[thrill30]

On 26 August I completed exactly 1 month with my E90, having done 3850 km. To celebrate that milestone, I drove the damn thing at approximately 258 km/h (very close to 260 km/h) for about 2 kilometres on two occasions... obviously the indicated speed is higher than true speed... maybe I was doing something like 250 km/h true speed.

On the first occasion, I did it on 5th gear, and on the second occasion it was on 6th gear... so I guess that is my maximum speed (approx. 258 km/h indicated).

My impressions after 1 month (I will use a scale of 1 - 10):

Sport Suspension, Runflat Tyres & Style 162 wheels: 9/10
1. Handling:
This thing feels planted on bends that I used to handle with care.... and I do push this thing... but obviously nowhere near its limits... which means the limits are packed nicely far away for the driver to enjoy the ride fully.

2. Unexpected Comfort:
I don't know if I'm just a sucker for the E90, but there is a bump on my way home that annoyed the hell out of me every time I went over it in my standard suspension E46... and I always inflated the tyres correctly, as per BMW's recommendation. In the E90 Runflat tyres that are even lower profiled on top of Sport suspension, the E90 is more comfortable over that particular bump... and I expected it to be harsher.

3. Looks:
Visually, the 162's complement the car the best IMHO... and the dropped suspension definitely makes as huge difference.

4. People's comments:
I've been told by a few people who confessed that they didn't like the E90... and they went on to say they are surprised at how great it looks in the way I have it set up.

The Bad:
1. The price of replacing those 162 wheels.
2. Tyres won't last. The Bridgestone tyres are rated at about 140 for treadwear. I expect a very low mileage on them.

Bluetooth: 8/10
1. The sound is clear.
2. Convenience of having the car take over communication on a call that started while you were far from the car.
3. No fumbling with the phone while driving.

The Bad:
1. The occasional annoyance when a call can't be dropped and I have to switch off the phone (Motorola V3)
2. If you mistakenly press the "phone" button on the steering wheel, the car dials the last number you called... but I'm used to the steering controls now, and I don't make that mistake anymore. It happened in the first 2 weeks of ownership.
3. The counter starts counting the duration of a call while the phone is ringing. It should only start when the call is accepted.
4. Lack of cradles for most phones.

Storage Package: 2/10
-I still don't know why this package cost so much. Most options listed in the brochure as part of this package are standard here (cupholders, nets on front seats standard on 6 cylinder cars).

Luggage Compartment Package: 7/10
1. The pull-out tray in the trunk/boot is great... and the fact that I can leave it at home if I want to is awesome.
2. The pull-out tray does not rattle at all.
3. The floor nets and the hooks in the trunk/boot are great.
The Bad:
1. The underfloor storage bin is too small.
2. With the pull-out tray on, you have less space in your trunk/boot.

Xenons: 10/10
1. Lighting is absolutely fabulous
2. Enhances the look of the E90's front IMHO.

Lights Package: 8/10
1. Lighting around the car when parked in dark places is great.
2. The "cool" factor.

Logic 7: 10/10
1. Sounds absolutely fabulous.
2. The poor bass has always been the one thing I hated in BMW's. Logic 7's bass is great for my taste. I don't need more than this.
3. No sound distortion at high volume.
4. The Graphic equaliser can be changed to suit different tastes, and it offers a wide-enough range for me.

Comfort Access: 10/10
1. Convenience when your hands are full and you can't pull out the car keys from your pocket.
2. The "cool" factor is fun.
3. The Start/Stop button suddenly makes sense with CA.
The Bad:
1. The keyfob is not charged while in the ignition slot.

iDrive: 8/10
1. The ability to change settings that would otherwise need one to go to the dealer (e.g. confirming lock or unlock behavior, enabling/disabling the car to lock itself up if you unlocked it and the doors were not opened after about 2 minutes or so, enabling/disabling Daytime Running Lights).
2. The feedback offered by the iDrive knob is great. You can tell if you are in the last/first option because there is resistance on the knob.
3. The second screen enhances the overall interior look of the E90 IMHO.
4. The graphic representation of of CD's, CD tracks, Radio stations, etc. is great.
5. To be able to control most functions without looking down, and it's a great safety feature.
6. I like the fact that it's not touch-screen. That way, my screen won't have finger marks and stuff... Other people have cited this as a disadvantage.
The Bad:
1. Occasionaly the damn thing gets stuck. You would turn the knob, press it, curse it, shout at it, and nothing happens. Then when it wants to, it would start responding.
2. Lack of MP3 support on Professional Navigation.

Voice Control: 8/10
It's pretty accurate in most cases.

Professional Navigation: 9/10
1. I don't get lost in unfamiliar places anymore.
2. The lady does not intrude all the time. She only speaks when it's necessary.
3. Warns you when you approach toll gates, so that you can prepare your money or card in advance.
4. Being able to easily find hotels, restaurants etc where you are headed is great.

Towbar: 9/10
1. You can easily fold it out of sight, in a matter of seconds.
2. You can easily unfold it, in a matter of seconds.
3. I also use it when I'm going to be in traffic, to avoid the small bumper accidents, when people lose concentration behind me. I feel very safe.
4. if you did not order PDC, you can always use it as insurance against poor judgements when backing up. It will minimise bumper dents, except those happening at an angle to the bumper.
5. It is great for its intended purpose of hauling a small trailer.
6. It comes with gloves, so you won't mess up your hands.
The Bad:
1. It's not that big, but I'm carrying extra weight everyday.
2. The manual says the properties of the self restoring bumper(for minor bumper accidents) are reduced because of the re-inforcements made when putting a towbar.

Sport Seats: 10/10
I love these. The supports on the sides are great. I take bends comfortably, without worrying about sliding.

Sports Steering Wheel: 8/10
1. It's nice and thick. A Definite improvement from the standard one.
The Bad:
1. It feels like plastic... I bet it is. The E46 M-Sport steering wheel is a whole lot better.

Exhaust Soundtrack: 9/10
At first I was disappointed about the more civilised exhaust note, but this thing has come alive after breaking it in. I can hear the sweet note even with all windows and sunroof closed. I just switch off the radio. The sound is sweetest around 6500rpm all the way to the Rev Limiter... I have not activated the Rev Limiter yet, I always stop just short of doing so. At low revs, it's still civilised though, which is great.

Sapphire Black: 9/10
This colour is great. Yes, it's hard to keep clean, but I love it. I've seen all the other colours in person, and I have no regrets. The only other colours that moved me in person are Sparkling Graphite just after sunset and Electric Red under bright sunlight. If I were to go back and choose a colour for my car, it would still be Sapphire Black.

Thumbs Down:
1. A faint noise that seems to be coming from the roof towards the back of the car... It's not always there, but when it happens, I get annoyed. I could be confused and maybe it comes from the seatbelt as others have pointed out.
2. The Remote Control Buttons once stopped working while Comfort Access worked 100%... I reported this problem here, and got a solution without even going to the dealer. It's been working 100% since then.
3. The graphic to show when a door is not closed only appears once you start driving. I don't understand why they changed from the way it's done in the E46.
4. The rubber that peeled away a bit at the bottom edge of the rear window. I pushed it back to position, and it's been in its correct position ever since.

Conclusion
In general, I'm still in love , even with the minor annoyances. The e90 gives me a lot of smiles every day. In fact my love for it is growing instead of stabilising.... now I just need to take it easy with speeding :mad: ... I've already gotten a speeding ticket in my 3rd week.

All I can say is: The E90 is addictive.... I just can't stay home or in one place .

My apologies for the long post.... what can I say... I'm too happy .

[JVFan]

Thanks Thrill-

Great post....very comprehensive and enlightening....maybe you should submit it as your thesis for post grad work!

[Jason P]

Great post! Thanks for the feedback

[StewtheBassman]

Standing ovation for you thrill!!!!

This is hands down the best review I have read on the E90, magazines included.

I'll surely read this one a few times.

Thanks!

[Ponchoyu]

Aren't you suppose to be in Vancouver picking up your car JV?

[NaTuReB0Y]

thrill30 Review of the E90: 10/10

Good job!

[JVFan]

Originally Posted by Ponchoyu

Aren't you suppose to be in Vancouver picking up your car JV?

I'm in the departure area of Edmonton International right now Ponch...Brent should be in YYC as we speak too!

[mds82]

wow you put a lot of time into that post. i would never have that kind of effort. i would definatly never spell everything right as well, unless you used spell check.

[YYimports]

Originally Posted by mds82

wow you put a lot of time into that post. i would never have that kind of effort. i would definatly never spell everything right as well, unless you used spell check.

That's how much passion this cars inspires!

[cypwood]

Thanks for taking the time ! I believe my order went in this past week.

Donnie

[E90 Enthusiast]

Thanks for the detailed feedback; it helps feed the addiction for those of us who have yet to pick up ours...

[Nikki]

Great review, thanks!

[Ponchoyu]

Great feedback on your view on the car!

[Kimo]

Originally Posted by thrill30

Sapphire Black: 9/10
This colour is great. Yes, it's hard to keep clean, but I love it. I've seen all the other colours in person, and I have no regrets. The only other colours that moved me in person are Sparkling Graphite just after sunset and Electric Red under bright sunlight. If I were to go back and choose a colour for my car, it would still be Sapphire Black.

So . . . all of this "it's really a dark gray", "it isn't really black", "it isn't deep", "looks washed out in the sun", "only looks good under artificial light", "not as rich as jet black", "it's a wannabe black" stuff . . . I shouldn't worry about it?
I guess we'll see, as we pick up my wife's Black Sapphire 330i this Monday!

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Kimo

So . . . all of this "it's really a dark gray", "it isn't really black", "it isn't deep", "looks washed out in the sun", "only looks good under artificial light", "not as rich as jet black", "it's a wannabe black" stuff . . . I shouldn't worry about it?
I guess we'll see, as we pick up my wife's Black Sapphire 330i this Monday!

nope no worries about that, i'm a long term sapphire black owner and I appreciate it every single day. Jet black just looks very dull to me and doesnt have the "depth" of the metallic black.

ALso alot of the comments about it looking washed out, looks dirty, etc etc etc only apply when the car actually is dirty. But when its really clean and waxed the black is extremly deep looking. I mean EXTREMLY deep looking.

WHen its dirty, yea sapphire black looks not so nice, it looks like it was blasted by a salt truck int he winter, but Jet black looks terrible when its dirty as well

Black Sapphire all the way ! 10/10 !

[Mark]

and heres a pic of a Jet black E90 next to my Sapphire black E46. WHen they are clean they both look just as black and beautiful

[Kimo]

Originally Posted by MarkE90M3

and heres a pic of a Jet black E90 next to my Sapphire black E46. WHen they are clean they both look just as black and beautiful

Thanks for this. I'd actually have picked the E90 as Sapphire and the E46 as Jet from the pictures. But both look great.
I have a jet black E46, too, so we can definitely compare the two soon.

[David328M-Sport]

Originally Posted by MarkE90M3

Jet black just looks very dull to me and doesnt have the "depth" of the metallic black.

when clean, jet black has the lustre and sheen of a beautiful piano black look and finish. nothing but the very best. full of life and character.

i see the metallic black change colour depending on what lighting conditions it is under. i went to great lengths in choosing jb or mb.

other people who comment on my jb car immediately love the richness of the jb colour. take another long look at a (clean) jb e90 and you will see why i chose jb over metallic black. no contest!

enjoy your mb car while i enjoy my jb car.

[thrill30]

Thanks a million to everyone for the positive comments on my post.

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by Kimo

So . . . all of this "it's really a dark gray", "it isn't really black", "it isn't deep", "looks washed out in the sun", "only looks good under artificial light", "not as rich as jet black", "it's a wannabe black" stuff . . . I shouldn't worry about it?
I guess we'll see, as we pick up my wife's Black Sapphire 330i this Monday!

Yep, don't worry about those comments... Sapphire Black is beautiful.

For me, this is "the colour" for the e90. The only reason it didn't get 10/10 from me is the issue of keeping it clean.

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by E90 Enthusiast

Thanks for the detailed feedback; it helps feed the addiction for those of us who have yet to pick up ours...

hehehe, at some point around April I lived on people's reviews as well... that was the only way to stay sane.... don't worry, the E90 is worth the wait.

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by NaTuReB0Y

thrill30 Review of the E90: 10/10

Good job!

Thanks.....that's a small contribution if I look back at how much information I've gained from this forum.

The salesperson at the dealer even said I should come and write a Product Review for them... this was after she realised just how much info I had even before the E90 was launched locally.

Go E90Post