I’ve had (for a short while) an E46 330d M coupe. The seats folded an I could get my roadie in only if I took the wheels off, resorted to a roof rack from Thule and all was good, but never felt comfortable with an expensive bike on the roof when parked up.
Got rid of the 3 and entered the land of the 5 Sports Touring and all went well for a good old few years, roof bars fitted from the 3 to the 5 with different feet (5 has roof bars see) Had a tow bar fitted to both but never used it for bikes, used it to only to tow dingo’s and sportsboats around. Excellent cars Beemers. Also had an M3 Conv which was utterly useless as a carry bike car, well carry anything except shopping bags TBH, got some odd looks when carrying my windsurfing gear roof down along the M27, I felt a right tit, looked it too. Nice car otherwise mind.
Chat Forum
Anyone drive a BMW 3 series saloon as a bike / family car.
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Posted 4 months ago #
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purser_mark - Member
timc - Yep totally agree, I have had hatches for years beacause of biking but it seriously limits the choice of transport. Golf is def the best I've had, but I'm scaraficing driving experience for carrying a couple of bikes around once a week at most.
So what is the outlay for a removable towhitch system inluding fitting etc. I guess you need a light board and electrics fitted too?
I live in the city & walk to work, so sacrafice practicality for a car i barely drive
why im eyeing a 335i 
My westfalia towbar was approx £250-£300 fitted I think, Cant remember 100%. electronic build in, lightboard etc are part of Thule bike rack.
Posted 4 months ago # -
bb - Windsurf gear in M3 cab, like it
I too used to play that game, kitesurfing convert now kit goes in the boot!£300 not the end of the world, would still prefer the option of folding seats though if I had a choice.
335i, very nice very jealous. Unfortunately I will be going down the dirty diesel route. Tempted by a 330d over the 320d though, dont NEED the extra power, but tempted none the less!
Posted 4 months ago # -
Well as it's turned into a BMW thread... I'll show you mine
I would have loved a 330d but couldn't justify the additional costs.
Posted 4 months ago # -
I'm only eyeing the 335i at the moment
Nice car wurzelcube, looks like an si, what is it?
mine looks the same but is graphite grey & has Mv3's
Posted 4 months ago # -
Le Mans Blue. My new one is that colour too
Posted 4 months ago # -
I needed the pulling power* so always went for the big dirty diesels in auto form (until the M3 that is) I could get 2 boards and 4 sails in the 3 coupe, in the 5 Sport Touring I could get 5 boards, 5 sails and MrsBouy in the back all without using the roof rack. Ruined the seats with salt stains** but who cares, did it's job of carting me around.. I'm a kitee too now, though I've a van for all my "sports equipment" which actually is much much better than trashing dashes and headrests and floor mats with a salty/seawater mixture.
Never ever had anything go wrong on any beemers I've owned, and I must have easily put 600k on them over the years.
The M3 was a disaster, I can't honestly think what the hell I was doing, must have been a mid life (c)risis or something.. Beautiful car mind, totally useless for my lifestyle, looked amazing and gathered far too much attention in "ghey" Blue, sorry "Laguna Seca Blue" and Blue roof.. went like stink mind but I drove it like a grandad in fur trimed slippers, cracking top down action with buffer in place, no folding seats ("tut") and minimal passenger seat forward movement and had to cram in my mother (like on Police Camera Action stylee)on more than one occasion to the tune "wheres your nice Black estate gone, I liked that, it was nice and quiet and I could sit without my knees wrapped around my earholes" (yuk) whining, MrsBouy almost choked on her masala chai when I turned up in it, blankly refused to get in it for two whole days until her A Class wouldn't start one spring morning.. typical, then all good until someone poored a tin of black paint all over the roof/bonnet/boot and ruined it, I'm sure someone also scrawled "cock" in the dust on the boot once, but that could have been my poor eyesight, it could have read "cor!" but I don't think so. Then a builder slammed his fork lift truck in the side of it and wrote it off.. Back to a 5 Sport Touring for me after that thank you.
*used to go all over that Europe towing boats.
** other stains were also found.
.Posted 4 months ago # -
TIMC - its a 320d M sport, I'm guessing the previous owner had some spare cash and "invested" in the 216 wheels.
Posted 4 months ago # -
A van would be another voice but space on the drive is bit limiting and there's a motorcycle in the garage
I drove a friend of mines' M3 conv. Awesome car, great noise, sh*t quick, but you only realised exactly how quick when you looked at the speedo, soo very smooth.
The only problem is we both live in Essex and you just cant drive an M3 conv around Essex now can you!
If one was to be purchasing a 320d or 330d, would the M-sport be the vehicle of choice or the SE spec (I think I already know the answer) having not yet driven either?
Wurz - nice pic!
Posted 4 months ago # -
I have an M Sport, My sister has an se, they are noticably different, test drive for sure
Posted 4 months ago # -
I went for the M Sport purely based on looks.
IMHO the main consideration for the M sport is the rock hard suspension combined with the even harder run flat tyres - if you want a sporty drive and don't mind adopting a roadie's mindset to avoid pot holes, drains etc its brilliant; if however you are after something more arm chair like get the SE.
There are some trim differences too, the M sport comes with sports seats including a rather cool but pointless button that inflates the side bolsters on the front seats, fat steering wheel and fat gear knob etc.
Whether buying used or new the SE or M sport decision is just the start of - its then finding one with the various options you want (as you probably know the list is endless). I can thoroughly recommend the Loud speaker upgrade package (gives an amp and subs under the front seats) and auto dimming wing mirrors.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Erm.. I went for the M versions of all my Beemers.. I’m a tart* by nature and it fitted with the upturned Rugby Collar and Loafers at the time, now, well I’d still have one but this time I’m all skinny and check shirt wunderkind int I...
Thoroughly recommend the Harmon Kardon stereo upgrade (if they still do them)
My business partner** had a 320d SE Touring, nice car, actually very comfortable indeed but pokey 16” wheels and beige trim (that looked like warm vomit) not as quick as my 330D’s but not too far off.. So don’t dismiss the SE by any means,,
*other names are easily recognisable for this type of person
** if you could call her that, then yes, yes she was my business partner (slimy cheating XXXXXXXX)Posted 4 months ago # -
I have had an Alpina D3 for just over a year and really like it.
I started off with the bike on the back seat in a bike bag but have since bought Thule roof bars and rack which work wells for me. Could not fit a large 29er in the boot with the wheels off.
Nice handling car to drive, just under 200 bhp so pretty quick and plenty of torque for overtaking.
Posted 4 months ago # -
I have a 330D Touring Msport with Alcantara.
Love it to bits but it gets underused with an A3 and 2 vans in the household.
When I want to go anywhere that's more than a few miles then there is no choice - it's the 330! Goes like stink, does 40+ to the gallon and will swallow enough kit for a week away with the family without breaking sweat.
Sadly she has to go as there needs to be yet another van/toy transporter and SWMBO has put her foot down
So a valet this week and then a trawl round the dealers to see what deals can be done.Posted 4 months ago # -
so is it for sale hammyuk? give us some more details!!
Posted 4 months ago # -
Proper car the 330D MSport Touring.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Good job Surf matt no longer here or he would tell you its cr4p compared to his 335d tourer
Posted 4 months ago # -
Ok here's the big question, whats the real world fuel consumption on the 330d compared to the 320d?
Unfortunately my commute to work is mainly around 30-40 mph most of the way. The Golf is 170bhp and returns 42mpg's average over this commute which is only 15 miles each way. I reckon thats pretty good.
And yes I do cycle it in the summer before any "smart arse" pipes up
Posted 4 months ago # -
you'll get similar from a 320d, a bit less from a 330d
you'll also notice loads of 330d drivers claiming 134mpg or something of similar optimisum.
Posted 4 months ago # -
would the M-sport be the vehicle of choice or the SE spec (I think I already know the answer) having not yet driven either?
Having driven both this week, I'd deffo say the M Sport. I'd read about SE suspension not dealing with potholes well and I experienced this in cornering, the car slides randomly when you hit a bump, not even going that fast either. The M Sport is totally composed on anything, the ride is definatley not too harsh.
Amazing car, and thats coming from the last 7 years in Volvo's VW's and Skoda. BMW is streets ahead in terms of quality.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Jeez, I'm not finding many reasons to not get one of these beasts.
Lets try again, who runs winter tyres then *opening can of worms*?
Posted 4 months ago # -
I'm a no for winter tyres, funding a summer set is expensive enough and storage is a PITA. (I wait to be shot down for my opinion!)
I have a complete set of autosocks in the boot for when it does snow - they worked wonders on my E46 last year. I bought a jack as the arches sit too low on the wheels so without this it will be near impossible to fit the socks.
Posted 4 months ago # -
I live in liverpool so no real need for winter tyres tbh plus im not sure they do winter tyres in 245/35/18, so it might be a case of different wheels
Posted 4 months ago # -
Yep some guys in my office have bought winter treads for their Mercs. Wive's also needs a set plus a set of steel wheels as they're a different tyre. Total bill for 8 tyres and wheels £1400, ouch, and no snow yet either!?
Posted 4 months ago # -
I've got a 325D m-sport , all the toys and 200bhp. Bought some snow socks but not used them yet! As for MPG I'm getting 49 on motorway and around 38 around town. It's nippy but that's it, but I did come from a 240bhp Astra vxr! I'm thinking of a remap for a bit more poke and taking it to 330D power figures. Will probably go for the roof rack bike carrying option. Lovely car and 325D's seem to be rare.
Posted 4 months ago # -
49mpg on motorway, what you doing? 55mph?
Posted 4 months ago # -
70 mph! Was driving like a fanny!
Posted 4 months ago # -
My 320d is the original 163BHP, the later models (I think from late 2007) got 177BHP and are a good 5 - 10 mpg better based on what my colleagues tell me) I think the newest ones are 181BHP and better still on fuel.
Over a tank of mixed town / country roads / motorway I normally get 45 to 50mpg on the computer. Traffic light grand prix and lots of town driving significantly reduces it but the same can be said for any car.
Best I've seen is driving back from the Alps to Rheims last summer where I got 56 with the cruise set just below 80.
Posted 4 months ago # -
I know this is a 3 thread, but the economy on old 520d was BRUTAL with bikes on the roof. Less than 40mpg at any sort of motorway speed. BMW bars bolted direct to roof excellent though.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Interesting to hear BMW are squeezing more power and more economy out of their engines, clever b*stards those German engineers. I think they're a few years ahead of the game with diesel engines right now.
Brycey - Nice motor, unfortunately out of my price bracket
(new M5 looks good too!)
Posted 4 months ago # -
Owned by Lex Vehicle Leasing and no longer in my custody alas. Very nice car though .
Posted 4 months ago # -
I have an E90 touring 320d, it's ans SE spec, with optional sports seats, comes with run flat 17s as standard. Best of both worlds, the ride on an m-sport for a family car can be a bit embarrasing when someone else gets in the car with you... (and I'm used to RX7's, track cars etc..)
thing to bear in mind is these cars seat 4 adults/big kids not 5, the back seats are like 2 mini bucket seats, you can squeeze 5 in but they're not designed for it, take a look.
real life consumption over 40k miles is 45mpg, the book is 63 or some nonsense, I drove at cruise control 55mph on an empty motorway and got 56mpg so I can only assume they use a rolling road to get the advertised figures.
I LOVE mine and will be in tears when it goes in November as the new company tax rates means it will be replaced with a *gags* hybrid... (and an XJR...)
Posted 4 months ago # -
Non stop to Les Deux Alpes, 80mph for 700 miles returned 40mpg with 4 blokes and every tiny space filled with kit and that box on the roof, and it was STILL nice to drive in the Alps, flippin amazing bit of kit...I have the Westfalia towbar fitted, cost £300, and use a Thule 3 bike rack, solid with 3 full sus bikes to Morzine. rarely put bikes in it anymore it's 10 mins to fit the rack including digging it out of the back of the shed.
Car works hard too, I once put 600kg of bricks in the back..
Posted 4 months ago #
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