Adaptive suspension required for Irish roads on used BMW 3 series (F30 gen)?

donnaille

Hi,
I'm currently looking to purchase a BMW 320D used ~2-3 years old (F30 generation so seems to be less of a DPF issue).

The majority I see are M Sport trim - without adaptive suspension - which surprises me as most reviews of the car call for adding the adaptive suspension for a more comfortable ride. I'm hoping to test drive one soon, but interested in opinions from people that own a 3 series - is adaptive suspension a requirement on Irish roads, or is it very much down to driver preference?

bazz26

Unless you are driving on very poor roads then the standard suspension is fine. The adaptive suspension is rare on these cars because it cost about 2k extra at the time. You also need to take wheel rim size into account, bigger rims and lower profile tyres will affect the car's ride and comfort. Adaptive Suspension is nice to have but not necessary for Irish roads.

donnaille

Thanks bazz26. I feel like I'm possibly over doing it on the due diligence and just need to test drive one myself. Most I've looked at are 18' rims and I have seen lots of recommendations to change to non run flats, so that is always an option.

Good to hear it is fine on Irish roads, I'm currently UK based but most likely returning to Ireland in the next 12-18 months hence my interest there as I'll most likely keep this car for several years.

extra-ordinary_

I would've thought Irish roads were in worse shape then UK roads, someone who is driving back and forth regularly could confirm.

at9qu5vp0wcix7

+1 on wheels/tyres.

Riding on 18's with run flats is fine. Anything bigger than 18 and you're in for a rough ride, regardless of suspension.

bambam

probably ok with RWD, but needed for models with X-Drive (as they don't support m-sport suspension and feel floaty in corners)

GustavoFring

Had 2 of them on 19s with run flats and had zero issues with the ride. Run flats are nowhere near as harsh riding as they were 10 years ago.

sunnysoutheast

I think deletion of the lowered suspension on M-sport models was a zero cost option, although I'm not sure how many ticked that particular box.

I had a 320i M-sport x-drive with the adaptive as a service loaner once and much preferred it to the 420d M-s rwd on the lowered. That 320i was a great car.

As said by other posters the newer runflats are much better, we have Michelin on ours. Big issue if going non-RFT is that even a space saver spare is awkward and robs boot space big time.

bazz26

The deleted M Sport suspension means they just fit the standard SE suspension setup which in turn has the car sitting a bit higher than a car with the M Sport suspension. Just looks wrong to me on a M Sport and makes the car's ride a bit soft and spongy. At that rate you might as well save yourself money and just buy the cheaper SE.

extra-ordinary_

bazz26 wrote: »

The deleted M Sport suspension means they just fit the standard SE suspension setup which in turn has the car sitting a bit higher than a car with the M Sport suspension. Just looks wrong to me on a M Sport and makes the car's ride a bit soft and spongy. At that rate you might as well save yourself money and just buy the cheaper SE.

If I could afford it I would always go for adaptive suspension - you have firm sport when you want it, and whenever you want a more cossetted comfort ride you have that choice also. It's something you'll appreciate every time you're in the car - moreso than a split diffuser etc.

Eric Cartman

look in the UK , nobody goes near the options brochure here, also more likely on the larger engined cars. As somebody with 2 cars with air suspension and dynamic shocks I completely agree its become necessary.