I am considering an E91 Touring for the wife and have found an 08 with sport and premium package. I am a bit baffled that they are also called "Sport" Wagons, does that imply they all have sport suspension etc...? When attempting to compare this to an 07 E91 The dealer struggles to give me good data on the differnces. What I have noticed in the 08 is that the sport package has paddle shifters, sport seats and I assume a sport suspension (feels pretty taught). I have only seen 07's on line and very few actually say sport package but do not depict paddle shifters. Can anyone breakdown what the differences are I should expect from an 07 to 08 E91? Most interested in Motor, Sport and Premium package differences if any. Appreciated
They're all called Sport Wagons; has nothing to do with the options/packages. The Sport Package has a stiffer suspension, different/better seats, different wheels, etc. The giveaway to the sport package is the seats - only available with SP. Look for the extendable thigh support. The paddle shifters are an additional option and are not included with the Sport Package, so not all Sport Package-equipped cars have them. The Premium package includes a lot of stuff like leather seats, electronic options, lighting, etc. Not sure what you mean by "Motor", as only one engine is available. Perhaps you mean "M-Sports", which is an alternative to the Sports package and includes mostly appearance-changing options like front/rear bumper/valence, wheels, etc. It may not have been available in the 07/08 years - not sure on that. Have the dealer run the VIN - it will tell them what options came on the car.
Thanks for the info, running the VIN on the car is a great recommendation. By the motor, I was curious if there were any inherent flaws or improvements from one year to the next from 07 to 08. From what I can gather from the forums there is little to nothing to complain about on these motors. It does not have to be a rocket but a fun alternative to drive over all the other similar wagons out there. Thanks for the feedback, Rick
As the engine is actually a 3 liter, it has a fair bit of punch, and has 10 more hp than the older 3 liter in the E46 series. So it's a fair bit faster than the 2.5l in the older models. My son drove a 328i sedan as a loaner and said it was fine - not up to the punch of his 335i, but definitely able to move along quite well.
There of course are two other factors to consider....whether the car has a manual transmission and whether it's x-drive (AWD). It seems that most 328i wagons - regardless of whether they're 07 or 08 - are automatics and the majority are x-drive. I have an 08 328i with a manual transmission and no x-drive. Plus the sport and premium packages. I am very happy with mine, although I did test drive an x-drive car with an automatic and found it to be not at all to my liking. The "feel" of the x-drive car is altogether different from my rwd car. Not necessarily bad, but not quite the typical BMW experience. And the automatic.....well, we'll leave that to the typical comments on this and other forums. Good luck on finding what you want. The rwd, MT, wagons are an increasingly rare item. If that's what you're actually looking at and you decide to pass on it, you might post back to that effect as I know several people who are looking for one.
Paddle shifters where not available in 2007 on any 328i models. They were an option available starting in 2008 in conjunction with the Sport Package only. From BMW: What's new for 2008 All models As of 9/07 production: •Newly designed shift knob for manual transmission •Paddle shifters for automatic transmission now available on all models in combination with Sport Package •New-type (LED) take-out flash- light in glove compartment Sedans & Sports Wagons •New design for standard 16-in. wheels of 328i/xi models •Speedometer and tachometer design now similar to that of Coupes and Convertibles, with longer indicator needles and finer increments on speedometer All 328i/xi models •Front brake diameter now 312 mm/12.3 in.; this diameter formerly only on 328i Convertible •Matte-chrome exhaust tips newly standard
