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      08-24-2012, 09:27 AM   #1
andymj
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Equipment or engine ?

Been contemplating equipment levels vs engine, and trying to work out if I prefer a bigger / more refined / more powerful engine, or do I want the equipment with all the bells and whistles that makes the driving experience that much better ? Or do I try and get a balance ?

For me .... engine is first. Then equipment comes next, trying to work out what I can get for my budget.

Would I accept a lower performing engine so that I could get that extra cool gadget in the car ? Probably not.

Do you choose engine, equipment or do you try to find a balance ?
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      08-24-2012, 09:39 AM   #2
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I considered that very case with the 320D M and the 330D M. Turns out that you get so much more extra equipment as standard on the 330D that speccing up a 320D to the same level makes no sense and you end up getting the same car for the same price but with a smaller engine At least that was the case with lease deals when I was looking
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      08-27-2012, 08:32 AM   #3
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Engine always.

Worst offenders are the 318d / 320d Msport cars with 19 inch rims. Automotive equivalent of a padded bra!!

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      08-27-2012, 08:35 AM   #4
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Engine then extras, I ordered every extra with the Touring 330D M Sport accept TV which I would never use.
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      08-27-2012, 09:27 AM   #5
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I must be getting old but for me the extra engine power isn't as big a deal for me as it used to be.

I drive across the old Severn bridge to get to and from work and once the toll barrier goes up it is the best place to plant your foot through the floor and fly.

The last car (well current car for the next 5 days) had the power but more and more I would find myself stuck in the traffic on the M4 not using the power.

Priorities have changed for me since getting that car so this time I went for equipment over power. I can live with the extra couple of seconds it takes to get to 60 whilst still having enough grunt to get me passed slower cars when I need to. The 320d still has enough power for what I need but now has a few more luxuries for me to enjoy on the journey.

I'm more than happy with my padded bra what's underneath still has enough tricks to show me a good time
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      08-27-2012, 11:30 AM   #6
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Ditto, used to have a Z4MC and thought engines were everything until tax+fuel+servicing combined with the congested roads made me think otherwise. My choice was somewhat easy as I wanted xdrive and only one engine choice. 320d has as much torque as the old M3 S54 engine, depending on your miles and if you are buying new then petrol might be a good choice.
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      08-27-2012, 12:53 PM   #7
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These days with increased fuel and other tax costs on bigger motors I don't see the benefit in going for a faster engine. Just makes me personally more likely to drive like an idiot and end up either banned or on a hospital bed! No self-control!

So I'll stick with a weeer engine and take more toys, please.
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      08-27-2012, 01:10 PM   #8
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We might as well amuse ourselves in traffic jams, watching the HUD reading '0 mph', hearing the Radio 5 live traffic news in crystal clear DAB using all the 600w of the HK sound and using surround view to see how close we are to kerbing those alloys whilst mounting the kerb to let the ambulance through. Sadly, toys for me too :-)
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      08-27-2012, 01:28 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rb79 View Post
We might as well amuse ourselves in traffic jams, watching the HUD reading '0 mph', hearing the Radio 5 live traffic news in crystal clear DAB using all the 600w of the HK sound and using surround view to see how close we are to kerbing those alloys whilst mounting the kerb to let the ambulance through. Sadly, toys for me too :-)
I wonder if you can use the reversing camera to see if the person in the car behind you is singing badly to the same song on the radio?

I'd rather listen to the DAB through the HK system whilst waiting for the ASS to restart a powerful engine to move me a car length further in the traffic jam that is all to common on my daily commute.
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      08-27-2012, 01:35 PM   #10
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It's really down to personal reference and need.

For me, driving fun and being able to get past cars in a flash means engine.

The refinement of the 330d wins over the 320d every time as well. The 330d engine sounds pretty darn good when driving hard with its 6cyl growl. The 20d is just a drone and actively discourages being reved.

The 20d is probably the most awesome allrounder on paper, and best driven in a relaxed style..hence it is fab as our family car...but not quite for my daily car

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaestroAl View Post
I considered that very case with the 320D M and the 330D M. Turns out that you get so much more extra equipment as standard on the 330D that speccing up a 320D to the same level makes no sense and you end up getting the same car for the same price but with a smaller engine At least that was the case with lease deals when I was looking
I reckon that was the 'once in a lifetime' lease we got mate?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick the Greek View Post
Engine always.

Worst offenders are the 318d / 320d Msport cars with 19 inch rims. Automotive equivalent of a padded bra!!

Lol

19" rims are quite ironic....look flipping amazing but actually affect the handling. But then so do 18's to a degree, maybe should have gone for the free 17"s

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnbmw6 View Post
Engine then extras, I ordered every extra with the Touring 330D M Sport accept TV which I would never use.
So you have ticked the engine and all the extras!
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      08-27-2012, 02:09 PM   #11
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Balance for me. When buying I basically chose between a 320d SE with (more or less) no options, or a 318d Sport with 18" wheels. Whilst my instincts would normally say get the better engine, the 318d is actually quick enough most of the time, and the sport spec and looks (with the lovely 18" wheels) was enough to convince me to get the 'lesser' model.

I'm with rjberry on the Severn bridge thing. I used to drive it a lot and it was a great test of a car - doing it in my boss's old superchipped Z3 2.8 was great fun - but these days you often only get a few hundred metres before hitting traffic again.

Just as appealing these days is doing a 100mile cross-country run in the 318d, still enjoying it immensely despite the comparative lack of power, and seeing my journey economy figure gradually climbing to nearly 60mpg!
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      08-28-2012, 12:24 AM   #12
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I'm considering a downsize from the 330d msport with pro nav and a few good options to a new f30 320d SE, sport/ msport. Have to admit having the power is great but if I actually were to analyse just how often I use it in my daily commute/ trips to shops and days out it doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense.

The better economy, newer car, lower running costs, higher spec car wins for me I think, I do love my gadgets but make SURE that they do what you think they do before sacrificing engine size for them. E.g. Is the heads up display helpful or plain annoying? Do you really need pro nav for full iPhone integration ? (read somewhere iOS 6 will match data natively over BT), is the 360' camera useful and how quick does the reverse camera take to activate? Will it annoy rather than assist? See what I mean, I held out for pro nav for online portal and what I thought was iPhone integration. I got clunky software, no music without that snap in adapter (to operate you need an iPhone with no cover) and although it LOOKS good the reality of the experience detracts. Then I open her up and forget the gadgets......

In an ideal world I'd have the lot, five years ago I'd say bigger engine, I'd now be happier to drop a bra size and take the padded option, but only really if the toys work properly, you often don't get much of a chance to see them or play before you commit.... Xdrive anyone?
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      08-28-2012, 01:32 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by no golf clubs View Post
I'm considering a downsize from the 330d msport with pro nav and a few good options to a new f30 320d SE, sport/ msport. Have to admit having the power is great but if I actually were to analyse just how often I use it in my daily commute/ trips to shops and days out it doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense.

The better economy, newer car, lower running costs, higher spec car wins for me I think, I do love my gadgets but make SURE that they do what you think they do before sacrificing engine size for them. E.g. Is the heads up display helpful or plain annoying? Do you really need pro nav for full iPhone integration ? (read somewhere iOS 6 will match data natively over BT), is the 360' camera useful and how quick does the reverse camera take to activate? Will it annoy rather than assist? See what I mean, I held out for pro nav for online portal and what I thought was iPhone integration. I got clunky software, no music without that snap in adapter (to operate you need an iPhone with no cover) and although it LOOKS good the reality of the experience detracts. Then I open her up and forget the gadgets......

In an ideal world I'd have the lot, five years ago I'd say bigger engine, I'd now be happier to drop a bra size and take the padded option, but only really if the toys work properly, you often don't get much of a chance to see them or play before you commit.... Xdrive anyone?
I think the analysis of power usage was what made my mind up for me. The cheaper tax, insurance, fuel costs etc are a nice bonus but when you're used to paying them they don't really have much sway.

There are a lot of new gadgets on the F30 which is perhaps a bit dangerous when confronted with the option list. I know what you mean about making sure about the gadgets. I added lots of them with only the small text in the brochure for guidance. The HUD is the only one I properly saw in action. I'm 99% sure they all serve the purpose I expect although it may take a lot of playing about with them to make them work I'll go through my option list and see if I can provide my own insights when I've had a bit of time to play with everything

If the 320d had an X-drive option you can bet I'd have ordered one of those.
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      08-28-2012, 02:53 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by no golf clubs View Post
I'm considering a downsize from the 330d msport with pro nav and a few good options to a new f30 320d SE, sport/ msport. Have to admit having the power is great but if I actually were to analyse just how often I use it in my daily commute/ trips to shops and days out it doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense.

The better economy, newer car, lower running costs, higher spec car wins for me I think, I do love my gadgets but make SURE that they do what you think they do before sacrificing engine size for them. E.g. Is the heads up display helpful or plain annoying? Do you really need pro nav for full iPhone integration ? (read somewhere iOS 6 will match data natively over BT), is the 360' camera useful and how quick does the reverse camera take to activate? Will it annoy rather than assist? See what I mean, I held out for pro nav for online portal and what I thought was iPhone integration. I got clunky software, no music without that snap in adapter (to operate you need an iPhone with no cover) and although it LOOKS good the reality of the experience detracts. Then I open her up and forget the gadgets......

In an ideal world I'd have the lot, five years ago I'd say bigger engine, I'd now be happier to drop a bra size and take the padded option, but only really if the toys work properly, you often don't get much of a chance to see them or play before you commit.... Xdrive anyone?
Some good points....I was in a mates new 5er the other day with the surround camera. IMO it actually hindered parking, compared to the standard front/rear sensor view.

But guess the win/win here is which ever engine and option list you choose you have a epic car to suit your needs
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      08-28-2012, 05:49 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TMP View Post
I reckon that was the 'once in a lifetime' lease we got mate?
It looks that way. I think Leaseplan did a deal with BMW for pre-order 330D M Sports cause the price was just silly compared to every other car out there
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      08-29-2012, 04:51 AM   #16
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I'm afraid it is power every time for me, not to go screaming around everywhere but to know I can go quickly when I need to. It is probably an age thing but I'm staggered how many posts there are about USBs and other gadgets - how can these people enjoy driving with their face stuck to the display, the iDrive knob gets more action than the gear lever!

I won't order SatNav on principle - I like to know where I am, and as someone else posted on this forum Google Maps on an iPhone is nearly as good if you get stuck.

My one concession to technology is a DAB radio, so I can listen to my beloved Radio 6, plus a good sound system.
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      08-29-2012, 02:31 PM   #17
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^^^^ agreed but it does look nice in the dash though :-) bloody expensive ornament and you are right 99% of my journeys are places I know only use it twice a year to locate holiday homes.
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