New (to me) car: 2015 BMW 328i!

[Benzadmiral]

Folk,

The Buick Regal Era (2014-2019) has come to an end. On Friday I traded it in on a CPO 2015 BMW 328i sedan, gold over cream. Five months are left of the original warranty, and I have twelve months of CPO warranty to boot. When I called my regular mechanic on Thursday to ask his opinion, he asked, "Is it the 335, the six-cylinder?"

"No."

"Good. Those sixes are hard to work on. I work on those turbo fours all the time, just regular maintenance. My wife has one."

"Parts are about the same as for Mercedes?" I asked.

"Cheaper."

With that encouragement, and news from my insurance company that my premium increase would be reasonable (for Lousy-ana, that is), I took a test drive. A few miles, street and Interstate, Comfort mode and Sport mode, was all I needed to decide. I'd expected the car to ride stiffly with the run-flat tires, but they are 17" and higher-profile than the 18" ones on my Regal. And the power . . . 245hp compared to 180? Now I understand why the ancient Greek sailors were so easily seduced by the Sirens.

I'm still learning all the features, but I took a smooth, relaxing 30-mile Interstate run on Saturday and did some regular errands on Sunday. The car is luxurious, but put it in Sport mode and it leaps like a jaguar after prey. No doubt when I have to gas up with premium every couple of weeks I'll think fondly again of the Regal. But for now I begin to understand why BMWs have such a strong following. (I hate the orange instrument lighting and wish it were blue or white. But I knew about that going in.)

Needed: Window tinting, a clear bra on the front end, floor mats, and a sunshade that actually fits (the one from the Regal, believe it or not, is a bit too big!). Otherwise, I'll give it a polish and wax this weekend, make sure the tires are properly aired, and maybe drive to the north shore of the lake for breakfast on Sunday.

Any other BMW people here? Is it worth joining the BMWCCA? And what oil do you run in yours?

 

[Danno]

Drool, nice car.

Time to update your signature ....

 

[gofast182]

I'm a recently converted BMW person. My wife and I just joined BMWCCA when we got her X5 because they offer a $1,000 rebate when you buy a new BMW. Also, we just signed up for the VDC (Vehicle Distribution Center) tour at the port in Elizabeth NJ which should be cool. Each chapter has activities going on if you want to make it part of your lifestyle and there are some other discounts available.

I like my 340 in day-to-day driving but whenever I take a drive 30min+ I always get a newfound appreciation for the driving position, the car's responsiveness, and function of its features (I find iDrive very intuitive and unlike my last Acura the rain sensing wipers work great). Sounds like you've discovered the same.

First thing I did when I got my 340i is swap the harsh Conti run flats for Pirelli Cinturato P7 AS+. Great decision, made the car much more comfortable. The Conti's will go back on at the end of the lease in like-new condition!

Good luck with the car! Post a couple pics. after the wax.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

You'll appreciate the amber lighting of the instrument cluster at night. It's much easier on the eyes.

The worth of the BMWCCA membership depends entirely on your own level of participation. You do get a decent discount on BMW parts at the dealership which may be more convenient for you.

Not to ruin the parade but there is an extended warranty (7yr/70k miles) on the timing chain for some 4 cylinder (N20) engines. Build dates: 6/2011 - 2/2015

 

[RooflessVW]

I used to drive nothing but BMWs but they've lost the plot for me in recent years.

My MIL still had good taste in Bimmers though, and I take care of it for her:

 

[CharBaby]

Very cool and good luck!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Congrats!

I've had my 530i for nearly 13 years now. It had its fair share of problems, but all in all, I still like driving it.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by rooflessVW
I used to drive nothing but BMWs but they've lost the plot for me in recent years.

What are you driving now?

 

[RTexasF]

Nice ride. Are you positive that premium fuel is required? I thought it was 89 for that engine.........

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
You'll appreciate the amber lighting of the instrument cluster at night. It's much easier on the eyes.

. . .

Not to ruin the parade but there is an extended warranty (7yr/70k miles) on the timing chain for some 4 cylinder (N20) engines. Build dates: 6/2011 - 2/2015


The lighting gives me this mental notion that the Springfield nuclear plant is about to blow up under my hood. It's not really amber, but more a red-orange, like the sun going down.

Yes, I checked into that timing chain business. The build date of this car is 6/2015. The 328 only has 26K miles on it (!), so I have some room; I can ask my regular mechanic to take a look and listen next time I'm in. But I think I'm clear on that.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted by RTexasF
Nice ride. Are you positive that premium fuel is required? I thought it was 89 for that engine.........

The manual says 89 is the minimum recommended, and 91 is the recommended. I suppose if I want to go to the trouble, I could mix some 93 and 89 -- but the ethanol-laced 93 we have here will be a simpler method of filling up. I do hope the BMW, when driven conservatively, will get decent gas mileage; it's rated 23/35. Drive a lot in Sport mode during my 70% city commute, and all bets will be off, I'm sure.

And yes, GoFast, iDrive is intuitive. I've had no trouble changing settings to suit me, presetting my favorite radio stations, and playing music from my USB flash drive. Possibly some older, less tech-savvy drivers might have a problem and need those things done for them, but I play with computers every day.

Haven't tried the [censored] (Auto Start-Stop -- what an acronym!) much yet. Each restart seems relatively seamless, but it's still scary as [censored] when your car goes dead quiet at a stop. Plus the manual indicates the air-conditioning may be reduced when [censored] kicks in. And that, my friends and neighbors, ain't gonna happen in this worst of climates. Summer is already here and will be around until nearly Christmas.

 

[zorobabel]

Originally Posted by Benzadmiral
I took a smooth, relaxing 30-mile Interstate run

For those that still have any doubts about BMW not being what they used to be, Benzadmiral thinks they're smooth and relaxing

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted by Benzadmiral
The lighting gives me this mental notion that the Springfield nuclear plant is about to blow up under my hood.

I mean... Compared to what you're used to, that's not far from true.

BMWTurboDzl is right. I was actually going to chime in with the same thing. Reddish/orangish/whatever lighting might not look cool (depending on your taste), but boy oh boy is it better in the long run. It's one of the thousands of little details in these cars that help you focus on the road and drive forever without fatigue. Helps you see a bit better at night, too, because you don't have all that white or blue light in your periphery diminishing your night vision.

Having lived with red/amber/orange lighting for several years across a few cars, I can't stand white/blue interior lighting, especially at night. My current car has some of the least obtrusive white gauges I've seen, and I'm still considering swapping them to amber or something.


Side note: Great call on those 17" wheels! Really wish more people who bought these cars had that kind of sense.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted by zorobabel
Originally Posted by Benzadmiral
I took a smooth, relaxing 30-mile Interstate run

For those that still have any doubts about BMW not being what they used to be, Benzadmiral thinks they're smooth and relaxing

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
I used to drive nothing but BMWs but they've lost the plot for me in recent years.



What are you driving now?

I carry the family around in an Atlas and I drive a 996 Carrera.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted by zorobabel
Originally Posted by Benzadmiral
I took a smooth, relaxing 30-mile Interstate run

For those that still have any doubts about BMW not being what they used to be, Benzadmiral thinks they're smooth and relaxing

Aw, no -- the drive was smooth and relaxing. I was aware at all times that the car had a lot of power in reserve, that I was only tapping a little of it, and that if I chose I could let the jaguar leap. No doubt if I drove most of the time in Sport mode on low-profile tires, my opinion would be very different. But then I probably wouldn't have liked a car that rode like that. Remember that I live in a city which almost takes pride in its Third World roads. The denizens here don't even notice the bad streets much. "Is Pontchartrain Boulevard paved?" I ask. "Sure," says the local, and I spend my drive on that street gritting my teeth and cursing. So a smooth-riding car is a blessing.

In Colorado, which paves its roads, I might find that boring. Here, a smooth ride is a mental-health necessity.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted by d00df00d
Originally Posted by Benzadmiral
The lighting gives me this mental notion that the Springfield nuclear plant is about to blow up under my hood.

I mean... Compared to what you're used to, that's not far from true.

BMWTurboDzl is right. I was actually going to chime in with the same thing. Reddish/orangish/whatever lighting might not look cool (depending on your taste), but boy oh boy is it better in the long run. It's one of the thousands of little details in these cars that help you focus on the road and drive forever without fatigue. Helps you see a bit better at night, too, because you don't have all that white or blue light in your periphery diminishing your night vision.

Having lived with red/amber/orange lighting for several years across a few cars, I can't stand white/blue interior lighting, especially at night. My current car has some of the least obtrusive white gauges I've seen, and I'm still considering swapping them to amber or something. . . .


Sure. WWII subs had night lighting in red, to preserve the sailors' night vision on patrols. Perhaps I need to think of it like that. "We've broached, Skipper." "All hands, night protocol. Number One, you have the conn."

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted by Benzadmiral
WWII subs had night lighting in red, to preserve the sailors' night vision on patrols. Perhaps I need to think of it like that. "We've broached, Skipper." "All hands, night protocol. Number One, you have the conn."

 

[MCompact]

As a BMW CCA member since 1982 I strongly recommend joining. Many dealers and shops offer discounts to CCA members. There are many other discounts and incentives available as well- not to mention a great monthly magazine.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted by MCompact
As a BMW CCA member since 1982 I strongly recommend joining. Many dealers and shops offer discounts to CCA members. There are many other discounts and incentives available as well- not to mention a great monthly magazine.

The magazine looks very professional and entertaining. I'm more about the experience of driving and owning any given car than I am about racing it or modifying it, so this looks good.