Police BMW engine issues

[nordboy]

carreauchompeur said:

It is all a shame, since IMHO the 530d is pretty much the perfect car for general traffic work. Although the performance is dulled a bit by a drive they are still quick enough, handle predictably and well and have good presence. As well as putting up with all the kit!

A bit boaty to turn around in a hurry, but I imagine this’ll be the case in spades when we get the new V90s!

Also very impressed with the new model 330d Xdrive. Absolute rocketship, nothing too intrusive on the safety aids and handles crisply. Although it is a bit small inside!

I've driven the new 330d tourers and strangely neither my colleagues or me don't think they're as quick as the older models. Maybe it's just a mental thing? There hasn't been a 530 on rpu for many years here due to their size. The only time RPU have one is when it's inherited from driver training who need the bigger cars to get 4 people in.
We have a new Skoda Superb Sportline estate which I absolutely think would make a cracking RPU car.

[Sheepshanks]

nordboy said:

There hasn't been a 530 on rpu for many years here due to their size. The only time RPU have one is when it's inherited from driver training who need the bigger cars to get 4 people in.

What did driver training get that's bigger than a 5 Series? Obviosuly X5 would be bigger but quite a different drive.

[RogueTrooper]

Sheepshanks said:

nordboy said:

There hasn't been a 530 on rpu for many years here due to their size. The only time RPU have one is when it's inherited from driver training who need the bigger cars to get 4 people in.

What did driver training get that's bigger than a 5 Series? Obviosuly X5 would be bigger but quite a different drive.

I think they're inheriting the 5-series, which is the bigger car, once the driving school has finished with them.

[nordboy]

RogueTrooper said:

I think they're inheriting the 5-series, which is the bigger car, once the driving school has finished with them.

Yep, that..


But the Skoda Superb is much bigger inside the car so a couple more of them have been ordered

[Sheepshanks]

nordboy said:

Yep, that..


But the Skoda Superb is much bigger inside the car so a couple more of them have been ordered

Ah, thanks!

I sat in the back of a Superb estate taxi with a very hefty colleague in front of me. As his seat was some way back he instinctively moved it forward to give me more room - he didn't need to, I already had more than enough space.

[carreauchompeur]

I think the feedback from our driving school Superbs was that they were a bit underpowered, believe they even had remaps… do they come with any decent engines?

[Hugo Stiglitz]

efcgriswold said:

No different than the i30 they got, although maybe an extra few extra litres in the boot. I get the feeling that whatever car response get they get bashed around and not looked after as much as the specialist units look after theirs.

Any day I'd have a i30 over the Peugeot or 1 series at speed.

The i30 drives fantastically well above legal speeds. Stable, firm, predictable.

The Peugeot has a perkier engine and is faster in a straight line.

I don't get the desire for the 1 series. Its not a 130 etc. Its a low spec, low powered PSA engine.

[efcgriswold]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

efcgriswold said:

No different than the i30 they got, although maybe an extra few extra litres in the boot. I get the feeling that whatever car response get they get bashed around and not looked after as much as the specialist units look after theirs.

Any day I'd have a i30 over the Peugeot or 1 series at speed.

The i30 drives fantastically well above legal speeds. Stable, firm, predictable.

The Peugeot has a perkier engine and is faster in a straight line.

I don't get the desire for the 1 series. Its not a 130 etc. Its a low spec, low powered PSA engine.

I believe it was 118d they got offered. But horses for courses really. We all like different cars.

[RogueTrooper]

carreauchompeur said:

I think the feedback from our driving school Superbs was that they were a bit underpowered, believe they even had remaps… do they come with any decent engines?

2-litre tsfi - 276bhp
2-litre diesel - 197bhp

So a fair bit lower than a three-litre diesel BMW.

I can't imagine that they're an improvement as an ARV platform, probably would be okay as an RPU vehicle but the diesel wouldn't particularly be a flying machine.

[Sheepshanks]

They'd need to somthing to beef up the front wishbone bushes (and probably others too) they're crap on all VAG cars, I imagine in ARV use they'd be changing them literally monthly.

[carreauchompeur]

RogueTrooper said:

2-litre tsfi - 276bhp
2-litre diesel - 197bhp

So a fair bit lower than a three-litre diesel BMW.

I can't imagine that they're an improvement as an ARV platform, probably would be okay as an RPU vehicle but the diesel wouldn't particularly be a flying machine.

Not in driving school spec, definitely not with half a ton of RPU kit!

[NMNeil]

Odd that they chose Volvo, as it's Chinese owned.
So much for supporting home industries.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

NMNeil said:

Odd that they chose Volvo, as it's Chinese owned.
So much for supporting home industries.

Did 'home industries' offer a better deal?

JLR = no thanks.

[Haltamer]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

JLR = no thanks.

A fleet of V8 RRS's would be quite entertaining - A shame they don't cut a deal

[Don Roque]

carreauchompeur said:

I think the feedback from our driving school Superbs was that they were a bit underpowered, believe they even had remaps… do they come with any decent engines?

Were they not using the petrol TFSi 280 models? They are pretty quick.

[Elroy Blue]

We are still using 5 series. A 3 series on the motorway feels inadequate

[nordboy]

carreauchompeur said:

I think the feedback from our driving school Superbs was that they were a bit underpowered, believe they even had remaps… do they come with any decent engines?

We have the 280 sportline for adv stuff and 1.5tsi (150) for standard stuff.

The 280 really isn't underpowered, it's at least as quick as the 330d's, i know the spec sheets show it as being 0.3 sec slower to 60, but real world? No difference. In fact the 245 Octavia's really hold their own in the real world. The Superb is a nice car to drive.

[Southerner]

Elroy Blue said:

We are still using 5 series. A 3 series on the motorway feels inadequate

What are you running on the unmarked fleet?

There's a fascinating array of hardware out there, the Traffic Cops mob seem to specialise in small-ish hatches for the interceptor work, Golf/S3/Seats of some sort. I suppose they don't carry prisoners very often so they don't need the room in the back. One of the 'telly' forces also use M1s, don't they? That must be the absolute limit of how small you could get away with! On the other hand, Hants have/had a Legacy saloon, I always thought it stood out a mile but I suppose it probably wouldn't to a non-car person!

Space issues aside, the 330d seems pretty much the ideal unmarked motor. You can never tell an RPU 3 Series from all the others out there until it's close enough to be far too late! That said, the LED flashers on the grille are a handy giveaway if there's one right behind you in traffic!

Edit: found a pic of the Legacy, it's an 09 plater so presumably long gone. Easier to spot from the back than the front!

(Not my pics!)

Edited by Southerner on Monday 30th August 10:29

[anonymous-user]

nordboy said:

Also, when the firearms units did tests on a new vehicle, the Porsche Cayenne came out top over the Q7, X5, XC90 etc and our fleet dept got a very good price/ deal. Went upstairs and they said no way were the Police going to be seen by the public driving Porsches!!

I bet it was really because the top cop in the building couldn't get one as perk and it came down to if I can't, you can't.

[carreauchompeur]

nordboy said:

carreauchompeur said:

I think the feedback from our driving school Superbs was that they were a bit underpowered, believe they even had remaps… do they come with any decent engines?

We have the 280 sportline for adv stuff and 1.5tsi (150) for standard stuff.

The 280 really isn't underpowered, it's at least as quick as the 330d's, i know the spec sheets show it as being 0.3 sec slower to 60, but real world? No difference. In fact the 245 Octavia's really hold their own in the real world. The Superb is a nice car to drive.

Fair shout, think we had the 1.9 diesels, certainly not very pokey.
The current crop of 2.0 diesel xc90s are utterly dire. Roll on the T8s!