- #11005 of 11073
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Re: What bargain 15K leases for May? [jaxs1]
by ghstudio
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May 19, 2008 (9:14 am)
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Replying to: jaxs1 (Apr 27, 2008 4:07 pm)
G35 sedan would fall in your price range...below $450 before tax.
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- #11006 of 11073
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3 Series BMW is quiet
by jaxs1
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May 27, 2008 (7:21 pm)
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I thought I might need to buy a Lexus for a quiet ride, but I found the 3 series to be surprisingly quiet. Not LS460 dead silence, but seemed about as quiet as an ES to me when I drove it regardless of what any db meters may say.
I ended up buying a 328i.
From inside with the windows closed, the turn signals are most noticeable noise at times:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaQg8JrzL_c&fmt=6
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- #11007 of 11073
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Re: 3 Series BMW is quiet [jaxs1]
by blueguydotcom
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May 27, 2008 (11:04 pm)
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Replying to: jaxs1 (May 27, 2008 7:21 pm)
Yep, it's a German Buick.
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- #11008 of 11073
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Re: 3 Series BMW is quiet [jaxs1]
by tayl0rd
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May 28, 2008 (4:01 am)
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Replying to: jaxs1 (May 27, 2008 7:21 pm)
You must've bought one without the Sport package. I had a 328i loaner last week (non-Sport), and I was also surprised at how quite the ride is. And yes, the turn signal is a little obnoxious. I've driven a 335i Sport and it wasn't very quiet at all. I'd still buy one, though! Amazing how much of a difference tires can make.
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- #11009 of 11073
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Re: 3 Series BMW is quiet [tayl0rd]
by blueguydotcom
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May 28, 2008 (8:32 am)
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Replying to: tayl0rd (May 28, 2008 4:01 am)
no, the sport package still feels like a Buick.
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- #11010 of 11073
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Re: 3 Series BMW is quiet [blueguydotcom]
by tayl0rd
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May 28, 2008 (8:43 am)
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Replying to: blueguydotcom (May 28, 2008 8:32 am)
I don't know if I'd go that far. Even the non-Sport doesn't feel like a Buick. That was my first extended time with a 3-series and I put it through some paces. It handles really well, though it will understeer on you when you start pushing the limit. And the steering's not quite as quick as I like. The Sport package is much better as far as handling's concerned. I haven't driven a 3-series Sport long enough to really test the steering.
Here's a strange one for you. I test drove an M3 sedan and it's suspension actually felt softer than my 550i Sport! (It didn't have the adjustable suspension.) Go figure! But boy was it precise in direction. And getting back in my 550i after the M3, I could really feel the heft of the 5-series over the 3-series. (Or 550i Sport over the M3, that is.)
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- #11011 of 11073
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3 Series is sound deadening
by plekto
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May 28, 2008 (10:37 am)
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Check out the weight of one. Close to 2 tons. The reason it's quiet is because they have added several hundred pounds of materials to dampen it like a Buick or a Mercedes.
Handling is nowhere as good as the 3 series a decade ago as a result of being 700lbs or so heavier.
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- #11012 of 11073
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Re: 3 Series is sound deadening [plekto]
by tayl0rd
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May 28, 2008 (11:09 am)
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Replying to: plekto (May 28, 2008 10:37 am)
There aren't "several hundred pounds" of sound dampening material. The vast majority of the weight comes from safety equipment, amenties, and chassis stiffening/bracing.
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- #11013 of 11073
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Re: 3 Series is sound deadening [plekto]
by sls002
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May 29, 2008 (7:20 am)
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Replying to: plekto (May 28, 2008 10:37 am)
The increase in weight is due to the body's larger size (#1) and stiffer structure (#2). The new 1-series is a return to a smaller body, but they are using the 3 series platform so it has the same weight problem.
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