They make a N55 if you must have a I6. N20 is very impressive.

 

N20 is very impressive.

I whole-heartedly agree.

 

Neilsarkar,

I drove a 328i Modern (Mineral Gray / All Beige Interior) this past weekend in Denver. I took it out for a good 45 minutes to test both highway and city driving. While the N20 is a noteable advancement in efficiency engineering, it doesn't feel or sound like a true BMW. The combination of the lighter steering (which makes it feel less accurate imo), softer ride and the quintessential sound and shake of a 4 cylinder really had me disappointed. The new 328 is a car that will attact more non-BMW drivers/buyers to the BMW brand precisely becuase it is moving towards being less of a BMW and more like competitors in the small sedan market. Granted, I did not drive the Sport Line 328i with adaptive sport steering; that model could potentially quell my steering and ride woes, but for me I opted for a 2012 E91 Sport with the N52. In the words of my brother: "There is no replacement for displacement" (2.0L vs. 3.0L).

Build quality item I noticed on the test drive: The mirrors vibrate pretty badly when you shut the front doors. Could have just been the one I drove.
Personal taste item: The all beige modern interior is sure to make an exit from the line-up. Otherwise, the cabin was fine.

It will be a big seller.

Spencer842

 

This being the 1st gen 4 cylinder turbo, BMW will likely make one that sounds better and is smoother in the future.

BMWs have always been about compromises, and this is a necessary one for the base 3 series. I do think BMW should start offering more than 2 engines like they do everywhere else but here in the Land of Freedom.

 

People are blowing this whole 4 cylinder turbo BMW thing completely out of proportion. It's hilarious because even with all this bitching, it will probably sell like hot cakes and win many comparisons

In fact, I'm probably buying a 3 series in the next year and was HOPING for a small displacement turbo. I refuse to get a N/A I6. The N52 wasn't even that great. If I want power, I'm coughing up for the 335i, but if I want a small, sporty feeling car with decent power, the turbo 4 does the job perfectly

 

+1, going from the N54(which was a beast) to the N52 which is very underpowered(especially torque) the N20 fits me perfectly. Small drop off in performance compared to the turbo 6, and i had no issues with sound or refinement from the motor while driving it. Had the 335 come with the N54, it would have complicated the decision.

 

Horses for courses. I'm hanging on to my '08 328i for the normally aspirated six. I like the N20 for its economy, but the advantages even in fuel consumption are small.

 

"Slow" is relative. N52 powered 328i is quicker than any M5 prior to the E39.

It's wrong to say the N52 is "slow as hell". If the N20 does 0-60 in about 5.5 seconds according to Car and Driver and the N52 5.9 according to the same magazine, that's not a very large difference. I'm not commenting on the sportiness of the N20 but the difference is pretty small. And for sure the N52 is sporty. It eagerly roars to the redline and in the midrange gets on the cam and scoots.

I agree with the OP, the N20 is fast on the foot and will make many people happy, especially those who migrate from the competing brands. But once you are used to the N52 rev, the N20 felt like a diesel.

Anyone who thinks the N52 is slow, probably never liked to rev high, if so, what a waste of driving that N52, but the N20 will be perfect for you I agree.

Neilsarkar,

I drove a 328i Modern (Mineral Gray / All Beige Interior) this past weekend in Denver. I took it out for a good 45 minutes to test both highway and city driving. While the N20 is a noteable advancement in efficiency engineering, it doesn't feel or sound like a true BMW. The combination of the lighter steering (which makes it feel less accurate imo), softer ride and the quintessential sound and shake of a 4 cylinder really had me disappointed. The new 328 is a car that will attact more non-BMW drivers/buyers to the BMW brand precisely becuase it is moving towards being less of a BMW and more like competitors in the small sedan market. Granted, I did not drive the Sport Line 328i with adaptive sport steering; that model could potentially quell my steering and ride woes, but for me I opted for a 2012 E91 Sport with the N52. In the words of my brother: "There is no replacement for displacement" (2.0L vs. 3.0L).

Build quality item I noticed on the test drive: The mirrors vibrate pretty badly when you shut the front doors. Could have just been the one I drove.
Personal taste item: The all beige modern interior is sure to make an exit from the line-up. Otherwise, the cabin was fine.

It will be a big seller.

Spencer842

"While the N20 is a noteable advancement in efficiency engineering, it doesn't feel or sound like a true BMW. The combination of the lighter steering (which makes it feel less accurate imo), softer ride and the quintessential sound and shake of a 4 cylinder really had me disappointed."

+1x10...Had my second test drives, very long ones at my dealer the other day (unlike my short covert test drive under cover of darkness over the holidays (Christmas)...
335i pretty much the same with a silly cheap felling interior and the pathetic hood & front end design even worse looking up close and in the light of day...but the 328i was disapointing.
Interior look & feel soooo cheap right down to the thin cheap feel to all the buttons (compared to ones in the E46, very, very noticable)
Nice car like so many out there... just not a BMW...not the ones we have come to love...the "feel" is gone. Non BMW fans who want a cushy bling-bling economical car that has that artificial turbo rush will buy and enjoy these cars...but the thrill is gone.
Just nothing special about them any longer
I had a smile on my face when I got back into my lowly E46 after the test drive and the buttery smooth NA engine in that and the E9x M3 is still what a BMW is and should be:thumbup:
I'm sure they will sell millions to the minions :tsk:

 

"Slow" is relative. N52 powered 328i is quicker than any M5 prior to the E39.

 

My RWD 6 MT M Sport 328i is not slow by any means. Once it hits 4K, it's very quick. The trick is to keep it in that range if you are looking to have fun. Yes, it is not a "Torque Monster" but I keep my cars a long time and put a lot of miles on them so reliability is a key factor in my purchase decision.

 

Things change. The insane population growth the planet has seen over the past x decades dictates lots of changes for those of us who can remember those days. Food tasted better, water was cleaner, traffic was lighter, people had more time to talk to you, etc. Along with all those things going to heck we have too many people driving too many cars, with the attendant fuel consumption that demands, which means cars have to get more fuel efficient.

If you are rich you can still buy gas-guzzlers, just like the rich could always do things the regular folk couldn't.

OTOH medicine is better (dubious benefit; this is part of what causes population growth), we have the internet (another dubious benefit) and airbags (see item 1).

 

I agree with the OP, the N20 is fast on the foot and will make many people happy, especially those who migrate from the competing brands. But once you are used to the N52 rev, the N20 felt like a diesel.

Anyone who thinks the N52 is slow, probably never liked to rev high, if so, what a waste of driving that N52, but the N20 will be perfect for you I agree.

 

I must be the only person who DOES NOT think the N52 sounded good. Had a 328 loaner once, and thought the engine sounded like a cheap 4 cylinder. Smooth, sure. Even thought the power was sufficient. But the sound? I don't understand why people like it so much.

 

The exhaust muffles the sound quite a bit but if you have another chance to drive an e90 328, accelerate to redline in a low gear and tell me it doesn't sound nice. In a MT version second gear acceleration sounds great.

 

+1!!!!!! BMW's naturally aspirated inline sixes are some of the best engines of all time. BMW made its name in the U.S. on high, free reving, naturally aspirated inline six motors.

Those of you ragging on the NA inline six are a sad lot. You demonstrate your ignorance of one of the finest motors ever produced and of the past 30 years of BMW's grand history in the United States that made them what they are today here. The uber fine characteristics of the inline six are one of the main reasons that made BMW the Ultimate Driving Machine in the U.S. American enthusiasts bought BMWs BECAUSE of their inline sixes.

It wasn't very many years ago when 200+ HP was considered great power for mass production engines. Now the U.S. is all caught up in this ignorant horsepower war. It has become a contest of who has the biggest d*ck and for those who don't massive amounts of horsepower are the way they compensate.

No motor on the planet has the naturally balanced, silky smooth, linear, satisfying power delivery of an inline six cylinder. But who cares these days? Most BMW buyers don't even know about the things that make BMWs special. They think their BMW has a V6 and front wheel drive.

 

It wasn't very many years ago when 200+ HP was considered great power for mass production engines. Now the U.S. is all caught up in this ignorant horsepower war. It has become a contest of who has the biggest d*ck and for those who don't massive amounts of horsepower are the way they compensate.

No motor on the planet has the naturally balanced, silky smooth, linear, satisfying power delivery of an inline six cylinder. But who cares these days? Most BMW buyers don't even know about the things that make BMWs special. They think their BMW has a V6 and front wheel drive.

Yes, and in the 60's Hamburgers were like 15 cents :dunno:. It may be a modern marvel of engineering (I personally think they should have dropped the weight of the car and kept the engine, it would be sick), but I'd bet that only matters to a select few. Even the most tame drivers I feel like it would bother them that a 40+k car got killed off the line by a cleaning lady (lol I KNOW bad stereotype) in a 270hp Sonata.

I guess that kind of thinking helps the have nots in the hp department sleep at night .

 

You can thank the EPA and rest of the similar gov't agencies around the world for taking that global warming crap seriously and imposing gas mileage restrictions that caused BMW to make turbo charged engines. Put your anger where it belongs, not on BMW.

 

Had a much bigger issue with the crappy 8 speed auto and the sloppy handling. Shrug. Engine was fine. Chassis/AT were all sorts of awful for me.

 

did you drive a sportline?, if so, i am surprised.

 

3 sereis is still the benchmark

 

I test drove a new 328i, and think it is a lot closer to a Lexus now.

The engine noise was closer to the Lexus IS V6, revving close to 5000 you want to ease off not going further.

I'll tell you a little secret.

I think that the 328i N52 engine noise was already too much Lexus-like. Not enough of the famous mid-range growl and visceral note that characterized my E46 M54 184HP, which I dearly loved. That's the reason why I went with the BMW PE, because I was missing something that my E46 had and it was upsetting me. What I said is not true for the 330i (and frankly I don't know about the 2006 325i). The N54/55 stock engine note is just fine to me.

After I first tested the N20, I was under shock by how much I appreciated my low power N52 when back in it. So even if I really don't like the stock N20's noise, a BMW PE will probably "save" it like it did for my N52. Problem is cost. With equipment, a 328i price is too-close-for-comfort compared to a 335i and there is no margin for a PE (which is like 1200$).

In the US, it is a no-brainer in favor of the 335i, IMO. Specially if you want Xenons.

 

I appreciate the smoothness of the N52. But every time I drove one, I was underwhelmed at the performance for daily use. It felt like I had to get it up above 4000 RPM for any inspiring performance, and I generally don't drive my car like I'm on a track. Nothing wrong with doing that if you like to though.

It sounds like the N20 is built for the wants of the larger automotive consumer group - more torque down low and better fuel economy at the expense of high-RPM performance. I'm sure it will be a hit.

I'm not thrilled with the interior color choices on the F30, though, in other news. I want an M-Tech car that's dark grey or black with a brown interior. That's a luxury line combo only, thus far.

 

This message is hidden because 16n69 is on your ignore list.

Does anyone hate the F30 more than this guy?

 

West?

 

^ Who the hell is that moron?

 

Biggest troll on E90post, don't pay attention to him.

 

InsideLine track tested the N52 inline 6 cylinder powered E90 328i verses the N20 turbo inline 4 cylinder F30 328i. Should be interesting to the discussion in this thread -

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=602719

 

When I test drove the F30 328i, I thought the acceleration at the low end was noticeably better than my E90 N52, as I did not have to rev the engine to get it going. But when I tried to rev the N20 it became painful close to 5000 rpm.

However reading the above Insideline comparison, the differences were actually less than what I felt, not to mention the E90 had all season tires, and the F30 was equipped with summer performance tires. The real world feel of the power improvement of the N20 is more noticeable than the stats are showing, because most people will not rev the engine high.

 

Owned

 

:flipoff:

REALLY:thumbdwn:

 

This message is hidden because 16n69 is on your ignore list.

Best feature ever!

 

And despite his being on your ignore list you continue to respond to him...at least twice.

 

Winning!!

 

Ignore is over rated, it is not as if I put someone on ignore, he no longer exists. The opposite is true, he can continue to counter your opinions, but you do not respond because you can not see him.

An outsider looking in will think you have lost the argument.

 

It's hell, isn't it, worrying so much about what other people think?

 

it doesn't feel or sound like a true BMW.

If your reference is a M54/N52 or even a Toyota/Honda V6, it is definitely a step back. It wouldn't prevent me from buying a 328i, though if the price gap with the 335i is too big (like in Canada).

 

Not a Toyota V6. In fact when I revved the N20 to 5000, it reminded me of the Lexus V6 I test drove, which isn't a bad thing if the goal is to grab more Lexus drivers.

 

Lexus is a rebadged Toyota.

 

BMW has become a re-badged Lexus:rofl:

 

Here is the final proof of what I always maintained. :angel: Most turbo vehicles make no sense. Notice also that the CR's 0-60mph X3 N20 is no quicker than the X3 N52 because they do it like a 5-60mph - real life wins.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/consumer-reports-lambasts-underperforming-turbo-engines.html

 

You skipped the part of the article that says the n20 f30 is an example of the good downsizing as it gets the mpg claimed as CR is averaging 28mpg.
"One benefit to the turbocharged engines is an abundance of torque at low to mid rpm. In daily driving, this means a more effortless feeling of thrust with reduced need to downshift while climbing hills or when delivering the kind of moderate acceleration most drivers demand. That can make a car feel more responsive, even if its actual acceleration times from a standstill are slower. However, not all of these turbocharged models deliver that benefit. Many, especially those smaller 1.4- and 1.6-liter engines, still downshift frequently to keep up with traffic. And all but one of the tested cars have slower mid-range acceleration from 45-65 mph.
In contrast, BMW's turbocharged four-cylinder engines seem to deliver both good fuel economy and acceleration: The 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder contributes to 28 mpg overall in our last tested 328i sedan. It improved mileage only marginally in the 2013 X3 SUV compared to the six-cylinder 2011 X3 we tested, with essentially identical power and acceleration but somewhat comprised refinement."

So you took an article which is slamming the small displacement turbos for not offering better speed or mpg compared to larger displacements, yet specifically praises the F30 and you omit that and focus on the X3(in the F30 section no less) to try and prove your (biased)agenda.

Wow.

Way to be impartial.