[ian_m]

e90 330d 2011 year manual (long live the manual gear box)
50 000 miles in 20 months
80 mph on motorway using cruise, other roads as quickly as possible

44.8 mpg

£80/85 ish to fill up

[sohlman]

Originally Posted by djgandy

http://www.virtualcarsuperstore.co.u...alculator.html

The calculations are fairly simple to do anyway.

(Number of miles per year / miles per gallon) * cost of fuel per gallon = cost

or if using per litre fuel prices

(Number of miles per year / miles per gallon) * 4.546 * price per liter

For example:

15,000 miles per year a 32 mpg car using V-Power at 1.45/l will use
(15000 / 32) * 4.546 * 1.45 = 3,089.85 of fuel

15,000 miles per year 45 mpg car using diesel at 1.40/l will use
(15000 / 45) * 4.546 * 1.40 = 2,121.46 of fuel

Nearly a 1000 a year difference there, but those are numbers i picked randomly. Even the most thirsty of the 3 series petrol's can probably manage 32 mpg over 15k/year of motorway.

If you're talking 15k/ year and 50mpg vs 35mpg the saving is probably around 700, the difference in price of the two cars is often way more than that. People have petrol phobia these days! It hurts when you fill up, but you just have to remember you are probably 2 grand better off to start with!

I had the same dilemma as the OP one year ago. I do a similar mileage per year, but less motorway work and more town (London) driving.

In the end I bought a very low mileage 330i for £6k less than the equivalent diesel and banked the difference. Paid £8995 for a well specced 330i se with BMW fsh and 19k on the clock. A 330d under 60k was £12k at the time and under 40k was £15+k.

Ok I get 27-30mpg and not 37-40mpg, but insurance is £330 a year and fuel is about £700 more. I need to own the car for over 6 years for the diesel to be cheaper. I have never owned a car that long other than a classic.

After a year of motoring its cost me 4 new non rft tyres, a service and a new coil. I should not have any expense for another year before the next service is due.

If you have your heart on a diesel can I suggest a late 245bhp 330d. This in manual is just about as quick as a 335d. Has efficient t dynamics and should be good for 44-48mpg in the real world.

Don't discount the autos they are very good and work better with the diesels.

Efficiency dynamics came in September 2007 build date onwards so any car has this. Normally a 57 is.

Also go and drive a 320d they are quick and a modest chip send them to 200+bhp. In fact their is a performance pack available from the main dealers for around £1200 to do this which includes an upgraded intercooler and charge system and a rechip.

Also an Alpina d3 will be worth considering.

Also a 123d twin turbo two litre

[LukeG88]

my plan is to probably have the car for the foreseeable future. need the car to be family friendly. need to get the little ones in there.

i'm thinking a 320d with a chip may do. need to go to fords of winsford for a test drive. have test drove a 320i and felt good.

performance kit? never heard them being added. what gains could I get?

an alpina? rare aren't they?

i'm really stuck for choice. i don't know wether to go with my head. but the 330d for 10k? they're offering £5,250 for my car in part exchange.

[ukbeemerboy]

Buy what you want, not what you think you want otherwise you won't be happy. I bought a 330d because it gave me the best of all worlds. 6 cylinders, power, torque and economy. Oh and cheapish tax too compared to some petrol models of the same power!

[LukeG88]

yeah that's true.

it's the real world mpg that makes me think the most! I've seen on honest john that in real world there seems to be 5mpg difference between both models.

were there gains in power in the lci 320d?

with the efficient dynamics pack, are they on all 3's after sept 07? what parts of ed were included? (as i've read some BMs don't have all ed stuff (like stop start/gear change indicator)

[sohlman]

Just go out and test drive in the following order. 320d, 325d and 330d. Buy what you like to drive. Stop worrying about fuel.

You have to live with the car and I believe should enjoy your drive to work. If the 320d works you will know after a test drive. I believe however that once you have driven a 6 cylinder you won't want a 4 cylinder.

[LukeG88]

Originally Posted by sohlman

Just go out and test drive in the following order. 320d, 325d and 330d. Buy what you like to drive. Stop worrying about fuel.

You have to live with the car and I believe should enjoy your drive to work. If the 320d works you will know after a test drive. I believe however that once you have driven a 6 cylinder you won't want a 4 cylinder.

haha that's true!

[ukbeemerboy]

Originally Posted by LukeG88

yeah that's true.

it's the real world mpg that makes me think the most! I've seen on honest john that in real world there seems to be 5mpg difference between both models.

were there gains in power in the lci 320d?

with the efficient dynamics pack, are they on all 3's after sept 07? what parts of ed were included? (as i've read some BMs don't have all ed stuff (like stop start/gear change indicator)

LCI 320d went from 163bhp to 177bhp. Then from late 2010 it went to 184bhp. Not sure when stop/start came in but would of thought it was from the LCI release. My mate has it on his May 09 320d.

[LukeG88]

yesterday I walked past a e60. thought to myself, they're not as big as i thought when you look in depth at them.

so i've been looking at them. I like the somewhat quriky look of it. from the front it looks amazing with the m sport pack on. but the rear, is a bit odd from certain angles.

dammit, another car for consideration

[LukeG88]

yesterday I walked past a e60. thought to myself, they're not as big as i thought when you look in depth at them.

so i've been looking at them. I like the somewhat quriky look of it. from the front it looks amazing with the m sport pack on. but the rear, is a bit odd from certain angles.

dammit, another car for consideration

[sohlman]

The e60 is great car. We also have one of those. It's considerable bigger than 3 series. A good ft longer and a couple of inches wider.

Ride quality is great and corners flat. Not as darty as 3 series, but still fun. Finding a manual one with good spec is very hard. Forget the 2 litre engine as its a big car. 3 litre diesel has 4 different power varients. 218bhp early. 231bhp post 2005, 235 bhp post 2007 and 245bhp after about 2009.

Must be a m sport and the 19's spiders look great.

[LukeG88]

Originally Posted by sohlman

The e60 is great car. We also have one of those. It's considerable bigger than 3 series. A good ft longer and a couple of inches wider.

Ride quality is great and corners flat. Not as darty as 3 series, but still fun. Finding a manual one with good spec is very hard. Forget the 2 litre engine as its a big car. 3 litre diesel has 4 different power varients. 218bhp early. 231bhp post 2005, 235 bhp post 2007 and 245bhp after about 2009.

Must be a m sport and the 19's spiders look great.

yeah seen a 525d looked good. 07 had ED fitted then didn't it. guess i'll have to take a trip to a garage on my day off to look for a test drive in one.

yeah defo need a m sport one. think most recent Bangle designed BM's look better off with m sport body kit on them.

tough times even more so now!

edit:just looked at road tax costs of a 525, not much cheaper than what i'm paying for now!

[sohlman]

If it's an 07 registration it won't have efficiency dynamics. The LCI cars have led lights in the sides of the front and rear lights. You need to see a non LCI against a LCI as the difference is quite subtle. All LCI's have ED. but the premium is quite high for them. Tax is also lower.

As most are auto the easiest way to tell is the car has a joystick gear selector. There is also a gearbox upgrade which gives paddle shifter which is worth having as these boxes shift quicker.

Hope this helps

[RhysT1]

5 series Lci - Pre lci Differences
http://5series.net/info/2008_LCI_Detailed_Changes.pdf

[LukeG88]

Originally Posted by RhysT21

5 series Lci - Pre lci Differences
http://5series.net/info/2008_LCI_Detailed_Changes.pdf

Very nice read. Got one of these for the LCI 3 series?

[dhdev]

Buy an Alpina D3

[LukeG88]

Originally Posted by dhdev

Buy an Alpina D3

Have you got a link to one for sale? They do seem pretty rare!

Think I am going to have to opt for a 320D LCI purely for costs and down to the mileage I could be doing in future. I will then look at getting remapped and maybe a BMW performance kit on it

[ukbeemerboy]

There are a quite a few on Autotrader but they are listed as a different model, not under 3 series... Here is an example

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...33ys?logcode=p

[LukeG88]

they do look unique! few and far between too!

[sohlman]

They look great and handle well. However they are peaky in power delivery and have a fixed spec. Far better than 320d however A 330d would be quicker and not that different on fuel. A LCI 320d would be 10mpg better than an Alpina on fuel.

[LukeG88]

they do look unique! few and far between too!

[Davidlindsey]

no point going for anything less than what you really want, saving 2-3 pounds on diesel per week will not be worth the feeling of..... " oh i wish id gone for the bigger engine". It will be too late by then and it will cost thousands more then to change again.
what mpg you get depends more on how you drive the car rather than the engine you have, you could get a 335d and get better mpg than someone with a 320d if you are steady and they aren't.
I would have liked the economy of a 320i but i knew i could never live with it, so i brought what i really wanted, a 335i !, i drive it steady and get very good mpg but if i want the power its there.