BMW 320 reviews

Great car to drive and a lot of pleasure on a dry day. Very little wind bluster with the wind break in place. Apart from one minor engine management warning light showing, I have had no issues with reliability. My main gripe with the car is the cost of replacing the run flat tyres. At about £300 a tyre I make sure that the pressure is checked regularly. When I first bought the car I was not so vigilant, resulting in uneven wear to the rear and early replacement. Unfortunately my poor parking attempts when I first got the car resulted in a lot of scuffing of the 19" wheels ( I put this down to getting used to the extra width over my previous excellent MX5 - any excuse to save the blushes). The equipment level on the M Line is excellent, with blue tooth, heated leather seats etc. The seats are best to date of any car I have owned. Space is good, even for 2 adults in the rear, though access is awkward. When possible I lower the roof for the less agile. The obvious shortcoming is the limited boot space because of the space taken up to allow the powered hard-top to park on a good day. Driving is a joy with excellent acceleration and road holding, although driving in the snow can result in some unintentional fun. Running costs are reasonable with a 3 year service package taken out with BMW. The car averages between 33 and 36 mpg, which for the size and the relatively short journeys I think is not too bad. This is my first BMW but will definitely buy another, if the price is right , and having had a diesel as a loan car during a planned service I would consider an oil burner for the next car ( maybe the new 3 GT).

Excellent quality vehicle with first class sales and service backup. I can't fault the engine which is very powerful and reliable. Suspension is good but the car only feels at its best when in Sports mode. Then cornering, acceleration and steering feels optimal. I am not a fan of the Run Flat tyres which have a tramline effect in straight lines but are safe and hold the road well. Noise suppression is good but would be better without RF tyres I suspect. I don't feel secure without a spare tyre despite the assurances that RF tyres claim. I have seen tyres shred on a pothole and can't be driven a further mile, never mind 50. All the equipment is very good and has a quality feel. GPS is superb as is the Digital radio and connections to media through phones or flash drives. Speakers are brilliant and phone calls are a breeze for clarity. Extras like heated seats are usually expensive but worth it. I have reduced the stars given for space and practicality as I find the low seat difficult to get in and out of, plus the lack of versatility to drop the back seats means I cant transport my bicycle without investing in expensive roof racks and the lifting involved in those. Perhaps I should have bought an estate? In summary I love the car for its capabilities in terms of speed - although the top speed of 146 mph is not of much use here in the UK but the acceleration certainly is for safe overtaking in the blink of an eye. I love the quality and reliability of its build using excellent materials throughout. MPG for me is a constant 52.7 although better on the occasional long journey I make.

I did a lot of research before buying the BMW 320D. This particular model appeared to combine reliability and comfort, together with efficiency. The 320D is more powerful than the 318D or 316D and only slightly less efficient. The BMW 325D would be much more powerful, but its fuel consumption is significantly higher. It took me a while to find a used 320D with the spec I wanted. Sadly, a lot of BMWs in the UK have a standard spec that is very basic. I am guessing that's because any extras cost a fortune, but in a standard version all you can do is drive. When you buy a used one, it seems worthwhile going for a higher spec as there is not a massive hike in price and those extras make a big difference. At first I was quite disappointed with the power of the 320D in the lower gears. I cannot imagine how people drive in BMWs with small engines such as the 316D. I was really struggling to use any advanced features without reading the instructions. However once I learnt how to drive it and understood all the features, driving become very pleasant and comfortable. The car is very smooth on turnings even when the speed is high and it brakes perfectly. All digital features (such as: rain sensor, light sensor, parking sensor, climate control and indicator switch) work the way you would expect and once you switch them on you would not go back to the manual features. Heated seats, Sat-Nav and the MP3 player are very useful gadgets. Finally, the BMW 320D does on average 50MPG in the summer and 45MPG in the winter which convinces me that I made the right choice.

The car looks smart inside and out without being ostentatious; well built and well finished in every way. It drives smoothly and competently and I can reach a destination of any distance without feeling tired or stressed. The diesel is generally quiet and smooth, but a bit audible chugging around town. The auto box is almost always very smooth and changes up and down when it should, just occasionally at low speed it's slightly jerky on a down change but I guess no more so than I would driving a manual... Handling and roadholding are excellent and the car feels perfectly safe when pushed hard, but when I do slightly miss the somewhat inspired quality that my previous car of 14 years, an Alfa 156, had when thrown around corners. The car is well equipped and everything seems to me well placed, with the controls and infotainment are all easy to use. I love the (optional) head-up display; particularly having speed and sat-nav directions in front of you without taking eyes off the road. Not sure about the voice activation, which only works so well. I did try speaking in a German accent to see if that helped, but it wasn't any better. Still, never needed it before and am surviving without using it. On long runs I regularly achieve 55-57mpg, and am getting 47mpg all round including a fair bit of heavy city traffic which all seems fair to me. I've done 31,000 trouble free, comfortable, stress-free miles and am very happy with the car all round and would highly recommend.

My car was one of the last off the production line as a 3 series as BMW now call this style the 4 series. I believe the old 3 series is very similar to the new 4 series. From almost all aspects this car is brilliant. It is very well constructed with excellent engine and acceleration. It is also very comfortable although ride can be a bit harsh on repaired roads. Excellent use of space as the back seats (60/40 split) can be lowered to create a big boot space I do have some minor niggles with the car: 1. The road noise from the tyres is quite loud and requires the radio to be turned up at speed. 2. There is very little room for putting bits and pieces. For example the BMW manual for the car does not even fit in the glove box. Everything (e.g.London Road map) has to be put on the back shelf which assumes BMW expect you to acquire a built-in Sat Nav. 3. Access to the back seats is not easy although once in there is plenty of room and comfort. Getting out is just as difficult if not more so. 4. Although Boot space can be enormous, access is limited by back shelf which can make the carrying of unusual size loads ( e.g. Golf trolley) difficult 5. The doors are very wide which requires me to be careful as to where I park it. There are two open levels. The widest enables easy access. The other level is tight so I am inclined to drive it out of a parking bay before allowing the passenger(s) to get in.

I have been delighted with this car. It looks good, is comfortable to drive and responds well to changing driving conditions. In March 2013, I travelled to Bavaria when there was snow on the ground all the way. With the car having rear wheel drive, I was quite apprehensive about the journey but, with winter tyres, it handled the conditions superbly. And it is very economical. With its low CO2 emissions, road tax is only £25 a year. Fuel consumption to date is over 55 mpg. I have only three adverse criticisms: storage space in the car is very limited, the lack of a spare tyre and the cost of updating the sat-nav. Both the glove box and the door pockets offer very limited storage space. There is, for example, nowhere where the folder which holds the owner's handbook, etc and the folder which holds the documents required for foreign travel will fit out of sight, other than under the car seat or in the boot. It's not something that you immediately think of when buying a car but having only a can of gunk and air in case of a puncture is not terribly reassuring. When I need new tyres, I shall be changing to run flats. And £240 to update the maps for the sat-nav every six months is a joke! Other than that the car has been a dream: beautifully designed, well engineered, well made and economical.

I always aspired to a BMW and, with one exception, I was not disappointed with my second BMW. (My first was a BMW Isetta 'bubble car' which died in 1968!) Even though it is far from the latest model, it looks good and provides a comfortable ride. The interior looks classy with its walnut inserts. I was concerned about my first diesel engine combined with my first automatic in terms of performance. I need not have worried. I have only to think 'overtake', and there I am past that tractor or wagon clogging up the A19 to York. The design puts looks over practicality for storage space but, with a little help from a roof-box, my wife and I have taken the grandchildren on holidays, including to Europe. Fuel consumption is frugal, and maintenance costs have been, surprisingly, modest, helped by using a local independent BMW specialist rather than a dealership. And the grouse... I am annoyed on every trip. The speedometer reads over 10% high. If I drive at an indicated 30mph, I frustrate the drivers behind even more than when I drive at an indicated 34mph, which, I have checked, is actually 30mph. I have to drive at an indicated 56mph through 50mph average speed controlled zones in order to keep up with the traffic. - This is so annoying that I may not risk buying another BMW in the future.

Car bought when x3 years old from private seller. It is the SE model and had done 30,000 miles when purchased. It has been 100% reliable requiring only oil changes, replacement of tires and the odd light bulb. Pluses are excellent driving characteristics, precise steering,generally comfortable ride and practicality of estate body. Ample power for overtaking. The controls are straight forward, beautifully laid out and pleasingly easy to use - this is a car that is easy to drive at night or in bad conditions because every thing falls naturally to hand. Minuses are very poor traction in adverse conditions such as mud, snow and ice. Run flat tires degrade ride quality especially at low speed and are noisy on UK roads. The lack of a spare wheel is irritating. Fuel consumption is generally good on long trips but increases very rapidly in town. For example the original owner, who lived on Sussex coast achieved average of 46.00 mpg during his period of ownership while I, living in London have only managed 37.9mpg. Styling limits carrying capacity and is less elegant, inside and out, than the comparable Audi models. In summary a very well designed and executed car that offers class leading engineering, fuel efficiency and is fun to drive.

I am a garage owner of specialised cars. I have owned many cars over the years and once I get tired of them they get changed. This model however (2007 year) ticks all the boxes and I cannot say what I could replace it with! It is docile in traffic.... it performs brilliantly....it is VERY economical.......it has cheap road tax.......its handling and driveability is second to none! Only two negatives Only have one of these if you are happy with a FIRM ride...it has to be this way to give you its superb handling. I dont like the stop start system (it has to speed up the demise of the battery and starter motor) although you can over ride the system you have to do this every time you start up as defaut mode is on. Finally there has been a lot of bad press regarding timing chain failure,but if the car has regular servicing and you report any new noise to your garage IMMEDIATELY then you should not suffer failure and caught early I have heard BMW can be sympathetic if your car is out of warranty. (Dont quote me on this ) I have owned mine now for over three and a half years with a broken front road spring being my only problem but who has not suffered this with any car today (lets thank the government road policy)

As a company car driver completing 25,000 mile a year I had to think very carefully about choosing a company car over taking an allowance and sourcing my own. I decided the depreciation hit is too great for this kind of mileage so a company car it is. The decision then was which is the most economical under the tax and mpg v HMRC allowed rates. The decision 3 years ago was a BMW 320 Efficient Dynamics Diesel. Low CO2 and high MPG. Manual gave better figures than Auto. I've just been assessing the next car and was surprised to see that the BMW isn't my best choice (based on pure economics). I'm very likely to go with the new Lexus IS300 hybrid. Low Co2 & petrol = low tax. I think the mpg will be lower than the current BMW but I am able to claim a much higher pence/mile as it is 2.5l v 2.0l and petrol v diesel (currently 25p v 14p). This difference is immense for a high business mileage user. I actually think I could save between £100-£180 per month compared to the current car (depending on the real mpg). And effectively I will have free personal miles and cash in hand. Bring it on!

I bought this car when it was six months old in December 2012. To date it has proved to be extremely well built with no concerns at all. The car has been used to tow our large caravan over three thousand miles this summer. The car is comfortable and easy to drive smoothly. It holds the road well and has excellent visibility. The performance is strong especially in the low to middle range. This makes it great for towing. It also accelerates strongly past five thousand revs with ease. The fuel economy for such a powerful car is fantastic, it always averages around 60 mpg on a solo run. Towing 1350Kg it usually averages around 40mpg. This is our first saloon car and it is much quieter than the hatchbacks we have owned. However split folding rear seats are a cost option and unfortunately our car was not specified with them. BMW offer a five year service plan and this is a very useful choice if you intend keeping the car. In conclusion the BMW 320d saloon is an excellent car that with the above two options would be hard to beat for the money especially if it was bought at a few moths old.

Very satisfied with the car. Performance is great - engine fantastic with plenty of power and torque, and the car holds the road like a limpet when driven hard round bends. Driving position is very comfortable. The extra load capacity in the estate compared with the 3 series saloon is very useful and is also much easier to load. Build quality and materials used inside the car are excellent. The only complaints are: 1. I do not like the run-flat tyres; they make the steering very heavy compared with the previous 3 series that I had, which was on conventional tyres. The tyres are also more expensive to replace. Why did BMW get rid of the space saver spare tyre - surely when you are paying the premium price for a BMW they can throw in a spare tyre!! 2. Although we do not use the rear seats very often, space is a little limited in the rear of the car 3. The "Stop/Start" facility on the car is a gimick - it cannot possibly improve fuel economy by anything more than an unmeasurable amount. Why not save the money provide a spare tyre?

Only just bought the car (from new) which makes it almost the last car of BMW 3 Series coupe before it became the 4 Series. So far, I have found it a very comfortable car, which is very good in Traffic and the Motorway. It is very easy to exceed the speed limit without realising it because it is so solid on the road. It has a large boot area, expandable by folding the back seats down. It is very well finished in the cabin. Criticisms. Although this is a 4 seater, it is only 2 Door so access in and out of the rear 2 seats is not easy, especially for an older person. There is no space for BMW Manual for the car, as the Glove Box is too small. In addition the doors are so big that the parking of the car in a multi storey car park requires either a deep breath or a parking spot away from other cars. The only other point is that the road noise from the car tyres is quite loud at speed , to the extent that the volume on the radio needs to be turned up. Otherwise. Brilliant!!

I have just purchased the new 3 series X drive and while I have not yet been able to test it on snow the overall performance of the twin turbo 2 ltr engine is very good . This is my third 320 but first 8 speed automatic, the acceleration on this is much better than the previous two although they were not slow either . I have just driven 160 miles from the south east to Manchester and my mpg was 38 + although there were quite a lot of the usual speed restrictions on the M1/M6 hence the average speed was only 60+ overall. I have bought my 3rd new BMW as I have found them extremely reliable and my local main dealer gives me excellent service. The new model is slightly longer, 9 cm, so the boot is bigger which is a plus as the previous models were a tight fit for luggage. There is a bit more legroom at the back too so that is a plus as well. I cannot think of anything I would want to change I am retired so all three purchases have been private not company

To most intents and purposes I am very happy with the car. Like most cars there are things that could be improved, Firstly it sounds a little like a tractor on tick over, secondly the "stop start" function is a little "clunky" not as well engineered as the system on the Audi I had previously. My biggest gripe however is that there is no Spare Wheel and no option for one. Relying on the run flats is not in my mind a viable option. Useless if you get a blow out and pretty useless if you get a flat in the middle of the night in the country with no where to go to get it exchanged. I got a flat on the way to the airport with no time to get it changed before my flight and came back after a weeks holiday knowing that I had to get the tyre changed before I could travel home. This alone would stop me buying BMW again. Why they cant offer a space saver as an option I dont know.

I am the third registered owner and have had the car for 9 years, when it had done 80,000 miles. It has now travelled over 181000 miles. Servicing, spare parts and repairs have cost about £7000 in that period and it consistently returns 50mpg, at prevailing speed limits. It is very comfortable, especially on long journeys, for up to four people but luggage space is limited. It is a joy to drive and still feels 'tight' in its handling. It is shod with Vreidenstein all season tyres which are good in snow , frost and the wet, and seem to last more than 25,000 miles. I appreciate that the car is getting old and tired, and would like to replace it with a more recent, similar model, but probably shall not as newer ones have no spare tyre or handbrake, have grown too long and wide and have a driving seat which is too low for me to see the front of the car adequately.

I love my 320d and bought it after reading constant, consistently good reviews in a car magazine. It's proved very quick when I want it to be but also very economical when driven sensibly too. There's a decent amount of equipment and the in-car entertainment and Sat-Nav is brilliant. Space is good but not brilliant in the back and the boot is decent but not as good as my previous 2 Skodas. In the drivers seat you do not want for anything but in the back there are no seat-back pockets, no cup holders and no 12V power point. When travelling with the kids they do not have many comforts. Overall though, a great car and the best of both worlds - punchy performance but great economy too. A few niggles over space and comfort in the back but as a driver's car, it's hard to fault it.

Needed an estate as I do a number of gardening jobs for elderly people so looked at all estates and suvs. Most too small or too large, not many economical. Always had Honda for past 25 years. Tried the BMW, sensible size tales 8 bags of garden waste with my tools. Lovely performance, quiet now the run flat tyres have been changed to Pirelli from Bridgestones. Business package with Bluetooth and satnav excellent. Just been serviced..very expensive, but deal came with 3 years free parts and labour...so sigh of relief when invoice came to £450+ Will change later thisyear to new 3 series GT as it rides higher and is more spacious and wife will not moan about having to bend to get in and hopefully not keep banging her head!!!

Lovely car, great acceleration, never let me down, good heating + air control so can have warm toes and cold face.Heated seats very comfy, good for backache after a long day. Easy instrument panel. Can use manual gears if necessary. I bought a proper spare wheel,(instead of the silly space-saver toy wheel) which fitted perfectly into the spare wheel space. Really impressive headlights. Fabulous radio/cd-changer. Rear passenger space cramped and difficult to get in and out and boot not very big but split rear seats so could get 7ft Christmas tree in! Nice colour too! Sunroof not as good as in previous model. Not very practical as a family car but perfect for my work which involved long distances,often in poor weather.

Ive had this car for over a year and I am very happy with the performance. It couod be slightly quicker but to stick to the speed limits in england it has more than eenough power and can achieve a steady cruise speed on the motorway without a struggle. The swirl flaps have been removed as this is a common issue on models from this year. II've had to change the turbo and also one injector whilst owning it. It is now in 191k miles and still pulls very strong through all gears. The interior is welo equipped with everything that you could need including a SAT NAV and climate control. The exterior is styled quite nicely with msport wheels. It does however wear the rear tyres quicker than the front.