The Great Engine Debate - 2014 BMW 328i xDrive Gran Turismo Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

The Great Engine Debate - 2014 BMW 328i xDrive Gran Turismo Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds editors don't always agree. In this case, there's discussion over whether the turbo four-cylinder in the 2014 BMW 328i xDrive Gran Turismo is enough.

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schen72

Having recently rented a BMW 328i sedan (provided by insurance company due to fender bender) I felt the 240bhp turbo 4-cylinder was more than adequate. There is a touch of turbo lag off the line, but it's certainly quick enough for most anyone. And it returned a pretty good 28mph in the time I drove it.

PF_Flyer

I guess both opinions cab be correct. For real world roads, it's certainly enough. For those short stretches you can find to have a little fun, it might seem like you'd want to see more

allthingshonda

I've never driven a car with this engine but I'm sure it's good, BMW makes really good engines. However, I've been around a few of these as they take over as BMW's entry level engine and they are very noisy. Like diesel noisy. I know all direct injected engines are noisy but this one is bad.

s197gt

had a 328i loaner from the dealer with this engine. i have posted on here before about it but i'll say it again: crazy fast with right now torque. yeah, there was a touch of turbo lag like schen72 said, but not much. the idle may have indicated 4-cylinder but the power off the line and rapid increase of speed said something else.

i will say i can't remember if the car i had was x-drive or not and i presume the GT model adds weight; so there could have been a couple hundred pounds of difference.

bobinsepa

allthingshonda said:

I've never driven a car with this engine but I'm sure it's good, BMW makes really good engines. However, I've been around a few of these as they take over as BMW's entry level engine and they are very noisy. Like diesel noisy. I know all direct injected engines are noisy but this one is bad.

I was about to test drive an X1 and was standing near the left rear fender while the saleswoman started the car. It was terrible. The exhaust note reminded me of my daughter's Civic and the sound of the engine was agriculturally bad. I immediately canceled my test drive. The engine in my E46 330Cic sounds so good, while this four banger sounds like something out of a third world country.

legacygt

Does BMW outfit the X1 with a audio system that reproduces engine sounds like in some of its more expensive cars. Maybe they can pipe in the sounds of a 6 cylinder so you don't have to hear the turbo 4. Even better, an 8 cylinder.

bobinsepa

legacygt said:

Does BMW outfit the X1 with a audio system that reproduces engine sounds like in some of its more expensive cars. Maybe they can pipe in the sounds of a 6 cylinder so you don't have to hear the turbo 4. Even better, an 8 cylinder.

I think that is part of the problem. This engine might be acceptable to some people in a BMW that MSRPs just above $30K. But it is also the the base engine in the $52K 5 series. Of course these are BMWs so you have to add at least $10K in options to get a car that you might be comfortable in. The X1 that I was looking at was $41K and all I was really after was a backup camera. There was a 328 wagon parked next to it for $63K.

texases

I drove this engine in a rental 528xi for a week. Power was fine, and it was smooth...for a 4 cylinder. But not for an expensive BMW. They made their fame and fortune with one of the best engines ever, the I6. Now that it's only available with a turbo, I'm not that interested.

34lc762

i completely agree with taxases. bmw really lost its "ultimate driving machine" status with the new turbo engines. i dont care how they spin it, "efficient dynamics", "torquey", whatever, it just does not feel like a bmw anymore. and i am a guy who owned an m3, a 550, a 330ci all with non-turbo engines and i loved each and every one of them until i bought a 335xi with the turbo engine. it felt like 300 horses of non-sense, no excitement, no rush. you wonder how 300 horsepower can be so boring...i dont know maybe i loved the essence of bmw too much...they left us (hardcore bmw fans) in the dark for sure...

PF_Flyer

34lc762 said:

i completely agree with taxases. bmw really lost its "ultimate driving machine" status with the new turbo engines. i dont care how they spin it, "efficient dynamics", "torquey", whatever, it just does not feel like a bmw anymore. and i am a guy who owned an m3, a 550, a 330ci all with non-turbo engines and i loved each and every one of them until i bought a 335xi with the turbo engine. it felt like 300 horses of non-sense, no excitement, no rush. you wonder how 300 horsepower can be so boring...i dont know maybe i loved the essence of bmw too much...they left us (hardcore bmw fans) in the dark for sure...

It is always curious when companies feel like they need "change".

"New Coke" comes to mind

stever

It's going down to the wire, but at last report, BMW was leading Mercedes for the honor of selling the most luxury cars in the US in 2014. Follow the money?

PF_Flyer

stever said:

It's going down to the wire, but at last report, BMW was leading Mercedes for the honor of selling the most luxury cars in the US in 2014. Follow the money?

Always follow the money!