Hi all

Am having a wee think of getting myself a 320D bmw estate . Been looking at a few 07/08 motors and was wondering if anybody has any views or opinions on the matter?

The main dealer over here in Dublin says best to look on UK autotrader for one there in a main dealer and see if they can bring it over here and pay ther VRT as they werent a big seller in Ireland!!

Cheers

Kit:)

Firstly, what you actually mean is a 3-Series Touring - they don't like them being called estates!

Good choice IMO, my Dad has the same shape (E91) with the 320i petrol engine. Very nice to drive, well balanced with excellent steering feel and feedback, decent amount of space and he's got a lovely spec, with heated leather etc. Also looks better than the saloon (IMHO) and is rarer too (as you're finding).

He actually picked his up from Belfast, as an ex-lease car. So that could be worth bearing in mind, to save you crossing the water! I can dig up the details of the dealer for you if you'd like.

Good engine the 320d, super efficient too, with the 'Efficient Dynamics' package that will come on a car of the age you're looking at.

Keep us updated.

Steve (also a BMW fan )

Edited 2 December, 200916 yr by Wardy

Hi Steve

Cheers for the reply. Apparently the main dealers here are sourcing most of their stock from the UK and importing it to Ireland. If you can find the dealer info that would be great.

So is "touring " the same as "avant" then?!!!

How are they for a bit of tinkerin?

K:)

Totally agree with Steve, brilliant car IMO. Would you be looking for one with the M sport pack or not? I find the handling of the Msport with the run flats to be a bit crashy sometimes, but it corners really flat, and the steering feel is excellent. It's quite surprising that a car of these dimensions handles so well.

I went to B&Q the other day and managed to fit a full bathroom suite in the back, no problem. Go and test drive one if you can, you won't be disappointed.

Vaery good car, I like the new merc C class as well cracking to drive and a a much better boot, just let down ab bit by the interior in my view.

BMW are generally fairly good for a remap so extra power should be easy to come by.

As I've said in other threads, just be prepared to not be let out of junctions

I find the junction thing to be a complete myth personally, when I use it sometimes. Maybe it depends on how your driving is generally and how you behave?

As Mr Pitt says, watch out for the MSport pack. He has the uber galactic version too! My Dad's is an SE and due to the runflats is still a little firm and uncompromising at times, dependant on road surface. I'm trying to talk him into proper tyres and dropping a spare in the boot next time he needs rubber; my views on runflats have been well voiced in previous threads...

If it were me doing it, I'd plump for an SE then perhaps grab a nice set of OEM 17" wheels when they crop up on forums/eBay. A good compromise then in my mind, a better dampened ride, but with slightly more visual presence on 17s.

Also as Pitt mentions, this is always a trait I find with BMWs - they feel smaller to drive than they actually are. They've been brilliant at that for years, I think it's how they design the cabin, plus the chassis design and steering - even the 5s are the same. The 7 does feel quite big though; suppose they can't perform in miracles

Tuning - yep, it's a common-rail unit and responds well to mapping. Can you give some pointers on that as well if you like, when the time comes

Steve

Funny I think the 5 series feels big to drive buy maybe just me.

In terms of ride I agree that they are generally overly harsh on the ride, in comparrison the C class is a lot more compliant and seems to handle as well, plus the adpative suspension does give the option of a sportier ride. If it was not for the C class interior I would say it was a good bit better than a 3 series.

Yeah, still feels 'big', in relative terms - but if you compare it with an A6 or E-Class, it's noticeably more agile and focused IMO.

I think the C-Class in current form has certainly caught up quite a bit, they've done well. But there again the E90/91 did come out in 2005, so they've had time to improve! BMW tend to operate a 7 year model cycle in rough, general terms, usually with a facelift or tweak about 3 years in. So we'll have to wait to see what their answer is, around 2012

Steve

I'm researching getting a 5 series as a second car. Can't get one if my Favorit needs the sunroof welding over!

Was looking at getting one with the M pack, saw a few on Autotrader in the UK can can only find one in NI so a test drive might be a long time coming unless i can get over to the UK soonish! the dealer over here wants me to pull a few off tinterweb (from main dealer sites) and take them in to him so he can contact them!!....Might just be easier for me to do it myself and spend a week in the UK early next year and bring one over myself!!...Only snag there is that il have to sell my Furby private and nobody will buy it here at the mo!!

There are a few 5 series tourers here but i think they are too big!!....Plenty of Audi A4 estates..ooops sorry avants! but they seem to be too much money for what they are!!

K:)

Fair play - just make sure you have a decent roadtest before you commit. I think quite a lot of people get sucked in my the visual appearance of the MSports, then don't particularly appreciate the suspension setup

Steve

As a BMW derv driver I can thoroughly recommend the 2.0 diesels. I would go for the 177bhp version with the efficient dynamics as Steve mentioned and also would say go for the SE over the M versions. Although they don’t look as nice as an M Sport, they have a lot better ride and if you live in a part of the world with rough roads, you will probably find the SE handles better too, as the M version may well skip all over the place on the sodding runflats. I went for an SE 123D over the M Sport for the same reason.

I have never owned but have driven several MSports versions of various BMW including 1, 3, 5 series and have not found them in the least harsh. We are talking about a subjective quality so it is likely that we all express different opinions. It might also be that my experiences with tougher harder riding 4x4 vehicles, that anything feels soft after them. It might be also that living deep into the country and borrowing from a country based BMW dealership that I am driving mostly at speed and not dawdling around the outskirts of cities, ferrying around old parents or what ever suburban life dictates. Possibly for those who are living in the suberbs or traveling and normally drive at lower speed then the SE might be a better bet but for those living in the country who enjoy driving at a bit of pace and want pin-sharp predictable handling, then I feel that the M suspension set up offered on many series is most probably the one to choose. The most recent BMW that I have driven was a fairly recent 3.0 X3 SE auto and I found that a little soft but that might be just me!

Edited 3 December, 200916 yr by Anthony 1

I have never owned but have driven several MSports versions of various BMW including 1, 3, 5 and have not found them in the least harsh. We are talking about a subjective quality so it is likely that we all express different opinions. It might also be that my experiences with tougher 4x4 vehicles, that anything feels soft after them. It might be also that living deep into the country and borrowing from a country based BMW dealership that I am driving mostly at speed and not dawdling around the outskirts of cities, ferrying around old parents or what ever suburban life dictates. Possibly for those who are living in the suberbs or travelling or normally drive at lower speed then the SE might be a better be but for those living in the country who enjoy driving at a bit of pase and want pin-sharp handling, then I feel that the M suspension set up offered on many series is most probably the one to choose. The most recent BMW that I have driven was a fairly recent 3.0 X3 SE auto and I found that a little soft but that might be just me!

I drove a colleague’s M Sport 118D recently and with the run flats I found the ride and handling too choppy. On a flat road it feels great, but on normal roads when pressing on it felt a bit nervous. My SE definitely feels quicker through the bends and that’s not just because it’s more powerful. Mind you the light alloy engine does make turn in pretty sharp regardless of suspension setting. I like firm suspensions too, but I really don’t like what run-flats do to the cars composure when driving quickly on rough roads. For the record I am not usually described as a slow driver and don't usually dawdle about :DBut as you say, it's horses for courses and perhaps I am at an age where I like to keep my spine intact I am sure you will enjoy the ar whichever suspension set up you get (think I can guess), but I am a big believer that a little more compliance can give a lot of benifit to a cars handling and traction on rougher roads. Besides have you ever tried to put on lippy when you a crashing about on run flats :D

Agree with the roadtest comment, you may find giving the keys back quite hard if you love the car!!!!

And who cares if no-one lets you out. Just sit back and relax as you listen to Radio 2 in the serene confines of the cabin.

You really do feel that smug sat behind the wheel of!!!

BMWs don't ride as well as they used to. End of really

I don't find the damping rate is good enough with the current MSport setups, and the fact that runflat sidewalls have virtually no flex or compliance, means that road vibration and surface imperfections are channelled into the cabin and through the steering. As Lady E says, on certain types of road this can lead to the car 'hopping' and skimming over the road surface. As a result the car doesn't feel as planted because, well, it isn't! Ergo, you'd go quicker and more confidently down the same stretch of road with the SE setup. I know because I've done that exact test. The 130i MSport was the best for this I think, went hopping all over the place - Evo agreed too, in their road tests when that model was released.

Of course it depends on which part of the country you live in, and the types of road you tend to use, but I don't think there's any denying that the MSport setup could be improved by adjusting damping rates and having another look at how they're setting things up.

Steve

Agree with the roadtest comment, you may find giving the keys back quite hard if you love the car!!!!

And who cares if no-one lets you out. Just sit back and relax as you listen to Radio 2 in the serene confines of the cabin.

You really do feel that smug sat behind the wheel of!!!

I get let out at junctions. You just have to smile sweetly

But you're a woman!! girls always get let out!!! :P

But you're a woman!! girls always get let out!!! :P

You should grow your hair and put a bit of mascara on. Mind you, that could lead to embarrassing questions when you got to work.

Most German machines, regardless of manufacture tend to run with just adequate damping but that is also true of other manufacturers like Jaguar also. Suspension is just another component that is built at a cost and for the average person It is a pain and really the only solution is to change for something like KONI adjustable or their more recent offering if it is available. Damping and suspension set up is always a compromise and when using adjustable suspension one may find that settings that might be just right in the dry can be very skittish in the wet. What I do not like is overly soft springs and soft damping. It is rare to get the complete opposite.

Unfortunately, BMW also compromise the ride by increasingly insisting on fitting Run Flat tyres that have little compliance and induce some skittish behavior , they do not always appear to be in tune with damper settings. The modern trend of low profile tyres is all very well, they do allow more accurate, immediate and less squishy steering but I wonder if Run Flat tyres might be more compliant in higher profiles. Of course many people would not choose higher profiles because wheels/tyres have become very much a fashion display. The other option is to replace the Run Flats with normal tyres and to carry either a spare or squirt in some anti puncture glue. In the off road world for those who either like to run at excessively low pressures for maximum traction off road or for those who might like to go on long safari adventures their are products that can help with punctures. One product is a very small inner-tube that is designed to squeeze up against the tyre bead. This prevents the tyre coming off after a blow out or prolonged puncture. It also prevents the tyre from squatting down too far and running on the rims. It is not a full inner tube so it still allows the properties of tubules tyres to continue. i have no idea if these devices are available for small car like wheel tyre combinations but they would be an insurance for punctures and still allow good compliance.

Most German machines, regardless of manufacture tend to run with just adequate damping but that is also true of other manufacturers like Jaguar also. Suspension is just another component that is built at a cost and for the average person It is a pain and really the only solution is to change for something like KONI adjustable or their more recent offering if it is available. Damping and suspension set up is always a compromise and when using adjustable suspension one may find that settings that might be just right in the dry can be very skittish in the wet. What I do not like is overly soft springs and soft damping. It is rare to get the complete opposite.

Unfortunately, BMW also compromise the ride by increasingly insisting on fitting Run Flat tyres that have little compliance and induce some skittish behavior , they do not always appear to be in tune with damper settings. The modern trend of low profile tyres is all very well, they do allow more accurate, immediate and less squishy steering but I wonder if Run Flat tyres might be more compliant in higher profiles. Of course many people would not choose higher profiles because wheels/tyres have become very much a fashion display. The other option is to replace the Run Flats with normal tyres and to carry either a spare or squirt in some anti puncture glue. In the off road world for those who either like to run at excessively low pressures for maximum traction off road or for those who might like to go on long safari adventures their are products that can help with punctures. One product is a very small inner-tube that is designed to squeeze up against the tyre bead. This prevents the tyre coming off after a blow out or prolonged puncture. It also prevents the tyre from squatting down too far and running on the rims. It is not a full inner tube so it still allows the properties of tubules tyres to continue. i have no idea if these devices are available for small car like wheel tyre combinations but they would be an insurance for punctures and still allow good compliance.

It’s interesting that BMW are fitting conventional tyres to lower and middle spec X1s and the press seems unanimous in approving the improvement of the ride compared to the run flat top models. It was speculated that BMW might be trying to force the price of these tyres down by not automatically fitting them to their cars, but personally I am hoping they will go back to conventional tyres, even if it means using space savers.

At the moment Run Flats tyres are very harsh but perhaps with development over the years this may be resolved some what, either that or they will die out. It is a difficult problem to overcome, particularly with such small low profile designs. i would prefer to have normal tyres with a spare and possibly with some type of puncture safe running inside. The only thing is then to remember to inspect ones tyres occasionally for repaired damage. These things will not normally repair side wall damage so a spare is a must.

At the moment Run Flats tyres are very harsh but perhaps with development over the years this may be resolved some what, either that or they will die out. It is a difficult problem to overcome, particularly with such small low profile designs. i would prefer to have normal tyres with a spare and possibly with some type of puncture safe running inside. The only thing is then to remember to inspect ones tyres occasionally for repaired damage. These things will not normally repair side wall damage so a spare is a must.

As I mentioned above, I bought the SE spec as my car comes with run-flats and I found the ride unacceptable and the handling a bit skittish. i would have retro fitted conventional tyres if it wasn't for the fact my suspension has been set up for run-flats and the spare would fill my ludicrously small boot. :(

I would still convert to normal tyres of the same dimensions and have them filled with something like puncture safe or what ever product has been given some endorsements. The ride, roadholding and handling will improve and you will getaway from carrying a spare. Just do not have a puncture in the sidewall!

Are the smilies working now? Yours seem to be!