I’m thinking about replacing my 11 year old Pug 306, which I’ve owned for 9 years and added over 100,000 miles to the clock with a BMW 320d M Sport Touring.

At present I’m looking at ’07/’57/’08 plate cars ideally buying the newer 177bhp engine which is obviously more powerful and economical than the 163bhp version.

The missus initially took some convincing as she fears 1) she may leave the road backwards in a ball of flames due to it being rear wheel drive and 2) it’s too big, but having had a look around and a sit in one yesterday she’s now OK with the choice of vehicle.

I’ve read a few reviews but wondered what owners opinions on the forum were. Especially in regards to load/storage capacity, running costs, service intervals, things to look out for, day-to-day use, comfort, etc, etc.

Also, how are these cars, in regards to build quality and feel when they start clocking up the miles? Mine is falling to bits and has the most annoying rattles ever with nearly 130,000 on the clock. Our budget also limits us a little, so at best, the car purchased would be approximately 60,000. Especially as I don’t swap cars that regularly.

Finally, can you fit a bike in the boot with the wheels off without dropping the seats 🙂

Cheers

Got an 05 3 series touring so I accept its a bit different but..

Its got 91,000 on it and its very solid still. Its all done on event based servicing. (think that’s what they call it..) Mine was done in the summer and the countdown to the next service started at 16,000
I used an indi who have been there for as long as I can remember and they are really good.
If it has a split tailgate check the glass isn’t stiff or hard to open. Mine was and I didn’t know about it.. ended up breaking one of the boot mounting’s which was a pain.
Turbo pipe split as well.. £200 to sort. It came as a larger bit of plumbing.
I can’t get my bike in without dropping the seats. They are quite small boots.
In all really pleased with it. I’ll (hopefully) have it a long time.

Oh and if it needs tyres don’t skimp on them.. I got 2 tyres for the back at £100 each and I think they are a bit hard.. it can slide a bit in the wet..!

Had an 08 320d touring. Great engine and quite efficient for the power, went through much less fuel than current 2.2 diesel Mondeo despite being of a similar power output.
Agreed with above on boot size – not the greatest and would have to drop one of the seats even with wheels off.
Quite interesting to drive in snow/ice, muddy fields!!!

Big wheels = Harsh ride

I have a 10 plate one which is a company car. Its a 318d touring. It’s nearly 3 yrs old and goes back end of Feb. It has never missed a beat and has no squeaks or rattles and drives as new. It has done just under 60k miles and has had bike racks on roof all the time. It does around 45mpg for me which involves a lot of stop start commuting. The ride is comfy even though some people say the run flats are harsh. It does however eat tyres…. Space wise it is fine for us with 10 and 6 yr old but boot space not good if away for more than a weekend. The only thing that stopped me replacing it with a new 320d tourer is the limited boot space so am going for a 520d tourer next.

Got a 2007 330d. Bought it last summer and its now got 79000 on the clock. It still feels like a brand new car, and there’s nothing to show its age. Its interesting the poster above gets 45 from the 318d, im getting about 42 on average from mine- mixed driving. I’ve ditched the run flats and got normal tyres (SE spec help as well) You won’t get a bike in the boot with the seats up, you’ll at least have to put one down.

Me and the gf both have 05 E46s and are v happy. I do tend to keep the back seats down but I managed to get a 9’9” mal INSIDE the car which reduced the fuel consumption and drag on surfing trips. Mine had 120,000 on it, one previous owner and full BMW service history. I’d certainly have another.

E90 will be my next car, it’s a good choice.

I currently have an E46 with 182k on it! Still drives tight like a near new car and has never let me down.

If you are worried about sliding, get winter tyres for the winter months (I keep a set in garage and change over) they make a massive difference and can be had cheaply part worn. I’ve drove in -32 degree winter with snow and ice in estonia with no out of control moments when visiting the in-laws.

<Obvious Joke>
See if you can find one with the optional extra indicators – pretty rare mind
</Obvious Joke>

I’ve got a 2010 diesel tourer in loaded SE spec, it’s a great car in many ways but not without problems. I’ve had it from new and clocked up around 40k per year.

It’s been back to BMW a number of times…. New suspension at the front twice due to failed shockers and squeaks. New steering rack, new boot lid gas struts, engine out to have the tensioners replaced and a few other little things.

Other than the above it’s run like a dream, great to rack up the miles with 54+ mpg on a run and around 52 if driven locally and in town.

The boot space is pretty poor, but you can get a 26″ medium hardtail in the boot with both wheels off and under the luggage cover. Drop both seats and it’ll go in with both wheels on.

We’ve got a dog (springer) and he needs all the boot, so if you have children you’ll need a top box if you’re going away for more than a night.

All in all, it’s a good car, but the boot will be smaller than your 306 and something like a Passat tdi would be a better family/bike car choice.

I will be changing mine for either the new 320d or Passat if the new one is out next year. Hope this helps.

We bought an 06 520 touring a year ago last September with 88k on clock. It’s now done 106k and goes like a new car compared to our old focus! Can’t fault it apart from getting through tires a bit quick!! We went for 5 series due to having a little person to cart around with accessories 🙂 because after looking at 3 series the boot was not big enough. Some friends have bought a 3 series touring and now wish they’d gone for 5. Also my wife was quite worried about size of 5 series but within a few days she was more than happy driving around town and parking it etc. hope that is of some help

It does around 45mpg for me……… It does however eat tyres….

Heavy right foot 😉

Another 318d Tourer company driver here! Average about 55mpg, and just changing the first pair of rear tyres at 21k… 😆

Done 70,000 miles in my E91 330d, and still think it’s a great car. Agree with most of what’s been said above. Boot space isn’t great, but dropping the back seats is very quick and easy.

I wouldn’t worry above RWD. Electronic stability control magic is very good these days.

It will be utterly hopeless in snow, especially if you have the larger M-Sport wheels. Winter tyres fix this.

Mine’s been very reliable in the six years that I’ve had it. If you get an early one, there’s a known issue with a fuel vent pipe leaking that can be prevented for about a fiver, but which the dealer will charge £700 or so for a repair. I think the cut off was a build date of mid-06.

I had a 2008 320d touring with various bits and eco-toys. For 2 years only. I usually keep cars for 6-8 years.

Good things – the engine and gearbox and seats and heating
Bad things – totally unable to get anywhere in snow and ice (and winter tyres were a fairly costly, non-manafacturer endorsed option). The electrics were awful, the parking sensors and steering wheel controls would randomly stop working. The condescension of the dealers who are really just selling a German Mondeo. The flimsy vallance at the front.

The boot would take my singlespeed with both wheels out, but the FS was a stretch and a faff.

My last BMW was a 1981 316, which was much more solid and trustworthy.

Now I have a scooby legacy. The engine is less powerful and less economical, but in every other way the car is hugely better.

But RWD or 4WD/AWD is certainly hugely better than front-wheel so you will be making an advance there at least.

(and winter tyres were a fairly costly, non-manafacturer endorsed option)

I think it was actually the UK dealers who couldn’t get their heads around it. The German highway code requires winter tyres for driving on snow, so they were always a manufacturer option. After a couple of snowy winters, it looks like the UK dealers have finally caught up.

Had a 335d touring for a while, great car all in, although the load space isn’t really very big. I think the 320d is probably the pick of the bunch, quick enough, cheap to insure and good fuel economy.

You can expect the DSC module to fail on BMW diesels of that era at about 5 years old. Repair cost varies between £500 and £2000 at a dealer.

*Gazes with loathing at 120d on drive*

Thanks folks some useful feedback (as per usual).

Glad to hear that the build quality remains solid even with older, high mileage cars. Obviously, like most cars, there are flaws. In the 320d case, or BMW in general, it’s RWD in the winter months. If this ends up being a problem then we’ll move it on. I’m not sure it would be due to our circumstances (homeworker, city transport, etc) and like others have said the option of winter tyres.

Dropping the seats is not really a problem if this is required to fit the bike in. It’s certainly what I do now although it would be nice to get the bike in without this faff. So maybe I’ll take a look at a 520d Touring too. The missus actually liked the compactness of the 320d which was one of it’s selling points.

Fairly long – sorry!

I’ve had a ’55 plate 320D Msport touring for 2.5 years now. It’s done 120k (30k of them mine).

It’s not without it’s faults, but I love it to bits (call it charactaer!). Hate driving most other “normal” cars now.

Boot space, seats up, is pretty poor, however the back seat area is pretty big, so when the seats are folded the overall space is not dissimilar to my old Passat. The gap between the arches is a bit tight though. It’s had 3 bikes plus a fortnights worth of kit in it for 2 of us quite comfortably.

Economy is a bit poor. Mine (older 163bhp) was averaging about 40mpg when I first got it. A remap and changing the Thermostats (see owners forums) has got it up to 48mpg ish for normal all round driving. It’s shite in stopstart traffic though. (newer version with auto stop/start will be better here). The extra 40bhp from the remap lets it justify the “sport” badge too…

Mine is rattle/squeak free. Major reliabilty has been faultless. Failures have been both washer pumps (easy DIY fix), the thermostats (DIYable) and most recently the bluetooth module has packed up – this seems to be a commonish occurrence, with no known fix other than getting bummed up by BMW for a new one plus coding. It seems to be on it’s original clutch and exhaust. I changed the dampers this summer.

Mine has non-runflat tyres (both summers & winters), which seem to be recommended by most owners who have tried both non RFT and RFT. Winter tyres are well worthwhile – they’re just all round better below about 7°C – quieter, grippier before they’ve warmed up etc. A bit of weight in the boot and it’ll drive as well as, if not better than anything else in the snow & ice (allowing for the front bumper being very low!).

Driving is brilliant. True, it’s not an especially comfortable ride, but it’s absolutely fine on motorways and it feels really sharp and balanced on minor roads. Of the mid-sized diesel estates I tried when I was looking to replace the Passat, it was the one that felt nearest to the connectedness of riding a bike. (Audi A4 in comparison was utterly bland – could have been sat at home in the lounge watching TV with the sound off). Very much a case of having driven one, everything else got crossed off the list.

Hope that helps!

We’ve just got rid of an e90 330 tourer at work. Racked up 170k in 3 years and was still more or less screwed together. Think it had a gearbox and a turbo in that time mind you

Thanks Jon, nice write up

I’ve had my E90 320d M Sport for two years now, its the 163 and going strong at 70000 miles (as you’d expect). To be honest I absolutely love it, its 6 years old, 70k on the clock and feels very tight with no squeaks or rattles.

Rather than going on about how great it is below are my thoughts on things to keep in mind / be aware of before buying:

1) The M Sport suspension is very hard, particularly with 18″ inch run flat tyres; you will end up driving like a road cyclist looking to avoid potholes etc (Despite it being very hard I would buy another M Sport although my colleagues tell me their children complain when in the back of their M Sports)

2) The M Sport is known to destroy the inside edge of the front tyres; run flats are very pressure sensitive. In fairness my fronts had done 20 to 30K but whilst having 4mm remaining across most of the tyre the insides were almost on the canvas.

3) Tyres are expensive – 18″ runflats (Front 225/40/18; Rear 255/35/18) are £200 each for the fronts and £250 for the rears. Whislt the 18s look very pretty I find myself wishing I had the standard 17s on non run flat rubber to improve the ride and reduce costs.

4) As already said the front bumper is very low – be careful when parking in car parks etc.

5) A small point but headlight / indicator bulbs are a pain in the arse to change via a small removable flap in the wheel arch (yes the wheel arch!!)

6) If buying an approved used or from a.n.other garage request that the windscreen washer tank is removed and cleaned before you buy it – another common fault where gunk builds up and stops the washer yets working. It is considered wear and tear therefore not covered by warranty.

7) I’ve read some reports of the 177BHP engines developing timing chain issues; in short I think whilst it is supposed to be a item that lasts the lifetime of the car some engines have been destroyed because the chain jumped a tooth.

8 ) Main dealer servicing costs can be expensive and service intervals come around quicker than you might think. Whilst the 320d will do 20K between oil changes usually something like a filter change or inspection or something else will flash up on the computer! Also be aware every 3rd oil service is significantly more expensive due additional filters etc being required.

When looking for cars with optional extras I really recommend the Loudspeaker Business upgrade (cars with this extra have speaker grilles at the bottom of the window surround by the wing mirror) as it gives an amp in the boot and subs under the seats; and folding / dimming wing mirrors.

Things I don’t have that I really wish I did have: Factory fitted USB /IPOD integration, factory fitted bluetooth and auto lights / wipers (these are not standard on the M Sport)

If the funds allowed I’d buy a facelifted 3 series (new bonnet / headlamps / tail lights) on a 59/60/61 plate but rather than a 320d I’d ideally have the 330d but would compromise on a 325d for slightly more poke.

Have had a 320i MSport Touring for about 3 years. Had the DSC unit failure and also had the Coilmpack failures which are common in that petrol engine. Other than that my wife loves it. Yes the ride can be harsh and the boot is tiny but she loves the way it drives and would only swap it for a faster one.

The boot being small did mean I ended up with a 5 series Touring instead. Looks a lot bigger and is a great size inside but doesn’t drive that big, parking sensor display makes it a doodle to park and even in MSport the ride is less firm. Would def suggest test driving one though there is a significant difference between the standard and MSport in the handling. I did not like the standard one at all.

Couple more things I thought of…

Make sure it has Xenon headlights – the halogen ones are appalling.

Audio – mine had the “professional” unit – bluetooth and subs, but no ipod integration or tweeters – sounded very lifeless. I fitted the Alpine factory approved upgrade kit which gives you a boot mounted amp upgraded front door speakers and tweeters, and it sounds LOTS better now. Get the full monty setup if you can!

Get a proper 4 wheel alignment (Hunter) done the first time you fit a full set of new tyres to it. Everything is adjustable, and can get knocked out of whack. When I had mine done it made a massive difference to the fidgetiness of the ride – worth about 15mph on a minor road I drive fairly regularly. This should help with points 1 & 2 in Wurzelcubes post. I’ve had no issues with strange tyre wear.

Agree with JonEdwards – headlights can be a bit crap, better if kept clean but reminds me I need try and adjust them.

A good point above – if the chosen model doesn’t come with the Loudspeaker Business or above sound option you can have the alpine kit retrofitted for few hundred quid.

Wheel alignment good point, once the new tyres were fitted I had the tyre place check and adjust the wheel alignment – the car didn’t feel right so I bit the bullet and took it to BMW £150 later and I had a car that felt perfect. Whilst I’m not saying don’t use am independent just make sure they know what they are doing and set it up properly according to right specs for the exact model and wheel size.

Going back to the OPs post – if you are looking at cars with 60k the pads and discs will have probably been change already – if not BMW charge £200ish for front pads and £200 ish for front brake discs – Indys are 40 to 50% cheaper – trick is to make sure they use genuine sensor wires to avoid faults and misreadings.

New shape Mondeo estate. Honest John gives it 5/5.

Thinking of the same running an older car now my mileage is lower. Scares me though the mileages on a few cars but I do like the new Mondeos!

Just have to get my head around the depreciation verses higher mileage car and larger garage bills and make a decision by march time.

Thanks jon & wurzel, lots of food for thought. I’ll start looking properly in Feb so hopefully I can source a good example for my budget based on your recommendations.

I had the earlier model on an 04 plate. great car. never had snow while I had it so that was never an issue.

Had a problem with (I think) the alternator, which was swapped under warranty without much of a grumble; also a problem with the bonnet alarm sensor, also swapped under warranty. Main dealer in Harrogate was excellent.

Service interval approx 19k miles, depends on your driving; my daily commute of around 30 miles is about 1/3 urban 2/3 motorway, never got much better than 42mpg because of the urban bit. Boot not very big for an “estate” car – but bigger than the current Citroen C4 hatchback boot.

my biggest regret was getting one with pale grey cloth upholstery – got grubby very quickly & never really cleaned up. I put 100k miles on it between Feb 2005 and Sept 2009, never missed a beat.

Yes I’d have another, if someone else was paying for it.