[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Guys just posting for anyone who may be interested, my dealer has a 2013 manufactured 320d sportline in stock (brand new) at a mouthwatering deal. It is red colour with black interiors. It is available on road for about 3.5l less than the ex showroom cost of a new one today. Do message me if interested, so I can put you on to the right person.

And this same car is still with them, at approx Rs. 31l ex showroom with the M body kit.

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

And this same car is still with them, at approx Rs. 31l ex showroom with the M body kit.

Hi akshay, can they send it to Bangalore since it is the same dealer (Navanit)? Price is really good.

[drmohitg]

How does the rain sensor work in the BMW? Delhi does not see much rain and on top of it if its raining, I avoid taking the 320d out for fear of waterlogged roads. But last week there was an unexpected shower on my way back from work, more of intermittent drizzle, and I switched on the Auto wipers. But its working left me a little uncomfortable as at many instances there were too many rain drops on my windscreen, enough to reduce the visibility significantly but the wipers didn't swipe. In such instances I then manually switched on the wiper for a single swipe and then shifted back to Auto. At other times the sensor made the wipers swipe in very quick intervals even though only a handful of water droplets were present on the windscreen.

Was it possibly due to the intermittent nature of the rain that was proving it difficult for the sensor to accurately guide the wiper motion?

Second thing that has been bothering me is the news of various vehicles catching Fire in India. In a regular car, the door unlock knob can be easily unlocked manually in an emergency situation even when the electrical systems fail in your car. But in the BMW the knob pretty much goes inside the slot when in locked position and also does not have any kind of added grip/impression at its top which can be gripped well to pull it up and unlock the doors. Perhaps a design flaw? Most cars these days anyways come with the door locking knob placed on the sides near the arm rest which is much easier to operate rather than at the top of the door where the knob moves in the door panel.

[ajaypjayaraj]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

How does the rain sensor work in the BMW? Delhi does not see much rain and on top of it if its raining, I avoid taking the 320d out for fear of waterlogged roads. But last week there was an unexpected shower on my way back from work, more of intermittent drizzle, and I switched on the Auto wipers. But its working left me a little uncomfortable as at many instances there were too many rain drops on my windscreen, enough to reduce the visibility significantly but the wipers didn't swipe. In such instances I then manually switched on the wiper for a single swipe and then shifted back to Auto. At other times the sensor made the wipers swipe in very quick intervals even though only a handful of water droplets were present on the windscreen.

Was it possibly due to the intermittent nature of the rain that was proving it difficult for the sensor to accurately guide the wiper motion?

My observation is that, by default, the rain as well as light sensor sensitivity of the BMW is better than that of Skoda/VW. VAG (and Mercedes also with respect to light) cars seem to have a higher sensitivity setting, which could be raised/lowered to a certain level in VCDS (which I did in my Yeti so that the lights don't kick in too early), but by default I like the sensitivity setting in BMW than the other 2.

In drizzle sometimes it does not sense/wipe because, though the overall visibility has been compromised, the droplets are scattered around, and the sensor (which is just one small portion of the windscreen) might not sense sufficient rain to activate wipers. Kind of like how the frontal impact sensors get saved in a head on collision in some cases rendering the airbag useless by not deploying it when needed.

[sandeep108]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

How does the rain sensor work in the BMW?

The rain sensor is usually behind the rear view mirror on the windscreen. It is a small sensor but generally adequate. BMW (and usually others as well) have sensitivity settings so that you can adjust the wipers. In case of BMW it is a small switch on the wiper stalk. Downwards will reduce the sensitivity (wipers will be quite lazy) and upwards will increase it (a small raindrop will make it go mad!) The default should be adequate but as with all things auto, generally there will always be a lag.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Second thing that has been bothering me is the news of various vehicles catching Fire in India. In a regular car, the door unlock knob can be easily unlocked manually in an emergency situation even when the electrical systems fail in your car.

I think for BMW you do not need to bother with the unlock knob on the top of the door. It should go in as a theft deterrent. In BMW no matter what the situation, if the car is stopped, two pulls on the unlock handle will unlock the door. While connected to the car's system, it seems to be mechanical so there should not be any problem getting out of the car in any emergency.

[Akshay1234]

F30 vs E90 Comparo, again!

So I've been using an F30 for the past 10 days. My E90 was in the dealership for some minor work, and I had requested a loaner car which they very generously provided (had to wait a while till it became available though, but it wasn't an issue since there was just 2-3 small noises I was sending my 3 into the workshop for). It is an F30 luxury line, a spanking new 2015 model done 6k kms. White with saddle brown interiors.

Used it for about 700 kms in the past week, and here are my impressions. It will be a nice follow up to my post on the comparison, when the F30 was just launched here.

The looks have really grown on me, and I think it looks nice. 2 things mess it up for me, one is the chrome between the headlamps and the grille, and the second is the colour of the stop lamp bulbs (they look faded/dated). Small things which can be easily overlooked.

The interiors definitely do feel more modern, with the half saddle brown dashboard in the variant making it feel pretty luxurious. Some interior materials do look better than the E90 but feel the same, but some like the wood finish are definitely of superior quality.

The idrive, etc nothing needs to be said. I don't know why BMW chose to give the basic idrive on all variants. Its sad not having navigation or a hard disk to store music, or even the smaller screen for that matter. The speakers certainly do have better bass than the ones in the E90.

Lets get to the drive. The engine now feels louder than my E90, simply because of the power kit that my car has which really makes it much more refined. Other than that the 8 speed gearbox is a lot better than the 6 speed in my car. Though flat out both will be very similar, but in city driving is where the 8 speed really shines.

The steering is a bit disappointing. It doesn't have that much feel, in fact I think my X3s steering has a bit more feel than this. Its also a bit floaty around the centre, and not that precise. Again compare this to the A4, or the C and it is miles ahead of those.

The suspension too, in terms of comfort was a huge jump over the E90. I didn't have to slow down for half the things I would have to in the E90. Even larger bumps would be taken smoothly, and if I thought of doing the same things in the E90 it would have felt big jolts and heard lots of thuds. But still with the RFTs it does make noise in any sharp bumps. I think its still worth changing to tubeless, it will make the 3 properly comfortable then.

In terms of handling too, I felt there was more body roll than the cars we had tested when it was just launched (maybe due to the ride height raise). This was disconcerting. Also the tendency to bounce is really irritating. Again, these do not really take away from the handling because the F30 still has loads of traction, and is a great handler. But these just take away some of the confidence for pushing the car.

When I got back into my E90 at the service station for my drive home. The interiors certainly did feel a bit dated, or maybe boring is the right word. But as soon as I got onto the highway, the precise steering (F30 just does not compare) and the suspension (no more bouncing around) just made me realize how much I had missed my car over the week.

This is my honest opinion, and not just because I own the E90. I think a suspension upgrade on the F30 will do a lot of good, and make it absolutely fantastic.

[Suraj25]

Any idea when the F30 LCI will make it to India?

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Suraj25

Any idea when the F30 LCI will make it to India?

Late this year, or early next year. BMW cannot afford to wait beyond that.

[ajaypjayaraj]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

the colour of the stop lamp bulbs (they look faded/dated). Small things which can be easily overlooked.

That tail lamp! From the first time I saw those faded red lit tail lamps I could not believe that it made it through all the way till production without any of its designers or engineers feeling the need to correct it. Ruins the otherwise flawless rear end of F30. How did such a lighting make it to a production vehicle, I really fail to understand.

[himanshu_j]

Need some advice from fellow BHP-ians, we were considering the A3 Premium Plus S.Line until I was recently offered a 2014 320d Prestige for about 1.5 lacs more. The Prestige misses out on a few features which are present on the A3 such as panaromic sunroof, Auto hold, 17" wheels, adjustable lumbar support, front parking sensors, more powerful audio system etc while the 3 series has a better brand image and will definitely hold its value better at the time of sale not to mention the additional 200mm wheelbase! Noticed on the TD, the 3 has a better backseat than its immediate competitors, the A4 and W205 C-Class and dare I say, even the 5-Series. In my opinion, purely subjective that the Audi's have better interior quality. I would really appreciate some advice to help clear this dilemma. Thanks in advance.

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by himanshu_j

Need some advice from fellow BHP-ians, we were considering the A3 Premium Plus S.Line until I was recently offered a 2014 320d Prestige for about 1.5 lacs more. The Prestige misses out on a few features which are present on the A3 such as panaromic sunroof, Auto hold, 17" wheels, adjustable lumbar support, front parking sensors, more powerful audio system etc while the 3 series has a better brand image and will definitely hold its value better at the time of sale not to mention the additional 200mm wheelbase! Noticed on the TD, the 3 has a better backseat than its immediate competitors, the A4 and W205 C-Class and dare I say, even the 5-Series. In my opinion, purely subjective that the Audi's have better interior quality. I would really appreciate some advice to help clear this dilemma. Thanks in advance.

3 is a far better car, period. Even better than the A4. One which will put a wider grin on your face, one which you will enjoy much more to drive and own and that's what matters the most IMO.

[The Saint]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

F30 vs E90 Comparo, again!

So I've been using an F30 for the past 10 days. My E90 was in the dealership for some minor work, and I had requested a loaner car which they very generously provided (had to wait a while till it became available though, but it wasn't an issue since there was just 2-3 small noises I was sending my 3 into the workshop for). It is an F30 luxury line, a spanking new 2015 model done 6k kms. White with saddle brown interiors.

Used it for about 700 kms in the past week, and here are my impressions. It will be a nice follow up to my post on the comparison, when the F30 was just launched here.

The looks have really grown on me, and I think it looks nice. 2 things mess it up for me, one is the chrome between the headlamps and the grille, and the second is the colour of the stop lamp bulbs (they look faded/dated). Small things which can be easily overlooked.

The interiors definitely do feel more modern, with the half saddle brown dashboard in the variant making it feel pretty luxurious. Some interior materials do look better than the E90 but feel the same, but some like the wood finish are definitely of superior quality.

The idrive, etc nothing needs to be said. I don't know why BMW chose to give the basic idrive on all variants. Its sad not having navigation or a hard disk to store music, or even the smaller screen for that matter. The speakers certainly do have better bass than the ones in the E90.

Lets get to the drive. The engine now feels louder than my E90, simply because of the power kit that my car has which really makes it much more refined. Other than that the 8 speed gearbox is a lot better than the 6 speed in my car. Though flat out both will be very similar, but in city driving is where the 8 speed really shines.

The steering is a bit disappointing. It doesn't have that much feel, in fact I think my X3s steering has a bit more feel than this. Its also a bit floaty around the centre, and not that precise. Again compare this to the A4, or the C and it is miles ahead of those.

The suspension too, in terms of comfort was a huge jump over the E90. I didn't have to slow down for half the things I would have to in the E90. Even larger bumps would be taken smoothly, and if I thought of doing the same things in the E90 it would have felt big jolts and heard lots of thuds. But still with the RFTs it does make noise in any sharp bumps. I think its still worth changing to tubeless, it will make the 3 properly comfortable then.

In terms of handling too, I felt there was more body roll than the cars we had tested when it was just launched (maybe due to the ride height raise). This was disconcerting. Also the tendency to bounce is really irritating. Again, these do not really take away from the handling because the F30 still has loads of traction, and is a great handler. But these just take away some of the confidence for pushing the car.

When I got back into my E90 at the service station for my drive home. The interiors certainly did feel a bit dated, or maybe boring is the right word. But as soon as I got onto the highway, the precise steering (F30 just does not compare) and the suspension (no more bouncing around) just made me realize how much I had missed my car over the week.

This is my honest opinion, and not just because I own the E90. I think a suspension upgrade on the F30 will do a lot of good, and make it absolutely fantastic.

I totally agree with your perfect review on F30 and the E90, even I had a E 90 with the MPPK, there were issues in my car and had to change to the F 30 that too with the MPPK

I never test drove the F 30 and didn't know the big difference in the suspension in particular, F 30 does not gives the confidence at all whatsoever. I was very disappointed as I took the delivery and straight drove to Mumbai (my mistake of not TDing the car, that's another story).

When I reached Mumbai, I started researching for options to upgrade the suspension, I thought I might get the adaptive but that was not possible when I contacted BMW India. I saw Adi Singh did a M suspension set up (combination) and wanted to have a feel, but unfortunately we kept missing each other and I could not drive.

Finally I went for Bilstein B 6 all four dampers and I am very happy, still not as good as the E90 I would say, but it has corrected the handling, bounce, body roll by almost 80% so pretty much happy, now I am confident how I use to be driving the E90 to push, I also did a rear tyre upgrade like the euro spec, I run 255 in the rear and 225 in the front with 17 inches.

I hope this helps others who are looking to sort the handling bit out, now the car is a complete in all departments for me atleast.

Cheers

[karan561]

Originally Posted by The Saint

I totally agree with your perfect review on F30 and the E90, even I had a E 90 with the MPPK, there were issues in my car and had to change to the F 30 that too with the MPPK

I never test drove the F 30 and didn't know the big difference in the suspension in particular, F 30 does not gives the confidence at all whatsoever. I was very disappointed as I took the delivery and straight drove to Mumbai (my mistake of not TDing the car, that's another story).

When I reached Mumbai, I started researching for options to upgrade the suspension, I thought I might get the adaptive but that was not possible when I contacted BMW India. I saw Adi Singh did a M suspension set up (combination) and wanted to have a feel, but unfortunately we kept missing each other and I could not drive.

Finally I went for Bilstein B 6 all four dampers and I am very happy, still not as good as the E90 I would say, but it has corrected the handling, bounce, body roll by almost 80% so pretty much happy, now I am confident how I use to be driving the E90 to push, I also did a rear tyre upgrade like the euro spec, I run 255 in the rear and 225 in the front with 17 inches.

I hope this helps others who are looking to sort the handling bit out, now the car is a complete in all departments for me atleast.

Cheers

255 in the rear on stock rims or an upgrade ?

Please share some pics.

[super.cars]

Can a switch to Bilstein B 6 suspension void warranty / BSI ? Also does BMW recommend premium high octane petrol for the 328/330i variant ?

[Ravich]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

[b]F30 vs E90 Comparo, again!


The steering is a bit disappointing. It doesn't have that much feel, in fact I think my X3s steering has a bit more feel than this. Its also a bit floaty around the centre, and not that precise. Again compare this to the A4, or the C and it is miles ahead of those.

Is your E90 the EPS one or the hydraulic one?. I recently moved to the F30 and I find that,with some tweaking of tyre pressures and driving in Sport mode, the steering gets close to my earlier E90 EPS .

Overall, I agree the E90 felt nimbler. I think the 2016 retune of the steering and suspension are meant to address these complaints.

I am waiting to see how the Jaguar XE compares though !