I had a deja vu moment as I got into our BMW X3 yesterday. The key fob felt familiar, but it was bigger and chunkier in my hand. The seat's excellent lumbar adjustments were at my fingertips as always, but as I settled in, I sure had a whole lot loftier vista than usual. The iDrive was right where it belonged, but it was a mere island in the Fineline Sienna wood-trimmed console. I couldn't initially find the USB port -- it was lurking under a phone tray. Phone pairing was a snap -- just like always.
What the heck, you ask, is she talking about?
Well, now that I've spent six weeks in my new car, the gorgeous Montego Blue 2011 BMW 328i coupe you see here, it was a blast to compare it to its hulkier SUV cousin. The X3 is a fine ride, and my friends who own an earlier version were digitally salivating when I sent them a picture. But the 328i is my Goldilocks car: It's just right.
I'll be writing about my shopping and buying experience soon in Readers Rides. But for those of you who wanted to know what I got, here it is. I couldn't be happier.
Carroll Lachnit, Features Editor @2,093 miles
tjpark01 says:
02:39 PM, 02/ 8/12
E92 Deep Sea Blue w/ Saddle Brown Dakota leather. Looks like someone knows what's what.
questionlp says:
03:31 PM, 02/ 8/12
I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but when I first saw the (seemingly horizontally stretched) picture of the 328i coupe, I first thought it was a 650i for a moment.
panamera4 says:
03:58 PM, 02/ 8/12
Great choice Carroll! Enjoying one of the last N52 applications I see. The E92 is a great choice and good job skipping the sports package as it is merely visual upgrades (besides the seats) on the coupe as the sports suspension and steering wheel are standard. Beautiful color combination, we have an '11 E90 335i in our household alpine white on saddle brown and the interior always feels rich and sumptuous in that color. I'm sure you will be enjoying that 4 years of full maintenance and make sure you activate the BMW assist from the car as many people will register when purchasing their car at the dealership then not bother with the activation call. Also you should download the "My BMW Remote" App from the UK itunes App store as it will allow you to lock/unlock your car and send addresses from your smart phone to idrive. I have good recommendations for service advisers and dealerships as they tend to be a hit or miss on the LA area. Just make sure you avoid Santa Monica at all costs even though it is the most convenient to your work. Enjoy your new ride!
blueguydotcom says:
04:49 PM, 02/ 8/12
Pretty color.
blueguydotcom says:
04:50 PM, 02/ 8/12
@pan - the seats make all the difference in the ZSP.
bassrockerx says:
07:48 PM, 02/ 8/12
but turbo four in six more months! but i guess that also means major price hike i wonder what this cost maybe it is suprisingly afordable. maybe i should get a 128i coupe whenever they kick the bucket on this generation and go to the next.
zcalvert says:
08:29 PM, 02/ 8/12
hmmmm... i now seem to be looking even more forward to euro delivery in a few years when i decide to get rid of my beloved gti.
jebjr says:
10:01 PM, 02/ 8/12
I'm actually in the market for this exact car! Can't wait to hear about your experiences.
texases says:
07:11 AM, 02/ 9/12
Great car! I'd have been in one years ago except for headroom problems. I also thought about the 6 when I first saw the picture - is it stretched at all?
And getting the 6 instead of the turbo 4 is a MAJOR plus to me.
clachnit says:
07:45 AM, 02/ 9/12
@questionlp and @texases: Pic did look weird, so I swapped it out. Is that better?
And the decision to get the 2011 and the end of the 6, versus waiting for the turbo 4 was a strategic one ;)
vhorizon says:
08:28 AM, 02/ 9/12
love the look of all BMWs. looks solid.
bimmerjay says:
09:00 AM, 02/ 9/12
The X3 pic still looks stretched out.
Beautiful new E92, congrats! Those will still be around for another year at least as the F32 isn't expected until spring of 2013. I think the E92 is destined to become a classic.
texases says:
09:23 AM, 02/ 9/12
@bimmerjay - I bet the X3 pic was with a wide angle setting on the camera. Cars, like people, look better with a mild telephoto, about 100mm (35-equivalent) usually does better than a wide angle setting.
miamifan1 says:
10:40 AM, 02/ 9/12
Congrats on the blue coupe. These cars are just beautiful! And the interior color is tits! Hope you got the manual.
Now for the poo pooing:
I'm going to go ahead and safely assume an F30 e series LT car is coming up. Perhaps the same one in the under-car pics. I wish you guys didn't have this X3 LT test and waited to get the F30 instead. 2 BMW's in the fleet is just so blatantly obvious. I know this won't be the 1st time it happens, but its hardly palatable for us readers.
I'm a broken record on this, but put some effort in getting some brand variety. These gimmees are annoying.
nefariousnigel says:
12:24 PM, 02/ 9/12
That's a nice angle. Still too feminine though.