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      03-07-2013, 08:52 AM   #1
finnersj
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Drives: F31 320i M Sport
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Southampton

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320i F31 M Sport Passive - Initial Thoughts

Well I ordered it off the page without a test drive (it was a great deal) and now it has arrived, my white 320i M Sport. My biggest worry was with the suspension. All the reviews say you MUST go for the adaptive M Sport suspension but they are not spending their own money. My car was ordered on a 2 year lease so any extras are expensive and I decided that I would rather save the £24 a month. I am a veteran of an E92 Coupé M Sport so I decided I could take it as I never thought it rode that badly although my rear seat passengers moaned incessantly! As it is I have nothing to worry about with a firm but comfortable ride that soaks up potholes and speed humps better than my previous car, a Volvo V60 R Type. The steering is sharp and positive and the handling feels responsive with the car seeming to shrink when you drive it. It is early days yet but I am very pleased with my decision and while I can offer no comparison with the active option I can confirm the passive M Sport suspension is a fine compromise. As someone who likes a firmer ride I have noticed my car always defaults to "Comfort" when you start off. I have not found a way to change this but if this is the case it is another reason the passive option suits me.

The engine is smooth and reasonably lively although not opened it up yet as BMW still recommend some running in. I am under no illusions that the diesel will be more economical but I like the smoothness of the petrol engine and as I only do 10000 a year the cheaper cost of the petrol option makes the difference negligible. I do hope it does better than the 1.6 T3 Volvo though which struggled to reach 30MPG. The difference in gearing makes the real world performance less than the torque figures would have you believe especially if you are willing to use the gears. On that subject the gear-change is a little stiff with a longer throw than I remember although I am sure it will loosen up with miles.

As for the rest of the car I managed to get a great deal with the Professional Sat Nav bundled in and this is superb. My old 30Gig iPod has synched perfectly and is fully controllable from the iDrive without any special leads. I just use the standard Apple one into the USB connection. DAB Radio is now included and works well while the standard Hi-Fi is far better to my ears than I was expecting reading some of the reviews. The red leather sports seats make a welcome change from the default black I normally choose and the inflatable bolsters hold you securely when cornering. When delivered the electric tailgate only opened half way which I thought was a fault until I found the height is configurable and was set on its lowest setting (useful if you garage the car). Bluetooth peered first time with my Blackberry (not a given) and the hands free works well with a driver and passenger microphone.

Overall I am very pleased indeed, good Looking and great to Drive and no downsides so far. A few pictures attached.

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Last edited by finnersj; 03-07-2013 at 09:16 AM.. Reason: Wrong area
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