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robg · 12-19-2017, 04:58 PM

So, the dealer loaned me a 330 wagon overnight.

The Good:
-Love the way it looks especially in mineral gray
-Seemed like our 3 year old had more space in the back even w/ his enormous car seat. He wasn't kicking the front seat as much.
-The controls and layout is spot-in. Everything is logical and where you'd expect. Idrive is pretty much perfect at this point. Love the nav system-- much, much better than messing around w/ Siri or Google maps.
-Engine was smoother and less laggy than my old n20. Still prefer the 6 in my old x3 though.
-Ride was good- not harsh and not floaty
-overall pretty good build quality. More solid "thunk" than i'd remembered from earlier F30s.
-Power trunk w/ foot wave opening actually worked well. Love having keyless entry ("comfort access") with a small kid.
The meh
-The ZF 8 speed was a bit smoother than i'd remembered but i still notice it in stop and go traffic.
-The higher seating position of my 08 x3 has grown on me and the seats seem more comfortable as well.
-cargo area is definitely less practical than our x3 due to the lower roof and the way it angles down. Cargo Floor dimensions might be similar.
The bad
-This car had the HK stereo. With the surround sound feature off, it seemed like it played only through the front speakers but with it on it sounded kind of muddy. Even the base system in our x3 sounds better to my ears.
-Steering wasn't terrible-- it's precise, reasonably quick and not overly light. But there's still a vaguenes on-center that could get annoying on long highway drives (makes you feel like you need to keep correcting it).

Overall, when you really grab it by the scruff of its neck, it's fun. The tech and ergonomics are great. More passenger space is nice. I'd miss the on-center feel, seating position and comfort of the x3 on longer trips.

It's probably the best overall balance we are going to find in terms of looks/tech/comfort/performance/practicality/price in a new/newish car at this point. If we decide to stick w/ an SUV, I'm not really sure what areas I'd be willing to compromise on. Could probably be talked into a HEMI powered Durango or Grand Cherokee but my wife has no interest. A better deal could be had on a leftover x3 28i but that's too much car for that engine. A new Cayenne would likely be perfect but way out of my price range. The mainstream crossovers are all noticeably worse in several areas.

12-19-2017, 04:58 PM	#38
robg Carmudgeon Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,244	So, the dealer loaned me a 330 wagon overnight. The Good: -Love the way it looks especially in mineral gray -Seemed like our 3 year old had more space in the back even w/ his enormous car seat. He wasn't kicking the front seat as much. -The controls and layout is spot-in. Everything is logical and where you'd expect. Idrive is pretty much perfect at this point. Love the nav system-- much, much better than messing around w/ Siri or Google maps. -Engine was smoother and less laggy than my old n20. Still prefer the 6 in my old x3 though. -Ride was good- not harsh and not floaty -overall pretty good build quality. More solid "thunk" than i'd remembered from earlier F30s. -Power trunk w/ foot wave opening actually worked well. Love having keyless entry ("comfort access") with a small kid. The meh -The ZF 8 speed was a bit smoother than i'd remembered but i still notice it in stop and go traffic. -The higher seating position of my 08 x3 has grown on me and the seats seem more comfortable as well. -cargo area is definitely less practical than our x3 due to the lower roof and the way it angles down. Cargo Floor dimensions might be similar. The bad -This car had the HK stereo. With the surround sound feature off, it seemed like it played only through the front speakers but with it on it sounded kind of muddy. Even the base system in our x3 sounds better to my ears. -Steering wasn't terrible-- it's precise, reasonably quick and not overly light. But there's still a vaguenes on-center that could get annoying on long highway drives (makes you feel like you need to keep correcting it). Overall, when you really grab it by the scruff of its neck, it's fun. The tech and ergonomics are great. More passenger space is nice. I'd miss the on-center feel, seating position and comfort of the x3 on longer trips. It's probably the best overall balance we are going to find in terms of looks/tech/comfort/performance/practicality/price in a new/newish car at this point. If we decide to stick w/ an SUV, I'm not really sure what areas I'd be willing to compromise on. Could probably be talked into a HEMI powered Durango or Grand Cherokee but my wife has no interest. A better deal could be had on a leftover x3 28i but that's too much car for that engine. A new Cayenne would likely be perfect but way out of my price range. The mainstream crossovers are all noticeably worse in several areas.