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The Value Shopper's Guide to the F30 328i

23K views 115 replies 33 participants last post by  Nordique 
#1 ·
I've noticed we get a lot of posts here from people asking what the essential elements are in a F30 build. This is usually from a perspective of wanting to get a nice car but not wanting to spend $$$$ on things that are unnecessary.

Like many here, I ordered early in the F30's life cycle when there were no models on dealer lots in which the various options could be tested. I got one test drive in a base Summer Olympic Event model and that was it. I ordered a nicely optioned model, as you can see in my sig.

For a couple days the last week, I was in a luxury line loaner with only the premium package while my routine maintenance was getting done. I spent quite a bit of time playing with this loaner and this post encapsulates my opinions on the difference between it and my car.

Oh and btw, if you are someone who lights your illegally imported Cuban cigars with hundred dollar bills and finds this whole discussion silly, feel free to move on to the next thread.

Lines vs. No Line
We've seen a lot of discussion here about the essential nature of a 3 Series. Is it sporty, luxury or a combo of both? This can only be decided by an individual buyer. That having been said, I feel that I would be satisfied in a luxury line having driven one if I didn't have the sport. I liked sitting higher up and would love having access to the awesome saddle brown interior. Also, if you haven't seen a modern line model now that they've dumped the hideous tan dash and wheel, it's very sharp looking also. With the no line, you could use the pocketed $ for things like the M interior kit and/or rims.

Before we leave this topic, let's discuss the seats. After a couple of days in non-sport seats, I was actually fine with them. I am a bigger guy and enjoyed not having the side bolsters kind of pinching me in. I missed the thigh extenders, but was more cognizant of the lumbar support in the normal seats. I would say don't let the seats be a major decision maker for you.

I'll discuss performance a bit more when we get to the M Adaptive/Sport Steering part of the post.

Xenons
This is a tough one, but if you are looking for a spot to save $ on your build, you can dump the Xenons. Yes, they look amazing. They are purportedly safer. However, I drove at night with the halogens and they are fine. I might make this a last ditch decision when building my car, but if you feel you need to skip this, you'll be just fine.

USB w/Enhanced Bluetooth
Do not skip this important feature. It gives you BT music streaming through your cell phone as well as the emergency call feature that could save your life. We will come back to this discussion later when we talk about the tech package.

Harmon Kardon
I am a sound nut and always tick this box off immediately when looking at cars. After a couple days with the regular stereo, which is supposedly the mid-level option in Europe, I can report that it is fine. The HK is better, but this is a good spot to save some $$$ if you are tortured with how to economize. This is even more true if you are purely a talk radio or smooth jazz listener. If you are a classic rock guy like me, this might be a hair tougher. The HK is definitely ballsier when it comes to stuff meant to be cranked.

M Adaptive Suspension and/or Variable Sport Steering
If you don't get the Sport/M Sport, you will likely want to get this if you want the typical, taut BMW driving experience. The steering in the luxury line definitely had more play than my sport line. There was more body roll. Again, if you skip the sport-oriented lines, I would opt for these unless you like a car that is softer than what BMW usually represents.

Back Up Cam/Park Distance Control
This is a tough one and I can't recommend dumping it for anyone with small kids or who has to park in tough conditions (city parallel parking) often. It should be standard on all cars. However, if you live in an apartment by yourself, I could see skipping it. The sight lines on the F30 are good enough.

Packages
Premium: This is a tough one. I would say skip it if need be. If not, the stuff in this package is the stuff of nice cars. Not fiddling with your key is very nice. Dimming mirrors are nice at night. However, the leatherette is good and some of the other things like adjustable seats, moonroof and satrad can be gotten separately.
Driver Assistance: #1 on the list of things you can skip. If you can't keep your car in its lane, you shouldn't be ordering a BMW.
Technology: This is brutal for me to say as a gadget guy, but skip it. I love HUD, but never noticed it was missing without it. I love nav, but I can get turn by turn off my phone. With BT and Enhanced USB, all phone audio can be streamed through the speakers. The small dash screen was fine and didn't look any cheaper than the wider one. It is a great set of toys, but just isn't needed as long as you tick off the Enhanced BT. And it's horridly overpriced.

Heated Seats
I don't know how or why anyone skips these. Forget cold weather--these are a godsend for anyone with lower back pain/discomfort. My wife, who is always cold, stabs this button before I can get to the ignition button.

Apps
A total waste. You can read texts and emails through the dash screen. Big deal. Also, using any of the apps is more aggravating than just streaming through your phone.
 
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#2 ·
Great thread! Couple comments:

- i always thought lane departure warning was a joke like you, I've done 12 track days, and never had so much as a scrape in 25 years of driving. Then I had kids - lately I've been nodding off all the time while commuting, and a few weeks ago, nodded off, drifted lanes on a busy highway and scraped a Honda Odyssey. So anyone with kids, or sleep issues, might consider lane departure. Me, I'll probably still just make sure I make time for coffee in the morning. :)

- A major consideration for anyone on a budget should be the 320i. 200 lb-ft of torque should be plenty fun in a 3300 lb car - my e36 had less than that, and while it was 200 lbs lighter, it was a blast to drive and never felt slow.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I know you were targeting prospective 328 buyers, but you could apply this to prospective 335 buyers as well. If I wanted to significantly reduce the cost of my car, here is what I would have done.

  1. Go with basic Nav option instead of Tech package
  2. Go with luxury line instead of sport.
  3. Drop 8 speed sport transmission.
  4. Go with 328 instead of 335, but then order xenons since they don't come standard on a 328.
  5. Drop DHP.
4 & 5 would be the most difficult for me, but I would have ended up with a 328 luxury line with xenons, heated seats, Prem, HK, Nav, rear view camera and PDC.

Nothing wrong with that configuration at all. Plus, it would have been a savings of about $6000. By the way, once my kids are in college, this is exactly what my next car might be.
 
#8 ·
I would have ended up with a 328 luxury line with xenons, heated seats, Prem, HK, Nav, rear view camera and PDC.

Nothing wrong with that configuration at all. Plus, it would have been a savings of about $6000. By the way, once my kids are in college, this is exactly what my next car might be.
This is an excellent build and frankly how base 328i should have been. However, remember that even this car will have a MSRP of nearly 50 grand. The days of buying a nice 3-series for 35-40 large is sadly over.
 
#11 ·
I agree - there has been so much "series inflation" in BMW that over the past 15 years, every series has moved up one position. A 3 now is a 5 of 15 years ago. A 5 is a 7. A 7 is a super-luxo cruiser.

As long as I dreamed of having a BMW, I dreamed of the 5-series. When I finally bought a BMW, it was an E60. But I want a new vehicle now, and I realized that the 3 is the 5 I always wanted.

To me it seems like the small, fun, tossable, value-for-money BMWs are now the 1-series and upcoming 2-series.
 
#22 ·
A 3 is not a 5. The size may have caught up, but the quality is still a 3.

I agree - there has been so much "series inflation" in BMW that over the past 15 years, every series has moved up one position. A 3 now is a 5 of 15 years ago. A 5 is a 7. A 7 is a super-luxo cruiser.

As long as I dreamed of having a BMW, I dreamed of the 5-series. When I finally bought a BMW, it was an E60. But I want a new vehicle now, and I realized that the 3 is the 5 I always wanted.

To me it seems like the small, fun, tossable, value-for-money BMWs are now the 1-series and upcoming 2-series.
 
#4 ·
I've noticed we get a lot of posts here from people asking what the essential elements are in a F30 build. This is usually from a perspective of wanting to get a nice car but not wanting to spend $$$$ on things that are unnecessary.
If one is looking for "value", a stripped 3 Series is a terrible choice. Is it still a nice car? Sure. But it can be confusing for those who remember the BMW heritage and didn't get the memo that with the F30 you have to pay to get the legendary handling/performance that you used to get as standard equipment.

It is generally considered a bad thing to recommend someone just buy the car for the badge, yet that is the only real reason for your thesis. While the $31,000 F30 is the same price as a Honda Accord and thus you can make the argument that it's a great 'value', the devil is in the details. You need to spend at least $41,000 on the BMW just to get the same set of options found on the Accord, maybe even more. The F30 is still a far more expensive car; stripping out the features equalizes the sticker but leaves you with a bad value.

There was a time when a stripped 3 Series was a noble decision. You could live without the options and still get a tight performance car. But today, that's not the case. It's important to note that.

BJ
 
#5 ·
I do agree with this line of thinking.

If you're talking about a 328 no-line without prem, tech, Nav, HK, heated seats, xenons, rear camera, PDC, or anything else, then forget about the F30. Seriously. You probably should be looking at a Suburu WRX STI instead if you're a performance enthusiast or perhaps a loaded Nissan Maxima if you want a more luxurious car.

However, a thread like this is still useful for folks looking at the higher range F30s. You can get a real good idea on how to get a fantastic car and still save some $$$$$$.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I've noticed we get a lot of posts here from people asking what the essential elements are in a F30 build. This is usually from a perspective of wanting to get a nice car but not wanting to spend $$$$ on things that are unnecessary.

...
Great write-up! I would put the options in order of importance:

  1. Heated Seats
  2. BMW Assist with Enhanced Bluetooth
  3. Park Distance Control (F30 bigger than E90, tall trunk, rear 3 obstructive head rests)
  4. Rear View Camera (must have parking package to get this)
  5. A Line (significantly nicer interior & exterior trim, 18" wheels on ALL lines much nicer)
  6. DHP (especially if you have xDrive)
  7. Technology Package (Navigation, HUD, Enhanced Bluetooth, Apps)
  8. Lighting Package (Xenons & "Cat Eyes", the Halogens are still pretty good)
  9. Premium (Leather, Sunroof, Comfort access, self dimming mirrors)
  10. HK (600 Watts but do you need it?)
  11. Cold Weather Package (Heated front & Rear seats, heated steering wheel)
  12. Driver Assistance Package (do not need the side camera or blind spot warning)
  13. Driver Assistance Plus (rather annoying lane change vibration)
  14. Rear window shades
  15. Active Cruise Control (too expensive)
  16. high beam headlamp control

I limited myself to a $45K invoice cost (Aprox $49K MSRP). My build started with an xDrive. I picked a Sport Line and mistakenly thought the xDrive sport came with sport suspension. :mad: I skipped on the Lighting Package (that would have put me over budget. Do I give up a line, tech or premium for the lighting?).

In retrospect, if I was to do the build again, I would give up the Premium (I can press a button to get into my car and leatherette would be OK) and add the DHP Lighting, and Parking Distance w/rear view camera. The xDrive suspension is soft (good for Wife and Kids), the Lighting 'Cat Eyes" are so cool, but the parking package is what surprised me. :confused: I would have thought the car would be easy to park but the though of damaging my BMW puts fear into my head! :yikes: High curbs, car bumpers... Difference in cost: Premium $3100 vs. $3050 for bucket of other options (DHP $1000, Lighting $900, Park distance $750, Rear Camera $400) On the other hand, when you are at this level, what is a couple thousand... $30 per month on a $550 month payment!?

If one is looking for "value", a stripped 3 Series is a terrible choice. Is it still a nice car? Sure. But it can be confusing for those who remember the BMW heritage and didn't get the memo that with the F30 you have to pay to get the legendary handling/performance that you used to get as standard equipment.

It is generally considered a bad thing to recommend someone just buy the car for the badge, yet that is the only real reason for your thesis. While the $31,000 F30 is the same price as a Honda Accord and thus you can make the argument that it's a great 'value', the devil is in the details. You need to spend at least $41,000 on the BMW just to get the same set of options found on the Accord, maybe even more. The F30 is still a far more expensive car; stripping out the features equalizes the sticker but leaves you with a bad value.

There was a time when a stripped 3 Series was a noble decision. You could live without the options and still get a tight performance car. But today, that's not the case. It's important to note that.

BJ
I can agree but some options are more important than others.
 
#7 · (Edited)
First off, if we are truly talking car value, we should all be in Corollas approaching 200,000 miles.

Second, whether you agree or not, the following things are true:
1. People come here all the time asking about their builds and what to get.
2. My dealer's #1 stocking choice for 3s is what matches the lease deal: no line plus premium package.

This thread was meant to clarify the value and necessity of the myriad of choices people can't personally test.
 
#10 ·
Great discussion!

What are your thoughts on the following items from the perspective of a "Value Shopper"?
  • Choosing a Certified Pre-Owned F30 rather than a new one
  • European Delivery, if one does go the new car route
 
#68 ·
Great discussion!

What are your thoughts on the following items from the perspective of a "Value Shopper"?
  • Choosing a Certified Pre-Owned F30 rather than a new one
  • European Delivery, if one does go the new car route
I've spoken to many people about this. Buying a car that's less than 3 years old and has 20-30K miles on it is optimal from a value perspective; the most amount of depreciation occurs during that time period. If I went that route with a BMW I would extend the warranty to 100K miles on a CPO. With CarFax and other such services the new buyer to check the service records for these used cars and increase the likelihood of not buying someone else's lemon.

I bought a Toyota Land Cruiser when my kids were young this way and this may have been the best vehicle investment I ever made in my life. Gone are the days of cheap gas, though.
 
#12 ·
Packages
Premium: This is a tough one. I would say skip it if need be. If not, the stuff in this package is the stuff of nice cars. Not fiddling with your key is very nice. Dimming mirrors are nice at night. However, the leatherette is good and some of the other things like adjustable seats, moonroof and satrad can be gotten separately.
Power seats and auto-dimming mirrors are standard for MY2013.
 
#14 · (Edited)
If I was on a budget and wanted a f30, I would do one of two things:

1. Buy a base 335 - you get xenons, moonroof, 18 inch rims, wood on dash, and most importantly 300 hp engine standard - most likely in jet black or alpine white. This will cost you 44k in RWD or 48k with xdrive, and you still have room to add one or two options.. heated seats, enhanced bluetooth (necessary), etc.

2. Buy a 328 with sport line, enhanced bluetooth and lighting package - comes out to 41,795 RWD or 43,795 with xdrive, and you are going to avoid 17 inch rims, halogens, and plastic aluminum on the dash.. telltale signs of a stripper 328 (although I would take a base 328 over a honda accord).

For me the choice is easy - base 335 offers significantly more VALUE for slightly more $$, and is still going to offer you the spirited driving experience bmw is famous for.
 
#27 · (Edited)
If I was on a budget and wanted a f30, I would

1. Buy a base 335 - you get xenons, moonroof, 18 inch rims, wood on dash, and most importantly 300 hp engine standard - most likely in jet black or alpine white. This will cost you 44k in RWD or 48k with xdrive, and you still have room to add one or two options.. heated seats, enhanced bluetooth (necessary), etc.

For me the choice is easy - base 335 offers significantly more VALUE for slightly more $$, and is still going to offer you the spirited driving experience bmw is famous for.
And that is where you would be incorrect.

A 335i without Sport line and without the dynamic handling package is nothing like what you describe. The 328i on the base suspension is loose enough, with the extra kick of the 300 horses the body lean and float would drive you crazy. The XDrive suspension is even softer, would be like a 600 HP school bus.

Said it before and I'll say it again: the big gamechanger for this generation of the 3 Series is that you no longer get the legendary handling and suspension that was standard for the past 20 years. You have to pay for it.

BJ
 
#18 ·
A black or white sportline, 328i will get you closer to the glory days BMW's of the past. With the F30 you'll still get better gas mileage, idrive, tremendously better 8sp auto transmission, and more horsepower than the older generations.

full retail: $40,245
street price: $38,245 (or maybe less)
Also, BMW lease deals are insanely low.

You'll get power everything, sport seats, idrive, ipod connectivity, sport suspension, 18" wheels, 240hp turbo engine, 34 mpg highway, rear wheel drive, and an actual choice of an awesome 8sp auto or manual transmission.

At under $40k, the F30 sportline is a pretty attractive choice. The BMW roundels come standard. Nothing wrong with a little snob appeal thrown in! :)
 
#23 ·
What about a 320i with sport and tech for around 39k?

A black or white sportline, 328i will get you closer to the glory days BMW's of the past. With the F30 you'll still get better gas mileage, idrive, tremendously better 8sp auto transmission, and more horsepower than the older generations.

full retail: $40,245
street price: $38,245 (or maybe less)
Also, BMW lease deals are insanely low.

You'll get power everything, sport seats, idrive, ipod connectivity, sport suspension, 18" wheels, 240hp turbo engine, 34 mpg highway, rear wheel drive, and an actual choice of an awesome 8sp auto or manual transmission.

At under $40k, the F30 sportline is a pretty attractive choice. The BMW roundels come standard. Nothing wrong with a little snob appeal thrown in! :)
 
#24 ·
Great thread! Thank you!

My wife and I have chosen the 3 series to purchase now. We want a 328i sport in Mineral Grey - White or Bronze. Light Grey leather int with black highlights and Anthracite wood trim. For me the Xenons are a must!

Local dealership CA very nice and professional, but not responsive. The Lexus dealership CA made no impression on us, but reached out to us with a letter thanking us for test driving a IS.

My new car Auto Trader and Cars.com search has not yielded the combo we are looking for here in the west. A special order mite be what is needed or I mite look into a base 335i after reading this thread.

Question: the factory $1K off has a ending date. How often is this done or has this been a ongoing promotion?
 
#33 · (Edited)
I only got lighting and m sport + sport auto and pdc on my car and Sirius added later on.

Could probably do without pdc but i don't feel like it was a waste. 2013 models have plenty of standard features and I don't even like sunroofs or care about Dakota leather.

Got the car for 2000 under invoice with the 1000 BMW fs rebate so ~39k . Not bad at all . Doesn't have a lot of the electronic doodads but I don't really care for them. Drives as well as a stock f30 can drive. Got money left over for my next BMW in 3-5 years


I think the 2 main musts on this car for me are some sort of sport pack and lighting. Everything else I wouldn't regret nearly as much as those two options. Car just doesn't look right on 17s and the halogens don't look very nice for only $900 less.

If I had to buy a 320i with sport and lighting for probable $31-32k invoice I.e. a real stripped car with manual seats etc I think I'd still be pretty happy with it. I know itd drive great and still be built just as well as a $50k f30. All depends on your budget but even a barebones f30 will be a great driver.
 
#47 ·
You can load an Accord with all the options and once they get boring to play with, you're stuck with a snooze to drive.

I'd rather have a stripped 328i then a loaded family sedan bore fest any day of the week. Can't speak to the 320i--never seen one.
 
#70 ·
Hi all, been lurking for a few months doing research and had a question about DHP since we're on that topic. Looking into getting into a 328i with x-drive so from what I understand the suspension will be the same regardless of which line I go with. Seems to be a lot of recommendations to go with DHP especially if going with x-drive. Haven't been on any test drives, but from looking at local inventory, haven't come across a build with it as an option.

Anyway to convey what having DHP vs not having DHP is like? Coming from a Toyota Corolla, so in my head, anything is going to handle better...
 
#71 · (Edited)
Hi all, been lurking for a few months doing research and had a question about DHP since we're on that topic. Looking into getting into a 328i with x-drive so from what I understand the suspension will be the same regardless of which line I go with. Seems to be a lot of recommendations to go with DHP especially if going with x-drive. Haven't been on any test drives, but from looking at local inventory, haven't come across a build with it as an option.

Anyway to convey what having DHP vs not having DHP is like? Coming from a Toyota Corolla, so in my head, anything is going to handle better...
This quote below describes DHP pretty good. Basically, if you go with x-drive, the suspension may seem soft and too cushy for you (like a Lexus ES). Important to note is that "may" is the key word there. Most folks on the 'Fest are performance enthusiasts and demand a tight and firm suspension. However, it's all relative, because some might view the base AWD suspension as perfect.

DHP gives folks the option to firm it up and make it tighter. You can feel the road better. You can do this by setting it to Sport Mode.

DHP also adds variable steering too, which is really nice.

It is tough to find a car on a lot with DHP - so you may never be able to test this for yourself before ordering it.

DHP is the only way to adjust the firmness of the suspension. When you have DHP, the suspension settings are adjusted along with the rev settings.

For example, without DHP, you can switch between comfort, Eco, and sport modes, but that only adjusts how the engine revs. Eco is the Toyota Prius mode. Comfort is the Acura TL mode. Sport mode keeps the engine revving and is really great for driving like a lunatic, but warning, it sucks gas dry (still the most fun though).
:)

With DHP mode, it also adjusts the suspension when selecting a mode. Comfort is just that. It's a cushier drive. Sport mode is very tight and firm. Sport + is just like sport but shuts off traction control for even more performance (ideal for a track). Someone said sport + is only available on the sport line and M sport. That could be true. All I know is my car has it.

One other thing, relative to other cars out there, comfort mode might still seem tight and firm to some folks.

EDIT: it does add variable steering too, which is also really nice...
 
#73 ·
A Value Shopper F30 would be an Imperial Blue 320i fully loaded, ED and trunk money. That should be less than $40,000 before taxes. Then wait for the JB3/tune for this car to put it at 250hp and 300ftlbs. Sweet.

A much sweeter deal would be to convince Individual to put a Saddle Brown interior -with black dash- and the HUD. Charge me $3500 for a combo like that and now we are talking dammit. :bigpimp:
 
#78 ·
Someone in this forum described the F10 as "opulent". Very true. But, I own an E60, and I don't think the F30 is substantially worse. Fewer power controls on the seats and none on the steering. I might miss that. The dash plastics are a little softer and less shiny in the E60.

I thought about an F10 550 M Sport - lot of money, and ultimately on a test drive it felt big, even in Sport mode. Athletic, yes, but big.

Now, the F10 M5 - sure...great combination of opulence and performance. If I had that kind of money...
 
#98 ·
@ Robert A> That model is hard to come by for some reason, even in L.A..
 
#104 ·
I'm going to skip my rant on how buying a non optioned out "luxury" car is a bad idea and go straight to...

If the cost of a NEW optioned out 328 is too high for you then you should buy a 1-2 years old USED optioned out 328.

In fact, either way it's a a much more financially sound decision to buy a used car anyways.
 
#105 ·
Ten years ago, my factory-ordered E46 325i sedan, with five-speed manual and sport package, came to $29K. Last week, I traded it in for my factory-ordered F30 320i, six-speed manual, sport package, at $35K. Not bad for a decade newer, with similar hp and torque, with better fuel economy, more room for my passengers, bigger trunk, staggered 18-inch wheels with summer performance tires, and a 146 mph speed limit. And it's even more fun to drive! After I pass the 1200-mile engine breaking in, it'll be track time.
 
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