[ThatKrazyPolak]

Just got back from the dealership and test drove a 330i with M Sport Package priced at 56K. Here are my impressions:

Exterior Design:
Overall very pleasant appearance. Lighting has been revamped and looks cool, car lines are accentuated and they add a nice flair. The grill I'm torn about, not sure I'm sold on the appearance but its not a deal breaker.

Interior Design:
Interior looks very high quality compared to the previous entry. M Sport package adds a hefty steering wheel that I think is slightly bigger then that of the outgoing 3 series, but its still comfortable. I thought that was a nice touch. Overall high quality screen and digital dash, very vibrant. Dashboard / console doesn't look plastic-y and button's look high quality as well. I'm not a fan of all those silver accents I kind of think there are too much of them and wish maybe there were more options to substitute those but whatever.

On photos I thought the center console would be too big since it seems as if its overall surface area has been increased. Its fine.

Performance / Handling:
So since I drive a 228i I'm going to use that as a benchmark, but the 4 cylinder here has a bit more punch to it, which is most likely that B58 in it. Handling is good and responsive, not as agile as 2 series though (obviously its a bigger car makes sense). Since this had the adaptive M suspension I think that added to the tightness of the car but I believe without this the car still won't feel nearly as floaty as the outgoing 3. In sport mode, steering tightened up quite a bit, more so then mine does in the 228 and there was an added kick but nothing mind blowing. Its almost like a wild mustang that's addicted to prozac; it wants to have fun but its limited by its screwed brain chemistry. The 4 cylinder is definitely a bottle neck here.

Final Impressions: So the car is fine, it is definitely an improvement over the last 3 which is reassuring. The MSRP on the one I drove was 56K, which is insane for a 4 cylinder. I don't know what the guys at the Welt were smoking when they came up with that number, but I want some. I personally think this would be more justifiable if it came up around 50 - ish. Also a lot of the tech (gesture control, laser lights) still are not what I would call necessary splurges. They feel more like gimmicky afterthoughts then features that will tremendously improve the driving experience.

Bottom Line: For 56K wait for the M340i.

[tturedraider]

My perfectly equipped G20 330i rwd has an MSRP of $52,870. It doesn’t include all of those unnecessary extras. You don’t say where you live exactly, but based on your owning a 228i xDrive I’m guessing the upper Midwest (from your screen name I’m wondering if you’re in Chicagoland) and so I’m gonna guess the 330i you drove was an xDrive, too. That bumps the MSRP by $2,000 that a lot of southern and western buyers won’t have to pay.

[ThatKrazyPolak]

I'm actually in Jersey, so winters are just as bad as those in Chicago. But yes your right this one was an AWD and all might not need to opt in for all of these features. At its core I'm saying that the overall base MSRP of the car isn't really justifiable. I still firmly believe that the changes to styling do not warrant that much of a price hike over the '18 model.

[KTN]

Originally Posted by ThatKrazyPolak

I'm actually in Jersey, so winters are just as bad as those in Chicago. But yes your right this one was an AWD and all might not need to opt in for all of these features. At its core I'm saying that the overall base MSRP of the car isn't really justifiable. I still firmly believe that the changes to styling do not warrant that much of a price hike over the '18 model.

The changes are not just to styling though. The underlying chassis, the steering, the suspension has all been "touched". The car is based on a different platform compared to F30 to begin with.

Also, I'll admit I don't know US prices off the top of my head, but is the _base_ price (so 0 options) really that much higher than it was for the F30? Now once you start adding options it can get steep, but that's a different subject as there're also options that weren't available for the previous gen.

[tturedraider]

Regarding the 4 banger motor, now that we’re into a second generation 3er with the turbo four I have a hard time seeing that as a real issue price wise. This “new and improved” B48 with 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque is more powerful than my top of the line 2006 330i N52 with 255 hp and only 220 lb-ft of torque. The four doesn’t have that inherent silkyness of the inline six, but from a performance aspect it certainly delivers.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by ThatKrazyPolak

I'm actually in Jersey, so winters are just as bad as those in Chicago. But yes your right this one was an AWD and all might not need to opt in for all of these features. At its core I'm saying that the overall base MSRP of the car isn't really justifiable. I still firmly believe that the changes to styling do not warrant that much of a price hike over the '18 model.

Originally Posted by KTN

The changes are not just to styling though. The underlying chassis, the steering, the suspension has all been "touched". The car is based on a different platform compared to F30 to begin with.

Also, I'll admit I don't know US prices off the top of my head, but is the _base_ price (so 0 options) really that much higher than it was for the F30? Now once you start adding options it can get steep, but that's a different subject as there're also options that weren't available for the previous gen.

The 2019 G20 330i base price is virtually identical to the base price of the 2018 F30 330i and the G20 has more standard equipment. I haven’t done a detailed price comparison yet between a 2018 F30 and an equivalently equipped 2019 G20, but I’ve done them in the past and it always turns out that BMW actually does a really good job at holding the line on price. The price increases are virtually always accounted for by new options that weren’t available on the previous model.

[openwheelracing]

These are 40k vehicles with worthless extras. Bring back the 320i and I might consider, especially with all the price gouging lately from BMWUSA. To entice me they'll need to use the Euro configurators but lose out on profit.

[M3PGH]

base Bmw 5 series and base MB E class have 4 cylinder and they are more expensive

[hans007]

I really don't get all the griping. MSRP is the same. the new one has a better interior by a lot. it gets 2mpg more, a new steering rack, it's lighter, more spacious, and has 37lb ft more torque and is also faster.

but whaaaaaaaahhhh it's worse somehow ?!?

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Regarding the 4 banger motor, now that we’re into a second generation 3er with the turbo four I have a hard time seeing that as a real issue price wise. This “new and improved” B48 with 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque is more powerful than my top of the line 2006 330i N52 with 255 hp and only 220 lb-ft of torque. The four doesn’t have that inherent silkyness of the inline six, but from a performance aspect it certainly delivers.

255hp and 295lb-ft are really impressive for a 4 cylinder turbo.

The base price + destination is $43k MSRP, hopefully there will be discount to push it down to, say, $37k.

That base price includes lots of basics for my need:
moonroof
LED headlight
anthracite headliner
fine wood trim

Maybe the only option added will be leather.

[openwheelracing]

Doesn't matter if they make 500hp out of a 2.0 4 banger, they are still 40k cars at best. Better to get inline 6 without useless gimmick like HUD, neon lighting and sat radio.

Mercedes has now inline 4 with 40v mild hybrid that actually makes sense selling at F30 320i price.

[bavarianride]

My take is that the latest gen of I6 turbo is not as raw emotion as the old gen I6 N/A.

Compared to the tamed sound/feel of the I6 turbo, the I4 turbo is not that different except for HP/lb-ft numbers.

BTW brand new F30 320i base went as low as $28k-ish locally, those were great deals to grab.

[openwheelracing]

One sounds fantastic and one sounds like a whinny little +_--$ch.

[MT4life]

4 cylinder 50K - No thanks

[MT4life]

Originally Posted by openwheelracing

Doesn't matter if they make 500hp out of a 2.0 4 banger, they are still 40k cars at best. Better to get inline 6 without useless gimmick like HUD, neon lighting and sat radio.

Mercedes has now inline 4 with 40v mild hybrid that actually makes sense selling at F30 320i price.

Would rather have vinyl seats no sunroof 340 than a fully loaded 4 cylinder.

[bavarianride]

F30 N26 used to have long emission warranty(150000 miles and 15 years), but it looks like that(PZEV) has been phased out in Jan 1, 2018. The new "standard" is TZEV, and the last I check only G30 530e is listed, but not F30 330e. It is unknown if G20 330e will qualify for the long emission warranty.

[KTN]

Originally Posted by openwheelracing

Doesn't matter if they make 500hp out of a 2.0 4 banger, they are still 40k cars at best. Better to get inline 6 without useless gimmick like HUD, neon lighting and sat radio.

Mercedes has now inline 4 with 40v mild hybrid that actually makes sense selling at F30 320i price.

That's mighty objective of you. I'll let BMW know to give you one of their new M4 DTM cars for 40k then, being a 2.0 4-cylinder turbo.

[G4BR13L]

I agree with KTN we are currently deciding between a G20 320i fully specced for the comfort or wait for the M340i without all the gimmicks pure for the joy of driving. There is nothing wrong with the more than excellent B48 engine. BMW as other brands just have to comply with regulations to meet fuel economy targets. Especially in Europe and in Belgium where when buying a car on your company you are taxed very heavily depending of the co2 and the price of the car.

To illustrate this with an example: for the M4 you pay a 600 euro (680 USD) tax per month (!!) as the company owner (not paid by your company to be clear, it is a tax you pay privately because of a so-called benefit you have) when driving a M4 purchased by your company. It is absurd but this is how it is here and because of this these cars are a rare view. People still take pictures of my M4 on the highway. You see a lot of hybrids, Tesla’s and the ’rich’ drive a Porsche 911.

I cannot speak for how this is done in the USA or other countries.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by KTN

That's mighty objective of you. I'll let BMW know to give you one of their new M4 DTM cars for 40k then, being a 2.0 4-cylinder turbo.

I completely agree with the substance of your position. But, I think we also need to be understanding and supportive of those who struggle to comprehend that not everyone else shares their "objective truth" about why people choose engines, and the frustration they seem to feel when seeing others who have a different set of preferences. I found some folks with this limitation on the 2 Series forum, not many, but some, who were unable to comprehend why anyone would order a highly contented 228i versus a 235i, at that time. It is ironic, indeed, that they are so highly motivated by their search for external "power", but don't yet have the internal power to broaden their horizons to better understand and accept others. But, let's be nice and help explain why this is not a matter of "right vs wrong" and just a different set of preferences. Here's my list.

Why I Will Order a 4 Cylinder, Even if in a Well-Equipped Vehicle:

1. Not being one who tracks, very satisfying power available for DD
2. Nostalgia for my 1977 320i
3. Historical nod to the BMW brand (see Munich HQ building)
4. Less weight over front wheels, and I like the steering feel difference I notice more than I want more power
5. Could buy one of each, but just don't see the "value" for two more cylinders, so it's not some odd result of "affordability" problem
6. Very much enjoy Sirius...it's all that's ever on in any of my cars, and prefer music to exhaust note
7. Comfort/convenience features add more to my life than getting to the next red light a "right of decimal point" bit faster.

Hope that is helpful. Remember, it is not important that anyone agrees with any of the above list. The best outcome is to just recognize that these different-from-yours preferences exist and are equally valid as anyone else's...yours too! Thank you.

[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.

[MT4life]

I fully believe with a certain amount of money here in America you should get a 6 cylinder engine or higher. That's all.

Do what you want with your money and I feel bad for some European countries where you have to pay extra for having a more powerful engine. In the US, when you spend 50K+ on a car it should not come with a 4 cylinder engine.

[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.