06-18-2014, 04:46 PM | #221 |
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06-19-2014, 02:04 PM | #222 |
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I just got back from our first road trip in our F31 M-sport. I am lucky in that, even if many other options were offered in the USA, and even if I could buy an RS4 Avant for the same price, I still would have chosen the exact 328i M-sport wagon with X-drive and the 8-speed. After driving about 1000 miles from NYC to Montreal Canada, to Ottawa, and then back home, I can't imaging a better car to take a family of 4 on a driving vacation. I drive kind of fast to cover the long distance, so my mileage was only 28mpg. But, the car was loaded full and that effects mileage. The presets are very handy when switching the driving between pilot and wife/co-pilot. the two kiddies love the HK stereo as much as I do. Heads-up is just awesome as everyone points out. Most of the highway driving was in Eco-pro which I really like. Even though I was averaging 90, I might as well be as efficient as possible. You really have to learn how to drive in Eco-Pro. In a way, it is the opposite of my E46 6-speed manual M3 which slows down instantly when you step off the gas pedal due to engine braking and the quick ratio gearing. The 8-speed auto has hardly any engine braking especially with the 4 cylinder, and in Eco pro, when you step off the gas the engine drops into neutral instantly. Down a mountain, you GAIN speed. I coasted once for about 5 miles going down a mountain. You often have to tap the brake as you gain on cars in front of you, or hit the paddle shifter to engage motor for eventual engine braking. Anyway, learning how to coast as much as possible provided some needed entertainment on the long highway stretches. On the 2 lane mountain roads, a shift into sport mode almost caused both my kids and my wife also to nearly throw up. Little kids get car sick! And likely anyone besides the driver if you are having enough fun like I was.
This is my first time really using a NAV system with auto-reroute to avoid traffic. It chose an entire different route going through two states I hadn't programed in to the original route! But I am glad it did because it avoided a major traffic jam due to road construction. What a great feature. During rush hour traffic in NYC it often changed routes many times in just a few minutes. I decided to follow its suggestions and it got me home likely far quicker than I could have without it. Drove for 9 hours in the rain- car doesn't seem to care but I did get the engine-disabled Limp Mode bug during heavy rain the second I hit the throttle hard, right at the beginning of my trip. Since I read a lot about it on this forum, I didn't panic. Pulled over, turned car on and off, and it was fine and this did not resurface for the rest of the trip. Still, an annoying and frankly alarming fault of these cars- unacceptable, and I hope BMW figures this out quickly. Oh, at the same time during this hard rain, the front sensors were reported to be faulty and the car said it was no longer able to avoid pedestrians, so I looked out for them on the rainy highway more cautiously. This also went away during the restart. Haven't called BMW yet about these two issues but I will. I don't expect a super-complicated car to be flawless so this is not a huge issue for me personally unless it gets more frequent. Looking forward to getting a winter set of wheels and driving to Canada again but in the snow which is why I wanted AWD. Haven't pulled my 3 man jet ski yet nor did I use my roof top cargo box yet, but everything is ready to go which is what I love about this car. It replaced my huge gas guzzling Mazda CX-9 and at the same time it looks and drives like… an amazing BMW. After this 1000 mile road trip I love this car even more. It is quite simply the most versatile, extremely enjoyable car I have ever owned. Oh, try stuffing all this in your sedan trunk. (And I could have fit more but that would block rear visibility which I was able to retain fully for this trip and this is also why I didn't need to extend the removable cargo net to protect the passengers)
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F31 Estoril Blue Wagon | E46 Phoenix Yellow M3 | 1958 BMW R50 | 1981 BMW Café Racer My BMW café racer on BikeEXIF Last edited by BMWbill; 06-19-2014 at 02:11 PM.. |
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11-20-2014, 12:15 PM | #223 |
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So I'm coming up on just about 6 months of ownership and 11,500 miles with my blue wagon and have really been impressed.
Everything Bill said is true, although I really don't do eco-pro mode all that often. It's been at the dealership twice so far. Once for a bad adaptive suspension sensor and the other for an oil-change. I really really enjoy the car though. Whether it's just slogging through traffic every morning (thank you traffic monitoring GPS), going on spirited drives on country roads or blasting down the highway, it's really such a great car to drive. It was more expensive that I feel it should've been, but it was still the best option out there for me and I don't regret the purchase. A few things I will note though as must-haves based upon my service loaners. 1) M Sport or Sport package. The base seats are terrible and the base steering wheel isn't good at all. I spend like 2-3 hours a day in the car so this is a really big deal for me. 2) Technology package. The base trim package really sucks again here and BMW should be embarrassed. I've had better bluetooth integration and options on a rental dodge than I have in the base model service loaners. That's about it. Really happy so far. Would buy again. |
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04-22-2015, 06:50 AM | #224 |
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06-17-2015, 08:22 AM | #225 |
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10-21-2015, 10:54 PM | #226 |
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Not sure if this has been shared before, but this is so simple yet awesome looking:
http://www.carscoops.com/2015/07/her...-3-series.html My F31 goes in for lowering next week. Can't wait!
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10-22-2015, 07:39 AM | #227 |
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I've had my wagon for just over a year and already I'm looking at the new 2016 with envy .. I'm actually thinking about the possibility of finding someone to take over my lease so I can pick up a newer LCI one next summer...
I really love my wagon |
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10-23-2015, 05:41 PM | #228 | |
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11-17-2015, 02:07 PM | #229 | |
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Last edited by M-Sport Wagon Funnnnnnnnn; 11-17-2015 at 02:13 PM.. Reason: Updated my times spoken |
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11-21-2015, 08:29 AM | #230 |
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Glad you enjoyed it. Although I don't frequent this forum anymore because I kind of know everything there is to know about my 2014 F31, I just reread my original review and it all holds true a year an a half later. I still think this is the best car I have ever owned, and I still look back after parking it and think there is no other car I'd rather own. Yes of course I would rather drive an M4, but an M4 couldn't replace my M-Sport wagon as a family car.
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12-26-2015, 09:17 AM | #232 |
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Love This Car. Need Alpina Stateside!!!
I have been driving the BMW 328D for a year and LOVE it. At some point, I will turn this car in or keep it in the the carport. What to get next? I only want 1 vehicle and that is the BMW Alpina D3! When will this come stateside? I need one and am willing to pay the $$. I know others will too and will prove this by creating a survey so see below! Please vote.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WMB9VS6 Also, below is what I own now...check it out. Cheers! |
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01-15-2016, 03:58 PM | #233 |
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I just got my 328xi Touring and it didn't have the adaptive retaining system that was shown in the shallow compartment of the 328 review of the red touring above. Did all of you in the US and Canada get this storage organizer? My dealer told me that it doesn't come with Canadian cars even though it is in the owners manual. That doesn't sound right to me so any comments would be appreciated.
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01-16-2016, 12:34 PM | #234 |
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Definitely comes with the American wagons. I couldn't go grocery shopping without it as it holds bags at the rear of the trunk area from falling all over the trunk
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02-08-2016, 06:34 AM | #235 |
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Hi, I'm new to the forum. I've just ordered my 2016 320D M Sport Auto in Alpine White with the optional M Sport Plus Pack. I will be posting pictures upon arrival!! Hopefully it will be at the beginning of next month.
I hope i made the right decision after driving around in a Mini JCW R56 for the last 2 years.. |
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02-12-2016, 02:32 PM | #237 |
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You will miss how nimble the R56 is, as well as the "connection" between you and the car. That's why I keep my R53. For me, I need another car that can take my son to school safely, and give me a less tiring commute (20 miles freeway that takes an hour). The F31 has been great at both tasks. I think if you know what you want and set the expectation accordingly, then you will not be disappointed by the car.
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02-13-2016, 05:52 AM | #238 |
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Hi KPLO,
Thanks for the reply. I went to BMW after my posting and had a test drive in a pre facelift 320d auto. In Regards to what you were saying about 'setting my expectations accordingly', i think its fair to say that its slightly exceeded my expectations if anything. Although this is a 180 odd hp car, it certainly doesn't feel it and in some respect, especially from 0-50/70mph it felt faster than the JCW!? However the biggest difference i felt compared to the JCW was the 'non-urgency' to go fast. This may sound stupid but the Mini always wanted to be driven fast. The BMW has a completely different drive. |
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02-29-2016, 02:36 PM | #239 | |
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03-01-2016, 12:12 PM | #240 |
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Picked up this morning and straight to the detailers. More photos to follow...
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Previous: F31 340i Ruby Red IIM5 Singapore Grey, F30 335d Moonstone, F30 320d Tanzanite Blue Last edited by rjberry; 03-01-2016 at 12:24 PM.. |
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05-07-2016, 03:44 PM | #242 |
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