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This past long weekend I had the chance to take our F30 320i X-drive on an impromptu road trip from Vancouver, BC to Edmonton, AB. This was an unplanned trip where we decided on Saturday afternoon we would make an early start Sunday morning before the crack of dawn. Basically, gas up and go with my wife as my co-pilot for the twelve hour drive. Other than a few trips to Whistler this winter I had not previously taken this car on any long drives. I enjoy road trips and the chance to take the F30 on this journey had me excited with anticipation as I was lying in bed awake that Saturday night.

In the morning getting up early wasn’t too painful knowing the drive was ahead. Bags were packed, snacks were ready and the car was fueled up with premium 91 octane. Oddly, my wife noticed that this was our first road trip without my ritual of checking fluids and tire pressures prior to setting off – the car takes care of these things now. Liberating!

The car clean and ready to go:




The total distance, according to Google Maps, was going to be 1157 Kilometers each way and this trip involves traversing the famous Rocky Mountains. For those of you unfamiliar with this area, there are a number of different routes to take – all of which are scenic and amazing driving roads. Truly super, natural British Columbia at it’s finest. The shortest route through the mountains and our route of choice between Hope-Merritt-Kamloops, would be the BC-Highway 5 Coquihalla (Poronouned Coke-ah-hal-ah).



The Coquihalla, with posted speed limit of 110 Km/h, is a former toll road that is quite a unique highway. It’s a fully divided highway with four lanes each way. The distance between Hope and Kamloops is relatively short at approximately 200 Km’s but the terrain is downright treacherous. It all starts in Hope from an elevation of ~200 meters to the summit of 1444 meters (4000 feet) in a distance of only 40 Km’s (8.5% grade). For the motoring enthusiast the entire 200 Km trip is an extraordinary high-speed journey of climbing sharp peaks and rapidly ascending into the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. It’s exciting driving that definitely requires a capable machine.

*not my pic

*not my pic

The Coquihalla is riddled with brake check areas, chain-up zones and runaway lanes. In the winter, rapidly changing weather conditions can instantly render it impassable due to snow mass and icy conditions. In the warmer months brake fade and overheating are the main challenges. This road takes a physical toll on any vehicle that faces it. Semi-trucks crawl up at seemingly standstill speeds. Mini vans loaded with family and camping equipment slowly conquer each peak with their buzzing engine high in the rev range and dad sweating behind the wheel. It’s a challenge and there are always broken down vehicles abandoned on the side of the road who succumbed to the mountain pass. The speed limit on this road seems to be merely a suggestion as drivers try to carry their speed from one peak to the next after conquering each summit.

*not my pic



*not my pic

I’ve driven this road a number of times over the years in an e30 325e, e46 325i and now my wife’s 2012 BMW 320i X-drive. I can say with certainty that each iteration is better than the last when it comes to tackling this road. The e30 could manage it but almost felt unstable at times and in the summer over heating was a valid worry. The e46 was great on the highway with its smooth inline six but you’d be watching the temperature gauge closely.

The F30 though… it exceeded my expectations. I was worried it would feel underpowered. Especially on the longer pulls given I’m running the little N20 in this big-ish car but this was not the case whatsoever. I soon came to realize that the difference is in the transmission. The car, sensing the grade, made sure I was always in the right gear so the power was ready when needed even when facing the steepest peaks. It accelerated with ease in all cases rapidly, yet smoothly. Best of all the car was so sure footed at these high speeds that my wife didn’t even notice the speed at which we were travelling. The 320i was a joy to drive and conquered the Coquihalla Highway with ease.

First rest stop:


Second rest stop:




The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful but still enjoyable as driving through the mountains is great fun. We saw lots of wildlife as we passed through the Jasper National Park. Black Bears, Bighorn Sheep, lots of Deer and Elk including one who decided to mosey on across the road right in front of our car.







The fuel mileage for the trip was phenomenal. Sadly, we didn’t keep exact figures but I estimate we used about $120 in fuel each way. Given the gouging prices commonly offered during a long weekend I was pleasantly surprised. For the majority of the trip the car was in Comfort mode but Sport mode was used for passing and some of the winding roads in the mountains. I definitely noticed the difference between Sport and Comfort when it came to passing.

All-in-all I finished the trip with a greater admiration for this machine. What a beast both in the city and on the highway. To anyone considering a 320i but worried it will feel underpowered on the highway – I wouldn’t worry. The transmission really makes the engine shine. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to make this same trip with an F80 M3 at some point in time.