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Old 10-08-2014, 10:49 AM   #11
Josh (PA)
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Really good write up Josh ... I am thinking you need to get that wheel balanced today ... The vibration would drive me insane.

I am a little disappointed on the feeling you had with the new 328 ... I haven't driven a new 3 series in a while but I am going to be test driving one shortly.


Btw 3 bmws in one family ... You've gotta be their number one fan
I'm not sure if I'm BMW's number one fan, but I am definitely my mechanic's (an indy BMW guy). The wheel vibration is maddening, and of course it manifests itself between 30 and 60mph (basically the entire spectrum of 90% of my driving speed). I'd have gotten it address immediately, if I wasn't planning on putting new snows on these wheels and getting new summer wheels in the spring. It seemed like a waste of time and money to take it in knowing I'd be back in a month.

As for the F30, it was disappointing in it's lack of 3edness. It is big and wide, it felt like a more disconnected version of the e60. I think a manual transmission would fix some of it, but I don't know if it will fix enough. I'd be curious to see how the new M3 is, I think best case it would be an updated e39 M5. The 2 series has potential to deliver on the old BMW promise.
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Old 10-08-2014, 11:23 AM   #12
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Yes. It had content unlike any of your posts.
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Old 10-08-2014, 11:35 AM   #13
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I'm not sure if I'm BMW's number one fan, but I am definitely my mechanic's (an indy BMW guy). The wheel vibration is maddening, and of course it manifests itself between 30 and 60mph (basically the entire spectrum of 90% of my driving speed). I'd have gotten it address immediately, if I wasn't planning on putting new snows on these wheels and getting new summer wheels in the spring. It seemed like a waste of time and money to take it in knowing I'd be back in a month.

As for the F30, it was disappointing in it's lack of 3edness. It is big and wide, it felt like a more disconnected version of the e60. I think a manual transmission would fix some of it, but I don't know if it will fix enough. I'd be curious to see how the new M3 is, I think best case it would be an updated e39 M5. The 2 series has potential to deliver on the old BMW promise.
balance the tires --that should do it. otherwise, check the control arms and such.

the wagon is not in its element on backcountry roads. it's better as a guided missile on the highway. if you cruise at 80mph, you should be greater than 25mpg with 450mi range. that is its strength.

the awd system works extremely well even with all season tires (used extensively last winter). it's so heavy that it can do anything. and if you even want to use hill descent, that works well, too.
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Old 10-08-2014, 11:42 AM   #14
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balance the tires --that should do it. otherwise, check the control arms and such.

the wagon is not in its element on backcountry roads. it's better as a guided missile on the highway. if you cruise at 80mph, you should be greater than 25mpg with 450mi range. that is its strength.

the awd system works extremely well even with all season tires (used extensively last winter). it's so heavy that it can do anything. and if you even want to use hill descent, that works well, too.
Agreed that highway cruise is the E61's strong suit. I never warmed up to the suspension tune, though; it always felt too floaty to me, even on the highway.

The comfort seats are a HUGE improvement. It would be worth seeing if you can find them second-hand and retrofit them, if you are going to keep the car for a while. I particularly like the adjustable side bolsters (the car hugs you when you get in) and the adjustable thigh bolsters (I always feel like car seats are too short in the bottom cushion).

The gen 1 or whatever DVD-based nav I had in my 2008 didn't really bug me. In some ways, it was better than the fancy pants nav in the Tesla. But I can see how it would be frustrating compared to a current gen nav unit.
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Old 10-08-2014, 12:53 PM   #15
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The 335 was purchased to replace the M5 as our family sedan and my daily driver. Unfortunately, the back seat wasn't wide enough for 3 kids to be comfortable, which forced us to take the MDX everywhere (the kids were OK in the back of the e39). The loss of the convertible also left a bigger void than we expected. Once we decided we didn't need the seven seats in the MDX anymore, it put the whole plan in motion of replacing the MDX with the 5 wagon and the 335 with the 135.

The 335 did some things very well. It had a lot of BMW DNA and was engaging to drive (good steering, engine, shifter). It just wasn't interesting enough to replace the M5 or M3 and wasn't big enough to hold our family comfortably. It was great in the snow (AWD + snow tires) and got through everything this last winter threw our way.

The biggest turn off I had was how it responded to potholes. It literally crashed over them, very violently. Every small pothole you hit sounded and felt like you destroyed the car. It was unnerving. The RWD E90s don't have the same behavior. the 1 rides a lot better than the E90x.
Thanks... I remember the back-seat issue now... Thats one thing where the Tesla spoils me -- 3 full-size seats in the rear means we can get 3 people back there, even with my daughter still in a booster seat...
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Old 10-08-2014, 03:55 PM   #16
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I'm not a BMW fanatic like you, but I can certainly understand how your various vehicles fill a special role.

I'm like that as well, and can't for the life of me understand how some households have TWO of the same type of cars.
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Old 10-08-2014, 08:17 PM   #17
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Agreed that highway cruise is the E61's strong suit. I never warmed up to the suspension tune, though; it always felt too floaty to me, even on the highway.

The comfort seats are a HUGE improvement. It would be worth seeing if you can find them second-hand and retrofit them, if you are going to keep the car for a while. I particularly like the adjustable side bolsters (the car hugs you when you get in) and the adjustable thigh bolsters (I always feel like car seats are too short in the bottom cushion).

The gen 1 or whatever DVD-based nav I had in my 2008 didn't really bug me. In some ways, it was better than the fancy pants nav in the Tesla. But I can see how it would be frustrating compared to a current gen nav unit.
I've thought about keeping an eye out for comfort seats, but we just settled on our new lake house (I'll post something on that in a different thread later), so discretionary spending money is tight right now. Ultimately, I'd like to find a set of comfort seats and swap to the newer I-drive system, but that's at least $1500. Wife has (smartly) made it quite clear that money will be directed to furnishings and new house costs. I told her we could use the old seats as furnishings, but she didn't buy it. We'll revisit in the spring after we have a better feel for true costs of two houses.

The nav wouldn't be nearly as bad if I didn't have the newer system in the car I primarily drive and am constantly reminded how much better it is.

I tried to get a picture of the seat vs steering wheel distances of the 5 vs 1. I'm not sure if you can tell in the picture, but the 5 has 3/4" and the 1 has 2+. The difference is enough to let me not have to shuffle steer when parking in the 1 vs hitting my leg every rotation in the 5. If I raise the wheel and flatten out the seat base, I'm not as comfortable.
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Old 10-08-2014, 10:23 PM   #18
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I told her we could use the old seats as furnishings, but she didn't buy it.
The seats (bench and buckets) from a Renault R10 were the livingroom furniture in my first apartment.

Kudo's for trying, but I doubt any carmudgeon wives would allow that
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Old 10-14-2014, 12:50 PM   #19
Josh (PA)
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One positive to the e61, was it was a CPO vehicle and the previous owners also purchased the extended maintenance program. Both expire on Oct 25th, but I was able to get a free oil change, brake fluid flush and new front pads/rotors out of the maintenance plan.

Today I got a new HPFP... If only the turbos would crap out in the next week, I'd be golden.

Snows go on tomorrow. FYI, Tirerack has excellent clearance prices on Blizzak WS-70s if anybody needs a set.
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Old 10-14-2014, 01:02 PM   #20
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One positive to the e61, was it was a CPO vehicle and the previous owners also purchased the extended maintenance program. Both expire on Oct 25th, but I was able to get a free oil change, brake fluid flush and new front pads/rotors out of the maintenance plan.

Today I got a new HPFP... If only the turbos would crap out in the next week, I'd be golden.

Snows go on tomorrow. FYI, Tirerack has excellent clearance prices on Blizzak WS-70s if anybody needs a set.
hey!

that's good news. (me too, with regard to CPO coverage)

did you get the vibration sorted out?
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