Hello from Edina, Mn. Picked up my amazing 09 328iX jet black coupe yesterday and already slopped up with snow and road salt. Had not planned on buying this car until spring but local dealer had good deals on financing. My first BMW having come over from a 05 Acura TL which I really liked a lot, but could not stand their awful restyling for 09. Now I just have to get it washed as soon as possible.
Excellent, welcome to the club! All my aunts, uncles, & cousins on my dad's side live in Edina, so I've been in that area over the years on visits. You might want dedicated snow tires for the winter, although I don't know how well you might get through the 1.5ft+ snow events, x-drive and all (I just don't have any awd experience in the type of weather you get up there - I rarely get that much snow, and only have the rear wheels powered, at that). Maybe somebody from Buffalo or Boston can pipe-in. Enjoy your car!
Thanks for the welcomes. I've been driving in the Minnesota winters now for over 40 years, mostly with front wheel drive vehicles with good all-season tires. I had a 02 Chrysler 300M with performance tires and quickly learned these kind of tires are dangerous in the snow and ice. Then I had to get winter tires and swap them out once a year and quickly got tired of doing that, plus the extra cost. That's why I did not get the performance tires on my new BMW, opting instead for the 17" all-season tires. Those, combined with the AWD, should get me through the snow and ice just fine. Only potential issue is that the coupe is pretty low to the ground so you tend to get into snow plowing fairly easy. Had a couple of inches of snow the last two days and the car and tires performed very well.
Congratulations on the new car. How does it compare to the Acura TL? Was the styling of the new TL the only reason you did not buy one? I liked the looks of the previous model, especially compared to the new one.
Well, my 05 TL was a great car. I liked the styling, features, and the dealer service was excellent. Not only do I not care for the restyling on the 09 model, they also made it a lot bigger. I have a tight parking spot in my condo garage and anything approaching full-size is difficult to park. Not only that, the AWD 09 TL loaded is about the same price as my new 328i coupe. My new BMW fits nicely into the parking space and the fold in mirrors help also. I think my new coupe is one heck of a good looking car and already have gotten numerous compliments on the styling. I'm a single guy so I really don't need a sedan and BMW is one of the few premium brands that offers such great looking and quality coupes anymore.
The new 3er coupes are a beauty. The rear of the car reminds me of what a rear re-styled E31 (8 series) would have looked liked.
Two week ownership report Well, I know just two weeks is not very long to provide a comprehensive evaluation of a new vehicle, but here goes: 2009 328iX, sport and premium package, 17" all season tires. Overall impression: Having driven some 12 new cars in recent years, this is by far the most solid feeling, quality ride I have experienced. Kind of hard to put into words, but this car just feels as solid as a rock, performance and handling far beyond what I experienced in the past. Exterior: Jet black paintlooks real good, except for the snow and road salt here in Minnesota, not the cars fault. Lots of compliments on the coupe styling. Interior: What a feeling of quality! Nothing fancy or outrageous, but nice traditional gauges and appointments. Leather sport seats are terrific. Winter performance: Four inch unplowed snow fall this a.m. AWD plus all season tires plus DTC on got me through with no problems. Wheels never spinned on the snow and ice once.
