Does anyone have any info on 2012 3 series cars? I'm tired of fuel pump issues. Currently have a 2008 white 6-speed 335i. Includes GPS Bitch and Premium Stereo that sounds anything but premium. I don't usually take what Consumer Reports says about cars too seriously, but I found it comical that the ONLY BMW they recommend NOT buying is a used 2008 335i. Spoke to someone with a 2010 335i and he too needed a new fuel pump. Thinking of a 335is but it seems to have the same engine as my 2008 and the 2010 that my friend has which had to have the FP replaced. Why do I want a car from these people that can't seem to get their engines right? What is my problem? Thinking of a CTS-V too but I just can't imagine myself driving a Caddy.
The fuel pump failed on our 2008 535i and then gave error codes (sending the car into "limp mode" or as the BMW rep calls it "no big deal, it only affects the performance in a negligible manner so you shouldn't worry - having a car stall at idle at every light is perfectly acceptable") twice more after that. At the end of the lease we returned it even though the original plan was to keep it. On the other hand, my mom's 2008 335i is coming up on 20K miles and the HPFP issue has not reared its ugly head yet, so I guess failure is not guaranteed As for the premium sound, I agree. BMW has to provide the worst sounding "premium" systems in the business. Our tired old 2002 Volvo S60 has a stereo that blows the HK system on my 330Ci out of the water. The 535i's stereo was a joke at best. My mom's 335i has the optional premium sound and it doesn't begin to compare to the system I had on any of our other cars, going back almost 15 years.
OMG. I have been complaining about this sound system for years and I could never get anyone to agree with me. I took the car up to LucasFilms where one of my friends is an audio engineer and he laughed when he heard the system. It was pitiful. I forgot to mention that my car didn't "throw a code" for almost a year. Then it started to buck and wiggle and by the time I got to the dealer, only a few miles away there was lots of white smoke coming from it. It certainly got the attention of the service department. I wrote a letter that said if this car doesn't throw a code this time I want to know who to talk to in Germany.....It actually threw a code that time.
I'm a home hi-fi nut and have been for over fifty years. I laugh at any car system making claims of hi-fidelity and attaching names like Mark Levinson, h/k, or (shudder) Bose to boom-box speakers. That being said, these systems aren't that different from a home system in that you must consider the source. Any good sound system will make inferior recordings sound . . . well, like what they are. A good recording even reduced to compressed files and loaded into today's standard BMW sound system sounds damn good. I keep a USB drive at work loaded with some of my favorite tracks and I load it into the music collection drive on every new BMW that comes in with Navigation. People are always complimenting the music and, by association, the system playing it. Before you condemn the system, try some decent recordings.
BMW Premium Sound - less so than some Being a bit of an audiophile too, I agree with your basic premise. You must start with a good recording. You can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. But ... When you run the exact same recording through several output devices and get decidedly different listening experiences, you have something meaningful for comparison. We've owned several BMWs in the last decade, all with "Premium" sound. There have been some variations in sound quality between each of them. All have been quite enjoyable. But, none has compared favorably to the sound produced by our Acura TL. We've had other premium sound systems in everything from a Toyota, a M/B, a Pontiac, a Honda, an Acura, to a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Infinity, H/K and, yes even Bose to name a few. To this day, my 13 year old Jeep (Infinity Gold) still puts out better sound than any of our BMWs. In our personal experience, the top-of-the-line Acura sound bests them all. Of course, when we put in "Riding with the King" on DVD-Audio, it rises to a whole new level (not a fair comparison). All this to say ... the sound is in the ear of the listener. Most will be very happy with even the basic BMW sound. Some of us won't be completely satisfied with anything currently on the market. That's life. Now, that is cool! Lord have mercy, I wish you worked at my dealership.
I would have to agree. The sound system is somewhat lacking, though when you take the driving experience as a whole these cars are mostly without competition. The CTS-V actually drives surprisingly well despite being an ugly duckling. I can understand your frustration as I am anxiously waiting for a fuel pump failure on my 3 month old car, but it's not like it happens to everyone and though they are worlds better these days, cadillacs have plenty of quirks all on their own.
All cars have issues. Some more than others. BMW is no different. We drive these cars for the feel, smile and badge. Good times and bad, I wouldn't leave BMW for any other marque.
This is true, but the feel of a malfunctioing HPFP is not a good one. BMW has had ample opportunity to get this right. OK, dumb question time...does the 335d's engine have this pump?
It's not the same pump, because it's not the same fuel. The viscosity is way different. Actually, the diesel injection system runs 2,000 bar (around 32,000 psi), while the gas injection engines run only 200 bar (3400 psi IIRC).
I agree with this except for the badge part! I often say if a hyundai engaged me the way my bimmer did, I would be driving that instead. Also, forget the stereo, listen to the engine note! I say both in good fun. Regards! On the HPFP issue, I feel that BMW could handle this better from the stories I hear on the Internet. However, a buddy of mine who has a E90 335i got his HPFP replaced under warrenty when he brought the car in for another issue. So maybe they are making way. May depend on the dealership too. I got a chance to drive a 335d and came away mighty impressed. If you are considering it, I think it is a great choice!
