BMW 320d 2013 - Advice please

I had a very lengthy discussion with my father last night who drove from CPT to PE in a 2013 320d. He said that the gearbox in the BMW, although not DSG, is apparently one of the best? Better than what the Audi and Merc came up with. Apparently they use some company that focus only on gearboxes and its working well for them.

I did notice when driving that the shifted was very quick and quiet even though not DSG. I am used to that seamless shift :)
 
Great car - ask for motorplan printout to see if it is a problematic car.

R280 000 is overpriced IMO

Friend of mine bought a 2012 320d, also f30, full house last year for R250k. had 50k on the clock.
 
techead said:
I had a very lengthy discussion with my father last night who drove from CPT to PE in a 2013 320d. He said that the gearbox in the BMW, although not DSG, is apparently one of the best? Better than what the Audi and Merc came up with. Apparently they use some company that focus only on gearboxes and its working well for them.

I did notice when driving that the shifted was very quick and quiet even though not DSG. I am used to that seamless shift :)
Click to expand...

A lot of reviewers have rated that 8-speed gearbox as the best auto single clutch system out there and having driven a few, I completely agree.

Go for a test drive - that'll be the real decider.
 
techead said:
I had a very lengthy discussion with my father last night who drove from CPT to PE in a 2013 320d. He said that the gearbox in the BMW, although not DSG, is apparently one of the best? Better than what the Audi and Merc came up with. Apparently they use some company that focus only on gearboxes and its working well for them.

I did notice when driving that the shifted was very quick and quiet even though not DSG. I am used to that seamless shift :)
Click to expand...

The company that you are referring to is ZF if I'm not mistaken. Its currently being used by :
- Alfa Romeo
- Aston Martin
- Audi
- Bentley
- BMW
- Chrysler
- Dodge
- Iveco
- Jaguar
- Jeep
- Lancia
- Land Rover
- Maserati
- Ram Trucks
- Rolls-Royce
- Volkswagen

Though not all models use the ZF gearbox, some like Audi/VW use their own S-Tronic/DSG variant in certain if not most models.
 
Yes it's nice, pricewise it's not bad but not great either.
The diesel on long road trips is a dream for fuel consumption.

Get rid of the ugly roof rack. :p
 
Well I'm still enjoying my E90 320d, got it for R240k with 36,000km about three years ago currently on about 70,000km. Current retail is about R200 on my car with extras. Recently drove an F30 320d and was just as nice, gearbox was smoother with the extra two gears. Steering was less tight.
 
I would try to find one that has the extras you want. ie sunroof etc.

Maybe pop into a BMW dealer and see what they could offer you for a trade in on your Jetta. BMW finance usually have discounted interest rates on selected pre-owned vehicles.
 
Does that model come with run-flats? That would be a deal breaker for me...

Good looking car nonetheless
 
techead said:
enlighten a noob please
Click to expand...

So the rim of the run-flat tyre is rigid, meaning that if you get a puncture you can still drive on it at a reduced for about 80km. This means you don't have to carry a spare tyre which is great for boot space. The problem is you can't repair a run-flat which means if you get a puncture, you have to replace the tyre. And since you generally don't replace one tyre, you have to buy two new run-flats.

They're more expensive than a regular tyre and the ride is generally a lot more firm.
 
Agent_Smith said:
So the rim of the run-flat tyre is rigid, meaning that if you get a puncture you can still drive on it at a reduced for about 80km. This means you don't have to carry a spare tyre which is great for boot space. The problem is you can't repair a run-flat which means if you get a puncture, you have to replace the tyre. And since you generally don't replace one tyre, you have to buy two new run-flats.

They're more expensive than a regular tyre and the ride is generally a lot more firm.
Click to expand...

shot bud, my dad mentioned this stiffer ride on the run flats as well.

there is no spare tyre, only a repair kit in the boot... So, my assumption is that the tyres are NOT RF.

let me find out though....
 
Runflats can be plugged like normal tyres. If you do however damage the sidewalls by driving it flat for too long you'll need to replace it.
 
Jewpacabra said:
Runflats can be plugged like normal tyres. If you do however damage the sidewalls by driving it flat for too long you'll need to replace it.
Click to expand...

+1

If you get a nail in the tyre you can plug it just like a normal tyre, however, if the sidewall is torn open you won't be fixing that on any tyre so the "hate" for runflats isn't valid.
 
Have you had a look on Autotrader and the like for similar models? Perhaps you can get that sunroof for around the same price
 
I have a 2013 320D F30 - Auto.
The 8 Speed ZF is widely regarded as pretty excellent and has been used in Audi and Porsche models and the shifts are smooth and very well judged - it rarely fudges a gear change and shift pretty much at the right time all the time.
All the F30's come with "ECO Pro" mode, but honestly I gave up using that mode as the car felt like I was driving a wet blanket.
Cool thing is you can push the gear lever over to the left and "manual" shift if you miss rowing the gears :)
The car has been rather bullet proof bar a few quality control issues at the dealership, but nothing was a result of mechanical failure.
I get around 6.5l/100km average most months. (fair bit of city/town driving) and usually +-850km per tank too.
Open road and you'll be getting less than 5l/100km (a recent garden route trip returned 4.8l/100km - 2 people, boot full and aircon on all the way)
Yes, it does come with RFT's and YES, you can plug them if you get a puncture. (I've had 2 tyres plugged) Oddly and seemingly common place is that the front outer tread seems to wear the fastest?
The Rears are going strong. Guys at TWT reckon I have another 10000km in the tyres - you should get 40k/km out of a set if not a little more.
You'll aso have the option to extended the motor plan in the 5th year if you want.
What options, if any does it have? All I can see are the xenons.(which work damn well)
I cannot comment on the price, but don't be shy to look around.
Overall, its a good car and a good dealership experience really makes it!
Happy motoring!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X