New 3 Series, C Class & Diesels

[GarryM]

I’m thinking of changing my daily driver Renaultsport Clio for a 3 series Touring or C Class estate. The dealers tell me about 85% of these cars sold are auto’ diesels - the complete opposite of what I would normally choose.

I have driven a C Class 350CDI which was quick but not an exiting drive. I’ve yet to test drive a BMW. First impressions are that the BMW has a better interior.

If anyone is willing to offer some advice I’d be grateful.

1. Are short journeys any worse for a car with a diesel engine? Is there a DPF to worry about?
2. I’m inclined to think, if I’m going for a diesel that I might as well go the whole hog and get an auto’ box too. Is that right or are manual diesels fun?
3. Is the 3l engine much better than the 320d?
4. C Class or BMW?

[gizlaroc]

GarryM said:

I’m thinking of changing my daily driver Renaultsport Clio for a 3 series Touring or C Class estate. The dealers tell me about 85% of these cars sold are auto’ diesels - the complete opposite of what I would normally choose.

I have driven a C Class 350CDI which was quick but not an exiting drive. I’ve yet to test drive a BMW. First impressions are that the BMW has a better interior.

If anyone is willing to offer some advice I’d be grateful.

1. Are short journeys any worse for a car with a diesel engine? Is there a DPF to worry about?
2. I’m inclined to think, if I’m going for a diesel that I might as well go the whole hog and get an auto’ box too. Is that right or are manual diesels fun?
3. Is the 3l engine much better than the 320d?
4. C Class or BMW?

The 3 series touring is fun, I have had a few, and two of the latest ones, 335i and a 320d, both auto 'boxes.
I would have a manual petrol but would never even consider a manual diesel, the rev range is so short that it all gets very tiring quickly.

I would also choose the new 272bhp 330i over the 335i too, far more fun, proper rev range and you have to work it a little unlike the turboed 335i which feels more like a big diesel. I would also consider the 330i in manual guise too, the two work superbly together.
Oh, and I got a genuine 38mpg over two days and 500 miles in the 330i which was amazing, I used to get 26mpg doing the same in the 335i and only got 42mpg in the 320d!!
The new 245bhp 330d with auto 'box is also a belter, so don't write that off either.

If going for a C Class, it would have to be a 350cdi with auto 'box for me and plenty of toys. The Merc is a very different drive, better in some areas, worse in others, but drive them back to back and you will see just how different they are.

Both great cars and a nice choice to have.

I love my BMWs but currently in an E320 cdi avantgarde estate as my daily driver, had a 535d m-sport touring and it was great, but this time I wanted something a little more comfy to waft around in, and have just sold our 123d m-sport and will buy something like and E46 330i coupe to have as a second car as I couldn't be without a BMW of some sort.



Regarding short journeys, you may be better with a petrol, my diesels have struggled to get any gain over the petrols on sub 10 mile journeys, even more s in the winter months, it is on a run where they excel. DPF shouldn't be a problem as long as you give it the beans every once in a while.

[philg]

Also the Mercs have foot operated parking brakes which would be a right pain in a manual...

[GarryM]

Thanks gizlaroc that’s very helpful - although it’s left me wondering what the hell I’ve been doing all these years holding on to my cars when I should clearly have been changing them every year or so! 330i or 330d sound ideal.

Philg - as in hand brake turns? As it happens MB don't even offer a manual 'box with the V6 engines. A bit sad but then I think the 7 speed auto' suits it well.

[JNW1]

Not wishing to come across as anti-Merc but arent't their "Blue Efficiency" diesels getting a bit of a poor reputation for reliability? Get the impression there have been problems with the piezo injectors they're using with cars going into limp-home mode as a result. All covered under warranty but from a letter that appeared in the Sunday Times at the weekend it sounds like the replacement injectors can take a while to arrive (a month in the case of the owner that e-mailed in). Obviously BMW's aren't fault-free either but the problem on the Mercs as good as leaves you stranded and that wouldn't impress me if I'd forked out £30k plus!

[B3pete]

I also read that in their efforts to make their "blue efficiency" concept well, efficient,they have altered the auto gearbox to change up too quickly resulting in a less pleasurable drive.

[GarryM]

I'm not an experienced user of auto's and diesels but I was very impressed with the MB 7 speed 'box in the 350CDI I took for a test drive. Very smooth changes and willing to rev if you booted it (as far as a diesel does that sort of thing.) There is a sports 'button' option which when pressed will sharpen up the throttle and hang onto gears a little longer too but that wasn't fitted to the car I drove. I got in it expecting to hate it and got out a converted man! (not really but it was much better than I imagined it would be)

[GarryM]

Met someone yesterday with a 320d manual and he loves it. I'd not really considered a 320d before. I'm used to driving fairly quick, nimble cars and have my Griff for pure fun - can a manual 320d really be fun to drive? There are so many 320ds available it would be easy to find one with the right spec'. I know I need to test drive one but it would be interesting to hear what others think.

[gizlaroc]

GarryM said:

Met someone yesterday with a 320d manual and he loves it. I'd not really considered a 320d before. I'm used to driving fairly quick, nimble cars and have my Griff for pure fun - can a manual 320d really be fun to drive? There are so many 320ds available it would be easy to find one with the right spec'. I know I need to test drive one but it would be interesting to hear what others think.

The 7g 'box in the 3.0 litre diesel Merc is good, I have it in my estate, it will cruise at 80mph and do 40mpg which is fine for the size and weight of the car and it is very smooth which also suits the car. However it does get caught out sometimes, when coming out of a junction you can get a sort of kangarooing which can be a bit worrying, only happened a few times but you expect better.

Can a manual 320d be fun to drive??
Yeah of course, because the E90/91 is a blinder.
One thing worth mentioning is the pre ED cars, so cars built before Sept 2007, are not all that economical.
Pre ED car will get around 34-44mpg being realistic, where as the ED car will get 40-55mpg easily and that is the auto, the manual may be closer, it maybe the same gap with silly figures for the manual, I'm not sure.
The 320d manual is sort of fun most of the time, however it is in traffic that it gets really annoying, you have to remember the torque is from around 2200rpm and runs out by 3500rpm, plus you then combine that with a short final drive and you are swapping between 1st and 2nd gear constantly!!
But when you get out on the twisties they are great, they are fairly light nosed and because of that they are more chuckable than the bigger engined cars, I loved mine once it was mapped.
I found my 320d a bit short of power, overtaking and you would be leaning forward to try and nudge the car on a little more, so I got mine mapped and it transformed it, managed to get 212bhp from mine and that took it down to sub 7 seconds and from that moment on I never once felt it lacking in speed. My other car was an M3 so it wasn't like I was coming from a 12 second 60 mph car either.