found for the C280 is about < 200 hp. If that is the case, then you will find the 328i to be much more powerful. Are your cars automatic or manual transmission? If automatic, they are hugely different, will the BMW being much better. If manual, you will probably like the BMW better. So transmission should be better in either case.
I bought a 2006 325 xi wagon in 2005 and just traded it in last month with 149,000 miles on it. My major repairs were something in the right front suspension that was wrong from the factory (it was in the first month of production of the E 91 model, and I never heard of another with the problem), the rear hatch visor (it houses an important antenna, and water from our high-pressure local car wash got in and corroded the electrical connections), 2 spark plugs, and a water pump. That was it. It was very reliable.
While I had it I bought a used 2006 E class Mercedes. I loved the ride, but then I never wanted to drive the car. The smaller BMW was too much fun. I sold the Mercedes after 2 years.
My new 328 xi wagon is even better than the old one, in part because of the mode switch. My guess is that in Libya you will do something like what I do in rural New England--I switch to comfort when the road deteriorates, and to eco pro when it is a long way to the next gas station, but on smooth roads I drive most of the time in Sport, where the car comes alive. I think you will enjoy having those choices.
I think that you will notice some things that you will miss from the Mercedes, for they are excellent cars. But expecially in Sport or Sport + I think that you will be delighted by the balance of your new BMW and the precision of the handling. That is what continued to delight me for the 8+ years that I kept my last one. I hope that, when 4 years are up, you will not be ready to sell yours.
I came from a lightly modded Evo X to 328xi and I must say that it pulls pretty hard out the box. I feel the power comes way early around 1200 RPM compared to my X which pulled hard around 3000. 328xi is no where near fast or precise as the X, but it is probably the best daily driver. Its comfy, quiet, has loads of tech, probably more reliable than evo, and I'm getting 28 mpg in mixed driving.
Welcome to the forum. I can definitely tell you that the 328i is no slouch in the performance department. I too purchased a brand new 328i back in January and absolutely love it. I test drove the C250 and the Lexus IS250 while looking at cars in the segment, and they both felt slow and underpowered. As far as reliability, your car should last 4 years with no problem. Enjoy your car and nice ride by the way.
I do not have a 328i, but just got my 2014 320i 6 speed manual w/sport suspension/wheels/tires/trim. I did lease 2002 C Class - C230K coupe 6 speed manual w/Sport wheels/tires/exhaust. The supercharged C230K had a little more horsepower - 192 vs the 180 of the 320i, but less torque. I had the Benz for 39 months. It had some issues with the suspension - bad shock and failed front sway bar end links while I owned. The pilot sport tires wore out really fast, maybe 10 to 13k miles at the most. To me the car felt like Mercedes engineered the fun out of that car. All I can say about the 320i is AWSOME - and "I get it". My son has a 2010 328i (6cyl 6 speed manual) which I have driven - but I feel my 320i is lighter and more nimble with less power though. My step son has a 3 active hybrid - awesome car - brutally powerful - but kinda heavy nearing 4000 lbs. I would say coming from a C Class you will not be disappointed.
The only experience I have with the C Class is from the half dozen times I got one as a loaner while my Bluetec was in for service.It's true that these loaners were base models but there was *no* comparison between them and the two "d's" that I've owned.Of course a C Class with some optional equipment on it might have been more impressive but,as I said,the chasm *I've* seen is dramatic.If you liked your C Class I predict that you'll *love* your new ride.
Can someone offer the dealership $50 or $100 to test drive?? and include that in the price of purchase if you buy it.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
BimmerFest BMW Forum
11.4M posts
753.2K members
Since 2001
A forum community dedicated to BMW owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about Bimmerfest events, production numbers, programming, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Bringing the BMW community together.