328i Loaner

"Party-vi" (party-vi)
05/01/2015 at 09:19 • Filed to: None

I’ve got a red 328i M Sport (Sport Line pictured) on loan from BMW of Catonsville while they poke around my E46 for shits and giggles. Observations:

You can’t turn on the fog lights unless the headlights are on. Not sure why

Brakes suck compared to my E46. This could be because I’m used to the pedal travel and feel in my car, but I’m not a fan of these brakes.

Acceleration is fantastic. So is the autobox.

The self-return turn signal stalk is a pain at first, and self-cancel is too far into centering the steering wheel so you’ll look like a tool with your blinker on if you don’t cancel it yourself.

The only good thing about the self-return wiper stalk is the automatic wiper button on the end so you don’t actually have to use the self-return wiper stalk.

Door handle and puddle lights are the future.

Fake engine noise sounds good but has no soul.

There’s a very cool but gimmicky sport meter dyno that just begs you to peg it. I did. A lot.

I prefer the interior of my E46.

DISCUSSION (31)

Jonathan Harper > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 09:21

Headlights, or at least parking lights (halos) had to be on for fogs to be turned on in the E9x too. The turn signal thing also threw me for a loop when I first drove an E9x but it’s second nature now since all the new ones have pretty much the same switchgear.

Party-vi > Jonathan Harper
05/01/2015 at 09:32

Halos on and the fogs still won’t work.

The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 09:35

My fiance’s Ford Edge has self returning turn signals and they drive the both of us mad. Having the stalk stay in the activated position is a subtle, but effective, way to tell me that they’re actually on. That’s really useful when it’s too loud to hear the ‘clicking’ of the blinker and I’m too focused on the road to look at the gauge cluster.

Jonathan Harper > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 09:40

Really? Weird. I think you may be able to go into the idrive or BC if no idrive and futz with those settings.

Azrek > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 09:49

How the....what the....who did you blow to get that?

Last time I went to that dealership they couldn’t find me ANY car for a loaner...and my contract has me guaranteed a loaner (And I told them I was coming a week out).

Smoggi - powered by 3 cylinders > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 09:51

I can’t see why you would only want foglights on.

macanamera > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 09:53

Hm. I used to ride fogs and halos all the time in my e92.

macanamera > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 09:53

Do you think that sport gauge thing is making any real time measurements or just displaying the stock dyno data for a given rpm??

Party-vi > macanamera
05/01/2015 at 10:01

I think the computer calculates it from a given set of engine parameters. The power levels weren’t consistent with engine RPM.

Party-vi > Smoggi - powered by 3 cylinders
05/01/2015 at 10:02

In the fog. If your headlights are on the water droplets will reflect the light from your headlights and you can’t see shit. With the fogs and parking lights on you can actually see what is in front of you.

Party-vi > Azrek
05/01/2015 at 10:04

Luck of the draw. I had seen it last time I was there but some old guy got it. They previously gave me a 328d which was fine except the tractor engine they put in it. Depending on what order they line up the cars I could have gotten a white 320i or a black 528i. The kid writing up the loaner mentioned the M-Sport was his favorite car in their loaner fleet and I can see why.

Party-vi > Jonathan Harper
05/01/2015 at 10:04

I wish death upon those that installed iDrive.

/getoffmylawn

Party-vi > The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!)
05/01/2015 at 10:05

The reason most BMW drivers don’t use their signals is because they’re loud as hell. It’s rare you forget they’re on.

Jonathan Harper > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 10:12

It’s really not so bad!

Party-vi > Jonathan Harper
05/01/2015 at 10:17

Just you typing those words confirms my suspicions that iDrive is the worst.

John Dyste > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 10:46

Turn signal has two clicks on the stalk. First can be set to blink three times then stop. Great for merging.

2nd click is like normal.

Party-vi > John Dyste
05/01/2015 at 10:57

Oh I know how it works, but I still don’t like it.

Sam > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 10:59

....if you did a little burnout or some donuts, would they notice? ‘Cause that’s totally a thing you should do.

Party-vi > Sam
05/01/2015 at 11:00

I mean, there is a sport + TC off mode...

Sam > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 11:03

....I have that in my E34 as well. It does do things. Things which happen at night in a K-Mart parking lot.

Smoggi - powered by 3 cylinders > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 11:16

I understand what you mean but personally I never noticed my headlights to be a problem in foggy wheather. Maybe I just don’t drive in the fog enough.

Textured Soy Protein > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 11:16

First thing I thought when I read Catonsville was Catonsville Community College.

Party-vi > Smoggi - powered by 3 cylinders
05/01/2015 at 11:17

You needz moar fog.

Party-vi > Textured Soy Protein
05/01/2015 at 11:18

When I read Catonsville all I think of are cute houses and slow drivers.

macanamera > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 11:18

Well, from a physics perspective I guess it would be possible to give you readings based on the mass of the car and speed/acceleration...if the computer knows the car weighs 3000lbs and is accelerating at “x” m/s at a given time it can calculate the power/force at a given “t”. The computer would just need the data for air resistance at any speed given the aerodynamic profile and drag coefficient of the car as well as the weight of the car plus maybe 150 lbs to allow for a standard driver. The equation would assume perfect traction and the biggest innacuracy would come from the assumed weight of the car, unless the car is capable of weighing its own cargo, which maybe it can do, I don't know.

Smoggi - powered by 3 cylinders > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 11:18

Thanks but I’m good :D

jjhats > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 12:57

hey man sorry to bother you but I was wondering if I could get authorship priveleges for oppo. this site is very aggravating and I just want to be able to use it like a normal person idk why they make everything so hard

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Party-vi
05/01/2015 at 12:58

#1 is universal to pretty much every car ever.

Rico > Jonathan Harper
05/01/2015 at 13:14

Can you explain the turn signal stalk and what makes it confusing?

Jonathan Harper > Rico
05/01/2015 at 15:57

They started using a new style of stalk where instead of it staying “down” or “up” while you’re indicating, it always would go back to the home position. This, as well as a kind of graded input that allows you to do one blink with a “soft” push or fully engage the blinker with a “hard” push. Hard push is just pushing a bit further past the “soft” push notch. But basically causes many drivers to accidentally indicate the opposite direction they are going when they try to cancel their blink or whatever.

Rico > Jonathan Harper
05/01/2015 at 16:26

Okay I understand now, it’s the fact that it centers immediately without input from the steering wheel that throws people off.