[Adybaby]

Hi all
My bro in law is looking at 328i - the reasons - does not like my 320d and the noise, and he does about 12k pa and thinks diesel may not be as efficient as it would with 20k milers. So are there any 328i owners that can give feedback on the smoothness/refinement/fuel economy - muchas... ( he has heard that the petrol sounds like a diesel!!! Is that just outside or is cabin ok, is pull away etc noisy as well )

[KamikazeNY]

In eco-pro I've hyper-miled 36.9 MPG highway with my RWD 328i. A few others have done even better. The only time it sounds remotely like a diesel is when the engine is cold and the valves are a little chattery. After a minute or two of warm-up that sound goes away. After that it's very subdued at low RPMs and totally primal sounding at high revs. It really sounds awesome IMO.

[oirash]

i have the petrol 328i. it sounds like deisel engine and that because of the turbo charger. the new generation of all V4 & V6 engines sound like deisel. i found it stragne at first but then i knew that its normal because of turbo charger.

[Damn Dirty Ape]

Originally Posted by oirash

i have the petrol 328i. it sounds like deisel engine and that because of the turbo charger. the new generation of all V4 & V6 engines sound like deisel. i found it stragne at first but then i knew that its normal because of turbo charger.

Npt the turbo as much as the direct injected high pressure fuel injector rail though.

[swamy]

luv my 328i!smooth & very reasonable fuel economy (27+ even in this winter!)& i drive sport 95% of the time.suggest the 335i too which outpolled the 328i on this forum recently & is discounted more so if he does the right permutation can get an even awesomer car w/all the goodies from 328i & more!

[loosenit2]

I have a 12 328i and over two years have averaged 30mpg over highway and around town (1 year in Europe and 1 year in the USA). Generally get 34-38 MPH on the hwy.

Generally speaking diesels are better if you do a lot of highway miles rather than city driving. Diesel engines are much more fuel efficient on the highway and generally hold up for more miles because the engine is built heavier. If you do more city driving gasoline or hybrid models are a better bet.

Gasoline models tend to be a bit more peppy as well, so if sportiness is a factor the gasoline models are better suited.

[SRB]

I had a e92 320d for 5 years and now am looking at 428i vs 420d.
I drive exclusively in the city, about 8,000 km/year.

I spent the day with the 428i and when switching to the 420d right after I can say that the 428i noticeably sounds better.

In terms of fuel economy on my 320d I was using 8 litres per 100 km. On the 428i it seemed to take 12 litres per 100 km. Sorry about the metric, but it means the 428i used 50% more gas for city driving. This partially could be because the 428i encourages you to drive the car harder I think; in eco mode it should do better.

In terms of how it feels during city driving, the 428i feels sportier - however I am getting old and I like the relaxed low rpm drive of the 420d.

Ultimately I plan to get the 428i. The noise and acceleration were small factors - however at the end of the day most of my trips are short (<5 km) which can be problematic for a diesel (in the 50K KM I had the car no problems related to this, but maybe they were around the corner), but I am really going to miss the better fuel economy.

If sound is the decider, then the 428i is your pick. However all things considered neither was a clear better choice for me. Here in Poland they cost almost exactly the same price (about USD 58K with no options).

[s0nu]

One of the most common questions I get about my car -

"Your car is a diesel?" ..
" No "...
"Oh cuz thee engine sounds like one"

[SRB]

Originally Posted by s0nu

One of the most common questions I get about my car -

"Your car is a diesel?" ..
" No "...
"Oh cuz thee engine sounds like one"

When I had my 320d (debadged) - nobody ever asked me if it was a diesel - could it be because it was obvious?

there must be a 328i your brother could listen to and compare - I believe there is a noticeable difference, but I still think the 320d has a great engine.

[Quakered]

Our 328 did have a faintly diesely rattle on startup that you can only really hear with the window open. It becomes unnoticeable as the engine warms and also seems to have quietened as the miles clock up to the point were I no longer register it. It was never as horrible or intrusive as a real diesel.

The engine is wonderfully smooth and quiet inside the car and a joy to drive around town and the open road. Our average mpg on the longer journeys is over 37 as measured by the Eco pro app. With lots of short journeys around town, our overall is 28.

[steve111]

I think a lot of direct-injection engines sound like diesels at idle - my GTI is no different - so maybe it's just the way of the future. It's not a noise you can hear inside the 328i anyway. In fact the engine is almost inaudible, unless you're getting stuck into it a bit. A couple of older people who drove my 6MT 328i found they weren't shifting when they normally would, as there were no audible cues and they weren't in the habit of using the tacho. So overall I'd say the smoothness and refinement are very impressive. As for fuel economy, I normally see about 33 mpg in mixed town/highway driving, and up to around 45 mpg on a gentle highway run. (Imperial mpg not US, btw)

[Adybaby]

Thanks for feedback guys - I think he will almost cert go for the petrol, and to be honest I don't blame him - it seems BMW have taken a step back with the diesel noise, for such an expensive car it really is uncouth and ratttley which I am sure company car drivers don't care about but on a personal purchase a little more refine,ment would be nice.