11-01-2012, 08:37 AM | #1 |
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Custom building a 328i M Sport
Hi all, I have just joined this forum and this is my first post. Looks a like great community with a lot of like minded Bimmer lovers.
Just put down a deposit on a 328i M Sport with my local dealer having agreed to a set of specs and a very good price. I have about a month to change my mind on specifications as I've deliberately held off the order so my car can be a 2013 build car. I really need help in deciding what options will be popular with future buyers when it comes to sell the car in 3-4 years time. Here are the options which I categorise as MUST HAVES:
QUESTION: in the context that this is a 328i M Sport with Beige interior, if you were an interested buyer of this vehicle that also featured all of the MUST HAVES, what combination of OPTIONS up to $3000 would tickle your fancy and make you want to buy THIS car over others?? In other words, how would you spend the $3000 if you were to only choose from the OPTIONS list above? Any suggestions welcome |
11-01-2012, 09:41 AM | #2 |
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Going by the BMW Australia web site, you can't get adaptive m suspension with the m sport, it only comes with the fixed m sport suspension. Don't know if that's true or if the Australia site is as broken as the USA site.
I'd get M Sport brakes and one thing you didn't mention, the Variable Sport Steering. I'd get Estoril Blue myself, but that's just a matter of taste. Keep in mind that I'm biased towards performance vs. comfort & gadgets. Last edited by sean10mm; 11-01-2012 at 09:48 AM.. |
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11-01-2012, 10:20 AM | #3 |
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I would be looking for Variable Sport Steering and ZF8 Sport Auto as must have options. Then would look for Adaptive M, Prof Nav, HUD, HK, Comfort Access. In that order.
I'd only worry about the HD radio if you upgraded to the HK, not going to notice it as much on the stock system.
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11-01-2012, 10:54 AM | #4 |
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My recommendation would be to buy the car YOU want and not worry about resale values. For the 3-4 years you own it, you're the one contending with your choices.
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11-01-2012, 11:46 AM | #5 | |
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As for the options : Colour is a very subjective choice, but IMO, the M Sport looks best in lighter colours. HUD is a very pricey option that does nothing to improve the car's handling or performance and will not likely add to resale value several years hence. Comfort access is nice to have, but is it a must have for you ? NAV upgrade is not something applicable in the Canadian market, so I can't offer you any comment. Adaptive M suspension: you said it best: "all seem to swear by it" who have it. Digital radio: is this the same as SAT radio ? You said you enjoy listening, then go for it. M Sport brakes: the cost for this option is 3X the price in Canada ($350); it's your money. As for resale, the one choice that would put me and many others off would be the beige interior. This is not popular in Canada for 3 Series (in fact not even available with 335i M Sport), but perhaps it is much more so in Australia ? Good luck with your selections !!
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11-01-2012, 03:08 PM | #8 |
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dakota beige with estoril blue looks kind of terrible i've seen it in person.
i personally love estoril but if you want the beige interior i'd say get the black |
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11-01-2012, 03:24 PM | #9 |
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NO to Dakota Beige Interior. Quite horrible and looks a dirty yellow after a bit of use.
YES to M Sport Adaptive Suspension. Makes the car into what it should be in the first place. The very best option bar none.
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11-01-2012, 05:54 PM | #10 | |
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Personally, I think dark colors hide the beauty of the gaping maw that is M-Sport. I chose dark grey/greys for my e90's because I wanted to blend the front as I was not exactly in love with it. If you like the M-Sport, make it pop a bit by making the a colour choice that does this. As for HUD I do think it is REALLY cool!..... but... when I was driving an F30 with HUD around a mini-track set up by BMW, I noticed it at the start line for about 10 seconds. After that I did not notice it at all. That said, I would probably notice it daily driving and especially at night. But, I could not justify it now or even if I bought one used. I would not pay more for it, and would likely wait for a non HUD f30 to come up used. For me, that money would go to Adaptive suspension. Anyway, good luck, but most importantly.... ENJOY IT no matter what you choose or what anyone says.
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11-01-2012, 06:35 PM | #11 | |
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Must Have: M-Sport package. I waited 7, yes SEVEN months for mine. Hard and at times I thought the car would never be built, but once I took delivery of my 328i, all was forgiven. A BIG YES to that one. Bi-Xenons. Just for the best looking DRLs on the road anywhere in the world!!! My 328i is the first with Bi-X for me. Well, call me a little strange, but I'm not as excited about them as some are. Maybe because so many of Melbourne's roads are very well lit. Still YES to this option. Beige interior. Personal choice here. I have an all black interior and I LOVE it. I had the same in my just sold E90. Your choice for this option. Sunroof. My 328i is my 4th BMW. I have had sunroofs in each of them. I enjoy the sunroof and make use of it whenever possible. YES to this one. Here in Aus, it is kind of expected in this type of car. Undecided Options: EB or SB. For you it has to be SB as I want to be the only one in Melbourne with EB!!!!! LOLOL. Well that was true for about 5 minutes a few weeks ago. Seriously, EB is stunning and I've seen the M-Sport in white: http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=757602 black: http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=754921 of course EB: http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=757563 Hope these help HUD: I have the HUD and if you use the navigation, it is well worth the cost. Otherwise it pretty much displays digital speed full time, with alert pop ups along the way. If you like to change radio stations frequently or are on the hands free phone often, then yes, the HUD works well for your driving comfort. I would like to see the indicator arrows & even the fun to watch instantaneous fuel consumption on the HUD. Probably a few other bits of info along the way. YES to the HUD. Comfort Access: I deliberately opted out of this one. I could have ordered one 7 years ago for the E90, but I don't have a problem pressing 2 buttons on the key fob. Some people are having small positioning issues with the kick open boot release. Happy choosing no to this one again. Professional Nav: If you are waiting for a 2013 build date, then from now, there is an upgrade to the Nav. Then it is an absolute YES to Pro Nav for you. Also, you answered the question/decision yourself. Adaptive M-Suspension: If you are going to take lots of country driving trips, then maybe yes. If you are staying in town, the M-Sport suspension, which is part of the M-Sport package, is just fine. If you drive very fast and take corners like an F1 driver, then probably yes. Not a major issue for me. I'm sure it's a great option to tick if you have unlimited funds. Besides, you can always upgrade the suspension with an after market one later on. Extended connectivity & USB: If you like to listen to music on your smartphone & upload from USB, then YES. Probably would rank as option choice 1 after M-Sport package. DAB+ Radio: Forget what a future M-Sport buyer would like. It's what you want now and for as long as YOU own the car. If you like DAB+ radio - you can access all of the stations here: http://www.digitalradioplus.com.au then yes for the variety over the limited choices via AM & FM. I like NovaNation & Edge Digital. The (music) sound quality from DAB on my hk isn't as good as I expected, but the genre choices are wide & varied. If you are an AM listener, then the DAB option would be worthwhile. Nonetheless, it was a very big YES for me. M-Sport Brakes: The standard brakes are brilliant for me for the time being. Maybe M-Performance brakes later if anything. Probably other priorities for you with limited option budget. Answer to Question B: With all due respect to you, do not bother yourself about what other people want in a few years time when you are buying the car for yourself NOW! When it comes time to sell your car, they will look at the age, price, how many kms you have travelled and how well it has been looked after. They won't care terribly much if it has this or that option as it is a second hand car. They cannot choose the options. If they could, they would buy a new one. I just sold my 325i E90. It was sold very quickly (within 2 weeks of listing it on carsales.com.au) not because of the options it had - and I pushed those in my sals pitch - but because it was priced right, had very low kms on it, was looked after and drove perfectly. We all have different option priorities, even when buying an M-Sport 3 Series. Pretty much all of the options are useful in one way or another. What suits you and your driving lifestyle/requirements? Hope this long post helps you decide. See you in the Aussie section. Cheers
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328i M-Sport, Estoril Blue, Carbon XP 35 Tint, front heated seats, black Dakota, Sports Suspension, Anthracite Headliner, HUD, Pro Nav, Sunroof, hk 600w, Bi-Xenon, 19" 403M wheels, Reversing Camera, DAB+, Xenon, BT Ext Connect, MST turbo intake pipe, MST Cold Air Intake, JB4 on Map 2 with Catless DP produces awesome performance in Sport.
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11-01-2012, 06:46 PM | #12 |
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Maybe I'm missing something but your question seems to be about resale value, with a budget of $3K on options. You also want a sporty car. If that's correct, I have 2 suggestions:
1. Forget that M Sport blue color as it will probably look dated in 2014 or so. Go Black. 2. Don't worry about the tech options as they'll also be replaced by new tech which renders the old...well, old. Spend your money upgrading to a 6 cylinder 335. It's the best sport option they're offering now and WILL appeal to buyers in the future. |
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11-01-2012, 06:47 PM | #13 |
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Wow you guys are obvious a VERY awesome bunch. Thank you so much for the immediate and helpful responses. I wish to address some of them one by one.
@ sean10mm: you CAN upgrade the standard M-Sport suspension to the Adaptive M for around $1000 in Australia. I agree that if car was built with performance in mind, it should be EB2 on black interior, with Adaptive suspension, VSS and the M Brakes, nothing else is necessary to achieve Ultimate sporting pleasure. However I do prefer some luxury as well as I won't want to ruin the car by thrashing it every weekend. @webdither: the 9 speaker system with 200W amp is stock on a 328i here. You don't think the DAB+ will be noticeable on such a system? @DerekS: nice item by item breakdown. I agree very much that the M Sport really happens with lighter colours. I don't like grey, white, silver and red is just too LOOK AT ME so that really only leaves me with black or blue. I've seen some black M Sport on the net and it seems that black goes better with one of the Lines, at least you get chrome that stands out. Mate, thanks for reminding that we are getting ripped off for a lot of things in OZ... $350 for M Brakes in Canada vs $1000 here? Ludicrous. @john08135i I take it that you're a gadget guy. Did you by any chance pick any performance enhancing options? @UAM951 Yeah the comfort access thing is almost standard across the facelifted E90s cars for sale in the car yards now. May be in 3 year time, it would be strange for a top end Bimmer not to have it. Personally though, I don't think it would as important compared to performance enhancement or a big Pro Nav screen. @hans007 Wow thanks for the tip. I was actually leaning towards EB2 on beige.. if you saw it in person and said it's horrible... F30AM Yes, another voice for the Adaptive Suspension! Looks like it will definitely make it into my list. You are absolutely right about the dirty yellowing bit after use as I have the same beige in my current E46 and it has gone a bit funny the day I bought it when it was 6 years old. Still, if they weren't so limited on interior choices I would have gone for the Oyster/black interior! Seagull Hey glad you mentioned Comfort Access as well. At $850 though, it just seems a bit too steep for what it offers me. Can anyone confirm that you CAN still start the car without inserting the key into the ignition if you didn't have CA optioned? Oh the HUD debate in my head ensues. The Powers arrayed against the HUD as a top pick appears strong indeed. Looks like another vote for EB2 from you. |
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11-01-2012, 07:04 PM | #14 |
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Also i'm using this a market survey/poll.
So anyone else reading this thread, please state your Top 3 options that you would spend your hard earned cash on. |
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11-01-2012, 07:48 PM | #15 | |
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Since you asked about the top 3 options beyond the MUST HAVES, I would suggest NAV, M adaptive suspension and Digital radio. The MUST HAVES for me would be M Sport pkg.,Bi-xenons and sunroof. But you should buy only what is important to you.
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Last edited by DerekS; 11-01-2012 at 07:59 PM.. |
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11-01-2012, 09:18 PM | #16 | |
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328i M-Sport, Estoril Blue, Carbon XP 35 Tint, front heated seats, black Dakota, Sports Suspension, Anthracite Headliner, HUD, Pro Nav, Sunroof, hk 600w, Bi-Xenon, 19" 403M wheels, Reversing Camera, DAB+, Xenon, BT Ext Connect, MST turbo intake pipe, MST Cold Air Intake, JB4 on Map 2 with Catless DP produces awesome performance in Sport.
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11-01-2012, 11:38 PM | #17 | |
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Personally, I cannot live with Black interior, no offence to others who love it and breath it, i find it quite morbid and thus I like Beige. It gives you that decadent and inviting feeling but of course, you can't afford to mess with it and must dutifully maintain its appearance which would be too much for most. How about the Coral Red? It looks great and complements the M Sport ideology but will it resale?? |
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11-01-2012, 11:43 PM | #18 | |
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Good points about the colour choice and tech upgrades though however the 335i is just too much for the budget I have imposed. |
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11-02-2012, 12:19 AM | #19 |
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Why? It's been available since the late 1990's and still looks stunning, more so now than ever before.
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328i M-Sport, Estoril Blue, Carbon XP 35 Tint, front heated seats, black Dakota, Sports Suspension, Anthracite Headliner, HUD, Pro Nav, Sunroof, hk 600w, Bi-Xenon, 19" 403M wheels, Reversing Camera, DAB+, Xenon, BT Ext Connect, MST turbo intake pipe, MST Cold Air Intake, JB4 on Map 2 with Catless DP produces awesome performance in Sport.
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11-02-2012, 12:20 AM | #20 | |
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I turned in a 326hp 370Z roadster for the 328i, but the torque from the motor, and the overall feel of the car are leaps and bounds beyond what I had before. It was love at first drive. Last edited by Sharkinthewater; 11-02-2012 at 12:34 AM.. |
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11-02-2012, 06:41 AM | #21 |
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11-02-2012, 08:56 AM | #22 | |
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I picked the sapphire black for my ride because I like the look of the vehicle overall - a bit more subdued and classy IMO. Nevertheless, the blue is a fantastic choice. Two different feels. The black goes well with a suit and a nice dinner out, the blue goes well with your hat on backwards on a windy drive by the coast. Just comes down to your taste. Last edited by Sharkinthewater; 11-02-2012 at 09:29 AM.. |
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