[asif03]

Originally Posted by TouringPleb

I love that your other half has gone from a TT to a 3 GT! Two very different types of car. Sounds like me, one minute I'm looking at Audi S1s then the next I'm thinking of 5 Tourings!

Haha wow! I think your choices were a lot more different! How you finding the touring?

And is it your first BMW? Only asking as the F32 will (hopefully) be my first and I've not driven a BMW as yet so I'm intrigued as to how they drive. Mostly after hearing certain things about them in rain/snow however I'm guessing winter tyres will definitely sort that. I do plan on getting some winter tyres as I'm not too keen on the Xdrive with the slightly higher ride hight. Although I do know ACS springs can solve that. Arrrrrgh so many choices to make!

[asif03]

Originally Posted by Danny Fireblade

There were a few, squeaky seat, rattling trim, seat back coming off and exposing the air bag, seat air bag failing, trim falling off, pretty much a friday car unfortunately.
The dealership refused my rejection under the SoGA but the finance company have got involved and the dealer have admitted the car has been faulty since delivery, so that means I have a case for rejection.

Just have to wait for the finance company to sort out the finances (no pun intended) then I can place an order

Ooooh, that doesn't sound good at all Definitely hope you get that sorted mate.

May as well give a quick update to the thread now. Received an email from Adam at Sytner Sutton Coldfield saying he's got the 428i sorted for Saturday and I'll be able to have an extended test drive (24 hours possibly?) so I'm very excited for the weekend to get here now, as you can imagine

Regards, Asif.

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by asif03

Haha wow! I think your choices were a lot more different! How you finding the touring?

And is it your first BMW? Only asking as the F32 will (hopefully) be my first and I've not driven a BMW as yet so I'm intrigued as to how they drive. Mostly after hearing certain things about them in rain/snow however I'm guessing winter tyres will definitely sort that. I do plan on getting some winter tyres as I'm not too keen on the Xdrive with the slightly higher ride hight. Although I do know ACS springs can solve that. Arrrrrgh so many choices to make!

Get plenty test drives in, try different engines back to back if you can.

Try Xdrive and non Xdrive.

Adaptive and non adaptive.

Just make them give you test drives.

[asif03]

Originally Posted by Brigand

Get plenty test drives in, try different engines back to back if you can.

Try Xdrive and non Xdrive.

Adaptive and non adaptive.

Just make them give you test drives.

Thinking about it, it'd be silly not to do this. I just assumed I'd like RWD better but that's probably not the best assumption to make. Is it possible to get away with leaving Summer tyres on an Xdrive and not getting stuck on quieter roads when it snows? It's literally just my road that worries me a little. I know the main roads aren't usually too bad but cars do sometimes struggle on the road I live on so I'd rather not risk it.

Regarding Adaptive Suspension, I did initially want to spec it however Adam did say it probably isn't needed as the F32 has a softer ride than the previous E92 which was known for its slightly harsher ride. Again, thinking about it after you've mentioned it it'd be stupid not to try both.

Most definitely appreciate your help Brigand.

[TouringPleb]

Originally Posted by asif03

Haha wow! I think your choices were a lot more different! How you finding the touring?

And is it your first BMW? Only asking as the F32 will (hopefully) be my first and I've not driven a BMW as yet so I'm intrigued as to how they drive. Mostly after hearing certain things about them in rain/snow however I'm guessing winter tyres will definitely sort that. I do plan on getting some winter tyres as I'm not too keen on the Xdrive with the slightly higher ride hight. Although I do know ACS springs can solve that. Arrrrrgh so many choices to make!

I absolutely love my Touring. I came from a Volvo V50 T5 before and the handling and how the car drives is immeasurably better! The only thing I miss from the Volvo is the engine. I've got the 320d and like you only do 8-10k miles a year. I really wish I'd gone for petrol but didn't know about all the deals available until I came on here.

On the plus side the auto gearbox is brilliant, so smooth. I've got the paddles but never use them. The Harmon Kardon stereo is good and the boot is big enough for 4 of us to go to Le Mans although we did have beer in the middle of the rear seat! I've got the M Sport Plus pack and the big alloys, xenons and tinted windows really show the car off. I've never had a car so many people at work have come up to me and said so many positive things.

I wouldn't get too hung on rear wheel drive in winter. I'm not sure where you are but here in Cambridgeshire we don't get too much snow (last winter none at all!) and I had no problems with regular tyres.

As others have said, get out there and test drive as many different body styles and engines as you can.

[asif03]

Originally Posted by TouringPleb

I absolutely love my Touring. I came from a Volvo V50 T5 before and the handling and how the car drives is immeasurably better! The only thing I miss from the Volvo is the engine. I've got the 320d and like you only do 8-10k miles a year. I really wish I'd gone for petrol but didn't know about all the deals available until I came on here.

On the plus side the auto gearbox is brilliant, so smooth. I've got the paddles but never use them. The Harmon Kardon stereo is good and the boot is big enough for 4 of us to go to Le Mans although we did have beer in the middle of the rear seat! I've got the M Sport Plus pack and the big alloys, xenons and tinted windows really show the car off. I've never had a car so many people at work have come up to me and said so many positive things.

I wouldn't get too hung on rear wheel drive in winter. I'm not sure where you are but here in Cambridgeshire we don't get too much snow (last winter none at all!) and I had no problems with regular tyres.

As others have said, get out there and test drive as many different body styles and engines as you can.

I was about 85% certain that the diesel would just feel better for myself a few days back however I seem to be leaning slightly more towards the petrol and letting that love for torque go a little.

I'll most definitely be getting a test drive in a few different vehicles as I definitely would like to see how the Adaptive M Sport Suspension affects the ride quality, and possibly Xdrive too. I'm in Birmingham so like yourself snow isn't always around but as I live on a slightly quieter road when it does come down it tends to stick which can be a pain. It may just be possible to risk it without winter tyres then. I guess it all comes down to the test drives this weekend. I'll definitely give an update here as to how I feel after driving the diesel and petrol versions.

[asif03]

Hi guys,

This post may turn out to be a long one. I'll try not to bore you.

Well this weekend was eventful Okay, I've not purchased anything yet but I'm still a very happy chappy. Had the 428i since yesterday morning, just returned it midday today. That car is simply amazing. Well for me, having being stuck with a 1.4l petrol Megane for 5 years now, the 428i is heavenly! Haha. It was a Mineral Grey model with the M Sport Plus package. It also had a sunroof, the Extended Storage pack, Adaptive Headlights, and possibly one or two other little things which I can't quite remember. Not the same spec I'd go for but it was more to help me decide on which engine I'd go for.

I found the auto box perfect. Shifts were near enough instant using the paddles, and it was otherwise just a very good drive. The engine was really nice also. I felt it to have more than enough power for myself for the time being, and the ride was definitely like nothing I've been in on the road before. It didn't have Adaptive M Sport Suspension which was something I originally thought I'd want after seeing quite a few people mention it here on the forums, however I really didn't feel like the ride was bad at all. It was more than comfortable enough even on some rather rough roads, so that is an option I personally can do without. I'm definitely glad I drove a car without the adaptive suspension as it was something I personally thought I'd need after driving a very soft Megane for so long, which I've been told numerous times that it's a rather comfortable car to be in.

Exterior looks are of course going to be different for everybody so there's not too much to say about other than I really do love the 4 Series shape (if you hadn't known already ). One thing that did surprise me was how many looks it got! I noticed a lot of people looking and actually we went over to Land Rover to have a look at the Evoque (for the lady, which she ended up hating the interior of) and there was a young man who was leaving the showroom with his parents and he was staring for a good few minutes

The interior is a very nice place to be. I love how low the car feels and it does feel like a wide car too which I quite like. The seats were not overly comfortable but they weren't too hard either. I think they were more than adequate for the type of car the 4 Series is. The HK sound system was beautiful, and unfortunately I didn't get a lot of time to turn it up as I've not been too well and had a bit of a headache lingering all day yesterday. But I'm definitely happy with the sound system as I'm quite particular on sound quality.

My only issue with the 428i is the fuel consumption. I had reset the trip computer just after leaving the dealership and when handing it back today it averaged just 26mpg! It was a new car with only 300 odd miles on the clock and I understand they get better after a few thousand miles however I don't think I'd be seeing anything better than 35mpg. And I'm not a heavy footed driver at all. I did have the car in Eco-Pro a few times and the majority of the time it was in comfort. Of course I did have a little play with sport mode but I'd say about 90% of the time was Comfort mode. So that's got me leaning more towards the 430d a little, however Adam (salesman) did say not to make up my mind without having test driven both vehicles as I may dislike the diesel compared with the petrol in that style of car.

I was initially supposed to go for a test drive in the 430d yesterday afternoon however Adam was out all week and he was unable to arrange a 430d or the 320d GT which the lady is after. He's back in all week now and so he's trying to get both those vehicles booked in for us for next Saturday and hopefully we'll be taking it from there.

Overall I'm very happy with the car and I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a half decent price on it also, whether that be from Sytner Sutton Coldfield or Riaz. It's just down to whether I'm happy enough with the diesel or whether I have to stick to the petrol and just take the slightly lower mpg that it returns.

I don't think there'll be anything new happening during the week so I shall update you guys after Saturday next weekend. Of course, feel free to leave any comments/advise after having read this rather long post haha. Oh, and I took a picture of it which I've attached to this post. Hopefully I've attached it the correct way and it shows up. I did quite like the Mineral Grey to be honest. Alpine White just edges it for me I think though. We shall see.

Regards, Asif.

[RobUK]

My 328i (MY 2012) is returning 45mpg doing Brighton/Heathrow on the (A)M23/M25. When I mix in some country lanes and a small amount of town driving, that drops to about 40mpg. Lowest I've had is 36mpg when I had to do a lot of short trips & town work for a couple of tankfuls, so I reckon you must have room for improvement.

[asif03]

Originally Posted by RobUK

My 328i (MY 2012) is returning 45mpg doing Brighton/Heathrow on the (A)M23/M25. When I mix in some country lanes and a small amount of town driving, that drops to about 40mpg. Lowest I've had is 36mpg when I had to do a lot of short trips & town work for a couple of tankfuls, so I reckon you must have room for improvement.

Hi Rob,

Wow, that's quite a big difference from what I was getting! Your figures look very nice and if after a few thousand miles once the engine is "run in" (or however you want to put it) that engine can give me similar figures I'd be more than happy. That is close to what I'm getting in my Megane (between 35 and 47mpg depending upon routes being driven) so I'd definitely be happy with that. Thank you for your help Rob.

If anybody else has a 28i engine I'd love to hear what kind of mpg figures you're getting with some info on what your routes are like. In fact I will search this now haha. An average of 35mpg upwards would be what I'm looking for, and I know 26mpg may not be a huge amount away from 35mpg for some but I could just see the needle moving as the day went on yesterday and I have to say it was hurting me a little, even though it weren't my fuel in the car

Regards, Asif.

[k44ENT]

My 328i F31 is averaging around 30 mpg. I do mainly 10 miles each way to work runs. On longer runs I do drive it briskly but have had nearly 40 mpg on a long run where I took it steady. I'd say high 20's to low 30's is as good as it gets if you use the performance. If you drive steady it will do a lot more but what's the point!

[Richtw]

Low 30's here too! I can get better if I try, it is such a fun engine though I can't help it!

[asif03]

Hi guys,

Well I'm hoping to be going in for a test drive this Saturday in a 430d and if it lives up to my expectations I'll be looking to get a price off them and doing a deal on the day (also awaiting a price from Riaz this week) if the price is right of course. I was wondering what kind of discounts I can expect on a 430d with a few options such as M Sport Plus pack and a couple of other little ones? It will be a PCP deal that I'm after. The car specced up comes to around £43,000. If you could give me any examples of discounts you've got on a 4 Series or maybe what I could expect to achieve that'd be great.

Regards, Asif.

[Thehoss]

Originally Posted by k44ENT

asif03, if you do go down the BMW route and purchase from Sytner on finance please please double check the figures before signing. I learnt the hard way.

What is the story behind this then?!

[k44ENT]

Originally Posted by Thehoss

What is the story behind this then?!

All explained here....

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...tner+leicester

[dangerous_al]

Hi Asif, I have the new 330i but pretty much the same as the 328i. Did your test car have a black panel display? Reason I ask is the economy meter is much better if it did. My 330i is averaging 37mpg, couple of tanks which were mainly short runs (16 miles or less) were 33mpg, and on longer runs on the motorway it's easy to get well over 40. On motorways I set cruise at 75mph and stick it in eco pro and it will do well over 45mpg like this. Around town, if you want better mpg you need to watch how you drive it. I know you don't want to be staring at the economy meter, but you can use it to work out how to drive more economically. Very small changes can make a big difference, I would be surprised if you can't average well over 30mpg unless you have a heavy right foot.

[asif03]

Originally Posted by dangerous_al

Hi Asif, I have the new 330i but pretty much the same as the 328i. Did your test car have a black panel display? Reason I ask is the economy meter is much better if it did. My 330i is averaging 37mpg, couple of tanks which were mainly short runs (16 miles or less) were 33mpg, and on longer runs on the motorway it's easy to get well over 40. On motorways I set cruise at 75mph and stick it in eco pro and it will do well over 45mpg like this. Around town, if you want better mpg you need to watch how you drive it. I know you don't want to be staring at the economy meter, but you can use it to work out how to drive more economically. Very small changes can make a big difference, I would be surprised if you can't average well over 30mpg unless you have a heavy right foot.

Hi Al,

Appreciate your reply. Those figures are more like what I was hoping to achieve to be honest and they sound very appealing if possible! Did you see lower mpg figures when you first got the car, or was it pretty consistent up until now? The reason I ask is because I it may just be an issue where I didn't think I have a heavy right foot but maybe I do? :/ Haha.

[dangerous_al]

That is the average since I got it new so from zero miles, all fuel ups included, If you click on the Fuelly link in m signature it should show you the mpg for each fuel up

[asif03]

Originally Posted by dangerous_al

That is the average since I got it new so from zero miles, all fuel ups included, If you click on the Fuelly link in m signature it should show you the mpg for each fuel up

Oh right I see. You were averaging around 27mpg towards the beginning by the looks of things so I'm guessing I could expect to see around 35 on average once I've had it for a while.

I should be test driving a 430d tomorrow so I'll have to see how I feel with that engine. I definitely liked the way the 428i drove. If the 430d pleases me as much I guess I'll just go with that, however if I'm not a fan of the way that engine delivers power it may just be a 428i that I go for.

Definitely appreciate your help Al.

[dangerous_al]

Originally Posted by asif03

Oh right I see. You were averaging around 27mpg towards the beginning by the looks of things so I'm guessing I could expect to see around 35 on average once I've had it for a while.

I should be test driving a 430d tomorrow so I'll have to see how I feel with that engine. I definitely liked the way the 428i drove. If the 430d pleases me as much I guess I'll just go with that, however if I'm not a fan of the way that engine delivers power it may just be a 428i that I go for.

Definitely appreciate your help Al.

Not sure where you are getting that from, it's never gone below 33mpg. The table at the bottom shows you the MPG on each tank which is

2. 33.40
3. 39.81
4. 38.31
5. 33.61
6. 41.12
7. 40.57

Total 2332 miles average 37.4mpg

27.7mpg is my motorbike which is a Kawasaki ZX10R

[asif03]

Originally Posted by dangerous_al

Not sure where you are getting that from, it's never gone below 33mpg. The table at the bottom shows you the MPG on each tank which is

2. 33.40
3. 39.81
4. 38.31
5. 33.61
6. 41.12
7. 40.57

Total 2332 miles average 37.4mpg

27.7mpg is my motorbike which is a Kawasaki ZX10R

Okay that was showing US Gallons. I logged into Fuelly and it then showed the values you've mentioned which are definitely better!

My daily commute is approximately 15 miles each way and in the mornings it's pretty steady at between 30mph and 50mph with the odd stop at traffic lights. In the evening when I leave is when it's a bit of a pain. Quite a bit of traffic on 4 out of 5 days so I guess it'd drop to low 30's then.

To be honest I've not written the 428i out at this point. Although the higher mpg of the 30d appeals I have a slight feeling that there may be a difference in 'feel' of the car as of course the engine is slightly heavier in the diesel. I'm unsure at the moment. It'll all depend on how I feel once I've driven the 430d which will hopefully be tomorrow. I really am dying to see the difference and whether I personally will feel anything or whether the sheer power compared to my puny 1.4L Megane will simply put a smile on my face no matter what fuel the car takes.

[dangerous_al]

Tank 5 (33.61mpg) was almost all consumed on a commute cycle of 14 miles each way, some country lanes, bit of motorway and lot of stop/start traffic in city. With your commute I would think you can easily achieve 30mpg and maybe 40mpg with the 330d. Work out your annual mileage and calculate the difference in fuel costs to see if it is worth going to the diesel. All I would say is I love the 330i and it does everything I want from a car. Not keen on diesels so I never considered one

[asif03]

Update for you guys. Unfortunately the salesman was unable to get a 430d in for me which was quite sad however they did have a 435d in the Luxury spec at the showroom so I had a go in that. I know it's not the same as a 430d at all as it features xdrive with the softer suspension as well as more power however I just wanted to get a rough feel for the 3L diesel engine so I didn't decline. I was definitely happy with it. Initially I did think it was a bit noisy however I think that was me expecting too much. I'd heard so much about the 6 cylinder engine without having heard/driven one I think I just expected everything all in one engine. After driving it for a while I definitely got used to it. It felt a lot more comfortable at 60mph+ and I suppose that's what diesel engines are more suited to; munching up the miles on a motorway.

I think comparing it to the 428i I had last week the 6 cylinder diesel did feel a little heavier however personally it didn't ruin the fun for me. I'd never be chucking the car around corners anyway so the slight difference was okay. Of course there was the loss of M Sport suspension also which may have made it feel a little more on the heavy side. I definitely felt that 'roly poly-ness' of the ride when comparing it to the one with M Sport suspension and I personally can completely agree with what people say about xdrive not being as nice of a ride.

So after handing the car back I was definitely ready to get some figures on mine. A 430d with M Sport Plus pack, Interior Comfort pack (I definitely felt like I need the sliding armrest as well as liking the compartments/extras that come as part of the extended storage option), heated steering wheel (may drop this option), and Folding exterior mirrors. The plan was to go for a 36 month deal with £3,000 deposit, 10k miles pa for around the £400 a month mark (expecting too much? ). First quote given was around £560 a month which I right away said was too much. After a bit of a chat he managed to get it down to the below figures however these are on a 47 month deal:

OTR price: £43,510
Deposit: £3,000 plus £1,000 dealer deposit? So £4,000 total.
Discount: £5,285
Interest: 4.9% APR
GFV: £16,769
Monthly: £476 x 47

Now this was a little more than my £400 expected figure so I wasn't completely happy. And although I'm not too sure whether I'll be able to hit £400 a month I do think it'll be possible to get it closer to £400 compared to what it currently is.

I have sent Riaz an email with my final spec however I haven't yet had a reply back. This was a few days back in fact so I may send him another email just in case it got buried within the hundreds of other emails he most likely gets. Unless one of you great guys on here (NTG? Teaston?) can contact him for me letting him know I emailed?

Regards, Asif.