LVSteve
Member
So before we picked the 328d (d for diesel) as the car for my wife, she and I test drove/looked at a couple of other models.
The car we really went to see was a 2017 330i loaner car with under 7k miles on the clock. The attraction was it was listed as being white with a beige interior, ideal for Vegas. When we saw it in the flesh, my wife said that the white "didn't work" on that body style. She's right, as the silver one we bought looks MUCH better. The interior was nice with upgraded seats and a reasonable amount of amenities. What we didn't like was that the car needed a full tint job and the new B48 gas motor sounds like a diesel. Seems to be a recurring story with 4-cylinder direct injected motors. We didn't drive this car as my wife lost interest because of the color issue.
They also had several 528i examples on the lot. This car can carry white as a body color, but the silver ones are sensational IMHO. Being a bigger car than the 3-series it has a more planted feel (500 lbs more planted) with more width in the cabin. In the bigger car the 4-cylinder motor is all but inaudible and vibration isolation first class. When you rev it out it's smooth, but doesn't have that old BMW 6-banger wail, unfortunately. Regarding 4-cylinder refinement, I'm looking at you, Land Rover and Jaguar. The seats were plainer than those in the 330i but still very comfortable. Strangely, the ride in the 5-series cars wasn't really any better than the 3-series models, and that was a surprise. Indeed, that extra 500 lbs gave the 528i a ponderous feel compared to the 328d that I didn't really like. We decided against this car because the fuel mileage improvement over her SUV didn't justify purchase. We also felt that the 3-series rode as well and was nearly as quiet.
Inevitably, the 328d we bought had to go back for some things to be fixed. Vegas dealers don't do all the paint chips and wheels refurb until a vehicle is sold, even in prestige dealerships. I don't know if this is just a Vegas thing or industry wide.
So, I was given a 328i loaner for the day. This makes an interesting comparison with the diesel. For sure, the gas motor doesn't have the ultimate low-down grunt of the diesel, but it still pulls well at low revs with no real lag I could detect. BMW really have nailed this twin-scroll turbo game. Yes, I'm looking at you AGAIN, Land Rover and Jaguar. This gas motor is the older N20 type but it also suffers from the "DI rattle". It revs out well though.
I know the F30 model 3-series has been panned in the motoring press for lacking the sporting edge of previous models. Indeed, the current F30 is the same size as a 5-series from the 1980s/90s. But as a car to own, it's a darned good package barring the lack of spare wheel thing. That still grates bit. The ride of the F30 3-series is plush on 17" or 18" wheels and the grip and handling surpass my current level of bravery. Add the great refinement, and it seems like enough car to me.
The car we really went to see was a 2017 330i loaner car with under 7k miles on the clock. The attraction was it was listed as being white with a beige interior, ideal for Vegas. When we saw it in the flesh, my wife said that the white "didn't work" on that body style. She's right, as the silver one we bought looks MUCH better. The interior was nice with upgraded seats and a reasonable amount of amenities. What we didn't like was that the car needed a full tint job and the new B48 gas motor sounds like a diesel. Seems to be a recurring story with 4-cylinder direct injected motors. We didn't drive this car as my wife lost interest because of the color issue.
They also had several 528i examples on the lot. This car can carry white as a body color, but the silver ones are sensational IMHO. Being a bigger car than the 3-series it has a more planted feel (500 lbs more planted) with more width in the cabin. In the bigger car the 4-cylinder motor is all but inaudible and vibration isolation first class. When you rev it out it's smooth, but doesn't have that old BMW 6-banger wail, unfortunately. Regarding 4-cylinder refinement, I'm looking at you, Land Rover and Jaguar. The seats were plainer than those in the 330i but still very comfortable. Strangely, the ride in the 5-series cars wasn't really any better than the 3-series models, and that was a surprise. Indeed, that extra 500 lbs gave the 528i a ponderous feel compared to the 328d that I didn't really like. We decided against this car because the fuel mileage improvement over her SUV didn't justify purchase. We also felt that the 3-series rode as well and was nearly as quiet.
Inevitably, the 328d we bought had to go back for some things to be fixed. Vegas dealers don't do all the paint chips and wheels refurb until a vehicle is sold, even in prestige dealerships. I don't know if this is just a Vegas thing or industry wide.
So, I was given a 328i loaner for the day. This makes an interesting comparison with the diesel. For sure, the gas motor doesn't have the ultimate low-down grunt of the diesel, but it still pulls well at low revs with no real lag I could detect. BMW really have nailed this twin-scroll turbo game. Yes, I'm looking at you AGAIN, Land Rover and Jaguar. This gas motor is the older N20 type but it also suffers from the "DI rattle". It revs out well though.
I know the F30 model 3-series has been panned in the motoring press for lacking the sporting edge of previous models. Indeed, the current F30 is the same size as a 5-series from the 1980s/90s. But as a car to own, it's a darned good package barring the lack of spare wheel thing. That still grates bit. The ride of the F30 3-series is plush on 17" or 18" wheels and the grip and handling surpass my current level of bravery. Add the great refinement, and it seems like enough car to me.
Last edited:
