Teach me F30 gen BMW

As I've mentioned in another thread I started, my wife and I are looking for a car we can share.  Started off looking at cars geared more toward luxury than sport...'14 Accord EX-L V6, Avalon Limited, Cadenza Limited, etc...they were all very nice cars.  Then I pretty much handed my wife a crack pipe by having her test drive a '13 BMW 328i.  The woman who usually drives like a soccer mom was doing 60mph in a 35mph zone, approaching curves...and it only took us 5.5 seconds to reach 60mph.  She got out and said "That was fun".  OK, message received.  So off to sports sedan-land we go.

The two contenders are '13 Infiniti G37/'14-15 Q40 (same car) and F30 BMW 328i.  I'm very comfortable with the G series.  We had one years ago, and I know they're pretty bullet proof.  The major downsides are they drink fuel like mad, and they're a rather old design, circa 2008 or so.  However, they're fast, fun, handle well and comfy.

The BMW...as much as I loved it too, it's a wonderful car, I have a bit of trepidation about German cars.  Given that I drive 25-28k miles per year, it'll rack up miles fast.  I can get a '13-'14 w/around 30-40k miles for roughly $16k...which is my price point.  I rarely keep cars more than 2 years, so I'd need it to go to 80-90k miles without major issues.

So teach me...what are the soft spots of the F30?  Is the N20 turbo motor reliable?  The 8 speed auto trans?  Electrical?  What should I know about the car, besides how fun to drive it is?

When I was looking at the X3, with the N20 motor, there was a lot of chatter about timing chain issues. This would usually end badly. All the more reason to get the N55!

I've had my F80 M3 for about a year.  Granted only has about 20k miles.  No issues thus far though.  They seem pretty robust from my perusal of the forums, but I can't speak to the N20 engine.  I will say a buddy with a 2011 X5 has not had a good experience and is swearing off modern BMWs based on it.  Lots of failures, luckily covered with aftermarket warranty.  

Do you put on mostly highway miles?  I think the quality of the miles matters more than the quantity... Mine are mostly city, stop and go etc and it's a lot harder on a car than highway cruising.

Yeah, I've heard many mixed things about BMW, hence my concerns.  At the same time, I've driven them...many times, hence my love of them.

About 75% of the miles are highway, but some of that is during rush hour traffic....so it's part 80mph cruising, part 20-30mph slogging.  The other 25% is suburban driving.

The G37 has the reliability, but just feels more dated.

Just get a CPO car.  It might cost a little bit more but it comes with a 100k mile warranty through BMW and then you can actually enjoy the car while you have it instead of worrying what might happen. 

^This.

I am pretty distrustful of modern DI turbo cars with higher mileage.

We have a 328xd wagon that we bought lightly used. My wife puts about 25k miles a year, it's at 60k miles now. It has only been to the dealer for oil changes and fuel filter.

The auto transmission, I believe it is the same, is THE BEST auto that I have ever driven. In sport mode its on par with a DCT, lightning quick shifts. This coming from someone that has driven every M3/M4 DCT/SMG. As for its durability, I believe this is the same transmission used on a ton of new cars, it should be very under stressed on that car.

If you get a 2014, try and get one that was originally sold before July of 2014. It will include the free BMW maintenance. After July of 2014 the maintenance is not transferable anymore.

I had a few 328 gas ones as loaners and the gas mileage was pretty good, around 30 mpg if I recall correctly.

The n20 timing chain guides were updated in early 2015, I would not buy an older one.  The n55 is fun, you would not regret the upgrade.  BMW s are supposed to have a straight six.