I drove a sport pack equipped 330i last week. These Bimmers sure have changed, and I am ready to return. I liked the way it handled and did not beat my 57 year old body up. My 2004 TSX was not as nice which is why I traded it for a TL.
I was pretty much settled on the SP until I learned that these run flat 18" tires only last between 11 to 15 thousand miles. At Tire Rack, the big rear 18s cost $300+ each. There are lots of choices in the stock 17s. What am I going to loose going the stock route?
This will be a manual shift, premium pack 330i sedan. I want nimble good handling with little lean in the corners. Is the stock 330i floaty and sloppy? Just how much tighter and nailed to the road is the SP vs the stock 330i?
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| Reply » Sport or Stock 330i |
Why not save some bucks and go for a 325i? With the SP it has 17" wheels...
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| Reply » Sport or Stock 330i |
Get the SP. They will last more than 11K miles unless you drive the twisties nonstop. The car looks so awesome with the 18 inch style 162 wheels.
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| Reply » Sport or Stock 330i |
By no means is the non-sport suspension sloppy or floaty. But it depends on what you are used to. My guess is that soming from the Acura, you would find both the non-sport and sport suspensions a big upgrade. But then again which wheels do you like better in terms of looks? Probably the only way you will know for sure is to test drive a non-sport suspended 3 series before you make up your mind.
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| Reply » Sport or Stock 330i |
Quote: | Why not save some bucks and go for a 325i? With the SP it has 17" wheels... | If you have driven the 330 do NOT get the 325 as you WILL regret it due to power difference...words of experience speaking here... 
Also, get the SP of course! If you are even mentioning lean, etc. you will regret not getting it.
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| Reply » Sport or Stock 330i |
I know how you feel about the replacement cost for the rear tires. I think it's worth it though. These tires STICK! I think you could get more than 15K out of them if you didn't drive hard all the time. My friend got about 15K out of his RE050 (not run flat version) in his Honda S2000 and he drives very hard. I think 20K is not out of the question on a freeway cruiser that is driven hard only on weekends, but I am not expecting more than 15K.
The non-sport tires are 17 inch (so they cost less) and are harder compound (so they cost less and last longer) and will work better in the rain, so you may want to opt for non-sport package unless you are trying to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the car in dry weather. I drove a non-sport and it was still very good, but just not as confidence inspiring when transitioning from one corner to the next. (just not quite as buttoned down). The ride is still very good (especially on the freeway) with the sport package, so you should not be concerned with comfort. There is also the question of looks, and I think pretty much everybody agrees the bigger wheels and tires look better on the e90, as does the slightly lower stance that the sport package gives you.
On a side note, I got a nail in one of the rear tires after 1,000 miles and my tire shop was able to fix it for $22. There is conflicting advice about this, but I found some official press from Bridgestone stating that the run-flats can be repaired.
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Sport or Stock 330i