After 13 weeks of waiting for my 328i.
And after having driven it for a week.
It hurts me to say that the 328i feels like an undwhelming boat.
I'm not terribly disappointed because its a beautiful luxury car.
But I don't think it's the ultimate driving machine.
Maybe the 335i is, but I've not driven it so I can't say for sure.
Already planning to get a Z4 or the new Boxster for thrillfull driving.
Hate me for saying all this.
But I simply had to say it.
And I gave it a week.
Maybe I'll feel differently in a month.
But maybe that will be cuz I might have got used to this 328i by then.
Maybe that is my take on the N20 owner reality. Lot's of them posting about how great it is, how they are loving the fuel saving, fast enough for them, idle sounds like crap, but that is ok, fuel economy, plenty of power for a 4 cylinder, fuel economy, etc, etc....
Sounds like overcompensating to me and looking for false praise. Please reassure me that I checked the right box.
Not too many folks with classic 6 saying, "too much power for me, gas guzzler, wish I had less power"
I'm just a BMW snob and feel that the N20 was BMW's answer to the EPA/Tree hugger/global warming/government regulation question no one asked. All car companies have a base engine....this is BMW's. Leave it for the rental fleets.
BTW, can you even find a M3 to test drive? When the 2013 M3 comes out, I'm sure they will be impossible to find. Especially where I live out in Upstate NY boonies. Might need to drive to Toronto to find a M3.
Again, you should be working with your dealer. I just have to let my SA what I am interested in and he will find a way to get me some seat time. It might take a while but they want to make the sale and will get your butt in the seat of what interests you.
You blindly buy and M3/M5 and know it's going to be awesome
It sounds like you didn't spend enough time test driving this car before you committed. I, like most who have a lot of time with the N20 equipped car, LOVE this engine. The car is VERY fast.... the 8AT is seamless. The car is a comfortable commuter when you want it to be, returning mid 30's gas mileage, flip it over to sport mode and it's a rocket, much much faster than any other small/mid sedan out there until you get into either huge thirsty engines from Detroit or you are willing to flog it in a Hyundai.
Honestly, going from a Cooper S to a 328i and complaining it's a boat is kind of like going from a 90's Ford Ranger to a modern F150 and complaining it is a boat. Your cooper was a go-kart that rewards a completely different driving style than the 328i.
It sounds like you didn't spend enough time test driving this car before you committed. I, like most who have a lot of time with the N20 equipped car, LOVE this engine. The car is VERY fast.... the 8AT is seamless. The car is a comfortable commuter when you want it to be, returning mid 30's gas mileage, flip it over to sport mode and it's a rocket, much much faster than any other small/mid sedan out there until you get into either huge thirsty engines from Detroit or you are willing to flog it in a Hyundai.
Honestly, going from a Cooper S to a 328i and complaining it's a boat is kind of like going from a 90's Ford Ranger to a modern F150 and complaining it is a boat. Your cooper was a go-kart that rewards a completely different driving style than the 328i.
Well thats not accurate at all. I come from two much much much faster sedans myself, neither are from Detroit or Hyundai, but do cost less than an F30.
For all this complaining, I will say that it's a NEAT looking car and get's lots of looks. Especially from drivers of older model BMWs. I think the Xenons make it look sick.
A lot of looks do not necessarily mean people like the look. From what I have read on various forums, there are definitely more people who do not care for the new look, than those who love the new look. Many waited for the m-sport package for this very reason.
Have you driven an S4? It's a monster and might suit your driving style better. However it is still a SEDAN and is not going to be as tossable as a Mini Cooper S. It's also a lot more expensive than your 328i.
Couple things, if the engine isnt broken in yet, you wont be experiencing the true performance of the engine. the 2012 Sport I traded in bc of steering vibration took a few thousand miles and then it really opened up. At 8k miles it was a beast. Be patient and see what happens.
Since you purchased/financed, invest $1000 in some engine mods (BMS tune, AFE intake, downpipe) and you will have performance equal to, but probably better than, a stock 335. I have the tune alone and by no means is my car slow. You opted for a base line so take a little of the money you saved and buy some bolt ons; youll still come out way ahead and will be much happier. just my 2 cents...
The OP sounds like the sort of person who just loves to complain and enjoys the reactions his complaints get. Seriously how can he come from a mini and complain the F30 N20 is slow??? I could understand if he was coming from a Porsche or something...
Hope he doesn't have the same thoughts after his new baby arrives... :yikes:
The OP sounds like the sort of person who just loves to complain and enjoys the reactions his complaints get. Seriously how can he come from a mini and complain the F30 N20 is slow??? I could understand if he was coming from a Porsche or something...
Hope he doesn't have the same thoughts after his new baby arrives.
I think the point that no one complains that their 335 is "too fast" or "guzzles too much gas" is well made. It sounds like the OP really wanted a car that performs like a 335 even if he didn't know it yet, and got a 328. Even if as many have said the 328 is a great car and a big step up from the old 3.0 328, it still won't have the muscle of a 335. The 3 series in a 328 is a very different animal than a 335. You need to know what you want going in. The OP said he may want a Boxster next year. The 13's are sweet. However there is a world of difference between the base and the S model.
For now it looks to me like the OP has 3 choices
1 Learn to live with it as is
2 Sell it, take the hit and move on
3 Keep it and, as Jon first said, mod it to get it to where he wants it.
When I look at buying a car I always start out looking at the strongest motor I can get/afford in the car I like. If it works for me, I go on to the other options that are deal breakers for me. MT and sport pkg. If any one of the 3 are not what I want I move on to a different car. For example if it were me (just me, no one else, not an insult to anyones car) if I couldn't get a 335 I would move on to something else. If it were a money issue, I'd go with a V8 Mustang or maybe a G37. If it was that BMW has screwed this up and I can't get one for what ever reason, I'd look at a Boxster S or a Corvette. You have to know what matters to you in a car going in.
My ratings of the recent BMW motors:
1 N54
2 N55
3 N57
4 N20
5 The 330 motor in the last of the e46's. I can't remember the number of it.
6 N52
Yes I drove them all and imho while the N20 is much better than 5 and 6 on my list, up against the top 3, it is out of it's weight class. N4S
You spent your money, and if unhappy you have every right to complain. What I, and probably others are a bit mystified by is how you could have ordered a $40,000 car without test driving it many times to make sure it was right for you before ordering. It took me weeks to figure out my options and I test drove about 10 different cars including the 335i, 328i, with and without sport package, etc, before ordering. I have the feeling that this is a less "substantial" purchase for me than it is for you, and even having said that I actually rented a 328i for an entire day and drove it up and down the pacific coast highway near Malibu to make sure I was happy with the handling.
When I ordered my car I knew that it was the right car to replace my A4.
If you aren't happy then you should move on. I would think that if it's a big slow boat to you that you would be far better served with a far less expensive "family hauler" or "makeup putter onner" car like an accord, camry or used luxury car and put the saved funds into something that better suits your driving style.
Interesting aside to your commentary is that my wife is interested in a Mini Cooper hardtop as a 2nd "fun" toy for her weekend driving and we test drove one on Saturday last week. It was a "neat" car and I wrung it through some corners, but I honestly felt it was pretty damn light on features for the $26,000 equipped price. Even base model was like $21,000+ with a couple of very minor upgrades.
Driving a car like a Boxster S will only make you dislike your car even more. BMWs, including a 328i, are very capable cars in many ways. From my experience, you will learn to appreciate your car more and more as you experience how well it handles many different driving challenges.
I got a similar reaction when I posted that I was unhappy with the sport suspension and the RFTs on my 335i.
Some people were outraged that I dared to find fault with a BMW.
I got a similar reaction when I posted that I was unhappy with the sport suspension and the RFTs on my 335i.
Some people were outraged that I dared to find fault with a BMW.
The F10, like the F30, grew in size. It became a bit heavier and a softer than its predecessor to the displeasure of some purists. I also observed these characteristics during my test drives, but there were also many factors that made it better a car. So I chose to buy the car with the idea that some modifications would be necessary to get the car to how I wanted it to feel. It took an an ECU tune, stiffer springs, sport exhaust, forged wheels, and sticky non-RFT tires. Now I have a sub-four second 0-60mph beast that I can drive in total comfort in any weather condition. I also approached my E90 purchase in the same manner. It didn't require as many mods, but the purists didn't have many complaints about the E90 either. Before BJ makes some snide remark about an antique E90, it's a 2011 and I own it - free and clear.
So to the OP, rather than buying a Boxster to get some sportiness, why not considering spending three grand; you can ditch the RFTS, get an ECU tune, and some coil-overs - your F30 will feel like a different car. :thumbup:
One suggestion I thought about for you, actually enabled me to enjoy my 335is more than I had after I bought the car, and made it feel more like it did when I first took my extended test drive. Captainaudio was the one to point out to me to check the air pressure in my tires because the ride just felt off as compared to what I remembered. Before delivery, the dealer must changed the tire pressures to under what BMW advised on the driver's door jam sticker. I inflated the tires to the stated levels and the car drove like it should have.
Try checking your tire pressures and experiment between what is advised in the owner's manual and also on the driver's door jam (they are different because the US regulates a different tire pressure due to the Firestone/Ford Explorer debacle.
Our weather in PA has been much colder lately as I'm sure yours has been in Upstate NY which will lower the tire pressures, if, they were set properly to begin with by the dealer.
Look, if you want to worship your six year old E90 that's fine. No need to say something so ignorant about the N20.
I came off of an E93 and an E90 for the past six years and neither of those cars would whoooooosh off the line like my F30 does.
You are resting your case on a stack of old enthusiast magazines. In the real world, the BMW Turbo 4 pwns the Naturally Aspirated 6 every day of the week. It's lighter, it's more nimble, it's easier to drive, it makes more power where it counts, we could care less how many cylinders it has.
To the OP, do a BMW safety school (parking lot autoX and wet skidpad class), and some track days. You'll appreciate the car more. A lot of BMWs feel a bit tame on the road but come alive when driven closer to the limit.
A lot of reviewers drive a 3 series on a race track and love it - then you drive it on the street and don't see what they saw.
No company can build a one size fits all car and the way a car is optioned can make a huge difference. This is not new to the F30. A 328i with the GM automatic and the standard suspension did not feel like a 335i with sport suspension and the ZF transmission. Both nice cars, almost indistinguishable visually and there were advantages and disadvantages to both.`
It appears that the available options on the F30 can make for various configurations that are even farther apart in terms of perfrormance and comfort. I personally see this as a good thing,
This kind of optioning may be relatively new to BMW but has been going on with American cars for years. A 1967 "Secretary Special" with a 6 cylinder engine and a 2 speed powerglide automatic was nothing like a 1967 Camaro Z28 with the 302 V8 and a 4 Speed Muncie. The Z28 may have looked very similar but it was close to being a street legal race car.`
As for modding the car, as some people have suggested to the OP, unless you really know what you are doing and have the time and money to do a lot of R&D and experimentation there is a very good chance that you will do more harm than good. Suspension tuning is somewhat of a black art. I would not advise simply installing a set of coilovers until I had done a lot of research andspoken to or read reviews by people who had done it. Ideally I would want to test drive a car that had someone had installed coilovers on. At this point the F30 is a new model so there are not a lot of choices available. For example Koni FSDs are not yet available for the F30 and until they are we can not be sure if they would be a good mod for the F30.
I agree with your assessment. On several occasions I've driven the 328i Base and Luxury models and my reaction, the N20 preforms but feels like a boat. Putting it Sport Mode helps, but does not solve the problem. I recommend, as others have suggested, return the car and get a 335i or doing a couple of mods.
Highest Regards
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