[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

The Good

Driving - I love the way the F31 handles.
Seats – exceptionally comfy.
HUD – what a wonderful thing.

The Bad

Manual gearbox – notchy, stiff and reluctant to select a gear at times without a bit of brute force.
Wheels – 19” 403M’s look the mutt’s nuts, but sadly starting to see early signs of white worm.

Paintwork (2) – relative ‘softness’ of BMW paint these days, but can’t decide whether that’s real or imagined. What I can say is that it’s incredibly easy to put swirls in the EB, even using snow foam & the ‘2-bucket’ method plus a shitload of expensive microfibre mitts/towels. I’ve also noticed that even with low miles, I’ve got a disturbing rash of stone chips on the bonnet which are already showing rust.

Armrest – a particular bugbear of mine.

Seats – why does lumbar support have to be an extra? I get that BMW like to charge for pretty much everything that a lot of non-“premium” manufacturers offer as standard, but come on… and while I’m on the subject, charging extra for folding rear headrests, sliding armrests, EBT and so on is frankly just taking the piss. The other thing I really don’t like is the manual adjustment mechanism on the seats. It’s crap, and takes an age to get the driving position just right. Again, probably to encourage you to spec the electric versions, but annoying when they’re standard on the equivalent 4x models.

The Ugly

Climate Control – frankly this is needlessly complex class A shit. I have never owned a car with aircon that is so wilfully awkward to set correctly, and has a mind of its own. I’ve spent a lot of time combing this and other forums for inspiration and guidance on balancing the various settings available, but remain at a loss. In what world does an internal setting of 20C on a day with an outside temperature of 4C drive the system to pump freezing cold air through every vent after 20 minutes driving? It’s been back to the dealer twice, and on both occasions they can find nothing wrong. Quelle surprise. I’m tired of having to switch it off/on/adjust/play with little knurled wheels front & back frankly. Oh, and give us a left/right one-push synchronisation button ffs.

Handbrake – unacceptable. Can’t hold the car on anything but a gentle slope without hauling the damn thing on as hard as possible, to the extent that my wife can’t release it if she’s driving. Again, BMW can’t find anything wrong and seem to be saying “that’s just how it is sir”. Other BMW owners I’ve spoken to (a 3GT, a 4GC and a 2 coupe) all say the same thing, so maybe it’s another BMW “feature”?

Good review, my take;

Driving - Yup, handles well enough, having a 4 pot will help significantly with that too, the front end is noticeably heavier on a 6 pot.
Seats - As you've found, you need lumbar support, I bought mine as a long termer and specced it purely in case I had issues with my back later in life. Turns out it was one of the best decisions I made and I have it set fairly hard and low (as it were). Loads more comfy than a loaner without it.
HUD - Yup, cracking piece of kit

Manual 'box - Shit, utter shit, I hate the BMW manual boxes. I always end up with a sore left shoulder after getting out of a loaner. There's no need for it, Mazda can produce the MX5 (RWD 6spd) with a beautiful 'box.
Paintwork - I think that's a flaw of modern cars in general, they're all pretty soft since being water based. It is a balancing act though, soft and dent or hard and chip.

Armrest - Didn't spec sliding on my first, paid a fortune for it to be retro-fitted it, had one ever since.
Seats - I find them fine once you've got the basics right (height, angle and back rest). Then it's easy to move the seat back and forward for other people if necessary and easy to find where you were before.

Climate - I think yours has a well documented fault by the sounds of it. Get the car updated at a main dealer and that will resolve it. I barely touch my climate control, it just works, and it's a very clever piece of kit.

Handbrake - Never had a problem with mine, nor with any of the loaners I've had. I have found that you have to pull it up and then make sure it properly engages before trusting it, but once it has, you're good.

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by MashinBenzin

Cracking review and very honest.

On the value for money front - even though it added to the ticket price, I think the six pot petrol is what makes me see my car as fantastic value. ( wouldn't say the same if paying full list)

Handling is one thing I don't gel with on mine, wish the front end had more bite. But I suspect I'd be happier with it if I spent more time on a roads and less on 30mph trundles and roundabouts. I think the chassis only comes alive when you push some power through it.

Your six pot won't help the handling, stickier tyres at the front will, LSD at the rear just makes it

[B58_Touring]

Great write up and pretty accurate. I agree on the Dakota rhino hide, it is very plasticky in look and feel but it does wear well. My last car was used as a van for almost 6 months after moving house and the 'leather' cleaned up perfectly afterwards at almost 4 years old. Considered upgrading on my current car but with a new baby I thought better of it, car seats in and out all the time would likely mark and scratch it which would annoy me.

I did spec the extended leather dashboard and this really improves the dash area making it feel more suitable for a car at this price but it is a rather expensive option.

Climate control issue I've never had on either of my cars. I have mine set to 19 degrees on auto, fan speed 2 and thumb wheel set in the middle - I rarely have to touch it. If its a bit warm or cold I just adjust the thumb wheel to get warm or cold air blown at me. If its a bit more extreme I might have to adjust the temp a degree either way but it generally keeps me at a comfortable temperature most of the time. (AC is always on as well)

Also agree on the paint, I've been extra careful when cleaning trying to stick to the recommended methods and still I've ended up with lots of fine scratches in the top coat. Going to need a machine polish and ceramic coating sooner than I planned I think

[ByTheSea]

When I came to buying my 320i MSport I was stunned to see it was fitted with a charged option, sliding armrest, but not with another charged option, folding rear headrests. Both these options were fitted as standard on my 120i Sport, which is significantly cheaper. BMW pushing it to the limit on charged options.
So far the A/C on mine is perfect, set to Auto and left to itself. My first Auto box in many years and so much better than the BMW manual, which is merely OK. Paintwork on BMWs over the past 20 years is soft and prone to road-rash.
So far I'm finding the 320i MSport a delight, apart from some A-hole skimmed my rear bumper while parked and removed some paint.

[sensible]

Nice read...and some valid points.

I considered the 330i but went for the 320i in the end which has exactly the same engine but with less bhp.Considering that it is just an engine map that is different there was about a £3k price premium on the 330i, so maybe that's why you don't see many.

I too had an Alfa 156 back in the day and lover it.

[Blacktemplar]

Originally Posted by sensible

Nice read...and some valid points.

I considered the 330i but went for the 320i in the end which has exactly the same engine but with less bhp.Considering that it is just an engine map that is different there was about a £3k price premium on the 330i, so maybe that's why you don't see many.

I too had an Alfa 156 back in the day and lover it.

Lovely looking cars, but deeply, deeply flawed. I had one of the first GTA's with the glorious 3.2 V6 but the rest of it was made of spaghetti. Spent more time in the garage getting fixed than it did on the road, so sadly had to part with it after just 18 months.

[sensible]

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

Lovely looking cars, but deeply, deeply flawed. I had one of the first GTA's with the glorious 3.2 V6 but the rest of it was made of spaghetti. Spent more time in the garage getting fixed than it did on the road, so sadly had to part with it after just 18 months.

I had my 156 for 5 years and had very few problems with it. I was so impressed I went and bought a nearly new GT, which was terrible. It was in the garage for 25 days with various problems, mainly clutch problems.. I part chopped it after 10 months of ownership for a Honda as I just wanted something reliable.

[XAlp]

Originally Posted by sensible

Nice read...and some valid points.

I considered the 330i but went for the 320i in the end which has exactly the same engine but with less bhp.Considering that it is just an engine map that is different there was about a £3k price premium on the 330i, so maybe that's why you don't see many.

I too had an Alfa 156 back in the day and lover it.

Lucky so and so - mine similar but 1.8 so with smaller wheels...

Gorgeous tan interior.

Totally reliable, expect for gearbox disintegration.

Loved it

[1966-TR4]

Originally Posted by sensible

Nice read...and some valid points.

I considered the 330i but went for the 320i in the end which has exactly the same engine but with less bhp.Considering that it is just an engine map that is different there was about a £3k price premium on the 330i, so maybe that's why you don't see many.

I too had an Alfa 156 back in the day and lover it.

I thought 328i and 330i had different piston crowns to the 320i ? Which is what limits how far you can take the 320i with a remap.

[Jeff123]

Very good review.

I agree with the Eco Pro mode point. Its like walking through mud as opposed to tarmac, just hard work and dragging you back all the time. Why buy a 250bhp car that is highly economical anyway and use Eco Pro?

Crackers. I have used it a couple of times and it drives me mad.

[sensible]

Originally Posted by 1966-TR4

I thought 328i and 330i had different piston crowns to the 320i ? Which is what limits how far you can take the 320i with a remap.

The N20 328i had different parts to the 320i....you are right there, but the new B48 330i engine is exactly the same as the 320i. No different parts at all, just the map.

Lots of manufacturers seem to do it now, some offer the same engine with three different power outputs (bhp).

[jenshb]

Originally Posted by Jeff123

Very good review.

I agree with the Eco Pro mode point. Its like walking through mud as opposed to tarmac, just hard work and dragging you back all the time. Why buy a 250bhp car that is highly economical anyway and use Eco Pro?

Crackers. I have used it a couple of times and it drives me mad.

Yes, Eco Pro mode is very sluggish when you drive the car yourself, but if you're going long distance with traffic that flows at 70 mph or thereabouts and you engage the cruise control, then it works. Having said that, the difference between engaging EcoPro and sticking to Comfort mode for long distances with the cruise control is fairly small though.

[pdk42]

Very nice write up. I agree with pretty well all of it.

My climate control has exactly the same problem. I've not bothered talking to the dealers about it since it's just the sort of issue where I know they'll write down what I say on the job sheet but then do absolutely nothing about it; giving me the usual flannel later " no fault found ".

I gave up on the sat nav early on when I realised it's just crap compared to Waze, or just about any other Nav system on my phone. Junk.

My biggest personal complaint (top of my " Ugly " section) is the sound proofing. Tyre roar is just way too intrusive for a car of this class/price. However I've just today fitted new tyres - Michelin PS4S (non rft) - and they do seem quite a bit quieter though so I'm pleased about that.

However, I just love the N55 6-cyl petrol engine (UI have the 335i), which makes up for most of the car's other faults.

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by pdk42

My climate control has exactly the same problem. I've not bothered talking to the dealers about it since it's just the sort of issue where I know they'll write down what I say on the job sheet but then do absolutely nothing about it; giving me the usual flannel later " no fault found ".

It's a well documented fault on these forums and solvable via a software update, well worth pursuing if you can.

[pdk42]

Originally Posted by Daftasabrush

It's a well documented fault on these forums and solvable via a software update, well worth pursuing if you can.

Ah OK, thanks - I'll go searching and see what I can find.

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Seems quite balanced. I think a 6 pot would make it feel more special when the interior look and feel doesn't, and an auto would sort the gearbox and handbrake issues.

There is an issue for sure with your climate control... neither of our F3x cars do anything like you describe.. I find the system to be super simple and you just set and forget, perhaps just adjusting the face vent mix depending on the amount of direct sunlight.

The idrive system is wonderful, but agree that sat nav routing can be an issue, especially in cities, so I do use Waze in those environments. Not sure if any other built in car systems are much better though?

I think the auto gearbox is so good these days that it makes the manual redundant in the 3-er... I you want your fix of heel/toe, then there are more agile cars than the 3 to delight... I've never considered my 3 a sports car, but, instead, a competent saloon to get me about and the auto box is ideal...

RTTI is an interesting one as the point you make is valid. VW still use TMC and that is woefully inadequate at sorting the sorts of flash events that hold you up regularly (as I was recently reminded when the RTTI system went down)... RTTI is certainly better than TMC... On the whole, I got used to mine...

It does seem to be regularly the case, though, that other systems (like tomtom) can be more reactive than RTTI... I guess, moving forward, logic should dictate that everybody should move towards a common standard shared system... especially if we are (without doubt) moving more towards autonomous capability (is that a dirty phrase around here)...

Ps - climate control - never had such a problem with mine (as OP describes) which is pretty much set up once then only tweaked for weather...

[jenshb]

I'd like to offer a small prais for the RTTI though. My commute to work is about 12 miles and takes around 20 minutes. I usually do check out the route on google maps in the morning before I head off as I find that more accurate than the RTTI, and it showed my usual route was clear. Around halfway through, I cast a glance on the screen to find the road was closed between the junction I would be turning off and the junction before, and luckily I was coming up to a junction where I could turn off and choose a different route for the rest of the journey. Traffic seemed to be flowing with no hiccups, but I didn't know what was behind the corner and further up, so decided to trust the RTTI. Turned out there had just been an accident, and some of my colleagues were stuck for about half an hour as traffic was down to a single lane. Yes, it doesn't always choose the best route, but at least if there is a problem it will flag it.

[hudson012003]

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

Lovely looking cars, but deeply, deeply flawed. I had one of the first GTA's with the glorious 3.2 V6 but the rest of it was made of spaghetti. Spent more time in the garage getting fixed than it did on the road, so sadly had to part with it after just 18 months.

They were great looking cars - the 156 was my very first new car in 2000 (company I worked for stopped offering cars so instead allowance to buy our own). Spent more time in Mangoletsi's than me driving it I would be coming off the M-way near home & then she would just cut-out Difficult to hand back in those days but managed to sell it on within six months thanks God..

[ByTheSea]

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

...Climate Control – frankly this is needlessly complex class A shit. I have never owned a car with aircon that is so wilfully awkward to set correctly, and has a mind of its own. I’ve spent a lot of time combing this and other forums for inspiration and guidance on balancing the various settings available, but remain at a loss. In what world does an internal setting of 20C on a day with an outside temperature of 4C drive the system to pump freezing cold air through every vent after 20 minutes driving? It’s been back to the dealer twice, and on both occasions they can find nothing wrong. Quelle surprise. I’m tired of having to switch it off/on/adjust/play with little knurled wheels front & back frankly. Oh, and give us a left/right one-push synchronisation button ffs...

My son lives in Germany, runs a 320GT. Here's what he said...

The car was in for a service and m.o.t. last week and I’d noticed that the airconditioning wasn’t working properly on the way back from Scotland, so I asked them to check it over. Turns out that the cooling grill at the front of the engine wasn’t airtight due to either corrosion or stone impacts. Anyway luckily BMW paid to replace it as part of the warranty. Otherwise it would’ve cost 500€ to replace it. I asked to see the photos of the damaged component they’d sent to BMW and it just looked corroded to me. On mentioning that to the service technician he admitted that they change a lot of them.

[philmo]

Just a bit later in time I thought I would add my entry.

I have just purchased a 2017 F31 330i touring, moving away from my 520D (7 years from new).

I fancied a change to petrol - as my driving was become more town than motorway and I wanted a little more fun.

I am not a true petrol head but did some research on this model, seeing various comments about it not being a6 cylinder and I should consider the 340i but as the O/P also advised in terms of cost and economy its not right for me.

First impressions after collecting the car were great as it was in great condition with only 20k miles. I am glad the dealer was 2 hours away as I had some time to play a little on the way home.

The first obvious thing I noticed was the refinement and noise from the engine, and using the 8 speed auto it was so quick getting off the mark.

On the motorway I did notice the torque difference to the Diesel, but expected that.

I only do around 11k miles a year and am prepared for the extra fuel cost for the smile it brings to my face once and a while.

One thing that was maybe disproportionately important to me was the sound system, and it was important to find a car with the Harman Kardon upgrade - I am so glad that I did it sounds wonderful and is such a worthwhile upgrade. It also has the updated prof media, and I am liking i-drive 5 and Apple Carplay (glad to see the end of connecting my phone with a lead for music).

I have 18" 416 alloys, and the ride is relatively smooth - but more bumpy than my 520D SE. But I can cope with that.

I was also quite surprised by the amount of internal space compared to my 5 series - that is it was quite comparable. I had a 320d if France for a few weeks a couple of years ago it it comfortably contained my tall wife and teenage daughter.

I am now planning my way forward in terms of service plans as my previous card was a lease with all service included. So I have the old dilemma of whether to continue with dealer service or an independent, and am considering buying a service plan. Also I can see several posts here and there about changing oil and filters every 10k miles, the dealer was quite clear I should follow the cards guidance. So I have to get my head around all of this.

I would say I had a hire 220i for a few days which was good fun, but I noticed quite a difference with the extra 50HP.

Now I know its very early days but I thought I would just get this out there.

Photos are pre cleaning.

[GOF_430d]

Great review and I know what you mean about the climate control system which doesn't control. I had the same issue in my previous E92 as I do in the F33.

Eco Pro is purely for motorway travel where it results in near 50mpg which is handy as the vert has a smaller fuel tank compared to the saloon.

[goodbyalfa]

Holy thread resurrection batman...