[sdhotwn]

I know I heavily read threads in the time leading up to placing the order for my car and it was very useful and interesting to me to see everyone's opinion. It really helped inform mine, and led to a purchase decision that I have been very happy with. So hence the reason for posting a review - it's my viewpoint and opinion and it may be useful to others, and I'm sure flame worthy to a few.

My Background

So first about me to help frame the reference. I'm a mechanical and controls engineer by day. I've been racing solo time trial, autocross, and sprint karts for over 10 years now. I have hand built every car or kart I raced until this year. I owned an internet motorsports company for 7 years and tuned customer cars on Microtech EMS's for much of that period. I also hand built Mazda 2.3 and 2.0 engines for customers during that period, and initially had the highest output 2.0 Protege engine that was known in the community at 300+ whp that was daily driven as well as raced. That Mazda MP3 was also so stiff I'd see lights in my vision on bad bumps.

My Cars

I got in to BMW's about 7 years ago when I drove my father-in-law's 1997 318i at an autocross and loved the handling. Bought my own 1998 318i shortly after and to this date that is still the car I've loved the most of any I've owned... but that title may finally shift to my F30. I raced that car for about 5 years, but it was hitting 190k miles and the abuse was taking its toll. About that time I also picked up a 1998 M3 sedan. I stripped that car down to body and replaced the entire suspension with OEM components and redid a ton of maintenance on the engine. The car was great fun, and a true pleasure to drive and ran through a few autocrosses even though it wasn’t competitive in OEM trim. Fact was I only have a 2 car garage currently, and it was a 3rd car. I just couldn't justify it after owning it for close to 2 years. It was a bit too stiff for daily driving with the brutal pavement around here, and it had enough rattles and quirks that ate at my perfectionism and that stressed me out. It was completely original with no modifications, and modifying it seemed to me like a travesty with how few M3's were truly original still. I sold it to a guy from Virginia and made a small profit on it because of the condition and maintenance. Great car though! I also worked on and drove a number of times a 2001 E46 325ci, and raced a 2006 E90 325i for several years. I’ve also driven a host super cars (GTR, GT2, 458, DBS, MP4-12C, R8, LP560-4, Exige 240, etc), so I have a wide range of exposure of the four wheel variety.

After I sold the M3 and the 318, I picked up a 2013 WRX Limited that I custom ordered with every possible option. I owned that car for 9 months before selling it because of the chincy build quality, sloppy handling, and excessive road and wind noise. We replaced it with a 2011 X3 in January. September before that I drove a 530d in Germany for 2 weeks on vacation. Those two cars told me what I needed to know - time for a luxury sport sedan to replace my wife's Mazda 3 that she had loved for 6 plus years now that she was in the X3.

The F30 Decision

I went out and test drove the Cadillac ATS, Infiniti G37, and Audi S4. I didn't drive the C300 or the Lexus because no manual transmissions available... and that's a must for both my wife and I. I simply enjoy the experience and fiddling with the gears and clutch. My wife does as well, and her only complaint driving the X3 is that it lacks a stick shift. Side note- the X3 is a really wonderful small SUV. Always amazed at how well it handles and drives and brakes. Great car!

I narrowed down to the S4 and the 335i pretty quickly and really debated the two for about six weeks. I loved the sound and feel of the S4. Driving dynamics were fantastic as well in test drives. The long term maintenance, the higher negotiated price, and the stiffer ride quality were what swayed me to the 335i in the end.

So background complete... why the 335i.

I had test driven a 328xi several months before I shopped in earnest and didn’t care for it. The vague on-center steering and soft suspension just felt numb to me. When my X3 was in for service they gave me a 320i loaner with sport package. That car was FUN to drive for a couple days even though I didn’t care for the sound of the 4 cylinder engine (I still can’t figure how Mazda and Honda manage such smooth sounding 4 cylinders, even on their turbo motors, and the German cars, and Cadillac, sound awful and coarse!) the car really reminded me of my 318i in how it was fun to wring out and was tossable around corners. It felt wonderful to drive and made me rethink my previous disdain for the F30 chassis.

I have ridden in, but not driven an E90 M3. Issue for me with that car is it was stiffer and frankly much more car than I needed. Less technology, poorer gas mileage, and less warranty. I also fell in love with the looks of the F30 and felt it simply was more attractive to me than the E90 was. I love and respect the E90 for everything that it is, but for a car that will almost never see the track I couldn’t justify the other elements. The E90 is about the same cost CPO as a new F30, so it wasn’t a money issue in that case. I simply felt the checks in the various boxes favored the F30. Additionally, finding an E90 with adaptive, nav, heated seats, etc isn’t exactly easy in the Midwest either.

During my test drives of the various options out there, I drove a 335xi MSport with the manual and was impressed with the engine and transmission. Still felt the body control wasn’t great, but the ride quality was excellent. I explained my concerns to my CA and he handed me the keys to an M235i with the adaptive handling package. If I didn’t require 4 doors on my cars, I would have signed paperwork on the spot for that M235i. That is a wonderful car for sporty driving, and reminded me of the spirit of my E36 M3 in so many ways – but with better ride quality, and a more powerful engine. Really a great feel. The important thing though driving it was that it confirmed that the vague roll on center and turn in feel was corrected significantly with the adaptive handling package. Additionally the XDrive is just too soft and sits just high enough that the driving experience is just not as good as the RWD platform. It was very noticeable to me on back to back comparisons.

We started watching the entire country for a CPO blue or white 335i with manual trans, navigation and adaptive handling. Only one ever appeared in 4 months, and it was so expensive by the time it would have gotten to me that for 2k more I was able to custom order every last thing I wanted on my 2014. My build is in my signature if you want to know what is on it.


The Review:

So that brings me to the actual review. Here is the executive summary: Steering is funky on center, but is precise enough to be enjoyable to drive and race with - just takes getting used to. The suspension is definitely more compliant and causes the car to be less confidence inspiring, but it pays off in spades for ride quality. Overall, the car is an ultimate daily driver with a very good capability for sporty weekend driving and non-competitive time trial or autocross for fun.

First, the negative, and the commonly heard complaints.

The steering is weird. It’s not bad, but it’s not good either. It tends to have no force on center and then the force kicks in slightly after you move a little bit. Keep in mind the steering wheel is still directly on a shaft that has the pinion on it and you are attached to the rack. So you do have a direct connection out to the wheels. However, the electric assist fights forces on the rack and is what it essentially paves over the feedback from the wheels with. I’ve always driven more from the feel through the seat than the steering wheel, and still do. Cars I owned and raced earlier in life simply didn’t have the feedback. Interestingly though, the sprint kart is the most direct steering you can imagine, and similar in some ways is the Exige 240s I drove in Europe, but both of those vehicles I found were more effectively driven to the limit through seat feedback than steering. In other words, in my opinion the whole steering feel issue is a bit overwrought (yes I would take better feel over worse, but in the end MY car control and slip angles are controlled through the seat not the hands). So for me the fact that the steering is very precise and predictable once off center makes the steering very livable. The amount of force it uses for resistance is fine as well to me. I do notice the numbness more when I hop into the S2000 I’m racing this year, but at the same time when I get back in the BMW nothing in me goes “man this sucks!”. That said, the steering in the S2000 is considerably more direct feeling, but I don’t necessarily feel gives me that much more usable information when pushing the limits of the car. That’s my experience though, your mileage may vary.

Second, the suspension is not as clean as it used to be. The car definitely gets a small yaw or wiggle from the rear end that feels like slightly out of time response from the rear wheels relative to one another when hitting pavement imperfections while cornering. It’s a little unsettling to me feeling unanticipated yaw from the rear during extended corners. That said, I pushed it repeatedly through hard corners and sweepers and while it was slightly nervous, it never actually got upset or broke loose. Additionally, the speeds I was holding well exceeded my E36’s. I don’t have as good of a comparison for the E90 and that car has a prepped suspension (alignment, shocks, rollbars, top notch tires). The E90 is definitely more confident in that aspect than the F30. That said, I’ll take the ride quality of the F30 over the E90 for daily driving without hesitation. To me the tradeoff is perfect. I have great handling capability even if it is a bit more nervous and less confidence inspiring but I’ve gained significantly better compliance and comfort for the other 340+ days of the year I wouldn’t be on the track or twisties with the car.

Those are my only two complaints with the car. Overall the road noise and wind noise is less than in the E90 and E36 for sure. It’s on par with our F25 X3. I do occasionally hear some additional noises that are direct attributable to the runflats, but nothing objectionable.

Interior Quality
I’ve seen complaints about interior quality. I’m not sure what people are seeing, because every touch point in the 2014 is better than in the 2006, and on par to better than our 2011 X3. Lower door trims, glove box covers, arm rest, center console, buttons, vents, back seat movement, trunk, everything. Are there some things that seem less heavy or high quality than they could or maybe should be for a 60k car? Yes, but relative to what I’ve seen in Cadillac, Audi, and previous BMW’s there is nothing that is out of line. Frankly the 2013 530d in Europe had all the same level of interior appointments as well for the glove boxes and other things I’ve seen listed as being cheap.

Trunk
I’ve also seen complaints about the trunk hinges. I frankly like/prefer the new ones over the old. Cleaner, easier to detail, smooth and pleasant operation etc. Good as far as I’m concerned.

Seats
The seats are wonderful. My build is pretty moderate to slight and they fit me great. My father-in-law said they were too narrow for his butt, but liked the torso. He’s in the E90 325i. I am more comfortable in them than in the X3. I get a numbness in my legs occasionally in the X3 that I do not get in the F30 at all. Overall the adjustability and angles of everything for the driver are wonderful. It is the most accurate I have ever been able to adjust the balance between steering wheel height and distance to my preferred seating position etc. I also have a coworker who is 6’10” and this is the first car I’ve owned that he actually can ride in without his legs totally jammed in to the dash.

Technology
I love the Harmon Kardon, the heads up, iDrive and the like. It’s great to have all the extra bits and it all seems to work a little better than in our 2011, which is another reason I went F30 over E90. I do have to say that at low volumes the HK tends toward tinny and there is little you can do about it except up the EQ and bass levels, which then overdoes it for higher volumes. I’ve learned to accept the tinnier sound at low volumes, and revel in the smooth overall response and feel when turned up a little more.

I had seen comments about glare from the surround on the heads-up or the unit itself. Definitely none whatsoever in my car. I can see the dash reflected much more plainly in the windshield than any element of the HUD. The surround is a matte charcoal finish, so I’m wondering if they changed that on model years given comments I saw before. I will definitely never go back to not having the HUD. I didn’t think it mattered much, but we had it on the Euro 530d and it was invaluable for navigating in unfamiliar cities. Love it for nav even in areas I’m slightly more familiar. Wife loves it as well and she was skeptical initially.

I’m disappointed BMW Connected doesn’t do much of anything with Android. Hopefully that changes with time. Would love to have my Pandora and Rhapsody more integrated, but they work fine via the Bluetooth link at this point anyway for what I do.

I have a few things unlocked via coding. One of which is the anti-dazzle headlights. The 250 bucks for the option for the auto dimming headlights alone was well worth it, but that also allows anti-dazzle to be unlocked via coding. It is flat out amazing. Driving in the country you have so much better lighting for deer and so forth. I’ve gotten hit with brights a couple times while using it, but I had a motorcycle behind me with his lights misaligned so I’m unsure how much that was an issue. The way the headlights steer and avoid vehicles in front of you is very impressive. It’s not perfect though, so as the months/years go by I’ll see if it’s worth keeping on or if I’m disturbing other drivers too often.

Engine
I have the performance power kit, and the performance exhaust on the car. Everyone knows this engine and I have nothing to really add. It’s smooth, it has tons of torque, and it sounds wonderfully rich and smooth with the exhaust. The exhaust is not loud in the least, and frankly could/should be louder, but I can hear it, and it never drones on the highway, so no reason to mess around. Definitely much faster than any of the E36, E46, or E90’s I’ve driven. I don’t think the gap to the E90 M3 is all that large either in practical use – track separates that much more. So again great daily driver compromise here with very good fuel consumption. I’ve gotten around 29-30 on pure highway, and mixed driving through break-in etc I ran consistly around 23-25 mpg even with the harder acceleration.

Brakes
Opted for the MSport brakes, worth every penny. They shed a ton of dust, but they look amazing, get noticed right away, and stop the car with authority. BMW’s always have above average brakes, and this well and surely continues that.

Summary
Much like I said at the start. I feel like the F30 is the perfect performance daily driver. It is not a particularly sharp instrument, but that is really better for BMW and attracting customers than it is for enthusiasts. I’ve learned over the years that I don’t want to put up with the trade-offs that come with a true performance car for the types of road and driving I do every day. I’ll have something dedicated specifically for that and will enjoy it immensely. BMW is doing a great job of capturing the luxury car buyer that wants a good dash of sport. This sells more cars, allows them to create more options for buyers, and gives us great things like the upcoming M2 and what they did with the 1M. Those cars are the real successors to the E30, E36, and E46 M3’s. The E90 M3 I felt was already a step to replacing the older M5’s in overall character etc. It is true that you can’t buy a cheap lower end BMW anymore and get the performance that you used to, but you get more performance and driving character than almost anything else on the market, and with less compromises – that’s a huge accomplishment!

I think the MPerformance program is also genius. I’m a perfect target demographic – I want the full sport look, I want to be able to make the car look a bit more racy with aero add ons. I want a louder exhaust, and more power, but really don’t want to compromise the car from what BMW built it and warranted it as. MPerformance nails that and gives me something fun to add periodically as I build up the car. I’ve built from scratch enough cars and done the engine mods and paint and bodywork and the like, and I’m past much of the stress and desire of doing those things now and love that I have a great option for much of that still with MPerformance. I do think it dilutes the brand a little in some ways, but not in ways that really matter to the people that actually have need and desire for true ///M products and vehicles. It gives aspirational opportunities as well to those looking for more sport or who simply never will afford an M car, or just don't feel the value is there for the money. That is good for BMW, and good for the bottom line and I think that dilution is reasonable for the enthusiast to have to bear.

Thanks for reading!!

[sdhotwn]

Few updates for you guys:

8/20/14

Last week I had a 328d as a loaner car after taking in the 335i for an oil change and a check on a few things. Was interesting as a back to back comparison. The diesel was super fast off the line and felt like up to 40 it'd keep right with the 335i without an issue. After that it got weezy pretty fast. The engine note was very coarse coming off the silky six as well. Still enjoyed it for a day and the gas mileage was amazing (wringing it out I was getting 28 in the city, was about 36 in the city when I was driving normal, and the cumulative on the car from whatever driving since it was last reset before I got it was in the 45 range).

Driving that car resulted in a few interesting observations about mine. First, the dynamic suspension is absolutely worth every penny. The 328dix was not a sport model, and yet the damping harshness was actually a fraction worse than my car with the MSport setup in Comfort. At the same time it had much more on center/transitional body roll etc. Body motions took longer to set in the 328 as well and with more roll angle. Otherwise though, handling/comfort etc was pretty good in the loaner, but definitely not as performance providing or oriented as in my car.

The steering was interesting. Feel didn't seem appreciably different at all, but the weighting was more "right" feeling and a lot closer in mimicking our X3 in overall sensation of load etc.

I also found the stereo to be an interesting item. Our X3 has the premium/hifi, and our 335i has the HK. I had heard some talk on the forums and elsewhere that the stock stereo was plenty good and the HK wasn't worth it, or even that the HK was bad sounding. I can say without question the HK was the right choice. The stock stereo in the 328d was fine - honestly pretty good relative to non-luxury cars, but it was nowhere near the overall quality and strength of the X3's stereo or the HK. Much better bass and midrange response on the premium stereos. No matter what I did the 328d's stereo sounded thin and did not have anywhere near the sound stage presence.

Lastly, I had a couple of rattles that had shown up in the 335i and had the dealer take a look. In discussing with the service manager before they took the car in I was describing the rattle in detail and he realized that it was likely the door seal itself making the noise. They dressed the seals on all four doors and sure enough the rattle is gone. There is some sort of rubber compound they wipe them down with and it makes them more compliant. I would never have though that the door seal would make something that sounded so much like a plastic trim rattle if I hadn't witnessed the situation myself.

Other than that still very impressed with the car, enjoying the handling as well. I've gotten much more used to the slight twitch from the rear on mid-corner impacts and have found that if the car is more loaded the issue shows up less than it does in more mild corners. I'm hoping to hit an autocross with the car in the later fall and will see how it does (other than likely understeer massively with the small front tires).

Happy Motoring!

[falar]

I like the M-Performance stuff too. They make the car look just that much more aggressive without overdoing it.

[dc503]

Nice detailed review, I also find it a perfect compromise after owning a lot more focused vehicles and find a lot of your observations to ring true.

[martyl]

I have the 335i sport and my experience is very similar to yours and I came from an E90 which I loved. But I love the F30 more. Your review is very well written. Thanks.

[F30MSPORT12]

Spot on. I've actually owned 4 E36's (3 of them M3's), so I came from the same platform as you. Only disagreement I have is the steering. I actually love the steering in the F30, but that's just me. Anyway, nice read! My 335 should be here any day with my M Perf. stuff on it too!

[sdhotwn]

Originally Posted by F30MSPORT12

Spot on. I've actually owned 4 E36's (3 of them M3's), so I came from the same platform as you. Only disagreement I have is the steering. I actually love the steering in the F30, but that's just me. Anyway, nice read! My 335 should be here any day with my M Perf. stuff on it too!

I didn't have an issue with the steering when test driving it, but noticed it on mine when driving more aggressively, and now it is hard to "unnotice" the slight on center delay. Once you get off center in a corner though it is nice and precise.

[sdhotwn]

Originally Posted by dc503

Nice detailed review, I also find it a perfect compromise after owning a lot more focused vehicles and find a lot of your observations to ring true.

I think the focused point you make is key. These cars are sport luxury... they aren't true luxury, and they aren't true sport. So it blends good from each. Enthusiasts tend to want a very focused sport aspect - but the masses often don't want those things. It is a VERY nice compromise overall.

[bmwauug]

Same experience. I just picked up a2014 SB 335i m sport coming out of an e90. Only thing I miss is my ppk which is coming soon!

[Alan_NJ]

Originally Posted by sdhotwn

I’m disappointed BMW Connected doesn’t do much of anything with Android. Hopefully that changes with time. Would love to have my Pandora and Rhapsody more integrated, but they work fine via the Bluetooth link at this point anyway for what I do.

Could you tell me a little more about this?
I recently made the switch to a BMW and am expecting it next week.
Pretty much exactly the same as yours, except AWD, Alpine and no M Brakes.

But I do love my Android and was looking forward to some kind of integration.
Granted, as long as Im able to stream Pandora and my own library over BT Im OK, but would like to know what Im missing out on.

Would it be worth dedicating an older iPhone I have to the car instead?

[munch520]

Great read and beautiful car!

[sdhotwn]

Originally Posted by Alan_NJ

Could you tell me a little more about this?
I recently made the switch to a BMW and am expecting it next week.
Pretty much exactly the same as yours, except AWD, Alpine and no M Brakes.

But I do love my Android and was looking forward to some kind of integration.
Granted, as long as Im able to stream Pandora and my own library over BT Im OK, but would like to know what Im missing out on.

Would it be worth dedicating an older iPhone I have to the car instead?

The BMW Connected is supposed to load a copy of the app on the car so that you have GUI and interface on the nav system that you can then do things like change pandora channels, rate songs etc using iDrive. It doesn't do that at all with Android (currently... I'm hoping for later). Basically if you do pandora or rhapsody it will show your song title and information, and skip forward and backward buttons and that's it. So it will stream it fine, and you can move through tracks with idrive or steering wheel controls, just not do things like channel or playlist changes.

That make sense?

[n55x3]

Good review. Your garage looks a lot like ours we also have a 2011 X3 and 335 MSport RWD. My wife drives a 2011 X3 35i (though we might be trading on a new X5d in the near future).

[Alan_NJ]

Originally Posted by sdhotwn

The BMW Connected is supposed to load a copy of the app on the car so that you have GUI and interface on the nav system that you can then do things like change pandora channels, rate songs etc using iDrive. It doesn't do that at all with Android (currently... I'm hoping for later). Basically if you do pandora or rhapsody it will show your song title and information, and skip forward and backward buttons and that's it. So it will stream it fine, and you can move through tracks with idrive or steering wheel controls, just not do things like channel or playlist changes.

That make sense?

Yup, thanks.
So basically what Im used to now In my current car.
It may indeed be worth using an old iPhone then.

[sdhotwn]

Originally Posted by n55x3

Good review. Your garage looks a lot like ours we also have a 2011 X3 and 335 MSport RWD. My wife drives a 2011 X3 35i (though we might be trading on a new X5d in the near future).

I like the styling on the X4, so maybe we'll upgrade to one of those in about 3 years. Size of the X3 is great. I love the X5, so maybe kids in the next year or so we'll go up in size, but right now the garage is a bit small for that... new house in the next year as well should fix that. Love the cars though, never though an SUV would be fun to drive.

[n55x3]

Agreed, it's hard to beat the X3 from a performance driving perspective in the SUV category (I'm sure the X4 is even more fun to drive). It's been absolutely perfect thru 50k miles. And for what it's worth, and I know F30 members reading this will frown, but I usually feel the X3 is more 'special feeling' than my F30. Maybe it's cause I don't drive it every day but it just feels like the perfect mix of size, style and performance. Not that I don't love my 335i but the X3 just feels like a better package. Only reason we had been contemplating the X5d is we were thinking 2 baby seats in the X3 might be a little tight.

[floydarogers]

Thanks for the detailed review, especially from someone who has lots of words to express the handling specifics. Except for the fact that my 335d only has 83K on it and I'll not be buying a new car to replace it, you've convinced me that DHP is the way to go in the future. Do you always drive in sport mode, or use comfort sometimes?

My wife had a loaner X3 when her 328d was in for service (a week to decide to replace the CIC!), and it's lovely but big: handy as we're moving. I now understand why Consumer Reports says it's the best mid-size luxury SUV.

[sdhotwn]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

Thanks for the detailed review, especially from someone who has lots of words to express the handling specifics. Except for the fact that my 335d only has 83K on it and I'll not be buying a new car to replace it, you've convinced me that DHP is the way to go in the future. Do you always drive in sport mode, or use comfort sometimes?

My wife had a loaner X3 when her 328d was in for service (a week to decide to replace the CIC!), and it's lovely but big: handy as we're moving. I now understand why Consumer Reports says it's the best mid-size luxury SUV.

I actually rarely use the sport modes (~10%). When I go out for a pleasure cruise in the twisty back roads, or want to toss it (within safe reason for a public street) through a couple turns on a drive home I'll go in to sport modes. The pavement is so broken with expansion cracks that the sharpness from the dampers in sport mode gets really wearing. It's really a joy to deal with that sharpness and touch the button and feel it all go away.

So basically - everyday driving is in Comfort (Eco Pro is way to sluggish on the throttle... bleck), as soon as I want to do anything spirited or go for a pleasure cruise I stick it in sport or sport+ for the fun, and then back to comfort for the drive home on the highway.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Thank you for the review

[falar]

Originally Posted by sdhotwn

I like the styling on the X4, so maybe we'll upgrade to one of those in about 3 years. Size of the X3 is great. I love the X5, so maybe kids in the next year or so we'll go up in size, but right now the garage is a bit small for that... new house in the next year as well should fix that. Love the cars though, never though an SUV would be fun to drive.

It's funny you mention that because driving my wife's X3 is pretty much what convinced me to get a BMW for myself. I thought "if an SUV/grocery getter is this much fun........" and here I am today in a car much the same as yours.

[sdhotwn]

Originally Posted by n55x3

but I usually feel the X3 is more 'special feeling' than my F30.

I agree, there is definitely "something" there with the X3 that it always has a bit of a moment when you drive it.

[.BMW.]

Great review and a beautiful car!