[spotshooter]

Hi there,

New here to this board. Got a new BMW on the brain. Test driven a few models including the 135i and the M3. My heart is always with wagons though, and I've been configuring a 328i sport wagon online. It's a tragedy they don't offer the turbo engine... I don't see why it's not an option? Never the less, I am curious to get feedback on the wagon's performance. I'd go for the full M Sport package, 6 speed manual, etc. Unsure if I would go for the all wheel drive. Is the 328i fun w/o the turbo?

Advice welcome.

Chris

[Drillslinger]

Dude, no help here but I'm in the same boat. I need a wagon because of kid & dog. ALMOST decided on the A4 Avant (+ ECU remap) but couldn't bring myself to do it based mostly on our previous Customer Dis-service experience with Audi
I've scanned through the boards but it looks like the most common answer to the question of how to get performance from a 328 seems to be... buy a 335 (Which is NO HELP whatsoever, lol)
I got to test drive the 335d Wagon and have to say, I'd buy one of those beasts in a minute (even with the Auto) Why is it that the US tends to get the short-end of the stick, and those of us who want wagons get it even worse?

[spotshooter]

I don't get why the 335 turbo engine is not an option? It seems like BMW is trying to protect other cars.... damn crossovers have taken over, can't stand them.

We have an 07 A4 avant right now... it's ok, but a little on boring side. If I owned it, I would chip it. But since it is a lease, I won't.

[Drillslinger]

I don't know the numbers on the BMW side, but IIRC only 10% of A4's sold in the US are Avants. I'd imagine that BMW has similar numbers so my guess would be that we're the victims of SUV-itis Unfortunately, I don't see a boom in Wagon sales coming to our rescue anytime soon

[Digtlartst]

My '06 325xi touring with its measly, nonturbo 215HP and 6-speed manual is plenty fun to drive. If I were going for an '09, I might skip x for its weight and complexity and cost, but I have to admit it is fun to power up a wet winding hill and feel the x pull kick in.

I'd bet that wagons are no more than 5% of 3-series sales in the US, and stick wagons even less (soccer moms/dads like to sip lattes unhindered by a shift knob), but it's still the best sports wagon out there for the money.

[Kilgore Trout]

I have a RWD E91 and love it to pieces. It is lots of fun to drive, and plenty quick for me.

The RWD wagon only weighs 150 pounds more than the RWD sedan, and according to BMW, that costs you a grand total of .2 secs in 0-60.

I could be wrong but I think the weight balance is actually more even than the sedan.

Anyway, the thing I love about the E91 is the swiss army knife nature of it. Can get up in the morning, throw the bike in the back, have a super fun drive up the windy mountain road, go for a hard ride, come back, clean up the car, and take a date out on the town.

Basically, the wagon gives you the performance and handling of a sedan, with the utility of a small SUV. Not a bad bargain, eh?

Buy the wagon! Chicks did wagons.

[Drillslinger]

Hey spotshooter, not to jack your thread or anything but since there are actual E91 folks here I was wondering what color you were looking at. I'm trying to decide which will be "rarer" on an E91 M Sport, LeMans Blue or Sapphire Schwartz, what do y'all think?

[BMWFM]

E91 is just fine on the road. Plenty of power to pass, great ride, etc. Very "balanced" and versatile car. It is a great machine and I love it every day.

If you start going on the track, you will be a little short on power in the acceleration zones. You will experience a lot of body roll. Recently, I also noticed that the GM transmission becomes jerky between 2nd and 3rd at high RPMs in tight corners. In manual or DS more, you can experience some loss of power as the transmission reduces the RPMs when shifting in 3rd. This is only in extreme conditions and I never experienced this on public roads. As others, I wish we had access to an E91 335 or an E91 M3.


FM

[Drillslinger]

Damn dude, why'd you have to bring up the idea of an E91 M3

[Majikthese42]

The 328iT is fun with the 6-speed and no turbo. But pretty much anything with a manual transmission short of a '55 Studebaker pickup is fun IMO.

The 328iT is probably quicker/faster and more competent than 90% of the cars on the road; the 335i than 95%. I would have preferred a 335iT, too but so it goes. You can buy a 535xiT and it doesn't weigh much more than a 328iT. Nobody sells many wagons in the US so that's why BMW is probably limiting the choices. They sell more E93 'verts than E91 wagons.

[spotshooter]

I like white cars, so it's alpine white for me. I like the contrast with the M-Sport shadow- line trim.

Sorry if this is a over-asked question, what are the tuning options and are they worth it? BMW offers an enhanced intake... any thoughts?

[Drillslinger]

Yeah, but with the 535ix wagon the price is right in M3-land... and if I could afford an M3, I'd FIND a way to make room for everyone (think the Frau would fit in a roof box? lol).

[Drillslinger]

Originally Posted by spotshooter

Sorry if this is a over-asked question, what are the tuning options and are they worth it? BMW offers an enhanced intake... any thoughts?

This has been my #1 search on the BMW forums for months now and it looks like (for the most part) we'll be stuck with Intake and Exhaust for engine mods The ECU remap seems to be a back and forth between options being almost ready vs in-development. Naturally I'll now defer to the regulars for more info.... guys??

[rudolfoxs]

I am on my second E91 - this time 325 M Sportn (previously had E45 330 Sport Coupe and the E91 325 SE). Whilst my brain knows there is more in the 330s and 335s I find this 2009 LCI 325i M Sport Touring to be excellent. All the power I need (or more reasonably can use in the UK - with police cameras on every road), but the style and practical features of the Touring.

Only wish I'd added Xenon's (even though the LCI has "Angle Eyes") and the Active Cruise Control.

Enjoy!

[Drillslinger]

Dude, you should bring yourself over to the continent to stretch your E91 legs a bit
(I'll be doing the opposite in a few weeks, driving from Germany to Silverstone for MINI United )

[dougman]

The 6-speed, ZSP/ZMP RWD 328i is the hidden gem of the 3-series lineup, IMO.

I actually chose this configuration (albeit not in a wagon) over the 335i after driving both (although no one on this board believes me). The 328i with sport, manual, and no x-drive is an absolute blast to drive. It's incredibly balanced, quick, and if you love normally-aspirated engines, has that rheostat-feeling of connection between the throttle and engine. The 335i, while completely free of lag from a performance lag, still creates a certain "elastic" response between the pedal and acceleration. The 328i is a couple hundred pounds lighter over the front wheels, too, and if you're highly sensitive to steering feel, you can notice the difference over the 335i. Finally, I felt the 6 spd box had just a tad more precision than the one in the 335i. Plus, the gearing is closer together so you end up shifting a lot more than in the 335i, which if you're like me, is fun.

For me, the only downside was the sound. The 335i sounds much better. But you can fix that inexpensively in the aftermarket.

Make sure you drive a sport RWD 6-spd. DO NOT count out the 328i based on driving the xi, a non-sport, or especially, the automatic (the auto in the 328i saps performance much more than the one in the 335i).

My coupe lease is coming up in less than a year, and I'm currently considering going the same direction as you--e91 with ZMP and 6spd.

Please do not respond to my post with the "you're justifying your cheaper BMW because you can't afford a 335i", or any of that other nonsense. The 335i is a spectacular automobile and probably the better choice for 90% of the enthusiasts out there who put a very high premium on power. But for some of us older folks who've owned enough cars to know there's not a 1:1 correlation between power and fun-to-drive (for me--Boxster, Elise, 1st-gen MR2, GTI, MG, Austin-Healey), the 328i ZSP 6spd can be a wonderful companion.

[Majikthese42]

If you need a wagon -- buy the 328iT and then spend the money you save over the 335i on going to Skip Barber. Dollar for dollar, that's probably the most cost-effective performance enhancement you can make.

The 328iT has enough power to get into plenty of trouble. Just not as much as the 335i.

[ss134]

Don't know why they don't offer the E91 335i in the States- you can buy it here in Europe. Its a bit like the M Sport package, theyve just made it available in the US now and everyone is going for it!!!
I dont understand BMWs logic on this.

[winnibago]

I too wish the 335 was available on the wagon, but at least we don't have to worry about the HPFP reliability. I don't think you will be disappointed with the 328, but do second the recommendation to get a 6-spd and drop the "xi" if possible in your neck of the woods.

[spotshooter]

Thanks for the input. I am hearing the X-drive saps the power. I live in Seattle, and awd is nice but not mandatory.

Anybody else got pics of their 328i wagon w/ m-sport package?

[nicknaz]

I have an E90 328i 6MT with sport package and while I think it is a lot of fun in the corners it is a slug on the highway. I think this applies to all of the E9X 328 vehicles.

You should test drive Subaru STi or even '09 WRX hatch to make 110% sure you are ok with the lack of power.

[Digtlartst]

Originally Posted by spotshooter

Thanks for the input. I am hearing the X-drive saps the power. I live in Seattle, and awd is nice but not mandatory.

Anybody else got pics of their 328i wagon w/ m-sport package?

I sometimes have second thoughts about my x-drive for its weight and complexity, but I don't know how much power it really saps, if any. That said, I've visited beautiful Seattle several times, and given your local weather, I think you'd have an interesting time powering up a steep Seattle hill over streetcar tracks in the wet without x-drive.