My new car (again)

[old.user4556]

Here it is, finally got round to washing the car and getting some pics of it (this is my fourth car in the space of 12 months!)

I'm absolutely loving it, it's very quiet, very well damped with fairly soft suspension but not with compromised handling. The build quality is light years ahead of any other car i've owned; not one rattle or squeek.

It's not lightning quick at all (0-60 is probably in the 9's), but it's a brilliant motorway cruiser - sits at 80mph at 2000 rpm and does about 45mpg at that speed. Upwards of 50 mpg is achievable! The shove of torque is superb, and the in gear performance makes it a relaxing drive since you always have the power on tap.

Spec (on top of standard):

BMW 320D SE (136 bhp) in titan silver (~43k miles)
Rear parking distance sensors
Xenon headlights with headlight washers
Full leather interior with satin aluminium detailing
16" alloys
Heated washer jets (muah! brilliant in recent weather)
Automatic climate control
Electric... everything basically (all windows/mirrors)
Traction control
Auto dimming rear view mirror, none of this flip up/down stuff - it automatically darkens when headlights from behind hit it.
BMW Business RDS headunit + 6 disc CD changer
Cruise control

Planned mods:

A very light smoke tint to the windows (yes.. i know anything forward of the B pillar is illegal)
BMW 18" MV alloys (from the 320D sport)
Phillips Silvervisions on the back lights (got 'em on the front)
180 bhp remap
Genesis components all round + compact sub in the boot
Stainless steel exhaust to replace the current pea shooter!

Now for the pics:

http://www.aoth56.dsl.pipex.com/bmw/320D1.jpg
http://www.aoth56.dsl.pipex.com/bmw/320D2.jpg
http://www.aoth56.dsl.pipex.com/bmw/320D3.jpg
http://www.aoth56.dsl.pipex.com/bmw/320D4.jpg
http://www.aoth56.dsl.pipex.com/bmw/320D5.jpg
http://www.aoth56.dsl.pipex.com/bmw/320D6.jpg
http://www.aoth56.dsl.pipex.com/bmw/320D7.jpg
http://www.aoth56.dsl.pipex.com/bmw/320D8.jpg

 

[Clown]

Nice.

 

[Tom]

Actually you can have tinted windows ahead of the B-pillar - only 30% though IIRC.

When do you get your 'BMW bus and fast lane' privilige card?

 

[old.user4556]

That's unwritten rule that you can only read with the aid of a UV light in the back of the manual

 

[old.user4556]

Actually you can have tinted windows ahead of the B-pillar - only 30% though IIRC.

Yeah, but they're tinted from the factory so I can't make 'em any darker.

 

[Jupitus]

Nice .....















it's still a fookin' diesel though

 

[old.user4556]

What's wrong with diesels? Specifically, modern diesels?

 

[scoop]

Looks nice

Nothing wrong with modern diseals really. After a few mins of warming up they sound pretty much like a petrol car anyway...

 

[Bodhi]

What's wrong with diesels? Specifically, modern diesels?

Easy, they just aren't very nice to drive. They still sound like Massey Fergusons (I'm judging them on me dad's 525d and me mum's 320Cd), really arent as fast as everyone says they are, run out of puff at 4000 rpm (proper engines are just getting going at that point) and like giving you the power in one big lump (to quote evo, *whoosh* BLAM is that it?).


But yes they do still sound like petrol engines when they're warmed up.......petrol engines with no oil in them.

 

[nath]

That's unwritten rule that you can only read with the aid of a UV light in the back of the manual

Then it's not really an unwritten rule - it's just written in special ink. </pedant>

 

[old.user4556]

Easy, they just aren't very nice to drive. They still sound like Massey Fergusons (I'm judging them on me dad's 525d and me mum's 320Cd), really arent as fast as everyone says they are, run out of puff at 4000 rpm (proper engines are just getting going at that point) and like giving you the power in one big lump (to quote evo, *whoosh* BLAM is that it?).

That's a matter of opinion.

It's by far the easiest car to drive that i've owned, all the power is there from 1500 rpm, it's quiet and you're not doing 3500 rpm at high motorway cruise speeds like you would on a petrol engine. They may run out of puff at 4000 rpm, but petrol engines have no puff until 3000-4000 rpm (of course, depending on the petrol engine).

It's not a sporty drive like a petrol engine, but i'm sure everyone knows that; but the power/torque is easily accesible and they certainly can be as fast as everyone makes them out to be . For town/urban driving, it's a much more useable engine/car than what i've previously owned. Where a petrol needs to drop a gear to bring it into the power band, the diesel is pretty much always sitting in the power band - it makes motorway overtaking a breeze. Infact, i'd say it makes you lazy.

Where Evo may dig at the power running out, take the flip side: Honda's VTEC. 1000 rpm .... nothing .... 3000 rpm .... where's the torque .... 5000 rpm .... still nothing .... 6000 rpm *on cam* woah, the power at last! I'm not slagging the VTEC, but i've driven my sister's Civic and it really doesn't get exciting until you're revving the tits off it everywhere which makes for a tiring drive (it was the same on my 182, noooooo power at all until 5000 rpm when it came on cam).

Don't knock it until you own one .

 

[Tom]

Diesels are lovely to drive. Its bloody great being able to fly past the reps on the motorway without changing gear.

My car will do 0-60 in about 9 seconds. Not bad for a hulking great big 1.7 tonne diesel.

 

[Jupitus]

That's a matter of opinion.

It's by far the easiest car to drive that i've owned, all the power is there from 1500 rpm, it's quiet and you're not doing 3500 rpm at high motorway cruise speeds like you would on a petrol engine. They may run out of puff at 4000 rpm, but petrol engines have no puff until 3000-4000 rpm (of course, depending on the petrol engine).

It's not a sporty drive like a petrol engine, but i'm sure everyone knows that; but the power/torque is easily accesible and they certainly can be as fast as everyone makes them out to be . For town/urban driving, it's a much more useable engine/car than what i've previously owned. Where a petrol needs to drop a gear to bring it into the power band, the diesel is pretty much always sitting in the power band - it makes motorway overtaking a breeze. Infact, i'd say it makes you lazy.

Where Evo may dig at the power running out, take the flip side: Honda's VTEC. 1000 rpm .... nothing .... 3000 rpm .... where's the torque .... 5000 rpm .... still nothing .... 6000 rpm *on cam* woah, the power at last! I'm not slagging the VTEC, but i've driven my sister's Civic and it really doesn't get exciting until you're revving the tits off it everywhere which makes for a tiring drive (it was the same on my 182, noooooo power at all until 5000 rpm when it came on cam).

Don't knock it until you own one .

My 2.5 litre 323i touring (petrol ) will happily chew miles on the motorway, in 5th, at about 2500-3000 RPM but still has plenty of grunt at those revs to overtake most traffic with ease. Sure, if I'm feeling a bit wild, drop her a gear and performance takes on a new edge.... wouldn't get that with a diesel!

Edit: I'm happy to have the petrol engine - short squirt of speed puts me past you and out of the way of your clouds of diesel smoke when you 'go for it' ....

 

[Bodhi]

That's a matter of opinion.

It's by far the easiest car to drive that i've owned, all the power is there from 1500 rpm, it's quiet and you're not doing 3500 rpm at high motorway cruise speeds like you would on a petrol engine. They may run out of puff at 4000 rpm, but petrol engines have no puff until 3000-4000 rpm (of course, depending on the petrol engine).

It's not a sporty drive like a petrol engine, but i'm sure everyone knows that; but the power/torque is easily accesible and they certainly can be as fast as everyone makes them out to be . For town/urban driving, it's a much more useable engine/car than what i've previously owned. Where a petrol needs to drop a gear to bring it into the power band, the diesel is pretty much always sitting in the power band - it makes motorway overtaking a breeze. Infact, i'd say it makes you lazy.

Where Evo may dig at the power running out, take the flip side: Honda's VTEC. 1000 rpm .... nothing .... 3000 rpm .... where's the torque .... 5000 rpm .... still nothing .... 6000 rpm *on cam* woah, the power at last! I'm not slagging the VTEC, but i've driven my sister's Civic and it really doesn't get exciting until you're revving the tits off it everywhere which makes for a tiring drive (it was the same on my 182, noooooo power at all until 5000 rpm when it came on cam).

Don't knock it until you own one .

I've done enough miles in me dad's old 320d to know exactly what a modern diesel is like to live with, and sadly when me dad had that me mum had a 325i Sport, which was 100x better to drive and much much faster as well. Hate to point this out mate but you really shoulda had one of them. Buying a BM without a 6 cylinder petrol motor in it is a bit of a waste sadly

 

[old.user4556]

You guys are preaching to the bloke that owned one of the best BMW engines of them all, the double VANOS 3.2 litre straight six S50 M (321 bhp).

(this is why i said, depends on the petrol engine)

Yes I completely agree, the BMW six pot is a fucking wet dream, no denying; but the fuel consumption is not. I've got a mate who went from an M to a 325i and he found that when driving hard, the fuel consumption was not that much better than the M.

I couldn't live with that again considering the amount of motorway miles i'm going to be doing. Very light use in the M cost me ~£40 a week in fuel, heavy use or caning it could be upwards of £60 a week. Now i've gone to the 320D, i'm about £15 a week, and that meets my needs perfectly (considering over 50 mpg is possible extra urban).

I would have taken a 325i over a 320D *if* I wasn't pouring up and down the motorway. Infact, the garage I bought the car from had a 325i for £500 less.

Lets not think with our cocks here by thinking faster = better .

Money no object, i'd have kept the M for weekend/summer use and the 320D for the commute/shopping. It's just not possible at the mo. I've decided with my girlfriend that when she graduates, she can have the 320D and i'm going back to an M powered car.

When it comes to the new 3 series (E90), the difference in performance between the 330i and the 330D is tiny (0.4 secs) - both of them are under 7 seconds, but obviously the diesel is more economical for those of us that have to travel.

Horses for courses.

 

[Tom]

Bodhi doesn't like diesels because the heavier engine steers into hedges more often

 

[Jupitus]

Horses for courses.

Aye, Mr G.... totally agree I was just wanting to make the performance point that although a diesel may chew up the motorway miles for less money than it costs to buy the Outer Hebrides, unless you really want a change of attitude towards the fuel economy line you wouldn't want to sacrifice the performance.... glad to see you still have some testosterone in yer system