[nozydog]

Originally Posted by jmg

My 340i M Sport with Track Handling fully loaded had an MSRP of $62k. The 320i is in the 33-38k range. What kind of stripped 340i did you get?

Cloth seats
No Nav
No Tech
No LEDs
No seat heaters
No 19' wheels
No Cameras
Manual Trans

How much can you uncheck to get almost half the price off?

Nope got full M Sport (340 only comes in top trim here in the UK!) so leather, nav, full LED, heated seats/wheel, power mirrors and I wanted MT & 18 rims (non RFT's) After all why would I want a computer changing gears for me and big rims to ruin my ride!? BMW were doing £4750 deposit contribution and I got a further 10% (off the top figure) so in total I got around £9k off the list price which brought it down to £575 under the list of a 320i M Sport with the same options!! I've had similar discounts before, but you have to time it right! Ordered in November when I'm guessing they're hardly selling any new cars because buyers are waiting for the new March plates (new plates come March & Sept over here) so they'll sell at almost cost just to meet their sales targets! I've also heard the list prices are loaded over here so bigger discounts can be negotiated!

[nozydog]

Originally Posted by Homeless_Triliionaire

I need some help from my fellow simmer bothers and sister. planing on getting a bmw but stuck between 320 or 328. if i get the 320 are they any ways to make it up to par with the 328i? i know I'm gonna get that or two (maybe a lot) saying oh just get a 335. maybe as my second bmw but those are the two I'm looking at just want to know which is better in general and which is better for mods. Hope i can get some help and info.
Thanks in advance

As others have said, the 320i is a great car and I've had two, an e90 and an e91. That was (I believe) before they went turbo with the F30's... so the new ones are faster, mine performed ok but did lack that low down torque you get with a turbo! As someone else has said, the 330i would be a good bet if you could get one, I tested a 330 and it was very quick, but it all depends what you want from a car! Ultimately if it's not about ultimate performance for you, the 320i will still handle well and be as well built!

[CIWS]

Originally Posted by BMWtight2me

Don't believe me? Check out my build thread:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=915596

I took the time to look through it. I didn't see any time slips from your car at the 1/4 mile, or any dyno runs for a comparison of the money you have spent on the car vs end results . Did I miss this ?

[nozydog]

Originally Posted by BMWtight2me

Metallicpea basically said it --> the best value will be the 320i or going straight to M

Most don't realize they have nearly the same tuning potential. If you plan to mod the 320i it is in fact the sleeper hit. Contrary to what people speculated, the 11:1 vs 10:1 compression ratio can handle upwards of 22psi on the stock turbo on 91 gas. Recommend a larger FMIC, downpipe, and jb4 of you plan to go this route.

Although there are some slight differences in parts, none of those parts have proven to be a limiting factor for performance modifications. The parts that have been known to potentially fail are the same in both cars.

Now that people have realized this, they are putting e85 or meth kits in their 320is and supposedly the slightly higher compression with the high octane fuel will yield more power out of the same psi.

So in the end, if you plan to mod... would you rather buy a 320i and tune and modify it yourself? Or buy a 320i and have Bmw give it their own modest tune and exhaust upgrades -- aka a 328i! I'd rather take the 320i, pocket the difference, and put on my own aggressive customizable tune, exhaust, etc. with the money saved you can modify the performance and buy a new set of shnazy performance wheels.

Keep in mind, it's no mystery why a stock 320 comes slower than a stock 328i. Same engine and turbo, but the 328i comes set to 18psi and the 320i to a mesely 8psi. That's so underpowered and detuned... it's as if BMW wants you to thinks it's a different car so they can drive you to spend more on a 328i. just look at the poll. So long as people keep falling for it, BMW will hopefully continue their clever marketing, and release the same modular car desiguised as different models. Great for those of us that like to get under the hood and do some of these upgrades our own way.

Don't believe me? Check out my build thread:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=915596

Btw, did I forget to mention the 320i is also lighter and more efficient...

Love this topic...

Your car looks superb, I'd be interested to know the total cost of your mods... It may be in there somewhere... sorry if I missed it!

Update: found it... around $6k in total... I love your car and if you enjoy doing the mods (as I would have done in my younger days) that's cool. I have a stealthier looking stock 340i M Sport on order... but only because of a huge discount (see post above!) But I 'get' the weight advantage you have, assuming your mods haven't added too much weight?

[BMWtight2me]

Originally Posted by nozydog

Your car looks superb, I'd be interested to know the total cost of your mods... It may be in there somewhere... sorry if I missed it!

Update: found it... around $6k in total... I love your car and if you enjoy doing the mods (as I would have done in my younger days) that's cool. I have a stealthier looking stock 340i M Sport on order... but only because of a huge discount (see post above!) But I 'get' the weight advantage you have, assuming your mods haven't added too much weight?

Thanks nozydog. 340 is amazing btw. You can, and should (with the money you saved ; ) do the same kind of build to your car! Keep me posted if you do.

CIWS, I haven't dyno'd my car yet, but a friend with the same build dyno'd his, so that gave me an idea of how fast mine is. I can tell you it feels much faster than a stock 328i or 228i. I'll do a dyno eventually and post it along with my build on bimmerpost. The power feels like a jump up in engines, but the real joy is the handeling.

I recently considered trading up to a 235i or a 340i. However, I was surprised to find I liked my modified 320i more than the others in their stock form, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy a more expesive car and do all that modding again. Plus with that kind of dough and risk, I'd probably just get an m3. I honestly felt underwhelmed by the stock m235i. It was surprisingly similar, but also narrow and heavier feeling. The 340i on the other hand was quite tempting. Stock it felt similar to my cars performance with all the work done to it. I can't imagine how fast it would feel if you did the same build on that car... (would have loved to have test driven a 240i)

But at the end of the day a modified 320i is my pick for the f30. I think it really strikes the right balence, literally, and in terms of $$$. It's light enough that when the turbo kicks in at 22psi it feels weightless, like you've been swept off by the wind. Also, consider that a deal on a 320i is gong to be considerably less than any 340i deal. I bought my 320i for just over 30k. The 340i I test drove was 56k. So you could say my 320i was about half the price of a 340i I gotta say though... Great deal on your car nozydog! Would be very rare and expensive here - manual 340is are like unicorn in the states.

[CIWS]

Originally Posted by BMWtight2me

CIWS, I haven't dyno'd my car yet, but a friend with the same build dyno'd his, so that gave me an idea of how fast mine is. I can tell you it feels much faster than a stock 328i or 228i. I'll do a dyno eventually and post it along with my build on bimmerpost. The power feels like a jump up in engines, but the real joy is the handeling.

Ok, cool. Making sure I wasn't old and missed it.
The only issue with dynoing the car now is without a baseline dyno to compare from the same test device the results are somewhat arbitrary. It could be useful if you plan to continue to mod for power increases that way you'd know the delta. The Butt dyno notoriously lies and things feel faster than they can actually be so I wouldn't count too much on that. Not sure of the area you're in and if you have a 1/4 mile track around, but that trap speed will give a pretty good indication of where the power is at.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by nozydog

Nope got full M Sport (340 only comes in top trim here in the UK!) so leather, nav, full LED, heated seats/wheel, power mirrors and I wanted MT & 18 rims (non RFT's) After all why would I want a computer changing gears for me and big rims to ruin my ride!? BMW were doing £4750 deposit contribution and I got a further 10% (off the top figure) so in total I got around £9k off the list price which brought it down to £575 under the list of a 320i M Sport with the same options!! I've had similar discounts before, but you have to time it right! Ordered in November when I'm guessing they're hardly selling any new cars because buyers are waiting for the new March plates (new plates come March & Sept over here) so they'll sell at almost cost just to meet their sales targets! I've also heard the list prices are loaded over here so bigger discounts can be negotiated!

Oh okay, so under those circumstances, the 320 would have been dirt cheap as well? Either way, congrats on a great deal!

[metallicpea]

In other markets than the US, I have heard similar, that the 320i isn't so attractively priced. So it may not be such a value in other parts of the world.

[ErkanTR16]

Depends how much you want to spend. I cant stand 4 bangers so i went with Inline 6. Power is never enough honestly lol.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by Erkan_340i

Depends how much you want to spend. I cant stand 4 bangers so i went with Inline 6. Power is never enough honestly lol.

I haven't owned a tuned car since my 2000 Audi A4. I can appreciate cars that end up as something way more than what they started at, but for some people the downtime just isn't convenient, and going out of warranty isn't desirable. Some people just want it fast out of the box. Including myself.

[nozydog]

Originally Posted by jmg

Oh okay, so under those circumstances, the 320 would have been dirt cheap as well? Either way, congrats on a great deal!

The discounts I was aware of were:
330i... £3000 + 10% dealer discount
340i... £4750 + 10% dealer discount

So I'm guessing a 320i was maybe £2000 + 10% off making it around £26k... but as I'm trading a Cayman worth about that, I guessed they wouldn't just do a swap so sadly I had to settle for the 340!!

[mookie45]

Just save for the 335i or 340i. I would hold off until you get what really makes you happy. I was in the same boat several years ago. I bought a 328i and kind of regretted it for the next 3 years until I got the 335i.

[BMWApp]

Originally Posted by 6IX-F10-N52

if you're looking at a 320i, buy a mazda 6. its pretty much just as quick and honestly, as far as driver involvement and experience goes, Mazda has a more old fashioned approach and has surpassed BMW who now caters to a broader audience looking for comfort

or buy the 328i. dont bother with a 320.

When I pulled into the BMW dealership after test driving my 2015 320i, I noticed that a brand new Mazda 6 that was being test driven was broken down in the middle of one of the busiest roads in Charlotte. My first thought was that it ran out of gas but if that was the case the hood wouldn't have been up. The kicker for the customer and salesman is that the Mazda dealership was only about 1/8 mile up on the right. While my wife and I were considering a Mazda 6, seeing that kept us from going to test drive the car and made us feel better about our decision.

[rjc32000]

Chris Harris likes the 320. I like Chris Harris. Therefore, I like the 320. Having owned F30 in both 328 and 335 guise, I'm seriously contemplating a 320 for my next DD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gwpNpPIHQ0

[BMWApp]

Originally Posted by Homeless_Triliionaire

I need some help from my fellow simmer bothers and sister. planing on getting a bmw but stuck between 320 or 328. if i get the 320 are they any ways to make it up to par with the 328i? i know I'm gonna get that or two (maybe a lot) saying oh just get a 335. maybe as my second bmw but those are the two I'm looking at just want to know which is better in general and which is better for mods. Hope i can get some help and info.
Thanks in advance

As you can see, this is a very popular topic on these boards. Either way, 320i or 328i, you will get a great car that looks good and is fun to drive. My wife and I faced the same decision almost two years ago. We decided on the 320i with Sport package, lighting package with moonroof and heated front seats. We absolutely love the car and have had no issues.

Just recently I did add a Dinan Stage 1 tuner along with the Bimmertech backup camera with SmartView to use for mirroring navigation to the iDrive screen since our car didn't come with either. We've now got our 320i modded to basically how we would get a 328i for a about half of cost difference minus a couple things. In the end, we are very happy.

If you go the 320i route, definitely get the Sport package and lighting package at a minimum. You won't regret it and they make a huge difference. Good luck in your search and happy shopping!

[jmg]

Originally Posted by rjc32000

Chris Harris likes the 320. I like Chris Harris. Therefore, I like the 320. Having owned F30 in both 328 and 335 guise, I'm seriously contemplating a 320 for my next DD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gwpNpPIHQ0

Excellent points brought up by Harris. People forget, there is more to a good car than cylinders and HP. I'm finding it hard to find a entry level luxury sedan at that price with RWD and near perfect 50/50 distribution. Are there more fun cars out there to drive in the same price range? Of course. The Subaru WRX comes to mind, as does the Mazda MX-5 and the VW GTI. But the MX-5 is a two door vert, the WRX is less luxury and more sport and with AWD, and the GTI is a FWD hatch.

People argue that the value for the money isn't there. I guess that depends on what you want to pay for.

[STR8-6IX]

Originally Posted by BMWApp

When I pulled into the BMW dealership after test driving my 2015 320i, I noticed that a brand new Mazda 6 that was being test driven was broken down in the middle of one of the busiest roads in Charlotte. My first thought was that it ran out of gas but if that was the case the hood wouldn't have been up. The kicker for the customer and salesman is that the Mazda dealership was only about 1/8 mile up on the right. While my wife and I were considering a Mazda 6, seeing that kept us from going to test drive the car and made us feel better about our decision.

i recommend you test drive one. we have on with 60,000KM on it (low mileage i know, but its been very solid)

fuel efficiency is amazing. we get 28 MPG in spirited city driving.

185ft/lb of torque from a 4 cylinder at 3250rpm is wonderful. the 2.5L induction and exhaust note, NA throttle response is simply glorious. it is brilliantly tuned for a FWD car. light weight, solidly built. stable and rides well on the highway yet feels extremely predictable and unflappable around dynamic corners. the steering and chassis feel is nothing you have experienced in the last 10 years. and the F30 chassis simply cannot compete in terms of driver involvement and satisfaction anymore.

my daily driver is an F10. while a Mazda is no BMW in terms of outright quality, i take my spirited driving seriously and switch keys with my dads 6 all the time because it is a very special driving experience.

just because you saw one on the side of the road (could be a number of reasons) does not mean you should not at least test drive one. it wont hurt.

[Homeless_Triliionaire]

Originally Posted by metallicpea

OP, what type of modding are you planning?

dont really know for sure yet but i know i would be changing the exhaust system most like ecu tune intake of course thats it for now apart for other exterior mods.

[sivman17]

I recently purchased my first BMW several weeks ago and I went with a CPO 328i xdrive. You can really find some great deals out there if you shop around on autotrader and are willing to travel to a dealer out of town. I test drove both a 320i and 328i, and while a 320 would be fine for daily driving, I think I will have a lot more fun in the 328.

[metallicpea]

Originally Posted by Homeless_Triliionaire

dont really know for sure yet but i know i would be changing the exhaust system most like ecu tune intake of course thats it for now apart for other exterior mods.

Those mods are very common and have a big impact on a 320. Many speak very highly of the JB4 on a 320i

What about some of these issues?

"Are you planning to buy used, new, or order? How heavily optioned do you want? Are you planning RWD? Do you want m sport body kit? And do you have specific exterior/interior colors in mind?"

[Scopedude]

Originally Posted by metallicpea

In other markets than the US, I have heard similar, that the 320i isn't so attractively priced. So it may not be such a value in other parts of the world.

I got my 320i LCI Sportline during a promo 2 months ago. LED headlights, M steering wheel, sport seats, adaptive suspension, satnav, parking sensor, etc - at only $5000 more than a 2.5l Camry. The 330i is at least $12,000 more. I don't know if the 320i is priced attractively, but there aren't too many options.

[Homeless_Triliionaire]

Originally Posted by metallicpea

"Are you planning to buy used, new, or order? How heavily optioned do you want? Are you planning RWD? Do you want m sport body kit? And do you have specific exterior/interior colors in mind?"

I plan on buying used, was looking at buy bmw certified pre-owned.i would like RWD but AWD would work. would like the m sport body kit but i can do with out it . was looking for a coral red interior but i know it hard to find, black is fine. a while back when i first started thinking of getting a bmw i wanted an alpine white with badge interior but seeing how badge gets dirty quick in the Mercedes we have i wouldn't want that headache.