BMW 320d : The Expression of Joy

[FlyingSpur]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Congrats Flyingspur. The 3 series is a legend and the CE is superb value for money.

I think the CE has what BMW called leatherette in the US
HID kits can probably fitted aftermarket. Not bi-xenon
16s will give you better ride for Indian roads.
If you dont use a sunroof, then why bother
If one person is driving most of the time, then electric seats wont be missed.

What brand tires does it come with?

As VFM as can be. No plans for HID, of for that matter, aftermarket anything except sunfilms. Yeah, runflats notwithstanding, the 16" provide a more than acceptable ride. The tyres are 205 / 55 R16 Bridgestone Turanza ER300 RFTs. The chauffeur drives most of the time, and I have no utility for a sunroof

Originally Posted by iraghava

Congratulations Akshay!! Have fun with the bimmer!

Originally Posted by aah78

The E90 chassis is a really well balanced chassis like the older E46 so it won't disappoint on the corners as well. Take it to the ghats and you'll love the grip!

Thanks i-bhai and Aah !!

[Caramelo]

i think your decision is spot on. and heck you are buying a drivers car. you don't need half the gizmos around in it. do you get the chroma rings/ angel eyes with halogen lamps?. i think your lamps are not that bad they should be the ones with projectors. whats the final difference. (btw,i just love the white leds rings on the 7 series, my god it looks awesome)

about the idrive. it don't know which version does it comes with but if its the older version. then its better that you don't have it.

finally i can't stop myself. i would like to highlight few good points of the german brands.

bmw is joy.

audi is quality.

merc is bling.

and vw is err.... premium stuff without any premium.

[FlyingSpur]

Originally Posted by Caramelo

do you get the chroma rings/ angel eyes with halogen lamps?. i think your lamps are not that bad they should be the ones with projectors. whats the final difference. (btw,i just love the white leds rings on the 7 series, my god it looks awesome)

about the idrive. it don't know which version does it comes with but if its the older version. then its better that you don't have it.

yes, it has the corona rings. Now THAT would have been a deal-breaker if absent, believe me i asked them whether they're there for sure. The idrive is the new version which is really good, but i dont mind not having it around.

now i need some advice quick. The car's being delivered tomorrow morning, and i have spoken to a tyre dealer regarding the switch of runflats to normal tubeless tyres.

1. What are my tyre options? I need comfort oriented tyres with good grip but they shouldnt have too soft a sidewall which is prone to cuts and damages. I think specs are 225/50 R16. Or around that (dont i sound stupid? Lol...)

Please mention brand and estimated cost.

2. Tyre dealer estimated over the phone that it will happen at cost. Is this a good deal? What can i expect for showroom-new runflat tyres?

[McLaren Rulez]

Flyingspur, congrats on the BMW!! Regarding tyres, is there space for a spare? If not, run-flats might be better since a puncture would make it impossible to drive any further.

[Vid6639]

flyingspur, the xenon's are the bulbs and not the full headlamp assembly.

The cost will be more of bi xenon's but not much more. If you break a headlamp, the xenon bulb may not break, just the headlamp unit. Xenon or no xenon, headlamp unit cost will be same.

[FlyingSpur]

Either ways, I did not see value in spending 1.5L for the xenons option. Also AFAIK Octy RS/L&K headlamps are more expensive to replace than regular Rider ones coz of Xenon bulbs. Anyway what i reasoned w.r.t. accidental damage is just an afterthought, not the basis of our car-buying decision.

There is no space for a spare or a space-saver, but I don't mind sacrificing boot space, I'll keep it in there anyway and treat it like a piece of luggage. I have some sort of cover for it. No choice, car travels outta town too often.

[vkochar]

Nice !! Congratulations !!

I did not know the Corp ED had only these exclusions you listed out. I thought even Leather was missing. Dakota's quite nice although nappa as everyone would have guessed is a more expensive leather.

16'' rims are reasonable and runflats have few fans here in India.

So a saving of almost 10L is too good !

So my question is how much On Road did you pay for the Diesel Beemer ? ( I am sorry if I missed it if you already mentioned it )

Eagerly waiting for the pics. Give us a few from the Interiors and a closeup of the Leather Seat & Stitch if possible for me to judge how the Leather is ? ( I am in the Leather Business so I can make a comment )

[theragingbull]

Congrats buddy! Great choice. There's a very small percentage of people in India who'd pick up a car just for it's performance credentials rather than look at the whole package. I'm glad you are amongst them.

The most obvious choice in this price range was always a Honda Accord 2.4 or the Skoda Superb. But BMW has now turned tables by launching the 320D CE. Most of the accessories that have been removed from the Highline can be easily found at any after-market shop. But since it's the ultimate driving pleasure that you've gone for, I'm sure you'll not miss the iDrive also.

Looking forward to pics and the review. Also, if you could just tell us how much did it cost you OTR?

[FlyingSpur]

Originally Posted by theragingbull

Congrats buddy! Great choice. There's a very small percentage of people in India who'd pick up a car just for it's performance credentials rather than look at the whole package. I'm glad you are amongst them.

Correction : I DID look at the whole package. And it was very well packed

[akhilesh51]

Great Great Buy, mate. I am sure you are going to have many a happy moments in the gorgeous Bimmer. (Drooling, Drooling!)

Originally Posted by flyingspur

yes, it has the corona rings. Now THAT would have been a deal-breaker if absent, believe me i asked them whether they're there for sure. The idrive is the new version which is really good, but i dont mind not having it around.

now i need some advice quick. The car's being delivered tomorrow morning, and i have spoken to a tyre dealer regarding the switch of runflats to normal tubeless tyres.

1. What are my tyre options? I need comfort oriented tyres with good grip but they shouldnt have too soft a sidewall which is prone to cuts and damages. I think specs are 225/50 R16. Or around that (dont i sound stupid? Lol...)

You know what, these were exactly my thoughts. A bimmer without few features is fine but a Bimmer without corona rings is like a BMW without kidney grills. A certain deal-breaker for any BMW fan.

As for the tires, I think you should stick with RFTs now as I have been advised myself by a lot of people. The general consensus is to switch tires once the RFTs lose the tread. Multiple benefits - Controversial or not, you gotta experience them atleast once.

[vigneshram]

really great buy.i wish in was rich.LOL.congrats saab

[FlyingSpur]

Just took delivery and put 150km on the odo What an awesome experience. Will update with more soon enough. God this thing is awesome. Meanwhile, for some reason, my dad decided that we are sticking with the RFTs !! Since I didn't have a say in the matter, fair enough.

[Caramelo]

@flyingspur.

* can u tell us about the service and maintenance package that BMW offers how much do you have to pay for it? (everyone says its the best among the Germans)

* about the run-flat tyres. i have heard that they are a pain in the neck as their costs are a bomb when it comes to replacement. whats the real deal. i personally think run-flat technology is quite good. and i would not mind having it. i trust the BMW engineers judgement. they must have made changes to make them suitable for country like india?!!

[FlyingSpur]

Originally Posted by Caramelo

* can u tell us about the service and maintenance package that BMW offers how much do you have to pay for it? (everyone says its the best among the Germans)

One of the main reasons we chose BMW. BSI ranges from 1.4L to 2.9L depending on 3y/60k km to 5y/100k km. Pay once, forget for five years. Except accidental damage of course. Makes infinite sense given that regular servicing, parts, consumables and labour is ridiculously expensive for the Germans.

* about the run-flat tyres. i have heard that they are a pain in the neck as their costs are a bomb when it comes to replacement.

True.

i trust the BMW engineers judgement. they must have made changes to make them suitable for country like india?!!

In one word, no. But I don't mind retaining them because mine are 55 profile tyres on 16" rims. Ride quality is just about acceptable. With 17" and 45 profile tyres, not that great. Bumpy on bad roads. Simply suited for the Autobahns and nothing else.

[gomzi]

Congrats Akshay!

The 320d CorpEd is a fantastic buy and tremendous value for a beemer if you can live without a few whistles (bells, it still has).

Those BMW advts get me revved up and want to go get one immediately. It doesnt help that the showroom is 5 mins (driving) from my place either

so when do we get to ride in it?

Originally Posted by flyingspur

Well, I'm not the one clicking, that's why the uncertainty. Pics and write-up to follow soon.

hmmm, waiting for Kartik kya? Lets meet up soon, i'm missing that delicious shwarma.

Oh and did you get it at the pre-budget price? I can't seem to find that thread now.