[capt_slow]

It's about that time of the decade for me again, where I decide what car to lease next! After spending three years in my F30, I've decided my next car needs a few things:

• A hatch, for better egress/ingress of bulky stuff
• Active Cruise Control

I've narrowed it down to the 328d Sports Wagon, the 330i Sports Wagon, and the X1. My commute is quite short, but weekends often have 100+ mile drives. I may not realize the MPG gains of the 328d, but I do like the torque. I'm a big fan of diesels, but a tad shell-shocked from the HPFP issues on the VW TDIs.

Everyone and their brother in my circles have been doing their American duty by telling me to get the X1. Sure, it's the cheapest of the three and I can get all the options I want, but it's an SUV. Having test drove one, the engine is well suited to the car and my butt-dyno puts the new B48 in the same territory as the 328d.

Thoughts and recommendations?

[BimmerMat135]

I would say that the diesel has to be a rational choice. If your cost of ownership is higher with the diesel skip it. In Montreal the premium fuel is up to 30% more than diesel these day so I do run my 328d at low cost. The 330i is faster and only lose 22ft-lbs so you still have load of torque. I test drove both 328d and 328i before buying mine and up to 6/10 they feel pretty much the same above the "i" get the advantage. Just forget about the X1 who want an overpriced fwd mini with a Bmw badge on it

[ynguldyn]

If X1 is dynamically similar to 328d, that's pretty awful. No matter what the 328d owners will say (and they will say "there's plenty of torque, and I don't need more engine than that"), 328i is significantly faster and more responsive than 328d. I made the effort to grab both F31 versions for test drives when they passed through my nearest dealership's parking lot, and I could not justify buying the diesel after that, even though my original plan was to go for it. Now, 330i is faster and even more responsive than 328i thanks to the newer engine and revised ZF auto, so it should leave the other two cars in the dust.

Are you hard set on leasing? If you buy any F31, three years from now you'll be in a seller's market, with BMW no longer selling any new wagons at all. Used F31 should hold their value pretty well, and I'm pretty sure the current residuals do not reflect that fact.

Finally - did you see Jezza's latest list of 10 worst cars?

[ynguldyn]

Originally Posted by BimmerMat135

Just forget about the X1 who want an overpriced fwd mini with a Bmw badge on it

This is a good point: anyone looking at the X1 should cross-shop it with F54 or F60 (if the timing permits).

[BEM-S4]

We recently shopped these and landed on a 328 for dad. Cousin bought the diesel the same week, we prefer the gas motor especially now that we have Dinan Stage 1. Did not like the X1 with the FWD based architecture and the seats were very uncomfortable. The old X1 with the big engine, if you can find one, would be worth a look as well. That's probably the best of the bunch of what I've just named.

[cncmastr]

Clearly I'm biased, I bought an F31 328i. The d did nothing for me. The handling in the wagon is going to be much nicer than the X1 since its lower to the ground, plus it looks a hell of a lot better.

[bmtespar]

Hi. I thought I would add my opinion as well. I had a 14 328i that I traded in on my 16 x1. It is a very different vehicle than the 3 series sedan but I have to say I really like it. Here are a few pros and cons of the x1 from my vantage point.

Pros:
It is very quiet! Much quieter than the 3 series in both tire and wind noise

Interior is styling is impressive

Smoother engine (b48 vs n26) 330 will have the b48

A lot of room in a small package

Incredible gas mileage. Best I have achieved: 41.5 mpg.

Nimble and fun for an SUV.

Lower price point. Fully loaded 3 series with same equipment would have been about 8k more

Great entry and exit height

Cons:

Not the best seats in the BMW lineup.

Striped down idrive system even in full spec.

Non sealed led headlights- condensation

No active sound design. I'd like it to have some engine noise when driving it.

Overall, I love my x1 as it meets all of my needs. I use the x-drive quite a bit and even pull a small 4x7 trailer. I had the previous gen x1 as well which I traded for the 3 series sedan. I ended up hating that version of the x1. It was fun to drive but awkward looking, really rough riding and tight for room. Hope this helps.

[capt_slow]

Thanks for all the feedback! Glad to have someone from all three choices chime in.

The general consensus points to the wagon and I think I'll get the 328d for the added unicorn factor. My dealer tells me 328d allocations are rare, so I need to submit my order soon. If for any reason I lose the slot, I can always fall back on the 330i.

I'll probably leave the X1 for later when VW buys back my TDI, but that probably wont happen till 2018 since they are letting me keep it till then depreciation-free.

The last question though...options! Aside from the stuff I want to get, I'm debating between two styles:

M-Sport for a cool $3100


Base/Sport-line w/ 397 rims for a modest $600

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by capt_slow

It's about that time of the decade for me again, where I decide what car to lease next! After spending three years in my F30, I've decided my next car needs a few things:

• A hatch, for better egress/ingress of bulky stuff
• Active Cruise Control

I've narrowed it down to the 328d Sports Wagon, the 330i Sports Wagon, and the X1. My commute is quite short, but weekends often have 100+ mile drives. I may not realize the MPG gains of the 328d, but I do like the torque. I'm a big fan of diesels, but a tad shell-shocked from the HPFP issues on the VW TDIs.

Everyone and their brother in my circles have been doing their American duty by telling me to get the X1. Sure, it's the cheapest of the three and I can get all the options I want, but it's an SUV. Having test drove one, the engine is well suited to the car and my butt-dyno puts the new B48 in the same territory as the 328d.

Thoughts and recommendations?

The underlined statements answer your question. Get the 330i Sport Wagon. The X1 is fine for its target market, but its handling and performance in no way resembles that of the 330i.

edit: one further consideration, the xDrive in the X1 is a very different xDrive. It is not rear biased. It is FWD all the time until the system detects wheel slippage and only then does the xDrive kick in.

[BimmerMat135]

The 328d isn't bad it's just slower and a bit louder. Appart from that they were able to get rid of diesel's common inconvenience. You don't have to top off your DEF tank Bmw take care of it during the free maintenance program. The glow plug cycle start as soon as you unlock the car I was able to get the car started in 5 seconds at -15F. If diesel fuel is cheaper it end up being a better option. I've cover the extra fees in around 25000 miles on my side. I don't
know for usa but in Canada since MY2017 the 328d is much cheaper than the 330i as well.

[BEM-S4]

If you've decided on the diesel and 1. Don't mind a few miles on it and 2. Black with red leather appeals to you, check Bob Smith BMW or Crevier BMW. One is luxury one m-sport at significant discount to brand new. Bob smith has a couple actually. Exec demos so leasable if you want to go that route.

For the diesel I don't think there's a huge advantage to going with a 2017 vs 2016, in fact the maintenance sucks by comparison.

[Gabreigns]

Good choice on the 328d!
Now the 328d with Msport is even more of a unicorn here in the states.
Even though diesels are a tad slower the torque is awesome so is the towing capacity in my opinion. Also at higher speeds I have noticed it to be quieter than my friend's petrol engine with the same configuration and tires. At low speeds it would higher being a diesel.

Also Your resale value should be higher based on the fact that production will be ending soon.

[Mbeans]

Originally Posted by Gabreigns

Good choice on the 328d!
Now the 328d with Msport is even more of a unicorn here in the states.
Even though diesels are a tad slower the torque is awesome so is the towing capacity in my opinion. Also at higher speeds I have noticed it to be quieter than my friend's petrol engine with the same configuration and tires. At low speeds it would higher being a diesel.

Also Your resale value should be higher based on the fact that production will be ending soon.

Seconded.
I wish I had the 328d and the wagon instead of the sedan. My resale value would have been higher despite the VW dieselgate. I see sedans dime a dozen here.
Good Choice!

[BimmerMat135]

Originally Posted by Gabreigns

Good choice on the 328d!
Now the 328d with Msport is even more of a unicorn here in the states.
Even though diesels are a tad slower the torque is awesome so is the towing capacity in my opinion. Also at higher speeds I have noticed it to be quieter than my friend's petrol engine with the same configuration and tires. At low speeds it would higher being a diesel.

Also Your resale value should be higher based on the fact that production will be ending soon.

Towing capacity? Last time I ask my stealership they told me that towing would void the warranty.:

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by BimmerMat135

Towing capacity? Last time I ask my stealership they told me that towing would void the warranty.:

That's a lie. It's hard to find a towing capacity, but towing can be done without affecting the warranty. In Europe a tow pkg is a factory option. Quite a few North American owners tow with their 3ers; generally fairly light weight trailers like for light weight boats and jet skis and such. "Caravan"/camper trailer towing is very common in Europe.

[BimmerMat135]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

That's a lie. It's hard to find a towing capacity, but towing can be done without affecting the warranty. In Europe a tow pkg is a factory option. Quite a few North American owners tow with their 3ers; generally fairly light weight trailers like for light weight boats and jet skis and such. "Caravan"/camper trailer towing is very common in Europe.

From what i found the towing capacity is around 1600kg(3520lbs) in Europe. That is the same for the 316i or the 328i. I've found some towing kit available for the F31 but nothing from Bmw. That is the reason why it could void the warranty according to my dealer. In my case 2500lbs would be enough i would like to be able to tow a small caravan like this one http://m.safaricondo.com/en/frcaravanes#anchor_page

[Gabreigns]

That is strange indeed. My dealership actually installed my tow hitch and is well aware that I tow 2 jetskis or my bikes on their Thule carriers. Also towed the UHaul without any issues.

[BimmerMat135]

Originally Posted by Gabreigns

That is strange indeed. My dealership actually installed my tow hitch and is well aware that I tow 2 jetskis or my bikes on their Thule carriers. Also towed the UHaul without any issues.

What is the brand of your tow hitch? I wonder if some brand have been approved by Bmw. I guess anything dealer installed is "Bmw approved".

[Gabreigns]

Originally Posted by BimmerMat135

What is the brand of your tow hitch? I wonder if some brand have been approved by Bmw. I guess anything dealer installed is "Bmw approved".

It is called invisihitch by execuhitch. When the receiver is removed it is completely invisible.

[Gabreigns]

Originally Posted by BimmerMat135

In my case 2500lbs would be enough i would like to be able to tow a small caravan like this one http://m.safaricondo.com/en/frcaravanes#anchor_page

That trailer is sweet! !

[metallicpea]

M sport wagon all the way. They are so rare and quite good looking. I just really don't like the look of any of the X models.

[vjs]

I would clearly choose the 328ix wagon. Perhaps the best looking of all current BMWs( i8 excluded). To me, it is all about the height of the vehicle. The X1 is too tall when it comes to handling. My wife has a Macan S. After I drive the Macan, I can't wait to get back into my 328ix sedan. Both cars have great transmissions and nice engines but that extra 6-7 inches of height makes a huge difference in handling and the fun factor.

I looked for years for a vehicle where you could exclude the sunroof and we were able to do that with the Macan. I never open my sunroof and I mean never. Neither does my wife. So my Macan weighs less than most Macans on the road since there is not a 100 lb bag of concrete on my roof which is the weight of the sunroof.

So my next car will probably be 330 ix wagon. More fun to drive than the Macan and X1 and defintely better looking than the X1 which is a nice looking vehicle. Probably a tie between the wagon and Macan for looks. So many people think I am crazy when I tell them about my love for the shooting brake or wagon.

I bought my 2013 328ix sedan on a European Delivery since the touring was not out when we wanted to do the Eur Delivery. It was our first time in Europe and picking it up in Munich and driving 800 miles was what made me finally relent and go to Europe. 56% of the 3 series sold in Germany are wagons. After driving in Germany I thought it may have been 70%.

My point is that the 328ix wagon is incredibly beautiful (the side profile may be its best looking part). It has great storage but rides low and handles extremely well. It looks like a cool 50s surfer car from the side. You get everything with the wagon.

There are alot of incentives on right now on 2016 wagons.

My dream vehicle would be a M3 wagon or 340 wagon with all wheel drive and no sunroof. Next best, 330ix wagon, touring, shooting brake, estate, ...whatever term you like with no sunroof. Heads Up Display is mandatory.