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      07-11-2012, 10:49 PM   #1
blt
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My "quick" 328i review!

Hey All,

I was originally going to pick my car up on this Sat, 1 week after it had arrived at the dealership because of work commitments, but the wait was too great and I picked it up yesterday! Was it worth the 4 month wait? ...... Absolutely!!!

The Build:
328i Sportline (Mineral Grey)
Nav Pro
Extended Connectivity Bluetooth
DAB tuner
Rear view camera
Variable Sport Steering

The Likes:
- The handling, this is my first BMW so can't compare it to the older model, but it's fantastic compared to my previous car (2007 Holden Calais V8).
- The sports seats, I was thinking they may be a little too tight (the sides) for my size but they are simply the best. A must have for any 3 series owner.
- The engine, smooth when up and running with plenty of torque and power. Is a tad noisy (but definitely not like a diesel).
- The transmission, silky smooth and can hardly feel the shifts. Dealer reckons it start off in 2nd gear unless you shift the lever into manual mode. This is regardless of the driving mode. Have yet to try the paddles but dealer says this only engages manual mode for a certain time then it reverts back to auto.
- The Nav Pro, love the extra size, and was the main reason for me getting this option. Still have to have a good read of the manual to find all the features.
- The sound system, yes it's only the 9 speaker one but it sounds great for my listening style.
- The steering wheel, nice feel and size, however I have to position it so I can get a full view of the speedo and tacho, so can't see the odometer and tripmeter, but you don't need to see them every second.
- The folding side/exterior mirrors, it's the little things which count.
- The look/profile of the car, to me it's modern and sporting, and the wheels are great, but this is my personal taste.
- The price, didn't have to pay LCT and got free servicing. Could probably have got more off but am happy with what I paid. Also got a full tank of fuel, iPhone cable, and a keyring. Insurance, rego, and running costs are less so I'm happy saving money and the environment.

The Dislikes:
- Auto Stop Start (ASS), yes this topic has been beaten to death, but you can definitely feel it kick in when the air con is on, and not worth using at night. Was at a set of lights and it started before they went green, probably because of the drain on the battery is my guess.
- The cupholder cover, permanently packed away in the glove compartment.
- Centre console, not much room in there, but there is the driver's compartment.

Unsure:
- The ride, you can feel the bumps and rough roads but it's not uncomfortable, tyres are Continental and are set to 40psi. Might drop it a tad lower but won't do that until I've done more kms.
- Eco Pro mode, tried it on a demo test car, and didn't like it. Might try it when cruising on the highway or a traffic jam .....

The Other Things:
- Didn't realise the exhaust tips are black chrome on the Sport line, I like it esp with my car colour.
- Comfort mode, it's ideal for everyday driving and haven't needed to flick it into Sports mode yet. I'm still getting used to the car, but will be trying it soon!
- Adaptive M Suspension would have been nice, but I had a budget and I read somewhere that it can get expensive when replacing parts out of warranty. Yes, I will be keeping the car for at least 4-5 years or more. Would have been nice to try a car with it to see the difference.
- Bi-Xenons would also have been nice, but the standard lights are fine for me, and I don't do a lot of night driving anyway.

Overall, I'm very happy with the car and the experience of buying my first BMW. I can't wait to drive it at any opportunity, even if it means forgetting to buy the milk from the store. The dealership has been very easy to work with and very professional. My only regret and advice to people who are expecting their baby soon, take a few days or a week off to enjoy your car.

And take plenty of pics at the dealership before any rain gets on it.

Happy driving everyone!

Update 1:
- Brakes, forgot to mention these are pretty good and have nice feel.
- Nav Pro, like the Sport Display (power and torque), although it's really just a toy and I should be wathcing the road.
- Nav Pro, DVD player works, a bit small but will give me something watch if I get stuck in traffic.
- Remote, if you hold down the lock button it will close all windows and fold up the exterior mirrors. These will fold out on when the car is unlocked and if you hold down the lock button the all the windows will open.
- Eco pro is ok, but I still prefer comfort. I drive lightly .... most of the time.
- Instrument Cluster with Extended Contents, love this and it was included with Nav Pro.

Update 2:
- visited the dealer and drove a 328i without VSS (Variable Sports Steering) and can say there is a difference. To me it's not that great but noticeable enough when in Sport mode esp when the wheel is turned more, it has more resistance or weight
- decided to lower the tyre pressure slightly to 38psi all round, seems to have made a minor improvement but that could be my imagination.
- the wheels have a fair amount of brake dust, even with the few kms i've done, will have to get use to cleaning them.
- mineral grey is great, picked up the car when it was raining and can hardly see some of the dirt until really close.
- playing mp3's from the iPhone is a learning experience, BMW Y cable doesn't show artwork but Apple cable is fine (tip from dcg71), and bluetooth audio only streams ie you have to use the iPhone to change the artist or album.
- can't wait to get past the run in period to really enjoy the car.

Last edited by blt; 07-20-2012 at 09:17 AM.. Reason: Update
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      07-11-2012, 11:12 PM   #2
bret76
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Thanks for the review, and congratulations!
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      07-11-2012, 11:29 PM   #3
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Congrats blt, sounds like you're enjoying every bit of your brand new F30 baby~!

Reading everyone's reviews so far is making me wish time would hurry up so I can get mine too....

Hope you take some pics and share with us soon

Sucks that it's raining on and off at the moment ... nice wet roads for you to try out Sports+
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      07-11-2012, 11:52 PM   #4
David328M-Sport
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Congrats and drive safely.
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      07-12-2012, 02:34 AM   #5
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Thanks for the review mate.. It's raining every other day here in Melbourne lol.. I wonder how the suspension will be on the Melb roads.

Other than that.. grats... I'll be taking a day off to full enjoy my ride.. Abit of topic however.. I've read somewhere that the cars that are ordered you don't need to wear them in? anyone else heard otherwise?
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      07-12-2012, 06:01 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J1n View Post
Abit of topic however.. I've read somewhere that the cars that are ordered you don't need to wear them in? anyone else heard otherwise?
Yea, very contentious topic... The manual from BMW states to wear in for the first 2000Km/1200Miles. Some have said, "I drive all my cars hard from day 1... X years later still good"... others say, why go against what the manufacturer has stated in the manual..?

Personally, I think i'll just take it easy for the first 2000kms.. call me old fashioned, but "meh"
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      07-12-2012, 06:47 AM   #7
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Congrats, thanks for the review.

Nice to know they gave you some fuel.. lol. Does your iphone cable give you album art for music played from an iphone or ipod? I've since worked out that if I plug my ipod (5g) directly into the centre usb port with apple's own cable I get album art. I can also scroll through tracks on the instrument cluster in the extended display. With the BMW Y cable, I get neither
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      07-12-2012, 03:54 PM   #8
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Congratulations on getting the new car Blt!
Great quick review and good info/feedback.
Take some pics when you can and FYI I am taking the SLR with me and have the day off when I pick up mine next Wed so I'll get some photos when its hot off the press.
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      07-12-2012, 09:09 PM   #9
blt
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Thanks for the responses guys!

Tried out Sports mode last night, sorry Spikey Sports+ will have to wait for another day. And yep, that's where it's at, it was bloody good. Sharper throttle response, gear changes, and adds some very nice weight to the handling. For me the difference between Comfort and Sport is like having two different cars, one for taking it easy and the other for having fun.

Thanks for the tip, dcg71! I was wondering why there was no artwork with the BMW Y cable. Was thinking about getting the snap-in adapter as the manual reckons you can play video using it. I might wait until the iPhone 5 is released in case Apple decides to change the connector.

Only a day Chris? I made the mistake of getting too excited about jumping into the car, and before you know I had to go to an appointment. I lost control and should have resisted the urge and taken pics first. Oh well, I am virgin BMW owner.

Here are some pics for everyone and Spikey.
Attached Images
      
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      07-12-2012, 09:43 PM   #10
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Looks great man, thanks for the pics.
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      07-12-2012, 10:44 PM   #11
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Thanks for the pics blt~!!

I like the matching floor mats you have there.. did you get them on top of everything or did the dealer throw those in for you?
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      07-12-2012, 11:36 PM   #12
blt
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spikey View Post
I like the matching floor mats you have there.. did you get them on top of everything or did the dealer throw those in for you?
Yep, the dealer threw them, but I can't remember whether it was part of the Corporate Programme .....
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      07-13-2012, 05:40 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blt
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spikey View Post
I like the matching floor mats you have there.. did you get them on top of everything or did the dealer throw those in for you?
Yep, the dealer threw them, but I can't remember whether it was part of the Corporate Programme .....
I'm lead to believe they're part of the corporate programme.
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      07-13-2012, 08:14 AM   #14
David328M-Sport
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I like how the red breaks up an otherwise monotone interior. Nice car.
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      07-14-2012, 03:50 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paninaro View Post
I'm lead to believe they're part of the corporate programme.
+1

But I managed to get my dealer to throw them in NC and I'm not in th corporate program
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      07-14-2012, 09:33 PM   #16
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Great pics. I like your review of the non-Adaptive suspension, I am curious, as very few of the initial reviews had non-Adaptive suspended cars. It will be interesting to see what you think of it over time.

Hope you enjoy your car!
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      07-20-2012, 08:08 PM   #17
blt
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JamieA View Post
Great pics. I like your review of the non-Adaptive suspension, I am curious, as very few of the initial reviews had non-Adaptive suspended cars. It will be interesting to see what you think of it over time.

Hope you enjoy your car!
Thanks Jamie!

The Adaptive Suspension was next on my list of options if I could have afforded it, then Xenons, then HUD, then HK audio, then the list goes on! The Adaptive Suspension was all about comfort for me, and I may have seriously considered getting it, if the dealer had one for me to test. If I am going to enjoy the car's potential, it will be on a nice section of road, otherwise it will be in comfort, and for me it's quite acceptable around town. Have lowered the tyre pressure a fraction to 38psi (was set to 40psi by the dealer) and the ride seems a bit better. However, I will say the Variable Sport Steering has been worth the extra $300-$400. It has a bit more feel/weight/resistance in Sport mode than a non VSS 328i.

And yes, am definitely enjoying the car! To me, it's effortless, enjoyable driving pleasure everytime I am on the road.
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      07-20-2012, 11:24 PM   #18
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Garage List
Regarding your brake dust , BMW's are renowned for it. Armorall wheel protectant is good if, like me, you want your rims to look clean for longer.
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      08-05-2012, 09:19 AM   #19
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Hey congrats on a great car, I have something very similiar

Question about your DVD player, I haven't been able to get mine to work, did you do something special? I just see a black screen, have tried a bunch of disks.
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      08-05-2012, 04:43 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by F30Spida View Post
Hey congrats on a great car, I have something very similiar

Question about your DVD player, I haven't been able to get mine to work, did you do something special? I just see a black screen, have tried a bunch of disks.
Are your disks region 4? Works for me.
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      08-06-2012, 03:51 AM   #21
blt
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All I do is turn on the system, throw in the DVD (should auto start), and select CD/Multimedia.

Do you have Navigation Professional? I'm not sure if Navigation Business can play DVDs ....
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      08-06-2012, 06:52 AM   #22
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Interesting.....

I have a Nav Pro, I've tried a number of region 1 and region 4 disks.

I guess I'll have to muck around a bit more

thanks for the info, enjoy your new car, I'm certainly enjoying mine.
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