24th August 2019, 12:59
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| BHPian Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Mumbai
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| My Baby Blue! BMW 320d F30 LCI Luxury Line Review Alright, I'll start with some backstory, because what's a Team-BHP review if not an automotive therapy session with validation from virtual strangers? Strap in, boys and girls, it's a long tale of highs, lows, drama, treachery, betrayal, and exaggeration. Likes -That magical F30 LCI styling. The best looking 3 ever. -Beautiful buttery 320d engine and gearbox combo -Oodles of torque at every speed -Supremely confidence-inspiring brakes -Extremely agile and easy to maneuver (and park) despite it's size -The digital instrument cluster is a treat Dislikes -Very Disappointing sales experience from Infinity -Lack of Sports Seats on Luxury Line is unforgivable -Rear seats do not fold in ANY way -Boot is tiny, poorly shaped and made pretty useless by the space saver inside -No Apple CarPlay or Aux input PROLOGUE It's autumn 2017. Yes, I know autumn isn't an actual season in India, but whatever, it sounds dramatic. I was happily driving a Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI (Dec 2016), when I discovered the existence of the Skoda Rapid vRS. The idea of it made my loins light up with longing (for the sake of alliteration). I wanted it really badly, but my bank account, in true Morpheus-from-the-Matrix fashion came to me in a fever dream offering me a choice between the blue pill (continuing to live in our rented apartment), and the red pill (living in the car - which, as I attempted to convince my wife, is larger than many Mumbai 1BHKs). I was left with no choice but the blue pill, which was rather bitter and hard to swallow. It's almost as if it was a metaphor or something. And there, the dream died. A year passed, my career blossomed, and I had money to burn. Well, okay not, burn. But maybe light gently with a matchstick, one 10 rupee note a day. But "Aha!", I said to myself, "I can afford the vRS now!", and I marched confidently into the nearest Skoda dealership to find out that because they were in such high demand, the only decided to make 500 of them. A rather odd interpretation of the supply/demand concept. And there, the dream died. In Spring 2019 (dramatic purposes, again), I met up with distinguished BHP-ian and now good friend Frank Mehta, as we embarked on a merry mission to remap our cars together. The Quantum remap and Frank's fabled Pedal Tuner made the car significantly more fun to drive, but still, my loins longed for luxury (last alliteration, I promise).  My ex - The Flash Red Rapid with black MOMO Next shoes Our story moves ahead to a few months ago, when I discovered the existence of the pre-owned luxury car market. A couple of friends had taken the plunge, with varying degrees of success, so on I logged to the BMW Premium Selection website, to find a lovely Orange 2018 320d Sport Shadow Edition, 12000km done, at a price that seemed close to palatable. On a whim, I headed on down to Infinity Cars Worli, stepped in (or fell in, as you do in a 3 series), hit the gas I was positively in love. At 34.5L (negotiated to 32.5) I found it a bit steep. (I wanted to spend no more than 25L after selling the Rapid, for which I would later get around 7L). So I decided embark on the traditional Indian ritual of saying "Yeh bohot zyaada hai, 30 mein de do, warna nahi chahiye, bye ttyl fam yolo" (and other things that children say), in the hope that I'd get a call back the next day, begging me to take the car off their hands for whatever price I deemed fit. Of course, no such thing happened. I sheepishly ended up calling back myself 3 days later, to say I'll buy it for 32.5, only for a smug SR to tell me that someone else had bought the car. Hilarious.  The one that got away (the car, not the lady in the umbrella) Like any spurned lover, I went on an immediate rebound, seeking out another pre-owned 320d from the Team BHP Classifieds. Met the owner (lovely guy), saw the car (lovely car), but it just didn't feel right. The asking price was far above what I found good value, and it was already a second owner car. It was time to end this fling and go back to moping and sulking like a mature 30-year-old manchild. In screenplay writing, this is called the "all is lost moment", the dark soul of the night - think LOTR - where there is no hope, but an Aragon-type figure makes an emphatic speech, followed by an epic climax in which the good guys win (I am the good guy in this story, in case you're wondering). This speech came to me in the form of BHPian Dr. AD, who was very helpful with my n00b questions about at the 320d. I have edited his quoted post to make it as Aragorn-like as possible. Quote:
I congratulate you for making it this far - here is a stylised Instagram picture as a reward  DEALERSHIP EXPERIENCE I was blown away by Infinity's Premium Selection dealer experience. Blown away by how decidedly mediocre it was. My SR was not particularly enthusiastic about cars, sales, or life in general. Talked out of his rear end about most things. Got almost every fact about the car wrong. It seemed he was doing the universe a giant favour by putting a suit on and providing people overpriced car quotes and incorrect details. I asked for a few freebie accessories, throwing in a few *wink wink nudge nudges* about how I had overpaid for the car and he should give me some more value out of the transaction. All I managed to get was a "car cover" which I put in inverted commas because really the thing I received was a glorified sheet of tin foil. I've bought 500 buck covers of higher quality. This one has stains on it, and a Polco tag, which may well have been sown on, because I've never seen Polco make a cover this rubbish before. ALSO, I was sold a car with a punctured tyre, which I found hilarious and quite disconcerting. 31L for a car and you can't plug a puncture? I called to tell them about it and they asked me to bring the car in and leave it overnight. "Will you replace the tyre?" I asked with naive optimism. "Nyet", they replied in fluent Russian. They would just be repairing the puncture. I said, thanks but I'll just get it done myself because doing that would be cheaper than the cab fare of dropping off and picking up the car. I was told that I'd receive the report of the "360 degree check" and have the insurance transfer done within the week, but this hasn't happened either. So, as far as overall dealership experience goes, I'd give Infinity Worli's Used Car team a 2/5. Severely underwhelming and downright shabby at times Now that I've put that scarring experience behind me (I did tell you it's a therapy session), onwards the good stuff. Or some of it, anyway. EXTERIORS Love, love, LOVE the look of the F30 LCI. It is, in my opinion, the best looking 3 ever. The DRL shape, the contours, the kidney grill, and that sweet Mediterranean Blue. I much prefer it to the incoming G20. If I were ever to buy a 3, this was the one. Aesthetically I have no complaints. There were plenty of swirls and a couple of scratches before I booked the car, but these were all taken care of, and the car looks and feels more of less brand new. A few images now, because a picture tells a thousand words, and those words would take very long to type.      I've chosen to give you pictures of an unwashed car so that it's not an exaggeration of how the car looks...actually who am I kidding. I was just too lazy to wash her today. INTERIORS I have two MAJOR problems with the interiors of the 320d Luxury line. Both are seat related. These may devolve into rants, but they really, really annoy me. First: Rear seats do not fold in any manner. No 40:20:40, no 40:60, no 1:99, nothing, nada. I'm sorry, did BMW create a time warp to the 1980s while making this car? How can you not have folding seats in ANY form in a 50 lakh (on road) 2018 automobile? Why was this a paid option in Western markets, and why was this not an option AT ALL in India? Especially considering the ironically named "space saver" tyre that's been lumped into the boot consumes pretty much ALL the space on offer? It's absurd, and unforgivable. But not nearly as unforgivable as my SECOND gripe with the interiors. Once again, seat related. I am forcing myself to breathe in a calm and controlled manner while typing this. Why. Are. There. No. Sports. Seats. On. The. Luxury. Line. What is this parallel universe of "luxury" that BMW is offering people that does not include thigh support? Does BMW think that people who buy the Luxury Line are so enamoured by the idea of luxurious back seats that they're not going to be driving the car themselves? And even if they are chauffeur driven, is the chauffeur meant to be punished with an eternal sentence of painful hamstrings? And what's with the complete lack of side bolstering? My Rapid had more comfortable seats than the Luxury Line, and this is not an exaggeration.  These are the garbage excuse for seats that BMW gave you on the luxury line pre-G20. Contrast them now to what the sports seats look like with extendable thigh support and proper bolstering (Photo Credit: Performance Drive)  See, most people won't have a problem with the Luxury Line seats, because most people aren't 6'3" like I am. For taller drivers, basic under-thigh support is absolutely necessary, and it is CRIMINAL to not have the sports seats (which are standard on the cheaper Sport variant, I might add) in the Luxury Line as well. It's taken me a good week to find a semi-acceptable seating position, and even so, my only options for comfort are - (a) A custom made memory foam pillow, or (b) work out for 6 months and strengthen my hamstrings and core. Not kidding. If any fellow tall people have tips and tricks for Luxury Line seats, I'd love to hear them. Rant over. That apart, the interiors are nicely done, I enjoy the little ambient lighting touches, the floor lights as you open the doors, and all the little design touches. I still think there could have been more storage under the centre console, but I can live with what's included. The armrest is well placed and comfortable, and the soft leather finish on the door panel makes driving (upper body wise, at least) very comfortable. Rear seats are comfortable enough, but if you have a 6+ foot driver, forget about anyone taller than 5'5" sitting behind you. Transmission hump makes the middle seat very awkward. It's really a 4-seater car. Five if you chance upon a few Hobbits who need a lift on their way to the fires of Mount Doom. Ask them about Aragorn's speech. I hear it's pretty good. Some more pictures, while I apply for a gym membership for my thighs.  That sweet digital instrument cluster  Steering wheel feels nice, although strangely missing cruise control altogether. The Limiter makes up for it to a degree. You see that voice control button there? Yeah, don't ever press it. It's utterly useless.  Driver door armrest is plush with that nice leather. Includes controls for electric rear sunblind, and that little flick switch for pointing the passenger ORVM to the curb  The shifter feels lovely to hold, and tactile feedback is excellent. Also nice to have a manual button for parking sensors. Helps in navigating tight spots, since the seating position is so low  Paddle shifters. 'nuff said.  Electric sunroof for those who want a 4D driving experience replete with smoke, grime and bird poop. Before we get to the best bit, some more about the tech in the car FEATURES AND TECH This car came with a lot more features than I initially expected. And more than even my SR had cared to memorize. I asked him whether the iDrive had a touchscreen. He said no. I touched the screen. Stuff happened. He said yes. Yep, he was just one of those.  The iDrive, touchscreen is a bit of a fingerprint magnet. But very responsive and excellent clarity The 22.3cm display touch iDrive system is great - very intuitive and easy to use. I do have a gripe with the lack of connectivity options BMW offers for Android. I had an old iPhone 5S lying around which I connected to the iDrive for Spotify integration, but the only value-add it gives me above my Pixel 2 is album art. I was under the impression that the 2017 Luxury Line was equipped with Apple CarPlay, screen mirroring and the works, but clearly not. My understanding is that under "Connect New Device", Apply Carplay should be an option, but there's just Telephone, Bluetooth and Apps. If any F30 LCI owners with CarPlay successfully working could weigh in here, I'd appreciate it. The integrated Sat Nav is nice looking and accurate, but fairly useless since you cannot reliably input any address or get any manner of traffic updates. So having the directions pop up in the digital instrument cluster, while a very cool touch, is actually quite pointless unless you're on a really long drive without traffic. The LED headlights are great, and provide excellent visibility. Will get a picture/video off the dashcam to illustrate this later. Air conditioning is surprisingly very good. Coming from fairly underwhelming Skoda Rapid air conditioning, this is very powerful, and gets the car cooled in no time. The ventilation feature in the sunroof helps quickly cool the car on a sunny day as well. The parking sensors and camera are excellent, and very accurate. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the car came equipped with front parking sensors as well. Even though it's a fair bit bigger than my Rapid, I have found that parking this car is actually easier and more intuitive in tight spots. The one flick button to have the passenger side ORVM tilt down to the curb is very handy. Apart from that, it's your standard fare of dual climate control, the very nice 9-speaker Hi-Fi sound system, electrically operated seats, memory control on the driver seat, electric sunroof - the usual stuff from the brochure. And now...the moment we've all been waiting for THE DRIVE This is the reason I bought a BMW. The engine and gearbox are just absolutely flawless. Power delivery comes in lovely waves of turbo-laden torque, and every shift on an open road is an absolute joy. I haven't had enough open space to properly mess around with the paddle shifters, but just the ability to quickly flick down a gear for a quick overtake and be bang in the middle of the power band - it never gets old. The car is nice and comfortable in Comfort mode (hence the name, I guess), and has a good amount of power on tap. Comfort with TipTronic mode is my driving setting of choice. She shifts up at 3K RPM if I don't do it myself, and holds the revs a little longer when needed. Shifts down on her own. Perfect! In regular Drive mode, shifts are perceptible only with the mini torque waves that comes with them. The box is just that good. She's an absolute joy to drive, and Sports and Sports+ kick things up several notches. Particularly enjoyable over a short empty stretch when you've been crawling along at pedestrian speeds in traffic for a while. The ride is fairly plush. She soaks up a fair amount of bumps on the road, but considering the state of Mumbai roads during the monsoon, I've pretty much felt all of them. No issues with ground clearance so far, even with 5 people in the car. I've been maintaining tyre pressure at 32, but I've found I enjoy the ride more when the tyres are hot and it's around 33-34, so I may increase my base pressure the next time. I cannot overstate just how good the braking on this car is. The step up from a front disc/rear drum combo to these beautifully bite-y BMW breaks is just something else. You feel completely confident to zoom through even the shortest of stretches, knowing that the brakes are working hard for you. I get the feeling I'll be wearing out my pads far sooner than the iDrive's highly optimistic figure of 39000km. She's totally planted on the limited highway driving I've done (can you really called Western Express Highway a highway?), and just so agile even in traffic and at low speeds. It's astounding. Perhaps the only gripe I have is the turbo lag from standstill. I suppose this is because I've got so used to having a Pedal Tuner that massively minimizes the lag. But in terms of drive, that's my only complaint. I've driven 500km in the city, in Mumbai, during the monsoon, and I've enjoyed every bit of it. I think that speaks for itself. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES - Since we're always asking "Kitna deti hai", I've been getting a fuel economy of 9.2L on average in the city, most of it in heavy traffic. I think bumping the tyre pressure up a bit will push this closer to the 10kmpl I was expecting. - Owing to the aforementioned "space saver", boot space isn't great, plus the seats don't fold. I think you can manage one full size suitcase and a cabin bag, but not much more. Remove the tyre and you can just about squeeze in two full size suitcases. Also, did I mention the seats don't fold? - The boot has a 12V socket. Very handy to plug in my car washer. More on that below. - One thing I do find conspicuous is the complete lack of an AUX input. Maybe it's hiding somewhere, but I haven't managed to find one yet. Not that I use it, but still. It's strange. - Fair warning, Med Blue is a horrible colour to maintain and I've been tearing my hear out with rain-related water marks and overall dirt. I thought Flash Red on the Rapid was but, but this is another level. If like me, you're finicky about how your car looks at all times (I roam around with quick detailer and microfiber cloths at all times), you're much better off buying a lighter colour to spare you the constant anxiety. - I received chocolates, a tissue box, and a completely useless BMW keychain at the time of car delivery. (yawn) PLANNED UPGRADES - I expect the tyres have another 7-8000km in them, post which I plan to upside to 18" with new alloys. I'm on the lookout for used 18" M-Sport alloys, so any leads would be appreciated. Depending on how the rest of the year goes, I'll take a call between RFTs and Tubeless. So far, I have no opinion on the matter of BMW tyres except that they shouldn't be selling them to customers with punctures. - Hate chrome on my car, so planning to get all the chrome elements wrapped or painted black. Also planning to order the black M3 kidney grill. I think it would look totally boss on the Med Blue. - A pedal tuner? Maybe? I'm enjoying the car stock, but as with most cars I've owned, I think I'll be jaded enough in a year or two to get a Quantum remap done. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. - On the lookout for a good cushion maker who can custom make a thigh extension for me. Let's see how that goes. If not, I am seriously considering retrofitting a sports seat for the driver side if I don't adapt to the driving position within the next few weeks. In retrospect, I would not recommend an F30 LCI for 6 foot plus drivers. Maybe the G20 with the longer wheelbase would be a better option. - I have purchased a Garmin Dash Cam 55 (via relatives visiting from London) which I hope to install over the next couple of days. Pictures of that once it's done. - Planning to get a 3M Trizact paint treatment package post the monsoon. Also contemplating Ceramic, but I've had a good relationship and experience with my local 3M workshop, and was very happy with results on my Rapid, so inclined to go with them again. - I've purchased a Res-Q-Tech 25L car washer to wash the car myself. Plugs into 12V slot in the boot, and pressure is more than adequate to get rid of bird poop and daily dirt and grime. Highly recommend this. I manage to get a professional level wash done myself within 20 minutes (including wiping down) - Proper Apple CarPlay activation, if it's possible. - I am researching on automatic car umbrellas since I hate the process of applying/removing covers. It's time consuming and dirties the car no matter how careful you are. Exploring the Lanmodo Umbrella being sold by Polco. Might import one if they don't have the full size version. http://www.polcoindia.com/details/la...c-car-umbrella Took a demo of the Invezo Car Umbrella (Indian rip-off of Lanmodo), but was not impressed. My main problem is the plastic buckles run across the paint every time it opens and closes, and will definitely leave scratches over time. Since they make a lot of bespoke products, I might ask to see if they can make one for me entirely with rubber components. https://www.amazon.in/Invezo-Impress.../dp/B07N3VHBB9 There we have it, folks! That's my review of My Baby Blue. Hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it (which is, a little). Cheers! Will keep this thread updated with new thoughts, observations, and upgrades. Your thoughts and additions are, of course, most welcome. Last edited by GTO : 26th August 2019 at 18:17. Reason: As per PM | |
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24th August 2019, 17:06
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| BHPian Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Noida
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24th August 2019, 17:43
| #3 |
| Senior - BHPian | re: My Baby Blue! BMW 320d F30 LCI Luxury Line Review Congrats on your buy! It's raining pre-owned BMWs on the forum.  Drive on, Shibu |
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24th August 2019, 17:49
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| BHPian Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Mumbai
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| re: My Baby Blue! BMW 320d F30 LCI Luxury Line Review Quote:
I think I'll probably get service done from Infinity itself. The sales experience wasn't great but I've heard good things about the servicing in general | |
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24th August 2019, 18:08
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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24th August 2019, 19:26
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| BHPian  Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: Guwahati
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24th August 2019, 21:06
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| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: UP-14/15, TS-09
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24th August 2019, 23:04
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| Senior - BHPian  | re: My Baby Blue! BMW 320d F30 LCI Luxury Line Review Congrats on a beauty ! BMW's in blue do stand out. Enjoy many a miles ! Quote:
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25th August 2019, 11:56
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| Distinguished - BHPian   Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Bangalore/Pune
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| Re: My Baby Blue! BMW 320d F30 LCI Luxury Line Review Heartiest congratulations on your 3-series! It is a great car and wish you many thousands of joyful miles with is. The car looks absolutely awesome and you certainly got a very good deal! And a great write-up too! Thanks for the very interesting write-up. Quote:
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25th August 2019, 16:29
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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25th August 2019, 17:47
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| BHPian  Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Coimbatore
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26th August 2019, 12:51
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| BHPian Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: My Baby Blue! BMW 320d F30 LCI Luxury Line Review Quote:
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26th August 2019, 14:55
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| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Bangalore/Pune
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| Re: My Baby Blue! BMW 320d F30 LCI Luxury Line Review Quote:
 Last edited by Dr.AD : 26th August 2019 at 15:17. | |
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26th August 2019, 15:41
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| BHPian  Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: My Baby Blue! BMW 320d F30 LCI Luxury Line Review Hey! It's not strange at all! BMW is just following the trend set by Apple in removing the headphone jack as it takes too much space! I wonder if they managed to find the space to fit it back in the G20 generation after stretching the dimensions of that car. My car is from the opposite era - has the headphone jack, but no streaming audio over bluetooth (only calls). Looks like BMW wants to keep it simple and not confuse their customers by giving them too many options to stream music  |
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26th August 2019, 20:16
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| BHPian  Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Chennai
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| Similar Aspiration Congratulations on the ultimate Sedan upgrade. Quote:
By the way, the rear seats on the Rapid too doesn't fold/tumble of any sort. It's fixed like the 320.  Do they meddle with your Tune/Remap during general service? Thinking of taking the remap plunge on my TDi. | |
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