[md222]

Originally Posted by movietub

As per your earlier post in this thread, the 4 cylinder 0-60 and other stats are not slow, certainly fast enough to make good progress, and at the end of the day you're hardly ever going to floor it from the stop lights.

The big difference between the 4 and 6 cylinder, however is felt in day to day driving. In the 4, in the right gear at the right speed it can feel pretty punchy. In the 6, it feels like that punch is always there. Just little things like accelerating from 40mph to 70mph to pass a slower vehicle, become effortless and... more satisfying for me.

I suppose in the end, you're paying extra for the luxury of knowing that adequate power is always on hand. The good news is that a lot of people like that luxury too, so whatever premium you pay for the 6 cylinder, you will largely see back when you sell/trade.

Lastly, you're simply not getting the true BMW experience without the straight six It's a joyful engine!

Originally Posted by BuefordTjustice

I'm not a reasonable person, but when I got in the 4 cylinder and floored it, I just laughed. Sure the 4 cylinder is good for a normal person, but the power is nowhere near as effortless as the straight 6

Originally Posted by movietub

Yup, night and day. To the point that two otherwise near identical BMW's feel like different cars. Anyone who's taken their six cylinder in for a service and been given a 4 cylinder to use in the mean time will know how true this is! Take away that casual, constant torque and the car suddenly feels larger and heavier.

For me the inline 6 cylinder engines are a key part of what makes BMW great. And it's also inline with how BMW defined itself as a brand, they're perceived as fast cars, so it's a bit of a let down if they're not. Then they started making cheaper versions of the same cars, with more economical, cheaper engines. It's like if Rolex started to make £200 watches... Sure, it's great you can suddenly afford one... But an enthusiast is likely to not consider it being the real deal. So if you wanna buy a beemer as an enthusiast, a car lover, stick with the 6 cylinder lineup. The 4 cylinders were created for travelling sales reps and fleet cars for middle managers, not enthusiasts.

I might get some flack for saying the above... I accept that the 28i cars are still pretty nippy, but not nippy enough to be as effortlessly punchy and quick as most people would demand from a brand that claimed they make the 'Ultimate Driving Machine'

I also accept that BMW have never come close to making a road legal 'ultimate driving machine' in reality, but that's another topic!

Originally Posted by Ghosted

I have a 2015 435i GC.. you will want to go with the 435 and the i6. The i4 is great, but why settle if you are making the change? The i6 will make you feel like you upgraded infinitely without even modding it. If you mod it you have a 10 sec car lol that can haul groceries! Seriously though absolute joy to drive, after 43k miles on mine I still find that every time I push the button it’s an experience that leaves me feeling satisfied, excited, exhilarated. You don’t want a BMW unless you want all that.

Originally Posted by antzcrashing

Answers to questions inline above. To answer the 4/6 cyl question, my feeling is 6 is worth it for the stronger pull in the highway. Both 4 and 6 will accel well from a stop. If you are indifferent that may mean the 4 is a good option and use the money savings to get other options in your budget such as M sport, etc

Good luck

Ok, I understand the appeal of the straight six and will keep an eye out for the 435xi. Might have to look at older model years ('14 or '15) as opposed to going with a '16 428xi. Doesn't seem like there are that many changes between these years anyway.

[ricobrumsey]

Originally Posted by md222

Ok, I understand the appeal of the straight six and will keep an eye out for the 435xi. Might have to look at older model years ('14 or '15) as opposed to going with a '16 428xi. Doesn't seem like there are that many changes between these years anyway.

There are no 14' GC, MY started in '15. I just purchased a 16' 435 GC M-Sport with 14,500 miles for 33k. 22 months left on the warranty. Be patient and you'll find your car. Good luck.

[movietub]

Originally Posted by md222

Ok, I understand the appeal of the straight six and will keep an eye out for the 435xi. Might have to look at older model years ('14 or '15) as opposed to going with a '16 428xi. Doesn't seem like there are that many changes between these years anyway.

Mine is late 15 car, 16 model year I think, but either way the first of the 'GC's'.

The cars are as solid as any car can be. They had several years of the F30 which it's based upon to sort any minor issues. So long as mileage is respectable, you will be fine barring extreme bad luck.

Personally I just like peace of mind so I always keep with an aftermarket warranty. In my case, in the UK, 2 years bumper to bumper including sound system and other gadgets was £700/$1000ish for 2 years. With such a low cost for a 2 year comprehensive warranty that tells you the stats also prove it's very unlikely to bring up any big repair bills.

It's crazy to me that people buy brand new, but if you wait a couple of years the cars are half price, only have 20-30k on the clock and you can get a full warranty for an extra 10% of the cars value And having driven both, I can say beyond doubt that a 60k BMW feels as fresh as new one. In fact, from 20k on they actually get better imo. So far as I can tell, the only benefit of a brand new BMW is that the cheap leather they use won't be slightly worn on the drivers seat

[CalCarNut]

Im still laughing at the 10sec car comment. I want to see videos of a 4 series 3.0L modified running 10 sec runs.

[movietub]

Originally Posted by CalCarNut

Im still laughing at the 10sec car comment. I want to see videos of a 4 series 3.0L modified running 10 sec runs.

I also raised an eyebrow when I read that comment

I mean... technically it certainly would be possible. You would need to be window licking stupid to not start with a more suitable car though!!!

BMW = back road blaster and highway king. So long as it hits 100km/h in 5 seconds or less, and has 6 cylinders, it's all it ever needs to be. Even road cars designed ground up to run ~10s will only last so long if you actually do it. It shouldn't even be a consideration for any car you want to keep and rely upon.

[CalCarNut]

There IS an M3 that has run in the 10s it seems with bigger turbos etc. No 4 series that I know of...

[movietub]

Originally Posted by CalCarNut

There IS an M3 that has run in the 10s it seems with bigger turbos etc. No 4 series that I know of...

I don't doubt it. Pretty sure if you dig deep enough you can find any car that has in some form run 10s or less.

But for me the question has always been... What are you trying to prove? If someone picks up a broken car for peanuts and through sweat, blood and tears turns it into a -10s car, then fair enough, that's a hobby. And if a mainstream manufacturer releases a road legal -10s car, then that is indeed big news.

But then there is the third group, that want's to judge mainstream cars by their potential(with massive mods) to sub 10s. Which is just crazy - it's a modern mainstream car... All you can do is detract from it's purpose in life in order to make it drag. I know for the US guys it goes back to the muscle car days in Detroit, I get it. But if that's what you want - buy the muscle car. The idea of modifying a fine tuned European sports saloon simply to get to the end of the road quickly spins my head lol.

It's not that it's a bad idea. It's just a pointless car for that idea

[md222]

Originally Posted by ricobrumsey

There are no 14' GC, MY started in '15. I just purchased a 16' 435 GC M-Sport with 14,500 miles for 33k. 22 months left on the warranty. Be patient and you'll find your car. Good luck.

Thanks, guess I'm looking for a '15 or later than. Can I ask where you found your 435? Was it a private sale, CPO or somewhere else? That seems like a great price. Congrats! Hope it gives you years of enjoyment.

[md222]

Originally Posted by movietub

Mine is late 15 car, 16 model year I think, but either way the first of the 'GC's'.

The cars are as solid as any car can be. They had several years of the F30 which it's based upon to sort any minor issues. So long as mileage is respectable, you will be fine barring extreme bad luck.

Personally I just like peace of mind so I always keep with an aftermarket warranty. In my case, in the UK, 2 years bumper to bumper including sound system and other gadgets was £700/$1000ish for 2 years. With such a low cost for a 2 year comprehensive warranty that tells you the stats also prove it's very unlikely to bring up any big repair bills.

It's crazy to me that people buy brand new, but if you wait a couple of years the cars are half price, only have 20-30k on the clock and you can get a full warranty for an extra 10% of the cars value And having driven both, I can say beyond doubt that a 60k BMW feels as fresh as new one. In fact, from 20k on they actually get better imo. So far as I can tell, the only benefit of a brand new BMW is that the cheap leather they use won't be slightly worn on the drivers seat

That seems like a no brainer for that extended warranty. Great deal. That's exactly what I'd be looking at, although I haven't seen anything that affordable in the States yet.

Also totally agree about buying brand new considering the steep depreciation curve, but everyone values things differently. I do agree about the cheap leather being worn/stained...that's probably the biggest issue I see in used BMW interior pics. A shame, but if that's what you have to deal with in order to save 40% to 50% of the sticker price than so be it.

[CalCarNut]

As my 2015 factory warranty is coming to an end, I'm looking at possibly getting an Extended. I really don't think I'm going to keep the car that long but these things can get pricey to fix lol. Too bad there isn't a tried and true top Ex warranty company everyone swears by......

[Rebound]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

And beware, the M-package on the x-drive cars is just cosmetic. You can't get more aggressive suspension/handling out of the x-drives and they are lifted compared to the regular non-x-drive models (to make room for the x-drive components). BMW refuses to make the x-drives "equal" to the non models.

Those Stingers are awfully nice, a little bigger in every dimension too.

In all honesty, if you're making a 4WD car so that it has better performance in snow, it doesn't make sense to lower it. I think Audi has been into 4WD for performance reasons for some time, but BMW's philosophy for performance is rear wheel drive.

[movietub]

Originally Posted by Rebound

In all honesty, if you're making a 4WD car so that it has better performance in snow, it doesn't make sense to lower it. I think Audi has been into 4WD for performance reasons for some time, but BMW's philosophy for performance is rear wheel drive.

Exactly. Really not a fan of 4wd. Sure, maybe on a leafy and wet or icy road it might one day do you some favours but... Every single other day it's just extra weight, and the steering never so feels so clean if you have driven front wheels.

Always seemed to me that it makes sense for the front wheels to have one job to do, just steering. Not steering and drive, because one inevitably fights against the other.

Also just a bit daft in general on car like a BMW. If someone really needs 4wd in their life, just buy a 4x4 is my opinion lol.

[movietub]

Originally Posted by CalCarNut

As my 2015 factory warranty is coming to an end, I'm looking at possibly getting an Extended. I really don't think I'm going to keep the car that long but these things can get pricey to fix lol. Too bad there isn't a tried and true top Ex warranty company everyone swears by......

In the UK they're rated like insurance companies, by satisfaction level and % claims paid etc. Is there no US equivalent?

In my case I basically bolted on all the optional extra areas of cover, other than a couple which I knew either weren't relevant or simply didn't need - like cover for if I spill coffee and stain a seat.

You can also massively reduce the overall cost by either capping the hourly rate you can pay a garage using the policy, or by increasing your own contribution to any work that needs doing. I went for no cap on hourly rate or claim limit, and I think I would pay the first £100. So no big bill concerns for me.

I guess transparency is also very important, the biggest excuse for them not to pay out would be mods to the car which they could argue has increased the likelihood, or caused something to break. They probably wouldn't check for most claims but you never know...

[RM7]

Originally Posted by Rebound

In all honesty, if you're making a 4WD car so that it has better performance in snow, it doesn't make sense to lower it. I think Audi has been into 4WD for performance reasons for some time, but BMW's philosophy for performance is rear wheel drive.

Sure it does, in most places they plow roads and you aren't driving through 8 feet of snow or anything. People get around just fine driving S4s, RS4s, RS7s, Panamera turbo s, AMG wagons, etc. around here in the winter. Driving in the snow is just a fraction of driving on icy surfaces here. Maybe in rocky mountain ski towns, where they get dumps of snow, you want something like a truck, but in the broad swaths of cold northern areas that are mostly flat, you mainly have ice and compacted snow that create traction problems (when trying to accelerate/start), not clearance problems.

Let's not forget the new M550i and M5 are AWD too.

Sorry, but I find this line of thought ridiculous. BMW should keep the lifted non-performance AWD limited to the X series and GT models. At the very least, offer performance orientated tunes on the AWD 4-series models, and they damn sure should do it on the 340 too.

[Rebound]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

Sure it does, in most places they plow roads and you aren't driving through 8 feet of snow or anything. People get around just fine driving S4s, RS4s, RS7s, Panamera turbo s, AMG wagons, etc. around here in the winter. Driving in the snow is just a fraction of driving on icy surfaces here. Maybe in rocky mountain ski towns, where they get dumps of snow, you want something like a truck, but in the broad swaths of cold northern areas that are mostly flat, you mainly have ice and compacted snow that create traction problems (when trying to accelerate/start), not clearance problems.

Let's not forget the new M550i and M5 are AWD too.

Sorry, but I find this line of thought ridiculous. BMW should keep the lifted non-performance AWD limited to the X series and GT models. At the very least, offer performance orientated tunes on the AWD 4-series models, and they damn sure should do it on the 340 too.

My car is stock and already so low that my low profile floor jack can't reach the jack point... I need an ultra-low profile jack!

[RM7]

Originally Posted by Rebound

My car is stock and already so low that my low profile floor jack can't reach the jack point... I need an ultra-low profile jack!

BMW 3 and 4 series x-drives are "lifted" compared to their non-x-drive brothers.

My SS 1LE is far lower and requires much "lower profile" jack, not even close to what my 428 x-drive required. And it's not that I have a problem with them leaving the cars lifted for the people that want higher cars, it's that they don't offer any sport suspension that significantly lowers the CG, stiffens the shocks, the anti-sway bars and lowers the profile. That's the issue. The "sport suspension" on the non-x-drive does this, but when it comes to the x-drive, nope.

[ricobrumsey]

Originally Posted by md222

Thanks, guess I'm looking for a '15 or later than. Can I ask where you found your 435? Was it a private sale, CPO or somewhere else? That seems like a great price. Congrats! Hope it gives you years of enjoyment.

Thanks man. I'm located on the West Coast, Bay Area to be exact. I traveled down to LA to find my car at a reasonable price. It was at a non-BMW dealer, so no CPO. I was originally looking only for CPO vehicles, and I was coming across a lot of personal leases with 38k miles and only 1 year left on factory (plus an additional year for CPO). But then switched my search to non-lease owned vehicles with low miles and came across this steal. What's even better, is that I have almost 2 years left on the factory warranty which beats the hell out of whats offered with CPO warranty. My car first date in service was Dec 2016. Put my mind at ease for non-CPO.

[skyline408]

I was also on the lookout specifically for a '16+ GC X-drive with low miles.

There was a local non-BMW dealer near me that had a pretty clean 2016 428 GC X-drive with 22K miles. They want $26K for the car.

I wasn't even in the market for the 3GT, but drove one and loved it. Decided for my use, the utility surpasses the sleek lines of the GC. Surprisingly, the 3GT with M-sport package looks pretty good.

[BigJack75]

Originally Posted by ricobrumsey

There are no 14' GC, MY started in '15. I just purchased a 16' 435 GC M-Sport with 14,500 miles for 33k. 22 months left on the warranty. Be patient and you'll find your car. Good luck.

Wow that sounds like a great price. I paid the same for a 15 GC with M-Sport with double the miles. It has all the features I wanted which is pretty much everything.

Yours is out there.