[Akshay1234]

So where do I start? Its been a long journey, with many cars test driven with the intention of buying but it in the end, a BMW was bought and what a moment it was.

It started last year September, with us looking for a replacement for the Pete'd Innova. The 7 seats of the Innova weren't being used much so a sedan would do. We first went to the Skoda showroom and saw the Laura and the Superb, and took a test drive of the Superb. It was a great car, good build quality, gadgets, space etc. Decided this was the car to buy. The buy was due in the month of December, but it was not to be, because come December my father decided to postpone it buy a year. The Innova was still doing fine so I guess it was ok.

Fast forward to June this year. My eyes were now on the Passat with its 170bhp diesel and every feature you can imagine along with great looks. One test drive and I was sold on it. It drove well, had good ride quality, the auto-parking was sick. But my father had his doubts about spending 30+ on the Passat. So back we went to the Skoda showroom and took the Laura L&K for a test drive. It too was a mini Superb minus the sunroof and drove well and impressed both of us. The diesel was smooth and the car was quick enough.

It was then that we decided that the Superb was out, the car was too long and if I drove it I felt like a chauffeur. Also this car would be going through some bad roads to the office, and we didn't really need rear leg space. Decided it would be either the Laura L&K or the Passat depending on the budget.

BUTTT then, I said why not go and see the 320d, its got a base model which is a little cheaper than the Passat, + it would be great to drive. So back we went to Infinity BMW (had been there the previous year but didn't look at the car seriously at all), which had just shut for the day. Luckily there was one salesman outside who happily showed us the X1 (since the 3 was inside the showroom) and all its features. I told my father to just get a feel of the X1 since it was never in contention, since if we were going to get our first Bimmer it had to be a Sedan. We had a quick look and said we would come back for a td later.

Next weekend we took a test drive of the 320d, and boy were we impressed, even though we got the CE for a spin. The car was built well, and my father who normally is extra careful when sitting in a new car drove the car like he has driven it for years. The responsiveness of the engine and the pull impressed the most. After that went straight to take a td of the Passat, and my father was struggling to drive that, don't know why. Maybe the visibility and all was much better in the 3. The engine too was not comparable to the 3 series.

Then the last contender was the New C class, the C250cdi. It had a 205bhp engine with 500nm of torque. A panoramic sunroof and was basically loaded to the gills, it could give the Passat a run for its money. So we took a test drive of this. The first thing I noticed was that the driving position was not as good as that of the 3, in the 3 all the dails were in your face which I liked. Over here the dash seemed lower down. Started off driving the car, and within 5 minutes I realised this is not a car which will want to be pushed, it is a car to cruise in. The ride quality was very good though, equal if not a slight bit worse than the Passat. Got an open road and gave it the beans, the car picked up speed quickly but it did not excite me at all considering how much power it had.

The looks of the new C class are very nice from the front, but I don't like the rear too much and the facelift has pretty much the same rear.

As soon as the C class test drive finished we went back to Infinity for the last TD of the 320D. I sat in the car and I just loved the driving position again, it felt like a go kart. Even though it was lacking 20bhp and some 110nm of torque it was just so much more fun to drive. The servotronic steering is exceptional. Of course I'm not going to write in details about the drive here, that will be later in the post. But we went back to the showroom and booked the Exclusive, which is the top of the line. (called Highline earlier). Then to choose the colour. They said that the kits for the Exclusive had run out so we would have to chose what was in stock at that time. I was very clear, the interiors had to be saddle brown, and they checked and got back that there was Space Grey, Black, and Platinum Bronze with those interiors.

Black was out, too much maintenance. But after debating with my father and seeing some pictures we decided Space Grey it would be.

Let me list out a small Comparo of the C250 CDI Avantgarde vs the 320D Exclusive -

What the C has over the 3 -
1) Better ride
2) Panoramic roof
3) Park Assist
4) Cornering adaptive headlamps
5) More powerful engine
6) Auto hold for signals, etc.

What the 3 has over the C -
1) Better gearbox and way better driving position
2) Much better choice of interior colours unlike the C where there are no options
3) iDrive screen is bigger than Command of the Merc, and has a hard drive and Tv Tuner etc. Also used for many more functions.
4) The BMW badge so you know its gonna be good

Yes the Merc does seem to have the advantage here, since its the same price, but after driving both it had to be the BMW for us. Especially since the driver was never going to get this car.

Also this was supposed to be the replacement for the Innova, but the Innova is still here and at the moment this is the 4th car. The Innova will be replaced by a Vento Highline/ Laura Ambiente/ Yeti Ambiente in a month or 2.

Why this 3 even though the new 3 is being revealed in a week?
1) It has its own identity while the new 3 will look like a mini 5 which looks like a mini 7. Can be good or bad depending on your perception.
2) Newer BMW cars are becoming ever so slightly less driver oriented. By that I mean they feel softer, and not as wild as the predecessors. Take the E60 and F10 for example.
3) New 3 aka F30 is expected to be launched here only June next year with deliveries in September, got this from the GM of the dealership.
4) Good discount now

The next post will be about the car itself.

[Akshay1234]

So now the car itself, a 2 litre 185bhp 380nm cracker of an engine mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission with sports mode and tiptronic shift. It rides on 17" multispoke rims which are wrapped by 225/45 R17 run flat Bridgestone Potenza RE050 tires. Those are the essentials.


The engine
For a 2 litre engine this is plenty powerful, and will manage to put a silly grin on 99% of the peoples faces who drive it. There is not much of turbo lag, and the mid range is strong, by god, it really manages to push you back into your seat. Its 0-100 claimed time is 7.6 seconds which I think will be manageable. The engine redlines are 5000rpm and it revvs very freely till 4500rpm after which it sounds strained. It is also a bit louder than the Mercedes diesel but surprisingly sounds quite nice even when being revved. Now it is running in and BMW recommends to keep it below 3000rpm and 150kmph but ooops I've already taken it to 3500rpm a few times. Its too tempting.

Fuel Economy
Till now its giving me a mileage of 9.5 in the city traffic, which honestly is godsend after the continous 5kmpl I get in the Accord, that too with petrol. I expect it to go above 10 after a bit of running in is complete and on the highway I should get anything between 14-18 depending on how the car is driven. Not bad at all for a 2 litre engine IMO.

The Gearbox
A 6 speed normal torque converter gearbox, with a sport mode and a tiptronic function. Sounds good? It is. The box in normal mode shifts pretty quick (not as quick as DSG) and you don't even feel it happening. There is a tiny lag when it comes to downshifting but I think that is in every a/t. In sport mode it really does hold onto the gears and does not upshift very easily, and if tiptronic is used the shifts are nearly instant which is quite nice unlike many other automatic boxes.

The Suspension
To be honest the ride is a bit stiffer than I expected. But it is quite manageable as long as you are careful over sharp bumps, otherwise there will be a loud-ish thud. On good roads there is nothing like it, its perfect. When the car picks up speed you do not feel it at all. Normally people make Fiat the benchmark it when comes to high speed stability, this is another level alltogether, as are the other Germans. At higher speeds no matter how hard you corner nothing seems to unfaze it and its always asking for more. And I thought my Accord with Konis was chuckable at all speeds, this blows the handling of my Accord to smithereens. I'm going to lower the tire pressure to 30 and hopefully that will improve it a slight bit too.

Features
Where do I start, you name it the car has it, haha besides the few things I mentioned in the above post where its lacking compared to the Merc. The iDrive itself has a lot of features, let me try and list a few -
-12gb HD for personal music collection which can be copied of cd or usb.
-Shows information on the tyre pressure and many parameters like engine oil, brake pads, etc/
-Many settings can be changed from here for the lights, locks etc.
-Has a TV tuner which can pick up DD signals, no more problems in traffic jams.
-Full multi information displace with average fuel consumption, speed, distance, time, blah blah.
-Full bluetooth integration and shows messages and phonebook on the screen. Upto 2 phones can be paired simultaneously.
-Easy to use user interface compared to the old iDrive.

-The car also has 2 zone climate control with vents for the rear seat too and they can choose with a rotary dial for hot air or cold.
-Auto levelling Xenon lights, very good output. Don't really miss cornering lights though.
-10 speaker music system apparently by Harmon Kardon. 2 mid basses in the front doors, 2 tweeters on the door sills, 2 bass units under the front seats, 2 mids and 2 tweeters on the rear parcel shelf. Sounds quite good honestly. Yes even after an almost 1l set up in my other car this sounds pretty good.
-Sunroof, pretty big and not there just for the sake of it like in the Cruze.
-Memory seats and mirrors, 2 per key. Also something called driver profile where each and every setting of the car can be different on the 2 keys and when a key is inserted it goes to those settings, from the DRLs on to the bass on the stereo.
-Auto dimming and heated mirrors.
-Push start button, my favourite thing along with the sexy corona rings.

There are more features but there are the ones coming to mind now.

The Controversial Steering
After BMW changed it from full hydraulic to electrically assisted many though it would lose out on its pure feel. Well it hasn't. I have not driven a car with a more direct steering than this, even with a movement of a milimeter the car responds. And its Mercedes light at low speeds and BMW hydraulic perfect at high speeds.

Interior
Saddle brown is by far the best option on the 3 series. Its Dakota leather, don't know how it compares to Nappa but it certainly feels good. The interior is built very well and does not feel cheap in any way. Each button has a nice feel to it. The saddle brown colour along with the black 2 plastic trims and the bamboo anthracite veneer looks awesome, see the pics when they are up and you will agree.

To Sum It Up
Not regretting my choice at all and I'm sure I will not even after the new 3 is launched. The car looks brilliant with the DRLs on and in yellow they don't look half bad. The brakes too are great and have good feel. Overall I am very satisfied upto now and I'm sure I will continue to be.

P.S - The Accord is still with me and I still maintain there is nothing like a high revving petrol engine.

P.S 2 - Going to get Vkool tints on this car. And after running it in I'm going to put off the DSC one day and go and drift it

Thank you for reading, the pictures will be up shortly, here is a teaser.

[Rudra Sen]

Mods Note: Thread moved to right section. Thanks for sharing.

[anekho]

Nice review, Akshay!

Space Grey is a great colour and should look awesome with Dakota brown interiors.

I'm glad you got the BMW - it just pulls at your heart strings so much more than a Passat or Superb.
Happy to know the handling still feels good, even though the much loved Hydraulic system is out.

Any reason why the A4 was left out of contention?

Looking forward to more photos and impressions!

[drmohitg]

Congratulations on your new drive. This is the car that I have dreamt of for so long. It looks greaT in every colour. Can you share the deal you got for the car?

Awesome looking car man. Congrats once again.

[miharbe]

Excellent review Akshay! wish you many happy miles with the car.

Am a Bimmer fan and totally agree with you on the driving dynamics of this car having had the good fortune of driving the 320CE and a host of other Bimmers (520d, 530d and Z4) i must say they are a dream to drive (note i am not yet fortunate enough to own any)

on a seperate note i do own a vento in case you need a long term lowdown on the car

Originally Posted by akshay1234

4) Good discount now

if you dont mind can you elaborate on this and final OTR price (i am guessing your registration is Pune?)

[S350L-E240]

akshay1234,

Congrats, This will be the finest decision ever made, gotta love the BMW 3 and ofcourse no one does sell a car in India than BMW India does and considering so many people skipping the new C over the 3 proves it!

Btw, did you see the dynamic edition? It has a brilliant black finish instead of wood try get that in your car if you like it, but or else considering you got the Exclusive variant there is nothing you need anymore, and about V-Kool do be careful I got it installed in our Jetta and since then the rear de-frogger does not work :(

And have a wonderful time, and once the new 3 comes in, you can always upgrade once you have your appetite full with the E90! That way when you buy the F30 you will be buying the better versions!

Congrats once again on a wonderful decision.

Regards,

P.S Harmon Kardon? Really, wow thats amazing considering 5 does not have it.

Originally Posted by akshay1234

So where do I start? Its been a long journey, with many cars test driven with the intention of buying but it in the end, a BMW was bought and what a moment it was.

[vb-saan]

Thanks for the review Akshay. Congratulations on owning a piece of Bangle legacy. Some pictures of the interiors will be great. I am big fan of the saddle brown seats

[n:CorE]

Congratulations bro! You cannot go wrong with a 3'er if a drivers car is what you look for. A nice German upgrade to a Japanese MPV =P. No but as you now specified the Beamer has turned out to have a special place in your garage now as the Innova replacement would be a couple of months later.

Big fan of your Accord . Now you have another iconic addition. Please upload more pictures. You just can't get enough of pictures when its a BMW.

OT: I couldn't help but notice, this is Worli back-road (Pochkanwala Road) if I'm not mistaken? I stay around there somewhere, we could meet sometime.

[Saanil]

Congratulations on you new car! that too a BMW! Please post some pictures of the interiors of the car. Have never seen the pictures of the interiors of the 3 series. Also could you post the OTR cost if you do not mind? Mileage of 10 kmpl is good for the 2 litre monster. What is the fuel tank capacity of the car? How is the rear seat space? I suppose rear space is this car's weak point.

[rtm_8055]

Akshay,

I thoroughly enjoyed the drive and the mini-photoshoot we did of your beauty today (you guys must see the remaining photographs; they are absolutely stunning!). Let me congratulate you on a terrific choice that will keep you "pleasured" for many years to come.

I personally feel that the interior combination that you have selected is the best available. Although I would have gone for Alpine White, Space Grey does better justice to the elegant lines all over the body of the car. Each angle of the car reflects light in a different shade, and that is one thing I have always admired about the 3 series. You have selected a model that will be discontinued very soon, but at least you grabbed the final opportunity to own a Bangle'd Masterpiece. According to me, his era of BMW cars were and will be the most beautiful BMWs to ever be made.

As far as your garage goes, I doubt this car will be able to thrill you the way your Accord does, but this one wins in every other aspect. Then again this car needs to be treated and looked after a lot more sympathetically, and I have no doubt that you will manage fine.

I feet the acceleration and ride quality is a tad bit disappointing for a car that costs 40 lakhs, but then again the handling, feature-loaded package, terrific mileage, and the driver-oriented cockpit feel makes every rupee spent worth it. Not to mention that very-desirable white and blue roundel.

After a long journey and a whole lot of considerations I am glad you finally settled for the best. You are a thorough enthusiast, and any compromise would have been plain wrong. It would be fair to say that you deserve a car like this!

Keep us updated, and for God's sake please upload the incredible pictures we took today.

Regards,
RTM

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by anekho

Any reason why the A4 was left out of contention?

Looking forward to more photos and impressions!

The A4 diesel was only 140bhp, and also did not have a DSG but a CVT transmission.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Can you share the deal you got for the car?

Awesome looking car man. Congrats once again.

Originally Posted by miharbe

Excellent review Akshay! wish you many happy miles with the car.

if you dont mind can you elaborate on this and final OTR price (i am guessing your registration is Pune?)

Thank you guys, I'd prefer not to post it over here. PM me if you want.

Originally Posted by S350L-E240

akshay1234,

Congrats, This will be the finest decision ever made, gotta love the BMW 3 and ofcourse no one does sell a car in India than BMW India does and considering so many people skipping the new C over the 3 proves it!

Btw, did you see the dynamic edition? It has a brilliant black finish instead of wood try get that in your car if you like it, but or else considering you got the Exclusive variant there is nothing you need anymore, and about V-Kool do be careful I got it installed in our Jetta and since then the rear de-frogger does not work :(

And have a wonderful time, and once the new 3 comes in, you can always upgrade once you have your appetite full with the E90! That way when you buy the F30 you will be buying the better versions!

Congrats once again on a wonderful decision.

Regards,

P.S Harmon Kardon? Really, wow thats amazing considering 5 does not have it.

The BMW guys told me its by Harmon Kardon, apparently the 5's system is too. Not the Logic 7 by HK but apparently the speakers theirs.

The piano black on the Dynamic edition does look good, wait till you see my interior pics and your views might change.

Sunfilm is a must in Mumbai, the sun gets too strong otherwise, I'll have to take that chance.

The F30 will have the same engines too, so I don't know how much of an upgrade it will be. I doubt the iDrive screen on that will be 8.8" like this one.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Thanks for the review Akshay. Congratulations on owning a piece of Bangle legacy. Some pictures of the interiors will be great. I am big fan of the saddle brown seats

Thanks bud, I'm working on the pics, will upload another teaser till I'm done with the rest.

Originally Posted by n:CorE

Big fan of your Accord . Now you have another iconic addition. Please upload more pictures. You just can't get enough of pictures when its a BMW.

OT: I couldn't help but notice, this is Worli back-road (Pochkanwala Road) if I'm not mistaken? I stay around there somewhere, we could meet sometime.

Thanks bro. You guessed right. Sure we can meet anytime, PM me well hook something up.

Originally Posted by Saanil

Congratulations on you new car! that too a BMW! Please post some pictures of the interiors of the car. Have never seen the pictures of the interiors of the 3 series. Also could you post the OTR cost if you do not mind? Mileage of 10 kmpl is good for the 2 litre monster. What is the fuel tank capacity of the car? How is the rear seat space? I suppose rear space is this car's weak point.

The fuel tank capacity is 61 litres. 3 different people who sat at the back (not together) exclaimed how there was much more place than they thought there would be in the 3. I'm 6'4" and a person who was 5'9" sat behind me pretty comfortably. No I wasn't sticking to the steering wheel like a cabbie. lol.

Originally Posted by rtm_8055

Akshay,

As far as your garage goes, I doubt this car will be able to thrill you the way your Accord does, but this one wins in every other aspect. Then again this car needs to be treated and looked after a lot more sympathetically, and I have no doubt that you will manage fine.

I feet the acceleration and ride quality is a tad bit disappointing for a car that costs 40 lakhs, but then again the handling, feature-loaded package, terrific mileage, and the driver-oriented cockpit feel makes every rupee spent worth it. Not to mention that very-desirable white and blue roundel.

Regards,
RTM

Thanks man, I'll upload the pics ASAP. But about the acceleration, that was half throttle. Remember I'm still running in. It will beat the Accord in the 0-100 drag, but after 100 how it will I will have to find out.

Here are 2 more pics, keep the comments coming in. More pics will be uploaded tomorrow.

[iTNerd]

Congrats Akshay1234! The color is stunning on the 3. I love it!!! If you won't mind, how much discount did you manage to extract? 320d is in my radar too, probably within a year.

[procircuit_234]

congrats akshay.one of my all time favorite.did you consider 330?i guess you are used to 5kmpl.

[goingout]

So it is finally here! Congratulations on the purchase! Looking forward to some more pics