BMW 320d, E90 v F30...163 vs 184 versions!

[greenarrow]

I am currently looking at buying a 3/4 year old diesel to take me to work following a change of job and a 90 mile commute 2/3 times a week down the M25/M3/M27 etc...

Just after a bit of feedback from my fellow pistonheaders on the ubiquitous 320d.

Is the current model (F30 I think its called) worth stumping up an extra 2 or 3 grand than a late model E90? They both have the same BHP etc, but the E90 N47 engine had issues and I am not sure if this carried over to the F30 and also, the F30 has more leg room I think, which is of importance to me, having a 15 year old daughter who is 5 foot 10. The car will be work hack and family car,

Secondly, nearly all the 320ds you see for sale are Efficient Dynamic models. Do these feel much slower than the 184 model? I read a road test a while back in a magazine where the 0-60/30-70 times didn't seem that much slower.

Finally, do these models wear high mileage well? Bearing in mind that my budget would only get me a current shape model with close to 100K on it....

[steve-5snwi]

F30 seems more refined and is better on fuel, I prefer the interior too and the automatic gearbox is better.

You might find a newer lower mileage mondeo for similar money to a high mile 320d, chances are it will have some warranty too and more toys.

[s m]

The 2005 320d - 163bhp



Then the 2012 320d - 181bhp

[edo]

All of them have "efficient Dynamics" features, and then there is the actual ED model on both E90 and F30 which has a slighly de-tuned engine and low resistance wheels etc. We have an e90 ED manual and it averaged 52 over the time we had it which was astoundingly good.

I've had a number of e90 320d's and all have been excellent.

[spreadsheet monkey]

From late 2007 onwards, the E90 320d got a bump in power to 177bhp. I ran one of these for five and a half years and it was great.

The Efficient Dynamics start/stop technology is pretty unobtrusive and I wouldn't worry about it too much.

I haven't driven an F30 but the consensus on PH is that it is a bigger and heavier car with a greater bias towards comfort. The E90 is marginally smaller and more chuckable. It's down to your personal taste which you prefer.

I'd say go for a late E90 model, but I'm biased.

Edited by spreadsheet monkey on Saturday 6th August 19:30

[greenarrow]

s m said:

The 2005 320d - 163bhp



Then the 2012 320d - 181bhp

Thanks, I have both those road tests ironically, but I don't believe its as simple as comparing the early e90 to the early f10, because doesn't the ED version of the e90 actually have 280 lb ft of torque and a different turbo to the earlier version?

I guess however that outright performance wont be hugely different. Less than 2 secs difference from 0-100 isn't actually a huge amount....

[edo]

whats your budget? Auto or Manual, Saloon or estate?

If your budget is putting you in higher mileage cars, then buy they best e90 you can.

[greenarrow]

edo said:

whats your budget? Auto or Manual, Saloon or estate?

If your budget is putting you in higher mileage cars, then buy they best e90 you can.

Good question.... budget is anything from £7.5 up to perhaps £10K for a nice car...

don't mind, saloon or estate and TBH if it were an F30, Id be tempted by the auto as doesn't it have 7 gears? The last two commutes home to the south coast have involved a lot of starting and stopping on the roads I travel on, so an auto is tempting.

[edo]

Not a lot to choose from in terms of F30; you might get this for 10k, but it is boggo basic spec.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

I'd get a really nice lower mileage E90 "lci" face-lift 09 on for that... For me it would need Pro media (lifts the interior and the lci nav system is excellent) and sport seats (either optioned on an SE etc, or standard on the Sport).

eg

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

[Mr Tidy]

greenarrow said:

Good question.... budget is anything from £7.5 up to perhaps £10K for a nice car...

don't mind, saloon or estate and TBH if it were an F30, Id be tempted by the auto as doesn't it have 7 gears? The last two commutes home to the south coast have involved a lot of starting and stopping on the roads I travel on, so an auto is tempting.

Well to be fair any 163bhp model ought to be way below your budget, although IIRC they used a version of the M47 engine that only had swirl-flap issues (which are easily fixed) and had no DPF!

After that the 320d got the N47 engine which has cam-chain issues that are much more expensive to fix, but if you buy one with full BMWSH you would hopefully benefit from the BMW "Quality Enhancement" programme!

I bailed out of my N47 engined 123d after 81K miles (before the QE regime). Strange that this version of the N47 never got offered in the 3 Series apart from the Alpina D3.

I'm guessing you do enough mileage to justify the diesel, but even in that situation I would probably look for a 325d or 330d.

Good luck anyway!

[p1stonhead]

If you would consider it, go for a 6 cylinder diesel op. So much nicer and the only difference in running costs is perhaps 10mpg less. Tiny in the grand scheme of things.

I just got an AUC 325d auto and it's a lot nicer than the 320d I once had. £9k from a BMW dealer with just under 50k miles.

[greenarrow]

p1stonhead said:

If you would consider it, go for a 6 cylinder diesel op. So much nicer and the only difference in running costs is perhaps 10mpg less. Tiny in the grand scheme of things.

I just got an AUC 325d auto and it's a lot nicer than the 320d I once had. £9k from a BMW dealer with just under 50k miles.

I certainly haven't discounted a 330d or 325d, but don't those models have problems with swirl flaps?

[p1stonhead]

greenarrow said:

p1stonhead said:

If you would consider it, go for a 6 cylinder diesel op. So much nicer and the only difference in running costs is perhaps 10mpg less. Tiny in the grand scheme of things.

I just got an AUC 325d auto and it's a lot nicer than the 320d I once had. £9k from a BMW dealer with just under 50k miles.

I certainly haven't discounted a 330d or 325d, but don't those models have problems with swirl flaps?

Perhaps I'm not sure. But with a BMW warranty which can be extended forever, I'm not worried.

[ahenners]

greenarrow said:

I certainly haven't discounted a 330d or 325d, but don't those models have problems with swirl flaps?

This only affected the M57 3.0D IIRC, if you look at the newer E90 LCI with the N57 3.0D it won't be a problem. It's a better engine all round (power, economy, refinement) if you can stretch.

[edo]

How many miles will you be doing? Do check the maths on both 6 cyl diesels as has been suggested, but also petrol....

I just bought a late 2007 330i auto with the updated 270ish hp engine, It's an Auto and is averaging 32mpg in the 2000 miles I have done so far... Sweet, smooth and a joy. It also only had 17k on the clock, and was just in your budget....

[greenarrow]

edo said:

How many miles will you be doing? Do check the maths on both 6 cyl diesels as has been suggested, but also petrol....

I just bought a late 2007 330i auto with the updated 270ish hp engine, It's an Auto and is averaging 32mpg in the 2000 miles I have done so far... Sweet, smooth and a joy. It also only had 17k on the clock, and was just in your budget....

That's a nice car. I will be doing around 20,000 miles a year from now on, as my work as a contractor will take me all over the place. May be more miles, so 32 MPG might not be enough, seeing as my current Mazda 6 petrol averaged 38.6 last week and it would be sensible to get something that can at least equal that return...having said that, I was looking at a nice looking 530i Sport (same engine as yours) on the Imperial car supermarkets website, only 10 mins ago!! This is a 57 plate car with loads of extras, but 4 years worth of missing service history which I wouldn't be too happy about.

[spreadsheet monkey]

p1stonhead said:

If you would consider it, go for a 6 cylinder diesel op. So much nicer and the only difference in running costs is perhaps 10mpg less. Tiny in the grand scheme of things.

Really? The six cylinder models cost no more to service, insure and tax?

[p1stonhead]

spreadsheet monkey said:

p1stonhead said:

If you would consider it, go for a 6 cylinder diesel op. So much nicer and the only difference in running costs is perhaps 10mpg less. Tiny in the grand scheme of things.

Really? The six cylinder models cost no more to service, insure and tax?

Tax is a little more, insurance is cheap but I don't know how old the OP is, and servicing who knows but it's service intervals are something like every 20k miles so hardly going to break the bank in the grand scheme of things. For the proportioanlly small extra outlay you get a much much nicer engine.

FYI OP in the first 2000 (nearly all commuting) miles I've driven in my 325d auto, I've averaged 48mpg on an 80% motorway, 20% town commute.

[greenarrow]

Well, I am 47 years old so insurance difference should be small.

VED on the 320 ed is £30 p.a. £110 on the normal model I think.

Impressed with your MPG figures, as you say, a 320d would be 10 MPG better at best....

[f1nn]

If I was buying an e90 with my own money, it would be a six cylinder model, either petrol or DERV depending on what is most important.

I've have company funded 4 cylinder diesels in the past, and although they have provided perfectly adequate and reliable transport, the six cylinder engines just add to the driving experience.

If cassis that tight that MPG is the biggest driver, then I'd go e90 over f30, and go with a 320ED.