[9352e90]

All e90 driver f30 bashing aside (as the f30 obviously has many improvements inside and out) what is your opinion on the QUALITY of the f30 interior (not design or ergonomics or aesthetics) just purely interior BUILD QUALITY?

[ef11]

Obviously has many improvements inside and out? Please elaborate...

I had a F30 328 loaner and the quality just felt terrible. It was a white car with beige interior and very base other than nav, but I just felt dumb for driving it. Dumb because I could have bought a $25,000 car that probably had more options and nicer interior feel.

The steering felt so disconnected from the road. Very light. The eco mode where the engine turns on and off is TERRIBLE and jolts you everytime you try to accelerate from a light.

Now maybe if I drove one that had every option and M-sport package like mine I would feel different? I don't think the steering would be different though, and that was really the biggest negative.

After driving it, I felt confident that I wanted to invest money into taking care of my E90 and keep it for a long time.

[AzureHaze]

F30 interior blows baby chunks. That is all.

[Sandman614]

Had the exact same experience as ericfox. I couldn't wait to get back in my e92

[QUiKSR20]

Could not wait to give my F30 loaner back and I drive a 328i E90.. Just felt cheaper and like every other car on the road..
It was fast but didnt feel like a BMW ( 4 cylinder / light steering etc ). I am use to a silky inline 6 and heavy steering.. It was fast ill give it that but thats about it.

I know minor but the sun visors felt like they were out of an 80s car & hard plastics all over, Even if this loaner was a basic model
its still a $40k car there should be some limits on what to cheap out on.

[GreaseMonkey]

I can't stand the interior on the F-series, and this is coming from two very short experiences with loaners. The dash cluster looks cheap with aspirations of modern class. That is to say the gauges appear to me to have taken a step back from a great design in the E-series, but the digital screen adapted from the 7 and 5 series now looks out of place compared to the rest of the cluster. The middle cup holder area is just odd, clunky, and more difficult to navigate without looking than it should be. Finally, I HATE the parking brake on the car, which feels like it was taken from a child's big wheel trike rather than a safety feature for a 2 ton vehicle. I've always used parking brakes, whether on an automatic or manual car, but this one just feels like it is a placebo.

Thanks, I apparently have nothing better to do than rant about a car I don't own haha.

[cdgatti]

The current f30 will make it easier to go to Audi or MB or even Caddy which is on the upswing.

[Efthreeoh]

I have a base '06 325i with leatherette, sport package, Bluetooth (BMW Assist), and HIDs, i.e. basically a stripper. I wanted a driver's car (BMW used to make those before they whored the M-Brand) not a tarted up Luxo boat. Recently, I've spent a week in both a 2012 F30 335i (non-sport) and a Cadillac ATS 2.0T. A week for me means about 1,000 miles of driving on excellent country roads, so I put both cars though the intended sports sedan driving environment, a mix of urban traffic congestion and backcountry driving.

My overall ranking of all three cars is E90 > ATS > F30. However, the ATS was an automatic (which I hate autos), so throw the ATS with a manual trans and the ranking might change. The E90 has the best steering out of the three, but the ATS being electric is not far behind (good job Caddy and ZF). The F30 forgetaboutit; it just plain sucks in the steering department. The Caddy's brembos ROCK. The ATS rides and handles the best, but considering my E90 is a 8-year old design the ATS should be better. Cadillac nailed the driving experience (steering, handling, ride, and braking).

As far as interior design and ergonomics: E90 > F30 > ATS (note: I would not get the CUE or I-drive if I had a choice). I think the MMI (HMI) on all new cars, which some God somewhere thinks is mandatory now, takes away from the driving experience; it's a car after all not a computer, cars are for driving not playing with. The CUE system is horrible.

As far as interiors materials and Build quality: ATS > E90 > F30 (Note: the ATS had leather). I didn't think the F30 was that far off from the E90 as far as build quality; both were leatherette. The ATS interior is well built. It has a really cool motorized cubbyhole behind the button panel that is perfect to keep your wallet out of sight.

[Saintor]

Originally Posted by QUiKSR20

It was fast but didnt feel like a BMW ( 4 cylinder / light steering etc ). I am use to a silky inline 6 and heavy steering..

I agree that the 328i's engine and steering feel went downhill.

But I prefer the F30 interior. It is not like the E90 was a model. There is a lot of exaggeration here.

[E92 M Sport]

Originally Posted by 9352e90

All e90 driver f30 bashing aside (as the f30 obviously has many improvements inside and out) what is your opinion on the QUALITY of the f30 interior (not design or ergonomics or aesthetics) just purely interior BUILD QUALITY?

I drove a 335 f30 last year. The leather felt cheaper, the dash, doors etc. had more hard touch plastics, it just felt cheaper. Car was fast and the 8spd auto was quick though.

[bob.g]

i was in an f30 for a short ride and didnt think the quality was bad. i did however think that it was a step forward over the boring and ugly interior of the e90.

[QUiKSR20]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I have a base '06 325i with leatherette, sport package, Bluetooth (BMW Assist), and HIDs, i.e. basically a stripper. I wanted a driver's car (BMW used to make those before they whored the M-Brand) not a tarted up Luxo boat. Recently, I've spent a week in both a 2012 F30 335i (non-sport) and a Cadillac ATS 2.0T. A week for me means about 1,000 miles of driving on excellent country roads, so I put both cars though the intended sports sedan driving environment, a mix of urban traffic congestion and backcountry driving.

My overall ranking of all three cars is E90 > ATS > F30. However, the ATS was an automatic (which I hate autos), so throw the ATS with a manual trans and the ranking might change. The E90 has the best steering out of the three, but the ATS being electric is not far behind (good job Caddy and ZF). The F30 forgetaboutit; it just plain sucks in the steering department. The Caddy's brembos ROCK. The ATS rides and handles the best, but considering my E90 is a 8-year old design the ATS should be better. Cadillac nailed the driving experience (steering, handling, ride, and braking).

As far as interior design and ergonomics: E90 > F30 > ATS (note: I would not get the CUE or I-drive if I had a choice). I think the MMI (HMI) on all new cars, which some God somewhere thinks is mandatory now, takes away from the driving experience; it's a car after all not a computer, cars are for driving not playing with. The CUE system is horrible.

As far as interiors materials and Build quality: ATS > E90 > F30 (Note: the ATS had leather). I didn't think the F30 was that far off from the E90 as far as build quality; both were leatherette. The ATS interior is well built. It has a really cool motorized cubbyhole behind the button panel that is perfect to keep your wallet out of sight.

I have never driven an ATS but Cadillic is def gunning for BWM and doing a damn good job at it.. ATS and now new Twin Turbo CTS are light years ahead of what they were to them.

My E90 is just like yours " DRIVERS CAR " 328i 6MT w/HID, SPort, RWD The F30 just didnt feel like what BMW is known for.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by QUiKSR20

I have never driven an ATS but Cadillic is def gunning for BWM and doing a damn good job at it.. ATS and now new Twin Turbo CTS are light years ahead of what they were to them.

My E90 is just like yours " DRIVERS CAR " 328i 6MT w/HID, SPort, RWD The F30 just didnt feel like what BMW is known for.

IMO, the only driver's car on the market now (like ours) is the ATS 2.0T Standard model (i.e. no CUE system). Get it with a sunroof and manual transmission and the price actually goes down (2013 models) and you get a good ole' mechanical limited slip differential.

[krhodes1]

I test drove a 328d yesterday, first one my dealership got in. I think the interior is very similar in quality to the e9x, and much more modern. A little "busy", but just as well put together. I like the high-res displays, though personally I would prefer to have the option to NOT have the big screen. I do agree that the beige interior looks nasty, but beige looks bad in the e9x too. This one was black, which looked nice, just boring. For someone my size (XXXL) the car is usefully bigger.

I rather liked the steering. The e9x steering is heavy for no other reason than to be heavy. There is no more actual feel. The F3x steering reminds me of the steering of my BMWs of the 70s and 80s, makes the car feel lighter and more maneuverable.

The 328d engine is fantastic. Plenty of shove, quiet, not super sporting but I will give up a little sport for 40mpg+. If I want to drive like an idiot I have other toys in my toybox. I foresee another Euro Delivery in my future in a year or so. 328d wagon, Sport Line, dark blue on red, I think.

[Saintor]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

IMO, the only driver's car on the market now (like ours) is the ATS 2.0T Standard model (i.e. no CUE system). .

IMO, that's forgetting a bit too quickly the 335i, also available in manual. Car&Driver did a review of F30 vs E90 suspension and key points were that the F30 body center of gravity was 1" higher and that the rear dampers were 10% softer. I would definitely lower a F30 and replace the dampers, which probably gives better results than getting the Sport line. 2K$ to do it is hardly the price of a package these days....

Now they have to find a way to make that steering programmable.

The e9x steering is heavy for no other reason than to be heavy. There is no more actual feel

Well this is the first time that I read this. Of course, I couldn't disagree more. The E90 steering is Porsche-level.

[ErzenE92]

I had an f30 as a loaner and the interior looked and felt cheap, but I do have the premium and sport package on my e92.

[kunal_d]

Originally Posted by Saintor

I agree that the 328i's engine and steering feel went downhill.

But I prefer the F30 interior. It is not like the E90 was a model. There is a lot of exaggeration here.

+100.

I drove a sportline F30 for about a week, black leather with the red stitching. I can't for life of me notice this stark quality difference everyone is rambling on about. IMO the F30 interior has a lot of nice details and touches and the build quality is on par with my E90. All I saw and felt were soft touch plastics and nicely weighted buttons. The gauge cluster is a huge upgrade with a really nice LCD integrated into it. It had the ambient lighting strips like the e92 which for some reason they decided to omit on the E90.

I went into the F30 expecting to find an interior from a Hyundai after reading peoples opinions on here. I tapped away on all the panels trying to find this cheap build quality and plastics, but I couldn’t . It seems to me this happens everytime a new 3er is realeased. I remember reading the numerous posts about the poor quality and boring dashboard of the E9X compared to the E46 when it first came out. I couldn't tell when I got my E90, but I did prefer the style and layout of the E46, which the F30 seems to hark back to especially with the four gauge rings and driver oriented dash. In fact the E9X gauges and dash seem an anomaly, the E46, E36 and E30 all had similar gauge clusters (4 rings) and driver oriented center console and now they go back to that style with the F30. If anything it seems more traditional BMW to me.

In the end I guess perception of quality is subjective... but I agree on the exaggeration over here.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

I test drove a 328d yesterday, first one my dealership got in. I think the interior is very similar in quality to the e9x, and much more modern. A little "busy", but just as well put together. I like the high-res displays, though personally I would prefer to have the option to NOT have the big screen. I do agree that the beige interior looks nasty, but beige looks bad in the e9x too. This one was black, which looked nice, just boring. For someone my size (XXXL) the car is usefully bigger.

I rather liked the steering. The e9x steering is heavy for no other reason than to be heavy. There is no more actual feel. The F3x steering reminds me of the steering of my BMWs of the 70s and 80s, makes the car feel lighter and more maneuverable.

The 328d engine is fantastic. Plenty of shove, quiet, not super sporting but I will give up a little sport for 40mpg+. If I want to drive like an idiot I have other toys in my toybox. I foresee another Euro Delivery in my future in a year or so. 328d wagon, Sport Line, dark blue on red, I think.

I couldn't disagree with this more. Yes, the E90 steering is a bit heavy (reminds me of the E21 in weighting), but it offers so much more communication regarding tire grip than the F30 electric steering. The F30 offers none; it is totally artificial. The ATS system is far closer to the BMWs of the 80's (I owned an E30 for 18 years), lighter with good feed back. I test drove a 2013 F30 320i with sport package and the steering was just as lackluster as the 335i I drove. I could not place the 320i at the apex no matter how hard I tried.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by kunal_d

+100.

I drove a sportline F30 for about a week, black leather with the red stitching. I can't for life of me notice this stark quality difference everyone is rambling on about. IMO the F30 interior has a lot of nice details and touches and the build quality is on par with my E90. All I saw and felt were soft touch plastics and nicely weighted buttons. The gauge cluster is a huge upgrade with a really nice LCD integrated into it. It had the ambient lighting strips like the e92 which for some reason they decided to omit on the E90.

I went into the F30 expecting to find an interior from a Hyundai after reading peoples opinions on here. I tapped away on all the panels trying to find this cheap build quality and plastics, but I couldn’t . It seems to me this happens everytime a new 3er is realeased. I remember reading the numerous posts about the poor quality and boring dashboard of the E9X compared to the E46 when it first came out. I couldn't tell when I got my E90, but I did prefer the style and layout of the E46, which the F30 seems to hark back to especially with the four gauge rings and driver oriented dash. In fact the E9X gauges and dash seem an anomaly, the E46, E36 and E30 all had similar gauge clusters (4 rings) and driver oriented center console and now they go back to that style with the F30. If anything it seems more traditional BMW to me.

In the end I guess perception of quality is subjective... but I agree on the exaggeration over here.

I agree with you. I found the F30 interior on par with the E90. I don't like the screen (just because I'd rather not have one at all). What I did like is the interior lighting scheme (classic or modern) and the lights in the doors above the arm rest and the lighted seat belt ring on the B-pillar; neat. The gauge cluster in the E90 is the only thing I do not like about the car.

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by Saintor

IMO, that's forgetting a bit too quickly the 335i, also available in manual. Car&Driver did a review of F30 vs E90 suspension and key points were that the F30 body center of gravity was 1" higher and that the rear dampers were 10% softer. I would definitely lower a F30 and replace the dampers, which probably gives better results than getting the Sport line. 2K$ to do it is hardly the price of a package these days....

Now they have to find a way to make that steering programmable.



Well this is the first time that I read this. Of course, I couldn't disagree more. The E90 steering is Porsche-level.

To me the E90 steering just feels like it is encased in syrup or something. Heavy and dead. I much prefer a lighter touch. It certainly is different, and if all you ever drive is an e90 I can see where it would feel REALLY different. To each his own.

Maybe Porsche level in the sense that it is more than a bit dead-feeling, just like the latest Porsches. Certainly nothing like the light and lively steering feel of an old 911. Or my 924S for that matter.

But ultimately, these are not race cars, no matter what some around here seem to think. The new 3 is larger and a bit more luxury-oriented, which is market appropriate. If you want something more like an e30, buy a 1-series.

[kunal_d]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I couldn't disagree with this more. Yes, the E90 steering is a bit heavy (reminds me of the E21 in weighting), but it offers so much more communication regarding tire grip than the F30 electric steering. The F30 offers none; it is totally artificial. The ATS system is far closer to the BMWs of the 80's (I owned an E30 for 18 years), lighter with good feed back. I test drove a 2013 F30 320i with sport package and the steering was just as lackluster as the 335i I drove. I could not place the 320i at the apex no matter how hard I tried.

I didn't hate the F30 steering in Sport +, it was precise, direct but with no feel and it was still too light and artificial. The E90 on the other hand is even better than the E46 IMO and light years ahead of the F30. I agree it can feel a bit heavy in parking maneuvers, but that's a small sacrifice considering how great it is at all speeds above 10.

[Saintor]

To me the E90 steering just feels like it is encased in syrup or something. Heavy and dead

Makes NO sense. The E90 steering is anything but dead, very communicative.

Get your references straight.