Today's loaner: 328xi (AKA the F30)

[Sharp11]

I brought the ZHP in for the airbag recall - passenger side door, and was offered a loaner.

Today's car was a 328xi with 800 miles on the clock - premium package and cold weather package; the window sticker said 45 grand ... ouch!

Silver over black with some wood trim, standard suspension with 17's.

Some impressions:

This is the second loaner I've gotten with comfort access, it's really nice.

Heated steering wheels rock (part of the CW package)

Plenty of power with a sort of cool exhaust note - but there is a slight 4 cylinder buzz at stop and go speeds - BMW have done a good job isolating the engine. Stop/start mode in this car was not seamless by any measure and when it quits, it's a bit unnerving.

Feels like it was hewn from a solid block of steel - really, this is the tightest, most solid car I've ever driven. The ride is just about perfect - there wasn't a road imperfection anywhere that upset it (unlike my ZHP, which can be bounced about, especially on its summer tires).

The interior is a good mix of quality, ergonomics and style - I found the seats very comfortable with good lumbar support. This is my second round with the new I Drive and it's pretty good. I still hate that stupid electronic shifter, though.

Steering feel was just fine, a bit light, but not lacking in feel - compared to the ZHP, which is known for good steering, it's hard to see what all the fuss is about; perhaps improvements have been made? Love the steering wheel, too - heated, did i say it was heated?

The 8 speed automatic is a wonder of smooth refinement - it's just right for this car and engine combo.

This is a really large car - forget about its 3 series heritage, and any ideas about it being 3 series-ish and it's just a really nice, comfortable, solid riding and good handling big sedan - the ultimate Honda Accord. That's what BMW's building now - big AWD sedans that are nice, really nice to drive.

Sporty? Not really ... but it just feels good - like a great pair of shoes. I could live happily with this car.

[wdc330i]

I've really been enjoying the heated steering wheel in the E91. But it meant sacrificing the M wheel.

[kognito]

I hope they have made great improvements to the technology of heated steering wheels . . .My Audi A6 (1999 C5) had one, and it burned out after about 8 months. Many burned out, and Audi would not replace my wheel.

Actually burned my palm a little bit when the element (and leather) lit up

[wdc330i]

Ah, yep. They are mighty fine. We've had them in our cars since our 2006 530xiT.

[bren]

Sporty? Not really....

Sounds miserable.

[Bruce330cic]

Sounds miserable.

I've never been impressed with any of the current 3 series loaners I had in the past. The current 3 is so different than my first e46 and not in a good way. And don't get me started about the sound of the 4 cylinder tractor motor. :ack: I will admit that the 4 cylinders did not have much turbo lag, but still that sound.......:eek:

My ATS has a heated steering wheel and I must say, it is an option I would never order, but I really do love it! Getting old.......

[wdc330i]

But you have to remember that the loaners are never speced the way we would specify our cars. The e46 loaners (steptronic non-sports) were just as lousy.

[Jeff_DML]

I've never been impressed with any of the current 3 series loaners I had in the past. The current 3 is so different than my first e46 and not in a good way. And don't get me started about the sound of the 4 cylinder tractor motor. :ack: I will admit that the 4 cylinders did not have much turbo lag, but still that sound.......:eek:

My ATS has a heated steering wheel and I must say, it is an option I would never order, but I really do love it! Getting old.......

Does the ats not have the tractor sound or you have the 3.6l? I thought the sound comes from direct injection. My dad's hyundai has similar sound and my Mazda did too.

[JST]

I dislike the 4 cylinder in the F30 so intensely that it's hard to put into words. It's the antithesis of what everyone used to love about BMWs--rough, coarse, ill-mannered, and the stop-start function just makes it worse.

[ZBB]

I haven't driven an F30 and have no inclination to either.

BMW has lost its core customers badly. First I bought a Cadillac (so has Bruce), and now I drive a Tesla (so does JST)...

[wdc330i]

I'm happy with the E91, but it's old-school BMW developed 10 years ago, or so.

[ZBB]

I'm happy with the E91, but it's old-school BMW developed 10 years ago, or so.

We had an E91 for a few years. My wife loved it. I'd say its mostly old-school. I never was a fan of the dash layout, but at least it drove properly and had an I6...

[wdc330i]

We had an E91 for a few years. My wife loved it. I'd say its mostly old-school. I never was a fan of the dash layout, but at least it drove properly and had an I6...


Exactly.

[Jeff_DML]

I haven't driven an F30 and have no inclination to either.

BMW has lost its core customers badly. First I bought a Cadillac (so has Bruce), and now I drive a Tesla (so does JST)...

I don't think they care

BMW ending the year as the most successful. In 2014, BMW sold a staggering 339,738 vehicles here, up 9.8 percent on the record 309,280 it sold in 2013. The most popular model was the 3-Series/4-Series duo, whose sales totaled 142,232 units. (http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1096147_audi-bmw-and-mercedes-benz-all-achieve-record-u-s-sales-in-2014)

[Sharp11]

Oh well .... I liked it :)

However, i'd have to drive other cars of its type - including a well specced 4 cylinder Honda Accord - I can't imagine it'd be much different.

[bren]

However, i'd have to drive other cars of its type - including a well specced 4 cylinder Honda Accord - I can't imagine it'd be much different.
That's the problem. ...why spend BMW money for an Accord?

[Jeff_DML]

That's the problem. ...why spend BMW money for an Accord?

and BMW reliability

[JST]

I had a rental Fusion with the 2.0T engine over Christmas. It was nice. It wasn't a BMW, but it was far above standard rental fare. The fuel economy was hugely disappointing (about 24 mpg, mostly winter highway driving), but other than that the engine was pleasant. Smoother than the 2.0 in the F30, though it did not feel as powerful.

[Sharp11]

That's the problem. ...why spend BMW money for an Accord?

It's the right question to ask ... however, for people like me who keep cars a long time, buying something slightly more expensive makes sense, if it offers more for the money.

Not sure how the new 3 fares against, say, the A4, or even an off lease A6, which by most accounts is a really nice luxury sedan - and with Audi's climbing the polls in terms of reliability makes for a real competitor.

I'll be in the market within a couple of years - by then I'll be 60, and low to the ground, M packages and the like will likely not be of much interest - and I'll have to have a car that will take me to age 70 ... yikes!

[kognito]

But you have to remember that the loaners are never speced the way we would specify our cars. The e46 loaners (steptronic non-sports) were just as lousy.

years and years ago, Audi of Mendham NJ loaner plan was to supply the customer with something better than he owned.

I always got A8's when my A6 was in for service. Wife always got something better than her A4 when it was in.

Not sure if they still do this, nor do I know what happened when R8's were brought in! I know they sold R8's they had a picture in their showroom of them delivering one to Roger Nettles (NY Yankee's)

[robg]

I had a rental Fusion with the 2.0T engine over Christmas. It was nice. It wasn't a BMW, but it was far above standard rental fare. The fuel economy was hugely disappointing (about 24 mpg, mostly winter highway driving), but other than that the engine was pleasant. Smoother than the 2.0 in the F30, though it did not feel as powerful.


Yeah i've driven the FUsion 2.0 as well. Nice car- probably my favorite in that segment. Maybe you drove an older iteration of the n20, but the ones i've driven (including the one in my current f10) are way smoother, feel stronger and sound better than similar engines in Audis, VWs, and Fords. I really do think its one of the best 4 cyls out there. Drive a current one if you can- think they've made a number of improvements over the years from what i gather. The only rough edge i've found is if you stand outside near the exhaust on a cold start. I don't do that often so its not much of a concern. The idle feels smoother than my old 335, and nearly as smooth as my old e46

As far as why get a BMW over a Ford, Honda, etc at this point, maybe I can give some insight there too (since I have a current BMW and actually considered just getting a mainstream sedan instead).

Just from a pure cost perspective, BMW"s leases are so good that they can end up being cheaper than a similar Ford/Accord/VW. And way cheaper than Audis. So for some scenarios, right off the bat its sort of a no-brainer to go with the BMW. My F10 costs me less than $400/month for example which is squarely in Fusion Titanium/ Accord EX-L territory.

Even though we complain about the size and feel of the current 3 and 5, I do still find them more satisfying to drive. And I much prefer the BMW style interior - functional, clear, good ergonomics but still high tech. The materials and seats are much better and they still handle much better than any of the FWD family sedans. They have a nice, satifsfying build quality about them that is somewhat lacking in the mainstream sedans too (that nice thunk for example). The 8 speed automatic is much better than the CVTs or 6 speeds found in the Camcordfusion world and atleast in the F30 you still have the option of ordering a manual wthout being limited to a particular trim level (a la Accord sport).

Exterior is subjective, and while I do have some issues with the F30, I still prefer its RWD proportions to the FWD based platforms available elsewhere. I find the F10 to be downright gorgeous. I'd prpbably have gotten one even if it had a 3 cyl diesel. :)

Are the F10 and 30 "sport sedans" in the way that the e90/60 and previous were? Not really. But overall, I still think they make a compelling proposition as a daily driver. Also remember that there a number of ways you can spec a BMW and driving the typical AWD, premium, base suspension model is going to feel different than driving RWD + sport suspension. To be honest, the similarly specced e46 loaners I got back in the day underwhelmed me too.

Now would I pay 45k+ to own buy one and keep it for 10 years? Probably not- but that goes for any German car including VWs. And As much as love Audi interiors, and fit/finish, I'm not really willing to pay the huge lease premium for one.

I could try and stay in the e46/39 era but I'd be looking at fairly high running costs. Would rather not have that hassle and I've grown quite fond of more modern tech as well as forced induction atleast in a daily driver.

The one do-it-all type car that always tempts is the GTI. But I'd still have to buy it and keep it well past warranty to make the numbers come out similarly to a good BMW lease. And I'd still have to potentially deal with all the typical German post warranty nonsense.

[Josh (PA)]

I think the F30, w/ an N55 is a nicely updated replacement for an E39. BMW's biggest problem is not having a 4 door 1 series to properly replace the e36/46.

I found the n20 in both the 328 and 228 to be plenty peppy. In the cars I drove it was isolated well enough. I just really like the n55 engine.

[robg]

I think the F30, w/ an N55 is a nicely updated replacement for an E39. BMW's biggest problem is not having a 4 door 1 series to properly replace the e36/46.

I found the n20 in both the 328 and 228 to be plenty peppy. In the cars I drove it was isolated well enough. I just really like the n55 engine.

I do miss the sound of the n55 in my old 335. Never though the e46 and e39 sounded as good actually. But knowing what I know now, I'd find it hard to spec a 2 or 3 with the n55. The n20 has enough power and sounds good enough to where I'm willing to forgo that extra refinment/sound in exchange for having less weight over the wheels and just saving that 4-5k (or 40-50 month on a lease) to use toward other stuff. I think the 228 w/ track pack might be the sweet spot for enthusiasts in the current lineup. And I agree- if they made a 4 door version, us former e46ers wouldn't have much to complain about really. It is a bit annoying that they are willing to come out with so many niche models but neglect such an obvious one. I suppose the difference is profit margin- most of their new body styles cost considerable more than 40k.

[kognito]

I had a rental Fusion with the 2.0T engine over Christmas. It was nice. It wasn't a BMW, but it was far above standard rental fare. The fuel economy was hugely disappointing (about 24 mpg, mostly winter highway driving), but other than that the engine was pleasant. Smoother than the 2.0 in the F30, though it did not feel as powerful.

wow, we are averaging 23.9 in our fusion, but I figured we had a 1-2 mpg hit due to awd. Your rental was just fwd?

[wdc330i]

wow, we are averaging 23.9 in our fusion, but I figured we had a 1-2 mpg hit due to awd. Your rental was just fwd?

Under-inflated tires are a thing with rentals.

[Bruce330cic]

Does the ats not have the tractor sound or you have the 3.6l? I thought the sound comes from direct injection. My dad's hyundai has similar sound and my Mazda did too.

I have the 3.6L V6....it has a very nice growl upon acceleration. :D

[Bruce330cic]

years and years ago, Audi of Mendham NJ loaner plan was to supply the customer with something better than he owned.

I always got A8's when my A6 was in for service. Wife always got something better than her A4 when it was in.

Not sure if they still do this, nor do I know what happened when R8's were brought in! I know they sold R8's they had a picture in their showroom of them delivering one to Roger Nettles (NY Yankee's)

OMG, I grew up in Mendham and have been gone so long I did not know there is now an Audi dealer there!! Just curious, did it go in where Gunther Motors (chevy) used to be?

[Plaz]

years and years ago, Audi of Mendham NJ loaner plan was to supply the customer with something better than he owned.

I always got A8's when my A6 was in for service. Wife always got something better than her A4 when it was in.

Not sure if they still do this, nor do I know what happened when R8's were brought in! I know they sold R8's they had a picture in their showroom of them delivering one to Roger Nettles (NY Yankee's)

Graig Nettles was still doing ads for them up until a couple of years ago. I always wondered if he had some share of ownership in their store.

That's a smart strategy -- get the customer lusting for an upgrade!

[Plaz]

OMG, I grew up in Mendham and have been gone so long I did not know there is now an Audi dealer there!! Just curious, did it go in where Gunther Motors (chevy) used to be?

Not sure where the Chevy dealer was, but the Audi dealer is about a block east of the Black Horse Tavern right on Main St... same side of the street.

[Theo]

I do miss the sound of the n55 in my old 335. Never though the e46 and e39 sounded as good actually.

You were not driving the right models. =P

[FC]

I'm happy with the E91, but it's old-school BMW developed 10 years ago, or so.

Our M-sport E91 was close enough to the ZHP so as to not matter (other than the exhaust note, which was MUCH better in the ZHP). It was also slight sharper and faster, but really, splitting hairs.

And heated steering wheels rock. LR4 has it.

[kognito]

OMG, I grew up in Mendham and have been gone so long I did not know there is now an Audi dealer there!! Just curious, did it go in where Gunther Motors (chevy) used to be?

about 3/4 mile west of Gunther motors.

Graig Nettles was still doing ads for them up until a couple of years ago. I always wondered if he had some share of ownership in their store.

That's a smart strategy -- get the customer lusting for an upgrade!

Not sure who owns what, but Mendham was an expansion of Audi of Bernardsville.

and yeah, a very good strategy. I had an S6 for two days while they were fixing an oil leak, when they called me that my car was ready to pick up, I first asked if I had to pick it up that night. I wanted the S6 one more day. . .service advisor said they get that a lot.

[kognito]

My bad, was getting Gunther's mixed up with Millcrest Ford.

Just googled it, and Audi is where Gunthers was 26 E. main street

[Bruce330cic]

Not sure where the Chevy dealer was, but the Audi dealer is about a block east of the Black Horse Tavern right on Main St... same side of the street.

I think that is the same spot. There used to be a Fire House next door to Gunthers, but that's probably gone by now.