discussion F30 2013 320D or 2014 320i

[E90Francois]

So this popped up while i was browsing FB.

Think its worth checking out

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@Coisman Please kind sir, tell me what you need to do your natis thing 😁

 

[v1p3r]

So this popped up while i was browsing FB.

Think its worth checking out

Facebook

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@Coisman Please kind sir, tell me what you need to do your natis thing 😁

Jy luister nie oor die early 320i's nie...and then it's still another man's modded car also.

If you're not gonna take advice why bother asking sir?

 

[E90Francois]

Jy luister nie oor die early 320i's nie...and then it's still another man's modded car also.

If you're not gonna take advice why bother asking sir?

LMGA sorry oom, I gots a little bit excited i thought the 320 came with the D not the i

I read that wrong.

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

Jy luister nie oor die early 320i's nie...and then it's still another man's modded car also.

If you're not gonna take advice why bother asking sir?

He seem to like problems. Should have introduced him to my ex.

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

LMGA sorry oom, I gots a little bit excited i thought the 320 came with the D not the i

I read that wrong.

Also like we told you a cheap F30 is going to be a very expensive F30

 

[E90Francois]

He seem to like problems. Should have introduced him to my ex.

🤣🤣 no thanks i got enough problems of my own. then again, might give me an excuse to play around in the garage a bit more .... 🤪

 

[E90Francois]

The LCI F30 320i like mentioned earlier in the thread, is that the same B48 engine that comes in the newer model 330i ?

Saw a video on the youtubes of those engines having huge tuning potential... link below

If so that's damn impressive potential for a 320i

 

[E90Francois]

So the search continues and budget increased.

Hoping could get some insight from owners who had both of the 335i i have shortlisted.

From reading reviews reliability wise E90 335i (N54) and F30 335i the F30 is the one to go for but interior is more flimsy.
what is the fuel consumption like between the two and are the specs sheets accurate in real word conditions.
Any thing to look out for ?

Then the above mentioned as an overall daily vs B48 320i F30 or 320d F30 / 320d LCI E90

(i know the diesels will be lighter on fuel) question is if all were roughly the same price which would be the best option considering the car will be driven daily 2km to work and back and every other weekend/holiday 500km to 2000km trips.

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

I do believe from what I read the N55 on the E90 335i and early F30 models seem to be less temperamental than the N54. Be prepared for the maintenance that comes with these.

I daily well not every day my B48 320i. My car is tuned though and if driven decently 70% highway and 30% residential roads I average around 7.5l/100km. I don't care much for the fuel economy as I enjoy my car so I usually average around 9l/100km. Open road around 8.5l/100km.
I owned a E90 320d before and its an amazing car with good enough power and economy. I chose petrol this time for the exhaust note and the way it drives and it was a lot cheaper. I would need to drive A LOT to make up the difference of purchase price in fuel.

None of this matter and we cant advice much unless we know your budget.

 

[E90Francois]

I do believe from what I read the N55 on the E90 335i and early F30 models seem to be less temperamental than the N54. Be prepared for the maintenance that comes with these.

I daily well not every day my B48 320i. My car is tuned though and if driven decently 70% highway and 30% residential roads I average around 7.5l/100km. I don't care much for the fuel economy as I enjoy my car so I usually average around 9l/100km. Open road around 8.5l/100km.

None of this matter and we cant advice much unless we know your budget.

Budget is set to 250k more or less after seeing what the F30's goes for.

I see you mentioned maintenance for the 335i's, in what ways would they be worse than the diesels and the B48 320i (bar the two extra cylinders' components for servicing)

My main concern is for long distance driving i at least want 15km/l at about 120kmh not like my current car that gives 8km/l open road at 90-100kmh 🤪 🤣

I am sure i will enjoy the "driving it spiritedly " part as well and be a bit lead footed that fuel consumption does not concern me, but if i take the long road it must not drink like a teenager on happy hour and give steps per bucket of fuel lol.

 

[KPM3_30]

I see you mentioned maintenance for the 335i's, in what ways would they be worse than the diesels and the B48 320i (bar the two extra cylinders' components for servicing)

My main concern is for long distance driving i at least want 15km/l at about 120kmh not like my current car that gives 8km/l open road at 90-100kmh 🤪 🤣

The fact that you ask the question in bold means you need to do A LOT more research and ultimately, just settle for the 320d.

 

[1 Eyed Monkey]

add 50k more and go for the 330d

 

[E90Francois]

The fact that you ask the question in bold means you need to do A LOT more research and ultimately, just settle for the 320d.

Well from what i can find the maintenance schedule between F30 320d and 335i n55 is practically identical
hence me asking the question, this is from BMW website... Surly the people that made it know when it should be maintained, or am i missing some super secretive information here 😅

• Every 10,000 KM, or yearly: replace engine oil, oil filter, and coolant (i do it every 5000km on my cars )
• Every 20,000 KM, or every two years: inspect and replace fuel filters ( this i do every 10 000km along with air and cabin filters as it usually comes in a kit with all filters so do them all and get it done..)
• Every 40,000 KM, or every three years:
  • Replace brake fluid (after the first replacement, every 100,000 KM) (did not really bother with break fluids, it gets done when the brake pads are finished then the system gets flushed and new ones put in along with pads due to older cars having brake wear sensors on the reservoir showing when the pads are worn and needs replacing)
  • Replace transmission fluid on manual-transmission BMWs (did this once every 2 years on auto or manual with flush)
• Every 100,000 KM, or every six years:
  • Replace engine air filter and spark / Glow plugs
  • Inspect and replace brake pads and brake rotors, as necessary
  • Replace transmission fluid on automatic-transmission BMWs
• Every 150,000 KM, or every nine years: replace timing chains / belts and hoses

After 150,000 KM, repeat the above cycle, and always keep up your 10,000-KM basic maintenance structure.

Regarding the f30 n55 335i the only common problems i can find searching the web and other forums is cracked charge pipes and oil filter housing gaskets and valve cover seals if they leak.
The early n54 335i e90 were very problematic.
Hence me asking what am i missing.

 

[MR_Y]

"Surly the people that made it know when it should be maintained, or am i missing some super secretive information here"

My man, you have a long and arduous and expensive journey ahead of you. Good luck 🤞

I bought an old Z4 with full BMW dealership service history that has been religiously serviced. After 17 years of BMW scheduled services, the car needed a crap load of proper maintenance to be done. Manufacturer scheduled services and maintenance mean sweet f###all. Car manufacturers support a program of planned obsolescence.

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

Well from what i can find the maintenance schedule between F30 320d and 335i n55 is practically identical
hence me asking the question, this is from BMW website... Surly the people that made it know when it should be maintained, or am i missing some super secretive information here 😅

• Every 10,000 KM, or yearly: replace engine oil, oil filter, and coolant (i do it every 5000km on my cars )
• Every 20,000 KM, or every two years: inspect and replace fuel filters ( this i do every 10 000km along with air and cabin filters as it usually comes in a kit with all filters so do them all and get it done..)
• Every 40,000 KM, or every three years:
  • Replace brake fluid (after the first replacement, every 100,000 KM) (did not really bother with break fluids, it gets done when the brake pads are finished then the system gets flushed and new ones put in along with pads due to older cars having brake wear sensors on the reservoir showing when the pads are worn and needs replacing)
  • Replace transmission fluid on manual-transmission BMWs (did this once every 2 years on auto or manual with flush)
• Every 100,000 KM, or every six years:
  • Replace engine air filter and spark / Glow plugs
  • Inspect and replace brake pads and brake rotors, as necessary
  • Replace transmission fluid on automatic-transmission BMWs
• Every 150,000 KM, or every nine years: replace timing chains / belts and hoses

After 150,000 KM, repeat the above cycle, and always keep up your 10,000-KM basic maintenance structure.

Regarding the f30 n55 335i the only common problems i can find searching the web and other forums is cracked charge pipes and oil filter housing gaskets and valve cover seals if they leak.
The early n54 335i e90 were very problematic.
Hence me asking what am i missing.

There is much more to a car besides normal services. You need to do much more research.
My apologies if I sound rude but you not making use of any advice given and that will get you right back to your current situation only it will cost you much more.

 

[E90Francois]

There is much more to a car besides normal services. You need to do much more research.
My apologies if I sound rude but you not making use of any advice given and that will get you right back to your current situation only it will cost you much more.

No stress man you not rude.

Its not my 1st car nor will it be my 1st BMW.

I have had loads of BMW's its just the 320d from hell e90 also 1st diesel ever which i had to learn allot about which has given me the most problems.
All of the other petrol BMW's i repaired and maintained myself, with the diesel hitting me hard with school fees.

And from my experience over the years things are not that expensive if you do it yourself.

Its like people don't own toolboxes anymore and they afraid to pick up a spanner, then fork out ludicrous amounts of money to a workshop that uses apprentices on minimum wage to do general maintenance on your car learning as they go ... ;p

Then want to say oh this car is so expensive to own as some sort of bragging right rather settle for X or Y

For instance a rebuild of the Z3 2.8l engine was quoted 45+k a few years ago. Did it myself with parts purchased from alert autospares for less than half and that car is still running problem free to this day.

I get things break, i get that there's not one car on this planet that doesn't break. But saying a cars maintenance costs (not repairs if something breaks) is higher than another model using the same chassis same electronics same drivetrain and same maintenance schedule simply because it has a different engine, i don't agree with. I can agree that repair costs if something breaks and its a problematic engine that it can get very expensive.
But from all the forums discussions writeups reviews, articles etc. the consensus is that the N55 is very reliable, common issues boils down to leaky oil filter housing gaskets, flimsy charge pipes, and leaky valve cover gaskets.

So you put in a aluminum or stainless charge pipe, any engineering shop can make one if they have a pipe bender, bead roller and a welder. Dont need to buy a brand name one costing 10 times as much. And a tube of good quality RTV + new seals / gaskets and a good clean before install sorts out the rest of its common issues.

As for maintenance, 10l of 0W30 oil is going to cost the same whether it goes into a lawnmower a snowmobile a tractor a n55 or n47 same goes for all other fluids like coolant, diff oil, gearbox oil, brake fluid etc, oil filters / fuel filters might be slightly different in price but not 1000's, cabin filters identical, brake pads and rotor a few 100 buks different. So where is this huge disparity in cost of maintenance and servicing.
Both 320d and 335i have the same suspension only differing shocks and spring rates, depending on if its a sport or not.

And when i ask the question of how maintenance cost differs none actually answer the question with nothing more than a snarky reply to the tune of 'you know nothing Jhon Snow" 🤣

So if its advice that is valid, like the warning on the N20 models, i do take the advice, because its based on well documented facts which can be easily found if someone informs you about it. Like hey lookout for the N20 they are generally not reliable and hit and miss. Thanx man let me go look it up, sure enough what they say rings true.
But saying, oh that model is expensive and requires loads of maintenance, and all searches shows the exact opposite ... then i tend to question it.

But unfortunately advice given from someone who does not know which side of a rachet wrench to hold and does all repairs with his checkbook I tend to steer clear from because repair shops see them coming a mile off.

No offence to anyone its just my perspective on things.

 

[///Avi]

So the search continues and budget increased.

Hoping could get some insight from owners who had both of the 335i i have shortlisted.

From reading reviews reliability wise E90 335i (N54) and F30 335i the F30 is the one to go for but interior is more flimsy.
what is the fuel consumption like between the two and are the specs sheets accurate in real word conditions.
Any thing to look out for ?

Then the above mentioned as an overall daily vs B48 320i F30 or 320d F30 / 320d LCI E90

(i know the diesels will be lighter on fuel) question is if all were roughly the same price which would be the best option considering the car will be driven daily 2km to work and back and every other weekend/holiday 500km to 2000km trips.

You remind me of myself. Do you have ADHD?

But that is besides the point, stay away from the N54 unless you are prepared to put the money in to make it reliable. It will still give you niggles afterward.

If you want reliability, good fuel economy and maybe a bit of tuning potential then the diesels will be your best bet. They don’t sound great and have small rev limits which means they should be used as the utility vehicles that they are intended to be.

If you want something that revs a bit and sounds good then go with a 6 cylinder petrol. In the F30 gen your only options are the 335/40i cars. The 40i is out of your budget. The F30 335i is for the most part reliable. I’ve heard of people spinning rod bearings on those but nothing too common. Your budget means you may not get the best example out there.

The B48 would be reasonable but if you’re going 4 cylinder then just stick to the diesel.

Any of the cars mentioned could be good or bad, do your due diligence before going for any of them. If you only focus on the service intervals when maintaining a vehicle then you are going to have a bad ownership experience. Wondering if your E90 was actually a lemon😅

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

No stress man you not rude.

Its not my 1st car nor will it be my 1st BMW.

I have had loads of BMW's its just the 320d from hell e90 also 1st diesel ever which i had to learn allot about which has given me the most problems.
All of the other petrol BMW's i repaired and maintained myself, with the diesel hitting me hard with school fees.

And from my experience over the years things are not that expensive if you do it yourself.

Its like people don't own toolboxes anymore and they afraid to pick up a spanner, then fork out ludicrous amounts of money to a workshop that uses apprentices on minimum wage to do general maintenance on your car learning as they go ... ;p

Then want to say oh this car is so expensive to own as some sort of bragging right rather settle for X or Y

For instance a rebuild of the Z3 2.8l engine was quoted 45+k a few years ago. Did it myself with parts purchased from alert autospares for less than half and that car is still running problem free to this day.

I get things break, i get that there's not one car on this planet that doesn't break. But saying a cars maintenance costs (not repairs if something breaks) is higher than another model using the same chassis same electronics same drivetrain and same maintenance schedule simply because it has a different engine, i don't agree with. I can agree that repair costs if something breaks and its a problematic engine that it can get very expensive.
But from all the forums discussions writeups reviews, articles etc. the consensus is that the N55 is very reliable, common issues boils down to leaky oil filter housing gaskets, flimsy charge pipes, and leaky valve cover gaskets.

So you put in a aluminum or stainless charge pipe, any engineering shop can make one if they have a pipe bender, bead roller and a welder. Dont need to buy a brand name one costing 10 times as much. And a tube of good quality RTV + new seals / gaskets and a good clean before install sorts out the rest of its common issues.

As for maintenance, 10l of 0W30 oil is going to cost the same whether it goes into a lawnmower a snowmobile a tractor a n55 or n47 same goes for all other fluids like coolant, diff oil, gearbox oil, brake fluid etc, oil filters / fuel filters might be slightly different in price but not 1000's, cabin filters identical, brake pads and rotor a few 100 buks different. So where is this huge disparity in cost of maintenance and servicing.
Both 320d and 335i have the same suspension only differing shocks and spring rates, depending on if its a sport or not.

And when i ask the question of how maintenance cost differs none actually answer the question with nothing more than a snarky reply to the tune of 'you know nothing Jhon Snow" 🤣

So if its advice that is valid, like the warning on the N20 models, i do take the advice, because its based on well documented facts which can be easily found if someone informs you about it. Like hey lookout for the N20 they are generally not reliable and hit and miss. Thanx man let me go look it up, sure enough what they say rings true.
But saying, oh that model is expensive and requires loads of maintenance, and all searches shows the exact opposite ... then i tend to question it.

But unfortunately advice given from someone who does not know which side of a rachet wrench to hold and does all repairs with his checkbook I tend to steer clear from because repair shops see them coming a mile off.

No offence to anyone its just my perspective on things.

Seems you sorted then. You should go out and purchase a F30 335i for R250k.

 

[E90Francois]

You remind me of myself. Do you have ADHD?

But that is besides the point, stay away from the N54 unless you are prepared to put the money in to make it reliable. It will still give you niggles afterward.

If you want reliability, good fuel economy and maybe a bit of tuning potential then the diesels will be your best bet. They don’t sound great and have small rev limits which means they should be used as the utility vehicles that they are intended to be.

If you want something that revs a bit and sounds good then go with a 6 cylinder petrol. In the F30 gen your only options are the 335/40i cars. The 40i is out of your budget. The F30 335i is for the most part reliable. I’ve heard of people spinning rod bearings on those but nothing too common. Your budget means you may not get the best example out there.

The B48 would be reasonable but if you’re going 4 cylinder then just stick to the diesel.

Any of the cars mentioned could be good or bad, do your due diligence before going for any of them. If you only focus on the service intervals when maintaining a vehicle then you are going to have a bad ownership experience. Wondering if your E90 was actually a lemon😅

Lol I'm not sure i was never tested 🤣

The E90 is a lemon no doubt. I am contemplating keeping it and just fixing it.
Managed to get the full ISTA suite where it actually shows you step by step on how to repair any error. The problem is the DDU is not a DDU, its a hodge podge of a DDE that someone re wrote to get the car working, it actually shows its for a 2.0l direct injection benzine / petrol engine.

SO if i can find the correct files i might be able to flash it to what it should be then go from there.

Will do, i actually look at that as well as what can go wrong and common issues and sort those out before i actually use the car.

Many thanks though.

 

[6spdmanual]

F30 335i for 250K? Brother, please don’t do that to yourself. You seem knowledgeable on cars, but also quite stubborn. Recipe for disaster in my view.

You’ve moved quite far from wanting something reliable to where you are now (child coming, wife driving it more than you, etc). I’d also recommend a 320d here as everyone has suggested.

If your diesel trauma is that huge, then perhaps get another brand for a little while before going back to BMW? 250K doesn’t get you a petrol engine that’s both newish and reliable (you may find a LCI 320i/318i with heavy milage). Best option would be a 330i F30, but a good one is north of 300K which is over your budget.

Ultimately it’s your choice. Just make the right one.