A total of five different drivers spent time in the BMW in July. This resulted in some interesting similarities about the car's strengths and weaknesses.
For instance, every driver had a complaint regarding the GPS navigation. Two of the drivers noted that the system was slow to update its verbal and graphic directions, often leading to a missed turn. Another driver stated the GPS was simply wrong when it indicated a westbound direction of travel (the 328i was actually going south at the time). Our managing editor was confused by the system's request for him to repeatedly exit the 405 freeway when traveling between Los Angeles and San Diego. It was only after he checked the system's parameters and discovered that it was set for "Least Use of Highways" mode that its behavior made sense. Finally, when our book-production crew headed out to Phoenix from Oceanside, Calif., they discovered that the navigation CD covers only California and Nevada, rendering the system useless once they crossed the state line into Arizona.
On the plus side, our internet director finally figured out how to quell the female voice that supplies verbal directions, and cuts off the radio, while driving from point A to point B. He simply pressed the main navigation knob in until the words "no sound" appeared on the screen. Normally we'd like the idea of verbal cues that don't require taking your eyes off the road, but when those directions are incorrect (as they often were during the past month) it's nice to be able to silence that voice.
Universal agreement was also reached on the BMW's steering-wheel controls. Everyone thinks that the buttons should be more clearly labeled but, once you figure out what they do, they are a major convenience. Even more amazing is the fact that, if you read the owner's manual, you'll find a clear explanation of each button's purpose. This holds true for the strangely labeled radio and central-dash buttons, too. Once again we see that when all else fails, READ THE INSTUCTIONS!
Another minor annoyance popped up when we tried to use a Mobil Speed Pass with our BMW. When utilizing the Speed Pass, you must first enter the vehicle's current odometer reading. No problem...except that the BMW's odometer is digital and can't be seen without turning the key to the "accessory" position. Still no big deal, right? Wrong. The first number to appear on the digital gauge readout after turning on the key is the miles-to-next-service number. So you now have to wait...and wait...and wait for the actual odometer reading to appear. What started out as a time-saving device, the Mobil SPEED Pass, gets turned into an exercise in frustration by the BMW's complicated and high-tech gauge display. One obvious solution would be to note the odometer reading before turning off the key when pulling into a gas station. If you forget to do that, you can climb back into the car and press the tiny tripmeter button located next to the odometer display. This will light up the current odometer reading even if the key is not in the ignition (another hint that you'll find if you carefully read the owner's manual).
Minor gripes about a lack of interior storage compartments, less-than-stellar rear-seat climate control (and space) and a disappointing sound system also made it into the logbook. For the first time in July we also noticed a large amount of brake dust accumulating on our shiny 17-inch wheels. Since this car's appearance depends heavily on the condition of the wheels, excessive brake dust is a major detractor. Some of today's wheel cleaners claim to not only remove brake dust but also reduce its ability to stick to a treated wheel in the first place. For a Sport-Package equipped 328i, this type of product would be a godsend.
As expected, there were five sets of comments rating the Bimmer's driving characteristics. Words like "awesome," "nicely balanced" and "confident" were rampant throughout the logbook. It would appear that, from a driver's standpoint, we love this car.
So what else is new.
Total Odometer Reading: 10,112
Best Fuel Economy: 31.0 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 20.2 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Slow and occasionally inaccurate directions from the GPS system.
