DRCraig
Well-known member
Good day fanatics
After acquiring a 2013 F30 320d (non-MSport), 2 months ago for my wife, whilst owning a 2011 320d E90 (MSport) myself, I thought it well to try and write a comparison review on some aspects.
In terms of presence, the E90 definitely takes it here, provided it is the MSport. I think in terms of looks, it will also age better. The E90 has an aggressive and beefy appeal and whilst the F30 looks the part, it looks quite timid. Jordan Peterson said a dangerous man is better than a harmless man.
Driving the E90 and F30 back to back. If you choose comfort, cruising along, navigating easily through traffic and sub-urban areas, the F30 wins hands-down. It is made for your day-to-day driving. It is just so easy to maneuver around town. Additionally, the F30 is much more refined in terms of cabin noise, the diesel clatter is noticeably quieter in the F30 even though it shares the same powerplant as the E90; i.e N47T. The F30 also handles higher speeds more comfortably on the open road.
The E90, on the other hand, has a more engaging driving experience. It has a firmer ride which makes it feel more 'connected' to the road, the 'heavier' hydraulic steering and stiffer suspension definitely contributes to this feeling.
Taking bends, driving up and down mountain passes, the E90 outshines the F30. The assertiveness of the E90 handling a corner is admirable, even so when exiting the corner, or quickly returning to your lane after a brisk overtake. The F30 feels more 'nervous' in this regard. I don't know if 'loose' can explain the handling in corners or brisk overtaking, but it just does not give you the confidence to do quick turn-ins. I'm sure the F30 MSport feels better and a bit more planted.
POWWAA and its delivery
My E90 has around 155KW and 450nm now after a stage 1 file, decat. For this comparison I'm referring to it when it had the OEM map.
Both cars, obviously, has 135KW & 380nm. The ZF8 transfer this power more efficiently to the wheels, I believe, making it a quicker car from point-to point.
The N47T coupled with that ZF8 is like brandy and cola. The one compliments the other so well. It delivers power smoothly and can push you back into your seat when you squeeze the accelerator pedal. The shifts are lightning quick, especially when the gearbox is in sport mode. In my opinion, even quicker than a DSG. You are always in the correct gear, driving like a normal civilian or when you try to be Schumi.
The ZF6 in the E90 is also a great transmission, make no mistake, but sometimes I find myself in the wrong gear after executing whatever input. It shifts smoothly, and relatively quick in M/S, but the gearbox has a 'heavy' feel to it. At the legal speed limit the E90's revs hovers around 2100rpm whereas the F30's crankshafts rotates at a low 1800 rpm. This makes the F30 a better cruiser as previously mentioned. I think the N47T engine in the F30 will last longer than in the E90 due to the fact that the engine endures less strain by means of lower rpms.
Fuel consumption
The F30 is more frugal than the E90, but not by much, as I initially expected. My commute to work is around 65km return per day on the N7 rural. 90% of the commute is highway with minimal traffic. Me and my wife swop cars after each week for our commute to work.
The E90, at a speed of 110km/h, minimal overtaking averaged between 5.5l/100km for my commute. The F30, for the very same commute and speed, averaged 5.3l/100 in ECO-PRO.
In another scenario when both cars were driven from Cape Town to Langebaan on the R27, I drove the E90 with the carseat and baby, no luggage, and my wife drove the F30 with no luggage, no passengers. The E90 averaged 4.7l/100km and the F30 did 4.6l/100km.
So with above findings, on the highway, the F30 only does around 0,5km more on 1 liter of diesel. I would say this is really commendable for both cars considering the decent amount of power and space you get. Moreover, the E90 is still very much competitive when it comes to frugality.
Build quality, technology and space
This is common knowledge that the interior of the E90 has better quality materials than in the E90. I thought the F30 was way off in this regard, but it is not the case. I find the cabin to be quite pleasant to be in. It is more spacious and ergonomically advanced. The infotainment system, i.e iDrive, is lightyears ahead of the basic system of the E90. Please note that the E90 doesn't have iDrive. The only gripe of the F30 at this stage, was the front door handle cover which became brittle; I already sorted that out- thanks to Leyman. Other than that, solid up to this point. Something else I want to point out is the boot lid of the E90 feels better, solid. You can feel it clearly when closing it. There's more feel to it than that of the F30. This is also the case of the bonnet and the doors. This is a testimony of the E90's quality.
In conclusion, which car would I choose to live with for the next 5 years?
I can live without the tech and comfort of the F30, but the ZF8, I highly doubt. I just wish the E90 LCI came with the ZF8 seeing that it was first used back in 2008. All in all, carefully considering every aspect, I think the E90 wins by a small margin here. If I was in the market for a 320d with a budget of around R200K for a car, I'd buy a MSport E90 320d LCI of around R130K to R140K, and keep the surplus for preventative-and general maintenance, services and a stage 1 file.
Thanks for reading my write-up.
I sincerely hope it was worth it especially for someone in the market or just in general. Please feel free to comment.
Thanks
Craig
After acquiring a 2013 F30 320d (non-MSport), 2 months ago for my wife, whilst owning a 2011 320d E90 (MSport) myself, I thought it well to try and write a comparison review on some aspects.
In terms of presence, the E90 definitely takes it here, provided it is the MSport. I think in terms of looks, it will also age better. The E90 has an aggressive and beefy appeal and whilst the F30 looks the part, it looks quite timid. Jordan Peterson said a dangerous man is better than a harmless man.
Driving the E90 and F30 back to back. If you choose comfort, cruising along, navigating easily through traffic and sub-urban areas, the F30 wins hands-down. It is made for your day-to-day driving. It is just so easy to maneuver around town. Additionally, the F30 is much more refined in terms of cabin noise, the diesel clatter is noticeably quieter in the F30 even though it shares the same powerplant as the E90; i.e N47T. The F30 also handles higher speeds more comfortably on the open road.
The E90, on the other hand, has a more engaging driving experience. It has a firmer ride which makes it feel more 'connected' to the road, the 'heavier' hydraulic steering and stiffer suspension definitely contributes to this feeling.
Taking bends, driving up and down mountain passes, the E90 outshines the F30. The assertiveness of the E90 handling a corner is admirable, even so when exiting the corner, or quickly returning to your lane after a brisk overtake. The F30 feels more 'nervous' in this regard. I don't know if 'loose' can explain the handling in corners or brisk overtaking, but it just does not give you the confidence to do quick turn-ins. I'm sure the F30 MSport feels better and a bit more planted.
POWWAA and its delivery
My E90 has around 155KW and 450nm now after a stage 1 file, decat. For this comparison I'm referring to it when it had the OEM map.
Both cars, obviously, has 135KW & 380nm. The ZF8 transfer this power more efficiently to the wheels, I believe, making it a quicker car from point-to point.
The N47T coupled with that ZF8 is like brandy and cola. The one compliments the other so well. It delivers power smoothly and can push you back into your seat when you squeeze the accelerator pedal. The shifts are lightning quick, especially when the gearbox is in sport mode. In my opinion, even quicker than a DSG. You are always in the correct gear, driving like a normal civilian or when you try to be Schumi.
The ZF6 in the E90 is also a great transmission, make no mistake, but sometimes I find myself in the wrong gear after executing whatever input. It shifts smoothly, and relatively quick in M/S, but the gearbox has a 'heavy' feel to it. At the legal speed limit the E90's revs hovers around 2100rpm whereas the F30's crankshafts rotates at a low 1800 rpm. This makes the F30 a better cruiser as previously mentioned. I think the N47T engine in the F30 will last longer than in the E90 due to the fact that the engine endures less strain by means of lower rpms.
Fuel consumption
The F30 is more frugal than the E90, but not by much, as I initially expected. My commute to work is around 65km return per day on the N7 rural. 90% of the commute is highway with minimal traffic. Me and my wife swop cars after each week for our commute to work.
The E90, at a speed of 110km/h, minimal overtaking averaged between 5.5l/100km for my commute. The F30, for the very same commute and speed, averaged 5.3l/100 in ECO-PRO.
In another scenario when both cars were driven from Cape Town to Langebaan on the R27, I drove the E90 with the carseat and baby, no luggage, and my wife drove the F30 with no luggage, no passengers. The E90 averaged 4.7l/100km and the F30 did 4.6l/100km.
So with above findings, on the highway, the F30 only does around 0,5km more on 1 liter of diesel. I would say this is really commendable for both cars considering the decent amount of power and space you get. Moreover, the E90 is still very much competitive when it comes to frugality.
Build quality, technology and space
This is common knowledge that the interior of the E90 has better quality materials than in the E90. I thought the F30 was way off in this regard, but it is not the case. I find the cabin to be quite pleasant to be in. It is more spacious and ergonomically advanced. The infotainment system, i.e iDrive, is lightyears ahead of the basic system of the E90. Please note that the E90 doesn't have iDrive. The only gripe of the F30 at this stage, was the front door handle cover which became brittle; I already sorted that out- thanks to Leyman. Other than that, solid up to this point. Something else I want to point out is the boot lid of the E90 feels better, solid. You can feel it clearly when closing it. There's more feel to it than that of the F30. This is also the case of the bonnet and the doors. This is a testimony of the E90's quality.
In conclusion, which car would I choose to live with for the next 5 years?
I can live without the tech and comfort of the F30, but the ZF8, I highly doubt. I just wish the E90 LCI came with the ZF8 seeing that it was first used back in 2008. All in all, carefully considering every aspect, I think the E90 wins by a small margin here. If I was in the market for a 320d with a budget of around R200K for a car, I'd buy a MSport E90 320d LCI of around R130K to R140K, and keep the surplus for preventative-and general maintenance, services and a stage 1 file.
Thanks for reading my write-up.
I sincerely hope it was worth it especially for someone in the market or just in general. Please feel free to comment.
Thanks
Craig
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