[Touring]

I agree, the F30 just felt cheap. Even my old E46 feels more "premium" than the F30.

[malc410326]

Originally Posted by AlanM

I recently got a 328i loaner car while my F10 was in the shop overnight. I was really surprised at how cramped it was, and it seemed really cheap looking as others have said. On the same level as my wife's Civic really. Also, the controls were not layed out well at all. Poor in fact.

The handling on the F30 was fun though, very spry and nimble as everyone knows, but I felt really great about getting back into my F10. Overall the F10 has a far better grasp on the blend of performance versus comfort that I really want for a daily driver.

Which 'line' (Luxury, Modern, or Sport) did they loan to you during your time with the F30? Honda Civic styling for the interior? Come on now....lol! As I said earlier, we're comparing the 528i to the 328i....Your 535i is clearly in a class above based on the fact that that the 535 engine really fits the mold of the 5 series. But a number of Bimmer enthusiasts have already questioned the use of the N20 in the 528i. And as mentioned, this thread is trying to compare, a 'bare-bones' 528i to a practically 'fully-loaded' 328i.

[LiveLarger]

Originally Posted by malc410326

And this is where personal preference becomes the key....You desire luxury and space in the F10. Others will desire the sportiness, handle, and feel (with a touch of luxury) along with fuel economy found in the F30 (in addition to all the packages included in the configuration above).

It all comes down to how one prioritizes particular needs in a vehicle purchase.

It's all personal preference of course. I agree with the others here. The F30 feels cheap compared to a F10. And it does that as soon as you sit inside of it, without the engine in the equation.

[Jon D]

I agree with every comment on the quality downgrade in the F30 - the plastics feel less substantial and definitely not what you'd expect from BMW.
However, there is a huge difference in the steering feel - gone is that lack of feedback and slightly numb feeling with the wheel in the straight ahead position in the F10; it's far more like the hydraulic system I had in my old E92.
Another major difference is the complete lack of turbo lag; I found the throttle response immediate and in sport mode the auto shift points were somewhere between 6 and 6.5k RPM.
On paper it's slightly slower than my 535d, but in reality, it feels quicker and that's what really matters.

[BigKutta]

Originally Posted by malc410326

Which 'line' (Luxury, Modern, or Sport) did they loan to you during your time with the F30? Honda Civic styling for the interior? Come on now....lol! As I said earlier, we're comparing the 528i to the 328i....Your 535i is clearly in a class above based on the fact that that the 535 engine really fits the mold of the 5 series. But a number of Bimmer enthusiasts have already questioned the use of the N20 in the 528i. And as mentioned, this thread is trying to compare, a 'bare-bones' 528i to a practically 'fully-loaded' 328i.

What does interior quality have to do with F10 engine type? Last time I checked, there was just a difference in a few button depending upon options chosen...

[Pimpsy]

Originally Posted by malc410326

Which 'line' (Luxury, Modern, or Sport) did they loan to you during your time with the F30? Honda Civic styling for the interior? Come on now....lol! As I said earlier, we're comparing the 528i to the 328i....Your 535i is clearly in a class above based on the fact that that the 535 engine really fits the mold of the 5 series. But a number of Bimmer enthusiasts have already questioned the use of the N20 in the 528i. And as mentioned, this thread is trying to compare, a 'bare-bones' 528i to a practically 'fully-loaded' 328i.

As far as I know the interiors of the 528i and 535i are more or less identical.

I was the first person to drive this particular 328i as it was brand new, and it seemed to have the typical mimimum options set. That said, I really was surprised to find the that the interior seemed as cheap as it did. I would absolutely put it on par with my wife's Civic, except that the controls in the Civic are laid out intelligently. One would need simian arms to work the driver door controls on the 328i, I found it to be ridiculous.

It's a shame because the exterior of the 3 series is so stunning. The interior just falls way short. Really, I can't believe that the 3 is not offered with a luxury interior. BMW should offer a 4 series: a 3 with a 5 style interior. I'd probably buy one myself!

What I did really like about the 328i was the tight feel of the wheel at highway speed, and the super nimble handling. But, the 535i interior is just an entirely different level of finish. As I said in another thread, the interior of the 5 is to the 3, what the handling of the 3 is to the 5.

To answer the original question, for myself I would get the 5 without hesitation, but I can see how some might enjoy the 3 more. It just largely depends on personal preference and intended use.

[BigKutta]

Originally Posted by AlanM

As far as I know the interiors of the 528i and 535i are more or less identical.

I was the first person to drive this particular 328i as it was brand new, and it seemed to have the typical mimimum options set. That said, I really was surprised to find the that the interior seemed as cheap as it did. I would absolutely put it on par with my wife's Civic, except that the controls in the Civic are laid out intelligently. One would need simian arms to work the driver door controls on the 328i, I found it to be ridiculous.

It's a shame because the exterior of the 3 series is so stunning. The interior just falls way short. Really, I can't believe that the 3 is not offered with a luxury interior. BMW should offer a 4 series: a 3 with a 5 style interior. I'd probably buy one myself!

What I did really like about the 328i was the tight feel of the wheel at highway speed, and the super nimble handling. But, the 535i interior is just an entirely different level of finish. As I said in another thread, the interior of the 5 is to the 3, what the handling of the 3 is to the 5.

To answer the original question, for myself I would get the 5 without hesitation, but I can see how some might enjoy the 3 more. It just largely depends on personal preference and intended use.

Very surprised to hear these views of the F30 interior. I have only seen pictures, but my thoughts were that the 3 Series has come extremely close to the 5 in terms of interior quality and looks. They look so similar in pictures, but I suppose that's deceiving. Now I need to go look at one...

[Pimpsy]

Originally Posted by BigKutta

Very surprised to hear these views of the F30 interior. I have only seen pictures, but my thoughts were that the 3 Series has come extremely close to the 5 in terms of interior quality and looks. They look so similar in pictures, but I suppose that's deceiving. Now I need to go look at one...

Please do and post back, I'm curious now to hear your thoughts.

I couldn't believe it really, the interior of my 325ic seemed sooo much nicer...but then again, I hadn't been in a 535 at that point.

[Rbembas_M3]

Originally Posted by malc410326

If you had to choose between F30 & F10 with the following options with the quoted price, which would you choose (or have chosen):

Jet Black 528i ($48,894.00)




Mineral Grey 328i ($49,820.00)




Assuming you could negotiate the same discount off both vehicles, which would be a 'better buy'? I was just a bit taken by surprise when I actually saw an F10 (528i) being priced below an F30 (328i), but then again, the 328i is pretty much loaded besides the Harman Kardon (Premium Sound) Package. And if I'm not mistaken, most Bimmer enthusiasts believe that the N20 engine is more suitable for the F30 than the F10. Anyways, just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this. I will be posting this on both the F30 & F10 threads for a more non-biased opinion.

I would spend a few more dollars and buy the 535i
awesome car love the 6-speed manual

[malc410326]

Originally Posted by BigKutta

Very surprised to hear these views of the F30 interior. I have only seen pictures, but my thoughts were that the 3 Series has come extremely close to the 5 in terms of interior quality and looks. They look so similar in pictures, but I suppose that's deceiving. Now I need to go look at one...

Just for reference, here are a couple of pics of my F30 (328i), Luxury Line (Mineral Grey) Interior:


2012 BMW 328i



2012 BMW 328i



2012 BMW 328i

And of course an exterior shot:



2012 BMW 328i

Feel free to also visit my thread for additional photos:

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=659236

[malc410326]

Originally Posted by rbembas535i

I would spend a few more dollars and buy the 535i
awesome car love the 6-speed manual

I will have to DEFINITELY agree with getting a 535i along with the 6 speed MT! No doubt about it. Stunning pics my friend!

[malc410326]

Originally Posted by AlanM

As I said in another thread, the interior of the 5 is to the 3, what the handling of the 3 is to the 5.

To answer the original question, for myself I would get the 5 without hesitation, but I can see how some might enjoy the 3 more. It just largely depends on personal preference and intended use.

Very well said regarding your analogy of "the interior of the 5 is to the 3, what the handling of the 3 is to the 5". I definitely agree with this. But most importantly, as you said, it does largely depends on personal preference and our intended use.

And to be honest, I'm already on the fence on whether or not to trade in our 2000 Toyota Landcruiser for the 528i because of such an amazing experience thus far with our F30 (328i). Just not sure if my wife will think that it is a 'viable' option since we just got the F30 and our '12 Benz SLK 350 recently. Or maybe just wait for the 2013 X5. I didn't realize how Bimmer could offer such an amazing driving experience that is addictive. I honestly have a difficult time these days trying to decide whether to take out our 328i or the SLK 350 to hit the roads.... Thanks for providing your insight my friend.

[tcandmm]

My pesonal preference is the F10 based upon the drive and power. But if I don't need to haul people then I would consider the F30.

[AC_S5]

For me, F10.

It's better build over all and the interior will give you the feeling that it's worth the price tag yet it's not too bad when you wanted some spirited driving.

The F30 have crisper handling for sure but what gives the cheap feeling to people may not be noticeable to someone who aren't crazy about their cars. For me little things like the radio button, closing of the doors, ride comfort, seat comfort and road noise. I think the F10 perform better in those aspect overall.

[CamelRyda]

I wish I can explain to you why the F30 felt cheap or at least cheaper than the f10. The interior might look similer in both cars but when I got in the f30 that was the first thing I noticed, it just felt cheap. Like I said, get the f10 you won't regret it and when you feel like driving the f30 just go to your dealership and tell them the car shakes or something and you'll get the f30 as loaner for couple of days, that's the longest I can live with the 3 series anyway lol.

[sanf]

50k for a 328 is just wrong...loaded yes but still wrong.

[sycd]

Went from e90 to f10 for family car and the f10 is an awesome car, I appreciate it more and more with time, and I couldn't see us going back to a 3 series sedan instead (still got the e92 m3 for fun though but thats a completely different animal.) The f10 cabin is very well done, very quiet, good quality materials.

[czarmar]

The 'stripper' 528i actually is pretty equivalent to the 'loaded' 328i. I'd also go for the 528i, as I've driven both, and feel the 328i is a little cheap. The seats look narrow and funny, the nav screen seems to be an afterthought in the dash, and I can't get past the weird headlights.

The critical item missing from the 528i is the cold weather package, but I'd consider forgoing that for heated seats. When I drove the 528i, it didn't feel underpowered. Comfort Access is way too expensive for the 528i at double the price of 3 series, as keyless ignition is a standard feature in the 5, and it doesn't seem that hard to press a button to lock and unlock.

My list right now is:
528i M Sport in Jet Black
Premium/Nav
Sport Auto
Heated front seats
Looks like Euro Delivery invoice is just a bit more than $50K.

I'd consider the 328i, but realistically the $35K model is so stripped, and you have to add so many options to get it decent. I'm not in favor of the weird 'lines'.

[BigKutta]

Originally Posted by malc410326

If you had to choose between F30 & F10 with the following options with the quoted price, which would you choose (or have chosen):

Jet Black 528i ($48,894.00)




Mineral Grey 328i ($49,820.00)




Assuming you could negotiate the same discount off both vehicles, which would be a 'better buy'? I was just a bit taken by surprise when I actually saw an F10 (528i) being priced below an F30 (328i), but then again, the 328i is pretty much loaded besides the Harman Kardon (Premium Sound) Package. And if I'm not mistaken, most Bimmer enthusiasts believe that the N20 engine is more suitable for the F30 than the F10. Anyways, just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on this. I will be posting this on both the F30 & F10 threads for a more non-biased opinion.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the only thing the 3 has, that the 5 does not is HUD, Comfort Access, and Cold weather, right? If that is the case, i would do the 528i...no questions asked. The 5 is a much more refined vehicle. And no, the power is not lacking in the N20 in the F10

[TheRox]

...

[BigMikeTwn]

The F30 didn't impress me, interior-wise. I still love my F10!

[matt44228]

yeah go with the f10 much better choice imo. Bigger more luxurious and just an overall better car. Love mostly everything about it