[ver.e90]

For those of you who have test driven/owned a 330i w/ ZSP, is the ride as harsh as I think it may be? My wife and I like to take long road trips (~4hours). I've been told there's not much of a difference b/t that of a 330i and xi. Any thoughts? The dealer I'm with doesn't have a 330i w/ ZSP at this time, so I'm looking for a place that does.

Sorry if this was a recently talked about topic.

[porscheneer]

I love mine, but it could be because my previous car was stiffer.

[vladinecko]

it wasn't recently discussed but it was discussed.

anyway, i don't have ZSP but i test drove a crap out of a 330i with ZSP and can tell you the difference is not that significant (comfort-wise). you get a bumpy ride from a stock 330i just as well as with the one with ZSP. it's mainly the RFTs.

so in short, it is a little bumpier, but not very much.

[jmcphillips1]

I don't think the ride is rough at all

[ver.e90]

Thanks guys...

[ksfrogman]

I had the very same concern when I first looked at the e90. I didn't want a bumpy ride, but I had to have the bigger, nicer wheels, the nicer steering wheel, and the nicer seat. The ZSP ride is not bad, and everyone who has ridden in it for the first time raves about the comfortable ride.

[Kamando]

I've done long road trips in mine, didnt mind it at all. (granted a long road trip isnt really long time wise when you set the cruise at 120mph or so.)

[petesamprs]

I have the 330i w/ ZSP (and OEM runflats), and simply stated, the ride is rough. But the roughness is dependent on:
i) what you define as "rough"
ii) what type of roads you're driving

I transitioned from an old Camry to this car, so the change was very noticible. I sometimes miss the smoothness, espectially when driving in jersey city or NYC, but on smoothly paved highways, it's perfect.

I'd attribute a lot of it to the thin-profile, stiff-widwall runflats, rather than the ZSP suspension or 18inch wheels.

[BMW F22]

The ZSP's ride is firmer, not harsh. I gotta admit that it might feel uncomfortable on long rides though. I drove back from Sacramento on my 330 non sport and I was a little fatigued/uncomfortable. But maybe that's just me.

[ver.e90]

Okay. Thanks guys. I was waiting for a post to say the ride was too hard and uncomfortable. But it seems like across the board the ride is actually not bad at all.

[noflash]

Originally Posted by AWDriver

Okay. Thanks guys. I was waiting for a post to say the ride was too hard and uncomfortable. But it seems like across the board the ride is actually not bad at all.

It has tons to do with the road conditions.

If you live in NYC, you may want to reconsider. If you are talking about taking ~4 hour trips on smooth interstates, you'll have no problem.

Good luck!

P.S. You can always switch out the run-flats if the ride is too harsh.

[ver.e90]

Originally Posted by noflash

It has tons to do with the road conditions.

If you live in NYC, you may want to reconsider. If you are talking about taking ~4 hour trips on smooth interstates, you'll have no problem.

Good luck!

P.S. You can always switch out the run-flats if the ride is too harsh.

No, I don't live in nyc, though I probably will make the occasional trip down there (only 45 minutes away). Most of my driving will be on local roads. I'm pretty good about avoiding potholes, so I'm not too concerned about damaging the wheels.

[Ghunger]

I think you have the right idea looking for a 330i zsp to test drive. It's really a personal choice about how stiff is too stiff a ride. I felt the ride was firm but very well dampened.

[BMerDRMer]

Originally Posted by AWDriver

For those of you who have test driven/owned a 330i w/ ZSP, is the ride as harsh as I think it may be? My wife and I like to take long road trips (~4hours). I've been told there's not much of a difference b/t that of a 330i and xi. Any thoughts? The dealer I'm with doesn't have a 330i w/ ZSP at this time, so I'm looking for a place that does.

Sorry if this was a recently talked about topic.

Really gotta drive one AWD ...... only way you are gonna know ........ there is a difference ... huge no, but noticable ....... comments are correct, its not a Lexus, in whatever form you buy ....... even base suspension, Xi or otherwise, with RFT's can be harsher ....... you will not notice the difference on nice asphalt ..... you will on concrete interstates ........ the long trip thing with the wife pushed me over the edge, and then I used the Xi to get the other pieces of the ZSP package I didn't want to give up.

I had to hit a couple other dealers to complete my test drive circuit before narrowing it down.

We are anxious to hear how it plays out for you !

[BMerDRMer]

Originally Posted by Ghunger

I think you have the right idea looking for a 330i zsp to test drive. It's really a personal choice about how stiff is too stiff a ride. I felt the ride was firm but very well dampened.

I felt like the ZSP on i dampened bumps pretty well .... it was the clipity clop on the concrete seems that I wresteled with, its one thing to hear em ..... another to feel each one in the backside ..... some of this was RFT ....... but I felt the base i and Xi smoothed this out to some extent .

[ver.e90]

Come to think of it, my 325xi had a bit of a "rumble" to it while driving highway speeds, probably due to the transfer case system. So, I figure the i can't be worse than that.

That being said, I'm going to order the i with ZSP. Worse comes to worse, I'll either switch to non rft's or I'll trade it in 1-2 yrs from now!

[BMerDRMer]

Originally Posted by AWDriver

Come to think of it, my 325xi had a bit of a "rumble" to it while driving highway speeds, probably due to the transfer case system. So, I figure the i can't be worse than that.

That being said, I'm going to order the i with ZSP. Worse comes to worse, I'll either switch to non rft's or I'll trade it in 1-2 yrs from now!

Go for it AWD ! Enough of this chit chat .. go drop some bucks!

[oilbelcher]

don't get the xi unless you are really going to use it in the snow frequently. most of the time the weather is nice in most locations, and you are carrying around extra weight, and more drivetrain friction to rob HP. I got to drive a 330xi automatic for about 200 miles by myself, and had the chance to throw it around, but was board. The auto tranny and xi AWD just robbed too much power and extra weight made it feel slightly less nimble. plus you pay more money, and more to go wrong outside of warranty... Heck, most people who drive SUV's shoudl opt for the 2WD version to save on gas milage -- they surely are not off-roading, and RWD is fine in the snow with the right tires.

[ver.e90]

Originally Posted by BMerDRMer

Go for it AWD ! Enough of this chit chat .. go drop some bucks!

Finally bit the bullet and fell for the i. I just love the stance of the i. It just looks a lot meaner(if that word exists).

Hope I've made the right choice...

[ver.e90]

Originally Posted by oilbelcher

don't get the xi unless you are really going to use it in the snow frequently. most of the time the weather is nice in most locations, and you are carrying around extra weight, and more drivetrain friction to rob HP. I got to drive a 330xi automatic for about 200 miles by myself, and had the chance to throw it around, but was board. The auto tranny and xi AWD just robbed too much power and extra weight made it feel slightly less nimble. plus you pay more money, and more to go wrong outside of warranty... Heck, most people who drive SUV's shoudl opt for the 2WD version to save on gas milage -- they surely are not off-roading, and RWD is fine in the snow with the right tires.

Honestly, when I had my xi the past three winters, I really only drove it in the snow for enjoyment purposes. When it snowed on a weekday and I had to go to work, the roads were pretty much cleared enough for me to drive as if there was no snow. At least I have another car to drive when it does snow- I didn't have that option last year.

[LEDZEP]

I'll start by saying I'm not qualified, because I don't have a 330i with ZSP and don't even have ZSP on my 325's, but we've taken a few long road trips (12 hrs in one case) and the ride was very comfortable. The real key is the quality of the seats. Those firm German seats don't fatigue you like the overstuffed couches they like to put in American and Asian cars.

[BMerDRMer]

Originally Posted by oilbelcher

don't get the xi unless you are really going to use it in the snow frequently. most of the time the weather is nice in most locations, and you are carrying around extra weight, and more drivetrain friction to rob HP. I got to drive a 330xi automatic for about 200 miles by myself, and had the chance to throw it around, but was board. The auto tranny and xi AWD just robbed too much power and extra weight made it feel slightly less nimble. plus you pay more money, and more to go wrong outside of warranty... Heck, most people who drive SUV's shoudl opt for the 2WD version to save on gas milage -- they surely are not off-roading, and RWD is fine in the snow with the right tires.

Appreciate your opinion OILBELCHER, but I think many of us who ultimately went for the Xi ...... really were not preoccupied with daily snow driving (although living in Cleveland, I sometimes need to be) ...... yes I liked the traction bennies for snow, but also for ice, for wet (we get a lot of that too) ...... Unlike your experience ...... I did not note much difference in handling, feel, or performance of the Xi to i config ........ but I was driving manuals in each case ...... I did feel the 330 i w/o ZSP we drove at the Performance Center in Spartanburg . did feel a little more sluggish than any of the manuals ...... but it was mostly short track work, and more difficult to get the RPM up with the auto on the short straits ......

The other benefit which sometimes comes into play, is the ability to get the nonsuspension features of ZSP, including 162 wheel option, without signing up for the taught suspension. Only way to get there that I know of ......