Advice on BMW 3-series (320d ED) purchase

kissenger · 18 Oct 2016 at 23:11

I've been searching for a BMW 3-series and I've narrowed it down to these two cars, which I'm going to look at tomorrow:

1. 2010 BMW 320d EfficientDynamics, 40k miles, £10,000

2. 2013 BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Touring facelift, 50k miles, £13,000

I really like them both, but I'm leaning strongly towards the Touring. The only snag is that the non-Touring is used approved from BMW (meaning it comes with a 12 month warranty) while the Touring is from an independent trade seller (a mid-size nationwide firm).

I've never spent even close to this much on a car before so I'm being really cautious and my gut is telling me I would get more peace of mind buying from BMW rather than an independent, but what would you guys do? As long as the Touring has a full MDSH is that enough?

[TW]Fox · 18 Oct 2016 at 23:13

This engine has a big issue with the timing chain so a good warranty is a must. The 2013 isn't a facelift either it's a completely different and all new car and is much better than the previous model. However 13k sounds very cheap so it's either a terrible spec or a bit tatty or both.

kissenger · 19 Oct 2016 at 00:36

[TW]Fox;30119628 said:
However 13k sounds very cheap so it's either a terrible spec or a bit tatty or both.

This is one of the reasons why I'm worried about not buying 'used approved'.

Having quickly Googled it it seems like the timing chain issue was fixed from early 2011 onwards — so steer clear of anything before then and I should be okay?

The only other car I'm seriously considering is a Nissan Qashqai 1.5 DCI. I could get one of those for a bit cheaper (£9-10,000) from Nissan itself, so if it's more reliable that would be the sensible option?

Havana_UK · 19 Oct 2016 at 08:28

Is there a particular reason that you want a 320d ED, instead of another 3 series model?

kissenger · 19 Oct 2016 at 08:42

Havana_UK said:
Is there a particular reason that you want a 320d ED, instead of another 3 series model?

Fuel economy, and I like the Touring body.

Firestar_3x · 19 Oct 2016 at 08:46

I think you will be better off with the Nissan.

Havana_UK · 19 Oct 2016 at 08:56

kissenger said:
Fuel economy, and I like the Touring body.

320d ED was only available as a saloon, unless that changed with the F30. It used the N47 engine with a modified flywheel and some other small changes which allowed it to run more smoothly at lower revs (therefore allowing you to use a higher gear at slower speeds). It also sat a few mm (10mm I think) lower than the standard car to reduce drag, and had unique wheels (again for better fuel efficiency).

In real world driving the standard 318d and 320d are no more or less fuel efficient as they share the same basic engine, and you'd be able to make a far bigger difference in fuel economy by adjusting your driving style than this could. It was really aimed at company car drivers because it had the lowest emissions of all vehicles in the range.

For what it's worth I had a regular 320d E91 for 4 years during which time I covered ~100k miles in it. My average fuel economy was around 53mpg. For comparison I now have an M135i, in which I do similar miles (possibly more) and my driving style hasn't changed. I've averaged just over 34mpg in that.

Message: don't get sucked in by the very high fuel economy figures of the 320d ED.

kissenger · 19 Oct 2016 at 09:52

Firestar_3x said:
I think you will be better off with the Nissan.

I'm going to look at a 2011 Qashqai+2 N-tec in about an hour. I'm strongly leaning towards that now. Not as economical as the 320d ED, but still pretty damn good on the motorway (60mpg+!).

Kingdom34 · 19 Oct 2016 at 10:03

Watching this with interest....im waiting on your thoughts about the Qashqai as im interested in the smaller version but same spec.
Good luck to you btw

kissenger · 20 Oct 2016 at 15:17

So I went to look at the Qashqai+2. Absolutely gorgeous and that panoramic roof is cool, but... then I went to a Skoda garage on a tip from a family member and ended up buying a 2014 Skoda Octavia 1.5 TDI Estate with the Elegance trim (leather interior, sat nav, etc). Only had 27k miles on it.

I think I got a good deal: paid £11895 (was stickered at £12295) with 2 years free servicing, breakdown and warranty. And although I had to go the PCP route I got a good deal on the rate (5.9%, which is better than what my bank could offer).

Here's a pic:

Gaygle · 20 Oct 2016 at 15:30

I like the new Skoda Octavias. They are a bit of a champion of the car world in that they are good to drive, good to look at, good quality, good equipment levels and at good prices.

What's the 1.5l TDI like though? I must say, every small diesel I've ever driven has been a horrible experience, even modern ones. They sound awful, have no power and what power they do have comes between 2000-2500rpm, then nothing. Hopefully the VW 1.5TDI is different?

GinG · 20 Oct 2016 at 16:02

Whilst it will never set the world on fire, that Octavia is pefect for your needs. 2 years worry free motoring, good mpg and a good spec...much better than the BMW options

acemastr · 20 Oct 2016 at 16:05

Quick decision thread, came in expecting bad things, good things happened.

Nice!

kissenger · 20 Oct 2016 at 16:30

Thanks!! I can't wait to pick it up.

I've never owned a diesel before and I'm coming from a Toyota Prius, but it felt great to me. Certainly more powerful and smoother than the Qashqai I test drove. I know a lot of people like a 2.0 in an estate but for me the 1.6 (and I was mistaken above: it is a 1.6, not a 1.5) is fine because it is more economical both on fuel and insurance.