Write a review on the BMW 3 Series Touring Overall Review Rating: 8.2
4 Reviews Found
320d 5DR 2.0d SE
I've had some cars in my time, mainly sporty cars. Now I'm a father with a child seat and pushcar in the back, the 320d estate really works for me. Lots of power, very comfortable, epecially on long runs, average 550miles per tank.
How it sits on the road, solid. Excellent drive, sturdy smooth and quiet. Especially when loaded for long weekends.
Sixth gear, Oh they've done it. Can't really improve on it, if you want to improve on it, buy the new one!
330d 5DR 3.0d SE
I have had this car as a company vehicle for 3 years. Superb!!The mix of performance, practicality and reliability have been outstanding.
0-60mph in a little over 6 seconds is impressive, but the real gem is the masses of torque available from just over tickover (the car will drive in 3rd gear on tickover without stalling!!); which means passing slower traffic is a doddle (and a good way to upset boy-racers when you are bored).
The good news is the handling matches the performance - the car just won't come unstuck, allowing twisty lanes and corners to be covered in remarkable time. The car just shrinks around you the faster you go, but you do need to keep an eye on the speedo, as the legal limit is reached before you know it, and feels slow.
The one criticism - the stiff suspension/run-flat tyres. This isn't the M-Sport, but is what I would describe as the 'firm' side of comfortable - cosseting it is not. Uneven surfaces or ridged roads do rattle the fillings - laughably so on the odd occasion. Day-to-day though not a concern.
The driving position is good (seats do feel a bit off-centre depending upon where they are positioned), and the controls are all to hand, and once familiar second nature to use. I can drive long distances and still feel refreshed the other end.
Economy - a respectable average of 38mpg (which is over a mix of A-roads and motorways commute). If driven more leisurely this can rise to nearer 45mpg (but is nowhere near as much fun). The trip computer always seems to suggest a range of 500miles - which is more than acceptable for such a fast car. Oil consumption is neglible (3 litres in 4 years outside servicing - but is £15/litre to buy).
Overall this car has been a joy to own (being replaced soon with a 5 series). There have been no reliability issies at all, and this is very impressive fopr a car that has covered over 85,000 miles in 4 years.
The condition based servicing is a pain, as for high mileage drivers you visit the dealer frequently, but that is a BMW issue, not the vehicle's.
If you are considering a fast, but practical car the 330d must be a serious contender! If the new 5 series didn't look so good, I would have ordered another 330 in a flash!
Engine, chassis, driving position. The gearbox is positive and slick, the clutch not heavy. The stereo is very good, and plays MP3's on CD.
The rear glass opening feature is very handy when you just want to pop things into the boot without needing to open the whiole tailgate.
The lights in the door handles externally help to light the ground around the car and spot the car when dark.
The lights are excellent - main beam is like Wembley stadium.
Motorway cruising - 70mph = 1800rpm (in 6th) = hushed progress.
Improvements - seat height adjuster is a little undignified - lever releases seat but you need to shunt it up rather than ratchet - elec seats I suppose solve this, but are an expensive extra.
Exterior design - this is the pre-facelifted model - but the new model addresses the very minor issues I had.
Not a lot else..........
318d 5DR 2.0d ES
Got this car as a company car as my wife was expecting and it seemed like the sensible option.
At the time the CO2 rating of 125 was one of the lowest in it's field and meant the tax was half what it would have been on an equivalent merc. Since then this has changed but still fairly impressive. It has been ideal for long trips to the continent for work and also for taking family stuff to Cornwall to visit relatives. In fact we would not have been able to get there in something smaller.
Don't expect too much from a car that is bottom of the range and an estate but on the Autobahn's it wasn't as slow as I would have thought and seemed to want to keep going faster beyond what I was happy with so all round a very good car for purpose.
I like the boot size and with the run flat tyres this extends downwards too. There is a smart little hook under the parcel shelf for an umbrella and this seems like such a good idea as they seem to just disappear if left in the boot. As with all BMW's the service centre has a little gadget on their desks that they can put your key in and it tells them all the car details including fuel level outside & engine temperature and any warning indicators.
The reason we were in the service centre with a 1 year old car was because an engine light came up on the dashboard and I had to have them check it over. They couldn't see what was wrong after a diagnostic test but when I brought it back in they just replaced the whole wiring bundle which solved the fault. The seats aren't as comfortable as I would have expected and they do seem to leave you at a slightly funny angle to the steering column & pedals.
320d 5DR TOURING 2.0 M SPORT BUSINESS EDITION
This is currently our main family car and is an excellent load lugger, well eqipped and great to drive. Being the M Sport model it is fairly stiffly sprung and can rattle your teeth going over railway crossings etc. However if you press on a little on most roads that stiff suspension really comes into its own providing a superb sporty driving experience.
Interior room is good in the front although rear leg room is a little cramped for adults but for our 2 young children is more than adequate. The load compartment is pretty good too although not as good as some (VW Passat estate springs to mind).
Equipment is good, although at the purchase price of this car you would expect nothing less. Parking sensors, run flat tyres (dislike them personally), adequate stowage space inside. It has a great stereo with ipod/MP3 dock etc. The seats are excellent giving great support and have a huge range of adjustment.
Got to admit it likes to drink the diesel though, despite the fact the computer tells me its averaging 46 mpg. To be fair though it has not got the biggest fuel tank taking £61 to fill from empty which at £1.10 a litre means it must have a 55ish litre tank.
I love the various power sockets in the car, you get 5 in total, 1 cigarette lighter which is great for the TomTom, one in the centre console/armrest, 2 for the backseat passengers which is excellent for the kids with their games consoles or the DVD player and 1 in the boot whichis great for the Coolbox when we go camping.
I also look the look of the car, it really is a handsome brute and the amount of positive comments I've had from workmates, family etc. seem to back up my thoughts.
Its hard to suggest improvements because I think you should do your research before you buy.
However I think a bigger fuel tank would help and more rear leg room would be nice for adults but then you would lose luggage space so you pay your money and make your choice.
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