My test drive: G37 vs. 328i

[Mr986]

My wife recently trade off her RX8 because of a lot of problems and we've been searching for a 4 season coupe both of us could drive. Since we don't use the back seat much, a coupe like the G37 would work fine for us.

We recently drove both cars (328 MT sedan since in the coupes are nearly non-existent) and the G37 6MT.

BMW--I expected to dislike this car: the good-Comfortable interior-smooth gearbox-Smooth clutch takeup-good brakes-decent styling-good steering response, not much rollHave to say is was very easy to drive, never having driven one before.

The bad:-with 3 aboard, the car had little low end torque--I was very surprised. Not sure if the air being on and the third body in back made a difference but it was like the RX8 with the air on-option pricesif you want leather and all the bells and whistles of the G37 this could be one expensive car. It would appear that value wise- the car makes sense with very few options.

G37--I expected to really like the carThe good:-nice styling outside-quiet inside-lots of interior features-terrific seats-Nice gearbox and brakes-lots of low end torque-nice rumble-good handling

The bad:Clutch engagement--not sure if it was just this car but the clutch engages at nearly the end of travel and seemed grabby. After 10 minutes in the car, I smelled clutch and most of the driving was on the interstate. This made for some jerky takeoffs; since I've driving manual transmission cars (Porsche, Mustang, Corvette, etc..) for more than 30 years, I wasn't happy about this.

-Dash styling--I don't know if I'm just a traditionalist but overall it didn't do much for me; reminded me of an early 80's turbo Z

After driving both I was higher on the BMW than I thought I'd be and lower on the G37 than expected. I liked the power of the G37 but if this clutch is typical, might make it a lot less fun to drive on a daily basis than either the RX8, 328 or our Boxster.

BTW, my better half absolutely loved the car--reminded her of her departed turbo Z; thank god the car we drove wasn't vibrant red--she would have wrote the check right there.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any comments on this clutch issue; I'm going to set up another time to drive another car just to make sure that it wasn't an individual car issue.Thanks

[Atomic-G]

Hopefully someone on this board can chime in with their experiences. I have a used 328I coupe waiting while I try to make a decision which way to go. I agree with the previous posters impressions on the 328. I find that it does require quite a bit of throttle in first gear to achieve a smooth take over. Much more than I would have expected given the low RPM that peak torque is achieved. Power was adequate but not explosive like the 335i. I need to see what the G feels like. Having said this getting seat time in a G37 is proving to be quite a challenge. Hopefully I will hear soon from my source.

[dseag2]

I wish I could give you feedback, but my G37 is a 5AT. I agree with all the positives mentioned by the original poster, plus I actually like the dash layout. During my first test drive, I thought the car was fun and "okay". During the second test drive it won me over. Now that I've driven it for 1,000 miles I appreciate it more and more.

Re: the 328, I owned an '01 330ci, and I actually liked the dash in that car better than the one in the current 3 Series. Thought it had more of a "cockpit" feel than the current one, but that's my $.02.

Re: the G37, as an audiophile and a techie I also find the direct I-Pod interface (even through the steering wheel) and the ability to rip a copy of an entire CD to the hard drive in 20 minutes pretty nice. Not sure if the 3 Series has this. I do know there is an I-Pod interface available at an additional charge but not sure about the capability.

With the 5AT, the G37 is one sweet ride.

[G35autocrosser]

I spent considerable time deciding between the 335i and 6MT. I choose the 6MT for a variety of reasons, and even though I think the 335i is an excellent car, I am very happy with the 6MT.

In terms of the clutch, I don't love it. It certainly did take some getting used to but I don't think it is as bad as your impression on the first drive. Since getting used to it, it is much smoother, but I would prefer it to have a sweet spot that isn't just at the end of the travel.

Given this, my vote is still for the G37, especially if you are looking for performance (acceleration coupled with handling) vs. the 328i. The reasons for not selecting the 335i were more around looks, having something more unique, and ability to add modifications to a larger displacement engine, and some BMW issues like (bad service experience, run flat tires, no oil stick, charging $500 for keyless entry, etc.).

both cars are terrific and I will be racing mine this spring on road courses and in autocross events.

[Kendahl]

The 328i coupe was one of the cars on my short list. I rejected it for two reasons.

I do not want run-flat tires. At least at this stage of development, they are more expensive than conventional tires (higher price, shorter life, not repairable) and do not perform as well. Their sole virtue is that you can drive a few miles on them without air. I could substitute conventional tires, but it seems absurd to spend $40k on a car and then have to cobble up a way to handle flat tires.

None of the nearby dealers stocks any manual transmission cars. No test drive, no purchase. I would have had to drive to a larger market, such as Chicago, to try out a car.

All indications are that BMWs are more expensive to repair and need repair more often than Infinitis. Had I found the 328i to be a significantly better ride than the G37, I would have been willing to tolerate the higher maintenance. But, it wasn't.

[Mr986]

Thanks to all for the replies.

Regarding the issues with the 328i; agreed the RFT tires seem like an expensive solution to getting the spare tire out of the car. I drove on a set on Continental SSR's and they weren't bad on good roads--smooth ride and no noise. The Turanza's though have a horrible reputation and there seems to be a deal to replace them from BMW.

Having said that, the notion of developing a good chassis around a bogus tire seems to be self defeating. I'd much rather have the compressor and goo (as the Boxster has) rather than the RFT if I couldn't have a real spare.

I've also had a problem finding a BMW with a manual transmission and a sport package. I can probably live with out the sport package but the manual is a non-negotiable.

Regarding reliability, it would seem the G37 will have it over the 335i for sure. There is an existing fuel pump issue with the 335 (direct fuel injection) and there have been reports of cars having to replace the replacement fuel pump. Doesn't sound like BMW has this one worked out; fortunately, the 328i uses a traditional FI pump and there haven't been any issues with it. I can't imagines spending $45-50K on a car and having it go into limp mode or leaving you stranded because of a problem know to the manufacturer. How they could bring this product to market and not have a bug of this magnitude identified and worked out is beyond be.

[jackdar]

I have over 2,200 miles on my 08 6MT and have not noticed any problems with the clutch uptake. In fact, after driving my 03 6MT for 4 years, the 08 is a delight in that the clutch requires so much less effort. Mine does not have the issue of engaging right at the end....rather it seems light and smooth all the way down. Reqarding the dash, I had no problem with the previous guages and dash (although the silver paint was a little low rent - but the guages were very readable and had a good look.

My wife drives an 03 BMX X3 with the 3.0 engine, sport package, and a 6 speed. The engine is very smooth but lacks low end torque. Also, the quality of the interior matierials and the overall design of the interior is way below the quality and appearance you would expect in a $44K vehichle.

Bottom line: I too considered the BMW coupes and as good as they are, I think the G37 will satisfy (and hold its value) for years to come

Good luck.

[mkaresh]

I thought they had fixed the clutch in the G37. I drove a manual G35 last year, and had much the same impression. The clutch in that car would be a dealbreaker for me. I've been meaning to drive a 2008 to check out the improvement I've read about on forums.

I collect reliability data, and so far I'm not seeing a high repair rate for the 335. So the forums might make problems seem more common than they are.

That said, the 2006 3-Series had a low repair rate for much of its first year, but during its second year the 2006's repair rate has been climbing dramatically. They same might well happen with the 2007.

[Mr spock]

I have to agree with you about the clutch. I came from a Mustang GT and loved that clutch. Very linear engagement. Not so with the G, very non linear or all-or-nothing engagement. However after a few weeks I've become mostly used to it.

Still stall it on the start occasionaly.