[markbridge]

I cross shopped the V60 as well, but there literally wasn't any rear leg room.

I think it's interesting that the GT gets compared negatively to the Crosstour. Just because Honda couldn't design a stylish car with a hatch doesn't mean no other manufacturer shouldn't try.

[Mike_L]

Originally Posted by markbridge

I cross shopped the V60 as well, but there literally wasn't any rear leg room.

I think it's interesting that the GT gets compared negatively to the Crosstour. Just because Honda couldn't design a stylish car with a hatch doesn't mean no other manufacturer shouldn't try.

Yeah, but truthfully, there are some angles were the GT looks pretty bad. I was standing directly behind it today and it looks bulbous and nasty.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

Yeah, but truthfully, there are some angles were the GT looks pretty bad. I was standing directly behind it today and it looks bulbous and nasty.

So does Kim Kardashian.

[Mike_L]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

So does Kim Kardashian.

I guess thats why it makes me nauseous.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

I guess thats why it makes me nauseous.

Yeah, but then you push the button on the fob and it opens up nice and wide...wait, are we still talking about the GT?

[wmb]

Originally Posted by Jerseypirate

I picked up my 328 GT (and first BMW) yesterday, which is surprising considering that this car wasn't even on my radar less than a month ago. I'm going from an A4 convertible. I decided I wanted something more practical, but didn't really want to go the SUV route. We already had a sedan in the family, so this left me considering sport wagons: Audi Allroad, 3 series wagon, and to humor my better half, the Volvo V60. After going to the Philadelphia Auto Show, none of those cars were on my list. My problem - I'm 6'3 and finding a car that I can fit into, let alone have a usable back seat while I'm driving, is no easy task. I discovered the GT at the show and was blown away at the usability. An enormous back seat, trunk space for days, and it wasn't an SUV. I immidiately scheduled a test drive with a local dealer and fell in love with it. Now, admittedly, I wasn't so sure of the styling (two friends I was with at the show mentioned the word 'Crosstour' while looking at the car), but over the days/weeks - it's really won me over. Sharp styling, drives like a car, the practicality I needed, and a usable back seat - all in one incredible package!

Nailed it. My thoughts exactly.

[granCLop]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

..I'd have gone for the GC, but the days when I could get away with a backseat only suitable for children are long behind me.

If I had thought of this...we could have been zipping around in a GC instead. Though perhaps sense (& the need for a larger trunk and rear leg room) might have won out in the end anyways.

We needed a car, lugging the 30lb car seat + baby to the zipcar was no longer pleasant. The options presented were the RX, Q5, X3, & GT. I preferred a car over an SUV, and the drive of BMW; the spouse was quite keen on the RX. Ultimately the deciding factors were the performance, rear leg room for car seat & any adults relegated to the back (me), and cargo size. I had driven and enjoyed the 328xi, however regret not test driving the 328 GT. It is perfectly adequate albeit less sprightly given it's additional heft & length. Though "perfectly adequate" are not the words I'd have thought would describe my first BMW.

Thank you for everyone's posts; the info in this forum really helped us with our purchase.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by granCLop

I had driven and enjoyed the 328xi, however regret not test driving the 328 GT.

I did not test the 328 or 428. I knew that they'd drive better than the GT, but based on my seating and cargo needs I also knew that they would not work for me, so there was no point. The GT still rides and handles better than any other car I've ever owned.

[W0ut]

Got my F34 GT 3 months now. (also see my previous reply on 01-02-2015)

Everybody loves the rear seat space. Many people think it's a 5-series.

Not everybody likes the design but they all agree it's a practical and very comfortable car with a luxury appeal to it.

I like the car although I did had to get used to the bigger turning circle.












The only

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by W0ut

Not everybody likes the design but they all agree it's a practical and very comfortable car with a luxury appeal to it.

I'm now at 6 months and all it gets from onlookers is praise and looks of envy. Last week I parked it next to an X3, its soon to be ex-owner took one peek at the GT trunk space and rear seat room and was a convert.

[ipilcher]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

I'm now at 6 months and all it gets from onlookers is praise and looks of envy. Last week I parked it next to an X3, its soon to be ex-owner took one peek at the GT trunk space and rear seat room and was a convert.

Yeah. The difference in reactions between this forum and the real world is truly amazing.

[Bavarianwagon]

Coming from years of owning a E39 touring, I'd been spoiled by its fairly generous accomondations. This I found to be absent in the F30/F31.
The F11 felt like a more promising solution but with the equipment I wanted/needed it was just way out of my budget.

So the F34 just ended up being a perfect middle-ground.
It simply combined all the things I like and want out of a BMW.

It's a shame though that people find the F34 GT so offensive design-wise. But hey I guess
a lot of people miss the old glory days of the E30, E34, E31, E38, E39 etc.

[albieok]

I'm 3 months and 5k miles in and really enjoying the car. Just finished the first leg (1100 miles) of a 10 day road trip. 2 teens in the back had no complaints, even on an 8 hour drive. Sometimes consensus is an ass.

[karma mechanic]

I'd previously been driving a succession of Subarus, the last two were both the Forester Sti model. That's the Japanese-market one that can be imported into the UK but not the US. The second one of those was running on coilovers and had 350 bhp.

Once I decided that my back wasn't going to take the hard ride and heavy clutch for much longer I set out to find something that was 'softer' and still had load space and similar power/performance to the Scoobs. It would be my first automatic, and having had three Scoobs I preferred AWD.

I tried the following:
Merc A45 (seemed too small, performance was good, ride fairly hard)
Jaguar XFR (about the right size, V8 with the ZF 8-speed was very nice indeed, but too much power for the amount of traction and too expensive. The fuel costs would have been ruinous, the ride was sublime)
VXR8 (new ones too expensive, nice V8, negligible traction unless dry, fuel costs ruinous).

I hadn't considered BMW because I mistakenly believed that AWD was only available on the X cars, and they simply didn't appeal. But then I found out that X-Drive was available on non-X cars, but only diesels...

Having looked at the sedan/saloon and the touring I wasn't particularly convinced, but then I saw the GT and liked the look of it. That's how I ordered a 335d X-Drive, and I'm extremely pleased that I did.

The ride (adaptive) is like a magic carpet, not quite as good as the Jag but close. Having read the scary stuff about run-flats I was surprised that the Pirellis on 19's are actually smooth and quiet, although anything would be smooth compared to the FSTi on coilovers.

2000 miles now, and loving it.

[kbsilver]

Originally Posted by Bavarianwagon

Coming from years of owning a E39 touring, I'd been spoiled by its fairly generous accomondations. This I found to be absent in the F30/F31.
The F11 felt like a more promising solution but with the equipment I wanted/needed it was just way out of my budget.

So the F34 just ended up being a perfect middle-ground.
It simply combined all the things I like and want out of a BMW.

It's a shame though that people find the F34 GT so offensive design-wise. But hey I guess
a lot of people miss the old glory days of the E30, E34, E31, E38, E39 etc.

I'm exactly in your previous shoes. We know that our 2000 540iT will not last forever (156K miles now) and are scoping out it's replacement. This is our "large" car (the small car is the 335D). My first round of evaluations zeroed in on the GT or a Tesla S, which are similar in size. My wife is not up to the early adopter experience with the Tesla, and I'm not real thrilled about the price, so it will probably be the GT.

The 540iT has factory M sport suspension and I'm sure my wife would not mind the smoother ride of the GT. While I really want to own an electric car, while I can still drive, I'm looking ahead to 2017/18 when the Tesla 3 or the BMW i5 is available. Less early adopter experience and lower price.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by kbsilver

My first round of evaluations zeroed in on the GT or a Tesla S, which are similar in size. My wife is not up to the early adopter experience with the Tesla, and I'm not real thrilled about the price, so it will probably be the GT.

If I only drove around town I probably would have gone Tesla. But I often take long trips, staying out of town for a few nights, and didn't want to have to be concerned about finding a charging station at the hotel.

[Pleaseenterpassword]

For me, it's quite easy to tell, why I've chosen the gt. It's got by far the most headroom of all the cars I've tested (and I've tested quite a lot). I'm tall, so this is an important criteria for me.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by Pleaseenterpassword

It's got by far the most headroom of all the cars I've tested

And front legroom. I'm 6 foot and only have the drivers seat halfway back. Shaq could fit in there.

[Palexr]

Space. That's it basically. I had to sell my Alfa 159 to make room for a burgeoning family so there was no way in a million years I'd replace that with a 3 series saloon - a definite retrograde step, let alone no more spacious. The estate / wagon just felt really cramped. I wasn't actually aware of the GT until I saw one on the road. I'd seen the 5 GT and not been impressed at all with the looks of it, or the lack thereof. I didn't want a 4*4 either so it was down to Audi, Mercedes estates. Then I saw a 3 GT, checked it out, found a silly cheap deal on a 330d and here I am.

[driftmotion]

Basically I'm having my first child and wanted something more family centric. I loved the idea of the F31 as I always love the 3 series wagon look but was less than enthusiastic about it not being available as a 335i model. I also didn't want an SUV as I find the driving dynamic wrong for the lack of a better word.

All that said, the F34 was a great alternative. AWD, inline 6 turbo, tons of rear space, trunk space and above all, trunk accessibility! Having the full lift gate helps with strollers and what not.

I will say that I strongly considered the 435i GC as an alternative but it just felt so confining and the storage capacity was not nearly as good.

[MCoen]

space and practicallity basically. Mine is a company car so choices were limited a bit. I have been driving station cars for a while now, with the exception of an X3, the sDrive, 2 years ago. Could lease the X3 again but would have been limited on options. So the choice was between the 3 touring, 3 GT and the 4 Gran Coupe. The 3 touring was quickly of the list my wife is riding one and did not want the same car
The 3GT had a good promotion at that time so I was able to get one very well equiped.
I liked the looks of the 4GC and had some doubts after I ordered the 3GT but I need the cargo space so happy with the choice. Have to transport a seat this weekend for my parents in law. The seat fits easily in the trunk, seats down. Never would have fitted the 4GC

[Ronstein]

Initially the hatchback factor swung it for me. 9 months and 14,000 miles in and I absolutely love it. Phenomenal performance, very comfortable (especially on long hauls) and 500W of Harmon Karden to keep me entertained. Add to that 42.5 mpg. What's not to like :-)