Team-BHP > Team-BHP Reviews > Official New Car Reviews


Reply
  Search this Thread
2,800,338 views
Old 29th May 2019, 17:52   #1846
Team-BHP Support
 
Turbanator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 6,681
Thanked: 28,121 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by ddndrive View Post
Can someone please share the name and number or mail ID of some senior person in BMW India whom I can share the issue and raise a complaint ...
write an Email to

Contact.india@bmw.in

They usually reply in 2-3 working days
Turbanator is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 4th June 2019, 22:03   #1847
BHPian
 
Kelly66's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 97
Thanked: 79 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by graaja View Post
When it comes to aftermarket HUDs, the performance will mostly depend on the transparency of the screen and how well they are able to project the image on a transparent screen.

Of the two products you posted, I think the one with its own reflection board will be a better choice. Can't comment on how good the performance would be, though.
Hi,

I bought the HUD with the reflection board from Aliexpress (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2019...366f3c00FJqGtD) and got it installed today (delivered in 11 days).

Here are some pictures just in case someone wants to go for it.

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_20190604_164029.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_20190604_164108.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_20190604_163931.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_20190604_164046.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_20190604_182533.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_20190604_170254.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_20190604_170324.jpg

Next in line, I am considering moving from my 6.5" screen to 10.25" Multimedia Navigation System, similar to the one in this link:

https://avinusa.com/10-25-bmw-3-seri...on-system.html

Would be good to know if anyone has gone for this on their 3 series or evaluated any such upgrade.

Cheers!
Kelly66 is offline   (3) Thanks
Old 4th June 2019, 22:15   #1848
Distinguished - BHPian
 
Dr.AD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Bangalore/Pune
Posts: 1,791
Thanked: 18,412 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly66 View Post
Hi,

I bought the HUD with the reflection board from Aliexpress (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2019...366f3c00FJqGtD) and got it installed today (delivered in 11 days).
Thanks for sharing this. The HUD looks good.

How did you stick it on the dashboard? As I mentioned earlier, I also bought one similar HUD. The only problem is that it does not stay in place and keeps sliding on the dashboard. I am not using it for that reason.
Dr.AD is offline  
Old 4th June 2019, 22:24   #1849
anb
BHPian
 
anb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Idukki
Posts: 816
Thanked: 3,172 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly66 View Post
Hi,

I bought the HUD with the reflection board from Aliexpress
Looks good. Is there any delay in showing the speed ?
anb is offline  
Old 4th June 2019, 22:51   #1850
BHPian
 
bharatbs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 418
Thanked: 155 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly66 View Post
Hi,

I bought the HUD with the reflection board from Aliexpress

Attachment 1881900

Cheers!
Looks good.

You can gently manipulate that cable so that it is hidden away, inside the door beading.

Just use an old credit card to push it under the beading, there is a lot of room there, and you can get rid of those cable holders.
bharatbs is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 4th June 2019, 23:18   #1851
BHPian
 
Kelly66's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 97
Thanked: 79 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr.AD View Post
Thanks for sharing this. The HUD looks good.

How did you stick it on the dashboard? As I mentioned earlier, I also bought one similar HUD. The only problem is that it does not stay in place and keeps sliding on the dashboard. I am not using it for that reason.
As you can see in the HUD dashboard area, I have kept that rubber anti slip pad on the dashboard. There is an adhesive under the HUD which sticks to the rubber pad. In fact, I have kept one door bead under the right side of the HUD since there is slight tapering of the dashboard towards the right side.

I suggested the magnet option to you. Another option is to use a double side tape and if it sticks on.

Quote:
Originally Posted by anb View Post
Looks good. Is there any delay in showing the speed ?
Thanks. No perceptible delay in showing speed. Only the L/100 km fuel consumption may not be very accurate. I am yet to check out all the settings.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bharatbs View Post
Looks good.

You can gently manipulate that cable so that it is hidden away, inside the door beading.

Just use an old credit card to push it under the beading, there is a lot of room there, and you can get rid of those cable holders.
Thanks. Yes, they have provided a trim tool for it. Will get it done. I wanted to make sure the positioning of the unit is correct. I could also keep it above the instrument cluster (arched dashboard area) but that will make the base unit visible. I feel current position is best since only the HUD reading is visible while driving.

Last edited by navin : 5th June 2019 at 12:13.
Kelly66 is offline  
Old 8th June 2019, 13:40   #1852
Distinguished - BHPian
 
drmohitg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Liverpool/Delhi
Posts: 5,439
Thanked: 7,539 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Car went in for its yearly oil change service and they said that it is also a part of the EGR recall programme. Kept the car overnight to reprogram things as part of the recall.

My SA handed me 3 cans of the BMW diesel additive as complimentary ( we have a rapport with each other) and advised to use them in every alternate or 3rd tank refill. Is it advisable to use it?

Lastly I had an issue with the ICE where twice the ICE screen went blank even though the radio kept running in the background. I was told that this is due to excessive heating of the screen and as a result it turned off for sometime and came back. There was an error present too for the same, although I was stupid enough to not make a note of it. And since the car is under BSI, one does not get a copy of the documents. Has anyone else experienced this?
drmohitg is offline  
Old 14th June 2019, 09:45   #1853
BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 61
Thanked: 24 Times

Hi all, we have a 2016 320D Prestige (LCI) in the family, which has the smaller 6.5 inch idrive screen. Is there any plug and play solution to install a reverse camera, such that the image displays on the idrive?

I've heard of Bimmertech MMI but would like to see it in action first. Any good installers in Mumbai that I can speak to? Thanks a ton
Carmageddon is offline  
Old 17th June 2019, 11:49   #1854
BHPian
 
Kelly66's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 97
Thanked: 79 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carmageddon View Post
Hi all, we have a 2016 320D Prestige (LCI) in the family, which has the smaller 6.5 inch idrive screen. Is there any plug and play solution to install a reverse camera, such that the image displays on the idrive?

I've heard of Bimmertech MMI but would like to see it in action first. Any good installers in Mumbai that I can speak to? Thanks a ton
I also have the same BMW model. Bimmertech MMI will cost you $699 but doesn't seem worth it. I was also evaluating the same. I am also considering their Vividscreen which will upgrade the screen to 8.8" and the MMI comes with it for $599. If you add on their Rear camera to this will be addl $300. At $899 it seems a good deal, but only worry is whether warranty will become void. Screen is almost a replica of BMW OEM. See video below:




There are options in Aliexpress which give you the same functionality:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Lian...c-205d0672b277

Above could be considered in place of the $699 option of Bimmertech but risk is it Chinese.


Alternatively, if you taking the Vividscreen ($599) option then you can look at :

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ayce...AbTest=ae803_4

This is only the camera which will work Bimmertech's Vividscreen MMI.


If you don't want to go through the hassle of wiring the rear camera you can go with a wireless solution like this, which should also work with MMI:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free...AbTest=ae803_4


I was researching the above hence could share the links quickly.

If anyone has done any such upgrade it will be good to know.
Kelly66 is offline  
Old 17th June 2019, 14:10   #1855
BHPian
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 61
Thanked: 24 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly66 View Post
I also have the same BMW model. Bimmertech MMI will cost you $699 but doesn't seem worth it. I was also evaluating the same.

I was researching the above hence could share the links quickly.

If anyone has done any such upgrade it will be good to know.
Hi Kelly66, thanks a ton for the helpful links. Will read through and keep you posted if I take the plunge.

I am normally averse to such modifications, but a recent change in our parking situation has led me to look at such options!

Last edited by Akshay1234 : 27th June 2019 at 13:36. Reason: Trimming quoted post
Carmageddon is offline  
Old 27th June 2019, 01:38   #1856
Senior - BHPian
 
coolboy007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 1,852
Thanked: 2,137 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Long term update on the 320D

I was willing to post an update from a long time but i had some thing planned for the 4th year anniversary for my car and thought why not get that installed and then post an update. My 2015 320D is now inching towards 30k kms on the odo and it has been a wonderful experience so far owning this car, would just like to list out the pros and cons over these 30k kms. I have done multiple trips to Himachal and last year did a Delhi-Bangalore-Delhi covering 5300 kms and the car has never let me down.
Thank you GTO, Akshay and other fellow bhpians who asked me to stretch my budget and go for this car instead of the Octavia diesel 4 years back.

PROS
1. The ZF 8 speed gearbox coupled with the 2.0 litre diesel really shines when it comes to performance, brilliant gear ratios and impeccable fuel efficiency. She just goes berserk in sports mode, that kick you get from the rwd really plasters a smile on your face. I have averaged 15-16 km/l on highways cruising at 120-130, with that big fuel tank, it translates to a nice range.

2. The steering and brakes are really great, on the crappy Bridgestone RFT's the car used to twitch a bit on braking but ever since i upgraded to 225/50 ZR16 PS3, that issue is gone. The steering may not have the feel of the earlier car but it is still damn well weighted and the ratio is quick too, on the twisties in sports mode, she really shines. I just hate cars with poor/light steering setup's.

3. Reliability with the Germans is a hit or miss but seeing the trend of Bmw's on our forum and my personal experience, the car has turned out to be the most reliable of all the cars we have owned in the recent past (Vento, Linea, Ecosport, Fiesta). Rats chewed on my wiring when i was in bangalore and the car threw a lot of errors, i was ready for a big bill but Navnit repaired the wiring for 1600 INR. 2 things which need replacement in my car now are - horn and blower motor which should be covered under my 5 year warranty plan. I have done Delhi-Bangalore-Delhi in this car and the reliability so far really gave me the confidence to do such a long trip in a low slung German.

4. BMW dealers are not too great when it comes to good service but the support offered by BMW India has been always good whenever required. They don't turn a blind eye to customer mails like VAG. I had a 3 year BSI pack so have not spent a penny on routine maintenance till now, next month would be the 1st paid service. The brake pads on my car lasted 26k kms and with my kind of driving, i was amazed they lasted this long.

5. The air conditioning is excellent, again a surprise coming from Germans. I have a black car but the air con even in sweltering Delhi heat really chills the cabin quickly. I have now encountered an issue with my blower motor and it may require replacement as it is making a lot of noise.

CONS
1. I may get some brickbats for saying this but the stock car's ride and handling package is rubbish if you compare to BMW standards. I don't know why they can't strike a balance, E90 was too hard and F30 is a bouncing machine. With stock 225/55 R16 RFT's (124 mm sidewall in a Bimmer is criminal), there was oodles of body roll and the rear end just kept bouncing like a ping pong on all long wave undulations. You get that floaty feeling on highways and it really gets on your nerves after a while.
The 225/50 R16 PS3's helped solve the floaty feeling a little but i knew i would have to upgrade the suspension.

2. The interior build is not as good as i would have expected, a couple of squeaks and one rattle have creeped in now. When you park the car in sun these days, the entire audio/air con panel, the left lower panel where you rest your leg makes creaking noises when pressed and it feels damn cheap with those groans/moans. BMW really need to work on these bits, not expected in such an expensive car.

3. 2.0 litre diesel's refinement is really average, it is a very vocal engine even on low revvs. Outside NVH is superbly controlled but the diesel engine's noise keeps filtering into the cabin, this is a known issue as the 2.0 litre diesel is inherently noisy.

4. The low seating position tires you out if the roads are in a bad shape since you have to constantly strain your neck to look out for potholes and find a way out to ensure you take the best way out so your underbelly scrapes the least, oh yes, i have taken the car to such places as well. I also find the under thigh support lacking for the front seats in my car.
Upgrades on the car
Michelin PS3
BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-7987328c31124325bf957a91b58a68b5.jpg

The stock RFT's were durable and that is it, i covered 24000 kms on them with not even a puncture. I drive very slowly/carefully over bad roads and that may have helped. The ride was jittery, road noise high and grip levels were poor, could make them squeal and make the rear end slide even with all electronics on. The stock size on my car being 225/55 R16, these had a sidewall height of 124 mm which is almost SUV standards and contributed to the floaty feel and body roll.

Upgraded to Michelin PS3 in 225/50 R16, have done 4000 kms on them and what tyres man. Very smooth tyres, good ride despite being a sporty tyre and it is impossible to make them squeal, they just cling on to the road like leech with zero road noise. Extremely satisfied with the upgrade, i don't if these tyres being very light helped but the vertical movement reduced immediately after replacing the RFT's with these.

Bilstein B6
BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-b6c96933599a4c96aad4c5ed905afcb5.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-c782b0a0cc634edfa0756d08418ae57c.jpg

I knew i had to get Bilstein B6's as i had enough of bouncing around like the old gen Verna, thanks to fellow member d_himan for answering all my queries and other members who had upgraded to B6's. Finally tdc automotive had B6 in stock after waiting for 2 months and i wasted no time in ordering them, costed around 56k all inclusive whereas dealers in India were asking 1 lakh+.

After driving 500 kms on them, i just want to kick myself for waiting so long. These dampers have totally transformed the car. She now rides absolutely F-L-A-T. It seems as if some hand from above is pushing the car towards tarmac, you can feel the difference even in straight line. Lane changes, hard cornering is a piece of cake for the car now and i smile like a stupid man when i do high speeds now, all that floaty feeling is history. I should have upgraded earlier.

Credit to BMW though, the stock dampers were all fine and had enough juice in them, all suspension components were checked and they had no signs of wear.

That's all folks, one more upgrade is pending and i intend to keep her for another 2-3 years before i upgrade to another BMW. Posting some images clicked all these years doing multiple trips and hurdles.

The TPH cover doing duty on the car, still solid after 2 years
BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_2020-2.jpg
Enroute Delhi-Bangalore
BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_3341.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_3377.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_3391.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_3397.jpg
That is me kissing my kid
BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_3405.jpg
Trip details for Delhi-Bangalore
BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_3437.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_3438.jpg
The issue i faced with rates chewing on the wires, car still chugged along
BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_3753.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_3754.jpg
Some pics of the G30 we rented in Europe, bmw love eh?
BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_5852.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_5720min.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_7710.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_8544.jpg

BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review-img_8548min.jpg

Last edited by coolboy007 : 27th June 2019 at 01:46.
coolboy007 is online now   (16) Thanks
Old 27th June 2019, 13:26   #1857
BHPian
 
lancerlover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: N.Delhi/Faridabad
Posts: 48
Thanked: 42 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by coolboy007 View Post
Long term update on the 320D
Thanks for sharing this, honest reviews like these make the time spent on the forum worthwhile.

A couple of years back when I was in the market for a new car, the 3 series was in fact my first choice, I have driven the 3 & 5 (family & friends) for a decent amount of time to have a fair idea as to what to expect but the cons were never more apparent than the time I decided to buy one.

I agree with most of the pros & cons you have listed except for the handling part and I have a couple of more cons to add:

1-The back seat - the rear seat is really short on space & add to that the transmission tunnel in the middle, this makes it really hard to use it as a family car.

2-Boot Space: With a space saver spare there is hardly any space left for the luggage, which again is a huge limitation given its cruising capabilities.

The harsh ride, interior quality, noise coupled with the space factor made me consider their other offerings & after briefly flirting with the X1 & X3, I finally booked (almost) the outgoing F10 520d only to cancel it a couple of days later as it was neither practical for my kind of usage (mostly city) nor for my city (severe water logging & poor infrastructure).

About the ride & handling part, the (stock) ride has always been very harsh but I have never personally experienced bounciness & as far as the handling is concerned, have always found the 3 to be the best of the lot in my limited experience driving these beauties. It has to be the 16 inch RFTs as you have already mentioned.

I will be in the market next year to replace my 2014 Duster, sticking to my practical approach it will be another cSuv/Crossover replacing it but if I decide to go with my heart, it will be a sparingly used/pre loved 320i/320d replacing it for sure & Will be closely following this thread till then

Last edited by suhaas307 : 28th June 2019 at 11:42. Reason: Formatting quote tags
lancerlover is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 28th June 2019, 09:07   #1858
BHPian
 
bharatbs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 418
Thanked: 155 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by coolboy007 View Post
Long term update on the 320D


1. F30 is a bouncing machine. With stock 225/55 R16 RFT's (124 mm sidewall in a Bimmer is criminal), there was oodles of body roll and the rear end just kept bouncing like a ping pong on all long wave undulations.
Assuming your suspension and the tyre pressure was in order, that is probably an issue with road surface.

Even with the glorified and heavily tolled NH48 between Bangalore to Goa. There are many sections where the tar has eroded by 2-5mm only where the truck tyres come in constant contact with the road surface (refered to as rutting). Which I beleive is due to overweight trucks and poor road construction.

You drive on this spot, the whole car vibrates, bounces after 110kph.

PS: BMW F30 only bounces your competition away

Rutting images: https://www.qespavements.com/node/113

bharatbs is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 28th June 2019, 10:44   #1859
Senior - BHPian
 
coolboy007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 1,852
Thanked: 2,137 Times
BMW 320d & 328i : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by lancerlover View Post
I have never personally experienced bounciness & as far as the handling is concerned, have always found the 3 to be the best of the lot in my limited experience driving these beauties. It has to be the 16 inch RFTs as you have already mentioned.
If you compare it to C class or A4, the 3 still outclasses them when it comes to pure feel and handling though Mercedes have improved tremendously. It is not just in India, BMW have softened the F30 world over, try searching on google and you would see umpteen posts about the unsorted rear suspension and floaty feel at high speeds.

The stock ride quality is infact so good you wont believe its a bmw running on runflats, whatever harshness is there, is because of runflats. Bmw have done no magic since this ride comes at the expense of handling.

The earlier gen cars were too stiff but then i personally find this 2 touches too soft.

If i were upgrading from a Vento, i would be very happy but we have the new gen Fiesta at home too and the expectations on the handling front were too high since the Ford had a lovely suspension set up and never used to bob at the rear with razor sharp agility.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bharatbs View Post
Assuming your suspension and the tyre pressure was in order, that is probably an issue with road surface.
The issue is more prominent in cars with 16 inch and 225/55 tyre size like mine but even the sports line does not have a properly sorted suspension. If you read our official review, it states that the rear end refuses to stay flat on undulations/mid corner bumps and this thing is there world over, the reason why bmw tweaked the suspension on LCI versions. Member graaja faced same issue and solved it by opting for m sport suspension.

The vertical movement from the rear end at high speeds on undulations gets irritating after a while.

90% of the owners would be happy with the way bmw have tuned the suspension, the rest 10% like me would crib since i bought this car for driving feel/handling and bmw is known for sheer driving pleasure, you just can not dilute the feel for customer demand.

Am glad that bmw is out with all guns blazing for the G20 when it comes to handling, usually all new gen cars go soft with light steerings but thankfully bmw did not do that this time.

Last edited by suhaas307 : 28th June 2019 at 10:57. Reason: Minor spacing
coolboy007 is online now   (1) Thanks
Old 28th June 2019, 14:41   #1860
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 46
Thanked: 33 Times
re: BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review

Guys I need your help, due to very stupid reasons I have misplaced the keys to my car

BMW Navnit is saying they need a month in order to get a new key. Any suggestions or leads where I can get a key faster/ earlier than that, and any idea on the process required for this?
shovan is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks