[rjc32000]

Hi all,

I used to be pretty active on this forum back when the F30s were just starting production. Thanks to the great info I found here, I ordered my first BMW and picked it up in May 2012--a Glacier Silver 328 X drive with Sport 8AT. Traded it in on a lease pull-ahead about 30 months later and got into a 2014 335XI with MT and fully optioned. I turned the 335 into BMW of Anchorage yesterday and want to share a few thoughts and observations after 5.5 years of possessing and driving the F30.

First off, you MUST remove the run-flats immediately and replace them with better tires. I was initially pretty disappointed with the ride, noise and handling of my 328. This is the ultimate driving machine, I wondered? Granted, I had the Conti all-season run flats, but they just sucked. Living in Alaska, I knew I wanted a dedicated set of winter wheels/tires so picked up a set of 18" M5 replica rims and dressed them in Blizzak WS70s. This was the best handling winter car I've ever driven (I've driven Audi, Subaru, and various American trucks for years up here) bar none. For summer use, I stored the OE run-flats and put a set of Potenza RE-11s on for summer use. I liked the RE-11 generally, but would have gone a different direction had I done it again. The performance of these tires in HPDE was outstanding (autocross, light track days) but caused a lot of tram lining on the public roads. Were I to do it again, I'd definitely go with Michelin Pilot Super Sports for summer tires, if for not reason other than the sidewalls of these protrude every so slightly and offer a bit of protection to wheels from curb-rash. But the ride, noise and handling of the Potenzas was like night and day compared with the OE run-flats. I feel that BMW is really compromising the performance of their vehicles by including these tires and can't recommend an upgrade strongly enough.

I know many hate on the auto-stop-start feature of the F30 series, but I found it completely unobtrusive on a manual transmission F30. I'd turn it off for a race start, obviously, but for daily driving I never once felt that the auto-start-stop interfered with my control of the vehicle. Not so with my older 328 with the Sport auto transmission. I didn't find it quite as intrusive as some, but it definitely feels much better integrated with the MT and I applaud BMW for including it.

I had mixed feelings about the transmissions. My 328 had the sport auto and the 335 is a MT. I have always driven manuals and want to live in a world where I continue to do so. BUT.....modern turbo-charged engines like the N20 seem much better matched with a 8 spd auto than with a MT. First off, given the torque produced at such low RPM, fuel economy demands really early shifts in the F30. Like imagine shifting at 2-2.5k RPM pretty regularly as the prompts suggest. I'd find myself in 6th gear at 40mph. There is a lot of shifting going on during in-town driving. Like so many shifts! I like to think I'm a pro, but I can't shift even close as fast as the 8sp Sport auto does, so an awful lot of energy isn't being put down to the wheels on a MT as the driver has the clutch in so much. I also found the 8sp sport auto to be absolutely brilliant. It was ALWAYS in the right gear no matter how I drove it or what demands I put on it, shifted faster than I ever could, and the extra 2 OD gears saw a noticeable increase in fuel economy. SO in the end, I guess I'd say that the MT is a lot more fun and involving, but the 8sp Sport Auto is the better transmission from every objective criteria: performance, economy, etc.

Both my cars had the Dakota "leather" interiors, which is without question the cheapest leather I've ever seen. It has held up well, but compared with the interior of an audi or MB, BMW is not on the same level. It feels hard and plastic, and lacks the suppleness of good leather. The leatherette is probably the better value.

Both cars had the Technology package. To be honest, the HUD just wasn't that useful to me. Had I learned to drive on a vehicle with a HUD, maybe I could re-learn to look at it rather than speedo, but even after 5.5 years of having a HUD, I still look down to speedo to check speed. It is a neat feature to show-off, but no one else can see it other than driver.

I had never leased a car before my first F30 and I've been really surprised at some aspects of leasing. First off, the range of lease deals that get made are all over the board. YOU MUST KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING WHEN YOU WALK IN. Study this forum to learn current residuals, MF rates, and how all these parts fit together in a lease before you even walk in to gawk at cars. I didn't know what I was doing for my first lease- a moderately optioned 328. 30 months in, I did a pull ahead and got into a new fully-optioned 335 for almost $200 less/mo than I was paying for my 328! (note: I got a not-so-hot lease on my 328; I got a SMOKING deal on my 335).

The biggest surprise with leasing was how easy the turn in was. The first time, I had just dropped off my 328 for an oil change and ran into my CA, who quickly offered to lower my monthly payment if I got into a newer and better car (duh!). They literally looked at the showroom window at my 328, asked me if there were any issues, and then let me sign the paperwork. When I dropped off the 335 this week, I just walked in an handed the keys to a salesperson who walked outside and spent all of 15 seconds walking halfway around one side of car before sending me on my way. As near as I can tell, there was essentially no inspection whatsoever at turn in. Bizarre. The dude didn't even try to sell me a new car!

So many have debated the relative merits of 328 vs 335 (or 330 vs 340) and pondered whether the 335 is worth the extra $. I've actually owned and driven both in both daily driving and performance driving environments, and think the 328 is probably the better car in many respects, although reasonable minds could disagree. First, the chassis seems much better tuned for the smaller engine; I experienced considerably more understeer in the 335 running same track and tires as compared with the 328. Second, many on this forum have bemoaned the sound produced by the 4-pot and questioned whether it lives up to the BMW "pedigree." These people are kidding themselves. Does the 335 sound better than the 328? Yes. Does it sound like a big, naturally aspirated V8 like the old M3? Not even close. Both engines are modern turbo-charged engines and neither sound amazing. Yes, the 6-pot sounds better, but that's like saying that a Yugo sounds better than a lawn mower. Anyone who claims the engine noise alone is worth the extra money needs to pull the Sound Akivator fuse and see what the car actually sounds like at idle: it isn't sonorous, it isn't exciting, and it isn't raw. The 328 is lighter, turns in better, handles better, is less expensive and uses less fuel. And when paired with the excellent 8sp sport-auto, I'd wager that it is every bit as quick around most tracks as the 335 mated with a 6sp MT.

That said, I did enjoy the extra power on tap with the 335 but didn't experience a world of difference between the two in daily driving. I probably enjoyed the 335 more on account of it being a manual than on account of the engine. For me, the ideal is probably a 328 with a MT.

So what next? My daily is now a 2008 Audi RS4 and I still run my E46 M3 hard in the summer, so I haven't completely said goodbye to the brand. I want to thank everyone on the forum that has helped me and many others get far more out of their vehicles than they would have otherwise. Cheers and drive safely!

[MacklinUSOB]

Originally Posted by rjc32000

Hi all,
So many have debated the relative merits of 328 vs 335 (or 330 vs 340) and pondered whether the 335 is worth the extra $. I've actually owned and driven both in both daily driving and performance driving environments, and think the 328 is probably the better car in many respects, although reasonable minds could disagree. First, the chassis seems much better tuned for the smaller engine; I experienced considerably more understeer in the 335 running same track and tires as compared with the 328. Second, many on this forum have bemoaned the sound produced by the 4-pot and questioned whether it lives up to the BMW "pedigree." These people are kidding themselves. Does the 335 sound better than the 328? Yes. Does it sound like a big, naturally aspirated V8 like the old M3? Not even close. Both engines are modern turbo-charged engines and neither sound amazing. Yes, the 6-pot sounds better, but that's like saying that a Yugo sounds better than a lawn mower. Anyone who claims the engine noise alone is worth the extra money needs to pull the Sound Akivator fuse and see what the car actually sounds like at idle: it isn't sonorous, it isn't exciting, and it isn't raw. The 328 is lighter, turns in better, handles better, is less expensive and uses less fuel. And when paired with the excellent 8sp sport-auto, I'd wager that it is every bit as quick around most tracks as the 335 mated with a 6sp MT.

Nice write up, glad you enjoyed your F30 time. Many good points, this one resonated with me quite well while I was searching for my car. The front end feels much heavier on the 35/40 than the 28/30 on turn in through mid-corner, way quicker to wash out into understeer on an AutoX course/track (in stock form at least). The sensation of understeer (or lack thereof) with the EPS is probably the single thing I dislike most about the F30, and it's only harder to tune out with the 35/40. Also, weight is a big consideration for me since my car sees the track. My 28i sDrive is around 500 pounds lighter than a loaded up 35i xDrive. For most road-going folk, this doesn't matter, but if going for the best handling and performance on the platform, weight is always the most important factor. It's easy as pie to add power, heck plug in a JB+ and a 328i matches the power-to-weight of a 335 x-drive.

[adhrp]

Originally Posted by rjc32000

Both my cars had the Dakota "leather" interiors, which is without question the cheapest leather I've ever seen. It has held up well, but compared with the interior of an audi or MB, BMW is not on the same level. It feels hard and plastic, and lacks the suppleness of good leather. The leatherette is probably the better value.

^^ agreed! BMW really should do better than this on their leather quality.

Originally Posted by rjc32000

Both cars had the Technology package. To be honest, the HUD just wasn't that useful to me. Had I learned to drive on a vehicle with a HUD, maybe I could re-learn to look at it rather than speedo, but even after 5.5 years of having a HUD, I still look down to speedo to check speed. It is a neat feature to show-off, but no one else can see it other than driver.

^^ I actually find the HUD very handy. When I drive my wife's Toyota, it feels like a hassle every time I have to look down at the speedo.

[rjc32000]

Originally Posted by adhrp

^^ I actually find the HUD very handy. When I drive my wife's Toyota, it feels like a hassle every time I have to look down at the speedo.

Ha! I wish I could have retrained myself to do the same. I actually primarily used it to control for radio and other media playback. Oh, and I did LOVE when the HUD would display a schematic of the intersection you were approaching and show very clearly what lane you should be in.

[adhrp]

Originally Posted by rjc32000

Oh, and I did LOVE when the HUD would display a schematic of the intersection you were approaching and show very clearly what lane you should be in.

I did too, until I stopped using the nav because Google Maps is so much better

[That340i]

Originally Posted by adhrp

^^ I actually find the HUD very handy. When I drive my wife's Toyota, it feels like a hassle every time I have to look down at the speedo.

I actually do like the HUD too!!! It's a neat feature that now I know for a fact my next car will have!!

[madmortar]

Great review. Thanks.

[X2 Monstah]

Nice review. Check in some time and let us know how you like the Audi. I'm considering checking out Audi when my F30 lease is up in a year.

[Danddd]

Did the steering center feel improve with the change out of run flat tires?

[rjc32000]

Originally Posted by Danddd

Did the steering center feel improve with the change out of run flat tires?

EVERYTHING improved. But it ultimately is still an electric rack, so have reasonable expectations.

[Calvin36]

Those are still some kick ass cars! RS4 and M3. My fiancé has a 328 and I have a 335. Can't imagine driving the 328 everyday. I suppose it's really just down to what you do during the daily commute I suppose. Good write up though!