I'm currently considering swapping my trusty old diesel for a petrol.
I do less than 10k miles per year now and quite like the idea of a 6 cylinder petrol.
I keep hearing the BMW 3 litre is the best there is so thinking about one in its lowest state of tune for longevity 325i 218PS. Not bothered about LPG'ing it, I want to run it as it was designed to run.
Reading up on these I can see coils, injectors and crankshaft sensors all get mentioned but not the engine. Is this applicable across all the petrol engines ?
I'm looking at German cars more sensible sized alloys fitted therefore I do not expect to find 19" wheels with cracks as have been reported in the UK.
Anything else I should be aware of ?
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No experience etc but I'd have thought going for a 325 with a detuned 3 litre engine makes more sense that a 2.5 litre. They changed spec of engine a few times. In recent years in the previous model I believe the 325 (or was it a 328?) actually a 3 litre engine.
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Mine's a 09 model year 3.0 litre petrol (badged as a 325i) - with the 218bhp engine. It's just had all its coils swapped on a recall. Arguably the best all round car I've ever owned. A real delight in all aspects of driving, manages around 35mpg in general use. Love it to bits.
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35mpg ! Crikey...I'm only getting 39mpg at the moment out of the D5 !
Are you driving in pensioner mode RP ?
The one I'm looking at is an auto with 26k kms, so not even run in.
Best bit is it's only 202€ for road tax against 192€ for SWMBO 1.6 td.
What about suspension? I've heard BMWs are a bit heavy on the undercarriage.
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The one I'm looking at rtj is a 3.0. 170g/km which is only four more than my turbo diesel...Yeah right !
I had a petrol car before which gave slightly more horsepower in standard tune. 31mpg was the best I ever saw out of that driving like a vicar.
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I try to drive it like a mimsing craphound, doesn't last long though..
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I put the 39mpg down to the binding rear brakes. Just shelled out 800€ having the rear brakes overhauled on the Volvo.
When in Rome I reckon I should be able to run a 3 series for not much more than Focus money in the UK.
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I keep considering its "replacement" (Skoda Yeti 1.8tsi 4x4 is the latest contender) - but open the throttle and I neeeed it. As a cross country car ( 3 journeys across Wales to Cardiff and Swansea) in the last few months it takes some beating.
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The only other concerns I have are:
The seats, are they as good as the Volvo seats? I know you have a V50, the C30s I've had while mine has been in getting fettled have been like night and day. I really look forward to getting my S60 back after a day in a C30.
The stereo. I sometimes have to cover several hundred miles in a oner, the engine might be brilliant but after 10 hours I might want to catch the news.
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One of the finest mass produced engines of all time whether 25i, 30i or 35i badged.
Not convinced on BMW reliability in general in recent years. Not so much the engines, which apart from coil packs (petrol) and the odd turbo failure (diesel) seem to be OK, but the rest of the car. We have a sizeable fleet of 1 series, E90s and F30 3-series, and F10 5-series at work, totalling about 200 vehicles. Not one person of the 40 or so I know or have spoken with who drive them has a fault free example. None of the three I've had have been totally reliable either. The hideously complex electrical systems seem to give frequent issues with things packing up or working incorrectly, and dealers taking days to sort the problems. Many of the (four pot) petrol E90s have broken down with coil pack failures, a few of the diesels have lunched turbos, all at sub 50k mileages.
I love "my" F30 320d (Austria/Italy border to the Channel Tunnel at speeds of up to 138 mph without refuelling its 55 litre tank) , but I would seriously have to think twice before putting my own money into a BMW, at least without a decent warranty, or fund set aside for repairs (Alfa style). Reliability problems are nowhere near uncommon enough for such expensive cars.
That said, they really do drive well, and the engines give a performance / economy mix that makes most other manufacturers seem a decade behind the times.
Cheers
DP
Last edited by: DP on Wed 2 Jan 13 at 20:43
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Thanks DP. So, you have an 8 year old S60 D5 with 83k miles on the clock which you've had for 6 years and know inside out, know what's been done and what needs doing vs a three year old 325i with 26k kms and a BMW select warranty for a year, full MOT and exhaust test for the next two years.
The Volvo is bought and paid for, the BMW is £17,500 which you have access to but that money is then tied up. What would you do ?
I'm asking you as you have experience of both cars though an S60 2.0T against my D5. I think I know what you are going to say from what you have posted but would be interested in any additional info/feedback.
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The seats in my 3 Series are nowhere as good as the V50s - The "Sport" seats on the X1 were far superior and only marginally less comfortable than the V50s. Radio is fine - miss the USB slot on the X1. But hey ho. This Beemer was owned by my FiL from new - never had a moment's trouble from it. Subjective I know but has a stronger "feel" about it.
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Thanks to all above for feedback.
I have a test drive arranged for tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see how the 6 cylinder 218PS and 270Nm feels against the 5 cylinder 210PS & 420Nm of the Volvo.
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>> The seats in my 3 Series are nowhere as good as the V50s - The
>> "Sport" seats on the X1 were far superior and only marginally less comfortable than the
>> V50s.
>>
I need to seek out a car with the Sport seats. The car I looked at had the standard cloth seats which were very basic and very, very thin.
The rest of the car was very good, surprising how firm the ride is on 225/50x16 run flats which is well documented especially when the tyres are Bridgestone Potenza.
Not ruled the car out as a possibility but not with standard seats.
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Mine is on 16" Conties - ride on the 18" Alloys/Contis on the X1 was quieter - even better on the 17" Winters. Would be my choice for that car. Theseats on the 325 are half leather - not sure where they are spec wise - but miss the heated seat leather ones.
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>> I'm asking you as you have experience of both cars though an S60 2.0T against
>> my D5. I think I know what you are going to say from what you
>> have posted but would be interested in any additional info/feedback.
As a drivers car, the BMW beats the Volvo into a cocked hat. It is quicker, it steers more accurately, it handles more precisely, and it is much better balanced. There is no question about that.
But if I were asked to place money on which of the two cars would prove the more reliable and painless to own over a two year period (8 yr old S60 or 3 yr old 325i), my money would go on the Volvo.
It is going to come down to whether the improvement in dynamics, THAT engine, and general update of vehicle (the S60 is a 12 year old design now) is worth enough to you to make the move away from the security of a car that you know, and which has a reputation for being the last of the old school "built like a brick lavatory house" Volvos.
I can definitely see the attraction of the BMW, and its solid warranty and driving characteristics could easily swing it for me, but I also wouldn't blame you if you kept the Volvo. I would probably do the same unless I had absolutely nothing better to do with that £17500.
Last edited by: DP on Thu 3 Jan 13 at 12:28
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Again, thanks for the thoughts and updates.
I've got time on my side, I can carry on searching for "the one" that ticks all the boxes.
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I have a 325d. It was registered at the end of December 2006 in the dealer's name, no doubt to meet a target. I bought it in September 2007 with 4000-odd miles on the clock. It is now on 64k miles.
I think gmac is wise to look for a petrol. If you do the sums you will see that my average annual mileage is not much more that his and, while I enjoy the diesel's torque, I am in perpetual fear of the DPF warning light coming on.
Other than the DPF aspect I have been very pleased with the car and it has given me few problems. The screenwashers have become clogged on a couple of occasions, requiring major surgery - BMW recommend using their screenwash additive, but I suppose they would.
Mine is a bog standard SE so it's on 17 inch wheels. The ride is firm but, for me, acceptable. Currently it's on Continental tyres which hold the road well enough and seem quieter and better riding than the Bridgestones that preceded them. Even so, tyre noise can be very noticeable which seems to be a trait of E90s.
BMWs seem to have a reputation for suspension problems but mine has been OK. It has passed all four of its MOTs to date with no difficulty.
If you are looking at manual cars I would check out the gearchange. Mine has always been a bit obstructive going fron 1st to 2nd.
I had a couple of 3 series coupes previously which had the through load facility as standard but it is is an option on the saloon and seems to be uncommon, at least in the UK. I have managed without it but it would have been nice to have.
I'm open to correction but I think all E90s are 2.0 fours or 3.0 sixes, despite what it might say on the boot lid.
Would I have another? Yes, but with a petrol engine.
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Thank you for your feedback Sandgrown.
A folding rear seat is one of my other considerations. I don't have need of an estate, we have a people carrier for that, however it's always useful to be able to take a longer load. What I did notice about the BMW boot was it was quite shallow in comparison to the Volvo boot. Quite a tall boot with a wide opening just does not go very far into the car.
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And a very useful hidden compartment in the boot - covered by a classy little lid - Ideal for "things"
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BMW 3-Series E90 - 09 3.0 What to look for ? - rtj70
