[mondaydriver]

Just traded in my 2013 MKVI GTI for a 2016 435i Gran Coupe. It is my first BMW and first luxury car in general.

I cross shopped between:

BMW
M3
340i

Audi
S3
S4

MB
CLA45

VW
Golf R

In the end it really came down to Golf R, S3 or a 340i/435i GC. I was also hoping that the RS3 sedan was going to be available here by the fall but obviously that isn't happening until Fall 2017 at the earliest. The same thing for the Golf R400/R420 but that got scrapped after Dieselgate. There were other cars I considered that I never actually got to test drive such as the ATS-V, the Shelby GT350 and a couple others that weren't out yet like the Jaguar XE S.

My car just had all the main options I was looking for in a BMW:

• M sport package
• M performance exhaust
• Track handling package
• Black kidney grills
• Harmon Kardon sound
• I was preferably trying to get a white, black or blue car. I've had several grey or silver cars so I wanted to change it up.

It already had several other options and packages that are nice to have but that I normally wouldn't have opted for or needed. I honestly don't get why nav is still a thing, or at least it should just be a standard option at this point, since nobody with a smartphone really needs it. What I really like coming from a couple hatchbacks in a row is how the F36 Gran Coupe trunk is actually a hidden hatch. So far after about 4 weeks with it I have been very happy with my decision. I needed a car that balanced the line between being practical and fun, so ideally I was looking at 4 door options. I wanted something that was faster than my GTI but not another boy racer. I also really wanted to be able to hear my car and have a more visceral experience. A lot of the negative reviews I've seen on this car have to do with the back seat ceiling sloping, but my wife is 5' 8" and didn't have any issues sitting in the back. I'm also driving the car from the front seat, so I don't care. I don't have people in the back too much anyways besides the occasional coworker when we go out for lunch. The 4 door is mostly for having the convenience available when transporting items and also because we plan to have a kid soon and I would rather not put a car seat in the back of a 2 door. This car was also my last chance for something fun before I have to get a mini van or something. No actually I will never do that.

I'm really loving the power delivery so far, though I haven't fully opened it up yet and gone full throttle as it's still breaking in. It accelerates and breaks very smoothly and has a nice amount of torque available. I'm used to my lightly tuned GTI with bolt-ons that was extremely torque and very fun between 20-60 MPH. My sense of how fast I think I'm going compared to how fast I'm actually going is taking a minute for me to adjust to. I'm not used to how smooth the car feels on the road and the minimal amount of noise, so I quickly find myself going 20+ over the limit on accident when I feel like I'm going at most 5 over the limit. I have the HUD so I need to just get used to using that. The handling in this car is amazing and I'm still able to take quick, sharp turns in a very controlled manner even though this car isn't exactly light. It would be very fun with a 6 speed manual but I enjoy the paddles. The only other negative so far is the MPG; so far I've been getting low 20s, but who am I kidding, that's not why I got this car. I'm sure once my honeymoon phase is over, I will start driving more conservatively and get better numbers... but then I will probably start modding it and that will go out the window again. I probably won't do anything crazy performance-wise besides intake, DP and/or tune. I'm still trying to figure out the best tuning route to take if at all. Cosmetically I plan to do the cliche additions that look good on a white car such as the front black/CF splitter, black/CF mirror covers, maybe a black 435i emblem, possibly a black/CF rear spoiler and maybe the carbon fiber exhaust pipe finishers. One of the main reasons I immediately liked this car was for the MPE. Coming from cars that aren't exactly loud, I'm sure even without it I would have been fine, but I'm having a great time with all the crackling and burbling. Some people online say it isn't loud enough, but I can definitely hear it. It sounds different in real life than what I've heard in Youtube videos (even though I still thought it sounded good in the videos I've watched).

Inside the car, the interior and the build quality are very nice. I didn't like the Dakota leather when I initially test drove a 340i because I would prefer the Merino soft leather, but I actually like it now more than I thought I would. The seats are very comfortable and the thigh extenders are a nice plus for me since I am 6' 3". I do wish the HUD could be adjusted to go up higher than the settings allow because I like to sit as low as possible. The infotainment system is very good and responsive. I've seen many car interfaces that don't provide a good user experience, such as the Ford SYNC in my wife's Focus, it isn't terrible, but seems to have a lot of lag and a lazy UI design. Maybe things have just started to get better on all cars. I listen to a lot of music and I can be pretty anal about sound quality; the Harmon Kardon system sounds great. I would really like BMW to be compatible with Android Auto and hopefully it will be added sometime this year. There's a great amount of trunk space, it will fit a couple snowboards just fine, probably even a smaller surfboard.

It's hard to be a car enthusiast in Orange County and get a car that stands out unless you have tons of money to blow, which is most people in South Orange County. I was skeptical at first of getting a bimmer because I see so many around here with them. I see literally every brand of car in every trim here daily, old and new, ranging from PT Cruisers to Koenigseggs and 918s. I see so many P1s and Aventadors that they give me about the same rush that I get when I see a Geo Metro. The second something new is out, I will likely see minimum 10 of them a day forever. There are also tons of awesome classic cars around here. Even with all that, I still feel like this car is a little different. I have seen several F36 GC's cruising around but I still think they are unique. There aren't many 4 door versions of a 2 door version of a 4 door car driving around that look like a sedan with the practicality of a hatchback. I have also managed to get a couple head turns, too which is new to me, and I even had a kid take a photo of my car as I was pulling in to park and visit my local Cars & Coffee. Either way, I don't necessarily care whether anybody notices my car or not because I feel good when I'm driving it, I get excited to drive to work in the morning and I think that's all that really matters for me.

All-in-all I completely understand why BMW enthusiasts love their cars so much, and hopefully my high lasts. So far so good. I mean I liked my car enough to nerd out and write a review on an internet forum. I can see my wife coming down to the garage some night and I will be porky-pigging it (in nothing but a t-shirt) and scream at her, "Don't look at me!" as I quickly attempt to cover myself up with a microfiber cloth.

The last photo is from before I got the windows tinted.

[PennSt8]

Welcome to the club, great looking car. Which dealer did you use down in the OC?

[carlr]

Great looking car! I still got six more days to go...

[Sayzar]

Congrats and welcome to the family - its a beast of a car. i had mine for a little over a month now and i just love it. The beauty of it is, you don't see many on the roads with the M sport package. On getting it tinted that is a pain in the ass because the window comes down a bit when opening the doors. Make sure you go to someone that knows how and has tinted a frameless door car before. here is my baby

[.BMW.]

Beautiful GC!

Congrats.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Congrats, awesome car

[mondaydriver]

Originally Posted by PennSt8

Welcome to the club, great looking car. Which dealer did you use down in the OC?

Thank you, I picked it up from Crevier.

Originally Posted by Sayzar

On getting it tinted that is a pain in the ass because the window comes down a bit when opening the doors. Make sure you go to someone that knows how and has tinted a frameless door car before. here is my baby

Nice, looks good. Yea, I already got my tint done by a friend a couple weeks ago who knew how to do it. I got dark tint all the way around.

[Dyl]

Originally Posted by mondaydriver

I have seen several F36 GC's cruising around but I still think they are unique. There aren't many 4 door versions of a 2 door version of a 4 door car driving around that look like a sedan with the practicality of a hatchback.

The main reasons I bought a GC, looks great (in my opinion) and not too many of them around. Plus it totally fits my 4 door needs, I'm joint owner an 18 month old.

[VividRacingII]

Good pick, if BMW offered 4er GC back in 2013, I'd hop on it no second thought!

[DrivenByE30]

I hate reading but here i made an effort and it was worth it.

Thanks for taking the time to share
Welcome among us and make yourself feel right at home.

See ya between the 5, 55 and 405.

Many Congrats on the great choice!!

Happy Motoring and have Fun Porking around (with your wife, thats how you make babies, I already on my second girl !

Next time, consider the European Delivery with a swing to the green hell Nurb !!

PS after four years, the honeymoon stage int over, I am still enjoying the car burble and the low 20s mpg around South OC ...

[TheRickster]

I also joined the 435i GC club after a long period of deciding on a replacement for my n54 335i Coupe. I was stuck between the 340i, M235i, 435i Coupe (I am single and have no need for 4 doors), and finally the GC. Although I do feel I missed out on the gem of an engine in the 340i, the looks of the Gran Coupé (especially with the red interior) are killer! I am falling in love with it more and more every single day and am happy with my decision.

Oh and my Mpg's have slowly been getting better and better in the 1200 miles I've put on it since I got it last week.

[mondaydriver]

Originally Posted by DrivenByE30

I hate reading but here i made an effort and it was worth it.

Thanks for taking the time to share
Welcome among us and make yourself feel right at home.

See ya between the 5, 55 and 405.

Many Congrats on the great choice!!

Happy Motoring and have Fun Porking around (with your wife, thats how you make babies, I already on my second girl !

Next time, consider the European Delivery with a swing to the green hell Nurb !!

PS after four years, the honeymoon stage int over, I am still enjoying the car burble and the low 20s mpg around South OC ...

Yea my commute mainly consists of the 73 and 55.

Maybe I will try European delivery and get an M car of sorts. That would be awesome.

Haha, thanks for taking the time to read, I was just going to post the photos and the build but I might've got carried away. I should add a tl;dr, this car is great, here's some photos.

Also, I meant my wife is eventually going to catch me cheating on her with the bimmer.

[mondaydriver]

Originally Posted by TheRickster

I also joined the 435i GC club after a long period of deciding on a replacement for my n54 335i Coupe. I was stuck between the 340i, M235i, 435i Coupe (I am single and have no need for 4 doors), and finally the GC. Although I do feel I missed out on the gem of an engine in the 340i, the looks of the Gran Coupé (especially with the red interior) are killer! I am falling in love with it more and more every single day and am happy with my decision.

Oh and my Mpg's have slowly been getting better and better in the 1200 miles I've put on it since I got it last week.

Haha, yea I put like 200 on mine in the first 24 hours. Yours looks sweet with that red interior. I would've done Coral red or Saddle brown if I had the choice. Mine is black, but I still think it looks clean.