335xi

The Ultimate Driving Machine^TM. On 21 January (MLK day, a holiday for us state employees in SC) we drove up to Fletcher, NC, near Asheville, and picked up our new 2008 beamer (or bimmer, depending on your bias; some [purists maybe] say beamer is meant only for the bikes, and bimmer for cars, whatever...). The 2001 Firebird Formula was a good and fun car but after 63,700 miles it was time to upgrade.

Earlier that morning I drove up to check out what I'd found on the Fletcher dealer's web page (original dealer's pics are above). After several weeks (months?) of research, I'd finally decided on the BMW model and features that I wanted our next car to come equipped with (there are a lot to choose from). I wanted to find a 2007 CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) to save a few bucks, but there was only one in a 500 mile radius, and it sold just after I inquired about it (literally within 2-3 hours of my email). I guess I must have made up someone else's mind for them.

One of the main things I wanted was the xDrive. This is BMW's All-Wheel Drive (AWD) that (via computer) kicks in when it's needed. I know that we probably won't need it around here very often, but for the few days when it does ice over or rain heavy, our truck's 4WD has come in handy, and so I thought that it would be good to have on a car. Especially if you don't really have to think about engaging/disengaging it. I just had to test drive one to see whether it affected steering like the 4WD does on the truck, but it doesn't. If it weren't for that "x" on the trunk, you wouldn't know the car had it.

The other must-have was the iDrive. This is a somewhat controversial one-button interface to the car's computerized options and controls of climate, navigation, and entertainment. Wikipedia has a fair description of the system and the two main reasons for its fear and loathing: learning curve and distraction. With over 700 user-adjustable options (only 700?—when I read that somewhere I immediately knew I'd like it :), I suppose it may be a bit tricky to learn, and it's not something you want to learn while driving. But I suspect most people don't like the iDrive because they don't take the time to read the manual and learn the interface. After a day with it, I'm already feeling fairly comfortable with its use. For the most part it's fairly intuitive (mind you it is the 2nd generation; maybe most of the complaints pertained to the first version, when it was based on Microsoft's Windows CE operating system; perhaps things improved after it was replaced with a Unix-like real-time OS from VxWorks).

One other major consideration, beyond engine, xDrive, and iDrive, were the wheels. The 335 differs from the 328 (technically the E90 version of the car, with E92 designating the coupe) by its inclusion of the twin turbos and thus beefier 300 Hp output. The 335 is basically the 328's sportier sibling, and as a consequence, often comes equipped with the sports package. This includes sporty leather seats and 18" wheels. Since the newer BMWs run on run-flat tires, larger wheels mean a larger price tag (almost double!) for these "shoes", something I didn't relish (you can check out tire prices for the 18" wheels at Tire Rack; apparently one of the few places that sells 'em). Our beamer has the sports package but it has the 17" (Style 188–V Spoke) wheels that I prefer. In addition, the wheels came with Continental ContiProContact SSR (Grand Touring All-Season) tires (225/45R17 all around). From what I've read, these are better than the BF Goodriches that the beamers came with previously (there were several complaints about these, prompting BMW to respond with a Technical Service Bulletin, or TSB, offering a free replacement if under 10,000 miles).

Beyond the xDrive and iDrive, there are too many other features to list here so I'll mention just a few of the highlights (I'll probably add blogs about specific things later when I get more time). The car has Bluetooth, which means I can connect my cell phone and then use the car basically as a moving telephone booth. It has satellite radio (Sirius) that has good sound quality (via PAC compression, similar to MPEG's mp3, with bit rates up to 1024 kb/s for 5.1 surround format) with commercial-free content (right now I'm on the blues channel which is quite good). Finally, it also has a DVD-based navigation system integrated into the LCD panel so that you can see where you are (it's like having an atlas open and available to you continuously).

Those are the major items. The color is Arctic Metallic, which is a kind of neutral dark grey color that (due to its metallic content I guess) tends to shift color in different lighting conditions. I don't think Corey likes it very much, or at least objects to not having a choice in its selection. I like it just fine, and all of the above stuff was more important to me anyway. I don't think there were any other colors that were much better; I liked all the neutral ones including Platinum Bronze Metallic (kind of gold/copper), Titanium Silver Metallic (lighter than ours), Space Gray and Sparkling Graphite Metallic (both darker than ours), and Alpine White. Arctic Metallic is a darker hue than the silver, and I think it may show less dirt than the brighter paints. I think Corey thinks the interior (Cream Beige) is also too light and hence may get dirty quickly, but I'm thinking the seats will be much cooler in the summer—there was no way I was going to buy black interior, that's for sure. The only other option (for me) would have been the Gray leather interior, but then there'd be no contrast between exterior and interior (gray on gray). The pics at top show you what the car looks like, brand spankin' new. In the sunlight it looks fairly bright silvery (kinda like my old '86 Trans Am); today (cloudy) it looks a touch darker, but still nice, IMO. The pic at left shows the steering wheel with paddle shifters. With the Steptronic automatic tranny, I can shift the car into sport mode and semi-manually shift gears (just + or - via the stick or via the paddle shifters). I tried manually shifting my automatic '82 Camaro, but it just didn't like it. The paddle shifters basically invite you to do this. So is it fun to drive? You betcha!