Yet another car itch - fast diesel estate

No, but when I saw the thread title, that was exactly what I was going to suggest.

I don't understand why people get small-medium sized estates. Surely you'd want a big one to move stuff?

otherwise get an equivalent sized hatchback

Got a 335d Xdrive touring. It’s great, 313bhp I think, very quick and good handling. Easy to average 40mpg with mixed driving.

They map up to a comfortable 370bhp so I’d expect a sub 4.5 seconds 0-60 at that.

Kramer +1

I'm trying to decide whether to remap my 320d F31 which is by far cheaper but will it wear things out prematurely, or go for the full G21 M340d for all the mod cons.

Thing is, I've been reading the pension & savings threads too much and now cant bear to spend money 😀

Saw a nice looking Mercedes AMG one in black earlier on, very smart. The chap came right up behind me on way into a roundabout when I was coming home, I don’t think he realised I was in an EV after we went through it and both accelerated a bit.. 🤪

340d
E400d

Pick your size, mid or full. Got a 2017 535d currently and if I stay diesel the E400d is my next car.

Audi S4 has been a diesel for a few years now so worth a comparison perhaps.

I don't rate the E-class as a nice drive.  They always feel light at the back and nervous under braking.  They also sound noisy inside.  I really like the styling and interior, but sadly it'd be a no for me.  The BMW is almost the opposite.  I like the drive, but hate the exterior.  The interior is quite nice, but the Merc feels better in all but the most exclusive trims.

Saw thread title and came here to say m340d.

Boss has one and it's quick enough and fits in the kids, dogs and their associated stuff

I don’t understand why people get small-medium sized estates. Surely you’d want a big one to move stuff?

otherwise get an equivalent sized hatchback

They're generally bigger and with a more practical loadspace than a hatchback, usually have a fold flat floor, usually have a guard for the rear load area (so you can fill it without things coming into the cabin in a crash) but are nimble enough (especially a RWD BMW) to be able to park almost anywhere even in small space or tight car parks.  I've never felt the need for anything bigger than our 20y old 3 series and that's with 2 kids, bikes and weekends away.  Air suspension could be useful, but space is always fine.  tight, but fine.  Optimal you might say.

I don't know what people do with 340 bhp in a country with speed limits the least powerful estate you can buy will exceed by enough to lose you your licence. That's when not crawling in traffic or in a stream of so many cars already around the limit that there's no point overtaking.

I suppose this is another thread like the watch thread, spending silly amounts of money on something a Casio does better.

In that case Educator, you won’t be interested. Move along, nothing for you to see here.

@Educator +1

@Blazin-saddles +1

On the contrary it's fascinating comparing what people write here with what they contribute to the green tax thread. And what they write on cycling safety or public health and being ill all Winter etc..

Whatever you choose in this category it:
a) will be as expensive as the Landy to fix if it goes wrong
b) had better have good brake lights (possibly 🤔)
😉

@Edukator +1

Even in the only country at you could perhaps justify it, Germany, a 130hp Passat will do the same job and still kill you.

Bigger engines with more torque make sense in vehicles that are designed to move heavy loads, such as vans or trucks.

I don’t know what people do with 340 bhp in a country with speed limits

You could say that about almost any car.

I changed my slow old XC90 for something with quite a lot more power and it's so much better for overtaking old dears, caravans, etc.

I dont really drive any faster than I did before, but having ample power available I think makes driving more relaxing and safer.*

Not everyone lives in a built up area - I very regularly do a 100 mile journey that is 60% dual carriageway and 40% fairly open A road.

* I'm 60, no points and not had an accident in about 18 years - even then it was someone driving into me.

I also drive a 1L Fiesta which is great!

Bigger engines with more torque make sense in vehicles that are designed to move heavy loads

I also use it to tow my 2 ton boat and trailer combo.

I suppose this is another thread like the watch thread, spending silly amounts of money on something a Casio does better.

I disagree on that point.  With watches, there are watches that are feats of minature engineering excellence which should be celebrated as such.  Sure, a Casio F series will tell you the time for about £20, but doesn’t have the engineering excellence of other watches.   The question that’s needs to be understood and that some of the watch nerds on that thread  are seeking is how do I own something of such enduring quality.

Everyone’s context may be different and might not fit with yours.

People buy things on emotion, feel and pure want!

I bet everyone saying these cars are pointless also have things in their homes that are pointless and wouldn't pass the spreadsheet 'is it sensible' test.

Yup it's the "ownership" that does it for some people rather than having something that is practical and does the job. A Dacia Jogger does the job of being an estate car better than BMW touring in that is has a more voluminious load space whilst consuming much less petrol than the BWM does diesel and producing lower volumes of ultrafine particles - roll on Euro 7.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_22_6496

Well didn’t this thread suddenly become very preachy.

honestly, I think it’s much more polite to simply keep your nose out of threads where people are sharing interests that you’re personally uninterested in. Coming into a thread with the specific intention of raining on someone’s parade is pretty small minded imo.

Isn't this just a normal STW thread?

It goes like this:

I like lemons, can anyone recommend a new lemon or something similar but betterererer?

The lemon fans jump in

The lime boys pile in too, stating that limes are so much better.

Someone says that you're an eco monster for liking lemons. Another person adds your lemon is going to kill my kid due to condition ABC

Then right at the end that weird person who loves a pomelo starts a fight. Nobody likes pomelo

What the **** is a pomelo?

Obviously a Dacia Jogger isn't fast. Red card.

On the contrary it’s fascinating comparing what people write here with what they contribute to the green tax thread

I am 55 years old this year, and have lusted after "performance" cars all my life, whether that's a Lambo or an Octavia VRS.

I know they are shit for the environment, need to be taxed to the hilt and will be phased out. But if I get to the financing position to own one before they all go, then I will get one before they go, enjoy it, and enjoy paying whatever green tax is required to offset my stupidity.

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=pomelo

What the * is a pomelo?

F knows, but I like oranges

Casio F series will tell you the time for about £20, but doesn’t have the engineering excellence of other watches.

Engineering excellence? I’d say that designing something that is more accurate, requires no maintenance (apart from a £1 battery every few years), is accessible to millions of people around the world, and can be sold at a profit for £20 is a much greater engineering achievement than something over complicated, less accurate, requires expensive services, and costs many many times more to make and buy.

Nope, you aren't comparing apples with apples.

My iPhone is a major technological advancement and is more accurate than my Omega, but my Omega is a mechanical device not reliance on computers, signals or technology - and is 1 second a  month minimum as accurate.

A Dacia Jogger does the job of being an estate car better than BMW touring in that is has a more voluminious load space whilst consuming much less petrol than the BWM does diesel and producing lower volumes of ultrafine particles

You say that, but I thought I wanted a Dacia Jogger, because I'm skint and I like driving slowly while carrying lots of stuff. On close inspection they're total dog shit.

@johnhe - there are some 'contributors' to threads with, let's say, a particular slant to their posts; this includes, but not exclusively, the patronising tone.

Let's be honest, most casios look shit and are about as serviceable as a brick, despite the funkier ones costing silly money. Crap argument.

And a Dacia jogger looks like it'll be great but it's uncomfortable and a bit crap in everything except being ****ing big.

I've a tiny engined (sp?), estate car that's a joy to do motorway miles in but frustrating when caught behind a slow arse on country roads.

I can understand wanting a car with some poke for those times.

Just what we need , the Bhp police .

Why don't we all ride Carrera MTB.

Wear Casio calculator watches

Drink instant Nescafe

Go on holiday to Weston super mud

Drink Carling

There's a reason , because they're all £#1π

Nope, you aren’t comparing apples with apples.

I’m comparing watches with watches.

Another aspect of vehicle ownership to consider is perhaps the impression that it gives others? If you’re retired like me and don’t particularly care about image you could trundle around in a 33 year old Landrover however, if you’re in business perhaps there’s a need to be a bit more conscious? If you run a bicycle shop and run a top of the range Merc, some may think you’re successful and some may think you’re labour rates are too high and you don’t pay your mechanics enough. If your business involves “networking” at the golf club and the Masonic Hall then a top of the range Merc, Audi or BMW might be thought of as appropriate, it gives the right image even if you can’t afford it. If you run a construction/civil engineering company and pay people poorly on short contracts or zero hours then perhaps a bottom end Ford, Vauxhall or even Dacia may well fit the bill and ruffle the least feathers.

I’ll not go into my views on fast cars, I’ve entertained those on the appropriate threads.

As I said, ours will average 40mpg. I suspect some of that is through power savings we make by not using the indicators.

Nope, you aren’t comparing apples with apples.

But what about the pomelos?

I had a an 01 530d which i chucked a bigger turbo on and spent some time remapping, amongst other stuff

was epic fun, producing probably only a measly 260hp and weighing a good 1800kg, had it in both auto and manual form, would pull from about 1600rpm  strongly, 3rd gear pulls were fun as hell as it would take you from 30 to illegal and beyond with no need to shift. And when i manual converted it would realistically average 40 odd mpg

the flipside of that (in auto form) it was the perfect cruiser

useless as an estate though, i believe modern 3 series are the same sort of size now

also the the most most time consuming car mechanically i have ever owned...went from that to my Mazda and the amount of personal time i have back from not fixing stuff....

pomelos

Aren't they French apples?

I don’t understand why people get small-medium sized estates. Surely you’d want a big one to move stuff?

otherwise get an equivalent sized hatchback

The car of choice topping my list at the moment is an M340d. The tourer is more practical than the saloon and (arguably) cooler. I don't need to lug huge loads, but there would be times for work when some loadspace will be handy. I don't want a hatchback 🤷

I don’t know what people do with 340 bhp in a country with speed limits the least powerful estate you can buy will exceed by enough to lose you your licence. That’s when not crawling in traffic or in a stream of so many cars already around the limit that there’s no point overtaking.

My last car was 450bhp. Ironically, the points I've had on my licence in the past 35 years were 30 odd years ago in a 1.7d Astra van and a couple of years ago in a Land Rover.

Re: some other suggestions - not a fan of Mercs at all tbh

I don’t think you can go wrong with a BMW estate as a daily driver, especially with the 6 pot diesel. Can just about squeeze 2 adults, 2 kids, dogs plus camping stuff etc in with a roof box.

I wanted rwd and preferred the smaller size of the earlier car so found a low mileage e91 335d lci (took months to find!). After some work it now has around 390bhp/820nm so no slouch but very easy to live with and relaxing to just potter around in.

Sure the 340d would be even better, you should deffo buy one.

A nice EV would be much faster and just as big inside 😁

i used to quite like a pomelo, I've not seen one for ages though.

my Omega is a mechanical device not reliance on computers, signals or technology – and is 1 second a month minimum as accurate

I don't wish to be impolite here but is it bollocks.

Feel free to go and research the watch, the tests, and test it yourself.

It’s probably worth pointing out that when all cars involved in the dieselgate scandal were checked using a fair system out on the road, the BMW 3litre diesel engine had the 3rd lowest NOx and co2 emissions of all cars tested.  Only the Jaguar engines were better.  They still didn’t pass the test (were it conducted on an open road) but they were very, very bloody close.

Had a 340i before and after it got nicked I changed to a 530d. Both in touring.

530d nicer place to sit, bigger boot, but although realistically as fast as the previous 340i it just misses that excitement. It’s extremely competent ( unless it snows) but just a bit dull in comparison. Friend has moved opposite way from a 330d to a 540i and is loving it.

If you want fun go for petrol. Otherwise a fast diesel is just that. Fast but somewhat dull

Ive a 530d xdrive 50plus mpg.... love it

But

More cash... d5 alpina....

Wear Casio calculator watches

I was having some of my old tattoos touched up last week, and I noticed that my tattooist was wearing a Casio calculator watch, and the woman who owns the studio was wearing a gold one: I hadn’t seen one for years and they’ve re-introduced them.

I’ve built up a collection of mechanical watches, as anyone who’s been on the watch thread knows, but I’m happily wearing a Casio ‘CasiOak’ analog, which I’m really happy with, it’s nice and light for a change.

However, as another Casio I own shows, just ‘cos they’re all electronic, doesn’t mean it guarantees accuracy that’s any better than a mechanical watch, because it really doesn’t, plus it’s a real pig to adjust because it gains about a minute a week, and it can’t be wound back, only forwards, holding a stupid little button down for what seems like an eternity, or at least until the heat death of the universe.

Nope, you aren’t comparing apples with apples.

My iPhone is a major technological advancement and is more accurate than my Omega, but my Omega is a mechanical device not reliance on computers, signals or technology – and is 1 second a month minimum as accurate.

Neither are you ... that's Apples with Omegas?

I am 55 years old this year, and have lusted after “performance” cars all my life, whether that’s a Lambo or an Octavia VRS...But if I get to the financing position to own one before they all go, then I will get one before they go, enjoy it...

Username ... erm, hang on... no it doesn't.

Cutting through all the crap and titting about - what you need is the Brabus Rocket Edition AMG G63.

That will scratch ALL of your itches.