[swopsk293]

Okay so where do I start? It was a long pending decision to buy a car and Mercedes E-Class was the chosen target. But as fate would have it, the new E-Class planned for an early 2013 launch caught my eye.
"If it was going to be an E-Class, it would have to be the new one", was what I told my dad to convince him to buy it later.

But the Aveo was long due for a replacement! So it was decided that in addition to the E-Class, another car would have to be bought right now to replace the Aveo. And since the Mercedes was my dad's choice, I put my foot down that this car would have to be a BMW only! :-D

We also considered the new facelifted Audi A4. I had even posted this thread ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-c...w-audi-a4.html ) at that time, as some of you might know.
Thanks for all your help then.
For those who haven't read the thread, the BMW was chosen purely for its sportiness and awesome driving experience as against the sluggish CVT Transmission of the Audi A4. Many of our fellow Team-BHP members have purchased this same car in the past year, and reading all their happy reports on the car made my decision even easier.

Choosing which variant to go for wasn't a very hard decision considering that all other Team-BHP members who had bought this car, highly recommended it! So the BMW 320D Exclusive variant was decided. We called the BMW showroom one fine morning and by evening their sales guy came to our place in Thane for the negotiations and test drive.
When I took the test drive, I was completely blown away by the acceleration of the car. As all the others had posted about their car, you really feel pushed back into your seat as the car accelerates, no exaggeration!
The on-road price of the vehicle is 41.20 Lacs with octroi in Thane. I did ask for a discount and got it too. PM me for the exact discount amount.

The next week I went to their showroom in Andheri for a closer look at the car, as my mom hadn't seen the car the first time. I wanted the vermillion red colour like elantracrdi05's car. I had seen his thread ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...-bmw-320d.html ) and liked the colour very much! Everyone in my house also liked the colour. But again, BMW did not have the red coloured car in stock and I settled upon the Deep Sea Blue, which tuned out to be an excellent colour too.
I also went for BMW Secure and am planning to go for BSI too, but I have time till the first service to think on that.

All the formalities were completed in a day itself and thus began the harrowing 10 day wait for my car. I don't know how people wait for 4 to 6 months for their cars! 10 days was torture enough! :-D

I took the delivery yesterday evening, and boy was I impressed with the attention to detail paid by BMW, right from gifting chocolates to my mom, a wallet to my dad and what not. They know how to make you happy with the small things!
Since I had decided to put mud flaps on my car, I was called to the workshop at Andheri to take the delivery, instead of the showroom. I also got the BMW Mobility Kit and Black Rubber Floor Mats as extra accessories.

And by the way, in the BMW customer feedback form, there is a section asking which websites you frequently visit. And there in that section was mentioned the name of Team-BHP. Very proudly I ticked the box adjacent to it! :-D

The workshop of Navnit Motors at Mahakali Road.


The car was delivered very late from their stockyard in Bhiwandi since the reg. number was yet to arrive from the RTO.
Nowadays the rules have been made quite strict in Mumbai. You can't drive in and out of Mumbai on a temporary reg. number.

The car immediately after it arrived.








After the mudflaps were fitted, the car was washed.



Since I have owned only petrol cars before this (Chevrolet Aveo, Toyota Corolla, Daewoo Cielo, Maruti Gypsy), filling up Diesel in the car for the first time was a pleasant experience for my wallet.





Variants:

The 320D has a 2.0 Litre Diesel Engine with 185PS, 380 Nm toque and the Exclusive variant is the top of the line model. i-Drive is standard on it along with bluetooth, usb, aux and iPhone connectivity.
The difference between the Exclusive (Top) and Dynamic (Middle) Variants is the Real vs. Synthetic Leather, Xenon vs. Halogen Headlamps and Sunroof vs. No Sunroof. But I felt these three features were enough to warrant a 4 Lac difference in price, since you can't get these features retrofitted later on, even if you want to.
The only grouse I have is that even though the headlamps and all are Xenon, the Corona Rings are Halogen! Why couldn't they be Xenon too?
Also, the car only has rear parking sensors! Wonder why BMW didn't equip it with front parking sensors too. Most of the luxury cars in the 20Lacs+ Segment have those nowadays.

The awesome corona rings!!






Interiors:



i-Drive




i-Drive interface is quite cool and has all the functionalities you would expect from a car like this, including bluetooth connectivity, aux, usb, navigation, hands-free system, television, journey computer, etc.
There are 8 programmable buttons in i-Drive which can be set to activate any function you want within i-Drive. A very cool feature in these buttons is that, if you just lightly touch any button, without pressing it, its corresponding function is highlighted at the top of the screen.
So suppose some of your family member has preset a button for a certain feature, then you can just lightly touch the button (its hyper sensitive!!) to know which function it activates, without actually pressing the button.
The sound system by Harmonn Kardon is par excellence too. And all the connectivity options are exhaustive.
A very pleasant surprise I got was that GPS and Navigation was activated by default in the car! I had read in the reports of other users that the GPS & Navigation function is disabled and that the dealer quoted Rs. 91,000 to activate the same!



The Seat Memory function, Auto-Wiper function and the Auto-Headlamps function are very nifty and useful.
The air conditioner is very effective. Equipped with dual-zone climate control and rear AC Vents, it is sufficient in a car of this class. The seats equipped with lumbar support are very comfortable. Also included are the usual backrest controls and height controls and the forward-backward adjustments, all of which are electric and have the options for memory. Another interesting point is that in addition to the seat positions, the wing mirror positions are stored in the memory too. I found this feature very intuitive and cool! Also when you put the car in reverse, the mirrors tilt downwards to make the kerb visible, to assist in parking.

The interior design and quality is very good as can be expected of a BMW vehicle. The Dakota leather in the Exclusive variant is very good. You have to feel it for yourself to understand how good it is. The driving position is quite comfortable too. I had heard that the rear leg space in the 3-series is not that great. While it is nothing worth writing home about, it is quite enough for a 6 footer. However, the 5th person sitting in the middle at back may find it a slight squeeze. And the hump in the centre does not help in any way either.

Exteriors:

The car has the classic corona lights as DRLs. It also does look very good. The flared wheel arches also lend a certain sporty appeal to the car, or atleast thats what I felt.
The Run-Flats do make the ride harsh as I have heard. However since there is no space for a spare tyre, replacing them with normal tubeless tyres would be risky to say the least and would anyways void the warranty. But, the Run-Flats do give you a sense of security. Say you are running late for a meeting and get a flat tyre on the way, you don't have to get down and replace it with the spare tyre. You could just carry on and get the puncture removed later at your convenience. The same goes when you are travelling through any dangerous areas.
One grouse that I have with this car is its horn. Its too dull and quiet for a car like this. Even my corolla has a better sounding horn! But then maybe thats my personal opinion. Others might feel differently!

Engine:

The drive-ability of this car is quite good. I had heard many people say that the steering feels a tad heavy at slow speeds in the city. However, it is not that noticeable. Overall the car is a joy to drive. The brakes are top notch and have tremendous stopping power. Even the acceleration is very good. G-Force is noticeable when experiencing full-blown acceleration of this car. 0 to 100 comes in 7.6 seconds and the car easily goes up to 240 roughly. The car is quite smooth and there is no noticeable turbo lag at all.

Transmission:

This car has a 6-speed Automatic transmission with a Sports mode with the option of manually shifting gears. In the Sports mode, you have the option of either manually shifting the gears or letting the car decide best.

Suspension:

The suspension is a tad bit stiffly tuned for the sportier handling, but its in no way uncomfortable. But the handling is definitely sportier than its Mercedes counterparts.

On-Road Behaviour:

The car is a huge joy to drive and can manage to spark excitement even in the dullest of drivers! The car feels composed even at high speeds. One moment you are doing 70 kph, you press the accelerator and wait for the 'Push into the seats' effect and then with a satisfied smile you look at the speedometer to see a jaw-dropping 160 kph even when you are sure it feels like you are doing 110 kph. Thats how confident and composed this car is.


As of writing this review I have done 130 kms. in my car, even though i got the car less than 24 hours ago!! 40kms. of this was already done at the time of delivery. But I drove it as if I had driven it for years. And the power surge ('cause of the turbo I think) is very addictive!

Overall I am very satisfied with this car (who wouldn't be satisfied with a BMW anyways!) and will keep posting more pics and updates as I learn more about the new car! :-)

Also, do tell me if you want pictures of any specific thing in the car. I'll also try to take pictures with a better camera, since these have been taken with my phone.

[GTO]

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

[racer_ash]

Let me be the first to congratulate you for this awesome posession of yours. I have been and will always be a fan of BMW cars. The stance and the agressive styling of their cars are to die for.

Originally Posted by swopsk293

The only grouse I have is that even though the headlamps and all are Xenon, the Corona Rings are Halogen! Why couldn't they be Xenon too?

I suppose that since these rings serve as DRLs, they are preferred to be emitting Yellow light, since yellow is the colour that the human eye is most responsive to. Only halogens emit yellow light and Xenons would emit mostly white light. Experts can correct me if I am wrong

Originally Posted by swopsk293

0 to 100 comes in 7.6 seconds and the car easily goes up to 240 roughly. The car is quite smooth and there is no noticeable turbo lag at all.

Where did you test the top speed of the car?

Originally Posted by swopsk293

As of writing this review I have done 130 kms. in my car, even though i got the car less than 24 hours ago!!

Looks like you have driven it through some mucky terrain as your car already needs a good wash.

[abishek2222]

Originally Posted by swopsk293

Engine:
0 to 100 comes in 7.6 seconds and the car easily goes up to 240 roughly. The car is quite smooth and there is no noticeable turbo lag at all.

Congrats on the car.Wishing you many more happy motoring miles. Do check up on how much the Secure will increase to next year when you renew it.My first service bill was 45,000 so think about the BSI soon. Most of the sales people tend to push you to after the car has been sold to sell you on that.Considering we share the same engine its highly unlikely the car is going to top out at 240!. an accessory you may want to get is the replacement of the interior yellow bulbs to LED which i have got done using the original bmw replacement kit itself.

[Akshay1234]

Congratulations, it looks stunning in that colour. Nothing like a Bimmer in blue. If only hard colours were easier to maintain. Also good to see your car came with nav, lucky.

Totally right about feeling like you have been driving the car for years, even when you drive it for the first time. Its the same thing I felt when I took my first TD.

Abhishek - 240 is about right, maybe a few less. Also what BMW replacement kit did you get for LEDs? Any links?

[rishi_kapoor]

Congratulations on your new Bimmer. Drive Safe and Stay Safe.

By the way your manual recommends that you should not cross 2000 rpm and 150kmph for first 1500 Kms

BSI is must, choose 3year 60000 if you are tight on funds, you can always add another 2 year 40000 (at price of 3yr and 60000) later at a little extra price.

[abishek2222]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Also what BMW replacement kit did you get for LEDs? Any links?

Attached the PDF for the LED.
bmw.pdf

[rishi_kapoor]

Originally Posted by abishek2222

Attached the PDF for the LED.
Attachment 954146

How much did you pay for these? Thanks.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by rishi_kapoor

Congratulations on your new Bimmer. Drive Safe and Stay Safe.

By the way your manual recommends that you should not cross 2000 rpm and 150kmph for first 1500 Kms

BSI is must, choose 3year 60000 if you are tight on funds, you can always add another 2 year 40000 (at price of 3yr and 60000) later at a little extra price.

Sir the manual says something different. 2000rpm is ridiculously low, even for a diesel. Attached is a screenshot of the manual I downloaded, and I remember it saying the same in the manual I got with the car.

Abhishek - Thanks for that. Do the white LEDs look tacky in any way? Or do you prefer it too the yellow? I don't wanna end up with a ricey look, or make it look like I've retrofitted it.

[rishi_kapoor]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Sir the manual says something different. 2000rpm is ridiculously low, even for a diesel. Attached is a screenshot of the manual I downloaded, and I remember it saying the same in the manual I got with the car.

Abhishek - Thanks for that. Do the white LEDs look tacky in any way? Or do you prefer it too the yellow? I don't wanna end up with a ricey look, or make it look like I've retrofitted it.

Sir, I stand corrected. I remembered 150 bit, goofed up on rpm. Thanks.

[abishek2222]

Originally Posted by rishi_kapoor

How much did you pay for these? Thanks.

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Abhishek - Thanks for that. Do the white LEDs look tacky in any way? Or do you prefer it too the yellow? I don't wanna end up with a ricey look, or make it look like I've retrofitted it.

No, you can be rest assured it looks good.i prefer the white.personal preference. i will take some pictures from my car later and post them.
They will not look retrofitted in anyway. instead of the yellow lights you are going to get pure white at the source.it took 1 month after i ordered them for navnit bangalore to get it. depending on the number of bulbs in the interior you may need a set with more bulbs check with your SA.

[Alive2Drive]

Congratulations on owning a wonderful machine!!!

I am pretty sure it is a fun to drive machine and when it comes to comfort the BMW 320D is definately a bliss.

Happy Mile crunching

[agambhandari]

Congrats...and great surprise on the GPS front. Seems like BMW has silently put navigation in more of its models( other than the advertised 530d)

[abishek2222]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Abhishek - Thanks for that. Do the white LEDs look tacky in any way? Or do you prefer it too the yellow? I don't wanna end up with a ricey look, or make it look like I've retrofitted it.

These pics should clear any doubts.

[swopsk293]

Originally Posted by racer_ash

Let me be the first to congratulate you for this awesome posession of yours. I have been and will always be a fan of BMW cars. The stance and the agressive styling of their cars are to die for.



I suppose that since these rings serve as DRLs, they are preferred to be emitting Yellow light, since yellow is the colour that the human eye is most responsive to. Only halogens emit yellow light and Xenons would emit mostly white light. Experts can correct me if I am wrong



Where did you test the top speed of the car?



Looks like you have driven it through some mucky terrain as your car already needs a good wash.

Thanks a lot! The car is as aggressive to drive as the styling!

Audi & Mercedes, both have LEDs as Daytime Running Lights, also the 5 series as well. So I thought white would have looked better.

240 is what I have seen and heard about others on the same model. I haven't exceeded 160, that too I thought I was driving at 100 and when I saw the speedometer, then it was 160!! I was pleasantly surprised to say the least!

Originally Posted by abishek2222

Congrats on the car.Wishing you many more happy motoring miles. Do check up on how much the Secure will increase to next year when you renew it.My first service bill was 45,000 so think about the BSI soon. Most of the sales people tend to push you to after the car has been sold to sell you on that.Considering we share the same engine its highly unlikely the car is going to top out at 240!. an accessory you may want to get is the replacement of the interior yellow bulbs to LED which i have got done using the original bmw replacement kit itself.

I plan to take the BSI in a couple of weeks only. A BMW insider told me that I stand to save atleast 6-8 Lac rupees with a 5-year BSI plan. Thats quite a lot!

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Congratulations, it looks stunning in that colour. Nothing like a Bimmer in blue. If only hard colours were easier to maintain. Also good to see your car came with nav, lucky.

Totally right about feeling like you have been driving the car for years, even when you drive it for the first time. Its the same thing I felt when I took my first TD.

Abhishek - 240 is about right, maybe a few less. Also what BMW replacement kit did you get for LEDs? Any links?

Thanks Akshay! I had seen your thread and I wasn't expecting Sat Nav at all. I was surprised and happy on seeing it.
And yes the car is very nice to drive, there is no learning curve of any sorts.
Also please tell me how to activate the TV function, 'cause I did not find it anywhere in the i-Drive!

Originally Posted by rishi_kapoor

Congratulations on your new Bimmer. Drive Safe and Stay Safe.

By the way your manual recommends that you should not cross 2000 rpm and 150kmph for first 1500 Kms

BSI is must, choose 3year 60000 if you are tight on funds, you can always add another 2 year 40000 (at price of 3yr and 60000) later at a little extra price.

Thank you! I had even read your thread before my purchase. I think your black Bimmer looks very great too!

I know the manual says that, but its very hard to keep the revs below 3500rpm... the speed is very addictive!

I plan to take the 5-year BSI plan in a couple of weeks.

Originally Posted by abishek2222

Attachment 954264

No, you can be rest assured it looks good.i prefer the white.personal preference. i will take some pictures from my car later and post them.
They will not look retrofitted in anyway. instead of the yellow lights you are going to get pure white at the source.it took 1 month after i ordered them for navnit bangalore to get it. depending on the number of bulbs in the interior you may need a set with more bulbs check with your SA.

Thanks for the info! I will inquire about the white lights ASAP.

Originally Posted by Alive2Drive

Congratulations on owning a wonderful machine!!!

I am pretty sure it is a fun to drive machine and when it comes to comfort the BMW 320D is definately a bliss.

Happy Mile crunching

Thank you!! Yeah it is very much fun to drive and its very comfortable. I mean you feel the confidence of driving at 60-80 even when the speeds are at 160-180!!

Originally Posted by agambhandari

Congrats...and great surprise on the GPS front. Seems like BMW has silently put navigation in more of its models( other than the advertised 530d)

Yeah it was a really great surprise!!