[a5m]

In the market for a F30 or F31. Initially wanted the d but then started looking at 335's and am now leaning in that direction. Just wanted to see in person how the diesel drove.

It's not slow like I was expecting. Has plenty of pick up and go. The torque is there. But after that initial push it feels a bit flat. Also the ZF was slow to respond, or maybe it was the throttle mapping. Just cruising at 25MPH I punched it and it took a solid second before kicking down. That was in Sport Mode. From a stop, there's no response for a second before it gets going. And this diesel made a pretty audible 'diesel clatter' as it started to rev up from a stop. Also it was quite loud idling. Dealer had it running and walking up to it from 3-4 meters away I could hear it. Under the hood the engine cover was vibrating like it had tremors.

Overall loving the BMW quality and how compact and nimble the 3 Series feels. Hoping to drive some 335's tomorrow, and I get the feeling I'm going to fall in love with that Straight 6.

[tturedraider]

What’s your budget?

[eff32fl]

You will love the inline 6. I've never driven an N55 but the B58 in the 340i/440i is awesome. From what I've seen people love the N55 in the 335i. If you can swing the higher price since you're considering a 335i I'd recommend looking for a 340i it will have newer features and the B58 has proven to be very reliable and if you want to tune it it has great power potential. Admittedly I'm a bit biased since I have a B58 lol. You probably won't be happy with a 4 cylinder by the sound of it based on your reaction test driving the 328d.

There is also the 435i Grand Coupe or the 440i Grand Coupe they're both 4 doors but have a hatch back. They're a little more sporty looking. Those may be an option.

[a5m]

I'm trying to stay under $20k but the way these cars are priced doesn't cost much more to get a significantly lower mileage example.

Haha I definitely was tempted to get into a B58 from the jump. Not sure I can justify the price difference. Plus I rather get in cheap to have a budget for repairs (*upgrades ).

I hadn't considered the 4 Gran Coupe. Certainly looks better than the 3 GT, and the best of all the hatchback variants. I'll have to take a closer look, thanks!

Yea I'm super excited by the tuning and power potential. Almost grabbed a BM3 the other day in preparation lol. Would be a nice step up from my WRX and its delicate EJ.

[anielsen71]

Originally Posted by a5m

In the market for a F30 or F31. Initially wanted the d but then started looking at 335's and am now leaning in that direction. Just wanted to see in person how the diesel drove.

It's not slow like I was expecting. Has plenty of pick up and go. The torque is there. But after that initial push it feels a bit flat. Also the ZF was slow to respond, or maybe it was the throttle mapping. Just cruising at 25MPH I punched it and it took a solid second before kicking down. That was in Sport Mode. From a stop, there's no response for a second before it gets going. And this diesel made a pretty audible 'diesel clatter' as it started to rev up from a stop. Also it was quite loud idling. Dealer had it running and walking up to it from 3-4 meters away I could hear it. Under the hood the engine cover was vibrating like it had tremors.

Overall loving the BMW quality and how compact and nimble the 3 Series feels. Hoping to drive some 335's tomorrow, and I get the feeling I'm going to fall in love with that Straight 6.

Hi there
Hmmm comparing 4 cylinder diesel with a 6 cylinder petrol is comparing apples and pears.
The 6 cylinder diesels do not have the same acoustics….
And again, comparing a 6 cylinder diesel with a 6 cylinder petrol on sound, the petrol will always win….

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by a5m

And this diesel made a pretty audible 'diesel clatter' as it started to rev up from a stop. Also it was quite loud idling.

The gas engines are the same. It's what you get with direct injection with either fuel.

[a5m]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

The gas engines are the same. It's what you get with direct injection with either fuel.

Interesting, I hadn't thought of that. Never really paid attention to 335's but will now. It just seemed unusually loud so I assumed it was a diesel thing.

[Billfitz]

Diesel is louder than gas, but BMW injectors are notoriously loud. They put a lot of insulation under the hood to tame it. Open the hood and you'd think it was a diesel.

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by a5m

In the market for a F30 or F31. Initially wanted the d but then started looking at 335's and am now leaning in that direction. Just wanted to see in person how the diesel drove.

It's not slow like I was expecting. Has plenty of pick up and go. The torque is there. But after that initial push it feels a bit flat. Also the ZF was slow to respond, or maybe it was the throttle mapping. Just cruising at 25MPH I punched it and it took a solid second before kicking down. That was in Sport Mode. From a stop, there's no response for a second before it gets going. And this diesel made a pretty audible 'diesel clatter' as it started to rev up from a stop. Also it was quite loud idling. Dealer had it running and walking up to it from 3-4 meters away I could hear it. Under the hood the engine cover was vibrating like it had tremors.

Overall loving the BMW quality and how compact and nimble the 3 Series feels. Hoping to drive some 335's tomorrow, and I get the feeling I'm going to fall in love with that Straight 6.

That flat spot before the car downshifts and takes off when you are cruising at a steady speed is not just a feature of diesels. I find it to be one of the more annoying traits of my car - and the more powerful the car is the more annoying the trait. My 650i has gobs of power and torque but it makes no difference in that situation. To overcome that you really need to manually downshift, which is one of the few situations I use the paddles.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by a5m

Overall loving the BMW quality and how compact and nimble the 3 Series feels. Hoping to drive some 335's tomorrow, and I get the feeling I'm going to fall in love with that Straight 6.

The N55 I6 is a sweet running engine. The 4-pot diesel is so different from the 6-pot diesel, let alone the N55.

BTW, all AT examples (even in the diesel) don't have the gearbox delay some experience. I'm driving an N55 with AT and don't have the gearbox delay. Been very consistent over 10-years of driving.

[a5m]

Didn't get a chance to drive a 335/340 yet but will keep the injector noise in mind when I do.

I wasn't cross shopping based on engines. I initially wanted the fuel economy of the diesel, then realized they came in wagons so I was set on it. But after reading about the timing issues I started looking at the straight 6's and the idea of power and tuning potential got me hooked.

Interesting on the ZF8. That kinda sucks. I was afraid I wouldn't transition well to an auto and this definitely won't help. But @HighlandPete doesn't seem to experience this. So not sure what's going on here. Maybe best to get an M Sport so I have the paddles. I agree 100%; having all that power but it being inaccessible when needed would defeat the purpose.

I'm hoping to drive a few of these and see how they compare. Perhaps a trans tune will solve or mitigate the issue?

[tturedraider]

Lots and lots of former manual drivers on these forums say the ZF8 has converted their attitude about having to have a manual.

[thatgarrett]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Lots and lots of former manual drivers on these forums say the ZF8 has converted their attitude about having to have a manual.

I am in that camp as well, drove a manual for a while and was initially looking for one when I was shopping for my F30 but the ZF8 is just that good, I haven’t really missed having a manual- paddle shifters with the Sport transmission are really good, way different that the ones you might have tried on other cars. I have rarely used the paddles, normally going into sport mode and putting transmission in sport achieves what I am looking for

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by a5m

Interesting on the ZF8. That kinda sucks. I was afraid I wouldn't transition well to an auto and this definitely won't help. But @HighlandPete doesn't seem to experience this. So not sure what's going on here. Maybe best to get an M Sport so I have the paddles. I agree 100%; having all that power but it being inaccessible when needed would defeat the purpose.

My experience isn't limited to my own example. I've driven many models with the ZF 8-speed and have not had the problems some report. I've picked up a couple from the dealer with a bit of initial gear change hesitation, but once adapted to my driving style, that all disappears and no issues thereafter.

Some of the transmission issue is how we drive, and particularly how we use the throttle. Seen it with DSG drivers as well, but that is another discussion.

My model has the Sport AT (SAT) with paddles, best setup for rewarding the driver, when you want to use the box more enthusiastically.

[a5m]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I'm not one of those people hell bent on driving a manual only. If anything as I've gotten older I appreciate the convenience and comfort of an auto, and in this day and age they're really that good to not make you miss manual.

So Pete it sounds like the ECU adapts to your driving style and improves the more you drive. Or just a variation from car to car. I don't know, I'm just stoked to drive a ZF8 mated to a N55 or B58. I predict I'll be a convert in short order

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by a5m

So Pete it sounds like the ECU adapts to your driving style and improves the more you drive. Or just a variation from car to car. I don't know, I'm just stoked to drive a ZF8 mated to a N55 or B58. I predict I'll be a convert in short order

There are essentially two parts to transmission adaptations, driving style and driving situation. Both are designed to be adapting in real time, reacting to the driver (like throttle and brake application) and sensor (such as corner and incline) inputs. For example, drive harder and the gearbox wakes up after driving more relaxed with slower reactions.

There are certainly some examples which don't appear to do what the driver expects, but that's not been my personal experience.

[a5m]

Drove a '14 335i xDrive Base 8AT today. 90k miles.

Transmission was still sluggish like the diesel. Maybe a smidge faster with the downshift. Also from a stop the power came in 'steps' if that makes sense. Like it was being held back and slowly released. Maybe an issue with the transfer case? Car felt tired and not well taken care of. Suspension was definitely worn too. Plus the sales guy being a clueless tool was ruining it for me.

Plan to drive a 340i xDrive tomorrow. Hoping to find a Sport Steptronic one too to compare. Otherwise the ZF8 is great and shifts very quickly manually. Also that straight 6...yea I can't do the N47

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by a5m

Drove a '14 335i xDrive Base 8AT today. 90k miles.

Transmission was still sluggish like the diesel. Maybe a smidge faster with the downshift. Also from a stop the power came in 'steps' if that makes sense. Like it was being held back and slowly released. Maybe an issue with the transfer case? Car felt tired and not well taken care of. Suspension was definitely worn too. Plus the sales guy being a clueless tool was ruining it for me.

Plan to drive a 340i xDrive tomorrow. Hoping to find a Sport Steptronic one too to compare. Otherwise the ZF8 is great and shifts very quickly manually. Also that straight 6...yea I can't do the N47

Here’s one you might want to check out. https://www.elitemotorsonline.com/au...n-il/71998055/ They’ve just come down on the asking price by $1,000 over the past two weeks. A guy on Bimmerfest was looking at it and made a video. It sounded pretty good. The car is still there and he hasn’t been back to the forum since he first posted, so I’m guessing he’s decided against getting it.

My CPO 2018 340i M Sport may be a little beyond your budget but I’ll go ahead and share it. It’s in fantastic shape. Virtually like new, as it was when I bought it about 20 months ago in Houston, Texas. It’s loaded. It has the Sport transmission. It’s RWD (more fun to drive, actually has the sport suspension, which xDrive doesn’t have) and comes with a dedicated set of winter wheels and tires. I live on the north side of the city. https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1985565

You could say BMW transmissions shift kind of “purposefully”. They don’t just glide along. Particularly when slowing down. They actually downshift as your speed decreases, the way you might do with a manual transmission. Most non-German transmissions just kind of disengage as you slow down and coast to a stop. BMW transmissions downshifting can be kind of disconcerting when you’re not used to it. BMW transmissions also tend to have a little bit of a slower tip in. They’re not necessarily “raring to go” with a tap of the accelerator. btw - my car has paddle shifters if you want to control your own gear changes.

[a5m]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Here’s one you might want to check out. https://www.elitemotorsonline.com/au...n-il/71998055/ They’ve just come down on the asking price by $1,000 over the past two weeks. A guy on Bimmerfest was looking at it and made a video. It sounded pretty good. The car is still there and he hasn’t been back to the forum since he first posted, so I’m guessing he’s decided against getting it.

My CPO 2018 340i M Sport may be a little beyond your budget but I’ll go ahead and share it. It’s in fantastic shape. Virtually like new, as it was when I bought it about 20 months ago in Houston, Texas. It’s loaded. It has the Sport transmission. It’s RWD (more fun to drive, actually has the sport suspension, which xDrive doesn’t have) and comes with a dedicated set of winter wheels and tires. I live on the north side of the city. https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1985565

You could say BMW transmissions shift kind of “purposefully”. They don’t just glide along. Particularly when slowing down. They actually downshift as your speed decreases, the way you might do with a manual transmission. Most non-German transmissions just kind of disengage as you slow down and coast to a stop. BMW transmissions downshifting can be kind of disconcerting when you’re not used to it. BMW transmissions also tend to have a little bit of a slower tip in. They’re not necessarily “raring to go” with a tap of the accelerator. btw - my car has paddle shifters if you want to control your own gear changes.

Thanks! Looks like it might've sold, the link takes me to their entire inventory. I just called them about a F30 335i xDrive with all the M Sport options in Estoril Blue. It wasn't "ready" yet even though they called me about it twice and emailed and texted

Yes I saw yours and it's a beauty but you're right, way out of my budget. Would be the one to get if I was in that range. Hope you find a good buyer soon

So mystery solved on the ZF8. I need the Sport 2TB option. Drove a '16 340i today with it and my goodness, day and night difference. This explains the difference in people's experiences. Thanks for your explanation too on the shifting behavior. That's exactly what I observed. The 335i I drove yesterday had a jerk during slowing down and it downshifting, almost like it went into a lower gear too early and you get that pull back feeling.

The 340i today was a beast! Luxury Line but with the Sport Steptronic and paddle shifters and Sport+. That mode was insane. Noticeably shifting much much later than Sport and holds onto gears longer. I hammered it and revved it out and when I let go it just stayed in that gear, winding down. Not to mention the exhaust pops, which I'm not a fan of but they were subtle enough that I didn't mind. And that inline 6 sounded so good! I need a N55 or B58 in my life.

So the Sport Steptronic is a must have option for me. It kicked down almost immediately when I punched it, even in Comfort Mode. The trans tuning is different in all Modes.

The dealer listed it for just over 20k with 90k miles. 1 owner. Clean Carfax. But with their bs fees and add-ons which apparently couldn't be removed I was looking at 26.5k out the door. Not happening. Said he can maybe do 21.5k. Originally owned in PA so I think it saw a good amount of snow and salt. Large portions of the wheel's finish had flaked off. Idk, I want to wait for one with the Saddle or Beige (or Corral) interior and the Adaptive LEDs. I'll shop the country like I did for my current car.

[thatgarrett]

As something that might help you widen the net of your search, the sport transmission is just a coding option, the actual transmission is identical, the only physical difference is the shift knob itself and makes no functional difference. If you have BimmerCode (or a fancier coding setup) you can code the sport transmission and Sport + yourself for just the cost of the software

[a5m]

Originally Posted by thatgarrett

As something that might help you widen the net of your search, the sport transmission is just a coding option, the actual transmission is identical, the only physical difference is the shift knob itself and makes no functional difference. If you have BimmerCode (or a fancier coding setup) you can code the sport transmission and Sport + yourself for just the cost of the software

Yes thanks I forgot to mention I had read up on this prior to driving the 340i. But in a thread I came across some people who had both, a factory optioned car and coded car, said there was still an obvious difference between the two. A few people said that actually. So there's still something different perhaps in the coding that's being overlooked since apparently the hardware is all the same. People who've never driven a 2TB car might feel a difference but are still not getting the full feature.

Coming from a car that IMO I've modified extensively I don't want to do too much to this one. Maybe get the MPPK/MPPSK and/or intake for a little more noise and that's it. I keep reading about people tuning and coding these cars for parts like aftermarket downpipes and getting CELs and when going back to stock it still not going away. With how computerized these cars are I'm getting the feeling it's best not to mess with them too much.

[R2Dad]

Late to the party here, but my thoughts on the F31 B47 328d:1) diesel might be louder at idle, but it's more quiet at freeway speeds. 2) sport mode for the ZF8 is plenty quick, its just getting used to it that takes a little time. I upshift and downshift all day long instead of leaving it in auto. 3) lots of heat issues with the gas/petrol engines, the diesels have been relatively care-free. No problems after 108K miles on my 2017 328d. 4) If you're getting a Diesel engine with low miles the only concerns would be carbon buildup if the engine never saw regular freeway driving (requiring bead blast to clean), and if the transmission fluid/pan had been replaced at 75K miles.