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      07-05-2012, 10:20 AM   #83
S6F
First Lieutenant
United_States
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Drives: '19 540ixMsport
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Central NJ

iTrader: (1)

Here's a review I wrote for the E90 forum. Over-all a great car.

Not really an apples-apples comparison since mine is an E92 335iMT and the car I had for the day was an F30 328i sedan automatic. That said, here's what I find:
Engine--the N20 pulls well and the car is adequately quick, linear and smooth. Those who say it's about the same as an N55 are just silly.
Radio--the standard BMW radio is standard BMW junk. Avoid.
Ride--better in sport than in comfort! Sport damped out a slight bouncy (up/down) motion in the suspension. 17" tires might contribute here. Same ride quality and noise as my '11 coupe.
Interior-- dissapointedly not a fan. Too many dash curves, twists, and flaps to visually support a rectangular info screen. Especially since the screen can't be submerged. Like a square peg in a round hole kinda look. The large swaths of aluminized plastic are just awful. Get anything else. The plastic surround inside the instrument cluster looks cheap.
It's strange, but the curvy door panels and wider console give the impression that the interior is narrower than the E92. Lastly, avoid the non-sport seats at all costs. No support.
Brakes--nice feel. Had no slow-speed issues that others heave mentioned. Brake pedal tended to slam against its upper stop when released quickly.
Start/Stop feature--I'm sure that some day this useful technology will be perfected and transparent. That day isn't here. Very upsetting especially in traffic on these hot days. Why? Because the engine will restart not just on your command when you lift from the brake, but also when the car decides it needs more AC juice. You never know. Better to just always disable it.
Steering--and now we get serious. The steering, very much like that on our new A4, is quick and accurate. The car tracks well with no wandering. But like on the Audi there is absolutely no steering feel. None. Very much like a video game. Very unlike any of my previous BMW's. At least in the Audi the steering tightens up at higher speeds. Of all these issues, this one can be a deal breaker. Will be test driving an F30 335i in two weeks. Hope it's better.
So sorrry for rambling on.

Steve Foster
27cars in 48 driving years
6 BMW's (325e, 325i, 325i, 540iA, 540i/6, 335icpMT)
grey/black
all the simple mods
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