[drmohitg]

JOY

On the back of this 3 letter word, we built a company.

Independent of everyone.

Accountable to no-one but the driver.

We don’t just build cars.

We are creators of emotion.

We are the guardians of ecstasy, the thrills and chills.

The laughs and smiles, and all the words that can’t be found in a dictionary.

We are the joy of driving.

No car company can rival our history.

Replicate our passion, our vision.

Innovation is our backbone but Joy is our heart.

We would not stray from our three letter purpose. We will nurture it.

We will make Joy smarter. We will push it, best it, break it – then build it again.

More efficient, more dynamic.

We will give the world the keys to Joy and they will take it for a drive.

And while others try to promise everything, we promise one thing,

The most personal, cherished and human of all emotions.

This is the story of BMW.

This is the story of JOY.

(Inspired by Flyingspur's excellent opening post that has cheered me up many a times when the mood is low).

[drmohitg]

Prologue

Well so where do I start from? Life is full of surprises and this one came as a big one. So let me first familiarize you with the current set up we were running on in our house. We have 4 cars in our garage currently and 3 drivers including my Dad, sister and myself.

1. Toyota Innova – Used by my dad daily. He is chauffeured.
2. Nissan Sunny – Used by my sister daily.
3. Toyota Altis – Used by me here in Vadodara.
4. Mitsubishi Lancer – Not used much now except an occasional drive now and then.

So one fine day my father said he was thinking to buy a new car for his travel to office. The reason being that he keeps his files and briefcase in the boot and earlier used to use the Honda city ( now sold) for the same. In the Innova he was never comfortable doing the same as the boot is practically visible from outside, more so after the sun films were banned. So there is a constant risk of theft when the vehicle is parked in public parking places while he is visiting some colleague. And hence started the idea of a new car.

Dad: I am thinking of buying a new car.

Me (not believing what I heard and trying my best to hide my excitement): Why? We just bought 2 of them in the last 2 years!

Dad: Well as I told you before I need a car with a boot.

Me: OK so what do you have in mind?

Dad: Well….. ( a pause meant I wasn’t going to like what is coming next), I am thinking of the Ritz.

Now my father , like most people of his age, has a thing for Maruti. They have grown up in the era when Maruti made the dream of owning a car possible for every person. Many of his friends own a WagonR or Ritz and have only good things to tell about it. They overlook the fact that all cars in today's age are more or less trouble free and might even work out to be cheaper to maintain than a Maruti at occasions. As expected, I was aghast at the suggestion and tried suggesting him to check out the Figo or Polo GT TDI instead but could see the Ritz as a potential winner in his calculations.So after a lot of fretting over this, I thought of a master stroke and tried a whole different strategy:

Me: Look if you are seriously thinking of buying a car then why not replace the Innova?

Dad: Are you mad? How will that help?

Me: See we are three drivers and cars are serious depreciation assets. So my point is that we should keep only 3 cars with us ( discounting the Lancer).

Dad: Hmm.. ( with a hint of interest).

Me: The Innova has done 1.2L kms and is getting old and boring. Why not sell it off and buy the Fortuner ( a vehicle that I always admired for its looks and road presence). Then I can get the Fortuner here and you can take the Altis. Problem solved!

Well in reality it was slightly more tough and it took some more days of convincing but finally he agreed to the suggestion even though he kept suggesting that he loves the Innova too much to let go ( Dads and there stupid fascination with the Innova!).

Which Car?

And so the hunt started. I narrowed down the list of potential cars to XUV500 and the Fortuner. The only thing holding me back in case of the Fortuner was the price! Even I was not able to convince myself to plonk 27 big ones on the beast which apart from looks didn’t serve any bigger purpose for us (Yes I do not do any off roading). And hence I decided to ask the opinion of the Forum members here in the following thread:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/suvs-m...-bmw-320d.html

My last 2 purchases were made by mind and I was cent percent sure that this time around its going to be a car that I really loved, practicality be damned. And hence after pages and days of discussion finally decided to look for a used Fortuner to offset the steep price barrier of the new one and if not then in the end go for a new one. Also in the meantime Dad was still not convinced about the Fortuner and kept dropping hints that he didn’t find the seats comfortable, ride was too bumpy, ingress and egress were tough for him and interiors were exactly like the Innova.

But then god had other plans and I came across member Sunnysm’s post about the wonderful deal he got on the BMW 320d. Suddenly the realization dawned upon me that the BMW, the car I had dreamt of owning as long as I can remember, is not too far away from the Fortuner’s price. Drooling with excitement I suggested this to my father and he showed interest, more so because he was still not convinced about paying 27L for a Fortuner. Also a couple of his friends had suggested him to look at Mercedes since he was spending so much and they had all seen advertisements of A and B class available for around the same price as the Fortuner. On top of it this meant he could continue using the Innova.

And suddenly my car hunt took off in a completely different direction. Before I proceed further I have to thank member and friend Sameerg001 for helping me in every step of this decision making process and matching the levels of excitement. So we sat down and shortlisted the cars we wanted to check:

1. BMW 3 series
2. Mercedes C class
3. Audi A4
4. Volvo V40 & S60

I was not interested in the X1, the german hatches like the A & B class or the Q3.

Even before proceeding to check them out, in my heart I knew I wanted the Beemer. The next car that I really loved out of the list and still do was the Volvo V40. The rest were there to complete the list as this was going to be the first time I was going to check these cars and wanted to be well versed with what all was available in my budget.

We started off with the Mercedes and the excitement levels were sky high. This was the first time I was visiting a premium car showroom, the ones which I had always looked at so longingly. But to the contrary my experience was really annoying and disheartening. The Sales rep there probably didn’t consider us worthy enough of his Mercedes on seeing us get out of our humble Sunny or that me and Sameer were wearing floaters or my dad was using those age old Nokia phones (just my guesses). But the lack of interest transformed in our lack of interest in the car. Even a Maruti sales person probably puts in more effort to market his 5L Rs car than the guy we encountered. Needless to say they didn’t offer us any brochures and I just told them to mail me the quotation. That was the end of it and the visit was not followed upon by any calls for a TD or whatever. No problems as I never anyways wanted that car! Infact it made my job simpler as my dad was slightly more in favour of the Mercedes since when he grew up a Mercedes used to be the epitome of Luxury. BMW arrived much much later and appeals more to our generation perhaps.

Next was the Audi showroom. Once again the SA there acted as if we were a couple of rag pickers ( this time problem compounded as it was just me and Sameer). We had to literally force the SA to take us on a TD as I wanted to see if the new improved Audi with its 177 horses was sluggish any more. The car did feel slightly sluggish and definitely not upto the claimed figures. The gear shift was smooth but you could still feel that slight lag while shifting gears. The interiors were one thing that stood out and I would say were better than the BMW and Mercedes in terms of layout, design and premium feel. The rear seat looked less roomy than the BMW and all this coupled with the not so good discounts on offer meant that Audi was also not really a contender anymore. Another reason possibly for the Audi not feeling as fast as the BMW can be the FWD set up. Even the Audi SA agreed that the RWD set up of the BMW makes it feel more faster than it is as it gives a certain push to the car.

Next day we headed to Volvo and I was surprised to know they have only 1 showroom in Delhi which was at the other end of the city. But the other one is in Gurgaon and that worked for us as the BMW dealer we were going to interact was also in Gurgaon (the same guy from whom member Sunnysm bought his car & hence promised to give us a good deal). All the way my Dad was reluctant to go to Volvo as he said the brand is totally unknown and all he remembers of it was when he drove one for some time back in the UK in the 80s. All this changed as soon as we stepped into the Volvo premises and I pointed him the V40 standing outside. The expression on his face was priceless and he for the first time admired a car for its looks and I quote: “ye car to baaki sab gaadiyon se bauhat alag lag rahi hai!”. We were attended to by an SA promptly and I told her we were looking at the V40 and the older S60. For the first time we felt that we were in a premium car showroom and the SA was actually interested in selling the car. After a detailed description of the car’s features, checking the display cars and drinking some coffee, we went for a TD of the V40. Now this sexy looking car is loaded with features from the inside too. You name the feature and it has it. The car even comes with driver side knee airbag! Another feature I loved was the moonroof. Now honestly a sunroof in our country doesn’t sound practical to me at all because of the weather and noise pollution. But the moon roof was something totally different. The feeling of the Sky above your head, the view, is simply amazing. It would look even more awesome if you are out driving in the rain. The TFT display screen was neat too and overall everything of about the car’s interiors screamed quality and luxury from every angle. The test drive was pretty good although there is a certain lag if you just jump on the race from standstill. The 150 horses would obviously be no match for the 180+ in the BMW. The steering feedback was spot on and the felt really planted and easily climbed upto 3 digit speeds in no time. The rear bench was a little short on under thigh support and head room especially for a taller occupant. There is a very small humming sound of the diesel engine that filters in and with little music playing the cabin will be dead silent. Bottomline is that the V40 is not for you if you are looking for a family car or a driver’s car. Its more suited to you as a personal vehicle that will pamper you a lot and will be really exclusive. Probably for college students perhaps? All in all it’s a beautiful car and a wonderful package.
The next car was the S60. Now this car had just got a facelift which meant that the pre facelift version was being offered at good discounts. This car too was fairly well kitted and had all the standard safety features of Volvo. The looks were appealing and I actually loved the Volvo’s dash design layout. The car boasts of 163 horses under its hood and the difference from the V40 was surely felt during the TD. This car felt more ready to respond to your right foot. The steering was again spot on and there wasn’t a fault that we could find in the car. The rear bench was also quite spacious and probably an inch more than the BMW.
Now the Volvo experience was excellent. But both the cars were finally dropped from the list because of lack of brand image. This being our first luxury car, brand image meant a lot. And I didn’t want to end up in a situation where I have to advertise what Volvo is in front of everyone in the family and friends. The V40 was dropped because it was a hatch/crossover, lack of rear bench space, Volvo tag and above all the lack of any discounts. At 32.5L OTR , it was as much as the BMW.

The next and final pit stop was at the BMW showroom. One look at the beautiful 3 series gleaming in there showroom in mineral grey colour convinced me as to what I really wanted. The TD just sealed the case. This car is the best I have ever driven. This was the first car out of all of the above in which that annoying lag when the car is shifting gears was not noticeable to all. The steering felt great to hold although I would have liked it even more if it was a little more bulky and meatier. I started my drive on the comfort mode and the car was responding very well to the throttle inputs. The SA was explaining about the features but I wasn’t really paying attention and rather enjoying the drive. And then he put the car into sports mode and in hindsight I remember him telling about this mode earlier which I had dismissed as more of advertising gimmick. But oh boy was I wrong. The car just suddenly transformed into a monster. It took me a second to realize that this is still the same car that I was driving a few seconds back. The smallest of movements by my right foot were being met by growling responses by the engine. Overtaking became like a piece of cake and the cars in front were more of obstacles to be crossed than fellow drivers to be overtaken. By the end of the TD, I had a full sized grin plastered over my face. The car we were going to buy was finally decided. JOY had come home!

Got a decent deal too from BMW. Details are as follows:
Ex- showroom price: Rs. 30,90,000
Registration and MCD charges: Rs. 3,91,000
Logistics and Handling: Rs. 25,000
Insurance: Rs. 68,000 with Secure thrown in for free for the first year
Discounts: Rs. 2,25,000 cash discount + Rs. 50,000 exchange bonus.
Freebies: Space saver tyre ( will get it in a month or so).

There was some confusion over the colour. I was always sold on the Imperial blue shade of the BMW but my dad liked the Havana more as he felt that the blue would need a lot of tender love & care. Sister was more keen on Mineral grey that she had seen on display or even the Melbourne red. After a lot of dilly dallying finally Imperial blue was chosen and the car was booked with Bird Automotive.

A special word of appreciation for the SA at Bird automotive, Mr. Shiv, who patiently handled all our queries and handled the negotiation process very well. Highly recommended!
Again thanks from the bottom of my heart to Sameer and Sunny for helping me throughout and answering all my queries. They also took great pains in the negotiation process and helped my dad since I was back in Vadodara by that time. Also a very special thanks to member and friend Utsav ( devilwearsprada) for taking out time to shoot the car and making it look even more beautiful. You rock guys!

[drmohitg]

Delivery process had got delayed a little since we wanted a nice number. But due to the upcoming elections the RTOs are not issuing any VIP numbers right now as most officers are on election duty etc. Finally managed to get 9779 which is also he number on my Altis and happily blocked it. But this is where the dealership messed up the experience as there RTO agent failed to show up at the RTO at the designated time and by the time he reached the number was allotted to another car :(. Not wanting to wait any longer since I had taken leave from work and flown to Delhi for the delivery, I went ahead with whatever number was available next.

Other then that the delivery process was real smooth. Gifted the SA a box of sweets and some chocolates and in return they presented us with some flowers, chocolates, BMW keyring and a BMW car freshner. The SA also promised us BMW t-shirts which are expected shortly, one each for Sameer, Sunny and myself .

Earlier I was the one who always used to take the car out of the showroom but this time I insisted on my father doing so. He was reluctant and wanted me to drive it out but I made him do it. Went straight to a temple for the customary pooja. Now the reason for why I am telling you this is that after the Pooja, I was totally expecting that my dad will pass on the keys to me now and take over the Innova. He had already driven a good 30 kms from the dealership to the temple. But to my surprise he didn't even offer it and couldn't wait to get back into the driver's seat. And for the first time I saw him enjoying a car. Starting from a red light on sports mode, Cornering at good speeds and what not! He did it all and I was having a real tough time keeping up with him in the Innnova behind.

Some pictures of the Delivery:

[drmohitg]

Initial Driving Experience

Styling and Exterior

The 3 series has always been a good looker. To me the F30 looks even better than the outgoing car. The only problem area design wise for me in the E90 was the tail lights design. In the F30 this has been addressed and the resemblance to the larger 5 series adds a lot to the looks of the car. Ofcourse for a 5 series owner it might not be the best scenario. The car has a very aggressive front end and although I would have preferred the traditional round corona rings, these new square ones too grow on you. They specially look amazing with the Imperial blue colour of the car, a shade that I feel defines the curves and lines of a BMW in the best possible way.

Interiors

The interiors are a familiar territory and the layout is similar across the BMW range. The material used is top notch everywhere and the beige colour adds to the premium feel. The gear knob is beautifully designed and looks really neat. Another good touch is to add the Parking button shortcut over the gear lever so you need to shift the gear from the Driving to Parking modes and can just press the button on the top. Black interiors was not an option as we all like beige interiors more. But BMW has gone a step ahead and made it all beige in a single shade. A Dual tone interior would have looked a lot better and broken the monotony. In this regard Audi’s dual tone interiors looked fabulous to me. Will add some car cushions and contrasting mats to break the monotonousness of beige. Another thing that I would miss are the sports seats with the added cushioning on the sides. They are much more comfortable.

Driving

184 horse power and 380 Nm of phenomenal torque.

Now this is where the car comes to its own. JOY has a new meaning when you drive this beauty and the car provides you a taste of pure driving pleasure. The car picks up speed easily and quickly no matter what gear you are in at the start of it. For a person like me who drives the Altis diesel as his daily car, the BMW experience has been close to unbelievable. The car is powerhouse of Torque and just pushes you back to the seat whenever you floor the accelerator. The 8 speed AT box is just phenomenal and currently the best in the segment. The gear shifts are hardly noticeable and the 8 speed box also ensures excellent FE figures, not that I care about them in this car. Currently the on board computer is showing me 15 kmpl and this included driving through heavy bumper to bumper traffic and kicking in the sports mode at the slightest hint of a free stretch of the road. Kudos to BMW for being able to extract so much power from this engine and still keep the FE figures high.

The car provides you with an option of 3 modes to choose:

1. Eco Pro mode: extracts the best FE from the car.

2. Comfort: The mode that you will find yourself driving in maximum number of times. The car responds quite well to slightest of jabs from your right foot and has a perfect balance for driving in the city or the highways.

3. Sports: This is what puts the car far ahead of the competition. The sports mode just transforms the car into something entirely different. The car starts holding on to the gears much longer and almost close to the redline. Apparently the suspension and steering also adjust slightly although I haven’t yet been able to appreciate that as the car is still in run in period and I haven’t pushed it around much.

Eco Pro is useless as the car kind of gets lethargic and honestly FE is not high on my mind when I am driving this monster. Comfort mode is ideal for city driving and provides the best combination of power and mileage. You can still easily close that gap ahead or overtake and there is not much sluggishness or any sort of turbo lag. Sports mode is the mode to drive this car in. This is total paisa vasool stuff. The growl of the engine is orgasmic. Interestingly I saw a few drivers who tend to race with you on spotting your car and pass those looks if you do not respond. My answer to them is a simple click of a button and activate my nitrous boost . Put the sports mode on and the rest is history. The car in front of you doesn't even has time to react and by the time even decides to downshift, you are gone a km ahead.

The steering is really nice to hold although I would have preferred it to be slightly more meatier. The Volvo s60’s steering was better than this. Overall the car feels really planted at whatever speeds you are doing and one just doesn’t realize the speed at which the car is. No more need for braking at corners. This one can manage most corners at close to 3 digit speeds. The brakes are spot on too and inspire a lot of confidence. There is slight noise from the engine that filters in but to me it sounds great as you feel more connected to the car ( Yes you can call me a biased fanboy).

Feature list

The base variant comes pretty loaded too and with the addition of Xenon lights and corona rings there is nothing much left to desire. It comes loaded with:

1. 8 speed AT transmission box with the 3 driving modes mentioned above. Also the AT box provides you with the tiptronic option for those times when you miss the manual shifts.

2. Servotronic steering i.e. the steering adjusts itself according to your speed. Pretty cool feature.

3. Rain sensor and auto head lights with headlamp washers and fog lamps.

4. Xenons with corona rings.

5. Dual zone climate control.

6. Roller sun blinds for rear back and side windows, a blessing after the sun films have been banned.

7. Electrical seat adjustment with memory function (2).

8. Engine start stop system and the auto start stop function ( found it little irritating although in cases of a long signal this can be quite useful in conserving some fuel).

9. Rear parking sensors.

10. idrive screen (16.5 cm) is a very useful addition as it adds a touch of premiumness to the whole package.

11. Brake energy regeneration system.

12. ICE supports Bluetooth connectivity and phone telephony is possible too.

13. Last but not the least the safety features are all there and these are standard across the 3 series range.

Couple of features that I am discovered in the car are (the list will perhaps grow slowly):

1. Both IRVM and ORVMs have the auto dim feature which is an absolute bliss. No more glare from the car’s behind.

2. As soon as you engage the reverse gear, the ORVMs change there position and focus on the area around the rear bumper to give you an excellent idea of the things behind.

3. The ORVMs open on there own if your car crosses speed of 40kmph.

4. Can’t call it a feature but this car gets you a lot of attention on the road!

So you will notice that even though this is a baseline model, it comes fairly well kitted and only difference between the highline trims and this are the sunroof, interior lights package and some bits of chrome here and there. I am extremely happy that I went ahead with this version with the Xenons and corona rings. They transform the ownership pleasure as the rings are a trademark BMW signature. Also the Xenons reall light up the road ahead even on low beams.

Few things that I would have liked more were:

1. Dual tone interiors similar to Audi.

2. Vanity mirror light. Now come on BMW. How much does it cost you to add a vanity mirror light. I never use one ofcourse but that was the first thing which my sister checked!

3. Placement of the interior cabin light: They have provided the traditional set up with the light placed in the centre of the roof. Looks very basic for a luxury car. My Altis has much better feeling soft touch individual lights for the front and the back.

4. Slightly bigger glove box.

5. Rear view camera would have been a welcome addition.

6. Puddle lights outside.

So that’s about it for now. Finally my dream has come true and the way it came true has made it even more special. After choosing a Japanese car twice in the last 2 years over the European Vento and the Jetta, at last we have a German in our garage and what a beauty this is! Thanks a lot to everyone who helped in the decision making process and your valuable opinions were highly appreciated.

Lastly I would like to thank Toyota from the bottom of my heart for pricing the Fortuner so atrociously that created all this confusion and ultimately helped me own my dream car. For practically 5L more I get a whole list of features, the BMW brand and one of the finest driver’s car this side of 50L.

Now I will shut up and let the pictures do the talking :

[drmohitg]

Continued:






Sameer giving us a Matrimonial shoot

[noopster]

Thread moved from Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

So, from Fortuners and XUVs to a 320d, eh? Why am I not surprised?

That seems decently loaded for a base variant. Am sure you can live without the sunroof and chrome. I was always under the impression that the base variant did not come with iDrive or Xenons.

Enjoy your new baby and do keep posting updates as you (and your dad) drive it more and more!

[IshaanIan]

Congratulations! I had followed your thread on which car to buy closely initially right up until you showed signs of leaning towards the BMW. I knew you would not want anything else.
Great buy

[vb-saan]

Congratulations Mohit! From the start of your what-car thread, I was quite sure that it will end up with something else. I was expecting to close on your ex-flame Jetta, but you ended up choosing Joy

Do keep updating the thread regularly

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by noopster

So, from Fortuners and XUVs to a 320d, eh? Why am I not surprised?

That seems decently loaded for a base variant. Am sure you can live without the sunroof and chrome. I was always under the impression that the base variant did not come with iDrive or Xenons.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Congratulations Mohit! From the start of your what-car thread, I was quite sure that it will end up with something else. I was expecting to close on your ex-flame Jetta, but you ended up choosing Joy

Do keep updating the thread regularly

Thanks for the wishes guys.

Anoop you very well know how my car buying always ends up going all around the place with confusion thrown in at every stage .

But yes I always loved the Jetta. But I always dreamt of a BMW 3 series. Who doesn't? And finally the dream has come true. Already driven the vehicle 400 kms in last 2 days and loving every minute of it.

[abs182]

Congratulations Mohit! I'm sure you'll now be aching to go back to delhi at every given opportunity. Car looks all handsome and wholesome. Enjoy it responsibly. Googd luck and God speed.

[dkaile]

Congratulation Mohit. So the Beemer bug finally caught up with you too!! Its finally heart over the mind. Good choice. So you got the base version, or am I missing something? How much extra was paid for the Xenon's and the Corona rings?

Wishing you years of trouble free drive...

[RickyC]

Many Congratulations Mohit for the wonderful car ! I do understand the JOY, excitement and happiness on acquiring the first premium car of your life, we too had one a couple of months back.
Enjoy the car to the fullest as it would bring a smile on your face every single time when you drive it.
As for the Sports Mode, it indeed is the best thing in BMW's, however do take care to drive responsibly and safely, specially in this mode. It can make you bonkers for sure !

[Burn_out]

Congratulations Mohit on your brand new acquisition. Really nice write-up. I was amazed at how; a discussion starting with a humble RITZ can lead to procuring a Beemer. Still, stranger things have happened. Enjoy your drives and hope to see a long term review for the JOY.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Congratulation Mohit. So the Beemer bug finally caught up with you too!! Its finally heart over the mind. Good choice. So you got the base version, or am I missing something? How much extra was paid for the Xenon's and the Corona rings?

Yes its the base model. The base model is fairly well kitted now. Check out the feature list I mentioned above. The difference between this model with Xenons and 2012/early 2013 models which came without xenons ( rest all features are same) was close to 2.5L owing to the higher discounts available on that car.
But if you ask me, the corona's are worth every penny!

Originally Posted by RickyC

As for the Sports Mode, it indeed is the best thing in BMW's, however do take care to drive responsibly and safely, specially in this mode. It can make you bonkers for sure !

I drive safe!
But even on legal speeds the sports mode makes driving so much fun. The 0-60/70 kmph is attained before you the other cars can even shift gears!

Originally Posted by Burn_out

Congratulations Mohit on your brand new acquisition. Really nice write-up. I was amazed at how; a discussion starting with a humble RITZ can lead to procuring a Beemer. Still, stranger things have happened. Enjoy your drives and hope to see a long term review for the JOY.

Car buying has become such a complex task now with so many options. And if your budget is not fixed then you are in for some really serious dilemma. So yes what started with the Ritz ended with a BMW.

[the_skyliner]

Congratulations once again!
Wonderful write up and pictures. Gosh, those corona rings look awesome!

3 series baseline is real VFM especially with the addition of xenons. We have discussed it multiple times already on your other thread.

Driving Altis as a daily drive will be a task for you now.

Wish you many joyful miles on the beemer.

Cheers!