RE: PH Blog: The new 3 Series as mile-muncher
Discussion
MrGeoff said:
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.
Saw a new 320d in the flesh today and it looked great. Edited by MrGeoff on Saturday 11th February 14:29
My daily runner is 320d M Sport Coupe and I bought it for the £90 road tax and hoping it would get near the claimed 60 mpg...
I drive it hard everyday and in the past 3 months and 15k miles its still averaging over 49mpg and putting a big smile on my face....I've driven an array of VAG products in the past and nothing has come close in terms of B road handling/motorway refinement... the economy's a bonus. I think that's the point, its more of an allrounder than it's rivals and they are much better specced as standard than BMWs of past.
These do look great.
I did 406 miles in our E91 335d. First 300 were motorway miles, the last 100ish were epic North Wales roads including the Llanberris pass. Only had a 20 minute stop for coffee (didn't need to refuel) and arrived fresh as a daisy as beaming from ear to ear after driving the Pass. Total driving heaven.
A pokey 3 series really is a great mile muncher AND fun on the twisty bits.
New one looks like it's scored another hit and will be the object of derision for even more Octavia/Mondeo/Insignia drivers...!
I did 406 miles in our E91 335d. First 300 were motorway miles, the last 100ish were epic North Wales roads including the Llanberris pass. Only had a 20 minute stop for coffee (didn't need to refuel) and arrived fresh as a daisy as beaming from ear to ear after driving the Pass. Total driving heaven.
A pokey 3 series really is a great mile muncher AND fun on the twisty bits.
New one looks like it's scored another hit and will be the object of derision for even more Octavia/Mondeo/Insignia drivers...!
Is it true that the only six cylinder 3 series is the 335i? I would be disappointed if it is.
It may be an efficient thing the 320d, but it is night and day away from the 325i in terms of refinement. Engine refinement is important to me since it sets the feel for the rest of the car.
It may be an efficient thing the 320d, but it is night and day away from the 325i in terms of refinement. Engine refinement is important to me since it sets the feel for the rest of the car.
va1o said:
MrGeoff said:
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.
Is this a serious comment? 
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.
+1I'm keen to see if it get's anywhere near the reported figures in real life.
spacegrey335 said:
va1o said:
MrGeoff said:
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.
Is this a serious comment? I had a sit in a 335i today.
I have an E90 saloon and as a comparison, I was very impressed with the new car. In general terms the overall package seems a real step up IMO.
However, the car had a 'wooden' trim that was heavily rippled plastic and probably one of the worst things I have ever seen in a car interior. Definitely not a box I would tick on the options list.
I have an E90 saloon and as a comparison, I was very impressed with the new car. In general terms the overall package seems a real step up IMO.
However, the car had a 'wooden' trim that was heavily rippled plastic and probably one of the worst things I have ever seen in a car interior. Definitely not a box I would tick on the options list.
Max_Torque said:
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!
YOu should read this months article on the new 3 series by Bovington at CAR- must be his last story for them, he says its great but actually on limit the electric steering goes all empty on him and he loses the ability to know whats its doing and where the car is going- after all these years I call that poor engineering if one is designing the ultimate driving machine. Seems like the ONLY auto scriblers who give this level of honesty about how cars really drive are the semi orginal EVO team, Barker, Meaden and Bovington and thats about it. Very sad. jThe 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!
Edited by j123 on Saturday 11th February 19:29
bakerstreet said:
E30M3SE said:
+2. No point getting too excited about claimed figures.
+3 I'm only interested in the pump to pump features. Don't care what the computer says. I have a pet theory that petrol engines are much harder to get nearer to claimed MPG figures than diesel engines.
j123 said:
Max_Torque said:
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!
YOu should read this months article on the new 3 series by Bovington at CAR- must be his last story for them, he says its great but actually on limit the electric steering goes all empty on him and he loses to ability to know whats its doing and where the car is going- after all these years I call that poor engineering if one is designing the ultimate driving machine. jThe 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!
For an everyday ride, the 3 series sounds great. Like the sound of the active suspension and they seem to have cracked the run flats...
spacegrey335 said:
va1o said:
MrGeoff said:
It is just another 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.
Is this a serious comment? Edited by RichB on Saturday 11th February 21:35
Lovely cars had a good look at a "sport" model last week whilst my 3 M Sport was in for a service, and there's a big difference in the new one. The interior is something else.
I've been impressed with my BM, albeit it needed a water pump at 30k miles (12 months old)and i had to wait 6 weeks for a replacement, but as a mile muncher prefer to my previous Audi.
I've been impressed with my BM, albeit it needed a water pump at 30k miles (12 months old)and i had to wait 6 weeks for a replacement, but as a mile muncher prefer to my previous Audi.
Done roughly this trip several times (Marbella to Benidorm) sadly in a Citroen Berlingo, not a 335i.
Very interested in the real world consumption - I had a 335i Touring, and the best I ever got was 29 mpg on a run. The consumption would go into the mid 30's, but I never had the restraint to not use the redline whenever an excuse presented itself, fantastic engine.
Hope you're enjoying the scenery Riggers.
Very interested in the real world consumption - I had a 335i Touring, and the best I ever got was 29 mpg on a run. The consumption would go into the mid 30's, but I never had the restraint to not use the redline whenever an excuse presented itself, fantastic engine.
Hope you're enjoying the scenery Riggers.
donna180 said:
That was an entertaining read. Jethro always gives a good insight - that was with the non-linear steering though - no press reports with the standard setup yet afaik.
For an everyday ride, the 3 series sounds great. Like the sound of the active suspension and they seem to have cracked the run flats...
Donna wrote:For an everyday ride, the 3 series sounds great. Like the sound of the active suspension and they seem to have cracked the run flats...
"no press reports with the standard setup yet afaik."
Don't you get it? there most likely won't ever be, most don't write for insight as you put it. Every write so far about the 3-series is about the same as every other. j
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