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Post by PetrolEd on May 28, 2019 12:04:50 GMT
The F30 does feel like a quality product to be fair and ours after 4 years is still squeak free.
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Post by johnc on May 28, 2019 12:04:54 GMT
The blind behind the grill opens when the car has reached its operating temperature. It helps warm up, reduces emissions and helps economy.
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Post by Martin on May 28, 2019 12:14:17 GMT
The blind behind the grill opens when the car has reached its operating temperature. It helps warm up, reduces emissions and helps economy. And then closes again to help the aerodynamics. |
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Post by Tim on May 28, 2019 12:42:04 GMT
I think it would look better if it was open permanently. Maybe there's a fuse for that.
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Post by Martin on May 28, 2019 12:57:44 GMT
I’ve not had a look at one yet, but it doesn’t sound promising unfortunately, as I had high hopes for the M340i.
There are less and less BMWs that I like, probably the most appealing (or least unappealing!) is the M850i, which does need to be in the right colour. Seeing it on The Grand Tour helped, but I wasn’t as impressed as I expected when I had a sit in one, it’s more 5 series than £100k+ flagship inside.
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Post by Tim on May 28, 2019 13:05:33 GMT
The dealership had 3 Z4s parked in a group right outside the showroom at the weekend and none of them looked particularly nice.
There is something wrong with the proportions, I'm not exactly sure what though. Possibly the relatively square nose and mismatched headlights.
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Post by Sav on May 28, 2019 21:47:59 GMT
There was a brand new M340i Touring in the showroom and I liked that a lot more. You've seen the first one by the looks of things! |
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Post by Martin on May 28, 2019 21:50:10 GMT
There was a brand new M340i Touring in the showroom and I liked that a lot more. You've seen the first one by the looks of things! I assumed Tim meant a 440i M Sport Touring (F31) |
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2019 22:01:52 GMT
You've seen the first one by the looks of things! I assumed Tim meant a 440i M Sport Touring (F31) Sure about that? I don't have a BMW branded anorak to my name but I don't think there's a 4 series Touring is there? |
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Post by Martin on May 28, 2019 22:07:29 GMT
I assumed Tim meant a 440i M Sport Touring (F31) Sure about that? I don't have a BMW branded anorak to my name but I don't think there's a 4 series Touring is there? I lost my anorak, either that or I’m trying to make you think I have....! 340i M Sport Estate |
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Post by Tim on May 29, 2019 9:14:04 GMT
Eh?
It was an F30 shape 340i estate in M Sport spec.
Aren't they called an M340i?
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Post by Martin on May 29, 2019 9:17:12 GMT
Eh? It was an F30 shape 340i estate in M Sport spec. Aren't they called an M340i? Only by those who put badges in the wrong place. Its not an M Performance model, just a bigger engined M Sport. Sometimes they have minor changes like bigger brakes, the 535d did. |
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Post by Andy C on May 29, 2019 17:14:18 GMT
I had a bit of spare time yesterday morning so nipped into the BMW garage in Kirkcaldy to have a sit in the new 3 Series. The first one I saw outside was grey with a black grille and that's a terrible look. The 2nd was black with a chrome grille and tha tactually works a lot better. The one in the showroom was Sunset Orannge, again with a black grille and that is a truly hideous combination. Is there some sort of cover behind the grille, perhaps for aero reasons, as the 2 I looked closely at had no opening behind the vertical slats although when pressed the plastic there felt as if it wasn't securely attached so perhaps it's a blind of sorts? Close up it doesn't appear to be any larger than the F30 version, apart from perhaps slightly taller. On to the interior and that's a mix. The general layout is familiar. The instruments jar a little due to the shape and I really didn't like the feel of the silver, knurled turnwheel for opening the centre vents as its VERY cheap feeling plastic. Additionally the showroom car had some absolutely hideous trim (Aluminium Tetragon according to the brochure) around the transmission tunnel and dashboard that gave me a headache from looking at it and again felt pretty cheap. I'm not sure if it is real aluminium but it definitely felt like plastic. The trim along the top of the door casings also felt pretty cheap compared with the F30. Overall as a static object it's not something I'd hurry to acquire and it is clearly going to be VERY spec sensitive both inside and out. I also sat in an X2 in the showroom and it was a reasonably pleasant place, helped no doubt by the open sunroof and orangey/red leather. However the plastic of the lower dash was in the same colour, felt quite cheap and the contrasting black fake stitching did it no favours. I also didn't like the small speedo and rev counter, I'd say they were perhaps 2/3 the size of the ones in the F30 3 Series and too small. There was a brand new M340i Touring in the showroom and I liked that a lot more. I don't agree. Of the 2 or so I've sat in, it feels like a nice step on from the F30 in terms of quality and tech. The driving position is spot on and the new i drive is so intuitive. I didn't have a problem with the F30 either. It might not be A4 levels of quality but as a package I think its hard to beat |
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Post by Tim on May 30, 2019 8:29:09 GMT
I expect it's very spec sensitive but the car I sat in didn't really strike me as being better than my own F30 and the door cappings, for example, were not as good (I actually noted it and checked when I got back into my own car).
I can't comment on the levels of tech as the car wasn't switched on but I already find the iDrive very easy to use on mine (with one or two minor irritations) so I wouldn't expect the new car to be worse, although I know from using a computer every day at work that techno people like to add extra levels of complication and button pressing to a system that already worked perfectly!!
The driving position felt fine but then it usually doe sin the F30 too and, again, I wouldn't expect them to make an arse of that.
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2019 18:52:16 GMT
Saw a couple of these outside a rental place mext door to the Audi dealer earlier. Not as bad as it looks in photos but the grille is too big. The dark blue one definitely looked better than the white one, though.
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Post by Big Blue on Jun 6, 2019 22:15:55 GMT
Saw one in traffic on Shaftesbury Avenue at lunchtime, stationary in traffic due to a fire alert at Les Mis.   The last couple of mornings I have also seen the new grille BMW have released with a 7 series tagged behind it as a free gift. I dare not take a photo of it lest I shatter the lens of my iPhone camera. Fuck me that is one ugly motherfucker. Indescribable in polite terms. |
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Post by PG on Jun 7, 2019 5:59:47 GMT
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Post by Tim on Jun 7, 2019 8:17:14 GMT
I've started seeing a new 3 series going the other way on the morning commute.
From the back it looks like a Lexus IS (I think).
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Post by racingteatray on Jun 7, 2019 11:29:42 GMT
I've started seeing a new 3 series going the other way on the morning commute. From the back it looks like a Lexus IS (I think). Yes, I know what you mean.
I saw a number of them doing rental car duty (Sixt stickers in the rear window) when we were in the south of France last week. My opinion hasn't changed.
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Post by Tim on Jun 13, 2019 8:36:00 GMT
When I went back to the BMW dealer yesterday evening to collect the 320 after its service I had a bit of time to peruse the 320d X Drive M Sport they had in the showroom. Looked ok in whatever blue it was - darker than Estoril but not Mediterranean which is one of the off the shelf colours - and it helps hise the black grille. However from a list price of £39k this one was optioned up to £51.5k! I see from BMWs website that the Touring version has now landed. Looks as you'd expect although the rearmost of the side windows angles up at its base which, from the rear 3/4, leaves an odd expanse of metal on the shoulder beneath it, seen best in the photos of the grey one in the link below. www.bmw.co.uk/bmw-cars/3-series/2019-touring |
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Post by Tim on Jun 13, 2019 9:01:47 GMT
It appears that it was Portimao Blue which is available when you get to M Sport spec for a mere £670!
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Post by ChrisM on Jun 13, 2019 11:01:54 GMT
I see from BMWs website that the Touring version has now landed. Looks as you'd expect although the rearmost of the side windows angles up at its base which, from the rear 3/4, leaves an odd expanse of metal on the shoulder beneath it, seen best in the photos of the grey one in the link below. www.bmw.co.uk/bmw-cars/3-series/2019-touringI like the look of that, TBH However in the blurb accompanying the photos is something that states that the car's length is 4.7m ! That's longer that my old Mk 1 Galaxy which was a full-sized 7 seater. |
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Post by Martin on Jun 13, 2019 11:03:47 GMT
Looks better than the saloon, as has been the case for years now in the 3/5 series.
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Post by johnc on Jun 13, 2019 13:32:54 GMT
Someone has started to park a new 3 series saloon near the office and I have worked out what I find slightly odd about the rear wheel arch. From the back, the rear wheel arch almost has an RS4 type bulge but when you look at it from the front, it doesn't and it runs in to a slightly strange curve down the whole side of the car.
I think if they had given the rear arch a proper bulge from both front and back it would have looked massively better - perhaps BMW are keeping that for the next M3
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Post by michael on Jun 13, 2019 15:38:16 GMT
The estate does look better, the bulk rear seems to better balance the (still atrocious) massive grill. That said, who cares what I think as the new 3 series seems to be everywhere now along with the new Evoque - a model of restraint by comparison.
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Post by Andy C on Jun 13, 2019 16:06:47 GMT
Estate looks really good
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Post by Andy C on Jun 13, 2019 16:07:06 GMT
Estate looks really good
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Post by Tim on Jun 13, 2019 16:07:29 GMT
I haven't seen many saloons at all yet and haven't knowingly seen a new Evoque!
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Post by Sav on Jun 14, 2019 23:38:37 GMT
This might be the first time where I prefer the look of the 3 Touring compared to the Saloon. Even though I think the saloon looks better in real life.
A Tanzanite Blue M340i Touring would be a very nice thing, the pre-production ones going around near the Nurburgring sound great. Its a shame you can't get a more discreet-looking M340i. A bit like with the outgoing M760i, you could have a plainer-looking version without the M Performance jewellery. In essence, an M340i that looked more like a regular M Sport would be fine by me - the tacky grille, front bumper, exhaust exits and wheels would not be missed.
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Post by racingteatray on Jun 17, 2019 14:58:37 GMT
It does look rather better as a Touring - there's something in the profile and 3/4s of the saloon that I just don't like and the Touring isn't similarly afflicted. The rear styling works better too, although the door handle treatment is still hideous.
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