[lux.sh]

Introduction
Im sure some of you OG members remember me. I've been on this forum nearly since it first started. From getting ripped off on $800 authentic lip from Germany to over-heating engine.. Me and my 330i, we've been through a lot. What actually got me sitting here and writing this to you guys is because of this little thread. http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...08#post6687408 I remember being happy like a little kid after changing out foglight bulbs. I was an active senior member for years, then I had to move my attention away from my car and focus more on my life. I still checked back on E90POST time to time. Watching some young kids with E90s, asking same questions we did 4 years ago.. It all makes me laugh. In a very positive way. It brings back memories... Yes, I miss those days.

Before I bought it.
In the past, I couldn't drive a same car for more than 30k miles. I had to change it. I was into japanese tuning scene when I was young. I definitely learned a lot about how-car-really-works and how to adjust your suspension for the handling charteristic you desire for. Another thing, because I was mainly into handling than straight line power that many ricers were aiming for, BMW was always on top of the "wanted list". I always heard BMW's brake/suspension setup is top of the line. I was careful though since it could be just some rich punk reading their Bill of Bragging Rights(for having a nice vehicle).

After 55,000 miles.. (After I bought it)
E90 330i was... just a different animal. There are many reasons why the experience with the E90 was so different than other cars. Since it is impossible to describe every little pros&cons that I had for this car, I'll point out 3 best positives and describe them in details. I'll save the negatives for E90POST's General Forum section.

1. The Suspension
I debated whether I should tune the suspension to the way I like. After few weeks of driving, I realized something that I never did before. There actually is a perfectly balanced setup of Comfort & Sport. If perfect is too big of a word to use, then I would say near pefection in terms of balance. Anyone who is into daily-driver tuning understands how hard it is to create a suspension setup where it is soft enough for your lady to not complain, while it is stiff enough to take it to the mountains at anytime. It was hard to get sick of this suspension setup. Though, if your main objective with this car is different than mine, Im sure you will be happier with more aggressive tuning. I truly admire what kind of driving experience that BMW is trying to share.

2. The power delivery
is in harmony with the vehicle's structure & suspension. This is specific to 330i's output. I assume twin turbo's experience is quite different and better in certain ways. I also assume BMW tries to acheive similar "connecting" experience to whichever car they create with whichever engine. In a way, this whole "harmony" deal could be same for many E9x owners. Many of you probably heard advertisements saying "It feels like the driver and the car is connected" or something similar to that. Well thats what the E90 felt like. I never thought this car had enough power, but then I never felt it was under-powered. Sounds similar, but completely different. I wanted more power. It wasn't the car that needed more help in power. Im sure its the same for many of you. The car doesn't feel sluggish, but you wouldn't mind extra whp/wtq. Couple years ago when many 330i owners wanted BMW to match and be involved in competition's horsepower war (so that we can stay on top on most #s on paper), we thought 300hp would be perfect. Well isn't there a lot of close-to-300whp 335i owners out there? You see, power never feels enough. While you want more power, you do realize how satisfying the driving experience still is with stock power. The way torque is delivered throughout the power band brings your heart rate up at a fast rate. Smooth, yet aggressive, this flexible engine's quick response is immediately felt everytime you step on the gas pedal. I would have to say it's mid-range is my favorite. It does lack that extra pull needed on very high speeds, but how occasionally do you go that fast. At any RPM, the car is relatively easy to control even when you go aggressively on that throttle. This is an evidence of superb engineering. Push the car to the limit and see what it does. Considering the E90 isn't the lightest car on earth, power delivery is nicely matched to the vehicle's own characteristic.

3. As it ages...
As I put on more miles on my E90, I was curious to see how the vehicle "ages" over time. With my previous cars, it was reasonbly noticible. The E90 was noticibly aging too. Some stuff were chipping off, minor interior noise increased, etc. What amazes me is how solid the car still feels like. The driving feel is still solid and tightly connected together. Other than usual parts wearing out over time, this vehicle is still a champ. Some of you might be saying "it only has 55k miles", well let me tell ya this car has HARD 55k miles. It still feels rigid and satisfying. Im sure reliability will diminish over time, but which car doesn't?



Conclusion & Future Plan
Did I have problems? Did I have complaints? Oh yes, countless. Too many to list, too long to type. Then, I asked my self this question. "Were you happy?" Thats when I just nodded and smiled. Enough said. This car was worth it. If you ask me whether I would buy it again, I would have to say "Not anytime soon, but probably later". I probably won't be staying with BMW for my next car. I want to experience couple other brands' vision in their own automotive engineering. My next car will be a 2010/2011 Mercedes or Audi. I started visiting dealerships and began the test-driving phase of buying a car. BMW's magic is jaw-dropping, so lets see what kind of driving experience other top brands can offer. If you are stuck with your E9x BMW, be happy. If you are a car enthusiast, you will spend many years appreciating this car's fine engineering. You are driving the world's finest autmobile in luxury sport compact segment. Thank you BMW.



---Extra Story.

The most exciting moment with my E90.
Call me childish, but I have to admit. It was when I installed the Simota Intake system. It was fun installing it, it was fun driving with it, and it STILL is fun with it. The extra growl coming from under the hood really revealed what the N52 really sounds like when its pissed. Don't expect ground-shakin'-VTEC-powa-kickin' kinda stuff. If you are a guy like me who prefers a girl who smiles like a girl from fairy tale yet goes crazy on bed, intake will do the job for ya. No one notices it when you drive it nicely. Step on it and they will know something is going on. It still is the most exciting part of my life. Hearing that engine screaming is still the most intoxicating music to my ears. Surpringly, Im not young. I wish I can de-age though.

[SpmnE9zero]

Nice write up

[bavarian19]

Nice!



Have not seen you post in a while!

[yoiko]

[Minefield]

good read!

[wuchao1]

nice to read this!!

[kgb1637]

Good luck finding an Audi or Benz with a suspension like this!

[iBoost]

awesome review! wish you the best of luck with your next car! and keep us posted.

[Lynchmob6]

Thanks...great write up!

[Jason]

Lux, what cave did you crawl out of?! Good to see you post and that was a great read... thanks for sharing!

Sad to see you headed to Audi or MB, but variety is the spice of life so they say. I'm sure you'll be back in the BMW fold some point soon though, not many are able to kick the habit for long.

[Kroy]

great write-up. i'm looking foward to driving my car at lunch now.

[bmw-hoya]

Thanks for posting!

[Blacksapphiref06]

Nice thread
makes me feel one of the lucky ones that can drive this masterpiece

[bsamoul]

I absolutely agree with you. Excellent write up, thanks for taking the time.

[Vamshi]

Originally Posted by lux.sh

Introduction
Surpringly, Im not young. I wish I was de-age though.

How old are you?.......the moment I started reading your post I felt like listening to a story told my grandfather....

Nice write-up BTW.......

[Enjoiyourlife]

Inspiring. Great write up.

[RDHTran]

haha i remember actually seeing your car in person! I thought this car is clean as fawk. Seeing your car helped me lean towards getting an e90. Sad to see her go but hopefully we can meet up sometime when im down there and check out the new whip!

[Lagger1]

Originally Posted by lux.sh

If you are a guy like me who prefers a girl who smiles like a girl from fairy tale yet goes crazy on bed, intake will do the job for ya.

[anthony @ eas]

Nice write-up.

[lux.sh]

Thank you everyone for positive comments. The hardest part when writing the story was to shorten such long journey into couple paragraphs. This car changed the way I look at things. and that is VERY powerful. Whether I drive a MB or whatever, BMW will get respect from me for life.

Originally Posted by kgb1637

Good luck finding an Audi or Benz with a suspension like this!

That actually is a very interesting statement. I asked myself the same question. I still do. Is there a such car...? who knows.

Originally Posted by Jason

Lux, what cave did you crawl out of?! Good to see you post and that was a great read... thanks for sharing!

Sad to see you headed to Audi or MB, but variety is the spice of life so they say. I'm sure you'll be back in the BMW fold some point soon though, not many are able to kick the habit for long.

Jason, good seeing you again. I was going to mention you and mark for helping me out in various ways, but I thought you would chime in. I would like to thank you for creating such a nice place for BMW owners to share their knowledge and just enjoy. I never doubted this forum will get this big. It just makes me proud that I was part of this forum in the beginning years. I remember going to other forums and advertising E90POST on my own. I loved this forum that much.

Like you said, there are variety of stuff out there. Trust me, that is the only reason why Im trying not to limit myself to BMWs. Also, im in the market for a mid-size sporty 2+2 coupe with $70,000 budget. 3 series coupe is a little small for me, M3 coupe is too aggressive, and 6 series is not my type of car. In a way, Im just unlucky to be in the market for a car that BMW doesn't provide.

Eitherway, Ill be visiting E90POST time to time. I plan on being more active on this forum once stuff in my life settles down and Im more free. Good luck with everything jason. Again, thank you for E90POST.

Originally Posted by bavarian19

Nice!

Have not seen you post in a while!

Right when I saw your screen name, I immediately recognized you! Good seeing you too bavarian. Looking at your post count, you must be still dedicated. Hope things are going well for you.

Originally Posted by Vamshi

How old are you?.......the moment I started reading your post I felt like listening to a story told my grandfather....

Nice write-up BTW.......

lol. Maybe its because the way I wrote the story. Im not THAT old. hahaha. Im in late 20s. If you are younger than me, then let me tell ya. Late 20s is when your life is at its peak. Everything so fast, so busy. It almost feels like my mentality aged like 20 years within past few couple years.

Originally Posted by Rtran

haha i remember actually seeing your car in person! I thought this car is clean as fawk. Seeing your car helped me lean towards getting an e90. Sad to see her go but hopefully we can meet up sometime when im down there and check out the new whip!

Fellow local bimmer owner! Im glad my car was able to inspire someone. I won't be buying another car until I find one completely satisfying. It could be end of this year if late. And yes, I will definitely let you know what comes in next. Meeting up sounds even better.

[Budfox27]

What's the big deal with your story? If the Bimmer is so great, stay with it. You will not get the same visceral experience Mercedes or Audi. I guess you are old.

[E92-Lighting]

great read