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      03-26-2012, 07:29 AM   #1
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New F30 328i "Luxury" as loaner vehicle

I just received a 2012 F30 328i "Luxury" package as a loaner vehicle. First impression is interior is cheap - lots of plastic compared with my e92. 4 cylinder engines feels/sounds like all the other crappy 4 cylinder rental cars I've driven. Non-sport seats are super FLAT. Absolutely no side bolster support. Granted I haven't driven the car that much but hopefully I'll be able to drive it home tonight and really get a good feel for it but first impression is do not want.
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      03-26-2012, 07:44 AM   #2
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What you got is a typical loaner, and it's Luxury "Line", not "package". As such, it's a trim level, not something like the Premium package and so forth. Few dealers loan out loaded cars, so the one you got probably has very few options, same as a "base" E90 with no packages.
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      03-26-2012, 07:46 AM   #3
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I got to sit in an F30 at this years Auto Show in Toronto and I thought the interior was pretty decent/nice, at least in the sport line. What I hated was the steering wheel; I really love the thickness of my ///M wheel and hope they offer something similar when the M-Sport package is announced.

Yet to drive an F30, though so I can't comment on that.
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      03-26-2012, 07:51 AM   #4
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I agree, that 4 cyl. engine is noisey as heck and the fuel injectors are very loud, it just doesnt seem as refined as the I6 engine it replaced. The electric steering, even in sport mode, felt light and artificial.
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      03-26-2012, 07:55 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roundel335 View Post
What you got is a typical loaner, and it's Luxury "Line", not "package". As such, it's a trim level, not something like the Premium package and so forth. Few dealers loan out loaded cars, so the one you got probably has very few options, same as a "base" E90 with no packages.
It's not a base model. It has the Head Up Display, NAV (Technology Package), Comfort Access, Premium package I think (side mirrors fold, power seats, moonroof).
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      03-26-2012, 08:09 AM   #6
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You won't get bolstered seats unless you order the sport seats. As for the quality/trim level of the interior, there's not enough information available as to how the 328 is trimmed out compared to the 335. So now that you've had it for a few days, what are your further impressions?
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      03-26-2012, 10:35 AM   #7
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I feel you are just being an N54 snob.

I like the interior on the F30 much more than the E90. It is slanted to the driver for a more driver oriented feel, like in the E46 and past models.

You're the first person I have read to diss the N20. All of the magazine editors have felt it is a good upgrade from the N52 in the age of turbos for fuel efficiency.

And it's the Luxury line, you're not suppose to be tackling mountain roads in it. Go for a hwy ride once traffic clears up tonight and let us know how luxurious it is.
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      03-26-2012, 10:45 AM   #8
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Be happy that you got a BMW loaner. I usually get a Toyota Camry.
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      03-26-2012, 10:47 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by axztx View Post
4 cylinder engines feels/sounds like all the other crappy 4 cylinder rental cars I've driven.
Well, it isn't your regular "4 cylinder rental", it has a turbo , which should be far more superior to the N52 found in previous generation 328s. Have you driven E9x 328s in the past (this way you can really feel/tell the difference between the two)?
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      03-26-2012, 10:52 AM   #10
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The last loaner I got was a brand new 2011 335ix M Sport, fully loaded with navigation and everything. Car had 150 miles when I got it!

Before that, a 2011 335ix coupe. Also fully loaded. I can't wait to get an F30 as a loaner!
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      03-26-2012, 11:59 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWFanatic2008 View Post
Well, it isn't your regular "4 cylinder rental", it has a turbo , which should be far more superior to the N52 found in previous generation 328s. Have you driven E9x 328s in the past (this way you can really feel/tell the difference between the two)?
I own a e92 328xi and previous car was e90 330i. I know the new 328i has a turbo but honestly it sounds and feels like all the other 4 cylinder cars I've driven as rentals - Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, etc.

I've only driven the loaner for a couple miles but my first impression is that this engine is nowhere close to either of my N52 cars. My e92 is in for service today so hopefully it won't be done until tomorrow - I'd like to drive this F30 home (50 mile drive from work) and really get a feel for it but first impression is not good. I've got to open it up on the highway before I make final judgement.
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      03-26-2012, 12:18 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWFanatic2008 View Post
Well, it isn't your regular "4 cylinder rental", it has a turbo , which should be far more superior to the N52 found in previous generation 328s. Have you driven E9x 328s in the past (this way you can really feel/tell the difference between the two)?
Far more superior in terms of what? Nothing special about it, Audi offered a 2.0T for years. Ill take the I6 any day. The 2.0T is a downgrade from the 6 in this segment.
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      03-26-2012, 12:58 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by MonsterM View Post
Far more superior in terms of what? Nothing special about it, Audi offered a 2.0T for years. Ill take the I6 any day. The 2.0T is a downgrade from the 6 in this segment.
Because 230HP > 240HP and 200 Torq > 250(?)Torq and 30 mpg > 33 mpg, amirite?
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      03-26-2012, 01:10 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ndog14 View Post
I feel you are just being an N54 snob.

I like the interior on the F30 much more than the E90. It is slanted to the driver for a more driver oriented feel, like in the E46 and past models.

You're the first person I have read to diss the N20. All of the magazine editors have felt it is a good upgrade from the N52 in the age of turbos for fuel efficiency.

And it's the Luxury line, you're not suppose to be tackling mountain roads in it. Go for a hwy ride once traffic clears up tonight and let us know how luxurious it is.
Unfortunately, you didn't notice the OP has a 328.... So how can the OP be an N54 snob?
I am not too sure why the OP doesn't like the engine, its more powerful and delivers much more torque?
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      03-26-2012, 01:18 PM   #15
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I test drove the I6 and the new 2.0T back to back, the 2.0T is nothing special. It’s very noisy, I can hear it coming when the salesman pull it up. The 2.0T is just a tad quicker than the I6, but it’s not significant. I guess it comes down to gas mileage vs. refinement. We prefer the I6, it just sound and feel so much smoother.
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      03-26-2012, 06:16 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ndog14 View Post
Because 230HP > 240HP and 200 Torq > 250(?)Torq and 30 mpg > 33 mpg, amirite?
Not sure if serious. There is more to an engine than max hp/torq figures. The MPG's improvement is hardly revolutionary considering the size of the engine and the technology involved.
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      03-26-2012, 07:19 PM   #17
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I was lucky enough to take out a brand new F30 335i sportline two weekend ago. Take a look at pic and my review:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664345
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      03-26-2012, 07:26 PM   #18
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Whaaa you got a brand new BMW as a loaner!?

On the topic of the F30, I sat in a new 328i at the dealership last week (non-sport). I don't remember much about it, which says enough.
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Originally Posted by bwsteg View Post
Be happy that you got a BMW loaner. I usually get a Toyota Camry.
Same - I have only gotten Enterprise rental cars, they are ... like all the other rental cars I drive for work. Generic and unmemorable.

First world problems for sure, but ... still.
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      03-26-2012, 07:27 PM   #19
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Quote:
You're the first person I have read to diss the N20.
Well you haven't read much. The N20 is definitely a downgrade in feel compared to I6. I drove it and I absolutely agree with OP (but not for the interior).
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      03-27-2012, 01:48 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bwsteg View Post
Be happy that you got a BMW loaner. I usually get a Toyota Camry.
+1, a**holes even gave me a F150 one time...FOR 3 DAYS...i wasn't happy.
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      03-27-2012, 04:28 AM   #21
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      03-27-2012, 05:49 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ndog14 View Post
Because 230HP > 240HP and 200 Torq > 250(?)Torq and 30 mpg > 33 mpg, amirite?
So let's wait a while and see what the real-world MPG is for the N20. It is one thing to develop an engine that makes good grades in the EPA MPG test (even though the N20 has already been downgraded from 36 Highway MPG to 33), but it's been my observation through magazine test data and a few friends with turbo cars, that the real-world MPG numbers are not that significantly better than a NA engine of larger displacement and equal horsepower ratings. Certainly not worth the added cost, complexity, and reliability risks as trade for a few thousand of dollars in saved fuel use over the life of the vehicle.

I really can’t see why BMW could not have downsized the N52, gave it direct injection (maybe HPFP reliability is BMW's Achilles heal) and achieved similar performance to the E90 328 and improved MPG by a few percent.

As a previous poster said, a four cylinder is a four cylinder and comes with harmonics that are just not in the I-6 engine configuration. The N20 can have all the balance shafts and hydraulic engine mounts it wants, it is still going to be a 4 cylinder engine.

As a BMW owner that has been driving a BMW I-6 for the past 24 years (and who also owns a 4-cylinder Z3 as well), it will be a very hard sell for the dealer to convince me a F30 328i is worth my consideration. I plan on a test drive soon (as soon as I can find a MT car) and I'll make an assessment too.

Looking forward to the OP's post on his update today.
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