vader1

I am toying with the idea of adding another car to the garage and looking to pick up a lease return 3 series.

The car will be used for winter commuting, and on rainy days in the summer and maybe get about 8 thousand miles a year.

I am primarily interested in something that is a little bit of fun, stylish and gets decent mileage on a long trip. I think that puts me more in the 328i range, especially the current version because most long term tests are getting 26-27 MPG, and it seems the last inline six based version 22-23 was more common and it is a bit slower as well. I still like the looks of that car and they are cheaper to pick up used.

But this will be running in Minnesota winters. I am really interested to hear how well a RWD 3 does in snow if anyone has that experience. I still have to tow a boat so I may keep the Toyota Highlander and use that on really bad snow days, or could opt for XI drive but then I am stuck with a slushbox. I am OK with an automatic, and my wife would love it so she can drive it occasionally, and then I could trade in the Highlander and just pick up some old POS to park in the driveway as a tow vehicle/home depot machine.

Does the RWD have a decent enough traction control to handle heavy dry snow or does it get squirrely?

Does the XI drive kill the fun and the mileage?

Any general feedback on your ownership experience, reliability, and gas mileage is appreciated.

I am kind of leaning toward a 2012 328xi but the Bimmer dealers have a ton of low mileage e90's in various colors and option packages.

Many thanks.

Mr Dave

Not sure how much help this is going to be, but fwiw:

I leased an '06 330i for 3 years before leasing a 2009 328i for another 3.
The first car was a lemon and was constantly in the shop for...well, everything.
The beauty of the BMW lease is it never affected my wallet.

The 2009 was a gem -- never needed anything unscheduled and sailed through the 3 years problem free. When it came time to return the car, I test drove the new (2013) 3-series and was unimpressed with the changes. Steering was lighter (not BMW-esque) and the 4-cyl turbo was adequate but no more. I also felt the front end styling required the M-package which put 'my car' over $50k sticker and that's double what my 2009 was going to cost me to buy off the lease.

I decided to buy the 2009 off the lease with an extended warranty. I think (and this may be complete BS) that certain cars are 'good ones' and are worth keeping. We'll see if I feel the same way in 3.5 years when I sell the 2009 before the warranty expires. Either way, I'm happy with my decision and prefer the previous generation of 3-series to the newest one.


From 12/11 to 6/12 I was in Vancouver with the BMW for work. Granted, it only REALLY snowed twice (and I had traded the run-flats for some rain tires) but...I would recommend the 4-wheel drive. I grew up in VT driving RWD cars in the snow. I'm extremely comfortable in that environment...but why risk it?
It's not like you're going to be hanging the tail out of an slush-box 328i in the summer...so what 'fun' is lost if both front and back tires have power? Again, just my .02.


I think you've picked the perfect car for what you want -- just make sure you dump the runflats ASAP and get a decent rain / all weather tire (for what you're intending to use the car for).

And g'luck!

vader1

Thanks, that does help.

I like the newer interior better, but the last generation is certainly not bad. I like the exterior of the last generation a little more so it is kind of a wash.

My main concerns are snow, mileage, reliability and price in no particular order.

I have yet to drive one but from what I read in reviews the new 4 will hustle to 60 in five and a half, the old inline 6 takes an extra half second and gets worse mileage. Not sure how far the mileage and performance drop by adding the xDrive.

For the 328's it sure is hard to find one that is RWD manual. Lots of fleet cars that are all autos. At that point might as well get the xDrive I guess.

And if I may ask, were most of the lemon issues with the first car anything to do with the turbos or just other gremlins?

alex s

2006's didn't have turbos. The turbos came with the 335 in '07 I believe.

Mr Dave

^^^ Correct

My '06 was the last of the flat-6 330i (which is why I got a steal on the lease @ $399/mo with 0 down).

The car seemingly always had something going wrong (suspension, fit + finish, etc) and it would've cost me THOUSANDS to fix without the warranty.

Regarding 328i manual: http://jalopnik.com/the-six-letters-...-bmw-472513915

JonBoy

Inline-6, not flat-6.

vader1

I looked at a 320i out of curiosity, and it is essentially the same engine as the 328i, with a different tune and without forged pistons. Hard to say whether the 320i could hold 328i boost levels but no doubt an aftermarket flash will get you quite a bit more power than the stock 180. Right now, that $35k car will get up to 60 slightly quicker than a used Oldsmobile Alero, and that is kind of hard to swallow but it will be just right for some people.


I have gone to the BMW website and priced out a 328i xdrive with options as I would like it which is essentially the standard features plus heated seats. It comes to around $45k. The problem is, the first step of the "build your car" choosing the "luxury line" adds $2100 to the base price and says in plain black and white it includes leather upholstery. When you go to select the color of leather it adds a $3100 package. Something is wrong and it is obviously the description that luxury line (and modern line) models do NOT get leather as part of the deal as advertised. It is also laughable that they list a "base price" for the car but you can not get the car for that price anyway. You have to first select whether you want the sport, modern, or luxury trim and each one adds a couple thousand. Then two of those do NOT come with an advertised option when you select it (leather).

From the looks of it, if you want a base xDrive but replace the vinyl with real leather you have to spend $5200. You also get a freaking lumbar support and a moonroof whether you want it or not. A moonroof is nice, but after owning a convertible, a sunroof does nothing for me, I'd rather delete the $1000 cost.

Mr Dave

derryck

I have owned several BMWs...mostly M cars but I have owned a couple 330's and currently own my 2nd 335. I have had the F30 328 as a loaner on several occasions and I really don't like it much...it feels like a downgrade from the E90's. I like the pep of the turbo 4 ok (certainly no 335) but it sounds like an older 4 cylinder Accord...the sound doesn't match the price tag. The interior has more cheap feeling plastic than the E90's and the engine shuts off at stops as a fuel saving measure and there's a bit of a delay when it kicks back in as well as a minor bucking feeling in the car. It drives me nuts and given the price tag they carry it just doesn't fit IMO. I'd really advise driving one...if you can live with the interior, the sound and the extremely annoying start/stop the engine does then you'll probably love the car. I would also suggest adding the sports package as the seats that come with it are much more comfortable and supportive.

Terdburgler

Exactly. I did the build your car on their website and with normal options it was 42-43K. If you go all out, then somewhere towards 50K. That's a lot of dough for an entry level luxury vehicle.