BMW 428i - opinions

billy121

Interested in this:


https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/bmw/4-series/used-2014-141-bmw-4-series-428i-sport-dublin-fpa-201902014510439


Do low mileage so a petrol suits, currently driving an old manual Mk5 GTI (07) which I love but have decided it is time to change



Performance stats look better in the 428i - anybody driven the two (or similar) and able to comment on comparison


I tend to hold onto my cars for a long time so depreciation is not a major factor but would the fact that this car neither M-sport pack nor is automatic make it difficult to get rid of in the future?



The higher power petrol models do not seem to be that common in Ireland. I am keen to buy from a reputable dealership for peace of mind rather than import from UK even though there are probably great deals to be had.


Anything that should be looked out for with this car?


Finally, in the coupe with the seats folded down is it possible to fit a bicycle with front wheel off in?


Thanks in advance for any advice....


Ps if anyone is interest in a 07Mk5 GTI (Black), leather interior, full service with Foster Motors Sandyford (VW), 157K km pm me before Saturday as I will trade in otherwise if I decide to go for the 428i.

Stallingrad

Manual would be the only downer and may make it a bit harder to sell long term, but as you are keeping it long term it wont be worth much at the end anyway. Re the bike best thing is to bring it in and check it fits.

2 year warranty takes a lot of the uncertainty out of the transaction, BMW First keeps routine servicing prices down as well.

If you like it go for it.

Andrewf20

I would have thought a manual would be better. More driving involvement etc. Are modern automatics that good?

bazz26

Andrewf20 wrote: »

I would have thought a manual would be better. More driving involvement etc. Are modern automatics that good?

Unless you plan on driving the car around a track regularly then the ZF8 auto box used by BMW is one of the best in the business. Very quick and smooth gear change and in sport mode it really holds the gears longer. Manuals are becoming the minority choice now in these class of cars and it's only a matter of time before they start disappearing from main stream cars altogether. Purists will argue that manual is more engaging but I switched to these automatics a few years ago and would struggle to go back to a manual.

Regarding the car the OP is looking at, it's a Sport model which sits above the Luxury and below the M Sport. The Sport model keeps the standard softer suspension of the Luxury but gets the sports seats from the M Sport. The Sport also doesn't get the M Sport exterior bumpers and side skirts but this may not bother the OP. Price is no bargain anyway being sold by a main BMW dealer but the 2 year warranty from them will be pretty much the best you will get from a main dealer on any similar used car.

Theboinkmaster

Nice car but no way would I buy that one linked I would go over to UK and get one with m sport + pack and definitely auto box.

Theboinkmaster

Andrewf20 wrote: »

I would have thought a manual would be better. More driving involvement etc. Are modern automatics that good?

BMW autobox is brilliant. Plus many come with paddle shifts so if you want to feel more "involved" you can switch it into manual. I have on my f10 but never ever use it, the autobox is really nice.

at9qu5vp0wcix7

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

BMW autobox is brilliant. Plus many come with paddle shifts so if you want to feel more "involved" you can switch it into manual. I have on my f10 but never ever use it, the autobox is really nice.

I have an F30 with the auto box, and thought I would use the option to manually shift gears. But the auto is so good that I just leave it do is thing.

I wouldn't get one unless it's auto and with the M Sport package which greatly improves the look of the front end.

Royale with Cheese

I've a Mk7 GTI and a 428i would definitely have interested me when I was buying, there is just so few of them available here though. As others have said, M sport and auto would be must haves for me.

James Bond Junior

We have a 420d GC. Go auto would be my only advice.

It's surprisingly practical in GC form. I had scrap metal to bring for recycling today and was going to throw it in the back of a van but I put the seats down and it swallowed it the lot no problem. We also have the rubber tailored mat, if you buy from a dealer try get them to throw it in as part of the deal.

billy121

Thanks for all of the comments. Glad to hear that the boot capacity with seats down is good though I guess the GC is larger than the coupe.


I would definitely prefer an M-sport with auto but as mentioned in the comment above these cars are so rare and I do really like the idea of the 2 year warranty. Hence, I am weary about letting this one go and waiting on an M-sport with auto to show up on the market.



If I were to source an approved vehicle from UK/NI with a 2 year warranty do you think there might be anyway to transfer this to a Dublin BMW dealer, why would and Dublin based dealer take this on??


Also I am sure there are lots of threads about importing that I can read through but perhaps somebody could advise if/how complicated a process this is and whether it is time consuming?

wandererz

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201903316459056

bazz26

billy121 wrote: »

Thanks for all of the comments. Glad to hear that the boot capacity with seats down is good though I guess the GC is larger than the coupe.


I would definitely prefer an M-sport with auto but as mentioned in the comment above these cars are so rare and I do really like the idea of the 2 year warranty. Hence, I am weary about letting this one go and waiting on an M-sport with auto to show up on the market.



If I were to source an approved vehicle from UK/NI with a 2 year warranty do you think there might be anyway to transfer this to a Dublin BMW dealer, why would and Dublin based dealer take this on??



Also I am sure there are lots of threads about importing that I can read through but perhaps somebody could advise if/how complicated a process this is and whether it is time consuming?

If you buy a AUC from a UK BMW dealer with a 2 year warranty then only 1 year will be valid in Ireland. You could however take out an extended warranty here for a further 12 months, get a quote from www.bmw-warranty.ie The full warranty they offer is pretty much the same as what a BMW dealer would offer.

bazz26

Of if the budget could be stretched, a more powerful 430i:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201811062182293?make=BMW&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&exclude-writeoff-categories=on&aggregatedTrim=430i&model=4%20SERIES&radius=1500&postcode=m53ag&advertising-location=at_cars&sort=price-asc&page=1

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810151515985?make=BMW&exclude-writeoff-categories=on&radius=1500&model=4%20SERIES&postcode=m53ag&advertising-location=at_cars&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&aggregatedTrim=430i&page=1

billy121

bazz26 wrote: »

Of if the budget could be stretched, a more powerful 430i:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201811062182293?make=BMW&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&exclude-writeoff-categories=on&aggregatedTrim=430i&model=4%20SERIES&radius=1500&postcode=m53ag&advertising-location=at_cars&sort=price-asc&page=1




https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810151515985?make=BMW&exclude-writeoff-categories=on&radius=1500&model=4%20SERIES&postcode=m53ag&advertising-location=at_cars&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&aggregatedTrim=430i&page=1

Love the first one. M-sport really looks so much better from front, blue caliipers are class also. Wouldn't be that bothered about the side skirts, dont think they add much over the regular sport body

bazz26

The blue callipers are part of a M Sport Plus pack which also includes 19" alloy wheels and upgraded stereo with Harman Kardon speaker system. The lower side skirts on the M Sport are just there to blend with the side profile of the lower/deeper front and rear M Sport bumpers. They are not needed on the Sport model as they don't have the same bumpers.

bazz26

FYI. The VRT on that 2016 430i is around 6k so your talking about 30k including VRT plus about €700 for flights/ferry and independent car inspection.

billy121

bazz26 wrote: »

FYI. The VRT on that 2016 430i is around 6k so your talking about 30k including VRT plus about €700 for flights/ferry and independent car inspection.

Thanks Bazz26, 5k more for 2 year newer car with much better spec . Hmmm. More than i would like to spend but tempting. I will go and see the 428i in Joe Duffy and make a call on it. They have m sport versions of the 420i also ( although newer) so can make a call on the body styling there.

begbysback

I always thought 428 was bigger than 2 liter engine?

djan

begbysback wrote: »

I always thought 428 was bigger than 2 liter engine?

Not any more. Its pretty much the same unit as the x20i but with a more powerful turbo and a few parts of higher grade to withstand the 245ish bhp tune. Goes really well but does lack the straight 6 sound. The newer x30i is also a 2 litre now. Just the x30d is AFAIK still a 6.

Stallingrad

djan wrote: »

Goes really well but does lack the straight six sound.

Fixed that for you!

ciarsd

I'm almost a year into ownership of a 2016 428i M-Sport Plus with the sports auto transmission and some other goodies. Give me a shout if you have any specific questions, although the thread has fairly accurately answered most so far.

I couldn't find anything of the sort in Ireland in what turned out to be a 5 month proper search (whilst still dailying my E92 325i). I resorted to importing once again, as it gave me choices - at the time there was a ragged 14 plate poverty spec 428i luxury for sale and nothing else. Then it was more of a case of seeking out the one I wanted, as I'm a stickler on spec. and won't give up until I source the exact car I'm looking for.

Theboinkmaster

billy121 wrote: »

I would definitely prefer an M-sport with auto but as mentioned in the comment above these cars are so rare and I do really like the idea of the 2 year warranty. Hence, I am weary about letting this one go and waiting on an M-sport with auto to show up on the market.

They're not that rare over in the UK - a lot of the 428 and 430s have the m sport plus package (you can tell immediately from blue brake callipers).

There is no way id buy non-msport.

djan

ciarsd wrote: »

I'm almost a year into ownership of a 2016 428i M-Sport Plus with the sports auto transmission and some other goodies. Give me a shout if you have any specific questions, although the thread has fairly accurately answered most so far.

I couldn't find anything of the sort in Ireland in what turned out to be a 5 month proper search (whilst still dailying my E92 325i). I resorted to importing once again, as it gave me choices - at the time there was a ragged 14 plate poverty spec 428i luxury for sale and nothing else. Then it was more of a case of seeking out the one I wanted, as I'm a stickler on spec. and won't give up until I source the exact car I'm looking for.

How are you finding the engine and what are your likes/dislikes in general? Is it in coupe or gc form?

bazz26

begbysback wrote: »

I always thought 428 was bigger than 2 liter engine?

The 420i/428i and 430i are all 2.0 litre turbo units with just different status of tune and bhp. You have to go up to the 435i/440i for the 3.0 litre.

ciarsd

djan wrote: »

How are you finding the engine and what are your likes/dislikes in general? Is it in coupe or gc form?

It's a coupe (F32). I won't lie, I miss the 6 pot still. But overall, the engine in the 428i is far better in every other area outside of that.

Here's a previous post on thoughts: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin//showpost.php?p=109303248&postcount=61

I've no dislikes of the car in general, but a small trivial thing that really p!sses me off is the lack of storage within the car. It's like another pack is required. Small little cubbies for wallet/change/sunglasses etc The E46 and E92 were good at this.

Also, anything other than the NBT or NBT Evo widescreen iDrive is not worth having.

djan

ciarsd wrote: »

It's a coupe (F32). I won't lie, I miss the 6 pot still. But overall, the engine in the 428i is far better in every other area outside of that.

Here's a previous post on thoughts: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin//showpost.php?p=109303248&postcount=61

I've no dislikes of the car in general, but a small trivial thing that really p!sses me off is the lack of storage within the car. It's like another pack is required. Small little cubbies for wallet/change/sunglasses etc The E46 and E92 were good at this.

Also, anything other than the NBT or NBT Evo widescreen iDrive is not worth having.

Thanks for the reply.

I noticed that with the storage too when I was looking at one myself.

What do you mean about the iDrive? Definitely think the widescreen ones fit the interior much better. Is there a way to retrofit Android Auto, as the NBT ones seem only Apple Carplay. Is the wide screen idrive really neccesarry, as it really does narrow down the choice unfortunately...

ciarsd

djan wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.

I noticed that with the storage too when I was looking at one myself.

What do you mean about the iDrive? Definitely think the widescreen ones fit the interior much better. Is there a way to retrofit Android Auto, as the NBT ones seem only Apple Carplay. Is the wide screen idrive really neccesarry, as it really does narrow down the choice unfortunately...

Unfortunately, widescreen NBT iDrive doesn't just mean widescreen. It points to greater functionality and capability (search BMW NBT iDrive Professional for more info). Here are the codes from my own car for the entire infotainment system:

S609A Navigation system Professional
S654A DAB tuner
S688A Harman/Kardon Surround Sound system
S6ACA Intelligent emergency SOS call
S6AEA Teleservices
S6AKA Connected Drive Services
S6AMA Real-Time Traffic Information
S6ANA Concierge Services
S6APA Remote Services
S6NHA Hands-free with USB interface
S6WAA Instrument cluster, expanded equipment

Retrofits can be done, with a few places around Dublin offering the service (around €1200).

For Android Auto, I'm afraid there is no good news here. Doesn't appear to be a priority for BMW. If you have extended bluetooth some of the limitations of not having Android Auto are removed. There are 3rd party devices, but I've done no homework on them.

wandererz

May i suggest a slightly offbeat option?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201903085698995

It's an MSport, Harmon Kardon sound system, Professional Nav system, Widescreen Display, Auto, Paddle-shift, low mileage, located in NI.

MetzgerMeister

ciarsd wrote: »

I've no dislikes of the car in general, but a small trivial thing that really p!sses me off is the lack of storage within the car. It's like another pack is required. Small little cubbies for wallet/change/sunglasses etc The E46 and E92 were good at this.

You're right, another pack IS required and it's called the extended storage pack. While researching options for my next car, seeing one without the extended storage puts me off right away. I mainly look for the small cubby hole to the right of the steering wheel under the light switches. If that's not present, it doesn't have extended storage. Another give-away is the cargo net in the boot. If that's there it has it.

It's quite silly to think that you need to spec a pack for storage but I guess it's not an issue for people who want the cheapest version of the cheapest version.

I think this pack is an option for everything up to the 5 series and from that upwards it comes as standard.

Leonard Hofstadter

If you're going for a petrol one, why not look at 435i or 440i, that comes with BMW's trademark straight six? A straight six is just such a lovely engine, so smooth, lovely noise and so much character. Yes it will be dearer to run, but if you're bothered by fuel economy, BMW sells an excellent range of diesel engines for that very reason.

I'd definitely try to get an M Sport - but I wouldn't discount a manual. If it was diesel then auto no question, but it's a petrol, manuals are far nicer in petrol engines. The manual in the older BMWs is a delight, the box is slick and snappy, a little notchy in first maybe but otherwise it's really lovely.

Why not try one, you've nothing to lose? Maybe when you've tried it you won't like it and think the auto is better, but how will you know unless you've given it a go?