Experience of 3-Series Touring?

nicks3607 · 31 Aug 2010 at 13:12

Hi all - I'm fancying a change to something like a 3 series Touring diesel.

- Good boot space compared to other estates? (I did think about a Mondeo, but they look massive to drive!)
- Any years to avoid?
- Any really good / really bad engines?
- Anything else in general to look out for?

I currently have a Seat Leon 20VT, and it's £245 tax, and just scrapes 30mpg. I'd like one of those numbers to go down, and one of them to go up

Cheers,
Nick.

Wilderbeast · 31 Aug 2010 at 13:27

The 3 series estate is tiny inside, much much smaller than a mondeo.

[TW]Fox · 31 Aug 2010 at 13:32

You are going to need to give us an idea of budget.

nicks3607 · 31 Aug 2010 at 13:51

6K? Somewhere around there....

Morba · 31 Aug 2010 at 14:50

330d won't be much better on economy and tax is negligible so doesn't really matter.
Do you need an estate or would a 'touring' style estate suit your needs.

paradigm · 31 Aug 2010 at 14:59

Morba said:
330d won't be much better on economy and tax is negligible so doesn't really matter.

Wrong on both counts. I've got a long term average of 40MPG and a current (over the last 4-5 tanks) of 47.6MPG. Tax (depending on year) is also the £190~ a year mark.

My Leon Cupra R cost an absolute fortune in fuel in comparison.

Morba · 31 Aug 2010 at 15:03

My 330d is currently showing an average of 28.8mpg, lAst reset was around 2000 miles ago. And how is that wrong on tax, it's all of £50 which when spending £6k on a car, does £50 really matter? No.

paradigm · 31 Aug 2010 at 15:05

Morba said:
My 330d is currently showing an average of 28.8mpg

Then you drive it wrong.

The Mad Rapper · 31 Aug 2010 at 15:26

paradigm said:
Then you drive it wrong.

Oh dear.

Never criticise the way a man drives a car - it's akin to criticising the way he makes love

Morba · 31 Aug 2010 at 15:31

paradigm said:
Then you drive it wrong.

Lol. What a ridiculous statement. Awesome, respect to you

Dandle · 31 Aug 2010 at 15:40

It all depends on the journeys he does. If hes getting nearly 30mpg out of a 20vt then high 30s wont be impossible out of a x30d.

nicks3607 · 31 Aug 2010 at 16:06

Wilderbeast said:
The 3 series estate is tiny inside, much much smaller than a mondeo.

Bigger than a Golf/Focus size boot, though?

Wicksta · 31 Aug 2010 at 16:10

Morba said:
Lol. What a ridiculous statement. Awesome, respect to you

How dare you, do you know who you are talking to? paradigm knows everything. He's like a grumpy MikeHiow.

[TW]Fox · 31 Aug 2010 at 16:11

paradigm said:
Then you drive it wrong.

Only your 330d gets a billion mpg around town. It's more than I managed in 120d and 320d let alone a 330.

Wilderbeast · 31 Aug 2010 at 16:43

nicks3607 said:
Bigger than a Golf/Focus size boot, though?

Not really.

Focus estate is bigger, or at least seems like it is.

edit:

BMW Touring - 1,385 litres
Focus Estate - 1,525 litres

Kappa · 31 Aug 2010 at 18:30

Wicksta said:
How dare you, do you know who you are talking to? paradigm knows everything. He's like a grumpy MikeHiow.

Genuine LOL

Some sort of Audi Avant? Plenty of A4s about, not sure about meeting any power requirements you may have though.

iaind · 31 Aug 2010 at 18:36

[TW]Fox;17276193 said:
Only your 330d gets a billion mpg around town. It's more than I managed in 120d and 320d let alone a 330.

You can't get over 40mpg from a 120d around town?

Gaygle · 31 Aug 2010 at 18:45

Morba said:
My 330d is currently showing an average of 28.8mpg, lAst reset was around 2000 miles ago.

I'm getting 26.6mpg in my 330i at the moment and i "don't hang around"... i don't know how you're only getting another 2mpg from a less powerful, diesel variant :confused:

(unless most of your mileage is done in towns).

Now i'm not saying you should be getting 60mpg but i would have though 35-40mpg would be normal.

[TW]Fox · 31 Aug 2010 at 18:47

iaind said:
You can't get over 40mpg from a 120d around town?

Nope - I've never got particularly impressive figures around town from any of the plethora of 4 cylinder diesels I've driven around town, some for a week at a time.

Mind you, I class town as 'cold starts, start stop traffic, etc' rather than 'yea i drove along a dual carriageway for a bit at 56mph BUT IT WAS URBAN SO ITS TOWN INNIT'.

iaind · 31 Aug 2010 at 18:52

[TW]Fox;17277354 said:
Nope - I've never got particularly impressive figures around town from any of the plethora of 4 cylinder diesels I've driven around town, some for a week at a time.

Mind you, I class town as 'cold starts, start stop traffic, etc' rather than 'yea i drove along a dual carriageway for a bit at 56mph BUT IT WAS URBAN SO ITS TOWN INNIT'.

I did a short trip today in the works Octavia, reset the trip before I left because I'm sad. Sowton industrial estate to the princesshay car park and back again and it was reading 41.something when I got back. Traffic wasn't horrendous but pretty urban I'd say