[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by buckybadger

For that price, 4 banger is not worth it.

All BMWs are overpriced for a "car", regardless of the number of cylinders. We just want them enough to overspend, which is their business model.

[chickennuggets]

I sat in a new 330i today. The interior was amazing.

[G4BR13L]

Originally Posted by chickennuggets

I sat in a new 330i today. The interior was amazing.

I concur. Some people can’t see beyond the engine. The car is so much more.

[openwheelracing]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

BMW's alleged lower cost vehicle is the hidden gem with great value.

E.g. In US, a F30 320i 50/50 chassis RWD with ZF 8AT and N20 detuned 180HP/200lb-ft is such a gem.

Throw in ZSP for $29k-$30k, maybe swap in non-RFT summer or new-age RFT that runs like non-RFT. It has BMW DNA and lineage, balanced chassis, spacious cabin, etc, etc. Very nice!

Yep, 30.2K to be exact. 320i with ZSP and ZLP.
Pocket change on those leases. However, the good lease rates are over.

Originally Posted by G4BR13L

The car is so much more.

Absolutely, the stiffer chassis, 50/50, steering, braking....Yes. I'll pay extra for additional rear airbags.

HUD, kick to open truck or fake analogue gauges are worthless to me.

[SBM1206]

Originally Posted by buckybadger

For that price, 4 banger is not worth it.

Our 2015 328 xDrive with just basic must have options - M Sport, xenons, CWP, Tech and PDC had MSRP of $53,400.

2019 330 xDrive with the same MSRP would give me all that plus 19 inch wheels, alarm, power trunk and a spare wheel.

Base MSRP $42,250
M Sport Design $5,000
Color Alpine White
Wheels 19" style 791M w/performance rft
Black Vernasca Leather w/blue contrast stitching/piping $1,700
Premium Package $2,800
Power tailgate $250
Active Blind Spot Detection
Park Distance Control $200
Space-saver spare $150
Ambient Lighting
Destination + Handling $995
TOTAL MSRP as Built $53,345

2019 4 banger 3 series is actually cheaper to buy than 2015 was.

[chickennuggets]

I'm very happy with my F30, but when my lease is up, I'll will be getting a G20 for sure... unless I have Porsche money by then haha.

[openwheelracing]

Originally Posted by buckybadger

For that price, 4 banger is not worth it.

We apply incentives on all of them. They are equally easy to haggle. Best deals are cars that sit on lot too long. Those are usually loaded 4 bangers.

[SBM1206]

Yes, the price one pays is a very different story from MSRP.

We leased both our F30s.

- 2015 328i xDrive with MSRP of $53K had a sale price of $47K and we leased it for $466 with all fees and taxes included in the monthly payment.

- 2018 340i xDrive with MSRP of $58,785 has a sale price of $51K, if I am not mistaken. We leased it for $499 per month.

My main point was - there is essentially no price increase for G20, not for a 4 banger at least.

M340 could be a different story. Still we going to get options that were not readily available on F30 340, like LSD. I expect M340 xDrive with all the basic stuff I need to be around $61K-$62K which seems reasonable for a new model with a more powerful engine and additional options.

I agree 100% that 6 cyl cars are only about $50-60 (with gas and insurance taken into account) per month more than 4 cyl cars and it makes good sense to go for I6. On the other hand, I am currently driving a very heavy 535i xDrive and 295lb-ft of torque moves the car pretty well. The updated B48 has the same torque that the old N55 had and should be plenty for a lighter G20.

Too much power sometimes takes the fun of driving a car away. I am sure you feel it when driving your 340. Accelerate hard and you doing 100-120mph in no time. To risky and unsafe. Sometimes less power is better.

[RobC2]

Originally Posted by MT4life

What do I need a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats for in the south? Lol

I love my heated steering wheel...

[MT4life]

Originally Posted by RobC2

I love my heated steering wheel...

I do too but if I had to choose between a bunch of extras we've all lived all our lives without before and a 6 cylinder, I'd pick the 6 cylinder. Just my own personal opinion.

[goj]

Originally Posted by ThatKrazyPolak

The issue is that for a car that costs 56,000 USD, you would think that it would have a bit more from a performance perspective. Its about bang for your buck. I'm not an investment banker, and I'm sure 95% of the people who posted in this thread fall in the same category. We, for the most part, are enthusiasts, and we are expressing our opinions from an enthusiasts perspective.

And BTW, those "useless gimmicks" are in fact, still useless gimmicks. A lot of the tech here is generation 1 technology still in its beta phase. What car manufacturer has so far perfectly integrated gesture control? Zero, that's how many. A "refresh mode" that lights up my car like I'm at a Depeche Mode concert? Really? These things will be refined but don't justify the price tag based on things like this.

Don't have a closed mind. You're treating your personal opinions and values as absolute. Just because your values don't align with the value proposition of the 330i doesn't mean the car doesn't make sense.

0-60 in around 5s
High level of material quality, fit and finish
Higher quality leather
Great to drive
Classy Image
Top of the line technology
Great efficiency

That list is more than enough value for a lot of people. How can I prove that? Well Mercedes and Audi do the same thing.

There are less expensive brands/cars that that are great like a camaro for outright performance, or a stinger/G70/Infiniti for a car that isn't as nice but offers more performance

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by MT4life

I do too but if I had to choose between a bunch of extras we've all lived all our lives without before and a 6 cylinder, I'd pick the 6 cylinder. Just my own personal opinion.

Nicely done, thank you. If this clear statement of personal choice was what we had pages ago, instead of perhaps just ineffective writing suggesting objective "better/worse/right/wrong" decisions and mind-reading other's motivations, so much angst could have been avoided. We all can respect each other's favorite "flavor" and well-labeled personal opinions, and never jump, call names, or care about what goes on when not online (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by goj

0-60 in around 5s
High level of material quality, fit and finish
Higher quality leather
Great to drive
Classy Image
Top of the line technology
Great efficiency

That is a good list. BMWNA says G20 330i 0-60 is 5.6 seconds, C&D says 5.3 seconds, those are great numbers for DD.

My leaning usually is to skip infotainment tech, and go for improved lighting, great engine tech + AT combo.

[goj]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

That is a good list. BMWNA says G20 330i 0-60 is 5.6 seconds, C&D says 5.3 seconds, those are great numbers for DD.

My leaning usually is to skip infotainment tech, and go for improved lighting, great engine tech + AT combo.

And you have the right to equip how you'd like.

[goj]

Originally Posted by openwheelracing

Exactly, if I lived in Germany with options to choose between 320i, 330i and a la cart option, then I may choose a 4 cylinder. In the US, we are now again restricted to 330i with lousy packages and price gouging. I have no incentive going for a highly optioned 4 cylinder because BMW still excels at the inline 6, not so much the 4 banger. 4 bangers are dime dozen in 2019. Same as all the "tech" which from my experience driving 4 BMWs over the last 11 years, are all junk. There is no reason I have to buy blind spot with sat radio, or upgrade headlight with comfort access. We can all bend over and pick one of these loaded 330i off the lot without upgraded headlight, or we can be smart about it. Feel free to buy whatever floats your boat, someone has to buy a 56k 330i. Not for me.

Have you had experiencing buying a new bmw before?

You sound like you don't understand that it's easy to get 4-5k off selling price before any incentives are added like bmwcca, corporate fleet discount etc. You just have to have some savvy and do research.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by goj

And you have the right to equip how you'd like.

Ala carte options are not available in US, but at the same time, BMW also phases out ala carte in Euro markets.

G20 330i spec already includes moonroof + improved headlight, so it is good for my liking(and I can choose leather too).

There probably will be complaints that people cannot equip how they like, e.g. moonroof-less(need custom-delete).

[Sherweeeny]

Originally Posted by openwheelracing

HUD, kick to open truck or fake analogue gauges are worthless to me.

if you mean trunk, then youve never been carrying two cases of beer before.

[Jbrock22]

Originally Posted by Sherweeeny

I bought a 328 when the f30 was first released and then 4 years in bought a 340. I have extensive experience with both cars. my first car was a straight 6 E36 so the 6cyl tugs on my heart strings as much, if not more than the next person, but im not delusional. the 4cyl has its pros and cons and so does the 6cyl. i was responding to that insecure guy who was judging people in 4cyl 5 series so if youre basing your argument on a 5 series, then the car will be for normal road use and the performance difference when youre going for the gap in traffic is genuinely negligible in either car (and yep, theres lag in both if you catch off guard). On twisty mountain roads, i actually enjoyed throwing the 4cyl in more as you can do it quite viscously and it literally picks itself up and continues hustling on to the redline quickly and as linearly as the 6 but without the hesitation or understeer (on damp roads or if you throw it super aggressively). Maybe its you whos only sampled the 330 as a loaner that needs to do some of your own in person research. i just think it must be a bunch of old dudes resistant to change here trying to justify themselves by talking down things they dont have experience with. The only time I could tell a difference was on the biggest track we have here where the 4cyl ran out of puff on the straight in comparison to the 6. On the smaller more technical tracks, the 4 was just as enjoyable if not more enjoyable - but im biased on throwing light cars around as my track car is a turbo miata.

Now that i think about it, the only reason i bought the 340 is for the noise, which takes us back to the heart strings bit at the start of my reply, but for 99.9% of people who arent like me and a few whiners on this forum, the 4cyl will be as much car they will ever need.



Yes exactly, you should drive both for multiple years on road and track like i have and come back to me once you have formed your first hand opinion, i couldnt agree more.

I too owned a 2012 F30 328i. Sold it and bought a 2016 340I. Both cars optioned out the same. The difference is the power delivery more so than the HP or torque. The 6cyl is just so smooth. It's addicting. If you don't care about that then get the 4 cyl.

[MT4life]

Originally Posted by Jbrock22

I too owned a 2012 F30 328i. Sold it and bought a 2016 340I. Both cars optioned out the same. The difference is the power delivery more so than the HP or torque. The 6cyl is just so smooth. It's addicting. If you don't care about that then get the 4 cyl.

Yeah no contest. Like I said just don't drive a 340 before you get 330 and you'll be fine

[openwheelracing]

Originally Posted by Sherweeeny

if you mean trunk, then youve never been carrying two cases of beer before.

Nope.

[Sherweeeny]

Originally Posted by Jbrock22

I too owned a 2012 F30 328i. Sold it and bought a 2016 340I. Both cars optioned out the same. The difference is the power delivery more so than the HP or torque. The 6cyl is just so smooth. It's addicting. If you don't care about that then get the 4 cyl.

Yeah i agree re smoothness but reckon the 6's acoustics make it feel smoother as opposed to it actually being so. the 4cyl was a just as elastic engine, you really cant discount that though