[puma1552]

Let's see pics of just the 320s! I think these are underrepresented on the site, so it would be nice to have a place to collect 320 pics, USA or otherwise. Feel free to add little reviews/impressions of your car also.

Post up!

[pocoyo_3]

Agreed, I'd like to see and hear more about people's experiences with their 320i. Seems like it has the potential to be a great car.

[focal]

2014 especially...can spec with sport line, nav/lighting, etc...

prices to about 328i base numbers. The engine is good enough for most DD use in a busy city.

[puma1552]

I'd almost be tempted to get a wild individual color like Java Green just for the hell of it, would definitely be the only BMW Individual 320 in the US I bet.

[langn08]

Here is my 320xi!

[sjbushido]

:]

[Kafkaesque328]

Waiting for mine to come from factory at end of january. Couldn't find a 320i with sport package (essential IMO) and the options I wanted anywhere so I ordered it. I'll post pics for sure when it arrives. I'd love to hear owners' day to day real world impressions of the car vs. mainly reviews where you have either MT or jalopnik saying it's the savior of the 3 series and the best car ever to other reviews saying its a underpowered travesty, which is obviously retarded, but anyway...

Originally Posted by langn08

Here is my 320xi!

How do you like it with Stage 1?? I plan on doing a stage 1 bms set up right after break-in

[Alexweee]

Getting vb3s this weekend

[Kafkaesque328]

Anyone have any wheel replacement suggestions for 225/45/18 square setup? Thinking if my factory r/f's arent too terrible to just get different wheels. The factory star spoke 396 are a drag. Would prob just put them back on at lease end. All the BMW wheel sets I find are staggered.

Love these and its a good deal for wheels and tires but if my bmw comes with the a/s from factory and m sport suspension will throwing a staggered setup on there screw with the suspension tuning at all?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb...265135702.html

[puma1552]

I think the 396 wheels look quite good actually.

Note that the factory 398 style wheels with summer tires are staggered, so I don't think there would be an issue?

[prestonf30]

my brothers

[puma1552]

^Nice, what options does it have? I see sport/lighting.

[Timur]

320i From Russia

[prestonf30]

Originally Posted by puma1552

^Nice, what options does it have? I see sport/lighting.

Lighting package
Sport seats
Upgraded steering wheel
Parking sensors backup camera

Those are a few of the things next time I see him I'll ask about everything

[langn08]

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque320

Waiting for mine to come from factory at end of january. Couldn't find a 320i with sport package (essential IMO) and the options I wanted anywhere so I ordered it. I'll post pics for sure when it arrives. I'd love to hear owners' day to day real world impressions of the car vs. mainly reviews where you have either MT or jalopnik saying it's the savior of the 3 series and the best car ever to other reviews saying its a underpowered travesty, which is obviously retarded, but anyway...



How do you like it with Stage 1?? I plan on doing a stage 1 bms set up right after break-in

I love it! The 320 is a great bang for the buck. What options did you order on your 320?

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by prestonf30

my brothers

Nice! Thats my exact car I ordered. I saw the star spoke 396 in person today as I was next door to the BMW dealer getting my wife's Tiguan serviced at VW. They were on a silver 335i and they looked good in person. Made me feel a lot better about the wheel choice. What is funny is that, since the Tiguan was taking longer than expected I decided to walk over and drive a 320i again, just to be certain about my choice.. The car is still probably 3 weeks away from me getting it and you know, I just wanted to be sure. One test drive is rarely enough.. They had a brown with crappy beige interior base 320i on 17s, etc. What was weird is when I asked the guy the quickest way to the 710 freeway he was like "no freeway policy, the test drive has to be around town." I've never heard that before but whatever, the area we were in had some LA-esque 'streets' that are more like highways anyway with 45mph speed limits so I figured I'd be able to get on it some.

Impressions this time around were the same as before. First I am convinced the 320 is underrated. No way that thing is putting down 180 at the crank because it moves. Quick, composed, solid, etc. The 8 speed is seamless. Throw it in sport and it seems to shift almost as quickly as the DSG. How they pulled that off with a torque converter automatic is beyond me but its great. Its also smooth like an auto vs. the sometimes awkward and jerky DSG type setups. I just think the car is a fantastic deal and I haven't even driven the sport package one I ordered, only the base. My car will have the nicer wheel, better seats, better suspension etc. but even the base ones are good. I'm really stoked on my choice and I just can't wait for it to arrive. Feels like its taking forever. Production began on 12/20 with estimated completion of 1/21... Then probably 2 weeks to ship. Its an eternity!

The key on the 320 I think is to avoid going crazy with options. A loaded 320i can easily surpass 40k and to me thats too much for the car. I mean, I ordered the car with manual seats to save 1000 bucks and because I knew I'd adjust them once or twice and leave them. Ive never cared about stuff like that though but there are 'essentials' like heated seats, sport package which includes a nice wheel (the base 320i wheel is a bummer), bluetooth, fold-down rear seats etc. all of which I ordered.

By some stroke of engineering prowess they found a way to make that turbo 4 pull almost as evenly and sound pretty close to the previous I6. Not quite as nice, but for a 4 cyl, it sounds nice. My GTI sounded good but that was artificial due to the noisepipe which is now a soundaktor. The 2.0T in my wife's Tiguan is as is, no sound modifications on that car from factory and it sounds kind of wheezy and crappy. The 4 cyl in the BMW sounds pretty good.

[puma1552]

If I go with a RWD 320i, it for sure needs to have sport, lighting, heated seats, and moonroof (and metallic paint). Off the top of my head I think the MSRP on that is a click under $38k. Then I sit there and think how nice power seats are (I always hate having to readjust after taking the car in for service, and I like to move the seats all the way forward and back while vacuuming the interior, so it's more so the memory function I want), which puts it at $39k. Then I realize since I'm already paying $2k for the moonroof and the power seats, I may as well just spend another $1k and get the premium package and get comfort access, since that alone is probably worth $1000 to me (have it now, it would be hard to give up). But then I'm a tick over $40k.

So I think for me, I'd either get:

-Paint
-Lighting
-Sport
-Moonroof
-Heated seats

or

-Paint
-Lighting
-Sport
-Premium
-Heated seats

I think I would either need to keep it basic, or just get the premium, and not somewhere in between. Though I do question the value at $40k. I think the 1st configuration I listed is more true to the 3 series heritage.

[langn08]

Originally Posted by puma1552

If I go with a RWD 320i, it for sure needs to have sport, lighting, heated seats, and moonroof (and metallic paint). Off the top of my head I think the MSRP on that is a click under $38k. Then I sit there and think how nice power seats are (I always hate having to readjust after taking the car in for service, and I like to move the seats all the way forward and back while vacuuming the interior, so it's more so the memory function I want), which puts it at $39k. Then I realize since I'm already paying $2k for the moonroof and the power seats, I may as well just spend another $1k and get the premium package and get comfort access, since that alone is probably worth $1000 to me (have it now, it would be hard to give up). But then I'm a tick over $40k.

So I think for me, I'd either get:

-Paint
-Lighting
-Sport
-Moonroof
-Heated seats

or

-Paint
-Lighting
-Sport
-Premium
-Heated seats

I think I would either need to keep it basic, or just get the premium, and not somewhere in between. Though I do question the value at $40k. I think the 1st configuration I listed is more true to the 3 series heritage.

In my opinion the premium package is a must. I would hate to have to get my key out every time I get in/out of my car.

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by langn08

In my opinion the premium package is a must. I would hate to have to get my key out every time I get in/out of my car.

Haha, that's funny. Funny what people consider an inconvenience. For me, the whole exercise with the 320 was to get a 3 series with all the distilled elements and none of the fluff. If I'm going to spend $40k, it's going to be a lightly optioned 328. It was hard, I mean hard not to check all those boxes.. No premium package for me. That alone ups the payment by like $90 a month or something. I think its $30 a month p/every $1000 or something like that. My mindset must sound funny though on a forum where a large percentage of the people are driving like $50-70k cars.. I figure the 320 will be my entry point and I'll get a 328i @ the next lease.

Originally Posted by puma1552

If I go with a RWD 320i, it for sure needs to have sport, lighting, heated seats, and moonroof (and metallic paint). Off the top of my head I think the MSRP on that is a click under $38k. Then I sit there and think how nice power seats are (I always hate having to readjust after taking the car in for service, and I like to move the seats all the way forward and back while vacuuming the interior, so it's more so the memory function I want), which puts it at $39k. Then I realize since I'm already paying $2k for the moonroof and the power seats, I may as well just spend another $1k and get the premium package and get comfort access, since that alone is probably worth $1000 to me (have it now, it would be hard to give up). But then I'm a tick over $40k.

So I think for me, I'd either get:

-Paint
-Lighting
-Sport
-Moonroof
-Heated seats

or

-Paint
-Lighting
-Sport
-Premium
-Heated seats

I think I would either need to keep it basic, or just get the premium, and not somewhere in between. Though I do question the value at $40k. I think the 1st configuration I listed is more true to the 3 series heritage.

Sport package was and is a must IMO. With the bottom list of options you list though, you're at a whole other price point. It's funny how I HAD to have heated seats and I live in LA but I did w/out the sunroof. In the GTI I opened the sunroof like 10 times and the 11th time it broke. It also rattled alot. But who am I kidding, I'm just being cheap.

[Mermaid]

[rayg]

Originally Posted by langn08

In my opinion the premium package is a must. I would hate to have to get my key out every time I get in/out of my car.

First World Problems lol.

[Kafkaesque328]

^^Yes, total hardship. I used to have a Toyota Tacoma with roll up windows... How did I survive?