[funmaniac]

Originally Posted by abhimanyu s

hi guys, this is the first time i am posting anything on team bhp, so was not sure where to start. I have a 320d ce in which i replaced oe tyres with 225/50r17 pirelli runflats and bbs rims, the car has clocked around 27k and i see the tyres are wearing already, is it normal or should i get the car checked. Genuine advice will be appreciated.

abhimanyu
i have heard that tyres dont last more than 35000 kms on this car , is it uneven wear
what pirelli tyres do you have it depends on tyre also and please post some pics of the alloys aswell even i am willing to upgrade from 16 to 17 inch rims and without runflats

hitesh

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by abhimanyu s

hi guys, this is the first time i am posting anything on team bhp, so was not sure where to start. I have a 320d ce in which i replaced oe tyres with 225/50r17 pirelli runflats and bbs rims, the car has clocked around 27k and i see the tyres are wearing already, is it normal or should i get the car checked. Genuine advice will be appreciated.

27k is fine, considering Pirellis are soft compound tyres. Nothing is wrong with your car.

[abhimanyu s]

Originally Posted by funmaniac

abhimanyu
i have heard that tyres dont last more than 35000 kms on this car , is it uneven wear
what pirelli tyres do you have it depends on tyre also and please post some pics of the alloys aswell even i am willing to upgrade from 16 to 17 inch rims and without runflats

hitesh

hi hitesh,

i have pirelli p zero on my car, i got the rims sourced with help of arush (autopsyche) you might find the pics on his facebook page, so far no complaint regarding handling, infact pirelli's being softer have improved the ride a bit. Thanks for your advice.

[Ravich]

Took the 320d for a Car wash at Autoexpress franchise in Korum mall in Thane. Staff and service were competent and good . Pressure wash for underbody and wheel well cleaning was very effective. Shampoo wash and interior vacuum cleaning included in basic wash. Reasonably popular material are used (F1 shampoo and wax) Resisted the temptation to pressure wash the engine bay though.
Was sufficiently impressed with the quality service to sign up for an annual plan costing 5000 for 15 washes. The staff seemed to treat the cars much as I would when I wash it myself. Have taken the car twice since then and have had no reason to regret the choice. Had my Laura wax polished as well. Overall quite pleased with the result.
I don't know of any other good car wash facilities for a comparison but would recommend this without reservations as far as the quality is concerned.
Mods: if this does not belong here, pl. move to the appropriate thread.

[Gurpartap Singh]

Here, I got it all done with some German branded shampoo cleaning (twice), waxed, underbody steam washed, engine bay steam washed, compounded where needed, polished inside-out for around Rs. 300.

They use some huge steaming machine that generated a lot of pressure and steam! And they claimed to have imported it all (polishes, shampoos, steaming machine) themselves from Germany.

The guys were indulging and doing with interest. I was impressed. More so at their pricing. Rs. 150 for everything without steam. I get this done every couple of weeks.

You can make it that I'm so satisfied that I felt urged to write this!

[Ravich]

Have had the BMW 320d CE for almost exactly an year now. I remain an unabashed fan and enamoured owner still.
I recently had a 2012 C class C250 Hertz rental for a week in San Ramon and that experience ( especially driving on the valley road from SFO to San Ramon) made me even more discerning of the sheer balance and agility of even the base 3 series model. I know there is considerable bias at work here but even allowing for that , the driving experience was rather forgettable.

Now that it is time for insurance renewal , got a shocker for the secure renewal (much higher than the original 32k ). Intend to go with alternate zero depreciation + road side assist policy from HDFC. I guess replacement peace of mind for RFTs is not worth the ridiculously higher Bajaj secure policy. I have a space saver and will switch to non RFTs at the first opportunity/ need. Repair is an option too since I would stop an change to the space saver if I get a low pressure warning and side wall is not punctured.
Would welcome different perspectives on the secure renewal.

[abishek2222]

Originally Posted by Ravich

Now that it is time for insurance renewal , got a shocker for the secure renewal (much higher than the original 32k ). Intend to go with alternate zero depreciation + road side assist policy from HDFC. I guess replacement peace of mind for RFTs is not worth the ridiculously higher Bajaj secure policy. I have a space saver and will switch to non RFTs at the first opportunity/ need. Repair is an option too since I would stop an change to the space saver if I get a low pressure warning and side wall is not punctured.
Would welcome different perspectives on the secure renewal.

Originally Posted by androdev

What I paid at the time of buying:
146K : 88K insurance + 58K secure

What I am asked to pay during this renewal:
149K : 66K insurance + 83K secure (if I had not made a claim - 66K for secure)

Obviously if you are used to cars with decreasing insurance premiums, it will take some getting used to :-) For the benefit of others - following is the secure premium for 4 years (secure is not available after 4 yrs)

1st: 58K
2nd: 66K (without claim), 83K (with claim)
3rd: 79K, 99K
4th: 94K, 117K

In addition to the above secure premium, you also have to pay for the regular insurance premium. So I would assume one would be paying approximately 150K every year towards insurance for the first 4 years if opting for Secure. My transmission repair bill came to 8 lakhs that has been paid by Secure and I would like to keep the secure just to get some good sleep. Apparently Bajaj doesn't offer their drive-assure product for BMWs.

Could you give a more details about the HDFC policy how much it costs and about the road side assistance, androdev seems to have paid close to 1.2 lakhs for the secure after 4 years.

[Ravich]

Originally Posted by abishek2222

Could you give a more details about the HDFC policy how much it costs and about the road side assistance, androdev seems to have paid close to 1.2 lakhs for the secure after 4 years.

The HDFC and Tata AIG zero dep policies are simple and straight forward. In case of accidental damage, you get the full (not depreciated) price of the replaced parts paid for by the insurer. The catch is if it is abreakdown (i.e simple failure), you are on your own. On the other hand secure covers breakdowns as well. the HDFC and Tata policies come to around 52k or so for a corporate edition. The Bajaj motor insurance +secure is close to 1 lac.

The roadside assistance from HDFC is quite good (on paper !). I still need to check bmw secure fine print. Will post the findings.

Androdevs claims (if arising from damage caused by the underbody hitting a stone) could have been covered by either of these zero dep policies. I may be wrong.

At this point it seems to me , Secure would be attractive if BMW's quality is really suspect.

[LP640]

Hi Ravich. Nice to see you are enjoying every bit of your new car! What is the update on the Laura?? Any more comperable points? Any plans for the modds mentioned earlier?

[abishek2222]

Originally Posted by Ravich

The HDFC and Tata AIG zero dep policies are simple and straight forward. In case of accidental damage, you get the full (not depreciated) price of the replaced parts paid for by the insurer. The catch is if it is abreakdown (i.e simple failure), you are on your own.
At this point it seems to me , Secure would be attractive if BMW's quality is really suspect.

You mean to say i would have to pay to get the car towed to the nearest service center? also does this cover the replacement of punctured tires.There must be somebody around here who has gone with HDFC and Tata AIG after the secure has expired & can share their experience .

[KGK]

Originally Posted by Ravich

The HDFC and Tata AIG zero dep policies are simple and straight forward. In case of accidental damage, you get the full (not depreciated) price of the replaced parts paid for by the insurer. The catch is if it is abreakdown (i.e simple failure), you are on your own. On the other hand secure covers breakdowns as well. the HDFC and Tata policies come to around 52k or so for a corporate edition. The Bajaj motor insurance +secure is close to 1 lac.

The roadside assistance from HDFC is quite good (on paper !). I still need to check bmw secure fine print. Will post the findings.

Androdevs claims (if arising from damage caused by the underbody hitting a stone) could have been covered by either of these zero dep policies. I may be wrong.

At this point it seems to me , Secure would be attractive if BMW's quality is really suspect.

Have ICICI Lom zero dep, you could also check with them. Their platinum zero dep policy was as good as the secure but much cheaper.

Also won't simple failures (assume you meant failure of a part) get covered under warranty/BSI?

[Ravich]

Originally Posted by KGK

Have ICICI Lom zero dep, you could also check with them. Their platinum zero dep policy was as good as the secure but much cheaper.

Also won't simple failures (assume you meant failure of a part) get covered under warranty/BSI?

Yes. On reading the secure fine print, other than the coverage of run flats, zero dep would be equally good and sufficient. Simple failures are not covered except for towing.

[Ravich]

March 31st, my BMW 320d will be completing 4 years. This is my brief summary of the cost of ownership and the pleasures of driving the BMW 3 series.
Date of possession : 31st March 2011
Model: 320d Corporate Edition . Color: Deep Sea Blue
3 Year BSI ( included in the car
Odometer reading : 35690 Kms
Diesel consumption per km ( overall average) 13.15 km/l (7.6 l/100km) - mostly city driving
Fuel costs over 4 years : Rs 165,000/-
Other expenses : Rs 184,000/-
( shampoos , car wax etc+ ,
BMW Oil and Brake oil for safety
car washes,
3M car package,
4th year front/rear brake pad replacement,
BMW car cover,
BMW mats
BMW diesel additive
BMW Space saver wheel
Ring 12v compressor
DeepSea blue paint from Amazon
Wifi OBD scanner,
1 set of rear Run flat tyres replaced
4th year service outside BSI yet to be done)

Car insurance: 4 years : Rs 173,836
2nd year BMW Secure : Rs 60,655

BMW Secure for first year and 3 year BSI were included complimentary . Did not renew BMW secure after second year , instead chose Zero dep policy. Bajaj, to HDFC to Tata AIG .
Run flat punctures - got them repaired at Premjis ( fortunately no sidewall punctures)

Longest journeys: - Mumbai to Bangalore , Bangalore to Tirunelveli and back .
Mechanical or other breakdowns : None
Minor problems/Annoyances:
1. Tyre pressure monitor did not detect fall in rear tyre pressure by over 50% when driving to Bangalore. Replaced rear run flats with Yokohoma run flats as a precaution
2. After front brake pad replacement at around 30KMs ( CBM warning alerted )and service warning reset , rear brake pad distance to service kept showing > 20000 Km left but I knew they had to be replaced at around 33K . So had them replaced once I crossed the 33K mark. The wear sensors did not seem to alert.
3. AC front vent - 1 slider knob came loose - replaced
Absolutely no other problems.

Time spent in garage for service : 3 forenoons for service + 1 day for a rear windshield damage + 1 day for a right wing mirror damage (biker) over 4 years

Time spent washing and checking the car : ~900 hours over 4 years

General mechanical, interior and exterior condition of the car after 4 year - Flawless.

Overall satisfaction -Immense and possibly priceless...

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Ravich

Mechanical or other breakdowns : None

I must say, that is a Japanese level of reliability . BMW has far superior reliability to Mercedes & Audi, and experiences such as yours only strengthen that fact. FlyingSpur's 320D has also been reliable, as has Amey's 525D. Both these cars have run double (or more) the number of kms as your car has.

Wish you many more kms of enjoyable motoring.

Thanks for the detailed update!

[Hackett]

Originally Posted by Ravich

March 31st, my BMW 320d will be completing 4 years.
Overall satisfaction -Immense and possibly priceless...

Thanks a lot. You have strengthened my decision for a 3 series, currently happy owner of Corolla Altis (6 yr old). I would love to read 6 to 10 years ownership review from you and other 3 series owners.

I feel even though Japanese cars are rated very highly on reliability ( in Indian conditions too) the Germans are not far behind.
Just to share, i have seen more German cars on Tokyo roads in last three years than Japanese ones. Plus ownership of German cars are considered higher than Japanese cars in Japan.

I guess, its the condition of our roads (despite all of us paying so much taxes including so called road tax) which is the main contributor to the servicing and longevity of our cars in India.