Just Drove An 08 328i, Comparing RX-8
 

I haven't had my Rex very long, but long enough to get a pretty good feel for the car. I love the way it feels. Steering, balance, everything. It's such a drivers car. There isn't a whole lot of BS you have to deal with to get it to do what you want.

I drove my friends 08 328i that he just got today. He seems very proud of it, even if he did say he wanted an 8 (he drove mine for 5 minutes and was sold). I guess it's sort of his dream car.

Anyways, I wanted to post up my impressions of it, and how I thought it compared to the RX-8.

First off, the interior. I wasn't a big fan of it. The dash barely came out, and then squared down. Pretty boring I thought. The instrument cluster is very busy, with stuff all over. Plus, it has the super navigation mess, with about 50 million things you can do with one button. The seats were supportive, but I didn't feel like the car was hugging me. I had to kind of fight to keep myself upright in corners, whereas the 8 just lets you sink in and hold still. Also, the clutch pedal was really weird. It was sort of a progressive thing, where it would kind of pop a little bit when it started engaging. So it made clutch work a bit hard at first.


Next, the driving. Just going for a ride, I could tell that it wasn't as communicative as the 8. It handles well in the turns, and it seemed like my friend was able to go around corners pretty close to the same mph that I go around them. Taking it for a drive, it felt pretty disconnected. It doesn't really engine brake, so trail braking isn't as easy as the 8 either. It didn't feel as agile, nor as balanced. I didn't get a chance to do much hard braking. The steering itself is a little lighter than the 8, but not by a ton. Power was pretty nice though, with gobs of torque all over. Felt faster in straight line, but the shifts didn't feel as fast.

Overall, I wasn't super impressed by it. I like the RX-8 for what it is. It's a very drivers oriented sports car. It tells you what is going on, and gives you full control of things, without having too much stuff to worry about when you drive it. The BMW feels like a much more civil car, not nearly as raw (not that I would exactly call the 8 raw, but the point remains). Everything is toned down, quieted and smoothed out.


So yeah, I definitely love my car. It's a pretty amazing machine. I don't think it's something that comes around very often either.

Thumbs up bro

Nice write up. I really like the 3 series bmw's. But not many cars feel like the 8.

from a 3 series sedan, the 328i is pretty good for its class, but can never be as good as a sports car.
I drove a E46 M3 convertible and felt very disappoint. NEVER drive your dream car.

The RX-8 was my dream car ever since I saw one in December of 2003. Thankfully, it was even better than I had expected! So, I mean, I'm probably just a tad biased... But still, hands down, RX-8.

try an E93 M3 or 335xi, it will completely change your mind on the 3-series

The M series really are where it's at.
My buddy has an e39 m5 with a Dinan s2 package giving it 480hp and great feedback(2" off the ground). Of course the handling is no where the same as an 8 it's still fund as hell just because when you put your foot down it's godly.

I have a 1998 E36 M3. Rocket ship. Both cars are a blast to drive and look good in the driveway together too. :D:

The 8 feels more like you are sitting in a single seat fighter though. I think it needs a HUD.

Top Gear raced the M3 against the RX8 and they came in with identical times. I was shocked. You can view it on Youtube.

I've never been a big fan of BMWs, but I know they can be good. The TT 6 in the 335s are very nice I would imagine.

Still though, for a car that is always highly regarded (BMWs in general), it was nice to see the difference. The only other cars I've driven really are FWD Escorts, or my G6.

That's always spoken volumes to me. The M3 puts down much better numbers (if you were bench racing), but the RX-8 always does so well comparitively on a track.


Of course, I've never even driven on a track before, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy my car... Haha

^ +1. I own 2 and I have to admit they are awesome. my M5 is my true love and my dream car I shipped it over after driving it in England. But the 8 is not comparable in any way. The clutch is more forgiving and softer. Handling wins hands down. And the 8 is cheaper to fix haha.

Love the E39 M5. Considered that before I ended up getting my S4. Was a tough choice.

Pretty sure I would have only considered the 335i to replace the 8 out of the new 3 series. Great engine and car with a lot of potential.

E92 is great, The fact that a 8 cylinder engine can redline so high and is very response not to mention the handling for such a heavy car being so good... very impressed. The 335xi... I dunno, is it me or do none of the 4wd bmw's feel right? The engine in the 335 though is just ridiculous. Minor mods and you can get to nearly 500 hp. My friend has a 135i with JB4 installed and can peel out all the way through 4th gear, even stock I feel the car is overpowered ( since the front wheels on the 1 series are a little small, it tends to understeer)
If I were going to get a 4wd car I'd definitely get the STi or an Audi instead. Regardless of all that, I still consider the 3 series to be the king of the midsize market, but I don't think it makes sense to compare it to the rx8. Especially the second worst of the 3 series. It's basically a spirited sedan vs a sports car.

I only got to drive it for a few minutes, and was just posting my impressions. It might be just a spirited sedan, but peope put BMWs on pedastles.

That's the market they try to occupy though, so that's sorta why. That being said... I heard they're releasing a "2 series" (haven't released the series number, but there's nothing left) that's front wheel drive. Well ,there's goes their whole image.

I dunno man...Last week I drove a brand new Audi R8...You could say it's one of my dream cars...and boy did I have a blast driving it.

Didn't get to drive one, but got inside the new roadster R8 for a few seconds at a car show about 3 months back, the interior on Audis are really incredible now.

^That it is, First one I drove had a gated shifter, and it sure was fun, this last one had the paddle shifters and had a little too much hesitation for my taste.

Very nice comparison review, OP.

I came from an e90 M3, and even when you compare then, the RX8 is still a very special car to drive. In a pure driving perspective, the RX8's suspension feels more sporty and creates more of a sense of feeling with the driver and the road. The 8's suspension feels more tight & together, and there's less roll when taking hard turns again & again. The 4.0 liter V8 engine in the current M3 is a marvel, no doubt about it, but the overall weight & excess luxuries of the car is something that can be regretted by some.

The brakes get cooked up quickly as well, especially after only a few track events. One thing's for sure, the harder you push the M3, the weight disappears and the M suspension works its magic.

It's honestly an absolute pleasure and honor for me to experience my RX8 R3. Yes, the power is lacking, especially by a wide margin when you compare to 414 horsepower and 295 lbs torque from a beautiful V8 which screams to 8400 rpm, but the RX8 more than makes up with the simplicity and feeling of connection which should come with driving a true sports car. And actually, if you would like to know the truth, the M3's V8 & the RX8's rotary engine share much similarity. The M3's engine is very low on strength when you start rolling, but as you build up the revs, the engine comes alive after about 5,500 rpm, and that's when you really feel the pull. Same with the RX8, you also feel much of the power after you thoroughly rev it. And both engines perform excellent on the track, since you can really wring them out properly there. Though it's very hard to do so on city streets, since you'd be going well above the posted speed limit if you try to reach red line on second & third gear. Again, both engines really are so similar, if you can somehow ignore the power gap between the two.

I understand, the current M3's purpose is not to be the ultimate & most raw sports car, but instead it's meant to be one of the most well-balanced & versatile performance driving machines out there. I suppose the RX8 is similar in that way as well, but it still has its own strengths, even over an M vehicle. This is simply my own opinion, of course.

Now you may ask why I come to an RX8 after such a vehicle? The e90 M3 endured an accident, which gave me the opportunity to try something different, and that was the RX8. I'm thoroughly happy with my move. Incredible sports car, the RX8 is.

Sorry for dragging this off-topic, OP. :)

maybe you guys drove cars that are much better than the RX8.
I drove the E46 M3 didnt really feel much better than the RX8. in fact I preferred the RX8 for the same price you can get a very good new S2 but a 02 old M3.

I completely agree with your perspective, Jason.

Moreover, an Audi R8 better be that much better since it's that much more money, haha.

It's always nice to see what others feel about comparative cars... Even if they aren't really in the same class. I think the only thing that compares to the RX-8 is the MX-5... Both seem to have very similar characteristics.

While I definitely see what you're saying about the MX-5, I felt that the S2k was the closest car to the 8 that I've driven. One of the things I liked most about the S2k was how much it reminded me of driving the 8.

not a real fair comparison unless the 328 had the sports package.

328 with sports package > 328 w/o sports package

I don't think it does, but I'm not sure. Either way, his car won't be staying stock for very long.