[pocoyo_3]

I just picked up my Alpine White 328i M-Sport from Steve Thomas BMW last Saturday. Many thanks to David Aviles for making the buying experience as straightforward and pleasurable one.

Loving the 328i so far. This is my first automatic car, and though I miss the interactivity of a manual transmission, I can't fault the ZF 8AT.

[.BMW.]

Nice F30, enjoy!

[VELGEN WHEELS]

Congrats on the purchase.

[MassBimmer]

Good looking car, congrats!

[dtn]

Congrats! Great color!

[TopDown]

I'm with you, drove a 6MT for years but the ZF 8AT has already made me forget. Enjoy.

[pocoyo_3]

Thanks guys. I'm enjoying the F30, but for not for the same reasons I enjoyed my E90 or E46. I'd classify the F30 as a much more mature car, with fewer "rough edges" than the E90. I always felt that the E90 made me work for it, and it was rewarding when I wanted to play, but it wasn't always the most relaxing at other times. The F30 shifts the balance more towards being a calm and effortless experience.

For anyone who is on the fence about the 6MT / 8AT choice, I can honestly say that if you choose the 8AT with the Sport Automatic transmission you won't be disappointed. I'm not claiming that it compares to the manual experience, but that isn't to say it isn't a great experience in itself. It's just different, and I think it suits the tone of the F30 perfectly.

Likewise, the N20/N26 is a step forward relative to the N52 in every way except for the sound / harshness, but it makes up for it in the effortless delivery and torque, and the combination of it with the 8AT and the N20/N26 removes any doubts I had that I should have gone for an 335i/N55.

[Joseph@x-ph.com]

Congrats !!

[pocoyo_3]

Thanks guys. 2 more pics - of the interior this time. I do feel that the interior is a step up in terms of styling relative to the E90. I can also recommend the M-Sport package (for the steering wheel), and the navigation package (for the screen and functionality).

[M3AWD]

Great choice.. I totally agree that for those of us who think the 328i meets their needs, there's no need to spend the extra $ for a 335i. I also believe the M Sport goodies and the Sport Auto transmission (if not getting manual) are great to enjoy the car

[pocoyo_3]

So far, my only reservation has been fuel economy. I'm getting just under 27 mpg, mostly in city driving in San Diego, but that's taking advantage of Eco-Pro mode, coasting, and driving economically. I have only done 600 miles so far so it is difficult to draw any conclusions as of yet.

What is everyone else's experience?