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BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum (F30 / F32) | F30POST > 2012-2019 BMW 3 and 4-Series Forums > General F30 Sedan / F32 Coupe / F36 Gran Coupe Forum > F33 impressions
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      04-20-2022, 11:17 AM   #1
petrolhead2014
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Drives: F30 328i and soon F33 428i/30i
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F33 impressions

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I am on the verge of swapping my old faithful F30 328i for a newer ride. I thought the F36 GC would be a good successor, especially with the supposedly more sporty drive and added practicality of a hatchback and folding seats. I drive in a sporty way, often drive in country/mountain roads and also enjoy hitting 155ish on the Autobahn when I'm in Europe

When I went for a test drive, the dealer only had a diesel xdrive 435d GC. They also had a F33 420i of the same year (2018 LCI) and he invited me to drive it as well as the GC. The 435d was a disappointment over my 328i - much noisier, less top end, porky handling due to xdrive. A definitive downgrade. I've driven a 435d SE pre-LCI on winter tyres for a few months in Germany previously - it was crap and I hoped that the one with summer tyres + M sport + LCI would be better, but it wasn't to be. That said, I suspect the 428/30i M sport GC would still be nicer than the F30.

I wasn't keen on driving the F33 420i as every review complains about convertibles being heavier, having much worse handling and poor torsional rigidity. Likewise, the 20i engine is far from being the most exciting around. When I drove it though, it was actually nicer than my F30 328i. Ride comfort was slightly better over bumps and I didn't notice any flex. I was also shocked that it cornered flatly with none of the softness that reviewers usually complain about. Meanwhile, while undoubtedly slower than my 328i or the 435d, with the roof down it sounded pretty good and I could enjoy the engine noise far more than in my sedan. On the whole, it felt a massive upgrade over my F30 in terms of fun and even dynamics and comfort.

That said, i had only 30 min with the car and, despite trying it on a mix of country roads and highway at up to 90 mph, I am aware this limited time with it might not fully reflect on the F33.

Has anyone extensively driven both a F30/32/36 and a F33, ie the saloon/coupe and convertible? If so, I'd like to hear your impressions on whether the 'vert is indeed poor in terms of handling and rigidity. For now, I've asked the dealer to let me know when they have a F33 438/430i in stock as it seems like a more interesting upgrade than a 430i GC.
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