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-   -   BMW 320d & 328i (F30) : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/126290-bmw-320d-328i-f30-official-review-153.html)

Q3 is also in my radar :). It is a great car (or rather an SUV :confused:), engaging to drive and I like Quattro. The only gripe for me is the stiffer ride, especially for rear passengers. My little one has motion sickness and I doubt she'll be comfortable. Also, the engine remains similar, the VW staple 2.0 TDI albeit in a different state of tune.

I cannot give you an expert opinion. What I can give you is general user feedback as I own the same car from the same year. 328i to be specific which now has 95,000 on the odometer.

I'd say avoid. 120,000km is a lot for a European car (Yes I know their diesels are dependable but still). Its also not worth if there are no bells and whistles (What does this mean? No reverse camera, smaller iDrive?).

The next thing is that you'll be jumping into a smaller vehicle. This generation of the 3 is small. Two adults up front and kids at the back at best. Adults at the back feels like sitting on the last row seats of a 7 seat vehicle. Its really cramped.

The Jetta you have is better in terms of overall part quality. I mean plastics, materials used, etc. BMW played the cheap card for this generation and year of the 3. The second generation of the F30 improves on this a little. I think >2016 years and later.

In my view, this car isn't really a handlers dream. I rate the suspension as Soft. There is body roll. My car has brand new struts up front and handling did not improve so is not a case of worn struts. It isn't really a corner carver. If you like sliding and catching the rear, then yeah. Cause even with the Traction Control On, the electronics do let the rear slide out a little. Probably by design. Maybe the diesel has firmer springs. I don't know.

This may not be applicable to all cars. My car is a rattle box. Plastics rattle and creak and its weather dependent. I have a IRVM rattle thats driving me nuts. Silent when the weather is warm. Rattles to the point where I want to smash the unit when the weather is cold.

I find DSG's faster to shift than the ZF gearbox. The latter is more reliable though.

Its going to cross the 10 year mark soon. You will miss A LOT of modern bits that are available in newer cars. Yes, you can renew things to a degree.

In the end, your decision needs to come down to cost as well. If you are being offered a bargain deal, maybe its okay. However well the car has been maintained, you cannot predict what parts will need change. Not without owning and driving the car for sometime. Put aside some funds for this. A capable FNG is important. If you send your car to BMW for maintenance, I can guarantee it will bleed your wallet even more.

Thank you so much for your valuable inputs Sandeep. The Bimmer has clocked 70000 KMs (not Miles, my bad :Frustrati). The owner of the FNG where the car is being serviced since last 5 years is a friend of mine and he recommended me to buy it since he knows the entire service history. But still, as you mentioned, things can definitely go south with a 10 year old a pre-owned German and I have already reserved a couple of lakhs in my piggybank just in case.. ;). Yes, parts are expensive compared to Jetta.

I too have the opinion that Jetta's overall build quality is somewhat superior to BMW, especially those plastics and trim bits appears to be built to last forever. My Jetta's interior still very neat and clean and looks like an year old car.

F30 320d's suspension is also soft sprung when compared to Jetta. But what I felt after riding about 50 Kms is that the ride quality is much better than Jetta, especially in mediocre road conditions.

Hi, when I went for my last service the SA pointed out some fluid leak on the front right suspension. He said if I start hearing thud sounds or experience a bumpy ride while driving I will need to change it. I didn't ask what components will need to be changed but he said Front left and right should be changed together.

Would like to know how you decided that it is time to replace the suspension? Did you experience any fluid leakage before replacement or was it the noise? If front suspension has to be replaced as a pair will the Bilstein struts come with all related components for replacement?

Any suggestions on whether I should go for replacement or wait for some noise or bumpiness? I am not facing any issues while driving as of now. However, when I try to move the steering wheel 1 inch right and 1 inch left while engine is off I hear a slight click noise. I have only driven around 37K kms.

Clicking sound can be from links.

You can check for leakage from shock absorbers by running your finger on the chrome piston rod.

B6 is plug and play in 3 series. Be sure to order the correct number.

During installation- whether OEM or Bilstein, ensure that the mechanics have and use a pass through socket to let the allen key reach the top nut. Tighten to Bilstein recommend torque. Do not use an impact driver to tighten.

Thanks. I think I need to go to BMW for a clear estimate of what needs replacement and see if it is worth sourcing Bilstein and then going to an FNG for installation.

Anyone has any suggestions for a good FNG in Bangalore preferably closer to Indiranagar?

ais gave a far more detailed reply than I could ever have, but I will try and offer you a more primitive perspective of things.

He is correct in saying so, it would be piecemeal and perhaps folly to only fix one at a time, not to mention you'd struggle to get just one shock.

I changed my shocks simply because I did not like the soft, floaty nature of the stock suspension. That's it. I didn't have any leakage, or noise. AFAIK, the Bilstein's will come as a complete plug and play solution. You need to get nothing else.

I would say do it earlier rather than later. No point waiting for things to go to pot and then fix. Delay it a bit if it's not problematic as yet, but definitely do it without a long delay.

My sense is that BMW's OE struts will cost about the same as B6's, but B6's are OEM+. The B4 compares to the OEM struts.

Thanks. Did you buy it from https://bilsteinindia.in/product/bilstein-b6/? It says Rs.105000/- for 1 unit.

No, this is a redundant page. I got mine from KS Motorsport for my 330i as well as Polo GTI. I'll send you his number.

Nope. I sourced it through an aftermarket garage, I forget the name now. You’re best off sourcing it locally through aftermarket vendors and garages.

Hi everyone,
I am looking out for a clean used example of a 328i, but am worried about the N20 Timing chain failure and recall.
Were all cars in India recalled for the same ?
If not, is the ASS capable of replacing the same with updated parts to avoid this issue from happening.
Your valuable inputs are awaited
Thanks in Advance !

There was no official recall that I remember - my car also had the original timing chain.
The workshop should be able to update this part for you at your cost but do follow up to make sure it is the updated part and not the same one.

In my case both the independent and BMW mechanics didn't really push for a timing chain recall since it wasn't making any noise or showing any symptoms.

I recently had my timing chain, guides, tensioner and water pump upgraded to the new model. The N20 has an upgraded tensioner as well as an upgraded chain and guides. The water pump is the same. Parts and labour were around Rs. 38K in Bangalore. I got the timing chain kit, including water pump and tensioner from abroad. Most N20s are nearly 10 years old so it's prudent to have this done.

I took my car for an evaluation yesterday. The struts on FR and FL were found leaking. Since I was also getting a steering noise while turning extreme left and right, they ask me to change the guide support as well since the greasing may have gone. It wasn't visible from top though. Other parts to be replaced include washer gasket, spring pad (lower) and some bushing. I will be getting them replaced next Saturday along with wheel alignment. Estimate is around Rs.1.09L.

Guide support cost around 28K for a pair. I could have tried greasing and taken a chance but if noise comes again, will have to wait another week for the part then labour will have to be paid again. Couple of SAs in CBE BMW also advised me to change it now.

Hi Rishab, I am still using my F30 328i (2013 make). Never had any issue with the timing chain or had any recalls. As most of the other members have already suggested, there is no official recall for India and if there is any issue, the workshop should sort it out.