zznalg
05-22-2012, 11:13 PM
Hi all. I've been on this board of for a while and have owned several 3s, 5s, an M, and Xs. I've been bmwless for about a year and that was not planned to change. The other day however, I innocently went to the local BMW dealer to test drive a 2008 RX-8. I figured that it could be a fun, interesting and unique automotive experience which will get harder to find in the future. So, test drive I did. The handling was superlative on a tight mountain road. The motor however was perhaps weaker than anything I have ever driven; including low end rental cars. On top of that, it was throwing CELs! The salesman stopped trying to sell it to me and instead started talking about the singular new 328i manual which just arrived at the dealership. "Beautiful, sapphire black/black, sport line, premium, cold, xenons, BT/USB, rare, gorgeous, etc.". I was like, I came here to spend 18k, not 45(!!)
Then we got back to the dealership and I was shown the car. I knew I was in trouble. I love the evolution of the 3's styling. I love that it shares the styling of the new 5. I am crazy about the sport line black leather interior with red piping and stitching.
Then we went for a drive. I didn't know what to expect having read great and fair reviews. But, I am a huge fan of turbo-fours. Especially, living at 7000 ft above sea level in the mountains, turbos have a HUGE advantage.
The power (at altitude) was much stronger than my E90 328xi. The handling was also much sharper (as of course, that car didn't have a sport suspension). The steering was accurate and quick but with a somewhat different feel than the E90. As a whole, this car is nothing other than an absolutely excellent 3. The adjustable drive modes (ECO, Comfort, Sport, Sport+) are phenomenal. I may not make much use of the ECO mode but the others are terrific. The start/stop is something I appreciate. I'm a greenie at heart. I like how it can be turned off though. The braking felt fine for road use and again, I appreciate the scavenging of otherwise wasted energy.
All in all, the car blew me away with its phenomenal balance of performance, handling, comfort, ergonomics, visibility, interior space (much improved), luxury, styling and solidity. To me it seems to be just about as perfect a car as I can currently imagine for my personal tastes and needs.
I'll post more impressions as I pass the 500 mile mark!
Then we got back to the dealership and I was shown the car. I knew I was in trouble. I love the evolution of the 3's styling. I love that it shares the styling of the new 5. I am crazy about the sport line black leather interior with red piping and stitching.
Then we went for a drive. I didn't know what to expect having read great and fair reviews. But, I am a huge fan of turbo-fours. Especially, living at 7000 ft above sea level in the mountains, turbos have a HUGE advantage.
The power (at altitude) was much stronger than my E90 328xi. The handling was also much sharper (as of course, that car didn't have a sport suspension). The steering was accurate and quick but with a somewhat different feel than the E90. As a whole, this car is nothing other than an absolutely excellent 3. The adjustable drive modes (ECO, Comfort, Sport, Sport+) are phenomenal. I may not make much use of the ECO mode but the others are terrific. The start/stop is something I appreciate. I'm a greenie at heart. I like how it can be turned off though. The braking felt fine for road use and again, I appreciate the scavenging of otherwise wasted energy.
All in all, the car blew me away with its phenomenal balance of performance, handling, comfort, ergonomics, visibility, interior space (much improved), luxury, styling and solidity. To me it seems to be just about as perfect a car as I can currently imagine for my personal tastes and needs.
I'll post more impressions as I pass the 500 mile mark!