F20 120d M-Sport

[GB9]

Hurro to those who care to read this...

I'm considering selling my 2010 Golf 6 GTi and replacing it with this:

http://www.autotrader.co.za/used-ca...s/50-000-km-to-74-999-km?featuredListing=true

Any reasons why not? I'd prefer a 125i, or 328i, but those that were available in my price range have been flogged already. Should I vasbyt until next year and suffer the resale knock on my GTi, or will the 120d be a suitable replacement? I'm not a fan of the looks, but the 1 series M-Sport derivative is OK. It would be a lot better if it had the 3.0T, but my budget does not stretch that far. I plan to sell again in two years time, or so; how bad a knock will I take considering the price of the one in the link? The dealer will not budge on price...

My requirements:

Age: 2012 or younger
Budget: No more than 320-330k
Mileage: No more than 55k km
Doors: 4
Performance: In and around my Golf 6 GTi's range, or better. Not a deal breaker though.
Extras: Xenons

Any other recommendations?

Thanks

 

[KarshS]

GTI is quicker...... Other than that its a better car in every other aspect

 

[Xeqtr]

I had a mates 120d M-Sport for a day when mine was in for a service and I was really impressed with it. I am not a diesel guy though.

But I would say you go test drive her and you will know right away whether its for you or not. Perfomance was above what I expected, nothing like my 328i though.

Also your fuel consumption will be nothing compared to the GTI.

 

[Nemo]

dooooo eeeeeeeeeeetttt :clapper: just the consumption wins it for me.

If I could settle my x35i id be on this like a boney M song during festive :tiptoe:

 

[GB9]

Thanks for the comments, gents. The M-Sport 120d would possibly hold its value better than a Sport line 328i, right?

I'd have to suck up the fact that I won't have the GTi's outright pace, especially after 100km/h. But, the 120d's dynamics should more than make up for it. Having said that, I've contemplated jumping into another Golf 6 GTi. It has been a fantastic car to own.

My average fuel consumption hovers around 8,7 to 9l / 100km currently. Lots of highway driving in Durbs. I reckon this 120d would be in the low 6's on the same routes...

 

[Astro]

Compared to a G6 GTI, an F20 120d is imo more of a driver's car due to the balance, steering feel and RWD. The performance though less, is not too far off.

If its a more comfortable car you looking for then an F30 3 series could be considered, although similar fun would cost a bit more.

Generally the 1 series holds value a little better than the 3 series. Also consider the F20 is due for a facelift next year. If you doing about 2000 km per month, the 120d should save you about R1000 pm in fuel costs compared to a G6 GTI or 125i

 

[GB9]

Compared to a G6 GTI, an F20 120d is imo more of a driver's car due to the balance, steering feel and RWD. The performance though less, is not too far off.

If its a more comfortable car you looking for then an F30 3 series could be considered, although similar fun would cost a bit more.

Generally the 1 series holds value a little better than the 3 series. Also consider the F20 is due for a facelift next year. If you doing about 2000 km per month, the 120d should save you about R1000 pm in fuel costs compared to a G6 GTI or 125i

Bold statement in your first sentence. Having driven both, I feel that the GTi has a better ride and it handles spirited driving very, very well despite being FWD. I don't think it will give anything away to a 1 series for an average joe who likes to push on when traffic allows. The better ride in the GTi may be down to the fact that it uses "normal" tyres and that I have active chassis control as an extra in the GTi. The 3rd gen run flats on the 1 series are much improved, but still seem to affect refinement. Note, this is based on just 2 test drives of a 120d and 125i M-Sport respectively.

Having said the above, the 1 series does feel fresher inside than the Golf 6 GTi and with more time behind he wheel, it could end up being much more fun once one gets confident with its character. The 8 speed sport auto in the 120d I tested was really, really good. In terms of straight line speed, experience tells me that the 2.0d would be just a bit slower to 100 km/h, but it would drop off quite a bit when pressing past legal highway speeds. That's not a massive consideration for me, tho.

Thanks for input! Especially around fuel consumption. I'm currently spending anywhere between 3 to 4.5k per month on fuel in the GTi. According to the MFD, I get about 500-550kms off a tank, but with at least 20-50km left in the range when filling up.

I received a message from a dealer this arvie that a 328i has become available again. I'll test it tomorrow and then weigh up the options. The 120d I'm looking at has a certain appeal... I think it's that Estoril Blue paintwork and the sport auto...

 

[Astro]

Compared to a G6 GTI, an F20 120d is imo more of a driver's car due to the balance, steering feel and RWD. The performance though less, is not too far off.

If its a more comfortable car you looking for then an F30 3 series could be considered, although similar fun would cost a bit more.

Generally the 1 series holds value a little better than the 3 series. Also consider the F20 is due for a facelift next year. If you doing about 2000 km per month, the 120d should save you about R1000 pm in fuel costs compared to a G6 GTI or 125i

Bold statement in your first sentence. Having driven both, I feel that the GTi has a better ride and it handles spirited driving very, very well despite being FWD. I don't think it will give anything away to a 1 series for an average joe who likes to push on when traffic allows. The better ride in the GTi may be down to the fact that it uses "normal" tyres and that I have active chassis control as an extra in the GTi. The 3rd gen run flats on the 1 series are much improved, but still seem to affect refinement. Note, this is based on just 2 test drives of a 120d and 125i M-Sport respectively.

Having said the above, the 1 series does feel fresher inside than the Golf 6 GTi and with more time behind he wheel, it could end up being much more fun once one gets confident with its character. The 8 speed sport auto in the 120d I tested was really, really good. In terms of straight line speed, experience tells me that the 2.0d would be just a bit slower to 100 km/h, but it would drop off quite a bit when pressing past legal highway speeds. That's not a massive consideration for me, tho.

Thanks for input! Especially around fuel consumption. I'm currently spending anywhere between 3 to 4.5k per month on fuel in the GTi. According to the MFD, I get about 500-550kms off a tank, but with at least 20-50km left in the range when filling up.

I received a message from a dealer this arvie that a 328i has become available again. I'll test it tomorrow and then weigh up the options. The 120d I'm looking at has a certain appeal... I think it's that Estoril Blue paintwork and the sport auto...

Cannot go wrong with a 328i, my bro has one and its quite a lot faster than the G6 GTI i tested. With regards to fuel consumption, the best i have achieved from Pretoria to Durban was 4.3l/100km (average speed about 115km/h) so its really excellent when combined with the 8 speed auto. Although after installing the BMW PPK kit which increased power and torque to about 150kw and 440nm respectively it also increased my fuel consumption by about 0.5l/100km.

If you can i would also suggest the 8 speed sports auto with the paddle shifters compared to the "standard" 8 speed as its adds a bit more fun into the mix.

 

[GB9]

Cannot go wrong with a 328i, my bro has one and its quite a lot faster than the G6 GTI i tested. With regards to fuel consumption, the best i have achieved from Pretoria to Durban was 4.3l/100km (average speed about 115km/h) so its really excellent when combined with the 8 speed auto. Although after installing the BMW PPK kit which increased power and torque to about 150kw and 440nm respectively it also increased my fuel consumption by about 0.5l/100km.

If you can i would also suggest the 8 speed sports auto with the paddle shifters compared to the "standard" 8 speed as its adds a bit more fun into the mix.

Shot. The sport auto is the 'box that has the paddles. The 328 I'm testing is a manual... My GTi has a manual 'box and I'm not phased by it in Durbs' traffic. If I were still living in JHB, I'd definitely go with the auto.

Is that PPK increase at the wheels? How much do BMW charge for the tune?

 

[OppositeLockMT]

Performance difference between the two during everday use would be minimal.

I'd go for the F20, I'd remove that M badge though :thumbdo:

 

[Astro]

Cannot go wrong with a 328i, my bro has one and its quite a lot faster than the G6 GTI i tested. With regards to fuel consumption, the best i have achieved from Pretoria to Durban was 4.3l/100km (average speed about 115km/h) so its really excellent when combined with the 8 speed auto. Although after installing the BMW PPK kit which increased power and torque to about 150kw and 440nm respectively it also increased my fuel consumption by about 0.5l/100km.

If you can i would also suggest the 8 speed sports auto with the paddle shifters compared to the "standard" 8 speed as its adds a bit more fun into the mix.

Shot. The sport auto is the 'box that has the paddles. The 328 I'm testing is a manual... My GTi has a manual 'box and I'm not phased by it in Durbs' traffic. If I were still living in JHB, I'd definitely go with the auto.

Is that PPK increase at the wheels? How much do BMW charge for the tune?

The PPK I installed for my 120d was about R 14000 and included a new ECU and intercooler. It dyno tested to 136 kw ATW, so estimated to about 150 kw. As far as i know there is no PPK for the 328i. The BMW SA website has a list of all PPK kits, while JSN BMW are agents for AC Schnitzer. The F20 may lose value a bit more after the planned facelift next year.

 

[jamacouve]

Im in the exact same boat as you except selling my polo GTI before the new one comes out next year, but now im scared seeing that theres a facelift coming?