3 Series or 5?

sinbadsailor said:
What I thought, as from what I've read it's the mid range that sets these diesel engines apart, just wondering if it was actually really noticeable in car, rather than on a journalists review etc....
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I would second that its noticeable. You get more torque at lower rev's so basically you don't have to work as hard to stay within the power band.
 
REMFAN said:
You are getting in around 700km on a full tank, thats quite good. My mate wants a manual gear box.
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In that case he should definitely go for the 320d. A 5 series manual will be near impossible to shift later. Anyone considering buying a used 5 series will expect an auto.
 
New Audi A4 out next year could be worth a viewing. He took the current model out today and it turned his head. Liked it myself, be a smashing car with decent alloys and leather.
 
SOM42 said:
In that case he should definitely go for the 320d. A 5 series manual will be near impossible to shift later. Anyone considering buying a used 5 series will expect an auto.
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While hunting for a good deal on a new 3 or a 5 series recently I spoke to several BMW sales people in five garages,both in Dublin and in the country about,among other concerns,the merits of 'automatic' re the 520d.....the two Dublin garages advised auto and in the three country garages the general consensus was that it would not be a necessity on the 520d but a must on the 525d and 530d.A pal of mine has 07 520d manual from new with 20k miles on the clock now,he said he gets about 50 mpg.I stand corrected but i believe that an automatic would return about 38-40 mpg.(The latter info I gleaned from my chats with the various BMW sales people).

I test drove both 520d auto and manual,the automatic was a fab car to drive.The considerable difference in mpg ( i drive about 30k miles pa ) the additional €3000 cost and the fact that I seen 4 year old autos and manuals of similar milage for similar asking price on Carzone led me to believe that a manual would be a good buy.
I would probably keep the car for ten years and would therefore go for some other extras if desired.
 
i have a 07 316 at the moment - i',,m changing it for the new 316 msport in january - beautiful car!!Would he consider a 316?
 
upport said:
I test drove both 520d auto and manual,the automatic was a fab car to drive.The considerable difference in mpg ( i drive about 30k miles pa ) the additional €3000 cost and the fact that I seen 4 year old autos and manuals of similar milage for similar asking price on Carzone led me to believe that a manual would be a good buy.
I would probably keep the car for ten years and would therefore go for some other extras if desired.
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Couple of points, I would question whether or not there is a huge difference in mpg in auto diesels. I could be very wrong here but I would be amazed if its the 10-12mpg you say it is..

Secondly just because cars on carzone have the same asking prices does not mean that they all sell at this price. An auto 5 series diesel will always be more desirable than a similar manual and shift must faster.

Thirdly if you intend to keep the car for 10 years do you feel the extra comfort and convenience of the auto is justifies the extra expense of approx €300 per year? If not the the manual is your best bet though personally I'd opt for the auto
 
The 316 wouldn't pull a tooth. The only reason you would buy a 316 is the need to have the BMW badge at all costs. It is not enough car to justify the premium price.

To be honest, if were going to buy a BMW, then if diesel it would have to be 320d or 520d at least, or petrol 520 or 318 at the very least. I would say that if those models were out of your price bracket then buy a used beemer or keep saving till next year.
 
Sinbadsailor..

Thats an interesting point... have you had a lot of experience driving the 316?
 
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See attached for details on MPG. I have a 320d and am getting approx 52MPG and very happ with it. [broken link removed]
 
Armada said:
Sinbadsailor..

Thats an interesting point... have you had a lot of experience driving the 316?
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To be honest no, but if the 2002 318 I tested and didn't get 2 years ago was anything to go by, I think my comments would stand up.

Unless there is someone who has had a 'lot of experience' driving a 316 and can show comparisons etc.

Entry level models for every car, especially the premium German brands tend to be overly expensive and underpowered. This is where my comments came from
 
Oh silly me...

Thought Sinbadsailor had actual first hand knowledge since he had gone to the effort of commenting on the 316. I now see that this is only his 'presumption'.

Interesting..
 
sinbadsailor said:
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Entry level models for every car, especially the premium German brands tend to be overly expensive and underpowered. This is where my comments came from
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How are Entry level models for every car, overly expensive? Are they not the cheapest model in their ranges?

I've driven a few 316/318 '04~06 and I thought they were a decent car. I didn't find them underpowered. Mind you I didn't do much overtaking or long journeys in them. Just around the city.
 
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