[mstyran]

I am buying my hubby a 330 xi. for his BDay .. always drove caddys and japanese cars... Our kids have bmw's and he always wanted one.
He may be the oldest 1st timer. (65). But better late then never.
We live in phila, pa area and sometimes get snow.
I am debating with the xi or i, but I think I would feel more secure withe the xi.
I want to order next week.

2006 330xi, graphite, prem pk, comfort access, heated seats, steptronic trans, nav, satelite radio prep, rear spoiler.
I know the sport pk is diff in the xi due to the suspension, but is it something I should have. Are the seats that much better????
Am I rt to get xi???? ..You all seem to be the age of my kids and they say no xi.. I'm confused. Any help apprec. ...m

[Oz]

I think your specs are perfect. I don't know about the spoiler but I would get everything else. Xi might be a good investment if your husband is not used to driving rear wheel driver cars. But if you do get the 330i, invest money in snow tires

[mstyran]

thanks. We have a 4 wd pathfinder but I drive that mostly. He is just turning in his volvo. front wheel, but when you are as old as him you have driven everything hahah...
the spoiler is my idea... not necessary but nice/
Don't want to do that change tires thing. thanks

[E36_325i]

Sport pack provides better seats, suspension and wheels. If your husband is into any of those items, then the sport pack is worth is as it is fairly inexpensive for what you get. Some on this board say you lose some handling on the XI vs. the I. It just depends on what you think he would rather have. PP =smooth ride w/ nice leather seats, SP=a bit of a bumpy ride w/ seats that provide more support. You wont go wrong if you get the PP and no sport.

I'll add that if you think your husband would even slightly enjoy doing some spirited driving, get the sport pack-hands down.

[Nikki]

I would definitely get the xi with the sport package

[puck724]

I hope my wife buys me a BMW when i get married...lucky!!...

[Athos]

I would not recommend the sports package. The standard version will be plenty sporty enough in a BMW for your husband given his choice of cars in the past. Replacing tires is significantly more expensive with the sport package, the ride is a bit rougher, and the wheels more given to damage if encountering potholes, etc.

[NaTuReB0Y]

Originally Posted by puck724

I hope my wife buys me a BMW when i get married...lucky!!...

My did.....

[puck724]

Originally Posted by NaTuReB0Y

My did.....

i hate you...with a passion....jets are going DOOOOWN!!!

[akmchan]

I am from Canada so I think I know about driving in the snow. I personally think the XI is overrated when it comes to driving in the snow as I have the 325i (e46 and now e90)....nothing will give you more confidence then driving in winter tires where it snows a lot...i would take a 325i with winter tires any day over 325xi w/o snow tires...the traction control is amazing and you won't slip much if at all with winter tires...either way...nice present!!!

[lux.sh]

Originally Posted by mstyran

I am buying my hubby a 330 xi. for his BDay .. always drove caddys and japanese cars... Our kids have bmw's and he always wanted one.
He may be the oldest 1st timer. (65). But better late then never.
We live in phila, pa area and sometimes get snow.
I am debating with the xi or i, but I think I would feel more secure withe the xi.
I want to order next week.

2006 330xi, graphite, prem pk, comfort access, heated seats, steptronic trans, nav, satelite radio prep, rear spoiler.
I know the sport pk is diff in the xi due to the suspension, but is it something I should have. Are the seats that much better????
Am I rt to get xi???? ..You all seem to be the age of my kids and they say no xi.. I'm confused. Any help apprec. ...m

aw. sweet wife you are.

The spec looks good. Comfort access is gonna be awesome.
Premium package will provide your husband extra comfort, heated
seat will keep him warm during those cold days/mornings.

For sport package, it all depends. "big" people prefer non-sport
seats due to sport seats being too narrow and small.
Many have said the standard seats are already comfortable and
supportive enough. Unless your husband cares alot about car's
sporty performance, I don't think you should get it. Its not like
sport package option adds alot to performance anyway.

Good luck!

[longtran]

you'll be surprise about the age in here. they arent that young. go with xi. i would if i was in pa. i am in los angeles, how often does it snow here??...ahhaha..

[lux.sh]

yep. you'll be surprised. E90 owners are pretty aged compared to others.
thats why this forum stays in "maturity" mode 'most' of the times unlike
other boards.

[pharding]

He'll love the car. I would suggest deleting the spoiler. They look cheap and inappropriate for a Bimmer. I would highly recommend adding the sport package. With the extras that come with it, it is a great value. It handles awesome and the ride is very close to being as soft as the standard suspension.

I went to Penn for graduate school. Philly does not get enough snow to justify 4 wheel drive. You don't even need snow tires in the winter in Philly.

[MCS]

I agree with pharding. There's appx 3-4 times a year that the xi would be usefull. If you have a 2nd car that's the "snow" car, then my sugeestion is to delete the xi, and buy a set of snow tires with wheels on Tire Rack as a Christmas gift. Overall - you'll save money.

Sport package - Does your husband like a stiffer suspension & fit comfortably into the sport seats? The side bolsters fit a bit snugger than the standard seats and make climbing in and out just a wee bit trickier. Check it out at the dealer for yourself before you choose.

I agree with some of the others on this post - delete the rear spoiler.

Nice gift - My wife got me one for my birthday too!

[cntlaw]

My did too :rocks: she bought two BMWs since ( the Z3 and the E90 on order )

[mstyran]

hubby not a big guy. loves to drive. I think the xi sport package doesnt have the same sport suspension as the i.. mostly seating.
He is a lucky guy... we are married 45 years and he has always given all to his kids...never asked for anything. so afford it or not, he is getting his dream car.
I will give the sport pk more thought...
thanks

marilyn

[mstyran]

I saw the spoiler in a showroom.. it's really small , just squares off the trunk.
sport pk on xi does not have spt suspension.
We sometimes get snow, but for rain also...
dont want to do the tire change thing. In the bmw booklet one accessory is CHAINS. When I saw that, I started to think xi...
Will xi really change the feel of the driving...
Am concerned about reading that you must change all 4 tires at the same time on xi.. confusing, confusing.
I better just order something and forget about all the decisions.
thanks

[Nikki]

i've never heard anyone refer to the spoiler as "cheap looking"...it is a very small, subtle add-on, that i think makes the trunk look very nice.

[mstyran]

we live 20 miles north of philly. if it snows we get it bad.. we are between 2 sets of mts. roads are narrow and curvy... hubby drives to NJ to work. Not far but in bad weather the bridges are a mess. thought xi would help in rain and slush.. Am I wrong????

[mstyran]

Nikki.... You are the first one I know that agrees with me... I think the spoiler finishes off the trunk too. I thought maybe it's because I'm old......hahah. thanks... looks great

[puck724]

Originally Posted by mstyran

we live 20 miles north of philly. if it snows we get it bad.. we are between 2 sets of mts. roads are narrow and curvy... hubby drives to NJ to work. Not far but in bad weather the bridges are a mess. thought xi would help in rain and slush.. Am I wrong????

I'm not as educated as others on this forum, but i think the AWD of the xi will definitely help in those situations.