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Entry level F30 320i heads to the US - Starting at $33,445

128K views 596 replies 103 participants last post by  floydarogers 
#1 · (Edited)
Entry level F30 320i

BMW opened the latest chapter in the 3 Series story as it announced the new 2013 BMW 320i Sedan for the US market. Constructed with the near-perfect 50:50 balance afforded by BMW rear-wheel drive and priced from $33,445 (including $895 Destination & Handling), the new BMW 320i packs a content-rich punch in the marketplace for premium compact sport sedans. Sporting a 180-horsepower TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder engine, the new BMW 320i Sedan goes on sale in late-Spring 2013. Along with the new 320i Sedan, the BMW 320i xDrive Sedan featuring BMW***8217;s intelligent all-wheel drive system will also be available from $35,445 (including $895 Destination & Handling). The broad palette of standard equipment includes Bluetooth smartphone integration and BMW***8217;s Auto Start-Stop function.

2013 F30 320i US spec

Owners will appreciate the incredibly flexible 8-speed automatic transmission, while drivers seeking maximum involvement may opt for a traditional 6-speed manual on the non-xDrive 320i. 17-inch BMW light alloy wheels are standard on the 320i and 320i xDrive, with two different styles of 18-inch light alloy wheels available in combination with Sport Package.

The engine of the new BMW 320i Sedan is BMW***8217;s award-winning 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder engine, rated in the 320i at 180 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 200 lb-ft of torque from 1,250 rpm - 4,500 rpm. 0-60 mph acceleration for the 320i Sedan is estimated to require only 7.1 seconds with either transmission choice. Top speed is an electronically-limited 130 mph. The class-leading fuel efficiency of the BMW 328i Sedan is expected to be sustained by the new 320i Sedan, meaning preliminary estimates for the 320i with 6-speed manual transmission are 22 City / 34 Highway, while 23 City / 33 Highway are estimated for the 320i equipped with 8-speed automatic. The 320i xDrive model is expected to achieve 22 City / 33 Highway (Note: all estimates are preliminary at publication).

Engine Comparison Details: 320i vs 328i

Most of BMW***8217;s leading ConnectedDrive elements and vehicle versatility options from the BMW 328i and 335i siblings will be available on the new 320i. These include the aforementioned 8-speed automatic transmission plus BMW Assist telematics services, BMW Apps, heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, rear-view camera, xenon adaptive headlights, moonroof, split-folding rear seat, and BMW***8217;s Navigation system.

BMW 320i 180 horsepower

Befitting The Ultimate Driving Machine, a Sport Package is available for both the 320i and 320i xDrive. For the 320i the package includes 18-inch light-alloy wheels with summer tires and increased top speed limiter, sport seats, M sport suspension, M steering wheel and anthracite headliner. All-season tires with 130 mph speed limiter may be specified in place of the performance tires. For the 320i xDrive the Sport Package includes 18-inch light-alloy wheels with all-season tires, sport seats, M steering wheel, and anthracite headliner. Summer tires with increased top speed limiter can be ordered in place of the all-season tires.

Several other equipment packages are also available for the 320i Sedan, including Cold Weather Package, Premium Package, Driver Assistance Package, and Lighting Package. The full complement of exterior colors from the 328i Sedan is available, with exception of Estoril Blue Metallic which requires M Sport Line (unavailable on 320i). 320i buyers will also enjoy a choice of standard Leatherette or optional Dakota Leather upholstery, both in a choice of Venetian Beige or Black.

F20 320i sport package

BMW***8217;s innovative 8-speed automatic gearbox ***8211; which was a first in the segment when introduced last year on the 328i and 335i Sedans ***8211; opens up a whole new level of driving experience. Compact and exceptionally efficient, it allows the new BMW 320i to match or outperform models fitted with the standard six-speed manual gearbox in terms of fuel efficiency (actual results vary depending on drive cycle). The new 8-speed automatic brings together shift comfort, dynamic performance and efficiency of the highest order, making it the perfect partner for the new 320i sedan***8217;s dynamic potential.

As components of the BMW EfficientDynamics technology line-up, the Auto Start-Stop function, Brake Energy Regeneration, and need-based operation of ancillary components (including an on-demand air conditioning compressor) also play their part in reducing fuel consumption. Added to which, the Driving Dynamics Control switch, which allows the driver to choose between Comfort, Sport, and ECO PRO mode, gives both models the potential to further improve these figures. ECO PRO mode helps drivers maximize fuel economy through their driving style, thereby enabling them to increase the distance they can travel between visits to the pumps.
 

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#168 ·
Honestly, I'm surprised it took them this long to do this.

Doesn't anyone remember the 318ti E36?

The fact that is get's the same milage as the 328i is pretty lame though.

I'll be curious to see the pricing of the 320d.
 
#169 ·
Honestly, I'm surprised it took them this long to do this.
Yeah, some people think they're going down market. I see it more as if the 3 is getting back to it's roots.

People on this forum already talked about this, but back in the 80s and early 90s, you could get really stripped down versions of the 3...cloth seats, a crappy sound system, and not a lot of gadgets, but people loved them.

It wasn't really until the e90 that the 3 went up market.
 
#171 · (Edited)
The fact that is get's the same milage as the 328i is pretty lame though.
According to several articles, the 320i is BMW's direct response to the Caddy ATS 2.5L value proposition, by undercutting its MSRP. If true, then undercutting the price is the only goal.

Interestingly, a few days before the news, I had stated in one of the ATS threads here that Caddy had a chance if they could undercut the 3 series, and allow many younger first time luxury buyers to enter this segment by starting with a Caddy. Apparently BMW saw the same threat.

The average 3 driver is getting older, in part because the price is getting higher, which tends to keep first timers away. Yet the luxury brands have to recruit those young drivers to stay in the game in the long run.

In the past BMW might have counted on the 1 series to take on that duty, but it did not work too well. People who have been driving Camry and Accord, or even Corrolla and Civic, will have to size it down to fit in a 1 series.
 
#205 · (Edited)
Caddy has been taunting the BMW 3 series with the ATS for almost two years, in part because of the value proposition of the ATS 2.5L. Don't for a minute believe BMW is not paying attention.

Last year, one day after GM published its ATS specs, BMW modified its F30's specs on its website, in particular the 0-60 times were much faster than the day before. You think it was a fluke?

Now the F30 has a base model that undercuts the price of the ATS 2.5L by $545, one day after ATS gets the Car of the Year thing. Maybe it is another coincidence you say, but are you a betting person?
Nope. It's the opposite.

BMW has the 320i already in production, not like this is some new car. They see that Cadillac is advertising a cheap RWD car to the masses and attempting to create a new market. So they drop their existing 320i in there for a year, toe in the water, see how it goes, and kill two birds with one stone: a) capitalize on GM's advertising awareness and b) torpedo Mercedes, Audi, and Lexus. Good time to do it too- BMW just had the best year ever, lots of numbers to anniversary, might as well stack the deck with a sure-thing.

BJ
 
#206 · (Edited)
Nope. It's the opposite.

BMW has the 320i already in production, not like this is some new car. They see that Cadillac is advertising a cheap RWD car to the masses and attempting to create a new market. So they drop their existing 320i in there for a year, toe in the water, see how it goes, and kill two birds with one stone: a) capitalize on GM's advertising awareness and b) torpedo Mercedes, Audi, and Lexus.

BJ
That is not "opposite," you are not disagreeing with me, just triying to put it in another angle. The timing aligned with each move Caddy has made with the ATS, that is very telling. They could have brought the 320i here long ago, why now, on this very day? BTW, did you see the last comment I added? Caddy is now doing $299 special on the 2.0T, not 2.5L anymore.

Don't steal my logic then pretend it is your own and different from mine:) If you like to disagree, then say something different, of your own.

For anyone who is not clear already, I am speculating, I am not saying I know it. We are all in some way speculating, just some have basis, others are pure speculations.
 
#177 · (Edited)
Back in the day, a 180hp 3 would be a dream come true. I don't even think the M variants hit 200hp.

But BJ's point about handling is fair.

Flashback to the 80s and people were buying 160hp 325s. Great handling; stripped down, not a lot of gadgets, and they were loved by enthusiasts.

They also became a status symbol in the 80s, because they were really out-of-reach for most people back then. Base price was low $30s back then, and you got a lot less for your money than you do now.

EDIT: Sort of interesting that the 320i is coming in with the same base price that the 1988 325 had.
 
#178 · (Edited)
Back in the day, a 180hp 3 would be a dream come true. I don't even think the M variants hit 200hp.

But BJ's point about handling is fair.

Flashback to the 80s and people were buying 160hp 325s. Great handling; stripped down, not a lot of gadgets, and they were loved by enthusiasts.

They also became a status symbol in the 80s, because they were really out-of-reach for most people back then. Base price was low $30s back then, and you got a lot less for your money than you do now.

EDIT: Sort of interesting that the 320i is coming in with the same base price that the 1988 325 had.
I thought this was interesting, describing my 1979 320i with 110 HP (the only 3 Series available in the US Market was a coupe at the time) In 1980, they modified the body and lowered the power to 100HP including their first catalytic converter. My 1979 had a lot of leg room for my 6'4" stature. When BMW made the changes to the 3 Series in 1980, I no longer fit as they made the interior smaller and cut off the ample leg room.

"In the mid 1970s, BMW faced the task of replacing its aging 2002 coupe. But the company also knew that the 2002 embodied the company's spirit. As such, the 2002's replacement would need to keep that spirit intact while modernizing in other respects.

BMW picked a ripe moment in history to introduce the first 3 Series generation, internally designated E21. The world was just coming off the shock of the oil embargo as the first one rolled off the Milbertshofen assembly line on May 2, 1975, and people who never would have considered a smaller car now found the idea of a fun and frugal machine irresistible. In 1974, BMW sold 184,330 cars, but bolstered by the European introduction of the 3 Series in 1975, worldwide sales reached 221,298. The 3 Series hit North America as a 1977 model, and that pushed BMW production over 290,000 that year and beyond 320,000 in 1978.

The only E21 model available Stateside was the 320i. It was marginally larger than the outgoing 2002 (at 100.9 inches, the 3's wheelbase was 2.5 inches longer and the car's 177.5-inch overall length was 1.5 inches longer), and that extra size imbued it with a more stable, yet still easygoing character. As a direct successor to the 2002, the 320i was still available only as a two-door and carried over most of the styling themes established by that car, such as the forward-leaning grille, clipped rear side windows and low beltline.

Under the skin, the car was an evolutionary step up from the 2002. Basic elements like the MacPherson strut front and trailing arm rear suspension and front disc/rear drum power braking system differed in detail and specification, but were similar in overall design. For power, the car had a 2.0-liter Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injected inline-4 rated at 110 horsepower; it met emissions regulations without a catalytic converter. The standard transmission remained a Getrag four-speed manual, while a ZF three-speed automatic was optional.

The evolution of the American-market E21 320i was incremental. In 1980, the engine shrank to 1.8 liters (though the name remained 320i) and BMW added a three-way catalytic converter to the emissions control system. Though it now produced just 100 hp, the 1.8's performance deficit was ameliorated somewhat by the adoption of a five-speed manual transmission. In any event, this change did not dampen America's enthusiasm for the car, as sales continued to climb, spurred by BMW's growing reputation and a second oil embargo in 1979. As the last few E21s dribbled out of dealer showrooms in 1983, BMW had firmly established its 3, 5 and 7 Series sedan product mix and was ready to move all of its products progressively upmarket throughout the rest of the decade."
 
#181 ·
The base 3-series has been putting out nearly 180hp (or more) for about 25 years and in many platforms weighing significantly less. The 180hp would be crap except it comes on from a very broad torque curve.

Put another way: the base 4-cylinder honda accords have been putting out about 180hp for almost a decade now :)

From an actual value-to-performance perspective, I'll only understand it if you get a nice bump in MPG. Otherwise it's just a deliberately de-tuned n26....?
 
#183 ·
Like I said, wait for the dyno.

Go dyno a 4 cylinder Accord and see 150whp and 145lbs of tq while this detuned N20 puts down 180whp and 225lbs of tq. That is a substantial difference. But as long as BMW is so pessimistic with their crank ratings, it won't look so on paper.
 
#194 ·
The thing I was most excited when I saw this is that it looks like in some of the marketing materials the car is in a deep sea blue. Sadly that looks like just marketing, makes me sad.

And has anyone actually optioned out on their website? The premium package is totally different, and doesn't include leather. Includes a lot of things that are standard on the 328/335. The choices are interesting to say the least. But on the positive for not getting the sport suspension with the sport package they give you a discount if you have xDrive.

But now the real question, will it have the new or old Nav when it comes out in spring?
 
#199 ·
But on the positive for not getting the sport suspension with the sport package they give you a discount if you have xDrive.
It looks like the sport package is basically the same as what you got on the e90. You get the sport suspension, summer tires on 18" wheels, plus the M steering wheel, which I am not even getting on my 335 sport line that I just ordered.

Honestly, this 320 is a real nice option for folks, and this is coming from someone that just ordered a loaded 335 a couple days ago.
 
#196 ·
The $1300 Sport Package is awesome, you get the suspension, 18" wheels and the M-Sport steering wheel. I hope this becomes an nice alternative to the "lines" to bump up the base 328.
 
#247 ·
There is a sport package. It's the sport line. Plus, you can get DHP on all the lines already. This gives you the sport suspension and more.

I really dont see them negating the sport line or the line concept in general by offering a redundant sport package anytime in the near future. Unless they drop the lines altogether for the 328 and 335, which seems doubtful.

The big question is the M steering wheel. Will that be available on the sport line in the future?

Getting the M steering wheel as part of the sport package is a huge win for the 320 folks.
 
#255 ·
Its a good move by BMW. It is very reasonably priced and certainly not slow compared to the competition. This car will be competing against the ATS 2.5, TSX/ILX, C250, IS250, base Q50, some Buicks and so on. Besides a simple software update would put this thing at well over 200 WHP, which IMO is more than plenty.
 
#285 ·
Where is the 320d!?!?!?!?!?
 
#287 ·
I wonder if the 6mt take rate will be a bit higher on the 320 as it can be optioned with the sports pack at a fair price making it a sporty-ish 3 series at a lower cost than the "lines" of the 328.
 
#288 ·
I wonder if the newer, tougher gas mileage requirements set by the government is responsible. The 320i passes that requirement. BMW needs more 3 series buyers to offset the bigger BMWs that get poor gas mileage.

I welcome the change.

When is a 316i coming to the U.S.? It would have a 1.6 litre turbo and maybe get 1 mpg better.
 
#292 ·
Disappointed that the ONE must have feature the misses and I would need, memory power seats, are only available with the Premium Package in the 320i, which forces me into a lot of stuff I don't necessarily need and would assume do without if the goal was to save money. Memory power seats are standard on the 328i, and you can go without all the other package stuff resulting in a car that's only a grand or two more than the 320i with memory seats in the premium package.

Bummer. Nice to have options, though.

My 335i has excessive amounts of performance. It's hard to really enjoy it, so I wouldn't mind having less power. 180hp is a bit light, but JB it up to 200-210 maybe and it'd be about perfect.

What I REALLY REALLY WANT is an F30 335d.

If offered, will be all over one of those and ED it in 2014!
 
#308 ·
I really don't see the 320i being a loss leader - to get a stripped one you'll have to order that, which few people do. It seems to be (a) making HP an option, expanding buyer choice, and (b) to get buyers into the showroom thinking they'll spend $33k, and having them drive out in a $40k car.
 
#311 ·
Did a build on bmwusa.com on a base 320i with ZPP, leather, and fold-down seat(standard in 328i) to match with a base 328i with ZPP only, and the MSRP difference is $2300. So it boils down to $2k for 60+HP, not a bad deal for 328i. :) The ZSP on 320i is $1300 for 18-inch wheel and sports suspension.. A DD configuration of base 320i+ZLP+ZSP runs $35.5k MSRP, the price point appears to be a bit high.

320i ZPP(which shows the missing gadgets in base 320i)

***8226; Auto-dimming rearview mirror
***8226; Auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors
***8226; Storage package
***8226; Comfort Access keyless entry
***8226; Power front seats with driver seat memory
***8226; Satellite radio with 1 year subscription
***8226; Universal garage-door opener
***8226; Lumbar support
***8226; Moonroof
 
#332 ·
I can see someone in a Buick or a Ford who could aspire to be in a Cadillac. Blue collar, born-in-the-USA types, middle America.

But I can't see any BMW owner stepping down to a Cadillac, and for what? Just to save a few dollars and wind up in a baby CTS? Doesn't make sense for us. Wrong customers, wrong forum.

BJ
 
#334 ·
And the fact that so many posters here seem to be so threatened by the ATS and are so determined to denigrated it tells me that Cadillac is onto something.

CA
 
#336 ·
And the fact that so many posters here seem to be so threatened by the ATS and are so determined to denigrated it tells me that Cadillac is onto something.

CA
No, actually, we're just annoyed by the same poster who keeps bumping his ATS threads over and over again. It's not a car that anyone cares about. It has great entertainment value, for like an hour, and then it gets stale and we move on until Mr. Bump starts the loop all over again.

BJ
 
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