What I Learned at the Un4gettable Drive Event

WilliCO · 08-25-2014, 05:38 PM

I attended the drive event last Saturday.

I'm on my third BMW, which is an xDrive F10 535 with DHP, following a RWD E60 545 Sport and an E53 X5. I also owned a 1987 Audi 4000S and a 2004 Audi allroad, and a Porsche Boxster S along with several other cars that were not worth listing. Also, my wife has a Volvo XC70. I have a Ford Explorer in the third space, for people hauling and dirty duty. All this, just so you know where I'm coming from.

I drove:

A 428i Gran Coupe that was a RWD M-Sport model
An Audi S5
A 435i xDrive Coupe, which did not have DHP but did have the M-Power Performance Kit and the M Performance Exhaust, along with the 20" M-Sport wheels and rubber band tires.

Here are my observations, in no particular order:

xDrive Sucks the BMW Out of a BMW
There, I said it. After driving and loving my RWD E60 for years and having precisely zero issues in the winter on a set of snow tires, I made the move to xDrive on my current F10. I've regretted it since, and this experience confirms my regret.

BMW charges you $2500 for xDrive and gives the car a soft suspension that does not feel at all like a sports sedan. Then you have to pay another $1K-$3K to add DHP in order to bring the drive experience close to par. Then they raise it up 10mm, adding insult to injury by making the car look less athletic.

I drove the RWD 428i Gran Coupe first, so I drove it right after I climbed out of my own car. I hadn't even gotten out of the parking lot in the 428 before I realized that the RWD/704 suspension combo is where it's at for a BMW sedan. I don't plan to buy one any other way, again. The car felt totally pointed, connected to the road, athletic, and capable.

I understand the case for all wheel drive, and it makes sense to me that people want it. This post is not about whether AWD is better than RWD - at all. I also understand that the 704 suspension might be a little too high strung for some buyers. Frankly, if all wheel drive is a priority for you, I recommend driving other brands extensively before you commit to an AWD BMW, because others package it better.

I don't know why BMW can't throw a 704 suspension at an xDrive M-Sport car. Wouldn't that make sense?

The F36 Gran Coupe Is Seriously Appealing
Fantastic car - I loved the hatchback, and the N20 is a sweet little engine that sounds excellent under throttle the way they have it tuned in the Gran Coupe. It might not be _quite_ as fast as I want, but it is close, and the car felt lighter and more nimble than either the 435 or the S5. For people who must have 4 doors, the F36 might be the best car in BMW's lineup. Sitting right next to my 2013 535, this car made the F10 look like it had a couple pounds to lose.

The F3X Interior Didn't Bother Me As Much As I Remember
In the past the interior treatment on the F3X cars has turned me off; it didn't bother me as much today. The 428GC had Venetian with Burl Walnut trim, and the 435 was Black with Hex Aluminum. I don't care for the aluminum - it looks like it would be in a less expensive car to my eyes, though I understand how some people may feel that a 4 series is too sporty for wood. Personally I would choose one of the black wood options, to maintain a nice grain finish but a less luxurious look.

The weak point of the F3X interior is the broad expanse of black plastic that surrounds the shift lever. This is what it is because BMW offers a manual transmission in the F3X cars, and the 6MT shifter needs room to move. The "extra" room is covered in black plastic on the 8AT cars because those levers need nearly no room to move; there should be some trim there instead. The F10 has dramatically better treatment in that area. I also wish the F3X steering wheel came down a little further; I felt like I was reaching up to it. I wonder if they lowered the seating position in the 4 series compared to the 3 series, without changing the angle of the steering column.

The xDrive 435 Coupe Was 4gettable
On this car, the suspension was loose and the 20" wheels were as loud as hell. It was a poor combination. Plus, it was the last car I drove and the traffic was beginning to get bad and wasn't able to leg it out much. But I have same engine in my car and I know what it's capable of.

I liked the seats - way more bolster support than the F10 has, although I do have the standard F10 seats.

I did like the M Performance Exhaust - it sounds a little spicy but doesn't scream "fart can" or "look at me, I modified my car." I would probably do this on a 435 coupe, were I to buy one.

The S5 is still nice, even at the end of its lifecycle
The S5 presented itself very well. It felt quite a bit heavier and a little faster than either of the BMWs. I felt like the switchgear quality inside was slightly inferior to the BMWs, and the outward visibility is clearly better on the BMWs. But the S5 was tight, sounded nice, had a little more grunt off the line, and probably looks a little more menacing than the 435. This is a nice car, and look out when Audi redesigns it for 2016 to lose a little weight.

I enjoyed the event. I'm only 12 months into my F10 lease, so it will be a while before I can make a change. If I were buying today, though, it would be a RWD 435 M-Sport with a 6MT, the MPPK, the MPE, and the carbon fiber M shifter. I would probably have to take a 4GC around the block one more time though, because that is a really cool car. If they made it with a 6MT, it might get the nod over the coupe.

300hp · 08-25-2014, 06:12 PM

I had the 528i xdrive for a loaner for 2 weeks when my F30 was being repaired. I also have an E70 X5. I can confirm to you that the F10 xdrive SUCKED. It's personally one of the worst BMWs I have ever driven and my E70 handled a whole lot better than the F10. It's longer than the E70 and possibly a bit wider and it had a skinny steering wheel that lost all communication with the road at any speed beyond 50mph. I was personally scared of driving that car in a spirited way. However the car was COMFORTABLE.

If your F10 is optioned like that loaner then you have to get out of it if you care about driving.

IRO of PPK and MPE those are two modifications you will never regret getting. All the best getting out of the F10

WilliCO · 08-25-2014, 06:21 PM

My F10 has DHP. It's not too bad, but I think they could have gone 10-15% further with the damping. But I drive in Sport mode 99% of the time, so if I had the choice I would have gone with the passive 704 instead and saved the DHP bucks.

snowghost · 08-25-2014, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillInDenver

My F10 has DHP. It's not too bad, but I think they could have gone 10-15% further with the damping. But I drive in Sport mode 99% of the time, so if I had the choice I would have gone with the passive 704 instead and saved the DHP bucks.

I drove my first F30 M-Sport in Sport Mode all the time. But I'm glad I got DHP on the second one--even only comparing the Sport Mode to the Passive Sport suspension. And once in a while when you have a crappy road you can soften it up a bit.

tunjik · 08-25-2014, 07:33 PM

I also attended the un4gettable here in Denver and drove the same cars as you did along with the Mercedes C-Class coupe. I currently drive a 2012 328i RWD with the manual transmission. I don't have the DHP but enjoy my car the way it is and I do have it in sport mode the majority of the time. One of my favorite parts of going to Schomp is the road going toward the dealership once you turn off Lucent, always fun to take those curves and test the limits of my vehicle, unless you end up behind a Nissan Versa person taking the test drive.

My impressions of the Audi and Mercedes were about the same, nothing to blow my socks off. I would never consider the Mercedes, it drove like crap at the limit and the Audi just did not have the same feel as a BMW.

My impression of the 435i coupe with the M performance package was different, I was blown away with the performance, handling, and sound of the car. That was my favorite drive of the day.

Once I got back from the 435i, the staff asked if I wanted to drive another and I said the 428i Gran Coupe since it was there. That was my favorite of the day. The DHP package was tight and the car was good in the corners, acceleration was perfect. My next car will be the 428i Gran Coupe RWD ( Or the 430i Gran Coupe since I am about two years away from trading mine in!)

I always enjoy attending the BMW driving events and never regret my purchase of my 328i. Best car ever!

WilliCO · 08-25-2014, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tunjik

I also attended the un4gettable here in Denver and drove the same cars as you did along with the Mercedes C-Class coupe. I currently drive a 2012 328i RWD with the manual transmission. I don't have the DHP but enjoy my car the way it is and I do have it in sport mode the majority of the time. One of my favorite parts of going to Schomp is the road going toward the dealership once you turn off Lucent, always fun to take those curves and test the limits of my vehicle, unless you end up behind a Nissan Versa person taking the test drive.

My impressions of the Audi and Mercedes were about the same, nothing to blow my socks off. I would never consider the Mercedes, it drove like crap at the limit and the Audi just did not have the same feel as a BMW.

My impression of the 435i coupe with the M performance package was different, I was blown away with the performance, handling, and sound of the car. That was my favorite drive of the day.

Once I got back from the 435i, the staff asked if I wanted to drive another and I said the 428i Gran Coupe since it was there. That was my favorite of the day. The DHP package was tight and the car was good in the corners, acceleration was perfect. My next car will be the 428i Gran Coupe RWD ( Or the 430i Gran Coupe since I am about two years away from trading mine in!)

I always enjoy attending the BMW driving events and never regret my purchase of my 328i. Best car ever!

Interesting, I did the event at Murray, and the 428GC was RWD. I wonder if the two dealers used different cars. Did you also have an Estoril convertible?

The 428GC was my favorite drive also.

tunjik · 08-25-2014, 08:48 PM

The 428i Gran Coupe I drove was also the RWD.

Falafel Combo · 08-26-2014, 05:07 AM

Cars I have owned in the past few years:

-e46 330xi
-e90 330i
-f30 335i xDrive, DHP
-e92 M3, competition package
-f30 335i xDrive, no DHP

Having driven RWD and xDrive BMW's extensively, back to back, as a daily driver, in all kinds of weather conditions, I sincerely struggle to understand where the xDrive bashing comes from. It may be more noticeable on a race track or something, for for all daily street driving purposes, the xDrive leaves almost no trace of it's existence aside from the soft suspension and increased ride height. More so the case in the f3x cars where steering is no longer one of the cars strengths due to omission of hydraulically assisted steering.

What you possibly loose in xDrive steering feel and road feedback on the track, you more than make up for it with xDrive grip, all weather utility and impressive acceleration off the line and out of corners.

I have not driven any f10 cars, xDrive or not. So perhaps your perception is different, coming from a 535i xDrive.

300hp · 08-26-2014, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpinweiss 335i

Cars I have owned in the past few years:

-e46 330xi
-e90 330i
-f30 335i xDrive, DHP
-e92 M3, competition package
-f30 335i xDrive, no DHP

Having driven RWD and xDrive BMW's extensively, back to back, as a daily driver, in all kinds of weather conditions, I sincerely struggle to understand where the xDrive bashing comes from. It may be more noticeable on a race track or something, for for all daily street driving purposes, the xDrive leaves almost no trace of it's existence aside from the soft suspension and increased ride height. More so the case in the f3x cars where steering is no longer one of the cars strengths due to omission of hydraulically assisted steering.

What you possibly loose in xDrive steering feel and road feedback on the track, you more than make up for it with xDrive grip, all weather utility and impressive acceleration off the line and out of corners.

I have not driven any f10 cars, xDrive or not. So perhaps your perception is different, coming from a 535i xDrive.

That was kind of my point, I have driven the F10 for 2 weeks with no DHP and even compared to my E70 that car sucks big time. Why they had to make it longer than an SUV is beyond me. I have also auto crossed an F10 rwd twice. Once at a Lexus event when comparing it to a GS350 and an E350 and once at a BMW event. The GS350 was definitely more fun to drive than the F10 however it was a close 2nd and the E350 possibly the worst car I have driven. I ended up crawling through the auto cross, I just gave up. I remember asking the BMW guys at the BMW event why the gave us the F10 instead of a 3er for the event. Someone suggested that if you take a car of that size from any competitor it will not handle as well and that perspective made sense. The only good that came out of that event was we got timed and in my group I was 5th out of 11, yay.

I have also auto crossed an M235i, M6 GC and M5 and for that event I preferred the M6 GC so I have nothing against big cars (but why longer than an E70, WTF BMW)

Oddly we drove several Xdrives at Poconos raceway, a 750, 650 and 640 with an M6 leading the pack. The cars took some 40/50mph turns pretty well and everyone there had fun. We drove those cars all the way up to 120mph on that track. Those cars were driven for 4 hours with no brake issues during the event.

I am actually surprised that any 3/4 derivative would be a bad driving experience when coming from an F10. I can understand the F3x will be less COMFORTABLE but less fun?

WilliCO · 08-26-2014, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpinweiss 335i

the xDrive leaves almost no trace of it's existence aside from the soft suspension and increased ride height.

Those are the things that bother me.

I have no aversion to xDrive as a concept, and if BMW were to offer an xDrive car that had equivalent suspension treatment to its RWD counterpart, I would almost certainly choose it.

BMW actually does offer this in the 6 series and, I'm recently told, the M235i.

As it is for the 3, 4, and 5 series, though - the AWD offering with DHP is good but not quite good enough. This is just me, though - others may feel different.

WilliCO · 08-26-2014, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 300hp

That was kind of my point, I have driven the F10 for 2 weeks with no DHP and even compared to my E70 that car sucks big time...I am actually surprised that any 3/4 derivative would be a bad driving experience when coming from an F10.

You clearly saw the worst of it with that F10 loaner. They really aren't that bad with DHP, and I'm told that a 2014 LCI with the 704 suspension is actually a pretty sweet package.

I agree with you on the X5, though - the shorter wheelbase on my E53 made it handle much better than it should have. It had a sport suspension though, and my wife hated it.

300hp · 08-26-2014, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillInDenver

Quote:

Originally Posted by 300hp

That was kind of my point, I have driven the F10 for 2 weeks with no DHP and even compared to my E70 that car sucks big time...I am actually surprised that any 3/4 derivative would be a bad driving experience when coming from an F10.

You clearly saw the worst of it with that F10 loaner. They really aren't that bad with DHP, and I'm told that a 2014 LCI with the 704 suspension is actually a pretty sweet package.

I agree with you on the X5, though - the shorter wheelbase on my E53 made it handle much better than it should have. It had a sport suspension though, and my wife hated it.

Exactly. I don't think anyone ever complained that the E70 was too short. Why would you make the F10 longer? Hopefully when the G10 comes out they won't make it longer than the F15

I believe the DHP in the F10 helps a lot since it comes with anti roll bars in addition to the adjustable dampers.

Tony_YYZ · 08-26-2014, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillInDenver

Those are the things that bother me.

I have no aversion to xDrive as a concept, and if BMW were to offer an xDrive car that had equivalent suspension treatment to its RWD counterpart, I would almost certainly choose it.

BMW actually does offer this in the 6 series and, I'm recently told, the M235i.

As it is for the 3, 4, and 5 series, though - the AWD offering with DHP is good but not quite good enough. This is just me, though - others may feel different.

Nothing a set of lowering springs can't solve, no?

WilliCO · 08-26-2014, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_YYZ

Nothing a set of lowering springs can't solve, no?

I have had that thought. It's not a lease-friendly solution, but if I were to get into a CPO 435 next, which is certainly possible in 2 years, I would look down that path.

airwolf878 · 08-27-2014, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillInDenver

Those are the things that bother me.

I have no aversion to xDrive as a concept, and if BMW were to offer an xDrive car that had equivalent suspension treatment to its RWD counterpart, I would almost certainly choose it.

BMW actually does offer this in the 6 series and, I'm recently told, the M235i.

As it is for the 3, 4, and 5 series, though - the AWD offering with DHP is good but not quite good enough. This is just me, though - others may feel different.

I agree with you on this completely. For my recent purchase, AWD was one of my requirements. The two cars I was considering were the 435 xDrive and the S5. The ride height and softer suspension on the 435 bother me a lot, although the DHP does help with the ride quality. The S5 was better in that regard, but I just could not get past the poor variable steering system it has. In the end, it's easier for me to get upgraded springs on the 435 to take care of my concerns there than to deal with the Audi's steering.

fecurtis · 08-27-2014, 10:54 AM

Good write up. My brother recently bought a new F30 328i and I took him to the same dealer/sales guy that I got mine from.

It was on the same day they had their un4gettable drive event and the GM was there, she recognized me and just told me to go out and drive them to kill time while my brother filled out paperwork.

I drove a 435i convertible with MPPK and MPE, a 428i, and a Mercedes C350 coupe.

The only thing I got out of it was that I would rather walk than drive a Mercedes C350 coupe. I DID however, notice that in the Mercedes...it was left in Eco mode when I started it up...an unusual coincidence. I turned it off and was on my way, still drove like garbage though. Very comfy but not engaging to drive at all and the transmission was too eager to upshift...even without eco mode engaged.

Christos · 08-27-2014, 02:14 PM

xDrive Sucks the BMW Out of a BMW.[/QUOTE]

I totally agree, Had a 2007 E90 xi and hated it. My dealer even told me not to buy an xdrive. So went for a 2008 E92 RWD and now a 2014 F32 RWD.

08-25-2014, 05:38 PM	#1
WilliCO Captain 98 Rep 900 Posts Drives: 2013 F10 535 xDrive MSport Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Denver iTrader: (0)	What I Learned at the Un4gettable Drive Event I attended the drive event last Saturday. I'm on my third BMW, which is an xDrive F10 535 with DHP, following a RWD E60 545 Sport and an E53 X5. I also owned a 1987 Audi 4000S and a 2004 Audi allroad, and a Porsche Boxster S along with several other cars that were not worth listing. Also, my wife has a Volvo XC70. I have a Ford Explorer in the third space, for people hauling and dirty duty. All this, just so you know where I'm coming from. I drove: A 428i Gran Coupe that was a RWD M-Sport model An Audi S5 A 435i xDrive Coupe, which did not have DHP but did have the M-Power Performance Kit and the M Performance Exhaust, along with the 20" M-Sport wheels and rubber band tires. Here are my observations, in no particular order: xDrive Sucks the BMW Out of a BMW There, I said it. After driving and loving my RWD E60 for years and having precisely zero issues in the winter on a set of snow tires, I made the move to xDrive on my current F10. I've regretted it since, and this experience confirms my regret. BMW charges you $2500 for xDrive and gives the car a soft suspension that does not feel at all like a sports sedan. Then you have to pay another $1K-$3K to add DHP in order to bring the drive experience close to par. Then they raise it up 10mm, adding insult to injury by making the car look less athletic. I drove the RWD 428i Gran Coupe first, so I drove it right after I climbed out of my own car. I hadn't even gotten out of the parking lot in the 428 before I realized that the RWD/704 suspension combo is where it's at for a BMW sedan. I don't plan to buy one any other way, again. The car felt totally pointed, connected to the road, athletic, and capable. I understand the case for all wheel drive, and it makes sense to me that people want it. This post is not about whether AWD is better than RWD - at all. I also understand that the 704 suspension might be a little too high strung for some buyers. Frankly, if all wheel drive is a priority for you, I recommend driving other brands extensively before you commit to an AWD BMW, because others package it better. I don't know why BMW can't throw a 704 suspension at an xDrive M-Sport car. Wouldn't that make sense? The F36 Gran Coupe Is Seriously Appealing Fantastic car - I loved the hatchback, and the N20 is a sweet little engine that sounds excellent under throttle the way they have it tuned in the Gran Coupe. It might not be _quite_ as fast as I want, but it is close, and the car felt lighter and more nimble than either the 435 or the S5. For people who must have 4 doors, the F36 might be the best car in BMW's lineup. Sitting right next to my 2013 535, this car made the F10 look like it had a couple pounds to lose. The F3X Interior Didn't Bother Me As Much As I Remember In the past the interior treatment on the F3X cars has turned me off; it didn't bother me as much today. The 428GC had Venetian with Burl Walnut trim, and the 435 was Black with Hex Aluminum. I don't care for the aluminum - it looks like it would be in a less expensive car to my eyes, though I understand how some people may feel that a 4 series is too sporty for wood. Personally I would choose one of the black wood options, to maintain a nice grain finish but a less luxurious look. The weak point of the F3X interior is the broad expanse of black plastic that surrounds the shift lever. This is what it is because BMW offers a manual transmission in the F3X cars, and the 6MT shifter needs room to move. The "extra" room is covered in black plastic on the 8AT cars because those levers need nearly no room to move; there should be some trim there instead. The F10 has dramatically better treatment in that area. I also wish the F3X steering wheel came down a little further; I felt like I was reaching up to it. I wonder if they lowered the seating position in the 4 series compared to the 3 series, without changing the angle of the steering column. The xDrive 435 Coupe Was 4gettable On this car, the suspension was loose and the 20" wheels were as loud as hell. It was a poor combination. Plus, it was the last car I drove and the traffic was beginning to get bad and wasn't able to leg it out much. But I have same engine in my car and I know what it's capable of. I liked the seats - way more bolster support than the F10 has, although I do have the standard F10 seats. I did like the M Performance Exhaust - it sounds a little spicy but doesn't scream "fart can" or "look at me, I modified my car." I would probably do this on a 435 coupe, were I to buy one. The S5 is still nice, even at the end of its lifecycle The S5 presented itself very well. It felt quite a bit heavier and a little faster than either of the BMWs. I felt like the switchgear quality inside was slightly inferior to the BMWs, and the outward visibility is clearly better on the BMWs. But the S5 was tight, sounded nice, had a little more grunt off the line, and probably looks a little more menacing than the 435. This is a nice car, and look out when Audi redesigns it for 2016 to lose a little weight. I enjoyed the event. I'm only 12 months into my F10 lease, so it will be a while before I can make a change. If I were buying today, though, it would be a RWD 435 M-Sport with a 6MT, the MPPK, the MPE, and the carbon fiber M shifter. I would probably have to take a 4GC around the block one more time though, because that is a really cool car. If they made it with a 6MT, it might get the nod over the coupe. __________________ *-Will* 2013 535i xDrive M-Sport \| 2005 545i Sport (Retired and missed) \| 2001 X5 3.0 Sport (Retired) Last edited by WilliCO; 08-25-2014 at 05:46 PM..
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08-25-2014, 06:12 PM	#2
300hp Brigadier General 317 Rep 3,619 Posts Drives: X5 & 335xi Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	I had the 528i xdrive for a loaner for 2 weeks when my F30 was being repaired. I also have an E70 X5. I can confirm to you that the F10 xdrive SUCKED. It's personally one of the worst BMWs I have ever driven and my E70 handled a whole lot better than the F10. It's longer than the E70 and possibly a bit wider and it had a skinny steering wheel that lost all communication with the road at any speed beyond 50mph. I was personally scared of driving that car in a spirited way. However the car was COMFORTABLE. If your F10 is optioned like that loaner then you have to get out of it if you care about driving. IRO of PPK and MPE those are two modifications you will never regret getting. All the best getting out of the F10 __________________ EBII 2014 335i xDrive 335HP, Sport AT, 19" Wheels, MPE, Prem, Tech, Cold, HK, Driver Assist & DH pkgs Deep Sea Blue Metallic 2013 X5 35d Sport Prem, Convenience, Cold and Premium Sound packages
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08-25-2014, 06:21 PM	#3
WilliCO Captain 98 Rep 900 Posts Drives: 2013 F10 535 xDrive MSport Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Denver iTrader: (0)	My F10 has DHP. It's not too bad, but I think they could have gone 10-15% further with the damping. But I drive in Sport mode 99% of the time, so if I had the choice I would have gone with the passive 704 instead and saved the DHP bucks. __________________ *-Will* 2013 535i xDrive M-Sport \| 2005 545i Sport (Retired and missed) \| 2001 X5 3.0 Sport (Retired)
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08-25-2014, 07:33 PM	#5
tunjik Enlisted Member 12 Rep 49 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 540i xDrive Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Denver, CO iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 BMW 540i xDrive [0.00]	I also attended the un4gettable here in Denver and drove the same cars as you did along with the Mercedes C-Class coupe. I currently drive a 2012 328i RWD with the manual transmission. I don't have the DHP but enjoy my car the way it is and I do have it in sport mode the majority of the time. One of my favorite parts of going to Schomp is the road going toward the dealership once you turn off Lucent, always fun to take those curves and test the limits of my vehicle, unless you end up behind a Nissan Versa person taking the test drive. My impressions of the Audi and Mercedes were about the same, nothing to blow my socks off. I would never consider the Mercedes, it drove like crap at the limit and the Audi just did not have the same feel as a BMW. My impression of the 435i coupe with the M performance package was different, I was blown away with the performance, handling, and sound of the car. That was my favorite drive of the day. Once I got back from the 435i, the staff asked if I wanted to drive another and I said the 428i Gran Coupe since it was there. That was my favorite of the day. The DHP package was tight and the car was good in the corners, acceleration was perfect. My next car will be the 428i Gran Coupe RWD ( Or the 430i Gran Coupe since I am about two years away from trading mine in!) I always enjoy attending the BMW driving events and never regret my purchase of my 328i. Best car ever!
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08-25-2014, 08:48 PM	#7
tunjik Enlisted Member 12 Rep 49 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 540i xDrive Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Denver, CO iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 BMW 540i xDrive [0.00]	The 428i Gran Coupe I drove was also the RWD.
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08-26-2014, 05:07 AM	#8
Falafel Combo Banned 3773 Rep 6,673 Posts Drives: X5 xDrive50i Join Date: May 2011 Location: New England iTrader: (3)	Cars I have owned in the past few years: -e46 330xi -e90 330i -f30 335i xDrive, DHP -e92 M3, competition package -f30 335i xDrive, no DHP Having driven RWD and xDrive BMW's extensively, back to back, as a daily driver, in all kinds of weather conditions, I sincerely struggle to understand where the xDrive bashing comes from. It may be more noticeable on a race track or something, for for all daily street driving purposes, the xDrive leaves almost no trace of it's existence aside from the soft suspension and increased ride height. More so the case in the f3x cars where steering is no longer one of the cars strengths due to omission of hydraulically assisted steering. What you possibly loose in xDrive steering feel and road feedback on the track, you more than make up for it with xDrive grip, all weather utility and impressive acceleration off the line and out of corners. I have not driven any f10 cars, xDrive or not. So perhaps your perception is different, coming from a 535i xDrive.
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08-27-2014, 10:54 AM	#16
fecurtis Banned 3262 Rep 6,299 Posts Drives: 2014 BMW 335i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Arlington, VA iTrader: (0)	Good write up. My brother recently bought a new F30 328i and I took him to the same dealer/sales guy that I got mine from. It was on the same day they had their un4gettable drive event and the GM was there, she recognized me and just told me to go out and drive them to kill time while my brother filled out paperwork. I drove a 435i convertible with MPPK and MPE, a 428i, and a Mercedes C350 coupe. The only thing I got out of it was that I would rather walk than drive a Mercedes C350 coupe. I DID however, notice that in the Mercedes...it was left in Eco mode when I started it up...an unusual coincidence. I turned it off and was on my way, still drove like garbage though. Very comfy but not engaging to drive at all and the transmission was too eager to upshift...even without eco mode engaged.
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08-27-2014, 02:14 PM	#17
Christos Captain 189 Rep 609 Posts Drives: 2019 Z4 s3.0 Msport Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Central, NJ iTrader: (0)	xDrive Sucks the BMW Out of a BMW.[/QUOTE] I totally agree, Had a 2007 E90 xi and hated it. My dealer even told me not to buy an xdrive. So went for a 2008 E92 RWD and now a 2014 F32 RWD. __________________ 2019 Z4 sDrive 30i Msport, Previously owned BMWs, 2014 428i Msport, 2008 335i Coupe, 2007 328xi sedan, 2002 325i sedan 1996 318ti (loved this little car)
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