RE: New 3 Series Touring revealed

[Cotty]

Looks like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Especially don't like that chrome grill

[neverraced]

If we're really honest though, the 3 Series hasn't been as elegant since the E46 of 1997.

[Cotty]

neverraced said:

If we're really honest though, the 3 Series hasn't been as elegant since the E46 of 1997.

The holy grail for me would be the M3 E46

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/spotted-ykywt/bmw...

[FartKong]

I've been waiting on this to replace my E91 330D but I think I'll have to switch to the dark side and go for a C63S Estate or C43 if I cant justify the fuel costs.
Its a pretty boring design and downright horrible in places (the grills again and that rear panel rise).

[greenarrow]

neverraced said:

If we're really honest though, the 3 Series hasn't been as elegant since the E46 of 1997.

-it was 1998 but agreed. I'm currently looking for an old E46 as a weekend car and found a 2001 325Ci Sport on line for £1100. At 18 years old it still looks absolutely stunning and timeless IMO. Huge amount of car for just over a grand.

This gen touring looks better than the saloon though I think.

[neverraced]

greenarrow said:

-it was 1998 but agreed. I'm currently looking for an old E46 as a weekend car and found a 2001 325Ci Sport on line for £1100. At 18 years old it still looks absolutely stunning and timeless IMO. Huge amount of car for just over a grand.

This gen touring looks better than the saloon though I think.

Okay, I'm sorry. "E46 unveiled November 11, 1997 and was launched on the market at the end of April 1998 with customer deliveries".

[Fastdruid]

Helicopter123 said:

Dale487 said:

Fastdruid said:

neverraced said:

It's entirely subjective of course, but I swore I'd never drive an Auto, but when I went from (2) 330d Manuals to a 335d Touring I HAD to go to an Auto; now I think it's superb, and I urge anyone to try it.

I've tried them repeatedly. It's still no. I've never tried an auto that wasn't annoying.

If auto is the only option then that car is off the cards and the same goes for Diesel.

Admittedly this does stick me in somewhat of a quandary because there is almost nothing left and I'm left with the prospect of running the current car until it dies.

I agree with you & feel the same.

In this class of cars, I think we'll struggle but there are still some in the Golf/Focus class - the other problem is that if you buy second hand, you relay on the manual petrol cars being made in the first place. It was much harder than it should be find a manual petrol Leon estate.

Manufacturers can only be expected to build cars that will sell to new car buyers. Sadly, those of us who choose to, or have no choice to, buy second hand, simply have to accept what is available.

Indeed. I would consider buying my next car new. Except ignoring the whole gearbox front it's a sea of engine dross until you get to stupidly expensive.

America gets an AWD V6T Mondeo (they call it the Fusion), they get 2.5T Mazda 6's, they get V6 Toyota's etc etc. What do we get? fk all.

[moldy]

kainedog said:

But what we all want is an m3 touring. Why lord have we been forsaken

Agreed, Bmw have every niche catered for, even made up niches nobody has wanted, yet never have we had an M3 Touring, bizarre when Mercedes and Audi have produced some crackers.......................,

[RoverP6B]

They even built an E46 M3 Touring as an engineering study, it looked superb, then they decided not to put it into production.

As for this thing? Doesn't even look like a BMW any more, just some generic piece of rubbish with dreary engines that'll be in a scrapyard ten years hence.

That green paint is quite fetching, though... like that. Just a shame about the car wearing it.

Edited by RoverP6B on Thursday 13th June 16:05

[RoverP6B]

kuiper said:

B17NNS said:

A 340i X-Drive is all the car you really want.

Nah. All the car I really want is a 340i with RWD and a Manual Gearbox. But that's impossible...

...plus hydraulic steering, natural aspiration, and better looks.

[nickfrog]

RoverP6B said:

They even built an E46 M3 Touring as an engineering study, it looked superb, then they decided not to put it into production.

As for this thing? Doesn't even look like a BMW any more, just some generic piece of rubbish with dreary engines that'll be in a scrapyard ten years hence.

That green paint is quite fetching, though... like that. Just a shame about the car wearing it.

Are you going to test drive it to validate your assumptions?

[Hitch]

I disliked the new 3 when it was released but it is quite striking in the flesh. A 340iX Touring could be a lovely semi-sleeper in the right colour.

[RoverP6B]

nickfrog said:

Are you going to test drive it to validate your assumptions?

Why would I test-drive a car I have no interest in owning? The looks alone completely preclude it. I also do not want to drive a turbocharged car, nor one with electric steering. Both are anathema to what BMW as I know it from my own experiences has always stood for.

[Helicopter123]

Fastdruid said:

Helicopter123 said:

Dale487 said:

Fastdruid said:

neverraced said:

It's entirely subjective of course, but I swore I'd never drive an Auto, but when I went from (2) 330d Manuals to a 335d Touring I HAD to go to an Auto; now I think it's superb, and I urge anyone to try it.

I've tried them repeatedly. It's still no. I've never tried an auto that wasn't annoying.

If auto is the only option then that car is off the cards and the same goes for Diesel.

Admittedly this does stick me in somewhat of a quandary because there is almost nothing left and I'm left with the prospect of running the current car until it dies.

I agree with you & feel the same.

In this class of cars, I think we'll struggle but there are still some in the Golf/Focus class - the other problem is that if you buy second hand, you relay on the manual petrol cars being made in the first place. It was much harder than it should be find a manual petrol Leon estate.

Manufacturers can only be expected to build cars that will sell to new car buyers. Sadly, those of us who choose to, or have no choice to, buy second hand, simply have to accept what is available.

Indeed. I would consider buying my next car new. Except ignoring the whole gearbox front it's a sea of engine dross until you get to stupidly expensive.

America gets an AWD V6T Mondeo (they call it the Fusion), they get 2.5T Mazda 6's, they get V6 Toyota's etc etc. What do we get? fk all.

But this is down to the relative price of fuel in the US versus UK.

Higher fuel price means people want more fuel efficient cars hence smaller capacity turbo charged units.

What is your budget and needs? I'm sure the PH collective would come up with something to suit.

[VTECMFR]

I like that a lot, although I'm not sold on that massive stinking grille.

Also I still can't come round to modern alloys with the black fill everywhere, just give me some solid, simply styled silver alloys.

[anonymous-user]

RoverP6B said:

Why would I test-drive a car I have no interest in owning? The looks alone completely preclude it. I also do not want to drive a turbocharged car, nor one with electric steering. Both are anathema to what BMW as I know it from my own experiences has always stood for.

BMW stands for whatever BMW says it stands for.

I personally can't believe they have airbags and ABS, totally against the old days when you could enjoy a good fatality or two in between burning fuel 4 star super-inefficiently.

[nickfrog]

RoverP6B said:

nickfrog said:

Are you going to test drive it to validate your assumptions?

Why would I test-drive a car I have no interest in owning? The looks alone completely preclude it. I also do not want to drive a turbocharged car, nor one with electric steering. Both are anathema to what BMW as I know it from my own experiences has always stood for.

Fair enough. And it's their loss. How's that 540i of yours doing? My friend has eventually got rid of his as it was proving very very expensive in addition to being a very poor road car compared to today's 5 series, or 3 for that matter.

[Fastdruid]

Helicopter123 said:

What is your budget and needs? I'm sure the PH collective would come up with something to suit.

Go on then, lets see if you can. I'm going to ignore budget purely because I'm interested to see if there *is* anything out there I've missed. I'll ignore also the minutia like being reliable, comfortable, looking nice or features I'd want.

Decent to drive but I'm not particularly precious about driven wheels. *how* the car drives is more important, there are dire RWD's and great FWD's.

Mk4 Mondeo Estate sized (or at the very least with a boot that big) but no bigger.

Can seat 2 adults and two child seats.
Can tow.

If FWD quicker than 7.5s to 62
If RWD quicker than 7s to 62
If AWD quicker than 6.5s to 62

if <2l then real world ~68mpg avg for motorway (ie about 85% of the claimed "extra urban" mpg)
if >2l then real world ~36mpg avg for motorway (ie about 85% of the claimed "extra urban" mpg)

<1600Kg.

Ideally between new and 4 years old but up to 7 years.
Ideally VED less than band K (irrelevant if >2017).

No diesels.
No autos.
No SUV's, no MPV's, No Crossovers.
No Vauxhalls.

[Mike335i]

simonbamg said:

nah X3, thank me later

Thanks, but Touring over any BMW X. You may thank me later.

[E65Ross]

Fastdruid said:

Go on then, lets see if you can. I'm going to ignore budget purely because I'm interested to see if there *is* anything out there I've missed. I'll ignore also the minutia like being reliable, comfortable, looking nice or features I'd want.

Decent to drive but I'm not particularly precious about driven wheels. *how* the car drives is more important, there are dire RWD's and great FWD's.

Mk4 Mondeo Estate sized (or at the very least with a boot that big) but no bigger.

Can seat 2 adults and two child seats.
Can tow.

If FWD quicker than 7.5s to 62
If RWD quicker than 7s to 62
If AWD quicker than 6.5s to 62

if <2l then real world ~68mpg avg for motorway (ie about 85% of the claimed "extra urban" mpg)
if >2l then real world ~36mpg avg for motorway (ie about 85% of the claimed "extra urban" mpg)

<1600Kg.

Ideally between new and 4 years old but up to 7 years.
Ideally VED less than band K (irrelevant if >2017).

No diesels.
No autos.
No SUV's, no MPV's, No Crossovers.
No Vauxhalls.

They are a very strange set of requirements, you aren't fussed about wheels driven, yet you need different 0-62mph times!? You also ask for ridiculously different fuel consumption figures, based upon engine size. So if a 2.1 litre engine does 40mpg you'd be interested in buying it, yet if a 1.9 litre engine, with similar performance figures, does 60mpg, that's not acceptable?

Likewise, why does it HAVE to be under 1600kgs? If it's, say, 1610kgs, is that the end of the world? Why does it have to be under 1600kgs?

You have set really, really bizarre parameters seemingly so you can moan there's nothing available.

So if a 4WD car does 0-62 in 6.8s, did 80mpg etc it wouldn't be acceptable to you, yet if it was FWD with the exact same performance figures, that would be acceptable? How weird.