[Puri1]

So I just sent in my '12 328i Alpine White with Premium and Exec package in for repairs (rattling and software upgrade) and got a '13 328i Xdrive Red, with premium as a loaner and here are the differences, I felt between the two.

MILEAGE:
The two care are quite alike, not much difference when it comes to the mileage.

Harman Kardon vs Standard Stereo:
Is the difference between the two systems worth the extra $$, YES !! They're both very good but the HK system is much better.The standard system sounds tiny compared to the HK system, the bass sounds like one of the woofers is missing. The tweeters were decent but hurt the ears when the volume went up. I wasn't expecting such a big difference, but yea, it's worth the extra money !! The other MAJOR issue is the fact that you can't change the exact frequencies, and are stuck to the general, "Bass" and "Treble", this makes a huge difference on it's own.

Handling / Ride
I drive rather fast. I do cut in and out of traffic. I do like cutting in front of people and hate slow drivers. But I still love being safe and confident with my vehicle. The RWD 328i, which btw, I LOVE.. is very exciting, but since I drove the Xdrive, its gonna be hard going back. It's extremely well balanced, the vehicle doesn't ever feel that it's going to loose control, TONS of grip and just soo much more planted over the RWD.

Model Year '12 vs '13 Minor Changes
- The in dash display is a little upgrade with a few extra graphics
- There is a ASS icon that flashes in/out which I HATE !!!
- The * icon showing the ac now actually shows "A/C".
- The steering is soo much smoother, which might just be my car's issue, which is why I mentioned it here.

That's about it. I still LOVE my car.. I do wish I bought an AWD version though, personally, it gives me so much more confidence in the car and in myself while driving.

Also, the HK system is a no brainer !!

[pkim1079]

Rwd>awd. Better turn in and more tossable and way less understeer. Now in snow, different story.

Otherwise i would want my evo back. The handling and responsiveness of the rwd is way more awesome.

Was your steering wheel vibrating a lot eg wth its shaking or was it more subtle?

[sean10mm]

Originally Posted by pkim1079

Rwd>awd. Better turn in and more tossable and way less understeer. Now in snow, different story.

The dude is in Canada. AWD is probably not the worst idea in the world for him.

[shivaswrath]

Originally Posted by pkim1079

Rwd>awd. Better turn in and more tossable and way less understeer. Now in snow, different story.

Otherwise i would want my evo back. The handling and responsiveness of the rwd is way more awesome.

Was your steering wheel vibrating a lot eg wth its shaking or was it more subtle?

Agreed...-and RWD in snow is just fun. AWD is for pu$$ies in snow.

[sean10mm]

Originally Posted by shivaswrath

Agreed...-and RWD in snow is just fun. AWD is for pu$$ies in snow.

Like rally drivers?

[claykin]

Agreed with HK being a worthwhile upgrade. The last F30 loaner I had did not have HK. Couldn't wait to get my car back.

BMW std stereos may be getting slightly better, but it almost seems like they go out of their way to make them sound crappy just to push HK.

[Puri1]

Yeah, the biggest issue with the standard system is the fact that you can't change individual frequency settings..

[pkim1079]

Originally Posted by sean10mm

Like rally drivers?

Lets not compare rally drivers to the average driver! Lol.
But rwd is where it is. I was commenting on his post. Something about handling better and etc. total nonsense. Try taking that awd on some twisties or a short track. Understeer understeer understeer. Point turn wait let off the gas turn more ok now back on gas. That is a nightmare. But it was fun ripping through the rain in my evo.