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Wanted to upgrade to an F30 but not sure now...

29K views 592 replies 57 participants last post by  moviebumm 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi Everyone,

I own a E90 328i with sports/premium pkg and navigation. Last weekend, I got a 328i F30 loaner (sport line) while my car was at the local BMW dealership for a power supply recall. I spent a day driving the F30 loaner and here's my take on it:

- Exterior
1) I liked the new hood design in the front but at times it looked silly/weird from some angles. But overall it is not as bad as I had thought initially.
2) It looked much bigger and has more interior room, which we all know!
3) I didn't like the overall stance of the car when looking from the rear and the tires seemed a little thin/narrower as compared to my BMW E90. The stance didn't look as beefy and strong as my E90. I have a LCI and have LEDs all around and didn't like the fact that F30 didn't have them. To me, it seemed to have gone backwards in terms of the exterior styling/technology a bit.

- Interior
1) I liked the interior overall, however I felt that the material quality has gone down a bit. For example, when I pressed the silver trim on the dash, it made a creaking noise. I noticed this on the doors as well. When I pressed some of the plastics on the door, I noticed the same. The E90 trim doesn't make this noise and the build quality seemed more tight. Also, the design of the dash and the center arm knob/controller didn't flow that well in my opinion. It looked a little too busy with the design and less elegant.
2) The navigation didn't seem too much different compared to my 4 year old E90.
3) The seats seemed comfortable and cushy as compared to my E90.
4) The buttons to adjust the windows/mirrors on the driver side arm rest were at an awkward angle. It was a little annoying to access them at times.
5) The plastic moon roof cover that slides back felt a little flimsy and loose as compared to the E90.
6) Sitting inside, it didn't feel like a small/medium size 3 series, it felt much bigger and had a different feel.
7) The glove box seemed flimsy and looked a bit cheap as well.
8) The stock stereo on my E90 sounded better than the one on the F30.

- Driving experience
1) The F30 felt like a very different car and even my tech adviser agreed to that.
2) I thought the steering on the E90 was much more precise and felt better. The road feel in my E90 is amazing and I like the heaviness that I feel through the steering when going into corners. The F30 felt quite different in this respect. The steering was a little vague at times and I didn't feel confident going around corners. This would be a deal killer for me. I hope BMW can make the steering feel more natural like the E90 in future. The steering on the F30 is precise but the feel is vague so it doesn't give the driver the confidence to go around corners at high speeds. I also own a 2013 Honda Accord and I thought the steering on my Accord felt better than the F30 (better as in less vague), especially the on-center feel. This is just my observation.
3) The 4-banger on the F30 didn't feel as smooth as the Inline-6. However, the torque was amazing and it was very responsive. I also didn't like the way the 4-banger sounded. I thought the Inline-6 sounded much better and felt more smoother/refined overall. That means, I won't be getting a 328i in future and will probably go for the 335i or 340i or whatever! Overall, the F30 was way quicker than the E90 but I wished they had stuck to the Inline-6.
4) I had to press the brake pedal quite a bit to make the F30 come to a complete stop. This could be due to the air pressure on the tires as well but it is something I noticed.
5) The road noise was noticeable on the F30. My E90 has road noise as well but I thought the F30 was more noisy.

I want to upgrade my car soon but I'm going to hold off for now and wait for the LCI F30/BMW 4. I don't dislike the F30 but I feel its is a very different car! It seemed to have grown in size and the drive is a little numb. To me it seems that the 3 is targeted more towards the general audience now. Therefore, I hope that the BMW 4 or the LCI F30 will be more hardcore. Till then, I'm going to hold on to my E90! :thumbup:
 
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#546 ·
A laser beam and a cat, that's where this thread is at!
 
#560 ·
Getting a car like a Porsche is something best appreciated after the kids are on their own and the financial obligations are taken care of. That's when you can really enjoy it because then it's just totally for fun.
 
#580 · (Edited)
I'm at the Cayman unveiling at Lime Rock today
 
#593 ·
I might be in the minority but I actually like the pre LCI E90 more the LCI especially the taillights and side view mirrors. Now it terms of which car is better, the E90 or the F30 well that is a personal choice. My 2006 330xi is a wonderful car and is getting a little old (not that is a bad thing) but soon I will want something more modern (not the line). The steering / handling are not as capable but so what. The car is loaded with technology and that is what I want right now. Besides, the F30 isn't a bad car its just its predecessor did some things better and some things worse. Maybe the next 3 or LCI F30 will be better or maybe it won't. See what is good right now if you are interested in a "new" car and be happy.
 
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