318d - any good?

[mikey-r]

Hi,

I've got an '04 320d SE which I think is a great car/engine. I need to replace my Focus Tdci estate and was thinking of another BM and have found a couple of 04/54 318d estates. I'll be using this car a fair bit, probably 400 miles per week. I understand it's a detuned 320d engine so on the one hand I'm sure it'll be great for MPG but my worry is it'll become somewhat strained on journeys as it's under powered (115 bhp) and only has 5 gears.

Has anyone got any experience of running a 318d and let know if I'm worrying about nothing?

Cheers

Mike.

[pgilc1]

mikey-r said:

Hi,

I've got an '04 320d SE which I think is a great car/engine. I need to replace my Focus Tdci estate and was thinking of another BM and have found a couple of 04/54 318d estates. I'll be using this car a fair bit, probably 400 miles per week. I understand it's a detuned 320d engine so on the one hand I'm sure it'll be great for MPG but my worry is it'll become somewhat strained on journeys as it's under powered (115 bhp) and only has 5 gears.

Has anyone got any experience of running a 318d and let know if I'm worrying about nothing?

Cheers

Mike.

Personally, i'd hunt around and find a 320d thats within budget, BUT, if you come across a 318d that floats your boat, you can add a tuning box www.tuningbox.com that will take the power close to that of a 320d anyway.

[matt uk]

Work have one in the pool I've used once or twice. Basically its OK - its as you would expect really.

If you are going with the flow in traffic its more than adequate and gets good mpg. If you need to press on or the road opens up, you realise that this is the base model d engine and hence will accelerate accordingly. A bit breathless if you open the taps but it's still fine in 95% of the daily drive.

Expect a lot and it might fall shot. If you do a lot of A and B road driving and are used to good over-taking squirt you'll have to mentally recalibrate what gaps you can go for. Expect a go-with-the-flow car with great mpg and you'll be happy.

I would say though that 320d are not exactly thin on the ground though - not sure of the price difference between them and the 318d. But you might find that there are so many 320d cars available the price gap is quite small.

Cheers,
Matt

[mikey-r]

Thanks for the feedback so far - really appreciate it. The reason I was looking at 318d's was that I need a leather interior (it's my fishing car and consequently gets a bit mucky and the leather seats are easy to clean etc) and the only cars I seem to find are 318d sports, of which most have leather. 320d Tourings with leather appear quite rare in this neck of the woods for some reason.

Mike.

[Bill Carr]

matt uk said:

Expect a go-with-the-flow car with great mpg and you'll be happy.

A friend of mine has one and I think that quote sums up his experience of it. He wanted something to commute in that would do great mpg and be practical for his young family, etc. He was on the lookout for a 320d but the lease payments were just that bit more expensive for him. I think he gets about 60mpg on an A-road commute, according to the on-board computer. I've been a passenger in it and it felt quick enough. It's not a petrolhead's car though.

[Chipper]

I'm driving around in a 118D ED car while my 335D is in for a service . Imo apart from the thing looking as ugly as sin, its brilliant! Ok its not supper fast, but it has plenty of go for everyday driving. The best bit is the fuel consumption which is no less than 45mpg when im giving it some stick and the average is around 58/62mpg, and this is on a vehicel with only 2000 miles on the clock ! I'd imagine 65mpg on the motorway would be quite easy to achieve.

[Fox-]

I put 1500 miles on a 318d last month. I found it to be an excelent car let down by an engine without the right levels of power for a car of this type, mated to an unsuitable 6 speed gearbox. You need a lot of cog shifting to gain speed after being slowed down on the Motorway, for example - it goes nowhere in 6th. Performance can never be described as anything more than 'average'.

A 320d would be much better.

[texasjohn]

Chipper said:

I'm driving around in a 118D ED car while my 335D is in for a service . Imo apart from the thing looking as ugly as sin, its brilliant! Ok its not supper fast, but it has plenty of go for everyday driving. The best bit is the fuel consumption which is no less than 45mpg when im giving it some stick and the average is around 58/62mpg, and this is on a vehicel with only 2000 miles on the clock ! I'd imagine 65mpg on the motorway would be quite easy to achieve.

I have one as a company car. It's 143hp nowadays too. 65mpg is achieveable on the motorway at the speed limit. 55 mpg is realistic day to day if you follow the gear change indication, and that is around town too.

With a tuning box it is 180hp and performance is really quite acceptable. Not that I would know, with it being a company car and all! It is also in the lowest BIK tax category @ 13%

On the topic of giving it some beans, 43mpg at a constant 100 (km/h ) is more than acceptable in my book!