|
|
|
|
|
|
BMW Garage | BMW Meets | Register | Today's Posts | Search |
|
BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum
>
"Foreplay"
|
|
04-26-2005, 11:09 PM | #1 |
Driver of the Ultimate Driving Machine
9
Rep 50
Posts |
"Foreplay"
Hello everyone,
My wife and I called our local BMW dealer today and found out that they received 3 demo cars last night (Monday) here at Desert BMW of Henderson, NV. So, of course we had to go see them. We both test drove a Sparkling Graphite 330i that had the Premium Package and a few other individual options. Wow!!!!!!!! This new 3 series runs fast. It was a very enjoyable test drive for both of us. One thing that I discovered that I do not believe has been mentioned in the forum is that the Turn Signal lever on the steering column is differebt than your average conventional turn signal lever. Instead of a clicking sensation that would indicated you selected "right" or "left" turn signal, the lever does not have a tactile feel or a click. It stops at a certain point and goes back to its normal position after you hand releases it. This engages your turn signal for 30 seconds. If you move the lever farther, past the initial activating position, it then engages the turn signal in a more normal constant on position. This caught me by surprise teh first time I used it, feels sort of funny, but is something that one would get used to easily after a few tries. Besides that, I was very impressed with the fit and finish of the car. It did not have Navigation/I-Drive, so we couldn't play with that ( we ordered Navigation on our car). I noticed that the car had Bridgestone EL-42s on it, which I don't care much for since I used to own an 04' Acura TL with those tires. There were many issues with that particular model of tire. However, as it has been mentioned previously in this forum, there are other tire choices depending on the dealer you go to or whether or not you order the Sport Package, which has the larger size "Run-Flats". There are so many other things I could say about my Test Drive experience, but wouldl take up allot more room on here. Feel free to ask if there is anything you want to know about the car. Also, this info came straight from our salesman: He sold one of the 3 demo cars today, it was a 325i. He said that since 2 of the 3 demo cars were 325i's, they were willing to give it up one up on the first day. This kind of bummed us out though because we ordered our 330i back in February and we are still being told that we have to wait until May 6th/7th until BMW releases our car from the port in California and it will take an additional day or two to get to the dealer, before we take the keys and enjoy our ultimate driving experience. Anyway, I'm sure I'll post some pics as soon as we get the car, or take a break from driving it |
04-26-2005, 11:30 PM | #3 |
Driver of the Ultimate Driving Machine
9
Rep 50
Posts |
I saw the Sticker Sheet with the car, but I guess I wasnt paying very good attention to the MPG numbers. I just asked my wife, she thinks she saw 21 City/ 29 Hwy, but she's not exactly sure.
However, I do remember reading somewhere that the official MPG figures are 21 City/ 31 Hwy. Another thing I forgot to mention... during my test drive, the salesman urged me to throw the Automatic Transmission into "Sport" Mode. Oh my Goodness.... now, that was fun. I was on an open stretch of raod and just floored the gas pedal. That was exhilarating! Disclaimer: I don't condone disobeying the posted speed limit. But hey, this was a test drive right? Another thing I should mention. I have also liked the 5 series for some time now and have been spoiled by the roominess. Stepping inside teh 330i, I definitly felt that I was in a smaller vehicle. However, as compared to the previous 3 Series, it is noticeably larger inside, in the front and in the back. Basically, I can tell you that the new 3 series feels sporty, as compared to the larger 5 series that has more of a luxury/sophisticated feel to it. I think the new 3 has more of a "Fun to Drive" factor when it comes down to it. |
Appreciate
0
|
04-26-2005, 11:57 PM | #4 |
New Member
0
Rep 10
Posts |
Thank you for sharing your experience. I have a test drive set up for tomorrow and I'm for sure going to lose sleep tonight having read this I'm hoping to be able to test a manual to see how slick the new transmission is!
|
Appreciate
0
|
04-27-2005, 02:41 AM | #6 |
Colonel
119
Rep 2,909
Posts |
My Opel Vectra company car has a similar turn signal and windshield wiper controler. If you push the lever up slightly and release it (as if you were changing lanes on a freeway), the blinker will only flash 3 times. However, if you push the lever full travel it will stay flashing. It takes a little while to get used to it, but when you do it is hard to go back to a regular turn signal.
|
Appreciate
0
|
04-27-2005, 06:54 AM | #8 |
Major
308
Rep 1,128
Posts |
Thanks for the review. The turn signal function as described in the 330 test drive review is the same as the e60 5 er. I like it but it takes some getting used. It can be disabled if one does not like it by the BMW Center.
__________________
23 Audi Q4 e-tron; 23 i4 M50 on order
14 X3 Retired: 20 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD; 17 540i x; 14 550i Euro Del; 11 550i Euro Del; 08 550i Euro Del; 06 330i Euro Del; 04 545i Euro Del; 01 530i Euro Del |
Appreciate
0
|
04-27-2005, 11:21 AM | #9 | |
Private First Class
3
Rep 135
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
Bookmarks |
|
|