Those of you seriously switching to a BMW 328D in here (no spam or flames please)

[inthered]

Hey everyone.. you may remember me for starting the thread "If you are considering buyback which cars are you looking at as replacements?" http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=463271

From the billions of responses I've read in there and the research I've done online from the appropriate recommendations I'm looking heavily to a BMW 328d Wagon (I never had a wagon before but it looks quite useful).

My needs are fairly simple:

• I live in New Jersey
• I have a 72-75 mile commute each way to work
• I've been driving a VW diesel since 2004 and GREATLY appreciate the fuel economy
• I can't have a s---box... I take care of my vehicles because they take care of me
• For my long rides I'm very dependant upon Bluetooth to keep my sanity

I have a shade under 93,000 miles on my 2013 Passat. The biggest thing I'm going to miss about switching off of this car is that if I go the BMW route I will lose the manual transmission.

/wine Call me crazy but I've been driving a stick shift since I was 18 (1998) and I don't want to lose it, but I still have a six speed in my '95 Trans Am /end whine

I've been looking online and it appears that the lowest I've found is $21k where most of the cars are around $28k - $31k and a bit of a distance to boot.

I'm "on vacation" this week from work and I'm trying to setup a test drive at a dealership to at least get a feel for the vehicle. I'd gladly go the CPO route as I can't rationalize buying a 328d brand new (it's nearly 50k!) however a low mileage one in the mid/upper 20's/low 30's I can stomach that.

My strategy overall is to either sell the car back here or sell it back at a local dealership to wherever I purchase the new car. If I sell back here I'd have to take a rental car or a flight to get the new purchase. Still debating on that.

The VW website credits me with an estimate of $17,777 for my buyback. I have about $11,000 left on the loan with VW so basically I'll pocket just under $7k to put toward the new car.

What have you found, pros and cons, about the 328d as you've researched and such and what advice do you have for me on this move?

Thanks!

 

[DanCsTDI]

I was looking into this for a while. But I too have been driving stick since I was 16 (2000). I only have a 10 mi each way commute. Personally I am done with diesel for now. One thing I noticed about my car was that since my commute is so short I often find myself about to shut down when a recent starts. Didn't know about this when I purchased. Had I, I probably wouldn't have. I am looking into a cpo 3 series though in manual. I want to try for the 335 but may settle for a 328 depending on what becomes available as I get closer to the buyback date. I like the idea of the xdrive.

 

[South Coast Guy]

If you are looking for reviews on any make of car, just type in google the name of the car, i.e.,"bmw 328d reviews" and there you are. Most likely car and driver reviews will come up. You can also look at Consumers Reports.

 

[DanB36]

I'm seriously considering a 328d wagon in a year or so--it's the only thing I can find that directly compares with the JSW, even if it is twice the price. I drove a 328d RWD sedan a few weeks back because it's the only one I could find locally, and I liked it a lot--plenty of power (not as much as the 335d I drove a few years ago, but a good step up from my JSW), quiet, comfortable, seemed to handle well for the short drive, adequate room, all good things.

Here are some negatives I've found so far:

• They're expensive--MSRP can be over $60k depending on the option packages.
• They're hard to find--right now, Autotrader is listing 33 328d wagons nationwide under $45k. They list 53 total used 328d wagons, so 20 of them are over $45k.
• They use the same HPFP as the CR TDIs, which some have found to be problematic. I'm not aware of its being as common of a trouble point on the BMWs as it's said to be on the VWs, but it's there.
• Some enthusiasts find that the F30 isn't a sporty enough chassis compared to the E90.

 

[turborod]

I've put 25k miles on mine in less than 6 months. Here is my synopsis.

So much fun. X drive Sportwagon is rarer. Won't see you nephews around.

X drive in the right dialed in mode can go around street corners/ canyon carving/stoplight racing faster, safer, etc....then the JSW ....

Most of our fellow commuters don't know the differences between the 328Xd Sportwagon or a M-5. They move out of your way. Thanks man!

I use the the first Sport setting to tighten the chassis and whatever it does like hold the gear longer and do the manual shifting using the floor shifter rather then the paddle wheel. Only thing wrong with that if its in drive mode a downshift goes into nuetral.

I'm 5'8". I hear taller folks have their legs hit the center console or the door.

The same HPFP as the VW. Come on BMW engineers? Mine went out at 17k. All replaced now. But haven't you kept track?

Warranty till 50k with free service. Will fabricate a 2micron filter inline, then.

The tires I have with 328Xd Sportwagon sport package are 225/45/18's, Pirelli Cintauro's All Season P-7's
Reason why is they don't have a spare. Carry an Auto club card and a few cans of inflator seals.

I need replacements tomorrow. Using my VW good will cards (Thank You) I priced several tire makes. I could go with Good Year Eagles and keep the inflator cans of sealers in my boot and get away with around $600.00. If I get stuck with a flat in 3rd world USA at least I can get a Goodyear.

I decided to go with the P-7's, all season run flats instead. Because I might use this all wheel drive in the snow. I ski. This package is a little South of $1500. Can't pay that.
Instead I opted for a different speed rating. The about 160 MPH rated set is $1500. I don't go that fast (I will on the autobahn at 2am in my rented M-6 one of these days). The set I chose is rated at 135MPH at $175 apiece. If I get an unfixable flat in 3rd world America I'll have to find a used tire and drive back to SoCal to order another.

I expect at around 125k miles. Then, new sepentine belt, thermostat, water pump, pulley's, struts, etc. just as in the JSW.

I hope to hell the turbo's last to around 175k miles.

Maybe need some brakes just like the JSW at 60k back and 90k front. Probably different since this is all wheel vs front wheel drive.

Also will need some bushings up front around 150k I would think.

I followed my f150 with an oil leak home at around 60-65 home last weekend and I averaged 42 MPG w the air on.

I can answer don't hesitate to ask!

 

[whatnxt]

Like the car. Just back from a 600 mile trip combined city and highway. Averaged 43.4 MPG. Freeway cruz was set at 75. Not bad. We are currently leasing due to the mechanical issues that could crop-up.

 

[lilredjetdiwagon]

We have 2 Golf TDi's, plan (dream) is to get one 328d and one E250

 

[rambalu80]

• Some enthusiasts find that the F30 isn't a sporty enough chassis compared to the E90.

The above statement may not hold good for MY2016+ and there are several reviews out there to support this. With all the negative feedback on the 3 series handling and steering between 2012 & 2015, BMW has definitely taken a step in the right direction for the F3X facelift and my opinion is that the handling of the 2016+ F3X 3 series is just as good as the E9X and I know this because I replaced my 2007 E90 328i with a 2016 F30 340i.

 

[yatzee]

There is a 328xi in the family that i've driven quite a bit. A couple observations:

Cons:

- the non-sport seats are junk. Too flat - not comfortable at all
- they didn't get the steering right - much too light compared to my ex-335d
- At 6'3, I find the cabin too small
- the gasser 4 cyl sounds like crap

Pros:

- Lovely chassis. Very tossable - lots of fun
- the 8 speed auto is as good as a DSG

 

[dunerking]

I know this is for BMW,and that was the route my wife and I were going to go(the 328d wagon). But she was liking the idea of going to the SUV. So we looked at some Q5 TDI and then I stumbled onto a Porsche Cayenne diesel and picked that up. So far she is loving it,MPG is not as good as her JSW was,but what do expect with more weight and power.

 

[HBarlow]

Congratulations. My understanding is the Porsche Cayenne is a very nice luxury suv. I think it's the same VW 3.0 liter V6 used in my Audi.

 

[GetMore]

You kind of missed out: There were a few '16 328d Xdrive sportwagens on Autotrader for about $40K a few weeks ago.
If I needed the car and was willing to spend $40K for one I would have been all over that. They were very well equipped, and considering the cars stickered for over $53K, and they had less than 10K miles I felt they were a great deal.
I am planning on waiting until similar cars some off lease in about two years. Hopefully I won't be stuck with a big payment on a Subaru or something when that time comes.

 

[740GLE]

/wine Call me crazy but I've been driving a stick shift since I was 18 (1998) and I don't want to lose it, but I still have a six speed in my '95 Trans Am /end whine

Please tell me its red, and you named it the "Red Dragon"

you'll get the award for broadest spectrum of car ownership if you pick up the BMW and hold on to the Trans Am, well done.

 

[dunerking]

Congratulations. My understanding is the Porsche Cayenne is a very nice luxury suv. I think it's the same VW 3.0 liter V6 used in my Audi.

Thanks,and yes it's VW/Audi 3.0 V6. It's a 13 with only 22k miles. It was priced very close to the Q5's she was looking at. Hopefully we can hold on to it for the long run,like we had planned with her JSW.

 

[St.Hubbins]

Thanks,and yes it's VW/Audi 3.0 V6. It's a 13 with only 22k miles. It was priced very close to the Q5's she was looking at. Hopefully we can hold on to it for the long run,like we had planned with her JSW.

just had the pleasure of driving your car from Denver to Steamboat and back... fit and finish is quite nice, and the V6 had some decent punch. i'd rather have the extra kid seats in the Q7 though.

 

[dunerking]

My wife was originally wanting the 3rd row as well.....but I found this for her....and she was willing to sacrifice.. Plus we only have 2 kids. Their friends Wil have to find their own way there. Plus the Cayenne fit better in the garage! Lol

 

[r11]

Keep the Passat into '17 and see what develops (fix-wise, '17 TDI, VW incentives) out of this whole thing. With higher mileage you put on, you might loose 1-2K in buyback offer if you do decide to sell.

Then there will be ~6K to apply the "fix", which for our cars will just be the SW flash and likely negligible loss of MPG/power.

Mine is '12 Passat SE 6MT, loan almost paid off and I am likely to keep it, just dont see a better car out there. The hassle of buying another one, alone, makes the buyback less appealing

 

[inthered]

Please tell me its red, and you named it the "Red Dragon"



you'll get the award for broadest spectrum of car ownership if you pick up the BMW and hold on to the Trans Am, well done.

Wow... What an a s s h o l e . . .

I did say "no spam or flames please. Perhaps you should have paid attention when your mother was raising you.

I am simply asking for information. People change and they "grow up."
I'm sorry that when I was 19 that I couldn't afford a corvette or I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I never would have considered a BMW but only started to because of the recommendation of board members here.

Personally I've always liked the trans am as knight rider and smokey and the bandit were favorites of mine when I was a kid (the 80s). I turned 18 in 1998 and worked while I put myself through college. I treated myself nice and bought a 1995 silver (not red) trans am when I was 19 and I've held on to it. Sure it needs a little love but I don't have the time. I put the key in and crank it it fires right up. It can haul some ass too.

Also part of why I've kept it is because my father and I worked on it a lot - standard maintenance and such. I didn't have a good childhood with him and in my "young adulthood" the car was a bit of a redemption. He died more than six years ago in a horrible home accident.

I went on a test drive at a BMW dealership the other day. I test drove a brand new 535d. It's a beautiful car but no way would I pay nearly 60k for a car --- it would have to clean my house and make me dinner to justify that. I just wanted to get a feel for how BMW does diesel since I am exploring a used 328d.

So.. Thanks for calling me a big dirtbag in a very polite way. Your closed mindedness has shown we've come a long way as a society. Perhaps you never read the story of the hillbilly who walked into a dealership and wasn't taken seriously? He walked across the street and bought s number of vehicles from the competitor for his farm business.

 

[inthered]

Keep the Passat into '17 and see what develops (fix-wise, '17 TDI, VW incentives) out of this whole thing. With higher mileage you put on, you might loose 1-2K in buyback offer if you do decide to sell.

Then there will be ~6K to apply the "fix", which for our cars will just be the SW flash and likely negligible loss of MPG/power.

Mine is '12 Passat SE 6MT, loan almost paid off and I am likely to keep it, just dont see a better car out there. The hassle of buying another one, alone, makes the buyback less appealing

R11,

I'm starting to think that as well. It would become a headache to get another car however it may payoff. I am exploring my options right now.

Truth be told I love the car as it does exactly what I need. It gets great mpg and suits my needs very well. I enjoy the stick shift and the quiet interior. If I could upgrade anything about it I would look for a better radio and a back up camera and auto tilt mirrors. I don't need the camera but it just makes it easier.

So as you can see I have minimal problem keeping the car. If I took the money I'd just put it toward my loan and finish off the loan in less than a year. We have the same car except mine is a 13 so we seem to think alike.

 

[turbobrick240]

Yeesh. The red Dragon reference went right over my head. Must not have been very flattering.

 

[DieselMann99]

I know this is for BMW,and that was the route my wife and I were going to go(the 328d wagon). But she was liking the idea of going to the SUV. So we looked at some Q5 TDI and then I stumbled onto a Porsche Cayenne diesel and picked that up. So far she is loving it,MPG is not as good as her JSW was,but what do expect with more weight and power.

Congrats. The Cayenne is a great car. Not exactly a replacement in the Jetta/Passat price range, but a great car.

 

[St.Hubbins]

Yeesh. The red Dragon reference went right over my head. Must not have been very flattering.

yeesh is right. seemed like good-natured ribbing met by a gigantic overreaction, but then i don't know the Trans Am mindset.
it's not like he insulted the guy's mullet!

incidentally, i think we're ruling out the 328d and holding out hope for a used Q7 TDI... if not, might try a 3-year lease on a Mazda CX-9. the Golf was my choice, so the wife gets dibs this time, and she wants a people-mover

 

[740GLE]

Personally I've always liked the trans am as knight rider and smokey and the bandit were favorites of mine when I was a kid (the 80s). I turned 18 in 1998 and worked while I put myself through college. I treated myself nice and bought a 1995 silver (not red) trans am when I was 19 and I've held on to it. Sure it needs a little love but I don't have the time. I put the key in and crank it it fires right up. It can haul some ass too.

Whoaa there Buford T. Justic, Sorry if you thought I was sarcastic, but I wasn't, just not the typical stable of rides.

I'm more of jealous, the amount of fun that can be had with a chevy 350 is mind boggling. A college buddy had a 95 caprice classic cop edition, eventually he ended up buying his own tire changer because he couldn't keep tires on the thing.

BTW thanks for thinking I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, many people who were drive jettas

 

[740GLE]

Yeesh. The red Dragon reference went right over my head. Must not have been very flattering.

Old School? Frank the Tank?

http://onscreencars.com/movies/old-school-frank-the-tank-1977-pontiac-trans-am-the-red-dragon/

I'm off to home depot!

 

[Vidgamer]

Yeah, I had to Google it too! Hmm, possibly not exactly a flattering reference. But years have gone by with people looking down at old Firebirds and Camaros.

I am also one who grew up with Smokey and the Bandit and Knight Rider, and these were cool cars at the time, at least for some of us. They were affordable sporty cars, so I guess it's easy to look down on those poor people that couldn't afford more. :-(

Anyway, the new Camaro is supposed to be a really good car. It is on my list to look into.

 

[n1das]

I'm currently at TDIfest 2016 in Sturgeon Bay, WI. If any of you are attending TDIfest this year, you are more than welcome to check out my 535d if you like.

Have fun!

 

[turbobrick240]

Saw a 328d xdrive wagon at the beach yesterday. It's a sharp looking car. I consider myself an equal oppurtunity auto enthusiast. I'm guilty of having owned and loved many jeeps and even an '87 Monte carlo.

 

[inthered]

I finally checked out a 328d wagon at a dealership. I couldn't test drive it because they sold it the same day they got it in (55k sticker price no thanks).

It was smaller than I imagined. Nice car but too small. Same thing with the sedan. I moved up from a Jetta to a Passat a few years back. This thing reminded me of the interior size of my 05 Jetta with a longer nose.

I think I may take the money and keep my car.

 

[Steve Addy]

Friend in cycling club has a 328d wagon. He likes it but his complaint was no MT. Said he consistently got 38mpg out of it, which doesn't seem too good really. As others have said it is small for a wagon but options are limited at this point.

While I don't yet think the dust has settled on emissions issues in total, the BMW might be an ok option, except that even at $40k I wouldn't consider it. At $55k it even becomes more laughable tbh. I just don't see buying a car with debt as being a good move, borrowing for consumption is not a good choice.

Steve

 

[inthered]

While I don't yet think the dust has settled on emissions issues in total, the BMW might be an ok option, except that even at $40k I wouldn't consider it. At $55k it even becomes more laughable tbh. I just don't see buying a car with debt as being a good move, borrowing for consumption is not a good choice.

Steve

Exactly! It's way too expensive to purchase new. I would consider it in the 20-32k price range only so a car that is two years old is within range.

Unfortunately it appears the 5 series would be more my speed for room however they build them in a diesel 6 only and there is too much of a fuel economy sacrifice for my needs. I believe the 5 series gets something like a 27/35 mpg split.