[chuckles01]

We have two 328i in our household that I switch between driving often, so I thought I'd share some of my own subjective observations. Hopefully some of you find it interesting or useful.

Car 1: 2012 base 328i, 8AT, with premium package, heated seats, and wood trim. Color is alpine white with beige dakota leather.
Car 2: 2014 sport line 328i, 6 speed manual, with premium package, nav, driver assistance, HIDs, heated seats, and anthracite wood. Color is imperial blue with black dakota leather, red stitching. 18 inch sport line rims, but I requested all-season tires instead.

Interior
Not much difference here, since both are virtually the same except for color and trim. However, due to the color difference, I can definitely see the door panel ambiance light a lot easier on the beige leather. There were several threads asking about how the ambiance lighting showed up on black leather, and I can say it's not very visible, even when it's turned to its brightest setting.

The base seats are comfortable enough, but I appreciate the adjustable thigh bolsters and power seat back side cushions on the sport seats.

Ride
The base 328i rides noticeably, but not significantly, softer than the sport line. The sport line is by no means harsh, but you could definitely feel the firmer tuning of the suspension. One thing that was a bit surprising to me was that the base 328i seems to have more suspension impact noise - I'm not entirely sure if that's due to the different wheels, suspension tuning, or that the car has more miles (10,000 vs. 500).

Drive
I'm overall quite surprised at how differently the two cars feel on the road. Whereas the base 328i gives off a smooth, quiet, and luxurious feel, the sport line feels a bit more rugged (in a nice way).

The engine note sounds different between the two cars - the base 328i chatters a bit more at idle, is quieter when on the go, and sounds more like an economical 4 cylinder. In normal driving, there's never really that throaty exhaust note, unless pushed above 3000 rpm. Also, since the base 328i has the 8AT, the engine is running at just a little over 2000 rpm when the car's going nearly 80 mph, which also results in a much more relaxed cruise. The car coasts very easily - unless I'm going uphill, lifting off the throttle mostly results in the car just continuing to "glide" forward. The automatic shifts very quickly and smoothly - probably one of the best automatic transmissions I've had the chance to drive, and the intelligent logic behind the shifting program is definitely very well done. For example, I like that the car senses when I am going downhill and automatically drops to a lower gear even if I haven't stepped on the brakes. The sport mode shift points and behavior are also very well done, and really transform the car.

The sport line 328i on the other hand, feels… well… sportier. The engine sounds throatier and louder, even before 3000 rpm. I don't hear as much of the 4-cylinder chatter at idle as I do in the baseline. However, because of the different gearing of the 6MT vs. the 8AT, this also means that at 80 mph the engine's almost running at 3000 rpm, so I constantly hear the engine note in the background. Another difference vs. the 8AT is that this car doesn't seem to want to coast along as much. Everytime I lift off the throttle, I feel more resistance, even at lower RPMs - maybe it's the gearing or the larger sized tires, but ultimately this means much lower average MPG compared to the base car (i've been averaging about 34 mpg on the base car, about 29-30 on mine for the same driving style and route on the highway). As for the stick shift itself, the throws are short, if not slightly notchy. My Honda's 6 speed had longer throws, but was very precise and had a "slick, slick" action, which is missing a little from this BMW. Clutch engagement is quick and in the middle-range of the pedal travel (exactly how I prefer it), and it's very easy to drive this car smoothly. Hill start assist is awesome, but on the stick only last for 2 seconds or so. I believe on the 8AT it lasts until you apply the throttle.

One more thing about the 2014 is that auto-start stop defaults to last use mode.

Steering
I know there have been several threads discussing steering feel on the 2014s vs. earlier models. For me, driving the two cars back to back, I do actually feel a slight difference. It could totally be my mind playing tricks, but I feel the 2014 sport line has slightly heftier steering in Comfort mode. Overall road feel is the same, just the weight of it feels slightly different.

Headlights
The base comes with the standard halogen headlights, and my sport line comes with the HIDs. The HIDs do cast a pretty wide, even beam, although the beam doesn't feel particularly farther down the road. The adaptive lights are a nice touch. One difference I did realize is that with the base car, you can turn your parking lamps on and fog lamps on at the same time. With the HIDs, you can only turn on the fog lights when the headlight is on.

[bavarianride]

Great side-by-side review from extended real life experience. So do you prefer the base or the sport line as DD?

BTW, do you get the M steering wheel on the M14 sport line?

[chuckles01]

Originally Posted by f30fanboy

Great side-by-side review from extended real life experience. So do you prefer the base or the sport line as DD?

Thanks! Glad you found it interesting. It's not an easy choice, but I do still prefer the sport line as a daily, mostly because of the more engaged driving experience with the stick. However, I do wish that the car coasted more on the highway like the 8AT does - I like the more "effortless" feel of the auto in that case.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by chuckles01

Thanks! Glad you found it interesting. It's not an easy choice, but I do still prefer the sport line as a daily, mostly because of the more engaged driving experience with the stick. However, I do wish that the car coasted more on the highway like the 8AT does - I like the more "effortless" feel of the auto in that case.

The MT does have the added benefit of extended brake life.

Great review of the two cars you have here! It is nice to hear that the 2014 N20 engines sound throatier than the 2012/2013 N20 engines. Do you think the 2014 N20 engine sounds close to the N52 engines of the past?

[chuckles01]

Originally Posted by beemer3

Great review of the two cars you have here! It is nice to hear that the 2014 N20 engines sound throatier than the 2012/2013 N20 engines. Do you think the 2014 N20 engine sounds close to the N52 engines of the past?

Thanks beemer3! I don't have much experience with the N52 engine, so I can't really make a direct comparison. But, it sounds better in my 2014 than the 2012 we have. I'm not sure if it's due to the transmission or if it's a difference in tuning between the model years.

Does anyone else have the same experience?

[kconner5]

Great comparison! My mom just picked up a 328xi with the 8AT (her's doesn't have a line). It's such a good transmission I find myself in a situation I never thought I'd be in... Do I dare consider an automatic when I go with a 335? I have a manual in my MINI and I *love* having control over the car, but with the 8AT in the 3, the quickness of the time between input to either upshift or downshift to the time it takes for the transmission to listen to what you want is insanely quick. Either way, this thread helped a lot. Thanks!

Kyle

[chuckles01]

Originally Posted by kconner5

Great comparison! My mom just picked up a 328xi with the 8AT (her's doesn't have a line). It's such a good transmission I find myself in a situation I never thought I'd be in... Do I dare consider an automatic when I go with a 335? I have a manual in my MINI and I *love* having control over the car, but with the 8AT in the 3, the quickness of the time between input to either upshift or downshift to the time it takes for the transmission to listen to what you want is insanely quick. Either way, this thread helped a lot. Thanks!

Kyle

No prob, glad this helped! I agree with what you said about the 8AT - it's probably the best automatic I've driven, aside from DSGs out there. I already love the car with the 8AT, and in my mind the manual just adds to it. I'm pretty sure I can never shift as fast or smoothly with the manual compared to the 8AT, but I'm okay with that since I don't race my car or take it to the track.