[Tomsriv]

Now that I got your attention I want to say I think this is a fantastic car. It’s a 2009 328i which we bought for my wife as a certified used car this year. My wife and I didn’t buy it for the name, but for the engineering. The fit and finish, quality of materials and smoothness of the engine is very impressive. She was most impressed with the steering. I like it too, its like driving a go-kart.
I was trying to decide between 328 and 335. The 335 mileage is not that bad, and the price of a used one is almost the same as a 328. But the 335 required premium gas and the 328 only recommended premium. So we decided on the 328 and when we got it we filled it with premium the first few tanks, and then we decided to try 89 and see. It really lost low speed power. The computer retarded the timing enough to make it unbearable. It was noticeably more sluggish below 3500rpm. So we switched back to 91. Our fuel economy has ranged from 17-24. The 24 was all highway driving. 17-19 in mixed driving is the norm and this is on premium. My ’06 Dodge Magnum has a 5.7 Hemi with 110 more hp and gets 16-21 on cheaper gas. Plus it’s a lot bigger car and runs on 87 with no noticeable loss of power. So that’s what irritates me about the economy on this motor.

As far as the power, whats disappointing is the lack of low speed torque in this motor. It doesn’t really have any power below 3500rpm. My favorite thing to do is accelerate out of turns. In city driving most turns are 90 degree turns at intersections at low speed. So the rpms are low and it doesn’t have the power to get that pushing the tail end feeling. Sport Mode makes a huge difference! It seems mandatory to have fun with this engines power band. I can see why people love these with manuals! I would give up some top end power to have more low end grunt. I always thought of straight 6’s as torque motors. This seems more like a track motor and not that practical for my driving style. Does the 335 or the M3 have more low speed grunt?

[Greenkirby21]

Originally Posted by Tomsriv

Now that I got your attention I want to say I think this is a fantastic car. It’s a 2009 328i which we bought for my wife as a certified used car this year. My wife and I didn’t buy it for the name, but for the engineering. The fit and finish, quality of materials and smoothness of the engine is very impressive. She was most impressed with the steering. I like it too, its like driving a go-kart.
I was trying to decide between 328 and 335. The 335 mileage is not that bad, and the price of a used one is almost the same as a 328. But the 335 required premium gas and the 328 only recommended premium. So we decided on the 328 and when we got it we filled it with premium the first few tanks, and then we decided to try 89 and see. It really lost low speed power. The computer retarded the timing enough to make it unbearable. It was noticeably more sluggish below 3500rpm. So we switched back to 91. Our fuel economy has ranged from 17-24. The 24 was all highway driving. 17-19 in mixed driving is the norm and this is on premium. My ’06 Dodge Magnum has a 5.7 Hemi with 110 more hp and gets 16-21 on cheaper gas. Plus it’s a lot bigger car and runs on 87 with no noticeable loss of power. So that’s what irritates me about the economy on this motor.

As far as the power, whats disappointing is the lack of low speed torque in this motor. It doesn’t really have any power below 3500rpm. My favorite thing to do is accelerate out of turns. In city driving most turns are 90 degree turns at intersections at low speed. So the rpms are low and it doesn’t have the power to get that pushing the tail end feeling. Sport Mode makes a huge difference! It seems mandatory to have fun with this engines power band. I can see why people love these with manuals! I would give up some top end power to have more low end grunt. I always thought of straight 6’s as torque motors. This seems more like a track motor and not that practical for my driving style. Does the 335 or the M3 have more low speed grunt?

Do you have an automatic? That could be part of the problem. I have an automatic and I have to use the paddle shifters. D is too boring and Sport is too aggressive. Also, the car will start in second gear most of the time so I have to force it into first. That could be part of your problem to it feeling slow. Believe me going through corners in first is pretty fun but first gear is really short.

BTW I get 24 MPG and its mostly highway, but then again I am going like 80.

The engine does have its torque way low compared to other cars (like a Mazda RX-8 or Honda Civic Si). Power ratings are 230 hp @ 6500 and 270 N·m (199 lb·ft) torque @ 2750. But you do have to remember, this is a NA engine, so it likes to rev high. I normally shift at around 3.5-4k RPM. If you shift at 2K rpm even a corolla will pass you.

With the gas thing, I have noted the same thing, but here we either have 87,89, or 93 so I always put 93. When I use 93 I got about 340 miles in the tank but when I used 89 once I got like 310. I always use 93 now. if you wanted economy you should have gotten a prius

Getting a 335i will probably solve your problem. While it doesn't have as high RPMS, for daily driving it makes its power way lower so you will probably feel it a lot more. The N55 engine does 302 hp @ 5800 and 400 N·m (300 lb·ft) torque @ 1200-500. My brother had a 135i and he got about 25 MPG so to be honest the gas mileage between the two is not THAT drastic, it more or less depends on how you drive.

[Tomsriv]

It is an automatic. I didn't know it starts in 2nd gear. Kind of like the old Ultramatics. I know you were kidding about your prius comment, but I always try to find the best balance between performance, economy and price. The new 328s get better mileage, but I test drove a 528 and hated the motor. Fast at full throttle, but the waiting for downshifts and the slow throttle response made it worthless in my eyes. I'm not sure what you meant about NA motors liking to rev. They can't breath at high rpm unless you make compromises in the low end. Variable valve timing is supposed to help with this, but I have never driven a car with this technology that really impressed me.

[bahasad]

I always put >91 in my 328I. I am also fairly easy on it, putter around at 65-70 on the highway (some times I do pull to about 100 if someone's bugging me), and I get 26-28 MPG regularly.
I do admit the car is a little weak off the line at 1/4 throttle but I find if I push it (which I don't) it has the same pickup as my Acura which had about +30 HP.

Maybe you should have got a 335 if you wanted to get better pickup and go

[coyote95667]

Funny for me to find this thread since I just now signed up for this forum after I traded in my 2009 328i YESTERDAY for a 2011 335D.

I love love loved my 2009 328i. I live in the foothills, have winding roads all to myself sometimes, and the 328i was like a video game. It felt so great on those roads. I could just dare that car to slide off the road and down a ditch... but it just hugged and grabbed and made me smile so much. I did always use 91 gas though.

But I didn't feel like I had quite a dream car exactly because of the low end torque thing. So I test drove a 335i coupe with sport package, and it had a lot more balls. But I had to wind it up and there was a lag between when I stomped the pedal and the car took off. And the coupe wasn't quite my style, not my idea of a comfortable cabin for 100 mile daily round trips to work. Fast car and all, really nice. But not for me (maybe if I had driven the 4 door).

Enter the 335D (no sport pkg on mine). This car feels roomier in the cabin than my 328i, I'd swear I'm lounging in a bigger car - and it pulls like a beast! I had a 2005 V8 mustang back when they came out and while my 335D might not beat it, it feels more race-car like off the line (heck maybe it would beat it). I mean the 335D is like a 328i on steroids and I just love it. If you want to pull around somebody who is going too slow on the freeway - BAM. If you want to press yourself back in the seat right off the line - BAM. The 335D is the real deal and I'm mystified why they quit making them after 2011MY.

and... icing on the cake, it is gonna get me better economy than the 328i. Just driving locally, in the foothills, standing on it - it is showing in the 24-25mpg range!

If you can test drive a 335D you might do what I did... swallow hard, take the depreciation hit on the car I had just bought in November, and buy the ... really... the car of my dreams.

Just thought it was funny because I just had a 2009 328i yesterday lol, and I know exactly what you're talking about, and I think I know your answer

[glockperfect]

Why is this in the M3 section?

[Nkc]

Originally Posted by glockperfect

Why is this in the M3 section?

Yo bud this is a universal forum for all bmw's. Why is it always an M3 guy asking this question? Is their forum more privileged or something?

[Tomsriv]

Originally Posted by coyote95667

Funny for me to find this thread since I just now signed up for this forum after I traded in my 2009 328i YESTERDAY for a 2011 335D.

Interesting read. I bet the 335D would be the best of all worlds. My thing is, I wish they would make a V8 that was both fuel efficient and powerful. People say if you buy the V8 you don't care about MPG, but I bet if that V8 got 6mpg it would not sell at all. Its all a matter of compromises. The ideal would be that M3 V8, but I would add Start/Stop to it and/or cylinder deactivation to save fuel. Then it would probably be close in economy to the 6 with a lot more grunt.

I'm not going to trade in the car, since we will be needing a bigger car in a couple years as our family grows. It will be the wifes choice, but if we go BMW I'm partial to the 550 GT. Yes, I'm that guy that likes the GT!

[Bigrob126]

I totally understand your not enjoying the not overly fast 328i, especially with an automatic. I just got my 2010 328i automatic 2 weeks ago. I like the car. As far as speed goes it could be better, but I don't mind how it is...mind you I traded in my 400HP 06 GTO for the 328. The drop in power compared to my GTO is kinda funny, but this is a much better built, better MPG ride and I was ready to do this! Im learning to be kinda heavy in the right foot area to get this baby moving! I'm only driving with the AC on, since i got it, being in Las Vegas and the heat and all. I am looking forward to the cooler weather, with no AC on I can tell you!

[cookie munsta]

I kinda love my 328i. Don't have to worry about turbos or replacing any other high performance part. Of course 335s are fun to drive but still I enjoy driving my 328. Im getting about 24mpg on city and always use shell vpower and techron every 4k miles. I get an oil change twice a year (every 9k miles). Im a happy for now.

[greentrbo95gst]

If your decision is based on what octane gas the car takes maybe you should look at different brands. Even with the 328i I would not use 89 octane. Premium is recommended for a reason.
Much better fuel economy can be found in other brands.

[tkila]

That's one of the flaws of turbo engines: they lack torque at low rpm. You really need to rev up the turbos to get power. This is why I have always purchased naturally aspirated engines. My Mercedes 382HP naturally aspirated engine felt it had more power than the 445HP on the gran coupe which I tested. The power delivery of NA engine is immediate whereas the grancoupe's engine felt like a 4 cylinder at low speeds.

[greentrbo95gst]

Originally Posted by tkila

That's one of the flaws of turbo engines: they lack torque at low rpm. You really need to rev up the turbos to get power. This is why I have always purchased naturally aspirated engines. My Mercedes 382HP naturally aspirated engine felt it had more power than the 445HP on the gran coupe which I tested. The power delivery of NA engine is immediate whereas the grancoupe's engine felt like a 4 cylinder at low speeds.

OP's car is a E90 328i. It's naturally aspirated.

[Tomsriv]

The conclusion I am coming to is that this is an even better car for Europe where their are high gas prices and autobahns. But for America and based on engines alone, I like my 5.7 Hemi Dodge Magnum engine more. Only slightly less mileage and way more power. But as far as the rest of the car its easy to see where the extra money goes in the BMW.
I appreciate the BMW philosophy. The cost premium you pay is because they make a clean slate new engine every few years and put in all the latest tech. I like to tell people that the engine is magnesium and aluminum and its worlds lightest straight 6.
This is in huge contrast to American straight 6s. The jeep 4.0 six used basically the same block for 42 years. Less expensive but decidedly low-tech. Ford used to put decals on their engines saying “Powered by Ford’ I thought it would be funny if Jeep put “Powered by Nash, Rambler, AMC, Jeep, Chrysler, Cerberus” stickers on it since the ownership changed so many times.
The cost premium for a BMW V8 is too much IMHO. I understand the economy of scale since they don't sell millions of pickups with V8s so they can't amortize the development costs as easily as Americans. A dodge V8 is a $3000 option. A BMW V8 is about a $20,000 premium and if anything goes wrong you’re in for a huge bill. Great cars, but not cheap to own the truely great ones.

I'm glad to live in the US and have all these choices!

[Endless619]

My buddy just bought a M-sport 328 for his wife and its 200hp and a 4 banger. Not much power or torque but its awesome on gas mileage.

[davidwarren]

I can't even fathom being upset about having to use premium vs regular fuel.

[Tomsriv]

Originally Posted by davidwarren

I can't even fathom being upset about having to use premium vs regular fuel.

Your missing the point. I'm disappointed in the torque and the actual mileage. The fact that it takes premium too makes it equivalent to getting even worse mileage because I am spending more on gas. If I'm getting this mileage I would have rather gotten the M3 V8, but the price premium they charge for a V8 is too much.

From what I've read above the 335i is sluggish too, so I would probably want the M3 or the Diesel. Did they ever put the V8 in a 4-door?

[davidwarren]

Originally Posted by Tomsriv

Your missing the point. I'm disappointed in the torque and the actual mileage. The fact that it takes premium too makes it equivalent to getting even worse mileage because I am spending more on gas. If I'm getting this mileage I would have rather gotten the M3 V8, but the price premium they charge for a V8 is too much.

From what I've read above the 335i is sluggish too, so I would probably want the M3 or the Diesel. Did they ever put the V8 in a 4-door?

"But the 335 required premium gas and the 328 only recommended premium. So we decided on the 328. . ."

So you said yourself you decided on the 328 vs a 335 based solely on the premium fuel requirement. The 335 is a torque monster. Mine puts 400 ft-lbs to the wheels.

The s65 in the M3 would be even further away from what you are wanting. Sure it's a V-8, but it puts out less torque than the 335, and you really wring it out to its 8400 rpm limit to get the hp. And yes, you can get a M3 sedan.

But if you are really concerned with fuel economy, you're in the wrong brand. My 335 gets about 17 mpg. My wife's 325 e90 gets about 20. Heck, even my e46 325 with a 2.5L only gets 21.

[davidwarren]

However, on the bright side, you can easily add about 30 hp to you 328 by switching the intake manifold. Turner has a kit.

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-17...28i528iz4.aspx

[Meeni]

the mileage you get is low. I get 19 mpg only by racing the shit out of it. I get 27 mpg in my mixed commute.

[ToothDoc]

Go get the new SRT8 engine. It's NA and has 470 HP and Torque. You'll lose maybe 1 or 2 mpg but you'll be grinning from ear to ear LOL. I had one - but got rid of it because I couldn't keep from spinning out the rear end (with LSD).

[KMEninety335]

I had a 328 loaner while my car was in the shop. It got worse mpg than my 335 but I think that's because my 335 gets to the cruising speed a lot faster and then cruises ha