2008 3 series - real world mpg?

[ritch]

I'm thinking of changing my current car (08 Lancer GS4 2.0 Diesel) to a BMW, been looking into 520d, 525d and 3 series diesels.
More research shows that 08 3-series petrol engines were upgraded and on paper offer economy and tax bands not far off my current diesel!

e.g. Parkers website shows;
320i SE petrol 167bhp 44mpg tax band F (£125/yr)
318i M petrol 140bhp 47mpg tax band F (£125/yr)

a 6 cyl petrol returning 44mpg with low tax is far more appealing than sticking with diesel, so can anyone with experience of these advise what the real world mpg really like on these revised models?

thanks in advance

Ritch.

Edited by ritch on Tuesday 27th July 09:19

[jamesson]

The 320i isn't a six cylinder any longer. It's a four.

[xrrr]

It is not on your list but my 2008 330i Coupe gives me 31.7 mpg where as I think the book said it would do around 38. So I get about 85% of the claimed mileage in real life.

So my GUESS at real life for your options would be:
320i SE petrol - 37mpg ish
318i M petrol - 40mpg ish

Though it is comparing a 6-cyl with a 4-cyl so it may just be totally wrong! :-)

[Carl_Spackler]

Not on your list, but my 08 320d manual gives me 45-48mpg on a tank full, and with air con off and a bit of careful driving I can get 52-53 max.....but where's the fun in that.

I'd say BMW figures are about 10-15% optimistic.

[Welshbeef]

I get a consistent 40-42mpg for commuting 330d 231bhp Auto climate on all the time with the aircon activated.

Long drives have seen the average in the 52-54mpg range.

[dibbly dobbler]

I had a decent run last week from Edinburgh to Reading - fully loaded with aircon on my 330i achieved 37.1 mpg

And it'll crack 150 and do 6ish to 60

[briers]

335d will do 42mpg over a tank and 47mpg on the m-way. Needle sticks at 50mpg but with the bits each end of the m-way, normally drops a little to high 40's.

[Welshbeef]

If you want economy go for the 320ed that's combined 68mpg so therefore a very real high 70's or even80s has to be possible.
The normal 320d efficient dynamics should do 60mpg combined as all the 330d and 335d owners who have quoted here are getting close if not more than the official quoted BMW combined cycle

[Matt UK]

jamesson said:

The 320i isn't a six cylinder any longer. It's a four.

[abarber]

My 2005 E90 330i manual, is averaging 30mpg. Half urban (London). Curiously, I struggled to get more than 27mpg out of a loaner 2009 320si Coupe manual, as it needed to be driven so much harder.

The ED 330i with 272bhp was claimed to be 39mpg combined, only a couple short of the 335d. And you don't have to put up with an awful soundtrack / auto box. Unless you want those!

[briers]

abarber said:

My 2005 E90 330i manual, is averaging 30mpg. Half urban (London). Curiously, I struggled to get more than 27mpg out of a loaner 2009 320si Coupe manual, as it needed to be driven so much harder.

The ED 330i with 272bhp was claimed to be 39mpg combined, only a couple short of the 335d. And you don't have to put up with an awful soundtrack / auto box. Unless you want those!

Heard worse

The ed 330I I had did 32mpg. Old one has more throat