[thrill30]

Today I took delivery of my baby. I was absolutely blown away. Firstly by the way it looks. Secondly when I started driving it. I stalled it twice while taking off from the first two traffic lights. I also noticed a bit of a difficulty in changing from gear 1 to 2 as others reported earlier.... but I'm getting the hang of it. I've only done 102 kilometres so far....because i only took delivery in the evening.

I also noticed that if I change quicker and at high revs(around 4000rpm) , the gears seem to engage smoothly.... this baby does not want to be babysitted

SUMMARY/GENERAL
The car feels very light. That is contrary to what I've read elsewhere in other threads, where people complained about the E90 feeling heavy....but then again, I come from a standard E46 320i that was heavier to drive than my friend's E46 325i Sport Pack.

EXHAUST NOTE
The sound is there, but from within the car, it's not as satisfying as when you listen to it from outside while someone else drives it. Sadly, I can't drive with my windows open yet. I put on some tint and the tint guys said I must leave the windows closed for 48 hours.

SPORT PACK + 162 WHEELS
The combination of 162 wheels and the sport pack is surprisingly good. It's not harsh at all. I come from a standard suspension but I have nothing but high praises for the 162 wheels and Sport suspension. well done BMW.... oh, I have Bridgesone tyres, and i think they are fine...even though I would have preferred Michelins this time. yes, if you go over a big pothole you will feel it, but the ride in general is very smooth but firm... if that makes any sense.


SPORTS SEATS
These are great. they are a whole lot better than the Sports seats I last used in my E36. I like the side bolsters, they are a very useful feature. Taking bends is gonna be fun.

SOUND INSULATION
The interior is extremely quiet. It's really amazing what they did to the E90. I thought my E46 was quiet, but check out the E90... freakin' unbelievably quiet.

LOGIC 7
I haven't played around long enough with settings, but so far it sounds excellent.

EXTENDED LIGHTS PACKAGE
Another cool gadget, but this is for setting your car apart from the rest. It's not a must-have. Just another gadget to satisfy us gadget freaks.

COMFORT ACCESS
I'm a gadget freak, so this is one of those features which I would kick myself if I had left out. I think the Start button was designed with CA in mind. Get out of the car, tap the grooves in the handle, and the car locks the doors. While the car is locked, get close to the car and start opening the doors, and they unlock and open.

TOWBAR
I love the way it gets hidden under the car. Click the button in the trunk, and the Towbar comes out from its hiding place. You still need to position it manually to secure it in its correct position. Again, to fold it, you press the button, and the Towbar is released from the towing position. You then need to secure it in its hiding place. It's very neat. There is beep that tells you once the towbar is secured in its place, either when folding it or extending it.

Next to the button, there is also a light that turns red while the towbar is not in its correct position (folding or extending). The light turns green when the towbar is in its correct position.

TRAY IN TRUNK
It's not a must have, but it's very useful. You can put your files there and some flat stuff.
In my test, there is very little chance of it intoducing rattles, but I will give feedback if anything changes in that regard.

FOLDING MIRRORS
Another toy, that is not necessary. The only reason I ordered it is that I always thought it looks cool, and the last excuse to get it was when I came to my E46 and found my passenger mirror folded. It appears some smart person walked past my car and almost ripped the mirror out.... freakin' careless people. All in all, this is just a cool feature, nothing to it... but i like it so much that I paid for it.... and yes I love it.

BLUETOOTH
The disappointment of the day. It did not pair with my Motorolla V3 RAZR. Well, I was in a hurry, and asked the dealer to not worry about it. i will go back there if i can't figure it out. I will give it another try over the weekend. If not, maybe there is something wrong with the car's Bluetooth? I hope not.

CLIMATE COMFORT WINDSCREEN
It's not so different from the standard windscreen, but if you stand from the front of the car, you can tell that it has a different shade compared to the side windows. I'll evaluate its effectiveness in summer.

VOICE CONTROL
Works great. I think i'm not gonna use the iDrive knob very much, which is cool...then i can concentrate on driving without distractions. I haven't read the manual for commands, but the commands I guessed were recognised.

TERRA
Absolutely beautiful.As soon as I saw it in real life, I changed my order on the spot from Black to Terra. Even though I had only saw Terra with Walnut, I'm pleased to say that if you think Walnut and Terra rock, then Terra and Aluminium will blow you away. Forget the pictures, go see terra in person. What I think is interesting is that the gray roof liner and Aluminium make a perfect match. I was pleasantly surprised by that. I still don't like the gray roof, I prefer it to be black. The airbags on the side of the seat are indeed black. That is a bit annoying, but it's not so conspicuous.

XENONS
I like the rings very much... just a pity that i can't admire them while driving.... the lighting is a lot more effective. i saw a hint of blue in the lighting, which is great.

IDRIVE / NAVIGATION
Not much use so far. I will give a more in-depth review in a few weeks. So far I tested it for a very short time and it seems to be great.


PARK DISTANCE CONTROL (FRONT + REAR)
Since using it in my E46, I have become dependant on it. This time I wanted both front and rear....as I always got pissed that the 5 has the front but the E46 only had rear....not really a necessity, but it works great.

HILL-START ASSIST
It works great. It also works in reverse. It holds the car very well.

All in all, I have nothing but praises for my E90 ... and I hope this Bluetooth story gets sorted soon.

[rishid]

Nice summary of your early thoughts on your car.

[impulsebrklyn]

what is the EXTENDED LIGHTS PACKAGE??? Chris

[Cloud9]

Nice write up! I agree with you on the shifting and the exhaust. I would have liked a louder exhaust. Right now, the jerky shift from 1-2 is the ONLY thing I'm not happy about. I only have about 200 miles on mine so I know I'll get use to the shifting with time.

The cool feature for me is the automatic fold up mirrors by using the button or the key.

[davinet78]

congratulations enjoy your car and please keep us informed on your experiences

[Broken1]

Congrats...not to be rude, but that car must have cost you a pretty penny :-) It's got EVERYTHING! You must definately post some pictures!!! ;-) What colour is your car?

Where did you get your tints done? I want to get my windows tinted, but I've heard it can interfere with the comfort access antenna's. So where did you get yours done? How much did they charge? and do you know what tint it was? (Maybe you could ask the dealer where they had it done, if you don't know?)

Thanks
Dale

[Broken1]

bump

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by impulsebrklyn

what is the EXTENDED LIGHTS PACKAGE??? Chris

This is option SA563. In the South African Market it consists of:
1. Entry area illumination integrated in the door handles...those cool lights under door handles.
2. Reading lights (front and rear)
3. Footwell illumination.
4. Illumination of vanity mirrors.

Number 2, 3, and 4 are standard on 6 cylinder models. As a result, this package is cheaper for the 325i and 330i, compared to the full price on 320i and 320d.

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by Cloud9

Nice write up! I agree with you on the shifting and the exhaust. I would have liked a louder exhaust. Right now, the jerky shift from 1-2 is the ONLY thing I'm not happy about. I only have about 200 miles on mine so I know I'll get use to the shifting with time.

The cool feature for me is the automatic fold up mirrors by using the button or the key.

I agree, those folding mirrors are way cool.... and the kerb autofocus (passenger mirror tilt down when engaging reverse) is also another cool feature.... yes it was there in the E46, but it's still cool even now.

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by davinet78

congratulations enjoy your car and please keep us informed on your experiences

So far I have noticed the following:
1. The velour floor mats do not clip on the floor as they did in the E46. They grip well, but I wonder if that will be the case in 2 years time.... I will wait and see.

2. The Sports seats side bolsters are very functional, and they must be standard in all BMW seat, IMO.

3. The doors need a bit of slamming to close. If you close them the same way you closed an E46 for example, you will realise that you need to be a little more harsh to get them to close properly.

4. I've been driving with the radio off for most of the time, and so far I have not heard a single rattle.... I certainly hope things stay that way for ever.

5. The controls for the front windows especially are too far... If I try to open or close a front window without looking, I end up opening a rear window instead... i'm sure I will get used to it.

6. The turn signal is positioned perfectly... I have not mistakenly used the cruise control stalk while trying to signal a turn. Initially i thought I will have a lot of problems with that. The "key" to doing this properly is in where you put your hands on the steering wheel. If you put both hands on the steering wheel in the 10-2 position, you just flick with your finger and you get to the correct stalk.... however, if you drive with one hand.... then you might have a problem if you move the free arm and try to use it to reach the turn-signal stalk.

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by Broken1

Congrats...not to be rude, but that car must have cost you a pretty penny :-) It's got EVERYTHING! You must definately post some pictures!!! ;-) What colour is your car?

Where did you get your tints done? I want to get my windows tinted, but I've heard it can interfere with the comfort access antenna's. So where did you get yours done? How much did they charge? and do you know what tint it was? (Maybe you could ask the dealer where they had it done, if you don't know?)

Thanks
Dale

Thanks Dale

1. Yes, this is a very expensive exercise... I'm sure you can work out the price hehehe!!! It's painful to even think about the price, but hey it's worth every single penny I spent on it... even with the Bluetooth that doesn't cooperate. For a bit less money I could have gotten a 530i. I have test-driven a 530i and a 330i back to back, and the 330i was a clear winner for me.

2. I will prepare some pictures over the weekend. I leave for work too early in the mornings, and come back too late in the evenings.

3. The colour is Sapphire Black.... and absolute beauty, besides the fact that I drove the car for about 200km only, and it's as dirty as hell already.

4. I asked the dealer to organise me a tint before I collected the car. i told them that as soon as I take delivery, I will not have time to do anything else in the car... they organised registration plates, tint, Netstar Sleuth... when I collected it, everything was done. They gave me a paper which has a name for the tinting company. I left that paper at work... I will post the details tomorrow evening. The tint does not interfere with Comfort Access or the Antenna at all.... my navigation and Comfort Access both work perfectly. The tint will cost you R1500..... it protects you against smash and grab attacks too... The dealer said it's a 3M product.

[Broken1]

Thanks! I wanted that 3m tint, but I have been quoted above 2grand (so it might even be worth my while to drive to pta...to save 500bucks).

I also have saphire black. Be carefull of bird poop :-/ A bird "marked" my car today, and even though I washed it 4 hrs later...there's a mark I've had my car 2 weeks, done 800km's and washed it 4 times! These e90's are awesome...I just couldn't make the 70 grand jump to a 330i. I was chosing between a basic 325 exclusive with 16" wheels etc...or a 320d fully loaded (and comfort access) with 17" wheels and some cash left over for a rear deck spoiler (which bmw will not supply painted!! :/) and some window tints :-)

My bluetooth is working excellently...I've got a nokia 7610.

Also, my mats have velcro pads at the bottom of them which is keeping them in place? I'm sure yours should to? I'm guessing you bought it from Leo Haese? (The only BMW dealership I know of in pta...)

When you manage to get the tint company info...drop me a line either here or on broken1@e90post.com!

Thanks again...

Ps. Enjoy your car...maybe if I meet you on a highway doing 80km/h - i can show your 330i some diesel torque hehehe!

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by Broken1

Thanks! I wanted that 3m tint, but I have been quoted above 2grand (so it might even be worth my while to drive to pta...to save 500bucks).

I also have saphire black. Be carefull of bird poop :-/ A bird "marked" my car today, and even though I washed it 4 hrs later...there's a mark I've had my car 2 weeks, done 800km's and washed it 4 times! These e90's are awesome...I just couldn't make the 70 grand jump to a 330i. I was chosing between a basic 325 exclusive with 16" wheels etc...or a 320d fully loaded (and comfort access) with 17" wheels and some cash left over for a rear deck spoiler (which bmw will not supply painted!! :/) and some window tints :-)

My bluetooth is working excellently...I've got a nokia 7610.

Also, my mats have velcro pads at the bottom of them which is keeping them in place? I'm sure yours should to? I'm guessing you bought it from Leo Haese? (The only BMW dealership I know of in pta...)

When you manage to get the tint company info...drop me a line either here or on broken1@e90post.com!

Thanks again...

Ps. Enjoy your car...maybe if I meet you on a highway doing 80km/h - i can show your 330i some diesel torque hehehe!

Yes, the tint is ridiculously expensive if you do it via a dealer... I think I got it cheaper because I took way too many options, and the dealer felt sorry for me hehehe!!! Initially they quoted me R3125 for tint.

Thanks for the warning about the bird stuff... I just need to pray that no bird tries to be funny on my car. I'm sorry to hear about the mark on your paint.... My advice is that you should do that glazing thing, it should protect your paint against such marks.... it must be painful to look at such a mark... but I'm sure if you polish it, it will go away.

Yep, the 330i is too expensive and yet it doesn't have many additional standard features.... I think you did well with your choice... you've got torque more than that on a 330i... you don't have to change to lower gears to overtake in most cases.

I wanted the spoiler too, but the price was getting out of hand, so I reluctantly left it out.

Yes, my mats do have velcro... it's just that I'm used to the E46 way in mats.

Yep, Leo Haese is the place where I got my car.... their service has been excellent. That's why i bought my E36, E46 and now E90 from them.

I envy you about bluetooth... today I tested 2 friend's phones (Nokia 7610 and a Samsung or Siemens)... the car didn't pick any one of them.... however, the other phone did pick up my Motorolla V3 RAZR... so, i'm beginning to think that the problem is with the car's bluetooth... I'll keep building a strong case.... I just don't want to take my car back to the dealer... i'm still having fun with it....and still over-protective about it too.

hehehe, about the torque, I have driven a 320d and I know that it has lots of torque.... which is very useful in everyday driving and overtaking.... well, i don't know about driving 80km/h because I'm actively looking for one of those sprays for number plates... I want the cameras to shoot blanks... that's the only way I will ever be able to test if my car can reach the claimed 250km/h.... well, i'll be driving fast but definitely safely.

[Broken1]

Originally Posted by thrill30

hehehe, about the torque, I have driven a 320d and I know that it has lots of torque.... which is very useful in everyday driving and overtaking.... well, i don't know about driving 80km/h because I'm actively looking for one of those sprays for number plates... I want the cameras to shoot blanks... that's the only way I will ever be able to test if my car can reach the claimed 250km/h.... well, i'll be driving fast but definitely safely.

I sent you a private message about shooting blanks :-) and number plates...

As far as driving fast and safe...you should definately look at BMW advanced driving! Next week friday, I'm going to advanced driving. I did the "Collision avoidance and skidpan" course when I got my E46 - it was an excellent day of fun...really learnt about car control and skid control. This time, I'm going for precision driving...they put you in an E90 330i (about 2-6 months old) and teach you how to handle the car at high speeds, driving around kyalami!

"This course offers the driver the unique opportunity to experience the superb road holding, power and excitement that only a BMW can offer. Under expert supervision on the Kyalami International Grand Prix motor racing circuit, instructors simulate emergency situations at high speeds and demonstrate how the vehicle reacts. We allow the driver to discover his/her own limits of vehicle control."
http://www.bmw.co.za/Services/ADriving/DEFAULT.asp

The precision driving course is costing me about R1700 or something, but I definately think it's worth it...just judging from my last experience...

I'm off to bed now, got an early day tomorro...

[Cavolej]

Originally posted by THRILL 30:
BLUETOOTH
The disappointment of the day. It did not pair with my Motorolla V3 RAZR. Well, I was in a hurry, and asked the dealer to not worry about it. i will go back there if i can't figure it out. I will give it another try over the weekend. If not, maybe there is something wrong with the car's Bluetooth? I hope not.


Just wondering THRILL30 But my Motorolla V3 RAZR which I bought after a week of getting my 330i works with the car's Bluetooth. The dealer sales guy set it up for me... He punched in a code # 6688 on my i-drive communication set-up....

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by Cavolej

Originally posted by THRILL 30:
BLUETOOTH
The disappointment of the day. It did not pair with my Motorolla V3 RAZR. Well, I was in a hurry, and asked the dealer to not worry about it. i will go back there if i can't figure it out. I will give it another try over the weekend. If not, maybe there is something wrong with the car's Bluetooth? I hope not.


Just wondering THRILL30 But my Motorolla V3 RAZR which I bought after a week of getting my 330i works with the car's Bluetooth. The dealer sales guy set it up for me... He punched in a code # 6688 on my i-drive communication set-up....

The reason I bought the V3 RAZR was that I heard that it works great with the E90... now I'm very disappointed.... the car does not detect the V3 RAZR at all... we sat there with the sales people, trying to pair it, but we never even got to the stage of punching a code.... in the end I told them that I have a lot more interesting thing in my mind (driving the car) than worry about Bluetooth...I promised that I will come back later.... I suspect that the car's Bluetooth is screwed up or something is not connected..... When I finally get the strength, I will take the car back to the dealer and ask them to fix it. Right now I'm enjoying the car, and have no time to wait while the car is sitting at the dealership.

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by Broken1

I sent you a private message about shooting blanks :-) and number plates...

As far as driving fast and safe...you should definately look at BMW advanced driving! Next week friday, I'm going to advanced driving. I did the "Collision avoidance and skidpan" course when I got my E46 - it was an excellent day of fun...really learnt about car control and skid control. This time, I'm going for precision driving...they put you in an E90 330i (about 2-6 months old) and teach you how to handle the car at high speeds, driving around kyalami!

"This course offers the driver the unique opportunity to experience the superb road holding, power and excitement that only a BMW can offer. Under expert supervision on the Kyalami International Grand Prix motor racing circuit, instructors simulate emergency situations at high speeds and demonstrate how the vehicle reacts. We allow the driver to discover his/her own limits of vehicle control."
http://www.bmw.co.za/Services/ADriving/DEFAULT.asp

The precision driving course is costing me about R1700 or something, but I definately think it's worth it...just judging from my last experience...

I'm off to bed now, got an early day tomorro...

Thanks for the course info. That one is a very important course, especially if you have a heavy right foot like me.... it sounds like it is fun too.

As promised, here is the tint info:
NOTE: I have learnt that the tint I have is Llumar Magnum, and not 3M. The warranty card says their tint will be good for 10 years. If it's found to be defective before 10 years, they will redo it for free.

It appears that they have branches or agents in Joburg. Check from the Call Centre for an agent nearest to you. See the map in their website...it shows locations for agents/branches.

WEBSITE: www.solarsafetyshield.co.za
Call centre: 0861 123 777

PRETORIA AGENT DETAILS:
NAME: X-treme Auto Security & Accessory
ADDRESS: Shop 19, Corporate Corner, Cnr Church & Gordon Street, Hatfield
TEL: 012 - 430 4532

An alternative company is the following:
NAME : Solace
WEB SITE: http://www.solace-sa.net/

[Broken1]

Thanks... I'm gonna give them a call later :P

[thrill30]

Some feedback:

The Bluetooth problem I initially had has been sorted. I sorted it myself. You wonder what I did? Wait for it..... I read the manual hehehe. I decided to open the freakin' manual. I follwed the steps stipulated from Page 6 of the Telephone Manual... I didn't even have to read the whole story... I just folowed the directions on screen, and I was connected in less than a minute.... All my phone-book entries were also transferred to the car....I made a few phone calls to test...Bluetooth rocks.... for the first time I'm not gonna worry about cops when making calls while driving.

By the way, I'm using a Motorola V3 Razr.

Now, my E90 is absolutely perfect...I have not experienced any issues with this car...and believe me, i'm really looking for faults all the time....I hope it stays as solid as it is, for a long time.

[Cavolej]

That's Great Thrill30...
Everything now works out for you... Enjoy your ride man!

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by Cavolej

That's Great Thrill30...
Everything now works out for you... Enjoy your ride man!

Yes, very much so.... and today while driving on a highway, I started hearing that sweet note from the exhaust pipes . I have a feeling that the note is improving as I go through the break-in period, and I hope I'm right. The improvement in refinement of the exhaust note is noticeable

Logic 7 rocks and I love it, but today I kept it off and enjoyed the exhaust note instead... and I think that's gonna happen a lot more often.

[thrill30]

Some pics....