Unnecessary Car Shopping With E90s, Without M3s, Without E90M3

"G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3" (gbodyman) 12/23/2019 at 00:26 • Filed to: None

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’It’s a poorly-kept secret that I’m considering the E90 3-series as my next car. With all the hyperbole and benchmarking surrounding the E90 it has to be the entry level sports sedan to end all entry level sports sedans, so I took a variant deemed too slow for America out for a spin to see if the brilliance trickles down.

The test vehicle in this case was a 2008 323i...automatic. While Americans only got the three-litre N52, BMW Canada figured that anybody considering a gussied up Mazda 6 could dig a little deeper into th eir couch cushions to get their hands on a decontented E90 with a 2.5-litre N52.

So how does it drive? In a word, brilliantly . The structure is admirably tight (despite the dubious history of this example), ride control is excellent with particularly well-controlled secondary body motions over rough tarmac. The steering was another high point which, although hefty at parking lot speeds, feels natural and communicative without being busy when underway. The 2.5-litre engine feels underpowered but has that classic straight-six creaminess and the seats and driving position are spot-on. Lastly, the heated seats and stereo are shockingly good for a base model. Gripes? Aside from the aforementioned slowness and low-speed steering heft, the halogen headlamps aren’t very good, the cupholders aren’t worth a damn, the centre armrest is too small and both the wiper and indicator controls are an adjustment to say the least. Still, most of those issues are fixable just by going to a higher-spec 328i and swapping in the sliding euro armrest. Could a carefully chosen slice of Bavarian goodness be not just affordable to buy but affordable to run on an adult budget? Survey says...

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 00:44

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Plenty of E9Xs on Oppo, they can’t be that bad.

I only want the E91 , manual, which are starting to cost twice as much as a well sorted E90. A dream that will never be reality.

Longtime Lurker > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 00:46

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Is your local market as out of whack as it is here. A 323i costs more then a same year/mileage 328i.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 00:56

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You could buy my 128i

CompactLuxuryFan > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 02:32

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Did not realize Canada got the E90 323i. That’s amazing!

functionoverfashion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 12/23/2019 at 08:20

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Sad but true. My parents just got an E61 - automatic - and for sure, the manuals cost more on those. 

Keylube > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 08:20

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One of my friends has 270k miles on his 330, the N52 doesn’t have many issues. Great cars, if you take care of them. 

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 09:01

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Love my E84 so far, the stalks become second nature soon enough. 

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 12/23/2019 at 09:58

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My brain says yes but my heart says rear doors are super awesome .

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Longtime Lurker 12/23/2019 at 10:00

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Nah, 323is are cheap in the GTA  because they never came with desirable options and they’re also extremely slow.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 12/23/2019 at 10:04

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Common failure points include water pump and t-stat every 70k miles or so, VANOS solenoids, VCGs, oil filter housing gaskets and cupholders. While that sounds like a lot, I am coming from something that’s supposed to be an oil-burning, synchro-munching, bushing-destroying, cam sensor-cooking,  gallery gasket-decimating machine.

TFen > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 10:25

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Go with what you really want: E46 330i

They drive better, are (slightly) more reliable, easier to find with a stick and infinitely more cool.

They’re also old enough to avoid looking like you’re “ballin on a budget”, if that sort of thing matters to you (it shouldn’t but ppl suck).

dieseldub > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 10:29

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Anytime someone starts talking E90s, I kind of gloss over and start daydreaming about having a 335d.

Of course I would. Oppo’s Euro-diesel nerd. That is a pretty special engine in the U.S.. Definitely have their BMW issues and some early-clean-diesel emissions controls failures, but my god, when they’re fixed right, that is a fantastic car.

425 ft-lbs of torque in an E90 and high 30s MPG highway without trying. Sign me up. Just too bad the ZF 6 speed is the only transmission option. That’s the only letdown. It’s an OK box, just a little slow and indecisive compared to more modern units (or better yet, the option of rowing your own).

But, where there’s a will, there’s a way as far as things like manual swaps.

Tapas > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 11:41

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Just wndering how you decided on the 328...Are  335s worth much more or cost more to run than a 328?

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 13:25

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Reading that list it’s like BMW took a decade’s worth of real world learnings from their products  and decided to say naah, good enough.

- owner of an E46

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 13:27

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Damn. I’m always a proponent of more sidewall but those wheels make that car look really bad. Is that the standard spec on 323i models? 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 12/23/2019 at 13:35

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They almost look like a bad knockoff E36 5-spoke

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 12/23/2019 at 15:08

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Yup, those are standard spec 16” wheels for 323i models.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > TFen 12/23/2019 at 15:12

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I...don’t like E46s. They rust really badly, they feel super outdated and they typically look worse than their predecessors and successor. They’re also way less reliable than N52-powered E90s (full cooling system issues, more body electrical issues, subframes that crack if you drive like a chode) and have inferior suspension geometry. E46s don’t really have any advantages over my G35 whereas E90s are a noticeable step up in both overall performance and livability. Besides, if I’m already driving a G35 then image mustn’t matter much to me.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Tapas 12/23/2019 at 15:14

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Oooooh boy. Where do I start? HPFP failures, turbo failures, wastegate vacuum dependent on VCG integrity, DI carbon buildup, etc. N54s are fun but imo not worth the added cost and complexity.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > dieseldub 12/23/2019 at 15:17

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I wonder if 335ds accept the Alpina transmission programming? It makes a huge difference on N54 cars.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > CompactLuxuryFan 12/23/2019 at 15:19

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It’s certainly  something. They sold a ton of them because the lease rates were so good that they were often cheaper to lease than V6 Camrys. We also got the E46 320i as an entry-level Bimmer for the early 00s.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Keylube 12/23/2019 at 15:21

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Yeah, I’ve seen tons of high-mileage N52s that were simply maintained as opposed to treated specially. They definitely seem to last longer than the VQ in my current sports sedan.

Tapas > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 15:23

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Well damn. Alright then lol

TFen > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/23/2019 at 17:49

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To each their own.