320i v 320d

[Davey S2]

Anyone driven both in the F30 3 series?

I'm looking at changing my Merc 250D Estate for a 3 series Touring.

Like most people my mileage has been reduced massively due to Covid and working from home. Previously it was around 20K per year with a lot of motorway miles so diesel made sense. Now its a fraction of that but even when / if things get back to normal I'll probably be working from home for 3 days a week on average. Mileage will probably be around 12,000 a year I would guess.

I'm thinking of petrol as I'll be keeping the car for 3-4 years and diesels will be well and truly out of favour by then but I think I'll miss the torque you get from a diesel.

Yes I will go and drive them both but Lockdown in Wales means that's not possible for a while.

Am I going to find the 320i really sluggish? I'm not expecting an M3 and its a family car / load lugger but I don't want it to be frustrating to drive.

Thanks

[david-j8694]

I struggle with the idea of the modern x20i models, and have always assumed they are bought solely by people who hate diesels. They're less punchy, less economical and less wafty to drive than the x20d. The only thing you get is a marginally better noise at low speeds and a slightly revvier engine.

I'd buy a fast petrol all day long, but the entry level petrols have little use case for me over the equivalent diesels.

I'd get the 320d.

[golfpaul]

I wouldnt buy either, both soulless and gutless

[_Hoppers]

golfpaul said:

gutless

I guess it depends on your definition of gutless, with a 0-60 of less than 8 seconds and a torque of nearly 300 lbs/ft, it’s quicker than the majority of cars on the road.

[_Hoppers]

Davey S2 said:

Diesels will be well and truly out of favour by then

I’ve often wondered this but the by-product of refining oil is that you end up with some diesel, so they need to get rid of it somehow?

[Elliot2000]

The f30 320i is the n20 turbocharged 2 litre petrol engine I think- so it’s not gutless and it’s got a decent amount of torque and is quick enough compared to the 320d plus only a remap away from being a 328i if that’s your interest

[Trailhead]

I think this is the same engine as my 330e and it’s absolutely rubbish without the second electric motor.

Powerless and thirsty. I wouldn’t recommend it.

[MattyD803]

I've got a late 2018 Countryman Cooper S with this generation of 2 litre turbo lump, and its a cracking engine. Combined with the 7 speed box, its smooth, quiet, minimal lag and feels considerably more powerful/quicker than the stock figures would suggest. Baring in mind its pulling the weight of an SUV around which is shaped like a brick and FWD only, it pulls mid 7's to 60 and will pull very strongly well into the 'autobahn' only region. Returns 36-38mpg mixed driving, mid 40's easily possible on a steady motorway run. In stark contrast from my Mk7 GTD with 184bhp, its like night and day and doesn't sound like a tractor.

Unfortunately I've been less than impressed with the rest of the MINI package its housed within, but luckily it's on a lease which goes back in December and it won't be missed.

[Smuler]

I’ve driven that F generation petrol engine in the 2 and 3 series and it made an awful noise , felt laggy and was inefficient.
I driove several 320ds and it was the better engine of the two , not so much the noise , but power delivery was better and obviously fuel.
I opted for it in a heavier X1 , no six cylinder option sadly otherwise would not have touched diesel 4 cylinder.

It was okay , but broke down at 44k miles and 2 years old

With a gun to my head , forced to chose, I’d opt for the 20d ; but I too would be concerned about the future of diesel so realistically would put my money elsewhere , in petrol , electric , another brand with those choices if necessary.

[RUSSELLM]

Trailhead said:

I think this is the same engine as my 330e and it’s absolutely rubbish without the second electric motor.

Powerless and thirsty. I wouldn’t recommend it.

How do you disengage the electric motor ?

[smashy]

All the journalists said the diesel felt more powerful but unless that diesel is euro 6 you are buying a dinasaur of a bygone age

[Uncle boshy]

Swapped my f11 520d for a 2018 320i touring auto.

In normal family use it’s plenty quick enough, and with the turbo has a decent slug of torque and I’m happy. Sure it’s not as much torque as the diesel, but it keeps going up the rev range which makes it a nice driveable car, particularly on a roads.

Much quieter than the diesel too.

Seen to many issues with diesel emission kit to be interested in running one out of my own pocket.

Edited by Uncle boshy on Thursday 22 October 13:13

[_Hoppers]

smashy said:

All the journalists said the diesel felt more powerful but unless that diesel is euro 6 you are buying a dinasaur of a bygone age

If you go for the LCI euro 6 320 D ED version you’ll pay £0 road tax too (for some years of original registration date)

[ashenfie]

We are told that regardless of Petrol or Diesel they are going to be replaced by electric cars. We see if that happen of are electric cars only a passing fad. IMHO scaling electric cars use will hit so many brick walls the idea will soon become a side issue.

Purchase the car on what you know now and leave all the dinosaur nonsense aside and in the scale of thing it's the old butter marg argument all over again.

[BFleming]

MattyD803 said:

I've got a late 2018 Countryman Cooper S with this generation of 2 litre turbo lump, and its a cracking engine.

Your Mini has the B48 engine, the F30 had the N20 followed by the B48. Not sure what the OP's budget is / what year they're looking at. The N20 isn't that different to the N13. Mine used a lot of oil / needed a new timing chain at 66,000 miles. I wouldn't touch another one.

[MattyD803]

BFleming said:

Your Mini has the B48 engine, the F30 had the N20 followed by the B48. Not sure what the OP's budget is / what year they're looking at. The N20 isn't that different to the N13. Mine used a lot of oil / needed a new timing chain at 66,000 miles. I wouldn't touch another one.

Apologies, my bad. I was starting to wonder why so many had bad reviews of this lump....

[Elliot2000]

BFleming said:

Your Mini has the B48 engine, the F30 had the N20 followed by the B48. Not sure what the OP's budget is / what year they're looking at. The N20 isn't that different to the N13. Mine used a lot of oil / needed a new timing chain at 66,000 miles. I wouldn't touch another one.

N13 is nothing like the n20.

N13 is more related to the older mini engines - same blocks, same vanos, same chains, similar heads, etc

The n20 doesn’t share any of that and is closer, albeit minus the turbo, to the old n43 engines in design although again I don’t think much is shared apart from maybe the block and oil supply system

[Touring442]

The 320i is fine, especially as an 8 speed automatic. It's not a rocketship but it's nippy, good on fuel and quiet. The N20 engine does have some issues, mainly the timing chain that needs to be viewed as a service item on older cars.
The rest of it is good. Very few problems with injectors, pumps or turbos and the later model F30 is better screwed together that earlier ones.

[BFleming]

Elliot2000 said:

N13 is nothing like the n20.

My bad, I was thinking of the N18. The N13 and N20 do have timing chain wear in common though.

[Touring442]

Elliot2000 said:

N13 is nothing like the n20.

N13 is more related to the older mini engines - same blocks, same vanos, same chains, similar heads, etc

The n20 doesn’t share any of that and is closer, albeit minus the turbo, to the old n43 engines in design although again I don’t think much is shared apart from maybe the block and oil supply system

The N20 is very different to the N43. The block doesn't have that big extrusion for the oil filter housing and the head is completely different - it has the inlet cam 'side mounted' like an N52. It was possibly machined on the same tools as the N43 but everything is different.

The N13 was a Peugeot unit bastardised by BMW and is a complete and utter piece of st.