[boulderado]

Hi all,

I am planning on placing my order for a 428i xdrive sport line this week and cannot decide on certain options. So I would appreciate any input/opinion on these items.

- SensaTec Leatherette vs Leather Dakota: Couple of years back I sat in a leatherette 3 series and the interior felt like real leather. So I don't know if the leather upgrade is worth $1400...

- Since xdrive cancels the sport suspension I am thinking about getting the dynamic handling package but I don't know how much of a difference does it make especially with the firmness of dampers from comfort to sport setting. Do you think it is worth the $1000 extra?

- Standard equipment includes hi-fi sound system and I don't know how much the Harman Kordon sound system add to the base hi-fi system. Has anyone sampled them both in a 3 series and would recommend the HK system for an additional $875?

- Final item is the automatic high beams. It sounds like a great idea and at $250 it is definitely cheap but I am just curious how useful it is in real life.

Thanks in advance for everyone posting replies...

[mntbiker]

Hey,

Everyone has their own preferences and things that matter to them, but I can hopefully summarize some of the general sentiment that I've found in the forums on these options.

1) Leatherette - Most people say that this is good enough and it's not worth paying the $$$ for the Dakota leather (which is not that great). If Nappa leather was offerred, seems like more people would upgrade. I've also read that the Leatherette holds up extremely well (better than the leather).

2) For the F30 3-series, it seems like the Dynamic Handling Pkg (DHP) is an absolute must have if you get the X-Drive. Without the X-Drive, it's not quite as important and a good place to save some cash if you are on a budget. There are a lot of threads which go into more detail about this, but i'd plan on adding it if you are getting X-drive.

3) HK Sound System. There are also a lot of threads on this one, too. If you really enjoy listening to music and care/notice bad quality speakers/headphones, then it's probably worth the upgrade. I consider the HK a mandatory option, but then again I'm always playing music (often loud) in my car.

4) Auto High Beams. Everyone says this feature is extremely cool and for $250 it seems like a no-brainer to me. It's like $3/month..

For my 435i order, I went with Leatherette, no DHP (but mine is M-Sport line), HK, and auto high beams. Actually, those are pretty much the only options I got other than the Navigation option.

Enjoy!

[AppStoreMoney]

1.) I bought the dakota leather in my 328i. I read many posts claiming the leatherette is just as good, and i tend to believe them. I only got the real leather seats to please my wife.

2.) I have the M-Sport line, and the DHP is a noticeable difference between comfort and sport modes. I think it's worth it.

3.) I decided not to get the HK upgraded sound system. I don't like the music to be too loud, and I often drive with the sound off. At lower volumes road noise and wind noise will be audible, and the difference in speaker quality is minimized.

4.) I didn't even realize they had that option. For $250, I'd get it.

If I had to put these in order from most important to least important: 2, 4, 3, 1.

Of course that's just my opinion.

[Mak135i]

1. The Dakota leather is certainly not worth the money and I only have it because I bought a car that was on the lot. One of my best friends has leathertte in her car and honestly it is very hard to tell the difference in appearance or feel between the 2

3. I think the HK sound is a MUST if you listen to high quality music (like CD, MP3 or even HD radio). On the other hand, you could just get the base stero and install after-market, high end, system.
I have listened to both numerous times, and in my opinion, the HK is MUCH better, though not absolutely great.

[KevRyd]

1. Is the Leather not standard with the sport model, including sport seats?

2. Since you are in CO xDrive is a must, to enjoy the car in the summer I would suggest DHP

3. Sound, It's upto you the base system is ok, HK is much better. can you justify the cost? reall subjective

4. Auto High Beams. Well it does get dark early in the winter and you probably have some interesting driving conditions. I would go for it if $$ is not that big a deal.

Kevin

Originally Posted by boulderado

Hi all,

I am planning on placing my order for a 428i xdrive sport line this week and cannot decide on certain options. So I would appreciate any input/opinion on these items.

- SensaTec Leatherette vs Leather Dakota: Couple of years back I sat in a leatherette 3 series and the interior felt like real leather. So I don't know if the leather upgrade is worth $1400...

- Since xdrive cancels the sport suspension I am thinking about getting the dynamic handling package but I don't know how much of a difference does it make especially with the firmness of dampers from comfort to sport setting. Do you think it is worth the $1000 extra?

- Standard equipment includes hi-fi sound system and I don't know how much the Harman Kordon sound system add to the base hi-fi system. Has anyone sampled them both in a 3 series and would recommend the HK system for an additional $875?

- Final item is the automatic high beams. It sounds like a great idea and at $250 it is definitely cheap but I am just curious how useful it is in real life.

Thanks in advance for everyone posting replies...

[Pauleebe]

Bolded my thoughts:

Originally Posted by boulderado

Hi all,

I am planning on placing my order for a 428i xdrive sport line this week and cannot decide on certain options. So I would appreciate any input/opinion on these items.

- SensaTec Leatherette vs Leather Dakota: Couple of years back I sat in a leatherette 3 series and the interior felt like real leather. So I don't know if the leather upgrade is worth $1400...

Leatherette is good enough for me, and also ages better than leather.

- Since xdrive cancels the sport suspension I am thinking about getting the dynamic handling package but I don't know how much of a difference does it make especially with the firmness of dampers from comfort to sport setting. Do you think it is worth the $1000 extra?

Absolutely get DHP, don't even think about it, especially since you're getting xDrive

- Standard equipment includes hi-fi sound system and I don't know how much the Harman Kordon sound system add to the base hi-fi system. Has anyone sampled them both in a 3 series and would recommend the HK system for an additional $875?

I came from base audio in an E46, so I got the HK audio since the EDM among other genres I like sometimes have heavy bass and I didn't want to make this mistake twice.

- Final item is the automatic high beams. It sounds like a great idea and at $250 it is definitely cheap but I am just curious how useful it is in real life.

Xenons light the road just fine IMO. This option may only be useful if you live outside the city where there isn't much road lighting and high beams are used frequently. I never use high beams with xenons, thus even though it's only $250, it seemed like a stupid option.

Thanks in advance for everyone posting replies...

[shoptb]

Just to chime in with my experience on the Auto High-Beams; it seems like I'm overriding the AHBs 75% of the time because they either detect the glare off the signs and shut off, or they don't think it's dark enough, etc etc. Not worth the $$.

[YeaG30]

2. I do not have the DHP but I will say I have driven both msport and base suspension versions and the base suspension is very floaty. I would spring for the DHP IF you are getting the xdrive.

3. I have the HK system in my car and I listen to lots of music and am very impressed with the quality of the system. That said, it is definitely a splurge but I would have regretted it if I had passed. The standard "hi-fi" system is not equivalent across all series of BMWs. I have a 535i loaner currently while my first service is being performed, and the "hi-fi" system in the 5 is spectacular compared to the one in the 3. Don't know why but it is.

4. The auto high beam assist came standard with the lighting package for the '12 F30s. I think its nice if I want to be lazy but by no means is it necessary. It is however only $250 and I wouldn't pass on it for price. If you live in the countryside you would appreciate it as you tend to use high beams more at night looking for critters approaching your vehicle.