[dkaile]

My dream car gets better. Great photos moralfibre. But somehow it doesn't seem such good value anymore like the previous one. It's treading nearly into 5 series territory.

Also I read somewhere on this forum that some Tbhpian got to see a corporate edition of this new model or was he confusing it with the old one? Also the price of both the base and mid diesel variants has been listed as 31.5L. Is that correct or is a correction required?

[SmartCat]

The new BMW M5 has hydraulic steering while the 5 Series makes do with an electric one, just like this 3 Series. So BMW knows what enthusiasts really want!

And talking about the design language, why do all cars in the premium entry level segment look so angry?

Grr!



Grrr!



and finally

Grrrr!




Although the latest iteration of 3 Series looks sharp, nothing can beat the ageless timeless design of this 3 Series.




Moralfibre: Nice first official review! Did you insist that you will accept the moderator post only if the key fob of the new BMW 3 series is handed over to you?

[Utopian]

Awesome review. . The interiors of the Sport variant are too good. Only the runflats play spoilsport to the whole deal.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by Sahil

Start stop: I don't get why every manufacturer is jumping on this bandwagon, its an annoying feature ! The only time I experience it the most is when I am passenger in my friend's CayanneD and it makes me want to tear my hair even though I am not driving.

It improves their ARAI/EPA fuel economy numbers... so there is a marketing benefit even though it many not help in real life conditions.

[saketa]

Fantastic Review! But Diesel engines aside, would you guys say that among the petrol luxury compact saloons, the A4 is a clear winner? Or not by much? (As compared to the C200, Old 320i)

[W.A.G.7]

Great review of a very nice car! I liked the front look, which looks much more purposeful now. The red colour looks simply amazing; and the alloys on the 328i are much better looking than those on the diesel one. If I were to get a BMW it would be in this colour.
Thanks for sharing those beautiful pictures as well.

The feature won't kick in until the engine has reached its operating temperature or the climate control has brought the cabin to the desired temperature level.

Can you explain this feature? Engine optimum operating temperature is ok, but I didn't quite get; what the climate control and cabin temperature has to do with starting/stopping the car.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by GTO

The last car that I drove and highly recommended was TEN official reviews back (the Hyundai i20 diesel). The F30 joins my highly recommended club.

Didn't realise such a hallowed list existed. Can you please enumerate in one place all the cars that are part of your "highly recommended" club. Just very curious to know.

Cheers

[Hayek]

Fabulous review, which is likely to tempt lots of folks into considering this car (irrespective of whether or not they can afford it, or their family will appreciate their spending so much money on it). I personally liked the 328i enormously - the car blew me away, especially the first time it was put into sport mode under hard acceleration (even if over just a 150 meter stretch). After that, the 320D was a trifle disappointing, both in terms of the much poorer acceleration and the level of noise filtering through into the cabin.

I agree fully that the rear seats are inferior to the Superb, but they are an enormous step up for BMW. In fact, at my driving position, knee room was better than in the 5, even if under thigh support was a trifle limited.

The only thing that seems to have been missed in the review (or perhaps I missed it while reading) is that the reverse camera, navigation, sun roof etc are available only on the 320D luxury plus, and not there in the sport line or luxury line. And the rear blinds and xenon lamps are missing from the base version.

I think the mechanical hand brake which omits an auto hold function is a big miss compared to the C 250 CDI - it forces you to keep the brake pressed at signals, which can get a bit painful. On my test drive in Bombay traffic, I found the start stop stopping to work within about 10 minutes, perhaps due to insufficient regenerative charging of the battery.

Pricing of the luxury plus is crazily high, especially right now with no discounts on offer - a couple of friends picked up 520Ds for the cost of the 320D luxury plus. Given that the 520D has better noise insulation, a better sun roof and the auto hold feature (offset by a smaller iDrive screen), I expect that price to drop a bit.

One of the many negative consequences of our insane petrol - diesel price differentials is that BMW have kept the fantastic 328i as a trophy vehicle, and are selling it only fully loaded. Looking at the fact that the 328i with heads up display et al is just Rs. 1 lakh more than the 320D, they could have launched a "for enthusiasts with less money" version for a bit more than the entry level 320D.

[cosmopolitan]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

The F30 BMW 3-Series has been launched in India at a price of between Rs. 28.90 - 37.90 Lakhs (ex-Delhi).

I have enquired about the price of base version of F30. Unfortunately base version of 320d is only sports version according to Platino Classic Kochi which comes around 31.xx.

By the way - great review. Congrats.

[deepjaju]

Awesome review as usual.
Which variant in the diesel is the best and VFM ?

[Nitrous Power]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Can you explain this feature? Engine optimum operating temperature is ok, but I didn't quite get; what the climate control and cabin temperature has to do with starting/stopping the car.

Start/Stop will not work if in-cabin temperature is higher/lower than what you have set on Climate Control. This is to ensure passenger comfort. If you have set the climate control to 18 C and in-cabin temperature is higher than 18, you don't want the A/C to be turned off, so the Start/Stop will not work at that time. Also, as mentioned in review, Start/Stop de-activate the compressor and runs only fan.
Hope this explains!

@Mods: superb review as usual!

[AirbusA340]

@moralfibre - Nice work man. Wicked! Pictures, write up, opinions,..., all take time and it shows.

@Akshay - good job. Gives a very decent contrast for E and the F, with both having their share of good bits and bad.

Looks like the 20d's engine bay needs a damn good wash and detailing.

Keep it up guys..

pEaCe

[suhaas307]

Something that I'd forgotten to mention in my previous post..

BMW seemed to have gone out on a limb to ensure that they keep the 'Indian' customer happy. At the cost of out-right handling, they've softened the suspension and have ensured that the ride is much nicer. I'm sure the never-ending complains from the press and customers alike forced them to rethink the suspension setup and ride-quality for Indian roads. Which is a great move, considering the 'Indian' context.

But if they were THAT committed to selling a product that the Indian customer will be happy with, why didn't they re-consider the run-flat tyres on the new F30? Sure, you can drive it even after a puncture. But for how long?

And the space-saver is optional? This, after going back to the drawing board and tweaking the ride-comfort for rough and uneven Indian roads? How did they manage to over-look this? It may seem frivolous at first, but this effectively reduces your 3-Series to being a city-car. In a BMW like the X5, the huge boot should be able to engulf luggage for 4 and even the spare-wheel, so it shouldn't be a problem. But in the F30, the 480 liter boot isn't particularly large to begin with. It isn't designed to accommodate a space-saver / full wheel - tyre without compromising on boot-space.

C'mon BMW. If you're truly serious about building and selling a car that can deal with the typical Indian scenario, why don't you go the whole hog? Although at this point, I'd like to believe that there is no real solution to this, unless BMW completely redesign the boot to accommodate a spare-wheel. Or if tyre technology takes a gigantic leap forward over the next few months.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

The Auto Start / Stop System:

Basically, each time that the vehicle comes to a halt, the engine is automatically switched off. At this time, the air-con blower (not compressor) and stereo system continue to function. The minute you lift your foot from the brake pedal or move the steering wheel, the engine automatically switches on. The feature won't kick in until the engine has reached its operating temperature or the climate control has brought the cabin to the desired temperature level.

Does this system actually switch the engine off the minute the car comes to a halt? If I remember, in the Passat it was after 3-4 seconds of coming to a halt. Incase you need to come to a halt and then start after 3-4 secs if it switches off and on, I'm sure it will be pointless.

For example you come to an intersection, stop to see any car coming from both sides for a few seconds. To switch off and on is a waste.

Originally Posted by GTO

My second problem is that there is no space for a spare wheel! Why reinvent the wheel? At the least, leave that choice to the customer.

If you look at it they removed the wheel rather than reinventing it.

ps: Couldn't resist that one.

[deetjohn]

Fantastic review with great pictures. moralfibre and team, thanks for sharing.

Love the Sportline, inside out. I don't like the headlight and the grille touching each other though. If we had some sheet metal inbetween, I feel the F30 will look even better. Also, I love the ORVM of the E90, this one looks a bit too flat for a BMW.

Like mentioned in the review, the 328i got a lot of exposed wires inside the hood. Was it a pre-production vehicle? And I have a feeling the 50 allotted for India will fly off the shelf.

And is the 328i available only in Sportline? I think I saw a 328i TD car in my office last month and it was a luxury variant.

Originally Posted by moralfibre

The brakes also have "drying" and "fading compensation" features.

Would like to hear more on this.