Got my first car June 1st and god I love this car, it’s so luxury for such a small price , mine has had two owner and it still drives sooo smooth!! Drives like it’s brand new
Man I loved my e90, sadly it’s been a headache the past couple months with battery/voltage problems that I no longer want to deal with plus I’ve driven it over 210k miles. I’ve let it go and now drive a 2015 volvo s60 that I absolutely adore but miss the charm my e90 had, especially the idrive system. The e90 is a great car that everyone should buy just make sure to take meticulous care of it and it’ll do the same for you. For the first car I’ve owned and worked on myself it’s relatively easy to do diy work on too plus it’s significantly cheaper than bringing it to repair shops or the dealer and parts are also widely available (thank you fcp euro).
Great video! One feature you missed is the comfort access option. I have it on 3 of my Bimmers and its so nice to not have to fiddle with keys, just leave them in your pocket. I just bought a 2011 328i xDrive and it's very loaded up and it has comfort access and other options like the nav/idrive with bluetooth audio streaming system. I was surprised to find that it doesn't have a rear camera. My X3 and 750i have them and you really miss it when you don't have it.
I've been tracking my experience with an e93 328i for the past year and a half. It's been an expensive ownership experience but it's a joy to drive. I love and hate it!
I have owned my 2006 E90 323i for around 9 years and overall have been very happy with the car. About a year ago I replaced the engine as the original one had died. My car had @230,000 kms on the clock. The replacement engine had only 130,000kms so it made sense, even if the cost at around $10k for the whole job was more than the car is worth. I just didn’t want to send the car to the wreckers. Subsequent to this I thereafter had to replace a coilpack but was advised it made sense to replace all 6, at a cost of about $1k. So, I might as well keep on enjoying the car as I have a fair bit invested in it. At some stage I am going to want to get the roof, bonnet and boot lid all repainted as the clear coat is failing but so be it.
Those are very reliable, safe, and well built BMWs. Ensure the valve cover, oil pan, and oil filter housing gaskets are done. Also, vanos bolts on a few models.
If you pull back and hold the cruise control lever it'll grab your brakes for you! Also quick pushes will bump your speed up or down 5 miles an hour. It's cruise control is nicely done.
2:04 I was VERY diligent with my E90 328i xDrive with regard to maintenance but the EKP module STILL failed at 139k miles shorting the fuel pump and leaving me stranded on a busy highway. I still love this car though! I took it from around 20 miles on the odometer to currently a very spirited 141K miles. It's the electronics on this car that you have to watch out for. The drivetrain is pretty reliable as you say.
@jerryzhang3654 No warning at all. The car was running fine and I would once a month park it at the airport for a week and then when I returned home I would daily drive it for 50 minutes continuously for a commute into the city. That's why I finally decided it was time to buy a new car and keep my E90 as the backup car.
Thanks for going into so many small details and well beyond the overview that could easily be found online. Also, I've seen a couple cars with temp controls on the steering wheel but never recirc!
I have the E91 fraternal twin of this car - Space Gray Metallic over black, x-Drive, auto trans, non-Sport. However, mine has the N52 engine and it appears yours is the N51. The N51 is the SULEV version and has lower compression but uses a 3-stage intake manifold to make up the HP difference. The N52 can also be fitted with the 3-stage intake manifold so that, along with a tune, it can make additional HP (as was offered on the one-year only 2006 330i which was replaced in the lineup in 2007 by the 335i with the turbo inline 6). I've done the 3SIM upgrade to mine and it really ups the driving experience. Love driving it but to keep it "bulletproof" maintenance must be timely and kept up with. The problems with these cars are usually when an owner defers maintenance and then sells the car so that the next owner has to deal with the consequences of the deferred maintenance.
Oh wow good sir your car looks mint and what a coincidence I’ve got the same car same color same year 2011 at 46k miles when I bought it 6 months ago. Such a sublime experience with beige interiors.
@@vincentbandak6036 was on the lookout scouring through different online portals like car guru, carfax etc and finally came across a bimmer dealership in Philly who had a 46K mile e90 328ixdrive which looked mint. Lucky to have got my very first car and something that always puts a smile on my face when I start the engine. Wish you the best in your search. There are at least another few more sub 50K mile pre owned ones out there, get em bro!
ahm, one little correction, the base model E90 in fact is the 4cl 320, they also came with the 320 6cyl, 320 D, 323 (that’s what I have), let alone the 325, and after the 328, you also got the 330 and the range topped out at the 335. Remember the car was sold world wide and so perhaps only in America the 328 was base model. 😁. By the way out here in Oz we only have 91, 95 and 98 Ron fuel. I only use 95 in my car as was advised by BMW that the octane level in 91 is too low for this engine.
Mommy here , bought same car , same year 2011 , only because my son said 2012 and so on , come with turbo and have more issues down the road . Mine had 49k miles , drove for a year now , had dead battery and it’s a pain to enter the car to jump start , battery is in the trunk . Everytime you jump start these cars u also can ruin some electric components, mine started to have noise in the fuse box behind glove box , well it was a blown CAS module , not cheap . So first year it’s been a bit of pain for me , my son did most repairs , otherwise I would not buy it , price $12,900 from dealer )
So many videos about how to buy a BMW, and the truth is, it will be a pain in the pocket no matter how well-maintained it was, how low miles it has or any other reason. If you don't have a good stack of money in your bank or a very healthy paycheck, this car will bring you nothing but grief, it's not gonna be cheap. But if you're willing to put in the money, and look for a nice used one, and even maintain it yourself (best best decision you will make, if you have the time and skill to do so), then you're in for a treat, no need for AWD... just makes it heavier and slows it down, what a piece of machinery, amazing, I'm in love with the E90 and the E60, but they're too expensive for me to maintain
I own one of these the maintenance is almost weekly for mine I told my Certified BMW mechanic that I needed a new hood emblem that had the letters BMW replaced with POS.
you need to replace your cooling system if you want a bullet proof car. I just did mine with a brand new water pump, thermostat,various hoses and a new radiator as well because there’s a hose that attached to it that didn’t wanna come out and it was one i wanted to replace, broke the radiator inlet so i had to buy a new one, 140 from csf. in total with all extras i had to buy apart from the cooling system refresh, it cost me about 1000 dollars, installed by me and my buddy. I change the oil every 3000 miles with liquimoly 5w40 (about $80 for an oil change kit) new performance ignition kit from Turner motor sports for about $230, worth it cuz it makes the car smooth as butter. I also changed the oil filter housing gasket which might be the most catastrophic failure point if it does fail as if it leaks enough, it looks down to the belts and the belts eventually slip off and get swallowed by the engine, not good. I do my own maintenance but i’m not the most inclined, but while the cooling system was drained, I did the gasket myself and it was a relatively easy job to do for that peace of mind. Overall, my car runs beautifully, it’s a 6 speed manual sport pack x drive, doesn’t need much, just cosmetical stuff from a 14 year old car. I plan to do a fluid refresh on the x drive system and my transmission, but that’s pretty easy. If you can diy and don’t mind the cost of parts and having to order a whole bunch of new stuff for something you thought you could replace by itself, it’s a great car.
Hi, im looking at a 2011 328i xdrive coupe with 6 speed...it has 185k tho...i also live in michigan and dont have a lot of money so i dont know if its a decent car. I have old bmws and the new ones freak me out kinda
@@FindtheRightRoadAgreed, out here in Oz, finding a manual E90/91/92/93 is pretty rare. Having said that my brother in law’s brother does have a manual E90 325 and loves it. Like the vast majority, my E90 323i is an auto.
Hmm, 71K miles . . . likely some necessary maintenance was put off and resulted in catastrophe. One possibility that comes to mind is the leaking oil filter housing gasket - oil drips down onto the belt and deteriorates it/makes it slippery, belt slips off and is sucked into the front main seal and bye-bye engine. While the oil pan gasket and valve cover gasket leaks look worse, the OFHG leak must be dealt with promptly.
For Americans: Never buy the XDrive unless you have money to burn. Good god what a headache with them. Front diff mounted to oil pan. Crappy steel front subframe too with xDrive.
@@Sky-hw8op the turbo online 6 and the turbo 4cylinder after 2012 is garbage and will give you constantly problems. The 06-11 non turbo online 6 is one of the most reliable engines BMW ever made
Got my first car June 1st and god I love this car, it’s so luxury for such a small price , mine has had two owner and it still drives sooo smooth!! Drives like it’s brand new
Thank you for the left ear audio, can I have the right?
maybe gotta buy new headphones
@@pabloroca7910def not genius
I’m actually leaving cuz of that lmao
fr not a single sound out of my right headphone 😭
Some of ya'll must need new headphones, cause I have audio on both sides
Man I loved my e90, sadly it’s been a headache the past couple months with battery/voltage problems that I no longer want to deal with plus I’ve driven it over 210k miles. I’ve let it go and now drive a 2015 volvo s60 that I absolutely adore but miss the charm my e90 had, especially the idrive system. The e90 is a great car that everyone should buy just make sure to take meticulous care of it and it’ll do the same for you. For the first car I’ve owned and worked on myself it’s relatively easy to do diy work on too plus it’s significantly cheaper than bringing it to repair shops or the dealer and parts are also widely available (thank you fcp euro).
Great video! One feature you missed is the comfort access option. I have it on 3 of my Bimmers and its so nice to not have to fiddle with keys, just leave them in your pocket. I just bought a 2011 328i xDrive and it's very loaded up and it has comfort access and other options like the nav/idrive with bluetooth audio streaming system. I was surprised to find that it doesn't have a rear camera. My X3 and 750i have them and you really miss it when you don't have it.
I've been tracking my experience with an e93 328i for the past year and a half. It's been an expensive ownership experience but it's a joy to drive. I love and hate it!
I have owned my 2006 E90 323i for around 9 years and overall have been very happy with the car. About a year ago I replaced the engine as the original one had died. My car had @230,000 kms on the clock. The replacement engine had only 130,000kms so it made sense, even if the cost at around $10k for the whole job was more than the car is worth. I just didn’t want to send the car to the wreckers. Subsequent to this I thereafter had to replace a coilpack but was advised it made sense to replace all 6, at a cost of about $1k. So, I might as well keep on enjoying the car as I have a fair bit invested in it. At some stage I am going to want to get the roof, bonnet and boot lid all repainted as the clear coat is failing but so be it.
With the windows feature, you can put the key in the door move it to the lock position and hold it there and it will close all the windows
Those are very reliable, safe, and well built BMWs. Ensure the valve cover, oil pan, and oil filter housing gaskets are done. Also, vanos bolts on a few models.
Done?
Transmission fluid too !
This was a great review. I am actually in the market and I appreciate this type of review.
If you pull back and hold the cruise control lever it'll grab your brakes for you! Also quick pushes will bump your speed up or down 5 miles an hour. It's cruise control is nicely done.
Thanks, mate. I’m buying this exact car black with nav in a few days and you answered all my questions. Cheers
2:04 I was VERY diligent with my E90 328i xDrive with regard to maintenance but the EKP module STILL failed at 139k miles shorting the fuel pump and leaving me stranded on a busy highway. I still love this car though! I took it from around 20 miles on the odometer to currently a very spirited 141K miles. It's the electronics on this car that you have to watch out for. The drivetrain is pretty reliable as you say.
Were there any warning signs before the failure? Or was it completely out of the blue
@jerryzhang3654 No warning at all. The car was running fine and I would once a month park it at the airport for a week and then when I returned home I would daily drive it for 50 minutes continuously for a commute into the city. That's why I finally decided it was time to buy a new car and keep my E90 as the backup car.
Thanks for going into so many small details and well beyond the overview that could easily be found online. Also, I've seen a couple cars with temp controls on the steering wheel but never recirc!
153k on mine now. Still runs like new.
NOW... Windows WILL CLOSE with the KEY FOB-in Germany!
Mine did... the 1st Gen 1-Series. 😎👍
Im really looking into getting one of these soon been wanting one for years now!
What’s stopping you?
@@crackal90High cost of maintenance.
I have the E91 fraternal twin of this car - Space Gray Metallic over black, x-Drive, auto trans, non-Sport. However, mine has the N52 engine and it appears yours is the N51. The N51 is the SULEV version and has lower compression but uses a 3-stage intake manifold to make up the HP difference. The N52 can also be fitted with the 3-stage intake manifold so that, along with a tune, it can make additional HP (as was offered on the one-year only 2006 330i which was replaced in the lineup in 2007 by the 335i with the turbo inline 6). I've done the 3SIM upgrade to mine and it really ups the driving experience. Love driving it but to keep it "bulletproof" maintenance must be timely and kept up with. The problems with these cars are usually when an owner defers maintenance and then sells the car so that the next owner has to deal with the consequences of the deferred maintenance.
Oh wow good sir your car looks mint and what a coincidence I’ve got the same car same color same year 2011 at 46k miles when I bought it 6 months ago. Such a sublime experience with beige interiors.
how did you find one with such low miles? where’d you buy it and how much?
@@vincentbandak6036 was on the lookout scouring through different online portals like car guru, carfax etc and finally came across a bimmer dealership in Philly who had a 46K mile e90 328ixdrive which looked mint. Lucky to have got my very first car and something that always puts a smile on my face when I start the engine. Wish you the best in your search. There are at least another few more sub 50K mile pre owned ones out there, get em bro!
Place your key in the driver side keyhole; turn it to the left and hold it there all your windows, and sunroof, will close.
Never knew that. Thanks !
Bhahaha
ahm, one little correction, the base model E90 in fact is the 4cl 320, they also came with the 320 6cyl, 320 D, 323 (that’s what I have), let alone the 325, and after the 328, you also got the 330 and the range topped out at the 335.
Remember the car was sold world wide and so perhaps only in America the 328 was base model. 😁. By the way out here in Oz we only have 91, 95 and 98 Ron fuel. I only use 95 in my car as was advised by BMW that the octane level in 91 is too low for this engine.
Nice car Tom and a very well done, impressive style, review. I'm glad I subscribed.
Thanks. It is a bit long and boring unless you are in the market for one : You might enjoy some of my other content better
Hold that lock button down a little longer, the windows go up in my e90 :)
Mommy here , bought same car , same year 2011 , only because my son said 2012 and so on , come with turbo and have more issues down the road . Mine had 49k miles , drove for a year now , had dead battery and it’s a pain to enter the car to jump start , battery is in the trunk . Everytime you jump start these cars u also can ruin some electric components, mine started to have noise in the fuse box behind glove box , well it was a blown CAS module , not cheap . So first year it’s been a bit of pain for me , my son did most repairs , otherwise I would not buy it , price $12,900 from dealer )
Excellent!
So many videos about how to buy a BMW, and the truth is, it will be a pain in the pocket no matter how well-maintained it was, how low miles it has or any other reason.
If you don't have a good stack of money in your bank or a very healthy paycheck, this car will bring you nothing but grief, it's not gonna be cheap.
But if you're willing to put in the money, and look for a nice used one, and even maintain it yourself (best best decision you will make, if you have the time and skill to do so), then you're in for a treat, no need for AWD... just makes it heavier and slows it down, what a piece of machinery, amazing, I'm in love with the E90 and the E60, but they're too expensive for me to maintain
You may be over stating it a bit. If get the rwd manual and have the tools, as I do, it's been a great car.
@@stevecariggillio4139 sounds cool, just dying to get one, makes no financial sense however
I own one of these the maintenance is almost weekly for mine I told my Certified BMW mechanic that I needed a new hood emblem that had the letters BMW replaced with POS.
😂
About how much a year have you spent on maintenance? Interested in buying one but my only concern is maintenance costs
Get a rwd manual. Then you don't have to worry about extra things that break.
BMW maintenance is expensive.
you need to replace your cooling system if you want a bullet proof car. I just did mine with a brand new water pump, thermostat,various hoses and a new radiator as well because there’s a hose that attached to it that didn’t wanna come out and it was one i wanted to replace, broke the radiator inlet so i had to buy a new one, 140 from csf. in total with all extras i had to buy apart from the cooling system refresh, it cost me about 1000 dollars, installed by me and my buddy. I change the oil every 3000 miles with liquimoly 5w40 (about $80 for an oil change kit) new performance ignition kit from Turner motor sports for about $230, worth it cuz it makes the car smooth as butter. I also changed the oil filter housing gasket which might be the most catastrophic failure point if it does fail as if it leaks enough, it looks down to the belts and the belts eventually slip off and get swallowed by the engine, not good. I do my own maintenance but i’m not the most inclined, but while the cooling system was drained, I did the gasket myself and it was a relatively easy job to do for that peace of mind. Overall, my car runs beautifully, it’s a 6 speed manual sport pack x drive, doesn’t need much, just cosmetical stuff from a 14 year old car. I plan to do a fluid refresh on the x drive system and my transmission, but that’s pretty easy. If you can diy and don’t mind the cost of parts and having to order a whole bunch of new stuff for something you thought you could replace by itself, it’s a great car.
I was thinking of getting this or a Mercedes Benz c300
Do not get a C300 omg don’t.
@@Mell333Purple I got a 2015 bmw 328i instead
how quiet is the cabin? smooth ride?
Hi, im looking at a 2011 328i xdrive coupe with 6 speed...it has 185k tho...i also live in michigan and dont have a lot of money so i dont know if its a decent car. I have old bmws and the new ones freak me out kinda
@@snoork007 how much is it selling for ?
@@Mell333Purple 7500
@@snoork007keep looking I’m in Cali Bay Area just bought one two days ago, 4 door 130k miles for 7000 out the door
I don’t have the trunk option
I thought most of these were manual... were they sold automatic as well, or someone modified it?
Actually there were more automatics sold than manuals for this generation. It is 100% stock.
@@FindtheRightRoadAgreed, out here in Oz, finding a manual E90/91/92/93 is pretty rare. Having said that my brother in law’s brother does have a manual E90 325 and loves it. Like the vast majority, my E90 323i is an auto.
Please I’m buying one with 86k miles should I buy it ?
If everything checks out, no issues, and the price is right...then BUY IT.
@@FindtheRightRoad i did test the car today and came out P1404 secondary air injection system insufficient total flow
@@FindtheRightRoad should I buy it and fix it?
@@SamuelAmankwah-s5g That is not for me to say...I am not a mechanic.
@@SamuelAmankwah-s5g Look it up and see how difficult it is to fix
How did you restore your headlights? For how long do you have them restored?
Auto parts stores have a headlight restoration kit you can buy. Took about 2 hours. You sand them down with a fine sand paper using a drill
Did you find out why the fist engine was replaced so early?
Nope. I have not...
No idrive is crazy
"Bullet proof reliable "
Also
"Engine blew at 71 000 miles"
Wtf is this place 😂
Agreed. That was odd. No idea why it was replaced.
Hmm, 71K miles . . . likely some necessary maintenance was put off and resulted in catastrophe. One possibility that comes to mind is the leaking oil filter housing gasket - oil drips down onto the belt and deteriorates it/makes it slippery, belt slips off and is sucked into the front main seal and bye-bye engine. While the oil pan gasket and valve cover gasket leaks look worse, the OFHG leak must be dealt with promptly.
For Americans: Never buy the XDrive unless you have money to burn. Good god what a headache with them. Front diff mounted to oil pan. Crappy steel front subframe too with xDrive.
When you live in a place with all 4 seasons....I find it helpful to have xDrive.
xDrive is a must in New England. California/Texas not so much.
What engine is better, 3.0 230hp or 3.0turbo 300hp?
The obvious answer would be the 300 HP turbo IF performance is important to you.
@@FindtheRightRoad i ment what engine is more reliable
From what I have read, I would say the non-turbo 328@@Sky-hw8op
@@Sky-hw8op the turbo online 6 and the turbo 4cylinder after 2012 is garbage and will give you constantly problems. The 06-11 non turbo online 6 is one of the most reliable engines BMW ever made
Have you ever had the vanos bolts issue? thanks