F30 320i advice

[Lizzard]

I dont know ....... the audi which is most probably a hatch which in terms mean that whatever you put in the boot (if you could call it that) will petrude (cant get this word right) to the passenger cabin, so any funny things in the boot is smelled in the cabin, not something I like. Did drive a hatch before. If you put more then a friend, in like friends then you will have to lift the seat up to let anyone out (see it is a 2 door model you described there). This is ok at first but can get a bit annoying after a while, something to keep in mind. Then there is the fact that no hatch is equal to a sedan as you have more space, very comfortable and packing things in the car is with ease, no moving seats to get things or people in and out of the passenger cabin, you can put whatever you want in the boot as it will not petrude to the passenger cabin (smell) or anything.

Anyway, let us know how the driving goes. Cant wait to hear your take on this. The A3 is most probably front wheel drive so it will understeer like crap when going to fast into a corner, the BMW 320i will be better in this case as it is rear wheel drive (more fun) ........ I think a decision here isnt just base on how the car looks but more on what you want from the car itself. You could still have fun with a rear wheel drive then have to handbrake the audi for some nice skids etc.

But when you test them, test them for practicality as well as use. Cant wait for the feedback.

 

[Zenith]

Thanks for your comments. Can't wait for tomorrow's test drive. :=):

As a matter of interest, has anyone replaced the runflat tires on their F30 to normal tires? Does it significantly improve comfort/ride or is it not really needed?

Ah well, I'm gonna find out tomorrow morning. :rollsmile:

 

[Zenith]

So the test drive...:crazylaugh:

Where to begin. I'll start with the F30. First off, driving an automatic was a little jarring given that I've never driven one, but within a few minutes I got used to feeling.

What I found very strange and perhaps I just need to get used to it, is the surge in power when I put my foot completely flat down on the pedal. There is a pause, like a 1 second or so, and then the motor revs like crazy and the onset of power spikes.

I don't know if all automatics are like this, or all the F30's are like this, but every time I wanted to really pick up speed there was always a 1 second or so delay once my foot was fully down on the accelerator.

First impressions - yeah, at full tilt, this car is much faster than my E90. It's also a little more comfortable, and the car I was driving was the F30 320i in a sportline (not the Msport). It had 19" rims. I imagine the 16/17" rims in the more standard versions will be more comfortable.

What I noticed while driving the F30 is that it seems very sure footed on the road. You seem in command of the car. I don't know, it just feels planted on the road and you seem in control. I don't know if that is due to the 50/50 weight distribution or not, but I'm used to it since I own an E90.

I definitely noticed tire roar and noise in the cabin at 100km+, probably on par with the E90. But it's a nice car to be in, ride quality was decent but not spectacular and I probably blame the 19" rims for it - the car doesn't
have a sports suspension, just the standard with the 19" rim and wheels.

On to the Audi A3 TFSI :

From a comfort and ride quality point of view, definitely a notch above. The car seems quieter at speed, less wind noise/tire roar. The cabin itself is fantastic. Not that the F30 was terrible, but the Audi's just seems nicer.

From an acceleration point of view, it definitely felt more rapid when I put my foot flat on the pedal. Probably not by much, but it was there. However I noticed that if I put my foot almost all the way down on the pedal, say 95%, the last 5% gives a clicking sound on the pedal and then the car is off.

Felt a little weird. There was also a pause from the time that clicking sound is made, about a second. Then the engine really flies.

With the BMW, again, if I put my foot down most of the way, it builds speed up linearly, but that last 10% of so, and the engine just goes in overdrive and you can feel the revs climb, but the engine is very loud - definitely louder than the A3 when pushed. Almost as if it's working overtime.

The Audi doesn't have 19" rims so I guess that might explain the extra levels of comfort and ride quality.

Based on my impressions of both cars :

Really, really like the Audi. A lot. Looks great, rides very nicely, is pretty fast.
BMW was very good too, but I think it was unfair to judge it on the 19" rims because I felt the ride was perhaps harsher than it usually is if used with normal rim/tires.

As I said before, never driven automatics before so the onset of acceleration using the pedal was a little weird for me. I get a smooth linear increase in speed as I put the put my foot on the accelerator but it's nothing much ...until I put it flat down, then I get the full power.

The only other thing which could just be a function of automatics is that there is a 1 second or so delay from putting the foot completely down on the accelerator and then the power kicks in . Both cars had the similar delays, around a second or so, which I would have to get used to.

I'm still going to test drive the F30 but with smaller rims/16 or 17" to test the ride quality before I pull the trigger. I'm leaning a little more towards the Audi though, I just hope it has rear distance parking but I doubt it.

Anyways, I'm no professional reviewer so I hope you can make sense of what I've written. Thoroughly enjoyed the test drive.

 

[FerdiBotha]

The auto may seem somewhat delayed, but in reality it will be much quicker than the manual in most situations.

The last "click" in the pedal at flat out is know as kick-down, which kicks the gearbox down a gear - hence the increased revs.

Interesting that you still ended uo testing the 320i instead of the 320d (not both)- what was the reasoning behind this?

 

[cOlDFuSiOn]

Interesting review glad you could go drive the cars. Question was the BMW in sport mode? Box in DS? There should be no delay when accelerating, you should have power throughout the rev band in the petrol turbos.. In eco mode yes, what you described makes sense as the car is also under boosting hence the surge of power..

 

[Zenith]

Interesting review glad you could go drive the cars. Question was the BMW in sport mode? Box in DS? There should be no delay when accelerating, you should have power throughout the rev band in the petrol turbos.. In eco mode yes, what you described makes sense as the car is also under boosting hence the surge of power..

Hi. I tried all the different modes. Even in sport mode, with my foot flat down there was a delay, around a second until power kicked in.

However I did notice the revving was a bit more brutal in sport compared to comfort. I'm concerned that you say there shouldn't be a delay.

Maybe the issue is limited to 2012 models, or maybe it's just the test car that had this problem, but if I put my foot down all the way the power doesn't kick in immediately.

The box was in drive mode and I toggled sport.

---

The auto may seem somewhat delayed, but in reality it will be much quicker than the manual in most situations.

The last "click" in the pedal at flat out is know as kick-down, which kicks the gearbox down a gear - hence the increased revs.

Interesting that you still ended uo testing the 320i instead of the 320d (not both)- what was the reasoning behind this?

I found that F30 diesels with low mileage are 1) scarce and 2) quite expensive compared to the petrol.

The diesels I did check out (did not test drive though) were very high mileage -90k+ and higher. In some cases, well over 90K.

I'm sure it would be nice with the additional torque but a low mileage 2013 model will likely be close to R300K, which is well outside my budget.

---

Sorry just to add to my impressions : the actual ride for the Audi, while a little softer, did not feel as planted compared to the F30. I felt more connected to the road while driving the BMW.

Again, not sure if that is a 50/50 weight distribution or a function of RWD compared to FWD.

 

[bmw220i]

Yeah agree about the sport mode on the F30, it should be almost instant acceleration... the gear changes are slightly harsher, the revs climb faster and u start wondering, shouldn't this gearbox change up already !

I do feel the second delay on comfort mode though.

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[peanut125i]

Are you in the market for a 2012 model 320i? The 2012 N20 engines are shit. They had updated heads and oil pumps in 2013 AFAIK so if it is a 2012 stay well away. I had a 2012 F20 125i and it's the same engine and it blew up with 50k on the clock. There are many other examples of 2012 models that had similar failures.

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[ChefDJ]

That small delay when accelerating is normal. Remember, these cars are turbo whereas your E90 is not. I would say it's a combination of both the auto box and the turbo. It's turbo lag, and the box is generally going to pull away in second on normal driving modes.

You should try manually changing the gears, making sure you're in first when about to pull away. Also while driving and you want to do an overtaking maneuver (example) shift down a gear or 2 before planting your foot on the go-fast pedal. The power will be instant.

 

[Zenith]

Are you in the market for a 2012 model 320i? The 2012 N20 engines are shit. They had updated heads and oil pumps in 2013 AFAIK so if it is a 2012 stay well away. I had a 2012 F20 125i and it's the same engine and it blew up with 50k on the clock. There are many other examples of 2012 models that had similar failures.

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Thank you for the advice. The model I drove was indeed a 2012 model.

Going for a test drive of the 2013 model next week with 16" rims (standard spec I guess).

---

That small delay when accelerating is normal. Remember, these cars are turbo whereas your E90 is not. I would say it's a combination of both the auto box and the turbo. It's turbo lag, and the box is generally going to pull away in second on normal driving modes.

You should try manually changing the gears, making sure you're in first when about to pull away. Also while driving and you want to do an overtaking maneuver (example) shift down a gear or 2 before planting your foot on the go-fast pedal. The power will be instant.

Whether changing from Ecopro to Comfort to Sport made no difference in the delay, so I guess that must be turbo lag. I guess I just have to get used to it.

Don't really want to manually change gears as that's the whole reason for buying the auto, so I don't have to.

 

[cOlDFuSiOn]

Having owned 4 F series cars all with different twin scroll powered engines (N16/N47/N55 and the B38) there is very little to no lag in sport/sport+ mode. That is the entire premise of a twin scroll turbo setup, to provide boost at all RPMs :=): So if you are saying you are putting foot in Sport and there is no boost, then that is an issue in my mind at least. (we are not talking about the kickdown on the auto box, regardless of what gear you are in, it will boost even in manual 8th gear) This has been my experience.. perhaps because I keep the cars in Sport+/DS as default.

Perhaps drive the 2013 and get another feel! All the best!

 

[Carmad]

Having owned 4 F series cars all with different twin scroll powered engines (N16/N47/N55 and the B38) there is very little to no lag in sport/sport+ mode. That is the entire premise of a twin scroll turbo setup, to provide boost at all RPMs :=): So if you are saying you are putting foot in Sport and there is no boost, then that is an issue in my mind at least. (we are not talking about the kickdown on the auto box, regardless of what gear you are in, it will boost even in manual 8th gear) This has been my experience.. perhaps because I keep the cars in Sport+/DS as default.

Perhaps drive the 2013 and get another feel! All the best!

I have to agree on this. I have a 2015 320 M sport petrol standard and in sport mode no lag and always seems to be in the right gear, m/s just makes it a little better and drops down a further cog. My previous 2011 E90 320 diesel had a little lag then pulled like a train, m Sport Petrol, much smoother and planted on the road. Did test the Audi 1.8 before taking my M Sport which seemed softer and a little quieter. BMW for me though just such an exciting drive all the time. Dreaming and saving for a 340, 2 or 3 years to go!

BMW for ever.

 

[Zenith]

The only thing that might be a little strange for me is getting used to driving either - slowly or really fast. There is no in-between if using the auto.

If I put the foot down most of the way the car just loafs along, picks up speed gradually. It's either that, or me putting my foot down all the way and then the car becomes very aggressive and the revs spike like crazy. I can see that becoming very tedious after while for day to day driving.

As I said, have to get used to it. I've driven manual transmissions all my life. With my manual, even though it's far slower, I can at least vary how I want to drive. I don't know if I can do that with the auto box.

Unless I make use of the manual mode. But how many people actually use the manual mode in an automatic?

 

[peanut125i]

Only time I use manual mode now is when I want to overtake I drop 1 gear pass and then go back up, if I just mash my foot down it goes down to third gear and stays in the lower gears far to long. I have a e82 with a dct box so I don't have a eco mode which I think would have helped cause if you let up on the gas or put foot it drops too many gears cause it just wants to race. Don't get me wrong I like it but in normal jhb commuting it's a pain so having the option of an eco mode would have been great.

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[Zenith]

Yeah exactly, putting my foot down makes the engine so loud and revvy, it sounds like it wants to race. I suppose there is a time and place for that, but if I want to overtake quickly I have to deal with it all the time I guess.

Maybe on my next test drive I'll have more time to try and see how much difference the other modes make. Maybe eco-pro or comfort will affect things so the engine isn't trying to explode.

 

[Carmad]

Most of the time I am in comfort mode and full automatic, if I need quick unusually aggressive overtake I just flick lever into m/s (which will drop a gear) while I gradually press right foot. The torque will do everything and she will go. It takes time to learn but I will never go back to manual as a daily drive. My last one was a Opel 2.0 Turbo sport which was tons of fun but if you were in the wrong gear at the wrong time by the time you were in the right gear.........
Love the gearbox in the BMW, but only learnt to use it after a couple of months playing around, and then you have 4 modes with 4 variations (in M sport). Great fun.
If I floor the pedal, you are correct, it drops a whole bunch of gears, lots of noise, kids and wife start hanging onto to things and not much faster. Turbo and Auto takes a while.

Good luck.

BMW BMW BMW

 

[cOlDFuSiOn]

This thread made me head back home and I drove the LCI 318i again this evening (6 speed manual, 3 cyl 1.5l) the engine is exactly half the capacity of the daily N55 but I forgot how well it pulls... Car has power in all the gears, interesting car to drive around in! No turbo lag, I drove it in Comfort and Sport, interesting roar from that motor.

I drive my daily N55 in manual each day when road conditions permit :rollsmile:

 

[Schalk94]

So the test drive...:crazylaugh:

Where to begin. I'll start with the F30. First off, driving an automatic was a little jarring given that I've never driven one, but within a few minutes I got used to feeling.

What I found very strange and perhaps I just need to get used to it, is the surge in power when I put my foot completely flat down on the pedal. There is a pause, like a 1 second or so, and then the motor revs like crazy and the onset of power spikes.

I don't know if all automatics are like this, or all the F30's are like this, but every time I wanted to really pick up speed there was always a 1 second or so delay once my foot was fully down on the accelerator.

First impressions - yeah, at full tilt, this car is much faster than my E90. It's also a little more comfortable, and the car I was driving was the F30 320i in a sportline (not the Msport). It had 19" rims. I imagine the 16/17" rims in the more standard versions will be more comfortable.

What I noticed while driving the F30 is that it seems very sure footed on the road. You seem in command of the car. I don't know, it just feels planted on the road and you seem in control. I don't know if that is due to the 50/50 weight distribution or not, but I'm used to it since I own an E90.

I definitely noticed tire roar and noise in the cabin at 100km+, probably on par with the E90. But it's a nice car to be in, ride quality was decent but not spectacular and I probably blame the 19" rims for it - the car doesn't
have a sports suspension, just the standard with the 19" rim and wheels.

On to the Audi A3 TFSI :

From a comfort and ride quality point of view, definitely a notch above. The car seems quieter at speed, less wind noise/tire roar. The cabin itself is fantastic. Not that the F30 was terrible, but the Audi's just seems nicer.

From an acceleration point of view, it definitely felt more rapid when I put my foot flat on the pedal. Probably not by much, but it was there. However I noticed that if I put my foot almost all the way down on the pedal, say 95%, the last 5% gives a clicking sound on the pedal and then the car is off.

Felt a little weird. There was also a pause from the time that clicking sound is made, about a second. Then the engine really flies.

With the BMW, again, if I put my foot down most of the way, it builds speed up linearly, but that last 10% of so, and the engine just goes in overdrive and you can feel the revs climb, but the engine is very loud - definitely louder than the A3 when pushed. Almost as if it's working overtime.

The Audi doesn't have 19" rims so I guess that might explain the extra levels of comfort and ride quality.

Based on my impressions of both cars :

Really, really like the Audi. A lot. Looks great, rides very nicely, is pretty fast.
BMW was very good too, but I think it was unfair to judge it on the 19" rims because I felt the ride was perhaps harsher than it usually is if used with normal rim/tires.

As I said before, never driven automatics before so the onset of acceleration using the pedal was a little weird for me. I get a smooth linear increase in speed as I put the put my foot on the accelerator but it's nothing much ...until I put it flat down, then I get the full power.

The only other thing which could just be a function of automatics is that there is a 1 second or so delay from putting the foot completely down on the accelerator and then the power kicks in . Both cars had the similar delays, around a second or so, which I would have to get used to.

I'm still going to test drive the F30 but with smaller rims/16 or 17" to test the ride quality before I pull the trigger. I'm leaning a little more towards the Audi though, I just hope it has rear distance parking but I doubt it.

Anyways, I'm no professional reviewer so I hope you can make sense of what I've written. Thoroughly enjoyed the test drive.

The sportline package actually has 18 inch wheels as standard and not 19s. I doubt that you would feel much of a difference in ride quality between the 18s and 16s or 17s if both sizes have RFT tyres fitted because the RFTs don't really "budge" much over bumps etc.

 

[Zenith]

Went for a test drive with the 16" wheels and I felt the ride was definitely softer.

Like the car, only problem is that I don't think it has the xenon lights. :thumbdo: Just when I find a car, it doesn't have everything I want. It has PDC both front and rear, but the xenons really make the car look nice.

The Audi doesn't have PDC, which is a bummer, otherwise I would have bought it. I'm used to it in my E90, and it's a life saver for cramped parking.

Not sure what I should do here.

 

[cOlDFuSiOn]

There are many 320i's on the market, wait it out is my advice The right one will be found..