RE: New 3 Series Touring revealed

[Mr Tidy]

FN2TypeR said:

These are premium?

Well more premium than anything in your empty garage.

[Kenny Powers]

Greg the Fish said:

Coming to 2mm from your rear bumper soon

Never understood this viewpoint. Or rather I personally have never noticed it. I get tailgated by drivers piloting all manner of vehicles, including Vauxhalls, Fords, white vans and articulated trucks. I suppose if I were insecure I might only notice when they’re driving a BMW

Anyway I think this looks nice.

[B17NNS]

g3org3y said:

I think it looks great. Touring convert here. E36 328 Touring and now an E91 330i. Very practical, good handling and unassuming 'family man' looks.

Loved my old E36 328i Touring

BMW have got this absolutely spot on IMHO. Good looking, quick enough, decent steer, economical, comfortable, safe, well built and nicely equipped.

A 320d is all the car you really need. A 340i X-Drive is all the car you really want.

[anonymous-user]

I like but don’t think I could live with the front grill, looked a joke on otherwise great saloon version I saw the other day.
Are aftermarket replacements out there yet? Will be an essential addition !

[philmots]

Wills2 said:

philmots said:

There is - the 330d

It’s still the straight 6 but single turbo, I think it’s 260/270hp in this, the same as the 330d in the F31.

But it's a new engine, the G20/1 gets the B57 the F30/1 had the N57.

It’s still 6 cylinders though, and if that’s your thing it’ll be a brilliant engine..

[Wills2]

philmots said:

Wills2 said:

philmots said:

There is - the 330d

It’s still the straight 6 but single turbo, I think it’s 260/270hp in this, the same as the 330d in the F31.

But it's a new engine, the G20/1 gets the B57 the F30/1 had the N57.

It’s still 6 cylinders though, and if that’s your thing it’ll be a brilliant engine..

Of course, I have the twin turbo version of the B57 in my 740d xdrive and currently have a 730d with the G20 B57 in it whilst mine is in for repairs so I'm familiar with it.

Edited by Wills2 on Thursday 13th June 13:53

[kuiper]

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...

[Helicopter123]

Fastdruid said:

Dale487 said:

Harry_523 said:

Greg the Fish said:

Coming to 2mm from your rear bumper soon

The auto/manual debate is a bit moot in estates, only need to look in the classifieds to see how few people bought. I was a die hard manual fan but stopped caring about a week into big auto estate ownership.

Only offering 4wd on the M340i is much more a shame to me however, lets hope Xdrive + MSport diff still does RWD things. As it stands the most powerful RWD 3 and 5 you can get are the 30d models which is a bit disappointing.

There's no manual petrol option for the saloon either.

It's something I don't get from BMW, their USP is the whole "driving machine" thing...yet no manual.

Anyway, scratch the 3-series touring off my potential next car list as well. Looks like I'm down to the Focus ST Estate...er and that's it.

It's a practical all round family car, not a sports car.

I'm amazed at how many people insist on a manual until about 15 minutes after they drive an auto version of the same car.

Funny that.

[cerb4.5lee]

Helicopter123 said:

Fastdruid said:

Dale487 said:

Harry_523 said:

Greg the Fish said:

Coming to 2mm from your rear bumper soon

The auto/manual debate is a bit moot in estates, only need to look in the classifieds to see how few people bought. I was a die hard manual fan but stopped caring about a week into big auto estate ownership.

Only offering 4wd on the M340i is much more a shame to me however, lets hope Xdrive + MSport diff still does RWD things. As it stands the most powerful RWD 3 and 5 you can get are the 30d models which is a bit disappointing.

There's no manual petrol option for the saloon either.

It's something I don't get from BMW, their USP is the whole "driving machine" thing...yet no manual.

Anyway, scratch the 3-series touring off my potential next car list as well. Looks like I'm down to the Focus ST Estate...er and that's it.

It's a practical all round family car, not a sports car.

I'm amazed at how many people insist on a manual until about 15 minutes after they drive an auto version of the same car.

Funny that.

The problem is that most sports cars are auto only now though too!

[simonbamg]

Mike335i said:

Top tip: don't, get a touring instead

nah X3, thank me later

[Alfa Pete]

Jimboka said:

I like but don’t think I could live with the front grill, looked a joke on otherwise great saloon version I saw the other day.
Are aftermarket replacements out there yet? Will be an essential addition !

Looking forward to LCI updates of this , the new 1 series and 7 series with smaller grilles 2 years hence!

[Court_S]

Jimboka said:

I like but don’t think I could live with the front grill, looked a joke on otherwise great saloon version I saw the other day.
Are aftermarket replacements out there yet? Will be an essential addition !

I saw a white saloon this week and the black grille looked massive and really stood out (in a bad way). Other than that, thought it was quite a good looking car. They do need to sort these silly oversized grilles outbthough.

[nickfrog]

The grille doesn't shock me, looks in proportion to me, I didn't notice anything untowards on the saloon and assume those bits are the same on the estate. I find that quite irrelevant as behind the wheel, you can't see it and I reckon it doesn't affect the driving experience.

[Fastdruid]

Helicopter123 said:

It's a practical all round family car, not a sports car.

I'm amazed at how many people insist on a manual until about 15 minutes after they drive an auto version of the same car.

Funny that.

Yep...nope. Not once has that been the case. The only time would be if the manual was just excruciatingly bad.

Just recently got back from the US and hiring a 2.3T Mustang with the 10 speed auto... The engine is a breathed on version of what we currently have in our Mazda 6 MPS and while I quite liked it the gearbox ruined the car. Manual every time.

I don't care if the auto is faster or better on fuel over the official test cycle. If it doesn't come as a manual I'm not even considering it.

[neverraced]

Fastdruid said:

Yep...nope. Not once has that been the case. The only time would be if the manual was just excruciatingly bad.

Just recently got back from the US and hiring a 2.3T Mustang with the 10 speed auto... The engine is a breathed on version of what we currently have in our Mazda 6 MPS and while I quite liked it the gearbox ruined the car. Manual every time.

I don't care if the auto is faster or better on fuel over the official test cycle. If it doesn't come as a manual I'm not even considering it.

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.

Also, if anyone thinks that the X drive takes anything huge away from the driving experience, then think again: think totally neutral steering and handling; think no front wheel drive characteristics and (but great turn in and definitely some RWD ones); think huge passive safety - all this is important to me, using my car as transport, 28k miles per annum. Immediately previous cars were F31 33d Touring, E46 330d Man, E90 330d Man, E46 M3 (positively scary in the wet, appalling Manual 'box, sublime engine), 911 C4S, Impreza Turbo x 3, Legacy Turbo, Celica GT4.

[Fastdruid]

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.

[Dale487]

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.

[kuiper]

Dale487 said:

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.

Ditto.

Finding a 330i, manual in the right spec was a 6 month hell.

[LeoSayer]

I like it.

It's longer than an E61 (5 series touring from 2003 to 2010).

[Helicopter123]

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.