Folks, 

 

It's been a fair while since I was last on the forum...

 

The time has come for the mighty Fabia to go (with a very heavy heart may I add), and I am going to test drive a 2015 330D with 11k miles on tomorrow. Any advice for me or things I should be looking out for, opinions etc.? 

 

Thanks, 

 

I test drove one a few months back when I was considering a 335d, 330d was the closest they had to test.

 

It's a cracking car, very little I could say against it other than the price. Cabin was as great place to be, 8 speed auto was amazing and the power was brutal. I put my foot down and laughed it was silly fast for a 50mpg diesel. I was surprised at how good the M-Sport suspension was, I'd expected itto be crashingly stiff but it wasn't at all. Earlier ones might be worse they've revised the suspension in more recent models.

 

 

Downsides will be what you already know. It's expensive, BMW servicing is expensive, BMW like to extract as much money as possible from you. Boot isn't a bad size but the apature is small. Obviously it'll be crap in the snow.

 

Mate of mine has a 330d x-drive, says it's geat but also not great in the snow. 4x4 doesn't make it an offroader.

With winter rubber it does make it a good German road car on snowy prepared or unprepared roads with as much traction 

as most other vehicles on the road.

Behaves exactly as the engineers intended it to.

Thanks guys, I've built one the same spec on the BMW website and its £42k ish. I'm pretty much going to look at it with blinkers on in as much as I haven't looked at any other cars and I have always wanted a 330D, if it drives how I hope then I am fairly certain I will be getting it.

It's the facelift model also so fingers crossed the suspension won't be too harsh, as you have mentioned... I've had enough of coilovers etc!

For some reason I can't find a price for BMW servicing

*snip*

For some reason I can't find a price for BMW servicing

If you have to ask you cant afford it

If you have to ask you cant afford it

Guess I'm going to have to try and bully the salesman in to some kind of service plan then

Guess I'm going to have to try and bully the salesman in to some kind of service plan then

 

That's maybe why you don't see servicing costs. Service plan is the norm up to 5yr

 

Depending on how you are buying and what the chassis contribution is you might want to bide your time. When I specced one up in February the 335d was £400 less due to the various offers. you might see bigger offers come around in the months before the plate changes as well.

Edited 21 May, 201610 yr by Aspman

If you do get one ditch those horrendous run flat tyres

If you do get one ditch those horrendous run flat tyres

 

Wasn't that bad when I drove it, I expected it to be rock solid but it was fine. Allegedly if you get the xDrive you need the adaptive suspension or it's a bit wallowy.

https://www.bmw-service.co.ukuk

Its not so pricey, just don't buy tyres from them. Once out of warranty find a good Indy and save loads.

Wasn't that bad when I drove it, I expected it to be rock solid but it was fine. Allegedly if you get the xDrive you need the adaptive suspension or it's a bit wallowy.

 

xDrive is meant to be understeer-y, I thought? Not that I've driven one, so can't comment.

 

I've found parts to be very reasonable on the most part. Brakes and tyres are cheaper than for my parent's 1.6 2007 plate Focus for example...

F Series BMW's are a lot more supple than the E series so you don't get the crashyness from the runflats, even on M-Sport variants.

 

And if it's specced with variable suspension then in normal the are actually quite comfortable.

 

Lee

The x35xD M Sport variants only have the standard (non M Sport) suspension. :|

xDrive is meant to be understeer-y, I thought? Not that I've driven one, so can't comment.

 

 

Just what I read. There were the 'ultimate driving machine' fans posting that the 335d was crap without the adaptive suspension, others said it was fine. TBH when the car is £40k, £500 for the suspension doesn't seem like a big deal.

 

I never got round to driving one, they're quite rare on the forecourt.

 

The x35xD M Sport variants only have the standard (non M Sport) suspension. :|

 Yes the Xdrive needs the suspension a bit higher so no MSport and the sugestion that adaptive is worth it.

 

I was surprised how reasonable the extras seemed, but you do end up adding a lot.

Well I picked the car up from BMW this morning, woweeeee, this thing is an absolute hoot. Point and go acceleration is just ridiculous. I haven't stopped grinning. 

Servicing isn't as expensive as everyone thinks!!!!

 

Enjoy the new motor :-)

Servicing isn't as expensive as everyone thinks!!!!

 

Enjoy the new motor :-)

I think my M135 servicing was £500 for 5 years. not too bad

Well, today's the first time I've driven the car in heavy rain.... I'm now scared.... It keeps trying to kill me

TC will keep you straight. The wiggles are just for entertainment.

That and dont buy **** tyres :peek:

Yeah even on our boggo 320d I make sure the rear tyres are decent. Where the pictures anyway?! 

TC makes zero difference :( lots of torque and Rwd is just madness on a greasy road haha... As for tyres it's on pretty new Potenzas so not really a budget tyre.

I only have one pic which I took today after detailing, Estoril Blue really is a great colour when clean!

Just waiting on delivery of some nice shiny M Performance parts to keep me entertained for a short while.

Oh and one from the advert...

Edited 19 June, 20169 yr by kiddy1

Looks lovely! My mates recently got a F30, normally takes me a while for the latest model to grow on me but I love it, the interior is very very nice in particular. What parts have you got coming? He's just fitted some carbon bits and a M performance exhaust. 

Sweet. What colour of leather did you go for?

 

I'd specced the grey car with saddle brown leather but looking back it would have gone great with that Estoril blue.

Sweet. What colour of leather did you go for?

I'd specced the grey car with saddle brown leather but looking back it would have gone great with that Estoril blue.

Just the normal black Dakota for me, was going to hold out for grey paint/red leather combination but this cropped up.

Saddle brown would be lovely with just about any colour paint I think... I've got a supplier locally who is sorting me out the M Performance rear diffuser for a pretty nice price, £100.00 less than BMW!