Car totaled, so what should I get?

[mistercindy]

My 2000 Mercedes E320 is probably totaled from water damage. I'll know for sure early next week, but it doesn't look good. It had 92,000 miles and had been a damn reliable car. But when I bought it I told myself that it would be my last 4-door family sedan. Truth be known, I never loved the E320. It was practical, comfortable, and the ideal car for what I needed. But in 30+ years of driving I've only loved one of my cars: A 1984 BMW 318i coupe in manual transmission.

That 318i was great handling car. It wasn't remotely powerful, but that's not what made it fun. It handled like a dream and purred at 100 MPH. Gray exterior and blue leather interior. I owned it when I lived in South Africa (right hand drive) and it was just too darn expensive to ship back home. I still miss it.:(

So, with the death of my aforementioned E320, I'm shopping. This week I test drove two 2008 328i sedans in automatic transmission: one with and one without the sport package. I had nearly forgotten what a driving pleasure the 3-series were. Compared to my E320 they felt like a damn Porsche. But I want to drive a manual and they had none on the floor (can you believe that... in a BMW dealership?!?). But, one of their loaners is a 335i coupe in manual, and in an hour I'm going to drive it to see how shifter feels.

I've already decided I don't need the sport package (don't want the low profile tires). I also don't want to go anywhere near active steering or a cruise control that slows down for me. And I've survived quite a few decades without comfort access and I figure I can survive some more. I've no desire to have the Navi system (if I want a GPS I'll buy a fine handheld for a fraction of the price). Also, the 328i is plenty fast enough for my purposes, so I don't think I need the power of the 335i. That, and the part of a BMW that really puts a grin on my face is the handling and feel of the car, not the power.

Right now I'm thinking simple:

- a 328i coupe with manual transmission,
- premium package (for the leather and power front seats)
- arctic white exterior, black leather interior, gray poplar wood
- power rear sunshade (I'm in Texas and the sun is intense in the summer)

Thoughts?

[Corky71]

You seem to know what your looking for and I think you would love the choice your making. I couldn't agree with you more about not wanting all those extra options. If you don't need them or want them you won't miss them and you'll save a pretty penny. Great decision in deciding for a MT. I love the shifter in my car, I think you'll like it just fine after you test drive one.

BTW- Great choice with the gray poplar! IMO it's the best choice for the interior, i've gotten many compliments on mine.

Good luck!

[psucelticXI]

I've already decided I don't need the sport package (don't want the low profile tires). I also don't want to go anywhere near active steering or a cruise control that slows down for me. And I've survived quite a few decades without comfort access and I figure I can survive some more. I've no desire to have the Navi system (if I want a GPS I'll buy a fine handheld for a fraction of the price). Also, the 328i is plenty fast enough for my purposes, so I don't think I need the power of the 335i. That, and the part of a BMW that really puts a grin on my face is the handling and feel of the car, not the power.


Couldn't agree with you more.



Right now I'm thinking simple:

- a 328i coupe with manual transmission,
- premium package (for the leather and power front seats)
- arctic white exterior, black leather interior, gray poplar wood
- power rear sunshade (I'm in Texas and the sun is intense in the summer)

Thoughts?

Test out the leatherette too, it's very comfortable and most don't even know it's not leather. Unless you need/want the bluetooth/BMW Assist/etc that also come with the premium package, go for the leatherette. You save yourself a nice chunk of change, and they preserve better over time.

[reed872]

Personally, I think you are much better off with the sport package than the premium.

I have a 335i w/ sport no premium and I couldn't be happier. Make sure you get the ipod adapter!!!

[mryakan]

You`re missing out on the sports package. Drive one with and without back to back and you`ll know what I mean. Don`t you get 17`with the 328 sports package anyway, that is not too bad if you hate low profiles. You mentioned handling more than once, so I can almost say for sure you`ll miss the sports package.

[mistercindy]

I drove the 335i coupe in manual today and.... Oh...my...God....:eek: That is one helluva car. We went on a stretch where I was on a winding road at 80 MPH still in fourth gear and it felt great. In third I was at 5500 RPMs with a lot left. Not even a hint of turbo lag. What a machine!

It was one of the dealership's loaners: a 2007 with 15,000 miles, graphite exterior and that beautiful deep red interior. Damn pretty car.

But, realistically, I'll never drive a car that aggressively, so I still think the 328i in manual without the sport package is the way to go. But I gotta admit that it made me think. At a minimum it convinced me to go with the manual. What I did today couldn't be done on the automatic. Whew!:eek:





Test out the leatherette too, it's very comfortable and most don't even know it's not leather. Unless you need/want the bluetooth/BMW Assist/etc that also come with the premium package, go for the leatherette. You save yourself a nice chunk of change, and they preserve better over time.
I will do that, thanks for the suggestion.






Personally, I think you are much better off with the sport package than the premium.

I have a 335i w/ sport no premium and I couldn't be happier. Make sure you get the ipod adapter!!!
You`re missing out on the sports package. Drive one with and without back to back and you`ll know what I mean. Don`t you get 17`with the 328 sports package anyway, that is not too bad if you hate low profiles. You mentioned handling more than once, so I can almost say for sure you`ll miss the sports package.
One of the 328i sedans had the sport package, and the 335i coupe that I drove today had it, too. I have two issues with it. One, as I said, are the tires. I've been told both by other drivers and the salesman that they have lives of around 15,000 miles which I'm just too old fashioned to deal with.

Secondly, at 6'0" and 280 pounds I'm a big guy, and the sport seats pinch more than support. I can see that if I weighed 170 pounds I might well have a different perspective. While I enjoyed the stiffness of today's 335i coupe, I think I'd tire of the pinchiness I get from the seats.

And the 328i I drove without the sport package handled beautifully. Certainly a lot better than my Mercedes E320, and certainly better than my current loaner: a 2007 Mercedes C230.

[PeterC4]

I believe the coupes have sport suspension as standard equipment. I think the 18 inch rims and tires make the car look much better. You might consider the 18's as a stand alone option.

[PeterC4]

328xi Coupe with 18s

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l114/PeterC4/DSC01012.jpg

[StigNV]

The guy upstairs gave you instinct, use it. It sounds like you know what you want. Take it. A buddy of mine has the CLK 230, says it makes him feel like an old man. 328 sounds like your beast. As for the driving capability, not that you would, but you could :redspot
The dark side is a path to many abilities which people consider to be un natural. Ha Ha.

[mistercindy]

328xi Coupe with 18s

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l114/PeterC4/DSC01012.jpg
That's what I have in mind. Beautiful!