BMW 3 SERIES Saloon 2005‑2011

This is my second BMW I p/x a e46 facelift 2.2 petrol automatic,.Due to an accident at work I am unable to drive a manual car so having a V70 2.4 stuck in the drive I purchased my first BMW having had it two years it was the ved which was the problem being £246 so I looked through autotrader and found a pre registered series3 M Sport diesel (184bhp) automatic which was registered on the 29/2/2012 with 7 miles on the clock from a local BMW dealer.Now having done almost 4.000 miles in 10months with no problems the footrest seems to be better placed over the previous BMW plus road tax of £120 is a added bonus the fuel economy is a fast improvement over the petrol which returned around town about 30 mpg where I can get 46ish and the high 50 on the motorway.when my wife sits in the back said that it seem to have a little bit more leg room.The only down side is that I do miss the roar on kickdown of the six cylinder engine against the diesel and the electric power steering took a bit to get use to as when in a straight line on the motorway its not taking anypower from the engine but you cannot have everything in all well pleased shame I could,nt have had it on perscription.

One might think that BMW is an expensive car. No doubt they are but it makes a huge difference to your driving experience and your personality. It is actually very economic to drive, thanks to the latest technology. Very reliable, very easy to drive, good leg space and boot.

I felt so proud when I sat in the driver's seat as THE OWNER. A responsive grunty machine suited to my short around town driving, but terrific when we head to the hills (or coast) for a break.

Hey, I'm a driver whose only really technical concerns relate to whether or not its going to start, get me there, and get me home again safely.

From an aesthetic perspective, this pushes my buttons: Looks stylish, sounds as if there's something OK under the bonnet, and doesn't cost too much to run, though I do have some concerns around the cost of BMW parts and the cost of servicing European motors out here in the Antipodes (NZ).

I understand that I'm paying for my vanity. But I'm very happy paying for it.

Lots of torque,good auto gearchange,handling excellent. Boot could be bigger. Good on fuel for such a powerful car. Servicing costs surprisingly reasonable now that main dealers are being more competitive; e.g. oil service £139.

we had about 3 bmw 3 series in last 15 years they just keep getting better the good thing now is the £30 road tax

Bad Points;

run flat tyres - hard ride,feel every pothole (loads by me!) AVOID!

thats it for bad points.

Good Points;

Perfect driving position, well laid out controls, beautifully build with no rattles or squeaks, comfortable seats, effective climate control, decent sound system.

Excellent Points;

GOES LIKE STINK!!! 38mpg round town, 48 on a run, more torque than most things.....engine is super smooth for a diesel.

Get one and shock the boy racers!!

When buying this car the main criteria for me was fuel economy. I drive 1000 miles per month approx. My CLK200K was returning only 22mpg (or 320 miles per tank) which is really too much given petrol prices these days. This car being diesel returns on average 42mpg (on motorway 55-60mpg) and returns approx. 620 miles per tank. And all that is driving dynamically with heavy foot at times. I am really impressed. I spent quite some time reading about this car before buying and my absolute recommendation would be: buy 320d auto with newer 177bhp engine as it is very quiet and powerful very enough to dominate over you; these cars with newer engine start with 08 number place; buy one which has extra front parking sensor to ease your life parking a car; for me rear folding seats is must have (even Mercedes CLK had it) as at times i carry my doughtier`s bike - it always come handy when you can fold down rear seats to put some bulky items inside. As ex Mercedes driver where suspension is very soft and comfort I also would recommend SE model as it comes with normal tires rather than M Sport. Trust me, even SE model will be sporty enough for you (unless you do not care about driving license).

All in all i miss a bit Mercedes comfort but this car charms me with the way it handles, its powerful engine and amazing fuel economy.

I want once again emphasize choosing a right engine. I had test driven 318d, 320d and 320d 177 before bought my car. 318d is under powerful for this kind of car; 320d is older engine which is pretty powerful with 163bhp, works hard and desperate like tractor, and returns only 32-33mpg on average.

Once again, it is a brilliant car for small family.

Bought new 3 years ago, now covered 19k miles. Honestly, there are a few niggles just to remind you that nothing is perfect.; you can hear it's a diesel at low speeds, and, weirdly, there's a bit of road noise up to around 50 mph. The sports suspension is harsh with city potholes.

. But, all is forgiven or forgotten once you get out on the open road or motorway. It has the power/torque combination to embarass any sports car at UK road speeds, and the refinement to relax you at good cruising speeds. And of course the sports suspension and natural balance means it has go-kart like precision and agility. Combined with the power, and top class brakes, you can do surprising manoeuvres in perfect safety, such is it's nimbleness and poise.

Size is good for 4 and their luggage on long distances. If you drive on cruise control on the motorway at normal speeds, it can do 600 miles on a tank ful of diesell. Don't think there is another car on the planet with this combination. Just had second oil service combined with brake fluid change and first underbody periodic inspection: £500 bill, as expected.

Having decided that my new Ford Kuga was just not the car for me and the wife (way too thirsty for a 2 litre diesel), I managed to get a decent trade in against a 4 month old BMW 320d Exclusive Edition with auto transmission. My 30 mile trip home at a steady 70mph averaged an amazing 58.8 mpg on the computer. Amazing, because this is 184 bhp engine with a 0-60 time of 7.6 seconds.

The revised suspension set up has cured the over firm ride and road noise of run flat tyres and there is more legroon for rear passengers. The build quality and ergonomics are way above the Ford and the Exclusive is almost as well equipped as the Titanium Ford, lacking only automatic wipers (which never operated at the correct speed) and automatic lights(which you have to switch on in reduced visibility anyway).

BMW - it's good to be back!

I got this car almost a year ago, took it as a temporary company car which someone had ordered then they left. (so i cant really comment on insurance and the like, but it is only a group 13) I'd just sold my Porsche Boxster S as needed something more practical. The lack of power was first thing that got me understandably. That aside I quite liked it and decide to keep it for a bit.

The power is still it's downside, it's ok, not exciting, but it's getting 47mpg on a run so I guess I can't have it all ways. I've done 30,000 miles in 10 months including driving it across europe last year and it is effortless and very relaxing to drive. I've got used to driving a manual, but haven't got used to how dirty the cloth seats get.

As an overview, a lovely practical car to drive, I've missed services by several thousand miles and have only checked the tyres once as i've been so busy at work and it has never missed a beat. I have a white saloon which is also quite pretty.

So I am looking to get a new one in the next few months. and it'll be another white one, only this time with heated leather seats and the 2.5lt or 3lt petrol engine. I might even keep the manual gear box.

I know at £21k it might seem a lot of money for a restricted 2lt engined car with no toys. But for anyone who's never had a BMW. I highly recommend you drive one. I recently drove a friends highly spec'd mondeo, and the difference in class is phenomenal. BMW just has something about it. I'd rather have my BMW with its dirty cloth seats and manual gearbox.

If you're interested, it has a big boot full of my daughters riding gear and my sons football stuff, it can comfortably fit four adults for long journeys (5 for short ones) and tons of room if you have kids. Yes the coupe is better looking, but the saloon is not ugly, and the practicality of 4 doors, although something i never thought i'd say. Is quite nice. So, yes, i am getting another more powerful one, yes i still miss my Boxster (still the most amazing car I've ever owned) but I am now definitely a BMW fan. Now, lets see how much that 330 is :-)