BMW 328i a rant

[cruise_bone]

I own 2010 328i purchased new in the fall of 2009.
The car now has 107,500 miles.
I love driving this car every single day.
When ever I drive something else, then get back into my car, I am reminded just how solid and tight the car is. It is a tank and I beat it pretty hard.

I've owned two Honda Accords, both new. While both were very nice and plenty comfortable, from a driving standpoint they were both very soft and boring cars with zero road feel.
Both needed brakes replaced between 25-30k miles. One needed a new transmission just prior to the warranty ending. My 328i has had significantly less maintenance issues than either of my Accords.

I recently ordered a new M3 with Euro Delivery slated for July 20. I can not wait to beat that car up for the next 10 to 20 years!

[Laszlo]

Not a jab at any BMW owners on the forum, but the company did change quite drastically since the introduction of the F30. I owned BMWs from 1991 through 2008. Was a fanboy I guess... Anyway, after owning an e90, which was a good car, you could start seeing the value-engineering coming through. Once the F30 came out, test drove one, and couldn't believe how poor the car was, from the limp and over-boosted steering feel, the cheap interior, noisey ride, lackluster design, and wind noise.

We were done with BMW and have owned Land Rovers and Mercedes products since. It's funny, because as an enthuiast, we often spoke out about how BMW was changing and people kept fighting that BMW was the best. Blinded by the brand marketing but unable to see past the weeds. BMW stated it wanted to be the world's biggest auto-maker, and Toyota was its proxy. They've become neither.

Well, as the years passed the sales got worse - but BMW was channel stuffing like crazy to keep their sales lead. Their strategies pushed the company into many bizarre segments that they couldn't really compete in, and they spent billions on silly things like a fancy HQ, BMW stores modeled after Apple, crazy dealer programs like Genius tech help on the dealership floor, and the extremely costly purchase of CF manufacturing for the i-line, which ended up being an incredibly big corporate blunder. The i3 is the goofiest looking car on the road.

So rather than sticking to the formula they focused on everything other than engineering the best and their triditional engineering roadmaps that were perfect. And today, month-on-month, their US sales decline is absolutely frightening. The 3-series, their bread-and-butter model has 30%+ monthly declines in sales even with their $199 a month lease programs. The new 7-series, which is only a few months old, is a sales disaster for a brand new model competing against the aging S-Klasse. It's so bad that BMW has over 90-days of supply and have slowed production on all sedans and coupes until the supply is reduced. Those are scary numbers.

It's a real shame because BMW was truly the leader and they made amazing cars. I would say the last great cars BMW made was the e46, e39 and a handful of others. And let's not forget the e60 M5 V10 NA which was epic. And BMW is spinning their decline, blaming everything from macroeconomics, gas prices, consumer behavior, and even sun spots - rather than just taking the blame themselves and restructuring the company and their leadership team. But that fact is even with all that spin, across the board, Mercedes and Audi keep pulling MoM/YoY sales records and the Mercedes C-Klasse (3-series competitor) leads their segment with record sales. Now, how do you explain that BMW??

Hopefully this is a major wake-up call for BMW and they get back on their feet. Let's not forget what Mercedes went through in the mid-2000s, with their Chrysler merger, and the infamous "worst car company" Consumer Reports from that time. It was a wake-up call and Mercedes turned it around. Both Mercedes and both Audi continue to focus on what makes them leaders, by engineering great cars, and their sticking to their formulas that have been in place for decades. BMW changed the recipe a while back, and it's going to take a lot of time for them to figure out how to rebuild their brand from the inside out. I wish them luck.

[gmh1013]

I owned a e30 which i bought for 5k with 87k miles from a older lady in my retirement community that she got from her sister who could not drive. I spent 1k fixing it up and drove it 5 years to 157k miles and sold it for 5k ......never had one problem with it great car....but it was a 2.5 inline 6 and im not a fan of turbo cars so that ends me buying a new one now. Ive come full circle back to American v-8 cars like i had as a kid in early 70's.You cant beat 400+ H.P. when you step on the gas from a big V-8.

[rr-nyc]

One person's problem with a car does not mean its a systemic problem throughout the entire line or company.

There are plenty of BMW forums where you can get more information than you can imagine regarding the car, trouble shooting, and getting issues resolved.

I've had an E30 M3, E36 M3, E90 M3 and an F15 X5. All have been fantastic cars. The E30 and E36 were driven to 200k miles without any major problems and the E90 was totaled from a rear end accident last year.

I get annoyed with the amount of plastic they use on the interior but unlike Range Rover, BMW will find and fix squeaks. Range Rover considers them as "natural" part of wear and tear.

[anothernewphone]

I've had my 2015 4 series for about 7 months now, and I've had absolutely no problems with it. It's great on the highway - nice and quiet, with minimal road noise. Smooth ride, no creaks, and no issues!

Anecdotes like OPs aren't evidence of anything other than an issue with a single car, not an entire line of 328s.

[joe100]

I have a 128i, 6MT, no power seats, no sunroof, no nav. A go-cart. I did get leather and satellite radio though.

Point is, it feels like it was hewn from a solid block of granite, the car feels tight and poised. My fists are made of ham and it still manages to flatter me in the corners. Remember, sometimes less is more.

[Demosthene]

The smooth ride comments amuse me.

As a rule of thumb if you want a car that handles well then the ride quality will be compromised.
Considering BMW is toted as the producers of some of the "best driver's cars in the world" dont buy one expecting spongy Toyota suspension.
(Alternatively just buy something with Active suspension)

[rozyd]

I have a '13 F30 328i xdrive, and it exhibits none of the issues you are reporting. What trim line did you purchase? Mine is a premium, and perhaps that alters some of the amount of plastic. Additionally, I switched to non-RFT after running through 2 sets at 50k. At 72k now, and I don't see it aging any worse than my previous E60 535i xdrive. Mind you I'm generally out of a vehicle by the time 100k rolls around. Although I might keep this one a little longer, I've had zero issues with it.