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F30, my first 3: Ignorance is bliss I guess...

10K views 81 replies 26 participants last post by  JoeFromPA 
#1 · (Edited)
F30 Sport Line: Test drove it, fell in love, bought it. Never owned a 3 before. Drove a few over the years, but never enough to really know them.

Therefore I'm not burdened with:

"The steering isn't responsive enough. Corners like a 73 Lincoln Town Car."

"Car is HUGE now!!! Why did they make it so big?! Handles like a wounded cow."

"Now it's a big fat luxury car for fat naive Americans. It's completely ruined."

"I can't believe they put a 4-cylinder turbo in it!!!!... ARRRRRRGH!!!!"... chick-clack... BLAM!!!... thud

"BMW WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

...

...

...

I love this fricking car. Wouldn't change a thing. Ignorance is bliss I guess.

:):):)

(This is all in good fun folks. Much respect to the inline 6 and its loyal fans)
 
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#6 · (Edited)
F30 Sport Line: Test drove it, fell in love, bought it. Never owned a 3 before. Drove a few over the years, but never enough to really know them.

Therefore I'm not burdened with:

"The steering isn't responsive enough. Corners like a 73 Lincoln Town Car."

"Car is HUGE now!!! Why did they make it so big?! Handles like a wounded cow."

"Now it's a big fat luxury car for fat naive Americans. It's completely ruined."

"I can't believe they put a 4-cylinder turbo in it!!!!... ARRRRRRGH!!!!"... chick-clack... BLAM!!!... thud

"BMW WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

...

...

...

I love this fricking car. Wouldn't change a thing. Ignorance is bliss I guess.

:)
So, what were your initial thoughts about it having a four cylinder? About spending $45k on a car with a four banger? Were you surprised? Did it give you any pause? Did you even ask or know or were informed by the sales person? Did you have an expectation of a six cylinder? Were you the least bit aware of BMW's reputation for using inline six motors? Or did you assume BMW's have V6s like everyone else? Were you aware that BMWs are RWD and that they don't make any FWD cars?
 
#7 · (Edited)
Yes of course I know how amazing the inline 6 is. I've wanted one for many years, and I've driven a few of them, including my brother in laws 2002 325 which I've driven quite a bit. I also had a 99 A4 2.8 quattro, and a Mazda 6s. So I know the joys of a 6 cylinder. And yes I fully understand the implications of FWD/AWD/RWD, and which cars are which.

And yes I completely understand how the new 3 going to a four cylinder is a tectonic shift in the car world. I get it. Up until the F30, I really didn't like the feel of turbos... and it certainly raised an eyebrow until I test drove it. I was very pleasantly surprised.

This is all just for a laugh. Did my absurdly overblown quotes in the original post not give it away?

:):p
 
#13 ·
True though that may be, I'm really not trying to call anyone out here, and apologies in advance if this thread goes that way. Not my intent :)

Just having a laugh, particularly in response to the half-drunk guy in the bar the other night who (harmlessly) got a bit riled up over the death of the inline six 3... it was all a bit overblown and inspired the further overblown quotes above...

All in good fun :)
 
#18 ·
This is sort of how I feel. Even though I've had other BMW's which did feel different, this car is amazing and yeah, I might have missed some options, but never having had them, the car is still a blast to drive.
 
#19 ·
I love this fricking car. Wouldn't change a thing. Ignorance is bliss I guess.

(This is all in good fun folks. Much respect to the inline 6 and its loyal fans)
No, no respect to the inline 6 and their loyal followers.

The NA 6 might have been a good engine but the transmission in the E90 was awful, very laggy, you couldn't feel the torque if it was there at all.

The E46 is an ugly used car, doesn't matter what the engine is.

This is the F30 forum where you shouldn't need to feel like you have something to apologize for.

Welcome aboard.

BJ
 
#20 ·
This was so funny! :rofl: Congrats in your car man! Enjoy it! It truly is just a great BMW. Whatever others may say.

I had the F30 BMW 328i sport for a few days (about 300 or 350 miles) as part of an extended test drive, and believe me. I test drove the heck out of that thing. Comfort mode, Sport/+ mode, manual shifting, auto, Sport auto. Hard accelerations, hard stops, overtaking slow traffic, uphill, downhills, around corners ... HUD, navigation, phone compatibility, ... The car is just SOLID. And it is FAST! Fast off the line, and still fast and torquey in lower revs. I really enjoyed it, and could not think of anything I would change (including the 4 cylinder turbo N20) except for perhaps bigger more grabby brakes. That's about it. I loved it. Not a week passed before I went and signed the papers.

There is absolutely no comparison with the outgoing e90 328i. The F30 is a very well earned badge in BMW's line-up of 3'ers. History will tell.

My comparisons by the way are:

My current e90 330i (inline 6, naturally aspirated)
My previous e46 330xi (inline 6, naturally aspirated)

Again, congrats, and welcome to the family. Please ignore the naysayers and the trolls. :)
 
#23 ·
this was so funny! :rofl: Congrats in your car man! Enjoy it! It truly is just a great bmw. Whatever others may say.

I had the f30 bmw 328i sport for a few days (about 300 or 350 miles) as part of an extended test drive, and believe me. I test drove the heck out of that thing. Comfort mode, sport/+ mode, manual shifting, auto, sport auto. Hard accelerations, hard stops, overtaking slow traffic, uphill, downhills, around corners ... Hud, navigation, phone compatibility, ... The car is just solid. And it is fast! Fast off the line, and still fast and torquey in lower revs. I really enjoyed it, and could not think of anything i would change (including the 4 cylinder turbo n20) except for perhaps bigger more grabby brakes. That's about it. I loved it. Not a week passed before i went and signed the papers.

There is absolutely no comparison with the outgoing e90 328i. The f30 is a very well earned badge in bmw's line-up of 3'ers. History will tell.

My comparisons by the way are:

My current e90 330i (inline 6, naturally aspirated)
my previous e46 330xi (inline 6, naturally aspirated)

again, congrats, and welcome to the family. Please ignore the naysayers and the trolls. :)
++1
 
#21 · (Edited)
My personal story is similar.
This is our (my wife and I) first BMW. It's great for what it is. (That being, a comfortable and practical yet still fun-to-drive work-commute/road-trip/passenger-hauling car.)
I find it superior to the 2011 328i I test drove. (Used, non-sport.) I also find it superior to the other cars we test drove. A4, S60, TL, IS...
Even the engine is superior, compared to the E90. An inline six, on its own, has no significance for me. (I did like the V6 engine in the IS350, but other aspects of the car were a disappointment.)

To answer some of tturedraider's questions:
Yep, we knew about the four-cylinder N20. In fact, that and the ZF 8spd are the primary reasons we test drove the F30 after the disappointment of the E90. Prior to the E90, I had never driven a BMW before. I liked the A4 engine and transmission when I drove it, but didn't care for the steering and overall "feel" of the Audi.
We had no concerns about the number of cylinders per dollar of vehicle cost.
We were quite aware of BMW's propensity for inline sixes. A number of friends and autocross acquaintances have or still own BMWs, and I recall the controversy when BMW introduced a V8 E46 M3 for racing when no street-going, available-for-public-sale M3 had such an engine. I've never heard an M3 I liked the exhaust sound of, FWIW. Very raspy.
RWD was a definite selling point for us. I test drove a VW GTI which was actually quite fun except for the FWD-ness. I don't think I can ever own a FWD car again.

We are probably not "average" BMW customers, however.
 
#22 ·
Should have driven 328 and 335 on same day before deciding on 328.
To be honest 4cyl with turbo is a great machine and better than any other 4cly in market but if you want to compare it with BMW inline 6, yes there is a big difference.
car is slightly big than E92, almost equal to A4 but weighs less.
xdrive handles and corners very well, it not as bad as you think.
I had 328xi and now new335xi sport line and let me tell you it is a blast not at all big fat luxury car. :)
 
#44 ·
I would like to see some facts that say the N20 with the ZF8 gets the same mileage as the N52 with the ZF8

and please dont use other cars as an example.
 
#50 · (Edited)
The 2011 528 N52 without direct injection with 8AT, 22 & 32. The 2013 528 N20 with direct injection with 8AT, 24 & 34. 2011 328 N52 without direct injection with 6AT, 18 & 28. 4 mpg better on both ratings for the 2011 528 v 2011 328, no difference except the transmission.

2011 335, 6AT, 19 & 28. 2012/13 335, 8AT, 23 & 33. Exactly the same motor in every way, only difference is the transmission.
 
#47 ·
The mileage sucked on the E90 loaners I've driven, like worse than my 330i despite being slower. I think BMW did what they had to do, leapfrog to the front of the class with mpg and power in the base 3 series. Can't think of a better example of BMW being a top engine maker.

Anyone complaining about sound can buy the 335i.
 
#51 ·
The mileage sucked on the E90 loaners I've driven, like worse than my 330i despite being slower. I think BMW did what they had to do, leapfrog to the front of the class with mpg and power in the base 3 series. Can't think of a better example of BMW being a top engine maker.

Anyone complaining about sound can buy the 335i.
Or put a fart can on it. :bigpimp:



I've seen people claim that the noise the engine makes is something like 90% of driving enjoyment. To those people I say, learn to drive. :rofl:
 
#53 ·
2011 328i manual = 18/28
2013 328i manual = 22/32

Maybe that's a good indication of the benefit of the N20, plus stop/start etc.
 
#55 · (Edited)
Oh, yes, I forgot about the F30's start/stop advantage, which they say adds 1 mpg to the ratings it gets.

And, yes, this is a good example of how much more you get from a four paired to a manual transmission than paired to an automatic.

Interesting too is that the mileage goes the other way when you pair the manual with the six. Down to 20 & 30.

This is also a pretty clear indication that we have the N20 here in the U.S. because it was a money saver for BMW. Four bangers with manuals are the norm in Europe and it was much easier for BMW to ship this new motor over here than R&D a new, smaller inline six for the U.S. market. Add that to the fact that Audi already was only offering a four in the A4 and Merc was also moving to a four banger in the C and it was the perfect storm.

However, all of that does not change the fact that, contrary to popular argument, BMW did not have no choice other than a four to meet CAFE requirements. If they had wanted to they could have done it with another inline six. But, as is clearly indicated, most U.S. consumers don't give a rat's ass.
 
#63 ·
You guys need to quiet it down in here. THIS is why we can't have nice guests over. Poor OP. All he wanted was to share some fun and excitement. You guys sobered him right up.

As I was saying OP, welcome to the (sometimes obnoxious) BMW family.
We can't have "Nice guests over"?

It's the E90 and E46 interlopers that are causing this forum to be a battlezone. For reasons unknown, these older BMW owners who supposedly have such vastly superior cars than ours feel the need to invade every thread, tell us how stupid we are, tell us a Cadillac is sportier, tell us we're driving a German Lexus. Why they don't stick to their forums where they can be bathed in the glory of owning an E46 or E90 is beyond me.

When it gets to the point where F30 owners and newbs are feeling intimidated and unwelcome, something has to change.

BJ
 
#62 · (Edited)
OK. Let's get this thread back on track!

BMW has been headed down the crapper ever since they went soft with the E21 after the 2002. They just lost their way.....40 years now, wandering in the desert! :bigpimp:
 
#71 ·
OP, agree with much of what you say, and ignorance can be blissful. I test drove 09s, 10s, and 11s but without extended time in those cars I cannot say the EPS is numb compared to the HPS. I also don't find the ride too comfortable. I just throw it sort mode and feel it tighten up and I just grin,grin,grin. I've been a fan of BMWs ever since my first time in a 2001 M3 but haven't owned one until recently. All my knowledge was theoretical not practical. So for me, the F30 is one of the best cars I've ever driven. Would I feel different if I came from an 07 335i instead of a 12 legacy gt? Probably. But I didn't so weeeeeee!!!

That said, and I'm not trolling, but I originally went for a 2013 328 sport line but was left unimpressed with the 4cyl. on the test drive. Turbo seemed laggy on takeoff. Acceleration was fun after 30 but for 48k, I felt like I should be blown away. (Hence why I went with the 335). First one I tested was an 07 and holy ****, I was speechless. Knew I could never own a 328 after that. Then I test drove a 2009 M3. Yikes. I almost got talked into a lease on a 2013 lime rock edition. Wife would have deballed me and tossed me in street if I brought that home. Glad I went with the F30 335i.
 
#68 · (Edited)
Most people that bash the F30 say they don't like the swiss army knife utility of the car because it's doesn't excel at any 1 particular property. IMHO, that's what's great about the F30 because it's top 3 in all the important parameters and shows so much potential in customizing the important parameters the owner wants. On top of the utility of the car, they also managed to improve the gas mileage by 20-30% over the previous model with the 328i line, which is awesome compared to the E46 & E9x equivalents.

Examples:
1) If the suspension is too soft and not responsive enough; especially for agressive driving= remove DHP and get the BMW M Performance suspension + Sport/M-Sport anti-roll bars if you don't already have the trim.
2) If the auto start/stop annoys you= Have the dealer to program it off all the time.
3) The suspension isn't refined enough for a DD= get the DHP with both the adaptive suspension and variable steering; adds tons of refinement that the sport/m-sport doesn't have and improves upon the base, modern and luxury lines. Also essential for the awd models as they don't get the sport/m-sport lines.
4) Brakes on the 328i is not strong enough= upgrade to the BMW M Performance brakes; which adds 4 pots in the front and larger 1 pot in the rear.
5) The 8AT isn't responsive or good enough like the manual or the has too many gears= Get the 6MT
6) Eco Pro is a dog= Switch on the fly to comfort or sport/sport+
7) The tires grip are not enough= Upgrade to non-RFT tires, such as the Micheline PSS or PS2s for summer and PS2 A/S for all season.
8) Car costs too much= get a base model
9) Car doesn't have enough power= get the 335i or get a 328i with the BMS chip tune.
10) Car rolls too much= Upgrade to the Sport/M-Sport anti-roll bars if you have a base/modern/luxury line.
11) It's too heavy and large = Get the 1 series or wait for the 2 when it comes out.
12) I4T doesn't have a linear response compared to the I6= requires a bit of tuning but getting a modified twin-scroll (this was the best response to counter turbo lag) turbo using a smaller impeller for the initial stage then progressively larger with the final stage will resolve the linear feel, add in properly matched cams towards the transition point when the turbo runs out of air allowing the engine to breath more till redline will provide a linear and sustainable powerband from 1500rpms to redline (similar to the I6 power band in the older E46 & E9x engines). This will require $$$, a customized dyno tuned programmable ECU and map but it can be done.

Yes, BJ, not all E46 owners bash this forum. We do offer helpful and useful banter; objective of course :p
 
#81 ·
I pretend to be the stig on the track with my noline 328. At least its almost fully loaded gor the daily drives. My car came with a driver mod the day i got it too. But i wonder what i could do in that 335 beast mode.
 
#82 ·
If you pretend to be a race car driver, the n20 is probably better :) It has a superior weight distribution which is enormously important when on a race track (I'm not talking about static weight distribution on a scale, but placement of weight)

Now if you want to be a dragster, I agree with you!

Many members of this forum, and even a few commenters on this thread, only a few years ago would relay that they wouldn't get an Audi cause they:
1. Used a not as smooth turbo four cylinder
2. Lacked certain steering feel

Apparently, Audi's been on to something since at least 2007 :) - and I say that with hope that an f30 model derivative that might one day sit in my driveway to replace my (exceptionally great!) 2008 Subaru Legacy GT....which has a 243hp unsmooth turbo 4 cylinder and lively steering feel :)
 
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