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      04-13-2012, 02:41 AM   #1
bl@ster
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Now that I've driven my in-laws around for a week during their visit here in Seattle, I can say with certainty: this car f*cking rocks!

Gotta admit that I'm loving it. My old car felt so lame in comparison to the F30. It struggled up hills while this new 3er just feels powerful and in control. The quality level is there, everything from the feel of a door closing to the idrive control wheel. I also love the little features: the kick open trunk, the HUD, the blind spot detection. Add to that it's just plain fun to drive -- it really commands respect on the road.

I even saw a 2011 E90 w/ the same color scheme as mine as I was parking in downtown Seattle and he stopped me and said "Hey, nice car. Is that the new 2012?" I proudly said "Yep."

There are some minor negatives, though. Some parts feel a little cheap, like the plastic around the windshield mirror and inside door handles. The quality of the leather upholstery work on the seats felt underwhelming -- there seems to be too much give. Don't care for the auto stop/start feature -- too jarring.

But in the end, I'm very pleased with this car. It's a blast. And it can handle the farm life no problem

So to test my new baby out, I did the obvious thing. I took the in-laws on a road trip to a llama & alpaca farm! Who wouldn't? Here are the pics from the road, the Mukilteo Ferry over to Whidbey Island, and the farm.

Enjoy!

--bl@ster
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Last edited by bl@ster; 04-13-2012 at 01:45 PM..
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      04-13-2012, 02:53 AM   #2
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That alpaca is totally impressed by your car choice!

Glad you are enjoying it!

More pics please (of the car and the alpacas).
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      04-13-2012, 03:14 AM   #3
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Congrats on your new shiny F30!
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      04-13-2012, 05:46 AM   #4
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Lol, now that is funny. In any case, congrats!
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      04-13-2012, 06:43 AM   #5
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How so is the plastic around the windshield mirror cheap? I assume that's the same thing as the rear-view mirror?
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      04-13-2012, 08:11 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ATX78703
How so is the plastic around the windshield mirror cheap? I assume that's the same thing as the rear-view mirror?
It's probably pliable for safety reasons more than cheapness. In case your windshield breaks and the mirror conks you in the head it's better to be pliable.
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      04-13-2012, 08:23 AM   #7
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Congrats on the new ride....looks awesome! Hopefully you were able to avoid any llama spit on the car
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      04-13-2012, 08:49 AM   #8
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Beautiful car. As to the cheapness, I wonder why BMW does not offer a leather wrap option for the dash and door plastic. I personally would not buy it because Im cheap, but Im sure a lot of people would.
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      04-13-2012, 09:42 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KneeDragr View Post
Beautiful car. As to the cheapness, I wonder why BMW does not offer a leather wrap option for the dash and door plastic. I personally would not buy it because Im cheap, but Im sure a lot of people would.
I've seen leather dashboards and doors on some other cars but they left me unconvinced. I got the feeling that the leather would damage easily, because it's covering something that's hard - so if you scrape against the dashboard or door, the soft leather inbetween is what would give.

Leather seats are different though because they're covering something soft, so usually the foam underneath gives before the leather gets damaged.

I'm a bit puzzled about the polar opposites of opinion we're seeing about the F30's interior though - some think it's better quality than the E90, some think it's worse. Or is that normal for subjective things like cars?
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      04-13-2012, 09:51 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Feanor View Post
I'm a bit puzzled about the polar opposites of opinion we're seeing about the F30's interior though - some think it's better quality than the E90, some think it's worse. Or is that normal for subjective things like cars?
I dont have an opinion on the quality, but my personal feeling is that 3-series usually sport a rather plan and conservative interior, while the F30 has a much more modern and interesting look.

So whatever they have lost as far as material quality, they have more than made up for in appearance, IMO.
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      04-13-2012, 10:23 AM   #11
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The F30 interior quality to me is great, similar to previous models. It's the layout and ergonomics that to me seem much improved. The E90 interior didn't have that cockpit feel that my E46 did. Having said that, everyone I know that had an E46 had a broken sunroof visor and door trim falling...
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      04-13-2012, 01:44 PM   #12
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Bl@ster, you have one awesome looking car there. And I totally agree, the car ff-ing rocks! Last night I found myself looking for excuses to go out again (after a long day on the road) to drive some more xD
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      04-13-2012, 01:48 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by svache View Post
Bl@ster, you have one awesome looking car there. And I totally agree, the car ff-ing rocks! Last night I found myself looking for excuses to go out again (after a long day on the road) to drive some more xD
Well, are there any llama farms in Hawaii? LOL. When we were in Maui two years ago we went to a goat farm where they made goat cheese. A boat and your 3er and you're set.
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      04-13-2012, 01:51 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bl@ster View Post
Well, are there any llama farms in Hawaii? LOL. When we were in Maui two years ago we went to a goat farm where they made goat cheese. A boat and your 3er and you're set.
We saw sheep a day or two ago, does that count?
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      04-13-2012, 01:52 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by svache
Bl@ster, you have one awesome looking car there. And I totally agree, the car ff-ing rocks! Last night I found myself looking for excuses to go out again (after a long day on the road) to drive some more xD
Sweet!

Now you guys have your luxury line cars, how are you finding them? Understandably (and gratefully!) we've heard a lot about sports line vehicles so it would be good to get a different perspective. I guess the main differences are suspension, gearbox and trim...

I have to say, I'm loving those luxury line wheels. Very classy.
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      04-13-2012, 02:31 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by PrinceBarin View Post
Now you guys have your luxury line cars, how are you finding them?
I have to say, they're awesome! At first I was afraid I would miss my X5, and while I may actually still miss it's size sometimes (this happened yesterday actually, when I wanted to transport something a little bit too big for my F30) but the ride itself.. omg, it just doesn't compare. The X5 was stiff and I felt every bump in the road (and in Hawaii we have a lot of them), and I had the same with the wife's M3, but this F30 Luxury Line is one smooth ride. It's like I'm driving a boat lol, I feel the bumps in the road but much less strong as before. The gearbox is indeed a bit slower in response than the sports gear but it's still very good, it responds much faster than my X5 and I find myself driving mostly in Eco Pro anyways since traffic over here doesn't allow me to drive faster. However, yesterday I saw an opening on the freeway, I switched to Sport+ and whoosh, I was gone... I did 40 to 100 in no time. It's fast enough for my taste, even if it's a 4 banger. The sound when it actually gets floored is also not bad at all. Sure, it's no 6 cylinder but it's more than adequate for my needs =)
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      04-13-2012, 03:54 PM   #17
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Is that Jet Black of Sapphire Metallic?
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      04-13-2012, 03:56 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tron1043 View Post
Is that Jet Black of Sapphire Metallic?
Title says black sapphire.
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      04-13-2012, 04:29 PM   #19
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Nice looking car! Loving the pics!!
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      04-13-2012, 08:16 PM   #20
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Am I only the one that prefers the wheels in the luxury line >>> sport?


Beautiful ride. Congrats and enjoy.
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      04-14-2012, 12:56 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by omg618
Am I only the one that prefers the wheels in the luxury line >>> sport?


Beautiful ride. Congrats and enjoy.
No, I prefer the luxury line rims too. It was that, the chromeline exterior and standard leather interior which sold me on this line.

I am also a fan of the 19inch 401s.
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      04-14-2012, 01:21 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by omg618 View Post
Am I only the one that prefers the wheels in the luxury line >>> sport?


Beautiful ride. Congrats and enjoy.
You're not alone. One of the reasons I chose the lux line is that the rims reminded me of the classic BMW look. But it wasn't only that. I wanted black leather seats and a black steering wheel. The red piping on Sport line is not for me.
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