I was wondering if/how the low ground clearance impacts the durability of the 3 series. This will be the first BMW and actually first car anyone in our family has owned in years (So tired of trucks!!) but we've enjoyed invincibility to common road hazards due to the higher ground clearance. Is the low clearance ever a significant issue? In pictures I thought I remember seeing skid plates -- are they metal / rigid? And how easy is it to bottom out in one of these cars?
This came to mind when I was driving a 330i with sport package. I did not see a non sport package car on the lot... does it ride any higher?
Sorry I know it's a lot of questions!! Thanks!
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Quote: | I did not see a non sport package car on the lot... does it ride any higher? | I believe the sports package suspension provides a .75 inch drop, which in turn would make non-sports package .75 inches higher. Don't quote me, but that's what i've read in a different post. Hope that helps, i'm not sure of the other questions.
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Quote: I was wondering if/how the low ground clearance impacts the durability of the 3 series. This will be the first BMW and actually first car anyone in our family has owned in years (So tired of trucks!!) but we've enjoyed invincibility to common road hazards due to the higher ground clearance. Is the low clearance ever a significant issue? In pictures I thought I remember seeing skid plates -- are they metal / rigid? And how easy is it to bottom out in one of these cars?
This came to mind when I was driving a 330i with sport package. I did not see a non sport package car on the lot... does it ride any higher?
Sorry I know it's a lot of questions!! Thanks! | I don't think getting low ground clearance has anything to do with durability of the car.
Wheels will be more easily damaged than the trucks. 
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Quote: I don't think getting low ground clearance has anything to do with durability of the car.
Wheels will be more easily damaged than the trucks. | It does if he takes it every place a truck can go! 
I have already scraped the bottom of the font spoiler a few times. Twice was on what I considered very low curb when I was parking face in in a parking lot. One on a small rize that leads to a parking lot. I was breaking while I approached it because I had a little too much speed and... SCRAPE is what I heard! I now just approach the same rise with very low speed and I'm fine.
Bottom line, be careful with a sports package. It's lower than a regular car, let alone a truck!
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As long as you don't drive like an idiot, it shouldn't be a problem. A stock 3'er will clear speed bumps without a problem, and if you're running over bigger objects than that, you need your head checked.
Both of my cars will sometimes require a little creativity, though. 
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Thanks for the replies.... lol I know it cant go everywhere a truck can go, but was just curious if the ride height was sufficient for the kinds of everyday things you might encounter - like rough transitions from road to parking lots (where there are dips and sudden changes in elevation) etc. It just looked so low compared to the F-150 :-)
Does anyone know about the E90 skid plates? I thought BMW's came with these but didn't check at the dealership. My friend's audi has them, but they are plastic... I'm hoping the BMW's are more rigid than that!
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Ground Clearance question