thinking about a new 3-series...

[askhao]

I test drove a 2011 C300 today to compare it to the 328i. I haven't tested a 328i recently, but have driven it when I got it as a loaner. The ride of the C300 was super smooth, my 2 friends sitting in the back said it felt a lot better than sitting in the back of a BMW. One of them currently own a X6 35i and will be trading it in for a CLS550 this week. He practically begged me to take a look at the C300. He told me that I could get a better deal purchasing the car with him together. The throttle response was somewhat slow compared to the 328i. The ride felt a lot better though, I didn't feel much going through a pothole either. This is important to me because the roads in NYC are in really bad condition. Steering wasn't heavy and BMW-like, but I think it suited me well, especially in NYC traffic.

I will be test driving the 328i tomorrow, and will really start thinking about which one I want.


As for the 35i engine- I really don't want to deal with the headaches and problems or maintenance with the turbo in the long run. My friend's X6 has only a little over 20k miles, and he is on his 4th hpfp. Although BMW is stepping up and standing behind their products, his car is still always in for service with no loaner to take home because he didn't make an appointment earlier. He asks "how do I know when my HPFP will break down?" and they say that they only have a limited amount of loaners.

I hope that I enjoy the 328i tomorrow!