E90 325i Sports Edition

[ALBundy]

Yup, the normal suspension seems firm enough for me, during the test drive from Sapura HQ throught the Ampang elevated highway and back to HQ through Jln Tun Razak.

BMW has improved the legendary 6 pot engine further with the addition of valvetronic....its sweet and yet emit a beasty roar when the pedal is stomped to the metal. 6 speed auto tranny is smooth, and noticed in steptronic mode, gear switches a little faster than previous models.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

Sooooo, can ta pau your 520i and 318i onot?!!!

 

[ALBundy]

Sooooo, can ta pau your 520i and 318i onot?!!!

You buy first, then we try

 

[Schwepps]

Yeah JPB, just take your cheque book there and book one! Booking deposit only mah. It's sure to be good wat... Be the 1st in line among the forumers...

 

[Juan Powerblow]

I'm going to AB Glenmarie on Thursday with some forumers. Let's see who takes a dive first. All for 1, one for All.

 

[KL2DC]

Yup, the normal suspension seems firm enough for me, during the test drive from Sapura HQ throught the Ampang elevated highway and back to HQ through Jln Tun Razak.

BMW has improved the legendary 6 pot engine further with the addition of valvetronic....its sweet and yet emit a beasty roar when the pedal is stomped to the metal. 6 speed auto tranny is smooth, and noticed in steptronic mode, gear switches a little faster than previous models.

After proper break-in, the engine feels and sounds better, especially at higher RPMs After 10k miles, there is a nice sewing-machine snarl as the transmission upshifts at redline. I agree the steptronic shifts pretty well in DS and M mode. Its a bit of a dud in normal 'D' mode imho. When you're in DS or M mode to downshift at lower speeds, you can almost feel a slight blipping of the throttle As good as the GM box is, the ZF in the 335i is even faster/responsive

The E90 is one car that feels better at higher speeds. It doesn't seem happy in low speeds and traffic crawls. I mean it does it well but I sense its happier at highway speeds. Let me know after your test drive, JP.

 

[3er]

The E90 is one car that feels better at higher speeds. It doesn't seem happy in low speeds and traffic crawls. I mean it does it well but I sense its happier at highway speeds. Let me know after your test drive, JP.

I thought that was the case with the E46 325i as well. At least, mine is....

 

[KL2DC]

I thought that was the case with the E46 325i as well. At least, mine is....

My recollection of the E46 is that it feels more 'alive' at low to medium speeds, the E90 almost feels aloof at crawl speeds. I know its subjective, I am not sure how to communicate this further...although I think seating position, smaller footprint and steering feel plays a big part.

 

[Juan Powerblow]

I went with E46F and 3er to AB Glenmarie today. Regretably, we didn't get to test drive the E90 325i SP cos the only car available is for showroom display only i.e. demo cars are still unavailable. The car we checked out is in Monaco Blue which looks a lot like black in showroom conditions. It might well look different under the sun. I had a good chance to compare this colour with the Sparkling Graphite which was on an adjacent 320i but all of us found the Sparkling Graphite to be a bit dull. I think this is down to an inferior colour quality in the CKD version cos this colour looks much nicer in the picts here and in the brochures. Between the two, Monaco Blue seems like an obvious choice. The interior comes in black, grey or beige. The beige is out of the question. It's too bright, too Ah Beng. I'm a bit bored with black, so I think I'll go for the grey which blends well with the matte aluminium trims.

Without the test drive, I was not able to gauge how the car felt on our third world road conditions with 18" wheels and run-flats. What a shame!

I was however very pleased with the interior. That 7" LCD and I-Drive makes a whole world of difference!!! In the end, I regard this as one of the most material enhancements in the SP. This feature goes a long way in making the car feel worth every penny of the higher price tag. Incidentally, I went for a haircut today and found pictures of the 335i Coupe in one of the mags. The SP's instrumentation is almost identical, the only diff is in the km/h and mph tacho available in UK specs. So, I think this interior will stand the test of time even with impending facelift in 2009.

3er racun me big time on the black lines and rear spoiler, both available from AB at slightly above RM1K for the former. I totally agree with him that with these add-ons, the car will be complete!

OK, now comes the serious stuff. How many of you are interested in getting an E90 within the next 3 months? Please indicate here or PM me. Why am I asking? Well, I rather disclose directly to the guys who list themselves... heh!

 

[KL2DC]

Sounds like somebody's planning a Group Buy. You might want to get Schwepps hot and bothered, he's halfway close to pulling the trigger

I can't believe you found Sparkling Graphite dull On behalf of all the SG owners here, we are officially offended by your remark LOL It really boils down to lighting. Under direct light, the blue in MB comes out nicely but in day to day the black tone is dominant (esp at night). Its a nice color though. SG is more dynamic, not sure what light you saw the car under, but you might have picked up some purple or some creamy silver tones blended into the dominant 'grey'. You really need to see the car in different lights to appreciate the color.

I'm not a big fan of the beige interior as well. I think it looks cheap. The grey is better but the black (out of the choices) is best. Keep in mind the beige and grey is susceptible to soiling. If you have kids, definitely go with the black! (esp with aluminum trim). Alarmingly, BMW doesn't mold beige or grey interior parts, for those color parts, the base is still the black. In rare extreme cases, some customers have complaint of paint fading. Just wanted to give you a heads up on that. My favorite E90 interior color is the 2 toned' Lemon and Terra.

Personally I'd choose the i-drive/navi over the active steer. The i-drive is more than just navi, it opens up a lot of new functions like a/c delay timer, visual PDC, more settings/option to play with etc. This is because, I-drive also means a different 'OS' for the car. Besides, how many //M cars do you know have active steering?

Btw the 335i's gauge cluster also replaces the econometer with an oil temperature gauge. All the main gauges and switchgear are the same save for some MY07 enhancements like chrome accents for the HVAC/radio knobs and steering wheel.

If you go with SB or MB or even SG, blacklines and the rear spoiler would rock! Throw in a debadge job and maybe the CF rear difuser and front splitters and it'd be awesome! LOL Not that you need anymore racun'ing

Well, I hope you get to test drive an M-Sport soon. Curious to see your findings/feelings.

 

[Schwepps]

Did someone mention my name?

 

[Schwepps]

Told you guys the sit with the showroom and demo cars already wat. My hopeful SA has been talking to me every couple of days. That's why I haven't gone down to see the Sport yet, because it would be frustrating to see it and not be able to test it. I'm not capable of booking a car without driving it first. Can't do it. It'd be like getting married without a "test drive"

So my hand is up, JPB. I'll be getting the Sport unless I find the ride too firm. My boy-racer days are long over (as KL2DC keeps reminding me ) and I'm now a cruiser, doing 95% city driving. If not the Sport, then a standard 325i before they remove it from the lineup if they're going to, even if it has to be a 2006 build....

 

[bmwjunkie]

I'm in too! Any lubang to get the SP edition at a better price?

 

[KL2DC]

Schwepps: Age shouldn't dictate what you can or cannot do. I don't think you really want an all out cruiser, do you? You still sound like a true enthusiast . Besides, aren't you overdue for a mid-life crisis?

 

[bmwjunkie]

Can someone confirm if the standard 325 is really going to stop selling soon? Anyone talked to AB about this?

 

[E46Fanatic]

If you are thinking of picking up the E90, don't do it alone. Group buy through the same SA will get you more goodies, and cheaper too .

Ping JPB directly.

 

[E46Fanatic]

The CBU Sparkling Graphite we see here is very nice. Dynamic, with bits of sparkles with a nice thick layer of clear coat to give it more dynamicsm and class. The CKD SG is umm.. flat and thin on the clear coat. It becomes dull unfortunately. CBU and CKD paintjob is night and day comparison if you ask me.

 

[KL2DC]

The CBU Sparkling Graphite we see here is very nice. Dynamic, with bits of sparkles with a nice thick layer of clear coat to give it more dynamicsm and class. The CKD SG is umm.. flat and thin on the clear coat. It becomes dull unfortunately. CBU and CKD paintjob is night and day comparison if you ask me.

Wow that's quite shocking to note, not like BMW's paint job is exemplary to begin with. The paint on ex-Germany E90s for e.g., have noticeable orange peel and is quite soft (vulnerable to chips and scratches). Btw orange peel is an effect of painting from high to low, wet sanding would reduce this but no manufacturer wet sands their new cars (maybe RR).

And BMW's cheap too, if you look in the engine bay, the paint is left unfinished.

So if CKD is worst than CBU paint then you're better off getting TiAg, as it'll hide the defects (and damages) better.

Fwiw, I think Lexus has great paint, check out the new LS460 and you'll see what I mean

 

[Schwepps]

Schwepps: Age shouldn't dictate what you can or cannot do. I don't think you really want an all out cruiser, do you? You still sound like a true enthusiast . Besides, aren't you overdue for a mid-life crisis?

Uh-huh, yeah, right sonny...

It still depends on a test-drive to know whether one loves the package or not. Getting a BMW is unlike getting other cars....one tends to want everything perfect in one's bimmer. It's like choosing a life partner as opposed to a one-night-stand.

bmwjunkie, the fate of the Standard is just speculation at this stage by my AB SA. BMWM haven't said anything but I guess that must be the shop talk in AB. It's on the basis of the Standard wouldn't sell at only 18k below the Sports, and the example of the E60 525i.

 

[Schwepps]

If you are thinking of picking up the E90, don't do it alone. Group buy through the same SA will get you more goodies, and cheaper too .

Ping JPB directly.

Sounds like everytime E46Fanatic 'tags along' to kepoh, he ends up buying...and changing his moniker. Welcome in advance E90Fanatic...