F30 328i rental review

[2o6]

The following are options in this car:

- Power seats
- Sunroof!
- Keyless entry!!!!
- Bluetooth!!!!
- USB port!!

For serious? I was thinking this was like a $37K car, this thing might be knocking on $45K-50!!!!!! No way. For real BMW?

BMW is notorious for A-la carte options.



Also, this looks like a Comfort car (not a Luxury trim one).


FWIW, it being a rental is probably why iDrive is so finicky. Some of those systems get confused when they see hundreds of phones over the span of a short amount of time. I drove a new Cruze loaner car that got kind of confused

[CALL_911]

iDrive is definitely the best infotainment I've used. I've also had no problems with BT

[12,000 RPM]

I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Once we got it working it was not bad and I think with mastering voice commands it would be a lot faster to use.

I think they went too far in tuning for comfort though. They could have kept it the same level of softness but just furmed up the body motions and bushings a little more. A stock Accord non-Sport is seriously more buttoned down

[2o6]

I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Once we got it working it was not bad and I think with mastering voice commands it would be a lot faster to use.

I think they went too far in tuning for comfort though. They could have kept it the same level of softness but just furmed up the body motions and bushings a little more. A stock Accord non-Sport is seriously more buttoned down

Drive a non Sport E90, though. I'm telling you, the E90 in non sport trim is pretty benign

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Kind of disappointed with the features though. This has to be a $40K car. No rear view camera? No heated seats? It's not much better equipped than that Focus wagon I had in France, which probably cost 50-60% of the price. Interior build quality is probably on par with a VW as well.

Interior wise BMW has been getting away with murder for decades..........

[Raza]

I swear I must have spent 30-45 minutes today pairing and re-pairing the Bluetooth to my phone

What a disaster. I have a $15 BT dongle that fires up every time, what is BMW doing. Idrive is not getting better either. How is Mazda able to get it right for 1/2 the price? Complete dealbreaker.

What has this world come to?  "It was hard once to turn my car into a phone.  I'm never driving again!!!!!!!!"  For me a dealbreaker is when a car drives like crap or has piss poor visibility.

[Laconian]

What has this world come to?  "It was hard once to turn my car into a phone.  I'm never driving again!!!!!!!!"  For me a dealbreaker is when a car drives like crap or has piss poor visibility.

Any reason is rationale enough to go back to the I4 Accord Coupe.

[Raza]

Any reason is rationale enough to go back to the I4 Accord Coupe.

[12,000 RPM]

What has this world come to?  "It was hard once to turn my car into a phone.  I'm never driving again!!!!!!!!"  For me a dealbreaker is when a car drives like crap or has piss poor visibility.

How can a car driving like crap be a dealbreaker for you when you like the TT and 9-3 Viggen

And yea I listen to a lot of music and use my phone for navigation. Bluetooth matters

[cawimmer430]

I find the current 3er and 5er interiors to be of a high quality standard. While they might not have the wow factor of say the current Mercedes C/E-Class cabins, they're well-made and the materials used definitely feel premium. I think the word to use for BMW interiors is understated/serious - nothing fancy in terms of visual design, but they make up for that with good ergonomics.

This is my 2007 118i interior (no Photoshop was used in this image!) holding up well after almost 10 years. I realize that this cabin is eclipsed in terms of wow-factor/perceived material quality by the VW Golf, MB A-Class, Lexus CT200h etc., but it doesn't bother me. The ergonomics and layout are superb and the build quality is great.

[Raza]

How can a car driving like crap be a dealbreaker for you when you like the TT and 9-3 Viggen

Swing and a miss.

"The Saab is the lightest car of the group, and it drives like it. This is a nimble car—note its comparo-leading 66.3-mph speed through the emergency lane change. The steering maintains good path accuracy, allowing you to lob the Saab hard into corners. Its revised suspension is stiff-riding, yet the body rolls and bounces too much. It never loses its composure, however, and the brakes are forgiving. You can overcome the driveline's foibles with practice, a challenge that some drivers found stimulating. "One of the more exciting cars in the bunch, but not always for the right reasons," wrote a test driver."

Homeboy, as far as I know, you've never driven any Saab, but you think you know everything about them?  Come on, son.


And the TT has its own charm as well; starting with being a work of art to look at, which matters (to some people, obviously not to everyone otherwise no one would buy any of these shitty looking cars like the Murano and Juke), and having a bit of a fun, predictable, and controllable way to mess around with it.  It doesn't light your hair on fire, it's not that sharp, it's probably not even that communicative (it's been a long time since I've driven a TT, memories fade), but driving one of those does something to you that a lot of other cars cannot replicate.

But how can I expect someone who has basically only driven and only wants to drive Honda Accords to understand why someone would enjoy a car that has charm and personality rather than one that just does everything competently?  There's nothing wrong with Honda Accords.  They're great cars; quick, competent, practical, and reliable.  But they're not exciting, they're not charming, and they're not beautiful.  So you can have your cell phone mate with your Camry on coilovers and I'll take the interesting cars.

[giant_mtb]

Oh snap.

[68_427]

triggered

[12,000 RPM]

triggered

Yep. He's pissy because he knows the Viggen is not the answer. It was 2nd to last in the comparo he quoted, behind the worst M3 and 2nd worst S4.... both of which I would much rather do than the Viggen. Not sure what the snow fear is about.... get some good tires; I'm sure somewhere in Philly will store and replace your summers with snows when needed. Done and done. Only I am allowed to make poor car choices here, I can't let Raza go out like that.

[68_427]

Yep. He's pissy because he knows the Viggen is not the answer. It was 2nd to last in the comparo he quoted, behind the worst M3 and 2nd worst S4.... both of which I would much rather do than the Viggen. Not sure what the snow fear is about.... get some good tires; I'm sure somewhere in Philly will store and replace your summers with snows when needed. Done and done. Only I am allowed to make poor car choices here, I can't let Raza go out like that.

That's a bit unfair as well, since at the time they were the best both companies offered.  So instead of thinking of it being behind 4 gens of M3s and 3 gens of S4s, it was 3rd right behind the best that Germany offered at the time.

[Raza]

Yep. He's pissy because he knows the Viggen is not the answer. It was 2nd to last in the comparo he quoted, behind the worst M3 and 2nd worst S4.... both of which I would much rather do than the Viggen. Not sure what the snow fear is about.... get some good tires; I'm sure somewhere in Philly will store and replace your summers with snows when needed. Done and done. Only I am allowed to make poor car choices here, I can't let Raza go out like that.

[12,000 RPM]

That's a bit unfair as well, since at the time they were the best both companies offered.  So instead of thinking of it being behind 4 gens of M3s and 3 gens of S4s, it was 3rd right behind the best that Germany offered at the time.

A fair point I guess. My overall point being though if you're gonna buy a 15-16 year old daily driver there are better choices. OK, even limiting for FWD/AWD + manuals, there's the Maxima (with the same power + an LSD), S4, golden era Hondas (RSX-S/ITR/TL/TSX/GS-R sedan), Volvo S60R etc. The Viggen wasn't even the best out in its hey day

[MexicoCityM3]

Modern bimmers don't drive like they should anymore unless configured right. Adaptive suspension is a must. Luxury line 

No way configured right en F30 handles worse than an E60. Maybe your memories of that have an added shine of nostalgia.

Re: complains about pricing/equipment. BMW has always been that way.

If looking to spend less go for a 320i. The power difference to a 328i is negligible and a cheap tune away. One of our partners has one. It pulls well enough.

[Raza]

A fair point I guess. My overall point being though if you're gonna buy a 15-16 year old daily driver there are better choices. OK, even limiting for FWD/AWD + manuals, there's the Maxima (with the same power + an LSD), S4, golden era Hondas (RSX-S/ITR/TL/TSX/GS-R sedan), Volvo S60R etc. The Viggen wasn't even the best out in its hey day

TSX is an interesting choice. I really like the RSX-S (but it's not a sedan, which hurts it), but they look and feel a bit dinky these days. They were a lot more economy car than I remembered. Integras...you know Patek Philippe slogan "You don't own one, you just hold it for the next generation"? Integras are like that, but it's less the next generation and more the next car thief. S4s are a bit pudding; fast, but really heavy, and they feel like big repair bills are always right around the corner. Same with the S60R/V70R (the V70R would even make getting an SUV unnecessary, which would be a money saver).

However, you can't really discount the emotional connection I had with the Viggen the second I drove one. It's a truly special car and has something that can't be captured on a spec sheet. It would be way under budget, which means I'd have plenty extra for repairs, and it would give me a chance to own a really interesting and rare car before they're all gone for good.

I'll probably end up with a MkVI Golf R or an Evo X, but it's a thought.

[r0tor]

My money would be a B6 S4 with a blown engine, plop in a new engine with some tweaks, clutch, high bias torrent diff, rear lsd, exhaust, brakes, and a mild coilover kit... Probably can do it for $15-20k and have one hell of a ride and most of all the pricey repairs are many many years away

[12,000 RPM]

$20K, he can prob swing for a 996 C4 + IMS replacement

TSX is OK, but a little heavy for its motor (3300lbs, 200 lb, 170 or so lb-ft). I'd only look at one if you'd be willing to mod it... stock, its about where my car is modded (low 7 0-60) and not much faster than your old Passat.

I still think the E39 M5 is legit.

[Raza]

$20K, he can prob swing for a 996 C4 + IMS replacement

TSX is OK, but a little heavy for its motor (3300lbs, 200 lb, 170 or so lb-ft). I'd only look at one if you'd be willing to mod it... stock, its about where my car is modded (low 7 0-60) and not much faster than your old Passat.

I still think the E39 M5 is legit.

All else equal, a FWD car is going to perform better than a RWD car in inclement weather, and an AWD car will do better than both.  I have a sports car.  Why bother with the hassle and cost of buying a second set of wheels, storing them, getting the tires mounted and balanced, et al when I can hop in a real sports car whenever I want?  I mean, an AWD with all seasons is more than capable for anything the Northeast has seen in the last 5 years.  Driving my brother's S4 in the snow was a revelatory experience.  I mean, it was like there was no snow on the ground at all.  And people were spinning out, getting stuck, crying on the side of the road, screaming "WHY!!??" to the heavens, and so on and so forth.  I'm not trading in my Z4, I'm adding a vehicle to the garage. 

Frontrunners:



Stuff like an M5 or a 911 aren't fit for my purposes.  A 911 would make sense (C4 Cabrio) if I were selling the Z4, an M5 would make sense if I were in a BMW film circa 2002.  An S4, especially avant would make some sense (hell, even an A4 2.0T Avant wouldn't be a bad choice), but if my brother's B8 S4 is any indication, it's a bit soft for my tastes.  I always prefer to drive my car over his, even if his is faster. 

Viggen would just be a cool, if maintenance intensive, distractions from the trappings of my soon-to-be new career.

[12,000 RPM]

OK Im done trolling

I feel like the Golf R will be too anodyne.... I just don't trust anybody who buys an EVO. If the Viggen is game I would def do a TSX.... since they are out of warranty there's no excuse not to mod them. Plus I thought the Viggen was crazy fast.... 7 sec 0-60? TSX is just as fast stock and better in every way

[Raza]

OK Im done trolling

I feel like the Golf R will be too anodyne.... I just don't trust anybody who buys an EVO. If the Viggen is game I would def do a TSX.... since they are out of warranty there's no excuse not to mod them. Plus I thought the Viggen was crazy fast.... 7 sec 0-60? TSX is just as fast stock and better in every way

6.5 to 60, but that's basically down to traction.

[giant_mtb]

I swear I must have spent 30-45 minutes today pairing and re-pairing the Bluetooth to my phone

"user error"

[Laconian]

OK Im done trolling

I feel like the Golf R will be too anodyne.... I just don't trust anybody who buys an EVO. If the Viggen is game I would def do a TSX.... since they are out of warranty there's no excuse not to mod them. Plus I thought the Viggen was crazy fast.... 7 sec 0-60? TSX is just as fast stock and better in every way

TSX is worse from 0-60 (mid to high 7's), but it's probably a more composed car all around. Smooth and zingy.

[SVT_Power]

OK Im done trolling

I feel like the Golf R will be too anodyne.... I just don't trust anybody who buys an EVO. If the Viggen is game I would def do a TSX.... since they are out of warranty there's no excuse not to mod them. Plus I thought the Viggen was crazy fast.... 7 sec 0-60? TSX is just as fast stock and better in every way

Did you forget the Viggen is from the 90's?