[lesterhein]

For the members in the US, can you recommend another car search site other than Autotrader.com?

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by lesterhein

Thanks for the feedback! Pura Vida Yeah, sunfall as I call it does come rather early and very quickly. I had the Xenon extra on my 350z (back in Cape Town, South Africa) and I did like the way they looked. I'll try and get a look at the BMW lights in person. Can these be retrofitted or are they purely a dealer option?






This puppy won't be seeing anything slippery or dirt-related. We have two SUVs to take care of that, so I think I will forego XI altogether. This will be purely for weekend driving and the odd blast down to Playa Hermosa. Although that being said, the last two drives down to Guanacaste have been pretty easy with the new road. We stayed at Playa Conchal for a couple of days and also Hacienda Pinilla for a few. No dirt roads to be traversed on those trips.

Did you spend much time down here in CR?

Yes they can be retrofired but honestly the retrofit will probably cost you more then if you got them already set from the dealer.

I go to Costa Rica every few years. Would not mind living there...

[BlackedOutBimmer]

Originally Posted by lesterhein

I've beem reading that a lot of people want the Xenons. What makes them so special? I'm clueless in this regard

xenon lights are "better" than the standard halogen lights... halogen lights are what comes on a minivan or pickup truck... they have no business belonging on any type of "luxury car" in my opinion.

xenons are brighter, look way cooler, and have the "angel eye" rings... halogens looks like... well halogen headlights.

[b_minus335]

Looks like you know exactly what you want. Best advice i can give you is to get the Sports package no doubt! Also get the xenons, because with no xenons=no stock angel eyes.

Also, someone may have to correct me, but i though all coupes have the sports suspension no matter if they have sports package or not.

[lesterhein]

Originally Posted by b_minus328

Looks like you know exactly what you want. Best advice i can give you is to get the Sports package no doubt! Also get the xenons, because with no xenons=no stock angel eyes.

Also, someone may have to correct me, but i though all coupes have the sports suspension no matter if they have sports package or not.

I've found the process to be easier by eliminating what I don't want or can't have and then seeing what I'm left with. The 328i is a very nice option to be left with, as is the 320d

Next up in the process for me is to make a list of the things to look out for, potential problems, issues, etc. Then the scouting will start in earnest!

I definitely want the angel eyes look, so will put halogens on the list for sure. Thanks for the heads up!

[b_minus335]

Originally Posted by lesterhein

I've found the process to be easier by eliminating what I don't want or can't have and then seeing what I'm left with. The 328i is a very nice option to be left with, as is the 320d

Next up in the process for me is to make a list of the things to look out for, potential problems, issues, etc. Then the scouting will start in earnest!

I definitely want the angel eyes look, so will put halogens on the list for sure. Thanks for the heads up!

You dont want halogens, you want xenons. Xenons are the ones that come with angel eyes. Good luck!

[lesterhein]

Originally Posted by b_minus328

You dont want halogens, you want xenons. Xenons are the ones that come with angel eyes. Good luck!

Woops, my bad. I meant Xenons

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by lesterhein

For the members in the US, can you recommend another car search site other than Autotrader.com?

Check out CarMax.com
carsdirect.com
truecar.com
http://www.autotempest.com/

[Zach1328]

Originally Posted by lesterhein

For the members in the US, can you recommend another car search site other than Autotrader.com?

It seems like you've made up your mind about which car you want but I'll throw in my 2 cents for the 128/328 comparison.
First of all, you want a coupe - the e92 328i is a coupe (e90 is 3 series sedan) as well as the 128i. The 328i coupe has a longer and slightly wider wheelbase though it weighs ~100 pounds more than the 128i.
The 328i is going to be a little more spacious and luxurious but will lack the sportiness of the 128. I shouldn't say "lack" because the 328i is still a sporty car - it just isn't quite as sporty as the 1 series.
Here are the exact curb weights:
128i coupe = 3252 lbs
328i coupe = 3351 lbs
328i sedan = 3362 lbs

I chose an e90 335i simply because as you can see the weight difference of the 328i coupe vs. 328i sedan is minimal and I wanted the added space of the sedan.

The HPFP is an issue with the n54 twin turbo engines (found in 135/335/535i) and I would be worried too if I didn't have the 10 yr / 120,000 mile extended warranty. However, the turbo's generally don't have any issues and even if they did you could outsource the parts from here in the US - or where ever you can find the best deal. If you learn to work on the n54 engine on your own its relatively inexpensive to maintain.

You seem interested in a sporty car and if that is the case, the 135/335i is definitely worth the extra money and higher risk. The n54 engines are truly a blast to own and drive!

[lesterhein]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Check out CarMax.com
carsdirect.com
truecar.com
http://www.autotempest.com/

Thank you!

[lesterhein]

Originally Posted by Zach1328

I chose an e90 335i simply because as you can see the weight difference of the 328i coupe vs. 328i sedan is minimal and I wanted the added space of the sedan.

The HPFP is an issue with the n54 twin turbo engines (found in 135/335/535i) and I would be worried too if I didn't have the 10 yr / 120,000 mile extended warranty. However, the turbo's generally don't have any issues and even if they did you could outsource the parts from here in the US - or where ever you can find the best deal. If you learn to work on the n54 engine on your own its relatively inexpensive to maintain.

You seem interested in a sporty car and if that is the case, the 135/335i is definitely worth the extra money and higher risk. The n54 engines are truly a blast to own and drive!

Thanks for the feedback, it's much appreciated! I am definitely interested in a more sporting car. I can find loads of 320i's here, but they just don't excite me.

I've heard somewhere that letting FI cars stand is bad for them. Whichever car I buy will basically only be driven on the weekend, is this a bad thing for the turbos? I'm still very skeptical about the HPFP issues and the waistgate rattle, but I'm compiling prices for parts now.

In a weird twist, it's cheaper for me to import the 335i than it is the 328i. Same year model and same config. I can only assume it's demand related, because nothing else makes send