Thinking of buying a 320D
Discussion
I'm going to be getting a new car in the following months and the 320D seems to fit the bill for what I want - diesel, good looking, reliable etc. Can anyone offer any pointers on what to keep an eye out for? My budget is around 11K. What are the main differences between the E46 and the newer E90. Any general information and tips would be appreciated.
Well put simply if you want good looking you need an E46 (Sport ideally). The E90 is a great car but hardly pretty.
We have a 57 plate E90 320d M Sport and it is a fantastic car - surprisingly nippy and returns around 45 MPG overall (plenty of short hops and town use).
Ride on 18" run flats is OK - for me the slight ride compromise is worth it for the aesthetics of the 18" wheels over 17"s.
Rear leg room isn't great and I think the boot is small (defined by my having to take my driver out of the golf bag to fit it in the boot if I use the E90).
My old E46 was a 330d Sport which was a far nicer looking car and on balance I preferred the 'turned in' driver focused dash of the E46 but it wasn't a better car (save for the engine) than our E90.
No idea how far your budget will take you but either car would be a nice one to own.
We have a 57 plate E90 320d M Sport and it is a fantastic car - surprisingly nippy and returns around 45 MPG overall (plenty of short hops and town use).
Ride on 18" run flats is OK - for me the slight ride compromise is worth it for the aesthetics of the 18" wheels over 17"s.
Rear leg room isn't great and I think the boot is small (defined by my having to take my driver out of the golf bag to fit it in the boot if I use the E90).
My old E46 was a 330d Sport which was a far nicer looking car and on balance I preferred the 'turned in' driver focused dash of the E46 but it wasn't a better car (save for the engine) than our E90.
No idea how far your budget will take you but either car would be a nice one to own.
Cheers,
The E46 is more in my price range realistically. I threw the E90 in there as I was wondering if there were any significant differences between the two that would tempt me to up my budget.
Rear leg space isn't an issue for me as I only have a full car a couple of times a year at most. I need to go around a few garages and take a look at whats on offer. Silly question, but what extras do you get with the sport model.
The E46 is more in my price range realistically. I threw the E90 in there as I was wondering if there were any significant differences between the two that would tempt me to up my budget.

Rear leg space isn't an issue for me as I only have a full car a couple of times a year at most. I need to go around a few garages and take a look at whats on offer. Silly question, but what extras do you get with the sport model.
I thought the EGR / swirl flap issue had been fixed by the time the E90 came out.
I have a 57-reg 320d SE. As others have said, its an excellent engine, giving great mpg and decent (but obviously not tyre-shredding) performance. Interior quality is definitely a step up from my old E46. Much better sound deadening, and more room in the back.
I have a 57-reg 320d SE. As others have said, its an excellent engine, giving great mpg and decent (but obviously not tyre-shredding) performance. Interior quality is definitely a step up from my old E46. Much better sound deadening, and more room in the back.
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