[vibroverbus]

About to land a hopefully nice 330ix GT, and want to figure out options for cargo rubber mats.

We've done Weather Techs before plenty of times and they were the best BITD but I've found here in modern days, the OEM rubber mats from BMW and Audi are better.

Comments/feedback for the BMW vs WT cargo mat for the GT? I guess I'm looking at the "Sport Line" and only question is how you use the tie-downs if it covers them up. WT mats you can cut out if you want to expose the tie-downs?

[Billfitz]

I had my WT front liners in hand before I even took delivery of my GT, but never bothered with them for the cargo area. I bought a $20 carpet remnant and cut it to size, with tie down cutouts. I suppose some may put stuff in the trunk that makes a waterproof mat worthwhile, but I don't.

[Oksamit78]

I have WT rear (comes in one piece and I love that) and WT cargo mat.

My LCI F34 (2017) does not have any tie downs when compared to trunks of preLCI cars, by the way. So WT cargo mats works just great for me.
This is pre LCI trunk with tie downs (aluminum rails) that my car does not have:

[WhiteCollarMetalHead]

I never used the rail based tie downs at all so I removed sliding "feet" and got one of those waffle / diamond pattern cargo liners from aliexpress to toss back there. The coverage is great and it was less money than a WT but it does cover the rails fully. I then used an old cargo net from a VW Alltrack I sold with the factory anchor poitns in the GT at the 4 corners of the hatch area.

It all just worked out and for my day to day is useable.

* Edit: Provided an actual photo

[KCee]

I have WT throughout my car, but I'm not sure the trunk liner is worth the price unless you are constantly hauling stuff that may leak. It does work and it's easy to remove and hose off clean.

For my wife's SUV I found a much cheaper trunk liner on Amazon and it's better in some respects. It won't contain a spill, but it's tough and it also folds up. I sort of wish I bought the same one for my GT and just trimmed it to fit.

[vibroverbus]

Great input guys thank you! Yeah, in previous car I actually stumbled on some no name generic mats from like Walmart or something that we’re actually better than the equivalent weather techs too. So I hear some of you on looking at the generic options.

[vibroverbus]

Hmmmrrph. Not happy with any options really. I kind of would like to retain access to the cargo rails and sliding hooks, already in short days of ownership those have been great. I think my ideal would look like the BMW OEM 'wading pool' in the middle but would expose the rails on either side. You could probably cut up the OEM one to make that happen but it'd also probably look like crap. Hmmmrph.

[Billfitz]

Assuming your concern is keeping the cargo floor pristine cut a piece of cheap thin carpet to fit between the rails. If you want to go all out: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/22518...d=bFqcf7QgYJaZ

Where F34 accessories are concerned AliExpress is the best source. F34 didn't sell well in the US, so accessories are hard to find. It sold very well in China, so that's where the accessories are to be found.

[vibroverbus]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

Assuming your concern is keeping the cargo floor pristine cut a piece of cheap thin carpet to fit between the rails. If you want to go all out:
Where F34 accessories are concerned AliExpress is the best source. F34 didn't sell well in the US, so accessories are hard to find. It sold very well in China, so that's where the accessories are to be found.

Holy crap! Full Trunk Upholstery! Madness! Good tip on the AliE. I was aware the GT was based on a 3-series limo they apparently made for the Chinese market so that makes sense...

[Billfitz]

It is the limo made for the Chinese market. Every manufacturer makes them, only BMW decided to sell them outside of Asia.

[Oksamit78]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

It is the limo made for the Chinese market. Every manufacturer makes them, only BMW decided to sell them outside of Asia.

LWB F35 is the limo for China assembled in China, F34 uses the same chassis but was assembled in Dingolfing, Germany.
Yes, it appears, that China (and Asia) was the second best market in terms of F34 sales right after Europe.

[Billfitz]

It's a far more sensible family vehicle than an SUV, explaining why it did well in Europe, and not in the US.

[vibroverbus]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

It's a far more sensible family vehicle than an SUV, explaining why it did well in Europe, and not in the US.

Ahhh yes murica car fantasies/delusions.

"But you don't understand my petite wife absolutely hasto drive around in a giant Suburban/Escalade - there is no other vehicle that could possibly meet our needs! " (despite the fact that mostly she's driving around alone in the car with at most a bunch of bags of groceries or some soccer equipment in the back)

or, equally annoying to me personally, just the simple "I JUST LIKE TO BE UP HIGH IT MAKES ME FEEL SAFER DRIVING IS SO DANGEROUS"

While I am a convert for the F34 now, I am longtime touring/avant/wagon fanatic and remain enraged at the Germans oligopoly move to deny us to them. They will go on and on about how 'people were not buying them' but its mostly a lie or at best a gross misrepresentation - the dealers made more money selling people the SUV models and it was easier to just stock one 'long body' style and push wagon buyers into SUV's. THAT is why they stopped sending them here - the US dealers and SUV dynamics. NOT because of 'no demand'. They sell all kinds of weirdo little low volume cars here and its fine. Dealers wanted the excuse to say "SUV is station wagon now just buy this" because it was profitable and easier.

[Billfitz]

No doubt SUVs are more profitable, otherwise manufacturers wouldn't love them so much. I bet BMW still makes long wheelbase models for the Chinese market, but when it comes to what's taking up a spot on a US dealer's lot they'd rather another SUV toaster.

[Oksamit78]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

... I bet BMW still makes long wheelbase models for the Chinese market...

Yeap, they now make the F35 (LWB) replacement there. The new 3er - G28 (LWB) is 12 centimeters (4.72 inches) longer than the Euro-spec model, according to AutoWeek.nl. Most of the stretch (11 cm or 4.33 inches) will be going into the wheelbase, which is set to measure a generous 2.96 meters (116.5 inches) (post from 2019). The G28 LWB is also sold in Thailand and Malaysia.

Further more, in China as of 2022 they now make a "new" i3 (G28 BEV) (re-used model batch from infamous i3 square box), with single motor and 70 kWh battery using the same chassis as G28 LWB.