Friday 10th February 2012

PH Blog: The new 3 Series as mile-muncher

Part one, in which Riggers makes a half-day lope from Malaga to Valencia

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Hola from sunny Spain...

We all know that Speed Matters, so when BMW got in touch to ask us if we would like to drive a new 3 Series back to the UK from its press launch duties in Spain, our first question was 'what's the fastest one you've got?'.

...Mind you there's even snow down here

The answer was a 335i, which for now tops the new F30 3 Series range with its familiar but thoroughly excellent 306hp Twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six. Excellent. Better still, it was a display model and the only 335i out there, so until we got our hands on it, would be untouched by journalistic hands.

We'll bring you a full first drive of the new 335i once we get back to Blighty, so we'll only deal with a few first impressions here. So what are they? Well, the new F30 3 Series is, er, very much like the old one, only a little bit better in almost every respect. Faster, cleaner, more 'athletic' (both in the way it looks and the way it drives), but very, very familiar. So much so that more than once I've already forgotten that it's an all-new car I'm driving - but I mean that as the highest of compliments.

335i covering ground

In 335i guise it's also an epic mile-gobbler. Okay, so the 328i might have the edge when it comes to balancing power and economy (245hp, but 44.1mpg on the combined cycle), but the 335i counters with the fact that it's the only six-pot 3er available for now (and it's only a tad behind on economy, claiming 39.2mpg in automatic guise). And the new 3 Series, any new 3 Series, is a sufficiently comfy, pleasant place to be that the miles just fly by.

It's a good thing the 335i can devour big distances, though, because my initial plans for this trip had me in France by now and yet, as I type, I'm in Valencia. That's still 370-odd miles in half a day, mind, including an hour or two where I got bored of motorways and headed into the back-roads of Murcia, so call it bad planning on my part rather than the car's fault.

That does mean, however, that tomorrow (Saturday) will be a pretty mammoth trek, because Mrs Riggers is arriving in Poitiers in the afternoon. And that's 700 miles north from Valencia. Should be quite a test. I'll let you know how I get on...

Riggers

[rajkohli81]

Now these guys produce allrounders

[V6Alfisti]

Still find it incredible how BMW manage to get that level of fuel economy from a petrol. Witch craft!

[0a]

It actually looks really good in that spec and colour!

[Mafioso]

Nicely blurred out speedometer there! And also, it seems they've returned to adding a water temp gauge that was missing from the e90!?

[Garlick]

Riggers, who took the driving pic?

[Dan Trent]

Haven't you had to stop for fuel yet? We'll need photographic evidence of this happening.

[Dhodgson]

You lucky bugger

[will261058]

Is a needle on the speedometer an option then?

[obscene]

V6Alfisti said:

Still find it incredible how BMW manage to get that level of fuel economy from a petrol. Witch craft!

This.


Especially being an E46 owner where the consumption is alot higher than the newer models (obviusly!). Technology is incredible.

[LewisR]

Mafioso said:

Nicely blurred out speedometer there! And also, it seems they've returned to adding a water temp gauge that was missing from the e90!?

Yeah, my E60 5 is missing loads of kit, including temp gauge, that my E39* had then they put that stupid iDrive in that was clealy designed by someone that's never driven.

• glovebox torch, interior boot release, twin cabin temp controls.

[arkenphel]

That bum in the treat 3/4 shot looks a little J-Lo to me.

Kinda big, but doesnt detract from the overall ok-ness.

[loudlashadjuster]

arkenphel said:

That bum in the treat 3/4 shot looks a little J-Lo to me.

Kinda big, but doesnt detract from the overall ok-ness.

True, but I think the front makes up for it. Best looking 3 Series nose for some time*, looks like a 7 Series in a way.

* Daft bonnet shutline excepted, of course.

[vrtrooper]

Will we get the four wheel drive version?

[RedWater]

I'd probably be travelling at about 100 in that too!

[JayTee94]

will261058 said:

Is a needle on the speedometer an option then?

I think you get them if you tick the 'Indicator Pack' which include:

• Speed Indicator (AKA: needle)

• Indicators

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I quite like the new 3 Series. I think it looks very smart. I like the interior choices you can spec with this model too!

[va1o]

I really like the new 3-series, its definitely going to set the benchmark for the next few years.

[JWH]

It'd be very interesting to hear some 'real world' fuel consumption figures from this trip too please. Maybe a true calculated average for the day plus the results of resetting the computer and sitting at 60, 70 and 80 mph for say 20 miles each.
I'm keen to see if it get's anywhere near the reported figures in real life.

[RichB]

Fact is most manufacturers make a decent motorway car these days; Merc, Audi, BMW, Volvo, VW, Ford etc. What do you need? Decent stereo, comfy seats, good air-con, excellent mpg for long distance between stops and what else? Frankly it's just another big engines euro saloon, if you're into your BMWs you'll love it else it's just another saloon car. If it was a Skoda you'd all be laughing at it but be honest with yourself, an Octavia would be just as good for travelling 500 miles on a motorway.

[MrGeoff]

JWH said:

It'd be very interesting to hear some 'real world' fuel consumption figures from this trip too please. Maybe a true calculated average for the day plus the results of resetting the computer and sitting at 60, 70 and 80 mph for say 20 miles each.
I'm keen to see if it get's anywhere near the reported figures in real life.

+1

RichB said:

Fact is most manufacturers make a decent motorway car these days; Merc, Audi, BMW, Volvo, VW, Ford etc. What do you need? Decent stereo, comfy seats, good air-con, excellent mpg for long distance between stops and what else? Frankly it's just another big engines euro saloon, if you're into your BMWs you'll love it else it's just another saloon car. If it was a Skoda you'd all be laughing at it but be honest with yourself, an Octavia would be just as good for travelling 500 miles on a motorway.

It is just anoter saloon and doesn't really set the world on fire. Skoda would be just as good and cheaper for the job of a motorway cruiser.

Edited by MrGeoff on Saturday 11th February 14:29

[anonymous-user]

MrGeoff said:

JWH said:

It'd be very interesting to hear some 'real world' fuel consumption figures from this trip too please. Maybe a true calculated average for the day plus the results of resetting the computer and sitting at 60, 70 and 80 mph for say 20 miles each.
I'm keen to see if it get's anywhere near the reported figures in real life.

+1

RichB said:

Fact is most manufacturers make a decent motorway car these days; Merc, Audi, BMW, Volvo, VW, Ford etc. What do you need? Decent stereo, comfy seats, good air-con, excellent mpg for long distance between stops and what else? Frankly it's just another big engines euro saloon, if you're into your BMWs you'll love it else it's just another saloon car. If it was a Skoda you'd all be laughing at it but be honest with yourself, an Octavia would be just as good for travelling 500 miles on a motorway.

It is just anoter saloon and doesn't really set the world on fire. Skoda would be just as good and cheaper for the job of a motorway cruiser.

Edited by MrGeoff on Saturday 11th February 14:29

But, and it's a big well rounded but, the 3 series as still the benchmark for driver rewards in its segment. No, it's no Caterham obviously, but on that odd occasion when the road is twisty and lightly traffic'd, the 3'er ups its game and becomes a really rather good thing indeed. BMW's steadfast RWD and 50:50 mass distribution shines through, and although 99.9% of drivers of that car will never find it, beyond the normal 7/10's is a cracking car at the limit. Effectively the natural balance of the car works, unlike VW/Audi's and Mercs where they start to show there unnatural balance.

The fact that you can buy a decent looking, comfortable, fast car with excellent fuel economy, drive 700miles down a motorway, but then drift it round an invitingly empty roundabout (assuming you have the skills ;-) mean a lot to me.

Add the fact that the interior now justifies the price tag (Ain't about the cha-ching, cha-ching, Aint't about the ba-bling, ba-bling) makes it a hard car to ignore in its sector!