[Mission_PGPX]

Originally Posted by graaja

UPDATE:
After lots of discussions in this thread, with my other car enthusiast friends and lots of sleepless nights, I went ahead and finalized a good deal on the GT (from December offers) - 330i GT M Sport, Estoril blue exterior, Cognac interiors.

Hi graaja, first of all Congratulations!! deep down i feel if one is buying bmw it has to be M Sports, the smaller updates make the car look so adorable.

1 suggestion : once you get the car, give her that ceramic coating, to keep her adorable for years to come. The paint surface will be new and free of many swirlmarks and paint thickness will also be full and factory finished. So getting the coat will keep her protected against dusty Indian conditions in initial years.

1 question : what happens to Jetta now? did you sell it in exchange or otherwise? Can't wait to read your ownership review.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Tanveer_2558

Simply PERFECT! According to your requirements the GT makes total sense...

Can't wait for your ownership thread & yeah don't forget to get the BRI (Extended warranty) + BSI package, Its the cheapest while buying the car, High usage or no, Simply get it & it will be like a licence for you to rip the car everyday all day long without worrying about the brake pads or engine oil & servicing costs.

Thank you for the wishes Tanveer! I have already opted for the maximum 6 years BRI. However, have not taken the BSI yet. As my usage is going to be just around 12,000 km a year, I am still of the opinion that I will not be able to do justice to the BSI Plus cost. Will give this some more thought and decide. Maybe, I will take a minimum BSI, and keep the option of extending it later.

Originally Posted by Mission_PGPX

Hi graaja, first of all Congratulations!! deep down i feel if one is buying bmw it has to be M Sports, the smaller updates make the car look so adorable.

1 suggestion : once you get the car, give her that ceramic coating, to keep her adorable for years to come. The paint surface will be new and free of many swirlmarks and paint thickness will also be full and factory finished. So getting the coat will keep her protected against dusty Indian conditions in initial years.

1 question : what happens to Jetta now? did you sell it in exchange or otherwise? Can't wait to read your ownership review.

Thank you for the kind wishes Mission_PGPX. The M Sport comes with lots of options and also provides that sporty look. The only sad part is that in India, all changes in M Sport are just cosmetic. They do not provide the M-Sport suspensions that provides that sporty performance as well. I am discussing with BMW about the option to upgrade the suspensions to M Sport as well. Let's see how things progress.

Regarding ceramic coating, I have been checking about this, and two issues. The first is it is very expensive, and the second is that it is not that durable. It need certain type of care to keep the coating long lasting. So, I am planning to just get that regular waxing and once in a year paint treatment in 3M as I do for the Jetta. I saw in another thread that 3M is coming with some treatment that is similar to ceramic, but not as expensive. My 3M dealer said they should have this in a month's time. Will check that option as well.

I am planning to sell the Jetta. I have sent out message within my know circle. If there are no takers, then I plan to put up an ad in TBHP classifieds, OLX etc. Will do this after taking delivery of the GT.

[iliketurtles]

Congrats on the new ride buddy! Yours is a practical decision rooted in your ground realities, and questions on handling aside, the BMW will be an upgrade over the Jetta in so many ways.

The car looks fantastic in that color, looking forward to seeing a dedicated thread for it soon-ish.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Congrats on the new ride buddy! Yours is a practical decision rooted in your ground realities, and questions on handling aside, the BMW will be an upgrade over the Jetta in so many ways.

The car looks fantastic in that color, looking forward to seeing a dedicated thread for it soon-ish.

Thank you Karan, for the wishes

Yes. Except for the handling, I think the 330i GT will be an upgrade in all other departments for the Jetta. For the handling, the main culprit is that they do not offer the M Sport suspensions in the M Sport variant in India. Europe M Sport models have the M Sport suspension option, which provides a very good balance between the regular suspension and the M Performance suspensions. I have confirmed with BMW that we can get the original M Sport suspension and have them installed officially by BMW. That should easily bring the handling to Jetta territory without compromising too much on the ride comfort.

So, I have the option to fix the handling as well, if it proves to be too much of a deal breaker

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by graaja

I have confirmed with BMW that we can get the original M Sport suspension and have them installed officially by BMW. That should easily bring the handling to Jetta territory without compromising too much on the ride comfort.

That does indeed sound like a very tasty proposition, but surely it'll cost you mucho pesos?

Anyways, any aftermarket shop worth their salt can get that done for you too, you'll just have to drive a bit to get there. That's not such a bad thing, though

[graaja]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

That does indeed sound like a very tasty proposition, but surely it'll cost you mucho pesos?

Anyways, any aftermarket shop worth their salt can get that done for you too, you'll just have to drive a bit to get there. That's not such a bad thing, though

Had it not been for the 6 years warranty, I would have straight away gone with Bilstein B6 or Koni FSD suspensions.

Going the OEM way just to keep warranty gremlins away. Got a quote of 1.38L from a BMW dealer in Kerala for the front and rear suspensions and sway bars including duties and GST, and it sounds reasonable. My dealer has said he will do the installation. Plan to take it to the Valparai hill roads the first thing after delivery to test the handling. Will make a call after that.

[Turbanator]

Except for the handling, I think the 330i GT will be an upgrade in all other departments for the Jetta

Is this from your personal experience from extended test drives or reviews? I will suggest you not to worry much, don't forget the pedigree

Had it not been for the 6 years warranty

As long as you have cordial relations with the dealerships, you don't need to worry even if you change. They overlook most of these things unless there is a direct linkage between the failed part and the changed component.

Got a quote of 1.38L from a BMW dealer in Kerala for the front and rear suspensions and sway bars

Better wait for few weeks or months, get some miles and during that time you should hopefully get a good idea of what all is missing.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Is this from your personal experience from extended test drives or reviews? I will suggest you not to worry much, don't forget the pedigree

This was from an extended test drive with wife in various types of roads including lot of winding roads. Though I was perfectly fine with the little roll which was very predictable and I did not feel any loss of control at all, wife clearly felt that the car was bouncy compared to the Jetta.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

As long as you have cordial relations with the dealerships, you don't need to worry even if you change. They overlook most of these things unless there is a direct linkage between the failed part and the changed component.

The dealer was quite supportive, but was insisting that I go the OEM way (even if I source the components) to keep the warranty intact. As this is the first time I am dealing with the dealership, I think it could take maybe a year to develop a good relationship with them.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Better wait for few weeks or months, get some miles and during that time you should hopefully get a good idea of what all is missing.

Sure. I will ride it for a couple of months at least in all types of roads and see if everyone adjusts to the new characteristics of the car and then decide.

[graaja]

Brought home the 330i GT on Valentine's day. The delivery went without a hitch and I would rate a 5 star for the dealership experience. Hope this good experience continues in the coming years of ownership.

A few pictures.

The front view.


The side view.


The three quarter view.


The GT joins the GT.


Full digital instrument cluster.


The interiors - combination of black / cognac.






The instrument cluster changes character based on the drive mode.


Cool BMW projection in the puddle light. This was an expensive accessory. But they had installed this in the car. Not sure if this is standard fixture in the M Sport variant or a goodwill gesture from the dealers.


Will drive the car for a couple of weeks and then put together an ownership thread.

PS: One thing I am not liking is the chrome in the grill and the aluminium finish on the window liner. Thinking of doing a matte black wrap.

[revvharder]

Let me be the first to congratulate you on the blue bimmer. It is looking stunning in this colour.

[Porcupine]

Congratulations! That shade of blue is stunning and the exterior and interior colour combination make a great pair! Looking forward to your ownership thread!

[Turbopetrol]

Originally Posted by graaja

Brought home the 330i GT on Valentine's day. ..

Congratulations on the new ride. Definitely a good upgrade from Jetta! Wish you an exciting and stress free ownership.

[surgvij]

Congratulations sir. The exterior and interior colour combination is just too good. But am a bit surprised to see the car already clocked close to 500km on the day of delivery. Was it driven from Chennai dealership?

[bottle]

Hi graaja, did you get this from Chennai ?

[graaja]

Originally Posted by revvharder

Let me be the first to congratulate you on the blue bimmer. It is looking stunning in this colour.

Originally Posted by Porcupine

Congratulations! That shade of blue is stunning and the exterior and interior colour combination make a great pair! Looking forward to your ownership thread!

Originally Posted by Turbopetrol

Congratulations on the new ride. Definitely a good upgrade from Jetta! Wish you an exciting and stress free ownership.

Thank you all for the kind wishes!

Originally Posted by surgvij

Congratulations sir. The exterior and interior colour combination is just too good. But am a bit surprised to see the car already clocked close to 500km on the day of delivery. Was it driven from Chennai dealership?

Originally Posted by bottle

Hi graaja, did you get this from Chennai ?

Thank you for the kind wishes. Yes. The car had to be driven from Chennai. As the sole delivery point for Tamilnadu is Chennai, they get a temp registration and drive it to Coimbatore. I had other options like bringing it in a flatbed or going to Chennai and taking delivery there. But as I was busy with my work, I just let the dealer handle it.