2014 BMW 328i M-Sport - The Oppo Review

"heliochrome85" (heliochrome85)
08/03/2014 at 22:41 • Filed to: bmw reviews

The much derided F30 generation of the BMW 3-series. If you are any sort of BMW-phile, or even just a good petrosexual who reads the automotive press, you might already know that there has been much talk of BMW losing its way. With each month, comes the introduction of a new niche vehicle. Gone are the days where the model line was simple, 3/5/6/7, and where numbers meant the engine displacement. BMW has recently done a rethink and has decided that they want to be a mobility company with sports cars, and not a sports-car company. No where is this more evident than the new 2-series Tourer, sold in europe. Its their first FWD model, and is about as far away from the traditional BMW as one could get. Anyway, thats for a different review. Back to my car.

2014 BMW 328i M-Sport : The Oppositelock 6-Month Ownership Review

Exterior - 9/10

I genuinely love the way this car looks. My only complaint is with the hood cut line, but beyond that, I think it looks stunning. The 4GC is nice, however the stubby trunk and 4 series tail lights, look odd. Were I to go back and order my car again, I don't think I would go 4GC.

While the F30 looks fairly nice on its own, it really shines with the M-Sport body kit. There is much disappointment in the owner community, as to why the US model does not come with the fog lights, like their european counterparts. I personally never need fog lights, and prefer the open mesh look of the US model, as you can see the increased cooling. Clothed in Estoril Blue II, the car is a stunner in bright light.

As a final touch, the Xenon lights really set the car off at night. Starting with the LCI E90/E92/E93, BMW switched their halo lights to Xenon, to produce while angel eyes. Every night I go out to my car, i find myself smiling at the way she looks.

Interior - 8/10

I genuinely think they hit this out of the park. The interior is modern, high quality, and sporty. The Estoril Blue finisher is a nice touch to brighten up the interior. Additionally, the MSport steering wheel is the finest wheel I've ever seen in a regular production car (not M/AMG), and I find it more enjoyable to touch and grip than any of the current offerings on the Porsche catalog.

The seats are Sensatec, a much maligned leather-alternative. These feel damn near the same as the low-grade Dakota leather used in the standard 2/3/4/5 series vehicles. They wear better and ultimately are extremely versatile. Can you tell that I had 3 glass bottles of root beer shatter in the back seat? Clean up took me under a minute with a simple cloth.

Unline the M235i, BMW has not covered the car with M badges. Short of the little ones on the wheels, there is no external M badging and nor should there be. That being said, there are nice little touches such as the doorsills and the dead pedal.

Unlike previous years of the 3, the F30 brings a fairly spacious cabin. The rear seats are usable, and I can fit behind myself in the car (I'm 6ft). Additionally, interior lighting in the car is by Xenon bulb or LED depending on application.

The trunk is fairly spacious, with a 3 way folding rear seat. This car is equipped with a emergency triangle, fitted to the trunk, as mandated by German law. US market vehicles are not fitted this way. Only European delivery vehicles are, in order to meet German regulations.

There is a little net and power plug in the left rear section of the trunk. I keep the books of the car there, because I don't like strapping them in where they are supposed to go.

The right trunk has a strap for where the manuals of the car are to be kept. There is also a small tool kit under that protective cover, and a spot for the first aid kit, which comes fitted to European Delivery cars only. Underneath this assembly, the battery for the car can be found. It is kept in the trunk for weight distribution.

Toys - 9/10

For my needs, this car's got it all. iDrive has made huge gains in the past couple of years. While not perfect, I find myself perfectly attuned to navigating it. With the 2014 models, BMW has replaced the touch wheel, with a touch pad/wheel. Now you can draw letters and "type" the destination or location in. Additionaly, it brings a gorgeous screen to the dash. Text is crisp, and the screen and menus are lightening fast. Cadillac CUE could learn from BMW as to how to make a system intuitive and efficient.

My car has HD Radio, a music hard drive, hard drive based navigation, BMW Online which provides google searches, Facebook feeds, weather, Yelp, internet radio, etc. Ive also got heated adjustable 10 way front seats, DVD playback capability, and a bunch of little touches, too many to mention. The quality of the interior product is inline with the offerings by its competitors. It isn't trying to be a leather lined 5 series.

Audio - 8/10

I had the option to spec the $875 Harmon Kardon sound system. I tried both the standard system and the HK system and found the standard BMW Professional system to be more than adequate. Previous generations of this car had very tinny sounding base systems, forcing most to upgrade. In this generation, BMW has rightly beefed up the base system, and I found it very nice.

Acceleration - 8/10

5.6 seconds. From a 2.0L Turbo I-4! This was E55 AMG territory just a few years ago. The 4 cylinder is deeply impressive, and for my driving habits, more than adequate. I drove the 335i Extensively, and while the 6cyl is a masterpiece, I could not justify the 4500 up charge. Despite 240hp at the wheels, I still get 34mpg on the highway.

Braking - 6/10

The 328i gets BMW's typical but still effective single-piston floating calipers all around. The front brakes are 12.3" / rear - 11.8". As evidenced by the photos, these things generate some serious brake dust. They are not bad for stock brakes, however I can understand why people would want to upgrade them for track use. I have never thought they were inadequate for day to day use, but they clearly have some room for improvement in pedal feel, and fade.

Ride - 8/10

I can honestly, say that this car is the smoothest sports car Ive ever owned. around town, it handles potholes without the drama of my old Infiniti G35 Sport coupe. While I try to avoid terrible asphalt out of fear of bent rims, when one does pop up unexpectedly, I don't fracture vertebrae. Considering what this car is, and the MSport Suspension fitted to it, I say its a testament to the BMW engineers.

Handling - 7/10

Electric steering remains the biggest fault of this car. The steering system has been updated via software patches, but it remains far from the pinnacle of steering setups made legendary by the E46 and E90. Porsche has cracked the code for perfect electric steering as evidenced with the Cayman and Boxster. Im waiting for BMW to address this major achilles heel, however outside of the relatively numb steering, the car is light on its feet and eager to please. Its all business, but it knows what its doing. The handling is confidence inspiring and you can quickly feel the back end give out in a controllable manner. I never understood what made these cars so special. I have an inkling now.

Gearbox - 9/10

The ZF 8AT is by far the best automatic transmission Ive ever come across. Its intuitive and has yet to hunt gears with me. Depending on the dynamic mode selected (Sport+,Sport,Comfort, Ecopro), the shift points are altered and aggressiveness of shifts are modified. The gearbox is one of the strong suits of the car. I thought about speccing the Manual, however I had two reservations 1.) Im not all that great at manual shifting, and didn't want to learn on my baby, and 2.) Sometimes I just want to waft home in quiet comfort without the added hassle of shifting. I know its a stupid reason, but trust that it wasn't because I hated manuals.

Value - 7/10

BMW has never stood for value. Nor should it. This was a purely emotional purchase, and I honestly think there are things that can't be listed on a Moroney sticker. This car has soul. The Audi A4 somehow doesn't. The Q50, definitely not. The IS350, same. This car talks to me, and it makes me smile every day. Thats good for a couple value points in my book. Plus with Euro-delivery, I saved about 15% off USMSRP. Factor that in, and its a 10/10.

Total 79/100

Engine: 2.0L Turbocharged I-4

Power: 241hp @6500 RPM / 258 lb/ft @1250-4800 RPM

0-60 Time: 5.6 Sec with the 8AT

Top Speed: 155 electronically limited for MSport models, 130 for models fitted with All season tires

Drivetrain: Rear-Wheel Drive

Curb Weight: 3480 LBS, 50/50 weight distribution with automatic transmission.

Seating: 5 – yes, I said it. FIVE.

MPG: 25/35

US MSRP: $46,875 as tested

DISCUSSION (92)

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 22:44

Kinja'd!!!

Brian Silvestro > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 22:48

Dat color though.

Tom McParland > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 22:50

Nice write-up...man I want one of these so bad. Sadly I don't have the monies :(

heliochrome85 > Tom McParland
08/03/2014 at 22:55

I wish words could convey the love i have for this car. My euro delivery trip was incredible. The perfect way to start this sort of ownership experience. BMW knows what its doing.

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/the-ultimate-t…

heliochrome85 > Tom McParland
08/03/2014 at 22:56

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/re-delivery-at…

ly2v8-Brian > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 22:56

You chose the best color.

Tom McParland > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 22:58

I know dude...and I have plenty of BMW dealer contacts that would give me a killer deal. But with a family and a major home renovation coming soon, it will have to wait.

Crest > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 22:58

Sweet car. You did save about 15% off MSRP but when you include the price of your tickets to Germany, meals and other stuff, that 15% savings immediately vanishes; but, you cannot put a price on the European delivery experience so yeah u did good

heliochrome85 > Crest
08/03/2014 at 22:59

I didn't spend 9k. It definitely didn't vanish ;-)

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 22:59

Kinja'd!!!

But it's not an M3?

heliochrome85 > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
08/03/2014 at 23:00

Nope, MSport.

heliochrome85 > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
08/03/2014 at 23:00

Those are the original Euro-Delivery plates. Any M3 connotation is purely by accident.

Crest > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 23:01

Well then you did come out ahead beautifully.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 23:02

Kinja'd!!!

You seem to be missing a pedal. I don't care though, not my car.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 23:06

I know I just found it funny the plate had M3 on it when it's just a 3 series with MSport.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 23:13

Kinja'd!!!

It murders you with a smile in its face. Love the F30 front end,

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 23:24

I love these. I want one so bad.

Too bad by the time I could afford one, there's gonna be a new generation out. Or two.

If I could go out tomorrow and buy one, it'd probably be a 320i with sport package. With Euro delivery, of course.

Vicente Esteve > heliochrome85
08/03/2014 at 23:45

Great great post about a very nice car. Congratulations still on the buy, and yes, you know you made a good choice when you smile at it arriving in the mornings. Also, a question, so you know of Any detail that would differentiate the euro delivery BMWs than the US spec ones from the outside? Something like a visual difference you could see when one passes you on the highway or something?

Jimmy Tango > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 00:57

"...The 4GC is nice, however the stubby trunk and 4 series tail lights, look odd. Were I to go back and order my car again, I don't think I would go 4GC."

Ouch, a bitch-slap.

In all serious though, this is a great review. There are reasons that I want to add those nonsense options to make my order sheet more ridiculous. But that's just me losing oppo soul.

Jimmy Tango > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 01:20

I also like the 400M wheel better than 441M Ferric Grey that MY2015 try to force on all M-brake equipped 328/428. However, I just figure out a model that wasn't the victim of this...

Manuél Ferrari > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 01:26

10/10

Dat blue absolves any flaws

Manuél Ferrari > Brian Silvestro
08/04/2014 at 01:27

Exactly

Andrew T. Maness > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 02:23

nice write up and kudos for passing on the HK system, that's a real pro move right there!

I'm helping my friend spec and purchase an M235i for euro-delivery and re-delivery at the BMW performance center this coming January. Glad I now have some articles to show him to further excite him about the whole process.

N51fanatic > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 07:10

I really like the 328 m sport as a daily, but at almost 40k with just msport and xenons, its a tough pill to swallow

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 07:30

BMW M3 Sedan: The Oppositelock 6-Month Ownership Review

But it's not an M3?

heliochrome85 > Vicente Esteve
08/04/2014 at 07:33

German cars have to have little stickers in the passenger windshield indicating that they've paid the fees to drive in downtown cities. Short of the euro license plates, thats one way to tell. You can see a round green sticker on my windshield. Thats what it is.

heliochrome85 > Andrew T. Maness
08/04/2014 at 07:34

let me know if i can be of any help!

heliochrome85 > N51fanatic
08/04/2014 at 07:35

The 320i Sport is a damn good car, with substantial savings.

heliochrome85 > GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo
08/04/2014 at 07:36

LOL. I need to fix that. I copied it from another review.

heliochrome85 > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
08/04/2014 at 07:40

I know i know. I wish i could explain how good this auto transmission is though. Easily the best I've ever come across.

Admiral Picard > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 08:07

Your center caps don't align to the M3 logo the same in both photos. My OCD alarm is raging right now... :o)

Beautiful car. I will disagree on the steering wheel, though - I haven't felt one, but I don't care for the way it looks. Small quibble in the grand scheme of things...

Question: how is the manual mode on the trans?

Lastly, I do hope you parked that way just for the photos, and that you don't normally park like an asshat.

Alex B > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 08:47

Beautiful car. Did BMW pay for shipping back to the US?

get-nick > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 08:55

Kinja'd!!!

Iphone, Bimmer keys, and Ray Ban Aviators case. My car looks exactly the same. So douchey, yet so happy. :P

slickrick > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 08:56

Nice review man. Interesting to see the point of view from an actual owner rather than the standard auto press. I've been driving a 11' 328 xdrive for the past few months and can't see how they could improve on the NA inline 6. Maybe I'll jump up to one of these once they start hitting the used market. However, I'm holding out for them to release the M135i.:)

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 08:58

It's okay I found it to be kind of funny. As you can see I have an E46 M3 coupe and two of my friends are 6ft+ and they found the car to be very comfortable even when they sat behind one another. But I think the space/legroom thing is more of a person to person preference.

BKRM3 > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 09:43

I was wondering when we were going to see this! Your car is gorgeous. I never get tired of that estoril blue metallic II. If I ever found myself in the market for a more economical car the F30 328i m-sport would definitely be it. It's 200ish pounds lighter than my V8, plenty trackable and gets 30-something mpg. That's just amazing. Great review!

gabbo241 > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 09:56

Great review - glad to hear they fixed the ride. Everybody goes on and on about how great the E90 is, but neglects to mention how punishing the ride is with the Sport package. 7 months into owning mine and I can say an F30's compliance looks mighty attractive right now.

kyngfish > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 10:02

Beautiful little car. But there's no way this thing runs with an e55 made in over 15 years. I'm pretty sure e55s were doing 4.5 runs to 60.

N51fanatic > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 10:36

Dont think you can get the 320 in msport trim. Also, 180hp :(

spanfucker retire bitch > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 10:45

Kinja'd!!!

Ahh, you're one of those people.

Vicente Esteve > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 11:03

You just make me want euro delivery more and more!

Saracen > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 12:53

When I test drive the 328i, I was shocked with how quick it is, aside from the fast acting automatic gearbox. I don't think they put down 240hp at the wheels on the dyno...I've seen tests indicating 220rwhp. In any case, it is definitely underrated and I didn't think the 335i was worth the extra coin.

I really didn't like the steering, but man the rest of the car is fantastic.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 13:05

I'm sure it is. I like the dead pedal though, it's cool looking.

titsinmymitts > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 15:21

Have you looked into tuning options for the tubo-four?

Output seems a bit low unless you have a tiny turbo. My thinking is this could be a high 4s or low 5s car to 60 with some better rubber, downpipe, and tune.

guppysb > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 15:22

She looks like my baby that I picked up a few months ago. I never was a fan of 4 doors, so I went for the f32 428i:

guppysb > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 15:23

That's the Munich sticker. Did you leave/receive any vignettes from other countries such as Austria? I left my Austrian one on.

RW53104 > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 16:13

Kinja'd!!!

Finally, a review that shows multiple screen shots. Kudos- it's nice to see what this looks like in different applications.

heliochrome85 > Alex B
08/04/2014 at 17:56

Yup. They pay for everything.

heliochrome85 > BKRM3
08/04/2014 at 18:00

Thank you sir!

heliochrome85 > kyngfish
08/04/2014 at 18:00

the 1999-2002 were 0-60 in 5.5

heliochrome85 > N51fanatic
08/04/2014 at 18:01

Unfortunately not.

heliochrome85 > spanfucker retire bitch
08/04/2014 at 18:01

Unlike most of them, these plates are real.

heliochrome85 > Saracen
08/04/2014 at 18:04

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/tr…

heliochrome85 > guppysb
08/04/2014 at 18:05

When i ordered mine, the F32s had not been released yet. I wanted an F32 badly though.

heliochrome85 > guppysb
08/04/2014 at 18:06

I didn't leave Germany. Otherwise, I would have.

kyngfish > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 18:17

True enough. But only at the very conservative estimate.

Saracen > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 18:17

Take Edmunds with a grain of salt. Their dyno reads dramatically higher than usual for every car they have ever tested....so either they are incredibly lucky and get the strongest engine possible for each car they have tested, or their dyno is VERY optimistic.

Most independent dynos out there see N20 328i output in the 220 rwhp range.

heliochrome85 > Saracen
08/04/2014 at 18:21

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php…

Saracen > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 18:30

Hey look, I can cherry pick dynos too!

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthr…

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/…

heliochrome85 > Saracen
08/04/2014 at 18:32

I wasn't trying to cherry pick dude. I just posted the first Non-Edmunds one i found. Thats all. I don't know what you are trying to get at.

Saracen > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 18:44

Ok, here's what I'm getting at...

Not all engines that roll off of the same assembly line will yield the same output. In fact, no two engines will yield the same output, ever...even though they were manufactured the same way. Likewise, no two dynos are alike. There are several different types of dynos out there...and not only do they work in different ways, but they are not in the same geographical location so you will get variations in results due to differences in humidity, elevation, temperature...not to mention possibly a bad tank of gas, a tire that might be 1psi under filled..

Somehow, EVERY Edmunds test has yielded astonishingly optimistic dyno readings....much higher than the norm. So something else is up with their calibration, or their machine.

Is the F30 328i underrated? I'm sure it produces more than 240 horsepower at the crank...but saying your car puts down 240 rear wheel horsepower is not necessarily accurate. A couple of cars on a couple of very optimistic dynos put down that number. I'd wager that in general, most will not.

Dynos should only be used for one purpose, and that is tuning. Get a baseline, install some new parts, run the car on the dyno again. And even then, results will only be accurate if you can eliminate all the other variables, by make sure you're testing with the exact same dyno you used for the baseline, using gas from the same station, tires are optimally filled, and temp + humidity is roughly the same, etc.

heliochrome85 > Saracen
08/04/2014 at 22:34

Thats fair. I never thought about dynos that way. I do always wonder if I got a good engine or not? I know the GTRs are built similarly.

heliochrome85 > Vicente Esteve
08/04/2014 at 22:35

DO IT

heliochrome85 > GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo
08/04/2014 at 22:35

I never had issues with the previous gens, but I know they said they were tight.

heliochrome85 > ly2v8-Brian
08/04/2014 at 22:36

Thanks!

heliochrome85 > Jimmy Tango
08/04/2014 at 22:36

Ive not seen the Ferric Greys installed on the 2015s yet. I wonder if they will cut down on the brake dust maintenance.

heliochrome85 > RW53104
08/04/2014 at 22:36

I can't say enough how much i love the screen.

heliochrome85 > Admiral Picard
08/04/2014 at 22:38

1. Manual mode on the transmission is pretty damn good. It'll run the gears up to redline and will upshift in S mode and will hold gears in M mode.

2. I have big hands, so i value a big chunky wheel.

3. I park like a normal person. That was just for the photos.

heliochrome85 > titsinmymitts
08/04/2014 at 22:38

I have looked into it, but I'm honestly content with the current power curve.

Captain_Spadaro > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 22:44

Why no Sport Automatic or M Sport brakes?

Also, what is your opinion of the detentless steering column stalks?

Vicente Esteve > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 22:46

Lets count the Euro Delivery and BWM budget.

Ive finished counting the Euro Delivery and BMW Budget. Theres einz euro.

Admiral Picard > heliochrome85
08/04/2014 at 22:57

I actually wish it was chunkier - what I don't like about it is the large circular center with the relatively small "spokes" — make those fatter in proportion to the rest of the wheel.

Still, beautiful car... now fix those center caps! :o)

Bond...Adrian Bond > heliochrome85
08/05/2014 at 05:44

Clean that engine bay!

heliochrome85 > Bond...Adrian Bond
08/05/2014 at 07:39

She's going in for her first service soon. The dealer usually does a full clean with each service.

Bond...Adrian Bond > heliochrome85
08/05/2014 at 07:48

There's a certain joy one gets from doing it oneself, though!

quarterlifecrisis > heliochrome85
08/05/2014 at 08:17

Lies, I've witnessed you park like a dbag in at least 2 states...both ending with the word Carolina.

bobtobnowski > heliochrome85
08/05/2014 at 08:37

I was going to make fun of it too...until I saw you did Euro delivery. I would keep that on it too, at least for a while. Is Indiana a front plate freedom state?

ly2v8-Brian > heliochrome85
08/05/2014 at 11:56

To say I wish I had your car is an understatement.

Jimmy Tango > heliochrome85
08/05/2014 at 11:56

"here you go, a grey set of wheels. You can't see brake dust at all" Speaking of brake dust, my stock brake on e46 330ci used to throw tons of dust. I change them to aftermarket ceramic brakes pad and all is good. Still have a rear brake pad and rotor if any one has a e46 with 18' wheel, inquire within.

n54 & s38 > heliochrome85
08/05/2014 at 14:37

Love. love, love that color! E90 owner myself. My main two objections to the F30 are:

1) Don't like the overly light steering/lack of steering feel. I've heard that this has been improved on recent models to some extent. Just feels...different than the hydraulic steering on my 335.

2) The whole car just feels really...big to me. Visibility is noticeably worse than my E90 335xi both front and rear and it just doesn't have that cocoon-like, compact feeling that previous 3 series had.

I'm a big fan of the new N20 engine. Fantastic performance and fuel economy, plus much more tuning potential than the N52. Maybe not quite as smooth but the other positives more than offset this, IMO.

Oh, and I agree. Ever since someone pointed out the line on the hood of the F30, it drives me nuts every time I look at one.

And +1 on the Sensatec. I have the leatherette in mine and it's way more durable and easier to clean than leather.

n54 & s38 > gabbo241
08/05/2014 at 14:53

Ditch the runflats and it improves dramatically. I did for both my winter and summer tires and don't need to wince when I see bumpy pavement anymore...

Saracen > heliochrome85
08/05/2014 at 15:21

Yep, and there can be huge variations in power between stock GT-R's. It's crazy.

gabbo241 > n54 & s38
08/05/2014 at 16:15

I have Dunlop Wintersport 4D non runflats for the winter. They made some difference but to me the ride is still punishing - at least on battered NYC-area roads. This car has got me dodging potholes like they're IEDs.

Kevin Rhodes > heliochrome85
08/05/2014 at 16:27

Technically, you still paid for the shipping. That is the $900 delivery charge. It's the same whether you do Euro Delivery or not. You don't pay any extra for dropping the car off in most of the cities where you can. A couple cost extra, Italy for sure when I did my Euro Delivery in '11. What is REALLY annoying is you still pay it to do Performance Center Delivery on a car that was built there! Not that I have any use for an X-anything.

I plan to do both Euro Delivery AND Performance Center Delivery on my next one, which will be a 2-series. Still having the internal 228i/M235i debate, but leaning to the 228i. I travel for a living, so the trips are effectively free for me in terms of airfare and hotels, so I plan to spend a month in Europe this time. Did three weeks last time, but only the base two with my car. Dropped it in Amsterdam.

I wonder if the plate numbers are sequential? When I did mine in July 2011, I got M 2939 Z. My car is a 328i wagon, Tasman on Chestnut, 6spd manual, and I love it like a child. I plan to be buried in it, since they won't sell me another wagon with a stick.

Kevin Rhodes > Jimmy Tango
08/05/2014 at 16:30

That is interesting about the brake dust. My '11 328i came with ceramic pads, and has no dust to speak of. Interesting that they seem to have taken a step backwards with this - cost saving measure? I certainly have no complaints about how my car stops!

Kevin Rhodes > heliochrome85
08/05/2014 at 16:34

I agree that the 8spd in current BMWs is fantastic, for an automatic. That is still like being the prettiest girl in the leper colony...

heliochrome85 > bobtobnowski
08/05/2014 at 17:02

Yup and I live in SC, which is also a front plate freedom state.

driftmeister > heliochrome85
08/14/2014 at 22:36

Congratulations!

Here's ours.

We absolutely adore the color. We had to search for a bit to find an Estoril Blue that was configured the way we wanted.

The 8 speed is fantastic and love the torquey engine. It's too bad the 4 cylinder sounds so clattery and rough from the outside.

Overall, the design looks fantastic and fender flares look so gorgeous when the light hits them.

Kinja'd!!!

Here's an Imgur link to the pic if Nibbles eats the one I posted in the comment http://imgur.com/7zXNh24

bimmerbimmerbimmer > heliochrome85
09/27/2014 at 17:26

Was I the only one that was looking for an M-Sport suspension review vs the standard?

Nice color but I don't think it's worth the estoril blue price point.

i'm working w/ a dealer right now at 3600 below MSRP (inc. dest) on a 328i and debating the m-sport.

Dunno if I'd buy a Bimmer before a 1 way plane tix the f-k out of Indianer but that's just me, lol

BrianB > heliochrome85
10/02/2014 at 13:02

IU HOOSIERS!

mabreky > get-nick
11/14/2014 at 22:19

Nice key ring thing on the key fob! Do you know what is it called and where i can get it from?

JonM-Scottsdale > heliochrome85
07/25/2015 at 21:39

Way to go bud, can’t argue a word you penned. Got mine for X-Mas ‘13. @ 19 months now, I have ZERO complaints. Maybe with only 13,600 miles I’d say the Bridgestone run-flats wear a bit fast...? I run them with 35lbs all-around & Nitrogen. The ride is tighter and the steering is literally flawless. Scottsdale is like Baghdad so, dust and sun is quite intense. I wash the car daily or at least 5-x a week. Estoril has held up wonderfully. I wax ever 1/4. BEST news is local driving on/off highway with a heavy foot is still 23 mpg.

Although you may not have Heads-Up Display on windshield, I’d say it’s now a must on all my next cars = I love it for both speed, Navigation maneuvering & Radio/CD’s.

IF I had one complaint {as it no longer bothers me} I’d say the 10-way inflatable orthopedic adjustable front seats do absolutely everything except sit-high enough. I’m not short, I am just used to riding higher since I have a back & neck disc problem.

Net-net, I loved it on delivery day and I adore it today. Never had a bad experience motoring {except my first ticket in 37 years!}