2008 BMW 3 Series Sedan User Reviews

Pros

Handling, Brakes, Sporty comfort.

Cons

Engine noise, BMW service, Off the line acceleration.

Purchased As New

In one year, the vehicle has been in for service twice with engine noise. The service team said, they don't know when the part will be available to fix it. I was also told; this has become a common issue with this vehicle. They are going to replace the head on the engine in my vehicle! I was also told, "Americans don't drive the vehicle how it was intended to be driven, no Autobahn here." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That is why my car engine is messing up? I will not buy BMW again. This is my first Luxury car and my last; it is not worth the extra money. I will go back to Nissan or Toyota; their higher end vehicles seem to be superior. I trade every three years and I can't wait to get rid of this one....read morehide

Purchased As New

I got this car as a 10th yr-anniv gift-very good handling and performance. The interior is a little compact for me since im used to the Lexus ES series. But overall, I love driving it and it gets a lot of head turning esp. when my husband change the rims to a 20".

Pros

good paint, intertor, seats, confort, power, stereo, ride

Cons

cup holders, steering wheel controls, auto tranny shifter

Purchased As New

overall I like this car BUT, there are a few things that are driving me nuts. the cup holders are totally useless. the steering wheel controls for the cruse, turn, windshield wipers and car computer are hard to see and complicated to use, they need to be more user friendly. the trans shifter...when in sport mode you pull "back" on the shifter to up shift and push forward to down shift. to me it seems backwards, should be the other way around. the steering is real touchy, if your not paying attention, you'll find yourself making unneeded lane changes on the highway. Sometimes the transmission shifts weird, like it gets confused at times.

Overall I like the car. Power is good, fuel economy is good, handling is great, paint and finish is excellent. Maybe it's the nut behind the wheel that needs to get use to the car more to fully appreciate what BMW is all about....read morehide

Pros

Great on gas ,good acceration, overall worth the price

Cons

Had a Mercedes 240, Card doesn't carry MB mystic

sterring colum control are tricky, oil changes are hassel many places won't mess around with allumium block some not equip with drain port. doesn.t carry charm of Mercedes but I will state it is a much better riding auto. Had two MB this si my first BMW and I have ridden in the most expensive MB and BMW ride is better...read morehide

Pros

push start button,seat warmers,Bose system,2 drivers seat memory

Cons

accleration time

I have this car in Titanium Silver with Dakota leather interior. This is the ultimate driving machine! It's got everything you need in a car! seat warmers,automatic windshield wipers ,great sound system,but best of all the handling is superb. The only little drawback is the acceleration time was about 6 seconds slower than my husband's Acura TL-Type S. But we just drove from Atlanta to Biloxi,MS and it was a joy to drive in because the highway gas mileage was great.I would say the best feature in this car is that you feel safe, in control,and the stainless steel and leather interior gives it a little more power....read morehide

Pros

Good fuel economy, spectacular handling, quiet, tight european ride.

Cons

Not worth the money. Poorly assembled.

I picked up this 328xi in Nov. 2007. It now has 13,000 miles. The car has great handling, tight ride and good fuel economy. My car has a rattle in the dashboard every time the car goes over an expansion joint on the highway. I brought the car back to the dealer 3 times for repair. Each time they assured me it was repaired the noise came back a day later. I tried calling BMW corporate but they referred me back to the dealer for service. I tried a different dealer to service the noise but they couldn't fix it either. I fixed the rattling noise my self by wedging wooden door shims between the top of the steering column and the bottom of the dashboard. This completely solved the problem. It looks aweful but the repair I did eliminates the noise. When you're paying $500+ a month on lease payments that rattling noise sounds like a freight train running directly past you. There is so much talk about the American Car manufacturers not being responsive to customers, I think BMW company is in the same category. Right now I think my next car will be from a different manufacturer....read morehide

Pros

Good fuel economny, great pickup, handles and rides like a dream, great fit and finish

Cons

Could have a more intuitive media interface, pricey.

After many months of reviewing and test driving many sports sedans, I finally settled on a fully loaded, non-navigation 335i. This is after test driving the G35, Lexus I350 and having a 2008 Honda Accord V6. The Accord is reliable, spacious, but very ordinary. I found the G35 to have an attractive styling, electronics and power. However, it had an artificial and unrefined ride. The Lexus I350 was typically smooth for a Lexus, but leaves the driver disengaged from the driving experience.

I found the BMW 335i to be the best sports sedan driving experience I have ever had. One automotive review said it best in that "BMW just gets it right" when it comes to the 3 series. The car is compact enough that the car feels sporty, yet has enough room to comfortably fit 4 adults and a childs carseat with 3 adults if need be. The seats and ergonomics of the driver position in the sports package are perfect. The leather feels like quality. The problem with most cars today is that there is so much plastic in the construction, you often wonder with that plastic will hold together over the course of time. The superb fit and finish of the 335i gives you confidence that things will last beyond the warranty. The torque and transmission are the best I've experienced. The styling is sharp, but could be improved upon. For a $45K+ car, it often does not stand out from the daily commuters. With the non-navigation you have to learn to standard 3-series radio configuration to navigate your iPod, phone, radio tuner, etc. At first, it's not very intuitive. I have a 2008 GMC which IMHO have the perfect command console of any car I've driven. All of the buttons are intuitive, where they should be and don't require a manual to figure out how to use them. BMW needs to work on this. It's nearly 2009 and there using 1998 interface. My last, but not least of my complaints is that BMW should stop nickle and diming their costumers on options. They should completely drop the "leatherette". You can't call your car a "luxury" sports sedan and make cars with plastic leather-like seats, no matter how good they feel. There should be 3 packages, with "luxury" standards (leather and power seats, ipod interface, etc). Other than the above mentioned, this is the best sports sedan out there, with room for improvement....read morehide

Pros

Looks Great, sounds great, fast, fast, fast

Cons

My driver seat clicks when i break and accerlarate

I upgraded from a 328i coupe to the 335i sedan and I love this car. It might not be the most luxurious are out there but it does not need to be. You want luxury go and bu an Es Lexus. The 335I is a sports sedan not a luxury sedan. I the ride is not to rough or noisy.Yes run flats are expensive but you should know what your getting in to and should not be surprised when you have to replace the tires. In addition there is not a single sports car out there that has cheap tires. Go test drive a 335I you will fall in love......read morehide

Pros

Form, fit and function.

Cons

Cup holders.

I love this car !!! The driveability, power and style are excellent. Truly.....the ultimate driving experience.

Pros

Great pickup when exiting into a highway. Excellent maneuverability. You can feel the road.

Cons

The tire "hub caps" are too detailed and difficult to get cleaned. And the seatbelt bothers my neck

I love my car because it has a distinct front design that change minimally from year to year. I like the theft security key and locks. It could need more leg room but it's easy to find parking space.

The car is reliable. I like the fact that it remembers my driving position, mirrors and seat!...read morehide