Last week I wrote my impressions of the Acura TSX after an impulsive test drive of a high mileage example, and concluded that it had the wrong transmission and wrong ownership history to be an effective emissary. I also claimed to prefer the way German cars go down the road, so I’d likely prefer something quieter and more powerful regardless. It seems like a good time to examine that claim via a German in far better condition. This is a 3-year old ex-lease F30 BMW 328i X-Drive with only 37K miles, and it will scoot to 60 in 5.6 seconds using a torque-rich engine and a quick-witted transmission with plenty of gears. Conceptually, this fixes every problem I had with that battered Acura, so I must have loved it, right? Well…
Despite the smoking-deal $24K asking price that makes an ex-lease F30 a performance bargain compared to a new 4-cylinder Camry-or-whatever, it is difficult not to judge it as the $42K car it was 36 months ago. This sedan was expensive when new but doesn’t feel like it in some striking ways. Also problematic is Volkswagen’s willingness to sell the similarly refined and quick GTI with a full factory warranty and 0 miles on the odometer for the same $24K. That’s a conundrum for someone looking for a fun and practical German 4-door, but if you prioritize fundamentals before superficial features it is not a comparison that ends in the BMW’s favor.
The difference in comfort is difficult to overstate
The 328 is attractive on approach, with conservative styling, dignified RWD proportions, quality paint finish, and doors that plunk open with a rich sturdy feel. The problems begin inside. The first sensation when interacting with the interior of this car is a flat, hard driver seat. This is the standard-issue non-sport seat and it is execrable. The seat bottom is like plywood and lacks any hint of bolstering, so the firmness doesn’t pay off in lateral support.
It’s not a sporty seat, it’s not a comfortable seat. I don’t know what it is other than punishment for not buying a higher trim. Perhaps it is some expression of German functional stoicism: “Ven vee drive zee car, vee are here to pilot zee machine, not to coddle zee keister!” It doesn’t work for my body type. I find the seats in the GTI and Lexus IS250 are worlds more comfortable and supportive, and I prefer the soft tactile quality of Lexus’s fake leather to the rough granular material BMW uses here. Or a rich velour. Why don’t American car buyers like expensive fabrics?
The next problem is interior finish, which surprised me because the interior looks solid in photographs. The interior door grip creaks loudly when I grab it to close the door. I pause, grab the handle again and give it a little twist. Creak-pop. Hmm. It is also adorned in some unimpressive faux-metal plastic. There were multiple trim options for the 3 Series, and this one had the base matte silver accents for the door grips, console, and dashboard face. This was the wrong choice if you were looking for a premium feel. I don’t know what BMW was shooting for here, but as the primary aesthetic flourish on the interior it fails to create any impression of quality.
Cracking vinyl in this location is common on F30 listings. Velour, please.
Disappointments continue. The glovebox handle is thin plastic whereas the cheaper Audi A3 employs real metal here. There are no padded knee-contact surfaces astride the center console, which also creaks and pops when leaned against. The console armrest is too low to be useful and does not tilt or telescope. The armrest opens by prying the leading edge up until the latch tab yields, and this is not a nice sensation. The sun visors do not telescope. The buttons and switchgear do feel expensive, as does the dash pad, woven fabric headliner, and nicely padded door panels. The iDrive display is crisp and attractive. The carpet is richer than average and the interior panel gaps are consistent despite the poor tactile quality of some components. Still, it’s not enough. The basic materials and construction are no nicer than that TSX, a VW Golf or a Mazda 6, and some of the details are worse. For a $24K used car I’ve no right to complain, but it feels cynical in the $40K+ range in which this retailed.
The replacement of the straight six with this is 2.0-liter turbo four created some commotion five years ago and from an NVH standpoint I suppose I can see why. The four cylinder fires up with a direct-injection clatter that is not entirely muted upon raising the windows. The engine note is a bit coarse and there is some buzz and minor vibration when revving. The aural quality of this motor would be fine in a less expensive vehicle such as a hot hatchback, but compared to the ultra-smooth sixes in the IS250 and Acura TL it is downmarket. It has neither exemplary refinement nor real character. The air conditioning fan is also rudely roaring at me because the car had been sitting in the sun all day and was radiating heat from every surface like a star. I mention this only because a Nissan Altima has a far quieter fan at full whack. This is nit-picking, but little things matter when the car carries such an expensive emblem on the hood.
Anything else wrong, Mr. Agreeable? Yes. The OEM tires on this car are run-flats, which are expensive to replace and used by BMW to eliminate the spare tire. The tire well is occupied instead by a styrofoam caddy with a hoaky fix-a-flat kit. Sure, you can install normal tires, and purchase an aftermarket space-saver spare and jack for $500, but why should you have to? Speaking of the trunk and $500 expenditures, the battery resides there. This is some nice attention to weight distribution, but the battery is expensive, the car’s computer needs to be programmed after each replacement, and guess what the dealer wants to charge in order to do so? Perhaps an independent shop could do this for a bit less (and you ought to be finding one for this car anyway) but really–isn’t a GTI or Infiniti sounding better at this point? Is it just me?
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18095108
My opinion begins to re-balance after I put the car in motion. There’s a lot to like in the drivetrain and chassis. I don’t like the sounds coming from under the hood, but I do like the way the speedometer needle climbs. The engine is very strong and the transmission very intelligent and responsive. There is some typical turbo lag from a stop, but once that is done the car surges forward and has a strong midrange. The transmission is busy busy busy shifting up through its 8 gears during normal acceleration, but smooth and quick while doing so, and it does not become clumsy or confused when asked for a downshift.
Photo credit: Evo.co.uk. I did not try this and would wreck if I did.
The handling and steering are also agile and responsive, as expected. I am not going to pretend that I’m qualified to assess the dynamics of this car during aggressive driving, so feel free to use that to shoot holes through this review. It would be fair of you to do so since I’m unable to put full weight on the critical strength of a RWD-based BMW. My amateur impressions, though, are of a nimble car with far more eagerness in its responses than the mainstream offerings but nonetheless coated with a thin film of isolation. The Infiniti G37 felt a bit more riotous and tactile but also seemed a bit crude. I understand there is lamentation from those accustomed to the hydraulic steering of prior BMWs, but I don’t have that baggage and find this car better to drive than anything I’ve owned. The 328 shines on the freeway, with composure and steadiness. Quick lane changes did nothing to upset the car, the body control seemed excellent to this amateur. Seats aside, I could waltz through many high-speed miles in this car.
Forty-three grand, still no seat heaters
The verdict is murky to me. The 3-series has been the segment benchmark for years, but I don’t know why anyone would have bought this one new. I think it was wildly overpriced given the seating, interior, and engine NVH characteristics. A Lexus IS350 would have provided similar power through a smooth six, superb seats, a nicer interior, and it would be worth five to seven thousand dollars more at this age. That seems like a no-brainer. Of course, most of these were probably leased. Lightly used, the BMW makes a far stronger case for itself. The brutal depreciation brings it to a price where the interior is fine and the performance and feature set is fantastic. I would set some money aside for repairs, but otherwise I wouldn’t blame anyone for picking one of these up at this price. Despite my complaints, two years later I still think about the solidity, general driving dynamics, and accessibility of this car. I’m out of this market now, and never did purchase a car like this. Priorities shifted. Yet if I do ever find myself shopping for a new $24K Accord or Camry or Mazda I am almost certain I would pick up a 328i instead and just suffer the maintenance consequences in a few years.
Image credit: Car and Driver
Actually, no I wouldn’t. I would go grab a brand-new GTI free of prior abuse, back sweat, and flatus, and sell it in seven years when the warranty expires. Neither vehicle is distinctive or iconic enough in their current iterations to become a future classic, but the VW carries most of the 328’s virtues, fewer of its faults, and does so even when the BMW can be had at a 44% discount. Sometimes the fundamentals win out.
Being a self-described Bimmer boy, the owner of a related F22 228i xDrive, and very familiar with the F30 3 Series, having driven many of them in I think every gasoline engine offered, I must say that your take on this car is spot on.
The F30 is not a bad car, it has many positives, but it also has many crippling negatives, which you highlight. The base seats and interior finishes are not only heavily outclassed by its competition, but a downgrade compared to those in its E90 predecessor. They may have been passable 7 years ago when this car came out, but BMW has let it get way too long in the tooth as the competition has stepped up its game.
From a handling perspective, the F30 still has one of the more entertaining driving experiences in its class, somehow still exuding more character than in competitors I have the same engine in my 228, and its power delivery and acceleration is spot-on, with transmission shift points that are geared towards sportiness, even in comfort mode. Steering is too light for me, something made more evident by the thin standard steering wheel.
The overall feeling I’m left with every time I drive an F30 however, is a sense of hollowness both in handling and interior, something I don’t get in the F22, despite their mechanical relations. I’m very hopeful for the new G20, as it seeks to take all the improvements of the G30 5 Series and put them in a smaller, sportier package. So far the reviews have been positive and I’m thankful to say that the interior has been massively improved. Here is a cutaway of it I photographed at BMW Welt a few weeks ago!
The 228 is the most interesting current BMW to me, not least because of the availability of a manual. Glad to hear that my impressions of the 328 aren’t unfounded according to an actual BMW owner and fan.
Spend the money on a pristine e46 (if you can find one). You’ll be blown away.
I concur. I owned an E46 sportwagon with a six-speed and x-drive, and even with the 2.5 motor (184 HP), that car had the best driving dynamics of any car I’ve owned in 40+ years of driving. To me, the biggest mistake BMW made (of many in recent years) was to ditch normally-aspirated straight sixes in favor of turbo fours. I routinely achieved 25 mpg with that car despite spirited driving.
25 mpg is precisely why BMW ditched the NA-6 – they needed higher than that for CAFE and Euro-Emission standards and the turbo-4 in official tests can do closer to 30 combined. Blame the tree-huggers, not BMW.
Fair enough. The crappy interior is still on BMW, though.
I’m a tree-hugger but don’t blame myself for BMW being unable to match a GTI’s engine refinement at twice the cost.
The many references to the GTI leave me hoping that soon there will be a similar, comprehensive review of that car.
The warranty, the price, the performance are all intriguing. There is still concern about how few VW dealers there are in the Rocky Mountain west, but I absolutely do want to read about the GTI in a review by this writer.
It’s like BMW has blithely, arrogantly, continued on their way doing what they do while not realizing that their competitors, particularly from the far east, have largely caught, and in some cases surpassed them at their own game. Glad to finally see someone honestly point out the flaws of the vaunted 3-Series. I wish the mainstream car mags would be as honest as you are in their 3-Series assessments, which are always obsequiously fawning. Nice work, sir!
In fairness, the mainstream mags were less effusive in their praise of this model and seemed to target steering feel and calibration. What surprised me was that I was happy enough with how it drove but hated the seats and interior–two deal-killing complaints I do not remember reading in the press reviews.
I don’t have any experience with BMW cars, and minimal experience with the motorcycles but from what I have read I believe you are very close in your assessment. Unfortunately, the car magazines that review these cars NEVER seem to test one in this type of specification and therefore BMW is “allowed” to get away with models like this….a sort of stripper+ model.
Judged against just the GTI (and some European car magazines believe the 3 series is benchmarked by VW when designing each generation of GTI), it is a toss-up. VW dealers don’t have a great reputation so the warranty may not tip the balance. It is my guess that the respective badges play a huge part in whether you choose one over the other.
Agree on all counts, particularly the flat, standard seats. I’ve had two cars that I could not drive for more than 30 minutes before I began experiencing excruciating back pain, and a 3-series BMW was one of them. I sprung for the extra-cost heated seats (which helped) and actually had to resort to one of those lower lumbar support pads. Even then, it didn’t completely eliminate the discomfort. The other car was also German-engineered, a 1st gen Ford Focus. The Focus I suppose I can kind of understand (particularly since it was a rental and the bottom cushion had probably been compressed by too many fat-asses).
As to who would pay the price of admission to purchase a new 3-series, the answer is easy: no one. I have no doubt that virtually every brand-new car is leased. Considering the less-than-stellar, niggling problems that shouldn’t be occurring on a car in this price range (is routine maintenance for the first two years still included?), giving it back after the warranty has expired is the smart play. From what I’ve read, to get back to a true BMW experience, one has to drop down to the 1-series. And if you don’t mind a rough ride and FWD, I guess the MINI gets it done, too.
The Ultimate Posing Machine.
My only experience with a BMW 3 series is the occasional ride to lunch in the one that a former co-worker owned. The one thing I remember the most is how tiny these cars are; I had to fold myself into the front passenger seat and never really felt comfortable once I was there. I found the ride to be harsh, it seemed as if I could feel every pebble that we encountered. To be fair urban driving on our cratered streets was not the BMW’s forte and I’m sure that driving on a curving country road would be more rewarding. For years I always told myself that, when I could afford one, I would buy a BMW; based on my (admittedly) short exposure to them I no longer feel that way. For the money BMW wants for these I feel they should be better.
I have never been blown away by any BMW interior, new or old so that aspect isn’t much surprise. I got a tip many years ago to look in BMWs at junkyards for nice cheap supportive seats to retrofit, but many many years later I have found nothing impressive, since most BMWs are realtor’s specials, and the interiors are penalty box in the truest sense. Never thought the dashes or anything were special either, they are ergonomic, logical and even attractive in style, but the feel and quality is basically on the level of any mid-low price brand out there, and as far as I can tell has been the case going back to even the highly vaunted BMW enthusiasts love to say modern BMW got away from – I agree in the sense of packaging/handling/aesthetics, but the plastics in an E30 are 80s Ford quality at best.
Only thing BMW still has going for it is a RWD heavy lineup with excellent proportions. I’m not too keen on the elimination of I6s for turbocharged 4s though, or the looming threat to drop manuals. With the direction the industry keeps insisting on going I don’t see much else of their traits lasting much longer either.
I agree about the longstanding starkness of the interiors, particularly in base trims. The generation before this was pretty unimpressive for the price, and the 1980s cars seem pretty basic as well. Presumably one is intended to think that the money went into the driving experience, but since you’ve been able to get a nicer engine in a V6 Camry since 2007 and similar refinement in cheaper VWs, I do wonder what advantage the MSRP commands. The stick shift turbo inline six combination would seem to stand out, but now we’re talking $50K for a 3 series that would make me reconsider a GTI. Something is wrong there.
$42k new, $24k three years later is $18k less so $6k a year for a rough lease outlay of $3000 down and $450 a month. Then if sold at a small discount of $22k so another $450 a month for another 5 years with a CPO warranty leaves the second buyer with maybe a couple of years of non-warranty exposure, i.e. right about the time to trade it in again and repeat the cycle. It seems to work for the Germans as a business model. The long model cycle helps too as the car is still “fresh” in the minds of the casual observer. There seem to be a lot of these “basish” models about – with the better engine but still not many other frills. The upgraded ones (seats, suspension etc) don’t seem to trade for much more.
Are the AWD BMW sedan/wagon models still afflicted with the somewhat higher ride height and the inability to get a stiffer sport suspension? That was a thing as I recall but may well have changed over the last few years, I really haven’t been keeping up with BMW that much lately.
$24K was the retail price, not the residual. So it’s even worse! I just looked at the online configurator, and a similar 330i is now $45K with a $600/mo lease payment. Beastly amount of money to pay for a depreciating asset. Certainly doesn’t feel worth torching six hundred dollars monthly on.
And you’re right, these basish models are everywhere. If you want a 3-yo basic 3-series for low-20s you are spoiled for choice.
It’s not, really, unless you are a pushover walking into a shady dealership. Most of these base models leased in the $300 range with varying DPs. I never lease without first checking out the forums (Bimmerpost and Edmunds) to see what people are getting, and you’d be surprised at just how negotiable they are. I’m sure $350-400/mo with $0 DP is not at all unheard of. That’s when these deals start to make really good sense.
I agree leases are negotiable. The terms I quoted above give BMW 25 grand in payments against 18 grand of depreciation, quite a customer-screwing windfall. But 350/mo with no down payment goes the opposite direction and would require BMW to swallow five to six grand in depreciation alone on the lease. Great for the lessee since the car is being treated as disposable. But it says something about BMW if they have to heavily subsidize the lease in order for it to make sense and can afford to do so.
And that’s the issue I have with this car, if feels like there is a lot of excess profit baked into it. Bloated lease quotes on BMW USA’s website contrasted against the reality of big discounts only adds to this.
Yep. And BMW is very willing to eat that much on some deals. Very difficult for a BMW lessee to buy their car outright at lease-end because of it.
Infiniti does this too. M-B and Audi, much less so.
“I understand there is lamentation from those accustomed to the hydraulic steering of prior BMWs, but I don’t have that baggage and find this car better to drive than anything I’ve owned.” <— This.
I had never driven a BMW before a friend bought a 2013 335i and let me drive it. I ordered a 2014 335i a few months later and have never understood the wailing about the F30's steering from the fanbois and car rags. But then I could never afford a nice car until this one and came out of a 1994 Camry so what do I know…
But how did this 328i hit $42,000? Did the buyer check every option box? Mine out the door was $48,488 with the M-sport package, cold weather pkg, M brakes, six-speed manual, much nicer interior. No X-drive or Nav/tech package which really bloat up the price quickly. Nobody needs X-drive until you're pushing 500+hp like in the new M5. It's a heavy power-sapping joke in a 180hp 320i automatic.
I've gotten base F30s as loaners during the annual maintenance and I can't believe they're even related to my car. The 320/328 four-pot belongs in a tractor and the base interiors are awful. The 320i especially is a cynical piece of crap for badge buyers.
You could easily find a 335i automatic with a decent option sheet, CPO with warranty for not much more than this awful rental car. The N55 six is a fantastic engine and can be modded over 500hp. If I was in the market for a used car I'd be looking for an M235i, or 335i/435i Msport manual. They're unicorns but out there. This car you reviewed is for a spoiled high school girl.
BMW have decided that manuals, at least in non-M models, are obsolete like pretty much every other car maker, so this will be my last 3er.
Hard to stay under 42. The 330i currently starts at $40,200 in base no-option RWD in the build & price feature. My local dealer doesn’t have any on the lot below $47K. The least expensive 340i is $49K online but the same dealer is only stocking $58K+ versions. Whatever the market is for this nonsense, I’m not it.
I forgot that at the time I bought my car, BMW and USAA were putting $6,000 on the hood of 6-cyl 3ers, even on factory orders for some reason, which made my decision between a 235/435i and 335i pretty easy. So your prices sound accurate (and too high for what that car is). FWIW as the F30 is out of production now, there’s probably some killer deals coming.
Took mine in this morning for some minor body work — the F&I guy saw me coming a mile away and sold me a paintless dent package for far more than the actual repair cost — and was given a brand-new 530e as a loaner. Nice ride but absolutely not sporting at all.
Excellent review. I really enjoyed the detail you went into describing the interior, in particular, as I’m a bit fussy with interior quality in luxury cars.
On the Lexus IS, I have a few observations. I’m a bit of a Lexus fan and I think the IS has aged well and overall I like the interior, at least the design and layout. But…
I haven’t sat in the F30 3 yet but you’ve painted a vivid picture. Remarkable that it doesn’t seem any better (and may possibly be worse) than, say, a Cadillac ATS.
Your experience driving it reminds me of my recent rental of a C200. Good ride and handling balance, smooth-shifting transmission, but a rather noisy engine. These base-model Germans are fast enough but I feel like I would want to pony up some more cash and get one of the more powerful engines.
I agree on those interior shortcomings of the IS. Silver painted plastic and hard lower door panels shouldn’t be in a car of this price. Everyone hates their infotainment. The seats and high-quality feeling retro audio controls make up for some of that to me. Pricing in this class of car doesn’t seem proportional to the goods in my opinion, and that includes Lexus.
I’d be quite happy with the power and power delivery of the 328, but it should have more refinement or personality.
Oh dear, someone else who isnt impressed by BMWs, I thought it was just me, admittedly I lost interest a long time ago after test driving a couple of used examples back to back with a well abused Peugeot 306 diesel, admittedly my test track wasnt fair it included two roundabouts one of them twice and the sheer lack of turn in ability scared me, UK magazine flew a similar model around a gocart track and found the same issues so it wasnt just me Ive pretty much ignored the brand ever since, I like cars that go where you point them and reasonable fuel economy with some ride comfort in the mix too PSA products offer good examples of that which is why I buy them and I leave BMWS to the fan bois.
Having recently written up my 2015 328ix GT purchase, I agree with everything you said here. There are LOTS of these base 320 and 328 sedans out there, just off lease, with vinyl, no power seats, the silver plastic trim inside, etc.
The difference with some options is tremendous. Our 328 has just over $10K of options when new ($42K base, $52K with options), adding among other things real leather, power front seats, heated seats front and rear, real burl wood trim instead of the silver plastic, the wider multimedia screen, pano roof, etc.
Should it cost that much to upgrade the ambiance to what you would expect of a BMW? No, probably not, but mine was $24K used with only 20,000 miles coming off a 36 month lease. So in comparison to your preowned sample here, I essentially got the ambiance upgrades for free.
I don’t know who buys or leases these new, either. But as used cars they seem like a good value, with the right added equipment.
I remembered your GT purchase and the thought “I wonder what Importamation would think about this” crossed my mind a few times while writing this. I’m glad to see some agreement, I hadn’t entirely ruled out having unrealistic expectations about this car.
I’m curious about how a more aesthetically interesting 328 would be in person, such as the blue paint and saddle brown leather interior with two tone dashboard. Some underlying problems would still remain for me, but at least it wouldn’t be such a slap in the face like the reviewed car was.
Not surprised in the slightest – as long as the Roundel still holds status value, BMW will continue to get away with cheap interiors and corner cutting. Because its the badge, and the showing off, man.
I think back to my old E30 325is, and that E36 M3, then I look at what BMW builds today, and no freaking way. Not a chance. I probably did just as well with my Fiat 500c Abarth, was able to afford it, and the car was comfortable.
I drove a 2015 exactly the same as the one here, except it was grey (of course). The N20 engine belongs in a tractor, the interior is cheap-o-ola and it drives like a tank. No playtime allowed with that thing. A real let down in my opinion.
For the same money I did a very similar thing: I got a 2018 Golf SportWagen. The interior is higher quality and the motor is a gem compared to the clattery N20.
Love the Golf, it feels and drives beyond the modest opening price. I had a 2010 Sportwagen at the time I drove this BMW and it is part of the reason the BMW didn’t impress on the tactile quality front.
Agree with Canucklehead. Got a 2015 Golf Sportwagen manual transmission a year ago, drives and feels like a “higher-class” car. Steering feel too light, but easily fixed by reprogramming.
I’m stuck on this brand for some reason. The current one is a 2011 328 wagon w manual. Just replaced the horrible run flats with regular tires. The ride is much better . I was planning on replacement next year but not sure what car. These used 3 or 4 prices look so tempting.
It has been a few years since I drove an F30 3 series, and the ones I drove had the turbo six. I remember being remarkably pleased at how well they went around a track, but I never actually had one on the road. They had excellent driving manners, however, and I suspect that alone was worth it. That said, it is never the best practice to compare cars on the numbers alone. I refer you to GM’s Deadly Sin #9. Numbers alone do not make a car good. Having spent most of my life around BMW’s, I can tell you that they are often deceptively good, even when outmatched on paper. The Golf may look good on paper, but without running one against the 3, you might be surprised to find the Golf isn’t quite a match for it.
For example: I recently test drove a new Ford Mustang, with the 4 cylinder and the ten speed. Even ignoring the obvious defects with the car I tested, it wasn’t a match for my 16 year old Z3. On paper, the Mustang was faster, more fuel efficient, could pull more G’s on the skidpad, and was all around better. When I test drove, it ran out of breath at the top of it’s rev range, it couldn’t take corners in the way the Z3 can, and even at high altitude, it couldn’t really walk away from my Z3. It’s a turbo claiming 5.3 seconds to sixty, more than half a second less than the Z3’s 0-60, and it still couldn’t walk away.
I guess my point is, beware of numbers. They mislead.
Also, for what it’s worth, I agree with many of your assessments, particularly on the seats. I do not know if I share your body type, but I assure you they are not great if you are in relatively good shape (5’8″ and 140 pounds).
Absolutely, I would never claim a Golf can keep up with this 328 on track and this review wasn’t written on numbers alone. My repeated reference to the GTI is because I don’t think the 328 has any advantages that would become apparent over a it in safe street use, and against my personal criteriathe less expensive VW meets or beats the 328 in every situation outside the track, including the intangibles that numbers cannot show.
If the VW didn’t exist, the case for this depreciated 328 would grow, but as new I think the similarly priced IS350 and perhaps G37/Q40 are better choices.
Agreed, I have always thought the f30 felt cheap and not worth the $45,000-$50,000 price tag while new.
In many ways the BMW 2 Series is what the 3 Series should have been (great handling, nice interior and better looking)
As for the Golf GTI, My brother bought a new left over 2017 GTI about 2 months into the 2018 model year and he got it out the door for about a bit over $18,000. It has the manual transmission and it is very fun to drive. In fact it drives so smoothly that you think you are driving at 60mph and you look down at the speedometer and you are actually at 80mph.
It has some interesting things in it. Looking in it, I first thought the radio was a media only unit with no CD Player but the CD Player is in the glove box. Also the backup camera is hidden under the VW logo in the back and when the car is in reverse the logo swings up to expose the camera.
I’ve driven both an F30 and an E90, as well as an M2. To the extent you say the F30 feels cheap and not worth the price tag, I agree. Compared to its predecessor, it doesn’t feel as well put together, nor does it light my fire the way the E90 did. Moreover, the E90 had its flaws, which also appeared in the F30. I’m not going to say the F30 was a bad car, because my only experience with it is on the track. But I will say it wasn’t quite the benchmark it was meant to be.
To the extent that the 2 series is what the 3 should have been, I do not have the data to make any statement on the handling, as the M2 is not a fair benchmark for the 2, but I personally think the interior in the 2 is not great. Moreover, I’m not enthused by its looks either. This is more subjective, however, and I can see your point. The interior is modern, I will give it that. I just prefer an older interior.
I’ve owned BMW’s since 1997 and have enjoyed them all but was let down by my X3. In addition to my BMW’s I also owned a few Honda Elements. Three years ago I decided to trade my 2011 Element for a 3 year old X3 2.8 xdrive. It was a CPO with only 18,000 miles. It was lightly optioned with onl a sunroof, heated seats and a sharp saddle color leather. The price was $30,000 and they offered me $17,000 for my 5 year old Element with 40,000 miles that I only paid 24,000 when new…..talk about minimal depreciation.
I was disappointed with the X3….the engine sounded like a diesel, the glove box vinyl delaminated, and I had a number of electronics issues. Two were “drivetrain malfunctions” that resulted in either significantly reduced power. The last was a fault with the electronic parking brake. All the electronics were fixed under the CPO warranty, but they wanted $600 to replace the glovebox.
As the CPO warranty was about to expire I decided I didn’t want to be stuck with potential problems, but now my almost 6 year old X3 that had a $47,000 price when new was worth only about $13,000.
Even so I made a deal with the local VW dealer on a brand new Golf Alltrack SE. Although it stickered for over $32,000, they discounted the Alltrack by $6000 and gave me $15,000 for my BMW.
I love the Alltrack. The interior is nicer than the BMW and I have a 6 year 72,000 mile warranty. It’s a bit slower than the BMW but the DSG is awesome…..
I have a ’14 435xi that was one year old when I bought it CPO. 6sp, luxury trim. The 4 cylinder BMWs, I agree, are just too rough running and noisy for a “luxury” brand. Doubly so if you use the start/stop function. Like you I was not a fan of the run flats, so I did take them all off and replaced with standard tires, with the spare and jack now in my trunk. The entry level faux leather is cheap, for sure, and really requires you to step up to get a truer BMW look and feel. I went CPO to not have to pay full price for all the upgrades you really want. The steering is a little light for me, unless you put it in sport mode where it tightens up nicely, but then also tightens the dampers so much you feel it if you run over a cigarette butt. I went to this from an Acura TL, which was a great and reliable car but didn’t drive as well (nor look as well) as the 435. I’ve had it back to the dealer for assorted rattles and such that a car at this price shouldn’t have, but they’ve all been fixed under the warranty (still inconvenient though). The CPO warranty goes through 100k miles (another good argument for CPO versus buying new), but if things start going wrong too often I won’t keep it due to the hassle of getting repairs. Everyone tells me things start to go wrong at 65k miles, which is what I have now. I’d want another manual, so would go CPO again, unless I just want to try something else altogether. Do love the GTIs, but liked the 2 door more than the 4 and they canceled the 2 door. And I like the AWD…