BMW 320D

Frank Spencer

I realise that there are a heap of threads in relation to BMW 3 series but I would appreciate a bit of advice specific to myself if possible.

I am looking at getting a new diesel car. I sort of have my heart set on a BMW 3 series with the new body post 2005??.

I am looking at spending up to €12,000 but could go a little further if the right car were to crop up. I have been looking around on-line and have seen a few with mileage of 80,000m plus. What would be a reasonable mileage to aim for?

Also I have spotted this one and was wondering what would be thought of the price and car itself.

http://www.cbg.ie/Car_Detail.aspx?ID=4341744

Any suggestions, criticisms, etc would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Forgot to mention that the car needs to be purchased from a "reputable dealer" due to the nature of my bank financing.

kennyb3

What year are you looking at? I have a 2005 coupe with 50k on it and if i was selling it id hope to get 12k for it, so you should deffo get one with less than 80k on it. just my 2c

PaulKK

kennyb3 wrote: »

What year are you looking at? I have a 2005 coupe with 50k on it and if i was selling it id hope to get 12k for it, so you should deffo get one with less than 80k on it. just my 2c

Yours is an E46 though, he is looking at an E90.

Frank Spencer

OSI wrote: »

The thought of spending 12k on a 6 year old Beamer with cloth seats and bog specs is shudder inducing tbh.

Fair enough if that's what the consensus would be. I'm willing to take any advice you have to offer.

Mr Benevolent

The diesels seem to be crap, unreliable as hell. BMW isn't alone of course, but a petrol would probably give less trouble. The alternative is to service is more regularly than BMW recommends.

kennyb3

kennyb3 wrote: »

What year are you looking at? I have a 2005 coupe with 50k on it and if i was selling it id hope to get 12k for it, so you should deffo get one with less than 80k on it. just my 2c

An E46 selling privately for 12K? I'd say not but you never know.

Confab wrote: »

The diesels seem to be crap, unreliable as hell. BMW isn't alone of course, but a petrol would probably give less trouble. The alternative is to service is more regularly than BMW recommends.

They're far from crap to be honest. Many of them give next to no trouble. More frequent than recommended oil changes are well worth doing though particularly for low mileage folk who would take 2 years to rack up 30k kms.

Frank Spencer

OSI wrote: »

For similar money you could get an 04/05 5 series. Although a year or two older, you'll get a lot more spec for your money. A bigger car, leather interior, iDrive etc.

Any idea of the MPG on a car like that as opposed to a 3 series?

Frank Spencer

OSI wrote: »

On a 520D 50MPG would be an easy enough figure to average.

Really? That's better than I expected. Thanks for that.

pajo1981

The 320d only really started get good post 2008 with the release of the higher power ED engines.

The BMW ED 2.0 diesel is extremely linear and is easily the best four cylinder diesel around.

The few I've had have been faultless up to about 100k miles. After that, I don't know.

Ron Scott

The one you linked to above looks like an ES spec which is missing a lot of gear like PDC, Cruise, Multi function steering wheel. Also those black door handles are naff imho. Keep looking for an SE spec if you are sticking with a 3 series.

EPM

OSI wrote: »

On a 520D 50MPG would be an easy enough figure to average.

You might get a very late 05 520d possibly but for a 2004 car it would be a 530d. Depending on transmission they should be good for 40 mpg.

Frank Spencer

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/530-D-SA/201124202882410/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/525d-aut/201121202526093/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/530d/201050200566511/advert?channel=CARS

All automatics. Would a manual be preferable?

Opinions?

Suggestions would be appreciated.

PaulKK

Confab wrote: »

The diesels seem to be crap, unreliable as hell. BMW isn't alone of course, but a petrol would probably give less trouble. The alternative is to service is more regularly than BMW recommends.

Thats a gross exageration. The early 150bhp ones around 02 and 03 had some issues, but the rest are more or less as reliable as any other diesel.

Frank Spencer

Frank Spencer wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/530-D-SA/201124202882410/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/525d-aut/201121202526093/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/530d/201050200566511/advert?channel=CARS

All automatics. Would a manual be preferable?

Opinions?

Suggestions would be appreciated.

Auto is happy out with a 3.0 diesel
Just to mention, you realise the motor tax on these is double than a 320d/520d?

Frank Spencer

RoverJames wrote: »

Auto is happy out with a 3.0 diesel
Just to mention, you realise the motor tax on these is double than a 320d/520d?

Thanks James. This is the stuff I need to know. Rough idea of the tax?

What about this one?

http://www.autotrader.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/530d-SE-/201124202905378/advert?channel=CARS

Frank Spencer

Frank Spencer wrote: »

Thanks James. This is the stuff I need to know. Rough idea of the tax?

http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/MotorTax/MotorTaxRates/MotorTaxRatesBasedonEngineSize/

Engine Capacity (c.c.)Annual
€Half-year
€* Quarterly
€!

2,901 to 3,000
1,293
717
365



Another €100 may be added to that soon too I think.

Frank Spencer

Frank Spencer wrote: »

.........
What about this one?

http://www.autotrader.ie/search/BMW/5-Series/530d-SE-/201124202905378/advert?channel=CARS

I think they are great cars, just consider the price of servicing
For a car of that age buying it I'd want a full service history, once I own it I wouldn't bother going to a main dealer, a reputable independent or BMW specialist would be the better option me thinks. I'd also have the history looked over by someone who knows their beans to ensure everything has been done. I'd like an enthusiast owned one that has gotten more than the recommended oil changes done or else one that has gotten annual ones of the mileage wasn't high
They are out there.

JackN688

Op your choice is good if you like it however if you are worried about selling it on then dont get it.....many people want alloys on a bmw and leather possibly....when i was looking for a bmw for my mother they were two essentials
but if you like the car and arent worried about selling on then go for it

Frank Spencer

RoverJames wrote: »

I think they are great cars, just consider the price of servicing
For a car of that age buying it I'd want a full service history, once I own it I wouldn't bother going to a main dealer, a reputable independent or BMW specialist would be the better option me thinks. I'd also have the history looked over by someone who knows their beans to ensure everything has been done. I'd like an enthusiast owned one that has gotten more than the recommended oil changes done or else one that has gotten annual ones of the mileage wasn't high
They are out there.

Good points but the tax is an issue. You're looking at over €100 a month.

You reckon a 520D will be half the tax?

RobAMerc

I've had 2 320d's and a 320 ci before that too.

I can honestly say as an all rounder its almost impossible to beat and with each of them I have found it very difficult to replace them simply because they do everything I want form a car so well.

In short the 320d is

Well made - never mind the hysterics here about reliability in reality they as reliable as anything else worth having.
They drive like a sporting saloon should ( compare it to an A4 or 156 to drive )
.....Steering feel is good, properly weighted with a nice wheel, brakes ( power and feel was different but excellent in both e90's e46 was a bit wooden ).
Chassis is rear drive and properly sorted, the right roads and the right conditions you can exploit it ( lack of power makes it difficult I admit ). But you can use the throttle to good effect with the rear drive set up.
Ok the ride is an issue in M-Sport particularly with the run flats - get rid and its much better ( steering feel and road noise better too ).
BMW's to my mind are 2nd only to Audi in the way the interiors feel ( ok not boggo ones but there are some well spec'd ones out there ) and are equal ergonomically, everything is where it should be and the dials and controls are nicely weighted to add to the experience.

the 320ci didn't give back in terms of power vs consumption but aurally it was superb ( probably the cause of the poor consumption ). The 320d however is reasonably quick ( for a 2.0d ) and fairly good on juice too.

Anyway thats my opinion on the 320 hope it helps - sorry for the rant, I may have had an espresso or two too many today judging by the speed of my typing !

Frank Spencer

RobAMerc wrote: »

I've had 2 320d's and a 320 ci before that too.

I can honestly say as an all rounder its almost impossible to beat and with each of them I have found it very difficult to replace them simply because they do everything I want form a car so well.

In short the 320d is

Well made - never mind the hysterics here about reliability in reality they as reliable as anything else worth having.
They drive like a sporting saloon should ( compare it to an A4 or 156 to drive )
.....Steering feel is good, properly weighted with a nice wheel, brakes ( power and feel was different but excellent in both e90's e46 was a bit wooden ).
Chassis is rear drive and properly sorted, the right roads and the right conditions you can exploit it ( lack of power makes it difficult I admit ). But you can use the throttle to good effect with the rear drive set up.
Ok the ride is an issue in M-Sport particularly with the run flats - get rid and its much better ( steering feel and road noise better too ).
BMW's to my mind are 2nd only to Audi in the way the interiors feel ( ok not boggo ones but there are some well spec'd ones out there ) and are equal ergonomically, everything is where it should be and the dials and controls are nicely weighted to add to the experience.

the 320ci didn't give back in terms of power vs consumption but aurally it was superb ( probably the cause of the poor consumption ). The 320d however is reasonably quick ( for a 2.0d ) and fairly good on juice too.

Anyway thats my opinion on the 320 hope it helps - sorry for the rant, I may have had an espresso or two too many today judging by the speed of my typing !

Appreciate that!

Gumbo

Frank Spencer wrote: »

Good points but the tax is an issue. You're looking at over €100 a month.

You reckon a 520D will be half the tax?

theres no "reakon" about it!

320d/520d tax is €614 per year.
330d/530d/335d/535d tax is €1293 per year.

Frank Spencer

What mileage would be considered acceptable? I understand that it depends on certain things. If you need blanks filled in just ask.

RobAMerc

Frank Spencer wrote: »

You reckon a 520D will be half the tax?

Its also half the car a 335 or 535 ( d or i )is to be fair, but for everyday motoring unless you really like grunt the 320d may well be enough for you ( depends on where you are coming from )

Frank Spencer

RobAMerc wrote: »

Its also half the car a 335 or 535 ( d or i )is to be fair, but for everyday motoring unless you really like grunt the 320d may well be enough for you ( depends on where you are coming from )

Yeah it's really an everyday type of car. I wouldn't be into performance per se. I just really like the look of the new model BMW's. I must say my eyes have been opened by some of the advice.

Would 520D's be hard enough got?

dharn

i am on my 4th bmw have a 06 320d at present love the car it is se fully speced has given no trouble up to now a bit hard on tyres, dsc unit faulty at present bmw giving goodwill payment of 80 % parts payment so job is costing 385 euro i am happy enough with that as car is 5 years old now this fault used to cos nearly 2000 euro to fix when first cropped up on e46 but bmw have worked on bringing down price of repair ,the other issue is turbo failure from 06 less common but if full bmw history they take care of that very well too so to op i would recommend 06 bmw with good service history

bazz26

The 2005 to mid 2007 320d/520d have a very respectable 163bhp which is more than enough for your average Irish road imo. Also these engines can be easily remapped to around 190bhp and increased torque for under €400 if you want more.

OP I have a 2008 318d for 6 months now which has the same engine but with less bhp. I have racked up over 12k miles on it, mostly country driving with a bit of city driving too, I'm getting around 53mpg from it, only problem I had with it was a blocked windscreen washer resevoir which was sorted under warranty. Mine is the M Sport which as already mentioned has the stiffer sports suspension which makes driving over less than perfect roads a bit uncomfortable.

Also as mentioned all E90s (2005 to present 3 Series shape) have "run on flat" tyres which have re-enforced sidewalls so you don't get a spare wheel. These make the suspension very firm but alot of owners ditch the run flats for standard tyres and a space saver spare. I'd also avoid the ES model like the one you posted originally, it really is very basic and not worth the money.

I recommend you register on the Irish BMW owners site www.bmw-driver.net. A good few posters here also post there and there is some good information to be found there.

MaxPower131

You could probably pick up a 2008 320d for a little bit more than you are prepared to pay. Bear in mind they are the new model, extremely fuel efficient and road tax of e156 so over the space of a couple of years you could save money.

Frank Spencer

MaxPower131 wrote: »

You could probably pick up a 2008 320d for a little bit more than you are prepared to pay. Bear in mind they are the new model, extremely fuel efficient and road tax of e156 so over the space of a couple of years you could save money.

Really? I would appreciate any links to cars for sale that would fall into that category.

rebel.ranter

Whatever about reliability the two biggest hurdles you'll come across to my mind when seeking out a 320d/520d is the following:
- One with below average or average mileage. They are bought by people who tend to do big miles normally & the ones with lower miles are either priced too high or if priced right go quickly
- Getting one with a decent spec. Too many people buy the bog standard spec with cloth seats & the basic aircon not climate, etc. It makes the whole idea of buying a BMW underwhelming. I've read people saying their BMW is "fully specced" but in all likelihood it's probably not. Fully specced to me means (Leather, Cruise Control, alloys, MFSW & Aircon taken as a given), Xenon headlights, full Bluetooth, Sat Nav, full climate control, parking sensors front & rear, auto headlights, auto wipers, upgraded alloys, sunroof, rear window blinds, heated seats, electric memory seats, heated steering wheel, active cruise control, UV protection glass, extended leather package, reverse camera, digital TV, DVD.... I could go on. So when you're looking at a car & it says "fully specced", if 50% of the items above are missing then you can be sureit's not "fully specced".

My advice would be to look at &drive a few examples of both the 320d & 520d, even if they're outside your budget or don't quite match your financing options. That way you'll get a feel for whether the 3 or 5 is for you, whether manual or auto is for you. Know the real differences between ES/SE & a Sport, both from a styling & a driving point io view. I know a guy that back in 2004 specced his then new 530d with 16' alloys because he'd read on the Internet that the ride quality on anything bigger was not great. The same guy 4 years later bought a 2006 M5 with 19' alloys, I reminded him about his comment 4 years previous, he said to me that he shouldn't just take words on a website for granted, the ride with the 19' wheels was stiffer but not horrendous as he had read (I have 19' with RFT on one of my current cars & yes the ride is stiffer than the other 2 cars with regular 17' tyres but by no means is it the end of the world). To re-iterate, drive a few examples to see the reality.

Also if you're thinking about stretching to a 2008 model to get the cheap tax make sure you do your sums to see if it's worth while. Very often the price differential of a pre-2008 car & post 2008 mean that it doesn't make sense to buy the 2008. What I mean is the premium you pay for the ability to avail of cheap tax is far greater than what you would have paid in additional in the older car. The resale price of 2006/2007 cars took a hit when 2008 CO2 based motor tax & VRT rules came in. Factor in how long you'll hold on to the car, work out the motor tax cost differential & see where it leaves you. This is most relevant for those considering purchasing cars in the 2007/2008 bracket (which may be relevant for you?).

Hope this doesn't seem like gibberish & best of luck with your new purchase.

Stainless_Steel

rebel.ranter wrote: »

Also if you're thinking about stretching to a 2008 model to get the cheap tax make sure you do your sums to see if it's worth while.

+1.

And you should do your sums when deciding for diesel against petrol. I bought a petrol 5 series. People thought I was daft. I was happy to have the 5 grand difference in my back pocket!

bazz26

This might be worth a look at OP:

http://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=669285&r=s.php%3Fm%3D10%26o%3D86%26r%3D2006%26g%3D1

MaxPower131

Here are two examples:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2219277

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2112553

Has to be said high mileage on both of these.

Couple of hundred euro of difference in tax should not be the deciding factor but 2008 vehicles are very fuel efficent. Really depends on your annual mileage.

rebel.ranter

MaxPower131 wrote: »

Here are two examples:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2219277

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2112553

Has to be said high mileage on both of these.

Couple of hundred euro of difference in tax should not be the deciding factor but 2008 vehicles are very fuel efficent. Really depends on your annual mileage.

Hey Max these two confirm my assertons that it is hard to find a low mileage and/or well specced versions out there. Both of these fail on both counts. The OP is limited as towhere he can purchase due to the finncing method he is using so the first one is ruled out for sure.

Frank Spencer

Great stuff lads. I really appreciate all the input. Gives me plenty of food for thought.

RobAMerc

MaxPower131 wrote: »

Here are two examples:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2219277

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2112553

Has to be said high mileage on both of these.

Couple of hundred euro of difference in tax should not be the deciding factor but 2008 vehicles are very fuel efficent. Really depends on your annual mileage.

either of those cars would sap the life out of you and leave you wondering what you spent your money on.
I would much rather go for a well spec'd 07 or even 06 one that I was happy to look out the window at or every time I got into it. OP buy a well spec'd one or buy one with a big engine otherwise you'll be back here in 3 months saying " I can't see what all the fuss about BMW is".

Gophur

Buy a '06 or '07 car and you'll struggle to sell it on , with the high Motor Tax.

The difference in Motor Tax between a '07 and a'08 would pay the interest on a €4,000 loan, therefore the '07 car should be at least €4,000, before depreciation, less than a '08 car.

All that being said, it's extremely unlikely the €156 tax rate for a 2.0 litre BMW is going to be with us for a long time.

Leonard Hofstadter

Stainless_Steel wrote: »

+1.

And you should do your sums when deciding for diesel against petrol. I bought a petrol 5 series. People thought I was daft. I was happy to have the 5 grand difference in my back pocket!

+1 - a petrol engined one is always going to be far cheaper to buy - and a BMW six cylinder petrol engine is one of the very best engines ever made.

BMW is synonomous with the straight six engine and for very good reasons: they're very reliable once properly looked after, they're strong and powerful, they are not as thirsty as you might think, they are so smooth and of course they sound great when worked hard.

One word of warning with regards to BMW petrol engines - ever since the Efficient Dynamics models came out in March 2007, most BMW petrol engines have been a complete and utter disaster - the coils and the injectors fail regularly in them. The only Efficient Dynamics petrols that are reliable are the 3.0 twin turbo in the 335i (though that has problems of its own) - it is a completely unrelated engine to the non turbo 3.0 litre unit, and anything larger.

Basicallly, avoid anything that ends with a 16i, 18i, 20i, 23i, 25i and 30i in the 1, 3, 5 and 6 series after March 2007 (or September 2007 in the case of the 3 series).

Frank Spencer

bazz26 wrote: »

This might be worth a look at OP:

http://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=669285&r=s.php%3Fm%3D10%26o%3D86%26r%3D2006%26g%3D1

Just on this one lads. Seems less expensive than a lot of others out there. Is it too good to be true or just a reasonably priced car?

Hard to tell I know!!

Theboinkmaster

Frank Spencer wrote: »

Just on this one lads. Seems less expensive than a lot of others out there. Is it too good to be true or just a reasonably priced car?

Hard to tell I know!!

Seems fairly poverty spec to me - not even leather ffs so i certainly wouldn't think it's too good to be true.

Aeromac

Frank,
It can be rather daunting trying to gather an idea of what makes a good spec vs. a more basic car.
It is well worthwhile doing the homework before hand though once you take the plunge you're stuck with your choice for a while.

To be up front, I am selling my own 06 320d Msport model (63000 miles) on carzone atm but this info is from my own research when I was buying my one.

To give you an idea, in 2006 from the factory the 4 cylinder 3 series were released in 3 spec levels. 320d es, 320d se and the 320d Msport. (there was possibly a 4th very low spec designated just as the 320d but I can't remember)
You should really only consider the es/se or Msport versions.
Safety equipment was identical through the range (airbags, DSC etc)

The first level 320d es:-
-manual air con (no digital temperature control)
-Front fog lights
-16" alloys
-Fluid cloth upholstery
-elec heated mirrors
-elec front and rear windows
-matt plastic silver trims
-3 spoke steering wheel (thin version)
-CD player
-AUX input
-On board Computer

The 320d SE added
-different style 16" alloys
-automatic climate control (v nice digital temperature control unit)
-Cruise control
-enhanced interior light package
-multi function steering wheel
-rear parking sensors
-Auto dim rear view mirror

Finally the Msport has all the above plus
-external Msport body kit (aerodynamic package in BMW speak)
-17" Double Mspoke alloys
-brushed aluminum trims and door sill trims
-Msport steering wheel and gear selector
-Sports seats (very supportive with added thigh supports)
-alcantara (suede) upholstery
-shortened gear shift
-special headlining

Anything else, METALLIC PAINT!!!, Leather, bluetooth, larger wheels, i-drive, ipod connection (as opposed to aux-in), xenons etc.... are all options.
So judge the cars you're looking at on their trim level plus any options.

Finally, I'd be looking for a full service history.
Generally the cars are reliable, the swirl flap issue affected the previous e46 version of the 3 series. The traction control computer is a known weak point they do fail and the unit is €1000 plus fitting.
BMW will partly pay for it's replacement if it fails, the more complete history you have the more they are willing to pay.


Good luck with the search and when you find the right one you will not be disappointed.

Leonard Hofstadter

E90s have swirl flap and turbo issues the same as the E46, though it must be said that failure of either item is far rarer in the E90.

If buying a diesel, the positive crankcase breather needs to be changed I think it is every second service. Get the swirl flaps removed as well - they are a few hundred euro but that is far better than trying to find a used engine or buying a brand new engine if the swirl flaps injest themselves into the engine!

Regardless of what the OBC says, if the OP is buying a diesel, I would be changing the oil at least every 20k km (and preferably every 15 k km) - leaving the same oil in the engine for that length of time is not going to end well in the long run!

Frank Spencer

Ok based on the advice given on thread I'm doing a bit of an analysis of costs associated with ownership of a 320D. Therefore I have a few questions.

Cost of servicing? With a main dealer and with an indy. What are the benefits of one above the other?

Annual replacement parts? Tyres etc. How much? How often?

I'll be honest my head is spinning. What I thought was good model is not so good once it's analysed. I'm really finding it difficult to find something with the level of spec advised above for the money I'm looking to spend. Are these cars actually out there?

I think I'm at a level where getting a 08 model may be an idea. There is a saving of €38 per month on the tax. This narrows the difference between monthly repayments between a 06 and a 08 to about €20.

As always any advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

dharn

main dealer service costs are high ,seldom less than 400 euro every service seems to have a new requirement ie brake fluid change or something like that runflat tyres give low milage 20000 km, cost 120 euro upwards i do low milage and short runs and i sometimes wonder if diesel is for me at all as the consensus is that short runs is very bad for diesel engine just something more for you to consider

Gophur

Good independent servicing will cost no more than any other car.

Tyres are the same as other cars, especially if you put proper tyres on the car, not those run-flat POS.

Fuel economy is excellent, as good as, if not better, than cars with 30% less power.

If OP is in that much doubt, then don't buy the car.

mcwhirter

[QUOTE=captainspeed;72874722
Basicallly, avoid anything that ends with a 16i, 18i, 20i, 23i, 25i and 30i in the 1, 3, 5 and 6 series after March 2007 (or September 2007 in the case of the 3 series).[/QUOTE]

Thats a lot of cars, so keep to diesel then?

MaxPower131

Might be worth checking out cars in the UK as there seems to be a huge premium on 2008 cars over here.Here are a few examples I came across:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201125392392966/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-to/15000/fuel-type/diesel/maximum-age/up_to_4_years_old/model/3_series/make/bmw/radius/1501/keywords/2008/page/1/postcode/ll554te?logcode=p


http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201124391155287/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-to/15000/fuel-type/diesel/maximum-age/up_to_4_years_old/model/3_series/make/bmw/radius/1501/keywords/2008/page/1/postcode/ll554te?logcode=p

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201107380038452/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-to/15000/fuel-type/diesel/maximum-age/up_to_4_years_old/model/3_series/make/bmw/radius/1501/keywords/2008/page/2/postcode/ll554te?logcode=p


VRT would probably be in the region of 3k.

pburns

pajo1981 wrote: »

The 320d only really started get good post 2008 with the release of the higher power ED engines.

The BMW ED 2.0 diesel is extremely linear and is easily the best four cylinder diesel around.

The few I've had have been faultless up to about 100k miles. After that, I don't know.

Have you driven the Subaru boxer diesel? I've driven a good few 2.0 diesels and none can match it for smoothness, refinement and power delivery. They do need to have few miles up tho - tight and torqueless for the first 10,000 km or so.

In fairness, it's ages since I drove a 320d, and that was actually just a short test drive. I'd say they're v v good also.

Leonard Hofstadter

Frank Spencer wrote: »

Ok based on the advice given on thread I'm doing a bit of an analysis of costs associated with ownership of a 320D. Therefore I have a few questions.

Cost of servicing? With a main dealer and with an indy. What are the benefits of one above the other?

Annual replacement parts? Tyres etc. How much? How often?

I'll be honest my head is spinning. What I thought was good model is not so good once it's analysed. I'm really finding it difficult to find something with the level of spec advised above for the money I'm looking to spend. Are these cars actually out there?

I think I'm at a level where getting a 08 model may be an idea. There is a saving of €38 per month on the tax. This narrows the difference between monthly repayments between a 06 and a 08 to about €20.

As always any advice and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Those cars are every bit as reliable as anything else out there, but proper maintenance is vital.

Service it every 15-20k km, leave the engine cool down for 30 seconds to a minute after any long and/or hard drive (to protect the turbo, this applies to anything turbocharged, be it petrol or diesel by the way, not just a 320d or any BMW), and do the crankcase breather thing every second service and there is no reason (aside from the ESP module) why it should be any dearer to run than a blandmobile like an Avensis. Oh and get rid of the swirl flaps too!

Over the years BMW has improved the four cylinder diesel, from the disaster that the 150 bhp unit was, to the improved 163 bhp, and the latest 177 Efficient Dynamics seems to be the most reliable of the lot (so far).

If you have the typical Irish attitude towards servicing and spending money on the car, and see anything other than putting fuel into it and taxing it as an unncessary waste of money, then it's not the right car for you. If you don't look after a BMW you will pay price for it through your wallet.

Look after it and it will look after you:)!

bazz26

I have a 2008 E90 Edition M Sport diesel for the last 6 months, I recently got an oil & micro filter change along with new rear brake pads for a grand total of €300 using BMW recommended oil and OEM pads. Very happy with the prices and level of service from them and will definately let them mind my car from now on. Local BMW main dealer wanted €242 alone for just an oil and filter change.

Also regarding the perception that BMW servicing costs are alot higher than other makes, well I had a Volvo S40 diesel previously and a similar oil and brake pad change cost me around €250 from a back street mechanic

One thing I would recommend though is to ignore the long oil change intervals on the BMW diesel engine. I would definately get the oil and filters changed more frequently at least every 12 months or 15k km rather than going by the conditioned based 25k to 30k km set by the OBC.

captainspeed

captainspeed wrote: »

.................

Over the years BMW has improved the four cylinder diesel, from the disaster that the 150 bhp unit was, to the improved 163 bhp, and the latest 177 Efficient Dynamics seems to be the most reliable of the lot (so far)..............

where do you get this crap from ? :P