E91 320d Family Dieseldom and some buying tips..
Discussion
Welcome to comfortably the most boring car I've owned.
My car history reads MK4 Fiesta 1.25 Zetec S (Brilliant), Peugot 206 GTi 138 (more fun on track than a Clio 197), and the aforementioned Clio 197 FF. Baby came along in November last year, we ran the Clio as the family car until the Mrs was putting her back out, with GoodSteed Jnr at around 4 months old and then sold her privately, after 6 weeks!. She will be missed..
This 320d is a really good machine indeed. Comfortable (but I'd spec the sports seats for my touche). The ride on the 16" wheels is very wafty. I took a day and test drove four of these.
If you can afford it. Go for a 2007 (I think) onwards model, the 177ps (N47D20) engine is just generally much better, for what these are (not even remotely close to a sports car) I'd have spec'd the auto box as well as it's very quick up and down, manual and tiptronic. The manual shift in this is precise enough but a classic BMW shift (rubbery - a bit crap). Personally, I also prefer the electric power steering of the later cars.
Another reason to go for a N47D20 engine also doesn't suffer from the swirl-flap issue that troubles this M47TU2D20 engine. 3/4 cars I saw had had replacement turbos, this one had it's turbo and piping replaced at 55K for the sum of £1600, you have been warned. This M47TU2D20 engine is carried over from the E46.
The drive is fairly bland, it'll power oversteer out of junctions but that's about it. Otherwise very safe and neutral balance (yet to get it to understeer), it's 160bhp with around 1500kg to lug around so not the quickest thing around.
Things on my to-do list:
Replace front brake-pad sensors
Replace rear brake pads and sensors (this should get rid of the service light on the dash apparently).
I've also changed the air filter, quite a job considering the usual simplicity of the task... will upload some pics of this tomorrow night.
My car history reads MK4 Fiesta 1.25 Zetec S (Brilliant), Peugot 206 GTi 138 (more fun on track than a Clio 197), and the aforementioned Clio 197 FF. Baby came along in November last year, we ran the Clio as the family car until the Mrs was putting her back out, with GoodSteed Jnr at around 4 months old and then sold her privately, after 6 weeks!. She will be missed..
This 320d is a really good machine indeed. Comfortable (but I'd spec the sports seats for my touche). The ride on the 16" wheels is very wafty. I took a day and test drove four of these.
If you can afford it. Go for a 2007 (I think) onwards model, the 177ps (N47D20) engine is just generally much better, for what these are (not even remotely close to a sports car) I'd have spec'd the auto box as well as it's very quick up and down, manual and tiptronic. The manual shift in this is precise enough but a classic BMW shift (rubbery - a bit crap). Personally, I also prefer the electric power steering of the later cars.
Another reason to go for a N47D20 engine also doesn't suffer from the swirl-flap issue that troubles this M47TU2D20 engine. 3/4 cars I saw had had replacement turbos, this one had it's turbo and piping replaced at 55K for the sum of £1600, you have been warned. This M47TU2D20 engine is carried over from the E46.
The drive is fairly bland, it'll power oversteer out of junctions but that's about it. Otherwise very safe and neutral balance (yet to get it to understeer), it's 160bhp with around 1500kg to lug around so not the quickest thing around.
Things on my to-do list:
Replace front brake-pad sensors
Replace rear brake pads and sensors (this should get rid of the service light on the dash apparently).
I've also changed the air filter, quite a job considering the usual simplicity of the task... will upload some pics of this tomorrow night.
Nice motor and write up 
Not a very PH question but what's the boot like for pram etc and back seat space for little'uns car seat? I keep looking at these, more so a 330D around a 2012 plate. Both our Mk6 Golf and Juke Nismo RS are cramped (in the pass seat as it's got to be forward) when we've the car seat in (facing backward) for our 15month old.
Not a very PH question but what's the boot like for pram etc and back seat space for little'uns car seat? I keep looking at these, more so a 330D around a 2012 plate. Both our Mk6 Golf and Juke Nismo RS are cramped (in the pass seat as it's got to be forward) when we've the car seat in (facing backward) for our 15month old.
We've got a 64 plate version of your car for 6 months until MrsC can order a new car ....I'm genuinely impressed with it, especially the ride on the smaller wheels. I'd forgotten how good the 3 series is as I like to be able to drop the drivers seat down as close to the floor as possible for some added driving 'feel' & IMO it's probably the only car in its sector IMO that can do this. I'm amazed though that when the car was new you could still order one without satnav!
Are you sure you need to replace the sensors? That light just tells you a service item needs attention you can scroll through all the items on the left hand stalk 20,000 for oil, 80,000 for brakes etc... As soon as one counts down to zero the service light will come on. Mine just had front disks and pads done at 110,000 miles service indicator has now reset.
As you say nothing exciting but as a way to munch through the miles it's not a bad place to be. Mine is an SE got a fridge in the arm rest apparently.
As you say nothing exciting but as a way to munch through the miles it's not a bad place to be. Mine is an SE got a fridge in the arm rest apparently.
Joey Deacon said:
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the earlier M47 engine considered more reliable than the later N47? I thought the N47 had a reputation for camchains snapping?
This. I was on the line when looking for my 320d between the earlier engine and older one. The earlier motor doesn't have swirl flap issues, nor timing chain issues, nor a DPF to cause issues either, the only down side I could find was a few people saying the turbos were a bit chocolate but I'm doing more regular oil changes that BM recommend. It's 163bhp standard form isnt the quickest thing in the world but can hustle along nicely with a map.
Nice car though, I strangely like that green colour, I wouldnt worry about sports seats, I dont find them all that great but I am a fat s
t. I'm off to Italy in ours this summer, it's the Mrs car daily and I dont drive it much so I'll soon see how comfortable it is munching the miles. Goodsteed said:
This 320d is a really good machine indeed. Comfortable (but I'd spec the sports seats for my touche). The ride on the 16" wheels is very wafty. I took a day and test drove four of these.
If you can afford it. Go for a 2007 (I think) onwards model, the 177ps (N47D20) engine is just generally much better, for what these are (not even remotely close to a sports car)
Glad you're enjoying your 320d. We kept our late 2007 model for five and a half years and it was very reliable. Would echo your comments on the 16" wheels giving a good ride, even on runflat tyres. The E90/91 320d is a nice combination of good handling, low running costs and torquey engine. If you can afford it. Go for a 2007 (I think) onwards model, the 177ps (N47D20) engine is just generally much better, for what these are (not even remotely close to a sports car)
Cheers gents. It is OK for the pram in the back. We have a bugaboo cameleon and it gets in OK with stuff falling around it. A hatchback design boot is better than this though. It's not a great boot but has enough toys.
I've seen 51mpg on a steady 80mph cruise. 42 around town. 61l
tank gives it a 700mile range, looking forward to getting her on the
continent. For a 15 month old I'd be looking at something interesting again as they can climb in and out soon and no need for a massive pram!
And yup that's Avonmouth! We're just over in Shire.
It's definitely one I indend on keeping. Hoping to get her to lunar mileage eventually, just run it into the ground. Very pleased with this find - £4K private sale, 82k, 2 owner car. E91 seems to have a £500 rough premium on the e90.
Plugged her into the OBD computer thing at my local garage and sensors were the mechanics reckoning. I've scrolled through and reset all the meters. Handbrake warning light always on too, so needs some investigating when I find some flat land to jack her up on. Not impressed with the new house and on-street parking!
Here's that long winded (hahaha) air filter change job
I've seen 51mpg on a steady 80mph cruise. 42 around town. 61l
tank gives it a 700mile range, looking forward to getting her on the
continent. For a 15 month old I'd be looking at something interesting again as they can climb in and out soon and no need for a massive pram!
And yup that's Avonmouth! We're just over in Shire.
It's definitely one I indend on keeping. Hoping to get her to lunar mileage eventually, just run it into the ground. Very pleased with this find - £4K private sale, 82k, 2 owner car. E91 seems to have a £500 rough premium on the e90.
Plugged her into the OBD computer thing at my local garage and sensors were the mechanics reckoning. I've scrolled through and reset all the meters. Handbrake warning light always on too, so needs some investigating when I find some flat land to jack her up on. Not impressed with the new house and on-street parking!
Here's that long winded (hahaha) air filter change job
Edited by Goodsteed on Saturday 23 April 00:10
E90 owner here of similar vintage.
Mine is a hackaround daily, sees lots of service on the Autobahns where its natural speed seems to be in the high 90s.
In a year it's required a new water pump and the power steering pulleys (I think) needed replacing this week.
Oil change is an absolute doddle, particularly compared to the Vectra it replaced, as the filter is easily accessible at the top of the engine. A 32mm socket is required for the filter housing IIRC.
Consensus seems to be that the earlier M47 engine is better than the later N47 for reliability, but obviously any engine can have its problems.
First gear is proper notchy and unwilling. The procedure we've settled on is to engage 2nd at a standstill, then up into 1st. It's second nature now. Perhaps a gearbox flush and oil change would help but I fear the damage is done, alas.
I stuck a used Powerbox thing on it from eBay.de which was €35 well spent. Takes them up to ca. 190hp, allegedly!
Ours is currently on 183,000km and feels tight, they get up to mega mileage over here
Mine is a hackaround daily, sees lots of service on the Autobahns where its natural speed seems to be in the high 90s.
In a year it's required a new water pump and the power steering pulleys (I think) needed replacing this week.
Oil change is an absolute doddle, particularly compared to the Vectra it replaced, as the filter is easily accessible at the top of the engine. A 32mm socket is required for the filter housing IIRC.
Consensus seems to be that the earlier M47 engine is better than the later N47 for reliability, but obviously any engine can have its problems.
First gear is proper notchy and unwilling. The procedure we've settled on is to engage 2nd at a standstill, then up into 1st. It's second nature now. Perhaps a gearbox flush and oil change would help but I fear the damage is done, alas.
I stuck a used Powerbox thing on it from eBay.de which was €35 well spent. Takes them up to ca. 190hp, allegedly!
Ours is currently on 183,000km and feels tight, they get up to mega mileage over here
Nice car - almost identical to my old E91. That blew a turbo at around 55k miles too (thankfully under BMW AUC warranty)... could be the same car!
Definitely the M47 engine there, not the N47 (external tell-tale is the exhaust pipe - the M47 curves down to face the road like yours, the N47 exits horizontally). The auto gearbox is a little slow-witted compared to the improvements introduced with the N47 motor, but (turbo aside) the M47 is supposed to be a more dependable unit.
Enjoy!
Definitely the M47 engine there, not the N47 (external tell-tale is the exhaust pipe - the M47 curves down to face the road like yours, the N47 exits horizontally). The auto gearbox is a little slow-witted compared to the improvements introduced with the N47 motor, but (turbo aside) the M47 is supposed to be a more dependable unit.
Enjoy!
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