Do you need anything more than a 320d?
Discussion
As a petrol head yes, you do need more. You always need more. More power, more speed, more involvement, more feel... more of everything. And the £30k-£40k that a 320d will cost you will get all of that new or used.
As an average Joe you just don't need it at all. A Kia or a Hyundai of some description will probably be a less involving thing to drive, a benefit to average Joe who sees driving as a chore and doesn't actually want to feel like he's left his living room. It will be cheaper to run, better equipped, probably cost a hell of a lot less and no doubt more reliable.
These days the 320d only seems to make sense to company car people. Though i would always just be inclined to get the cheapest (to me) tolerable thing on such a list with no care as to what the badge says to others in the company/golf club car park.
I had an e90 320d a few years ago. It sits firmly at the very bottom of my list of cars i've owned. The N47 was a hateful lump.
As an average Joe you just don't need it at all. A Kia or a Hyundai of some description will probably be a less involving thing to drive, a benefit to average Joe who sees driving as a chore and doesn't actually want to feel like he's left his living room. It will be cheaper to run, better equipped, probably cost a hell of a lot less and no doubt more reliable.
These days the 320d only seems to make sense to company car people. Though i would always just be inclined to get the cheapest (to me) tolerable thing on such a list with no care as to what the badge says to others in the company/golf club car park.
I had an e90 320d a few years ago. It sits firmly at the very bottom of my list of cars i've owned. The N47 was a hateful lump.
Troubleatmill said:
9 times out of 10 - Yes.
You can't fit any young kiddy prams, buggies etc in the boot
BullsYou can't fit any young kiddy prams, buggies etc in the boot
Edited by Troubleatmill on Tuesday 23 June 20:47
t. I had an E90 330i and fit a Bugaboo in, plus all required crap, without breaking a sweat.Unless you are factoring in a 1930's silver cross, you are very wrong.
cerb4.5lee said:
WestyCarl said:
I have a 520d. It's perfect as a weekly commuter and weekend family "all can do" vehicle. It may be boring but it's comfortable, refined, got some useful toys and economical.
It also keeps the miles off the "fun" car in the garage.
Yes I agree with you and when I had mine I used it as a daily and had my TVR then my Z4M as a weekend toy, my mistake was not going for the 530d for the slight improvement in refinement and added shove because with mine being a touring the 2.0d engine didn't do a great job of lugging its extra kerb weight around. It also keeps the miles off the "fun" car in the garage.
They do involve a lot of time in a car, some good driving roads and a lot of Skodas out hell bent on spoiling them. A lot of power transforms a miserable view of an Octavia into a smart overtake and some fun accelerating out of corners.
I do have weekend "toy" type cars although if I'm honest with myself I rarely go out driving at weekends due to other stuff. A substantial amount of my time is spent in cars and therefore I see a high value in enjoying the daily driver.
I like having a more fun car available for the odd day here and there (because I get bored easily) but to me at least money is well spent keeping me amused each day.
Glaggalagadagadagadagadagadaga.
GlagalagaDAGADAGADAGADAGADAGA, glagaLAGADAGADAGA, glagaDAGADAGADAGA...
..dagadagadagadaga...
Over and over and over, till you stop at the petrol station and inadvertently cover yourself in fuel and try and light it to end the misery, but it won't light and now you smell of Diesel.
GlagalagaDAGADAGADAGADAGADAGA, glagaLAGADAGADAGA, glagaDAGADAGADAGA...
..dagadagadagadaga...
Over and over and over, till you stop at the petrol station and inadvertently cover yourself in fuel and try and light it to end the misery, but it won't light and now you smell of Diesel.
In reality no, but if you like cars then yes you probably do.
I had an F30 330d X Drive for a courtsey car for a week and that did change my opinions of diesels a bit. It still sounded horrible on start up (especially outside the car) and around town but it sounded OK when pushed. It was also pretty bloody quick too in real world / day to day driving. I liked the X drive too - it just gripped and went even in grotty weather.
As a quick, every day car a 330d is where my money would go, however it was hideously expensive at RRP for what was a posh rep mobile. The interior was a big step up from the E90 with a bit more space but the X Drice gubbins seemed to eat into the boot which was even more useless than the one in the E90.
I had an F30 330d X Drive for a courtsey car for a week and that did change my opinions of diesels a bit. It still sounded horrible on start up (especially outside the car) and around town but it sounded OK when pushed. It was also pretty bloody quick too in real world / day to day driving. I liked the X drive too - it just gripped and went even in grotty weather.
As a quick, every day car a 330d is where my money would go, however it was hideously expensive at RRP for what was a posh rep mobile. The interior was a big step up from the E90 with a bit more space but the X Drice gubbins seemed to eat into the boot which was even more useless than the one in the E90.
I aspired to own one until I read this thread!!
A 320d touring would fit the bill nicely for my family.
Just how rough are these engines? I appreciate they may not be silky smooth like a 6 pot but I'd be coming from a Peugeot 406 diesel (90bhp) which is as rattly as a rattly thing on cobbles.
Would the 4 pot petrol be a better bet (320i) or would you go to a 325 (petrol or diesel)?
Decisions decisions......
A 320d touring would fit the bill nicely for my family.
Just how rough are these engines? I appreciate they may not be silky smooth like a 6 pot but I'd be coming from a Peugeot 406 diesel (90bhp) which is as rattly as a rattly thing on cobbles.
Would the 4 pot petrol be a better bet (320i) or would you go to a 325 (petrol or diesel)?
Decisions decisions......
Limpet said:
I'm on my second ED, this time a Touring with the ZF-8 auto (replacing a manual saloon). I've found it to be a much, much nicer car with the automatic transmission, with significantly lower NVH levels (fluid coupling?), and being so much nicer without that clunky, baulky, notchy manual 'box and horribly heavy clutch.
I also agree the handling is average. You don't need to be pressing on too hard for body control (or lack of) to become an issue. It's well balanced, but it is by no stretch of the imagination any kind of ultimate driving machine. Perfectly competent, but uninspiring. A cruiser, basically.
A very complete car though. Effortlessly quick in real world driving, frugal, well put together. When you consider what the typical company car driver was running around in 10 years ago, I think it's a revelation.
This was the best door-to-door figure I got from my old manual (the grey one). Genuine 'office car park to drive' reading:
And here are the two cars
Absolutely agree about the manual, the shift is horrible and not much fun to work hard. I also agree the handling is average. You don't need to be pressing on too hard for body control (or lack of) to become an issue. It's well balanced, but it is by no stretch of the imagination any kind of ultimate driving machine. Perfectly competent, but uninspiring. A cruiser, basically.
A very complete car though. Effortlessly quick in real world driving, frugal, well put together. When you consider what the typical company car driver was running around in 10 years ago, I think it's a revelation.
This was the best door-to-door figure I got from my old manual (the grey one). Genuine 'office car park to drive' reading:
And here are the two cars
If you are obsessed with economy and having a BMW badge on your car, the 320d could be your dream car.
If you are an actual enthusiast with a passion for cars then it would probably make a useful daily driver, but it will surely fail in terms of being an exciting and pleasing car to drive.
I personally wouldn't even consider owning one, primarily because diesel engines aren't my thing but also because it's really quite a boring car and I don't have the space or incentive have different cars for different jobs.
If you are an actual enthusiast with a passion for cars then it would probably make a useful daily driver, but it will surely fail in terms of being an exciting and pleasing car to drive.
I personally wouldn't even consider owning one, primarily because diesel engines aren't my thing but also because it's really quite a boring car and I don't have the space or incentive have different cars for different jobs.
Electronicpants said:
Glaggalagadagadagadagadagadaga.
GlagalagaDAGADAGADAGADAGADAGA, glagaLAGADAGADAGA, glagaDAGADAGADAGA...
..dagadagadagadaga...
Over and over and over, till you stop at the petrol station and inadvertently cover yourself in fuel and try and light it to end the misery, but it won't light and now you smell of Diesel.
GlagalagaDAGADAGADAGADAGADAGA, glagaLAGADAGADAGA, glagaDAGADAGADAGA...
..dagadagadagadaga...
Over and over and over, till you stop at the petrol station and inadvertently cover yourself in fuel and try and light it to end the misery, but it won't light and now you smell of Diesel.
mr2mike said:
If you are obsessed with economy and having a BMW badge on your car, the 320d could be your dream car.
If you are an actual enthusiast with a passion for cars then it would probably make a useful daily driver, but it will surely fail in terms of being an exciting and pleasing car to drive.
I personally wouldn't even consider owning one, primarily because diesel engines aren't my thing but also because it's really quite a boring car and I don't have the space or incentive have different cars for different jobs.
A boring car that does actually go quite well in fairness to it. Especially when you consider drag races don't generally flatter diesels.If you are an actual enthusiast with a passion for cars then it would probably make a useful daily driver, but it will surely fail in terms of being an exciting and pleasing car to drive.
I personally wouldn't even consider owning one, primarily because diesel engines aren't my thing but also because it's really quite a boring car and I don't have the space or incentive have different cars for different jobs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EUaPlGlSIk
Stiggolas said:
Just how rough are these engines?
Depends what you mean by rough, if you mean do they sound like "a diesel" then yes, they certainly don't excel in engine refinement. If you mean do they feel rough to drive in terms of vibration through the pedals/steering etc then no they don't.Why are people comparing these to 'drivers cars'?
It's not a car for 'driving' it's a mode of transport for getting from A to B. Nothing more.
My Cayman S was far more entertaining on my daily commute but spending not far off £500 a month on petrol to sit at 85 on the motorway or in traffic soon lost it's appeal.
It's not a car for 'driving' it's a mode of transport for getting from A to B. Nothing more.
My Cayman S was far more entertaining on my daily commute but spending not far off £500 a month on petrol to sit at 85 on the motorway or in traffic soon lost it's appeal.
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