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Post by racingteatray on Dec 28, 2020 18:25:36 GMT
I would have thought that Tanzanite 440i was a good option. I think Nutmeg needs seeing in real life.
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Post by Tim on Dec 28, 2020 18:32:43 GMT
I don't think I can repeat what she said about the interior colour.
Another hurdle would be who's selling it, we've had too many bad experiences with Arnold Clark companies.
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Post by Martin on Dec 28, 2020 18:42:24 GMT
Ahhh, that will be why it didn’t look orange! |
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Post by racingteatray on Dec 28, 2020 18:57:37 GMT
I've never been sure whether I like Nutmeg - it's a very unusual colour.
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Post by johnc on Dec 29, 2020 8:59:02 GMT
I don't think I can repeat what she said about the interior colour. Another hurdle would be who's selling it, we've had too many bad experiences with Arnold Clark companies. I have to say I have found Fairbairns to be a lot better than all the competition in the central belt. Douglas Park own Glasgow city centre, Hamilton and Stirling and I am pretty sure that Eastern/Western Group own Grassicks in Perth. Eastern/Western get a reasonable reputation but I wouldn't touch Douglas Park with a bargepole. John Clark in Dundee and Aberdeen have never impressed me when I have been looking for cars previously. My in-laws were looking to change their Mini Cooper S just before Christmas and went to Douglas Park (where they got it from) for a look and a quote. They let me see it and I thought it was mediocre at best. A quick search showed they were being offered WBAC +£200 for their car and were paying full manufacturer's price, less Mini Finance contribution for the new one. I managed to get them a deal nearly £3K better through CarWow and Coast2Coast but I told them to go to Fairbairns before they decided anything: They got £3K off a new factory order Cooper S and they got nearly £1K more for their trade in. Deal done. As with most dealers, I have had some gripes about some things but on virtually every occasion Fairbairns have resolved the issue to my satisfaction. At Douglas Park, they send out a manager who looks like a former heavyweight boxer to tell you they are right and you are wrong and in the politest way possible to f*** off. I quite like this: www.arnoldclark.com/used-cars/bmw/4-series/435d-xdrive-m-sport-2dr-auto-professional-media/2016/ref/arnfx-u-683248 |
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Post by johnc on Dec 29, 2020 9:20:17 GMT
Just remember road tax and the extra £300+ for cars with a list price over £40,000, registered after 31 March 2017.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Dec 29, 2020 9:43:07 GMT
Nice that, just over the river from me. I like the Oyster/black interior. |
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Post by Tim on Jan 4, 2021 14:07:17 GMT
Still trying to get somewhere with this.
Can’t get an answer on the phone from John Clark and their showroom is shut at the moment.
Hopefully they’ll return to something a bit more normal this week.
Mrs Tim is certain that we need red leather on the replacement so the 430 ticks that box.
However now she’s actually seen the car, albeit from the safety of inside our car (John Clark’s compound was sheet ice), she expressed a little surprise that the grey wasn’t darker. Even though it looks exactly the same as the photos of similar ones she saw!
Hopefully to be continued.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jan 4, 2021 15:27:08 GMT
I really like the grey exterior with red interior. I had one for a couple of months last year and it is my favourite combo.
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Post by Tim on Jan 5, 2021 9:23:36 GMT
Mrs Tim and I both like the colour combo too, although given completely free choice I'd take black with the red leather. It was one of the things that attracted us to the 320 and reminded us of the Alfa GT we had years ago (the colours, not anything else  ) |
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Post by PetrolEd on Jan 5, 2021 9:39:56 GMT
The missus 320 was grey with red leather and black wood which was by far the best colour combo to my eyes. However I made the seriously poor move of specing manual and M plus pack which gave 19" rims. 19's and RFTs made it the worst riding car. I know this is a boring subject that everyone has their own opinion on it but I'd have ditched the RFT's if I had to use it more then I did.
Question for the spotters, did the touring have a different suspension setup to the saloon/coupe? I ask as everytime the 3 series was lauded as the best car in the real world it was a never a touring they tested.
I still think the touring is the best looking 3/4 series but doing it again I'd make sure it had a 6 cylinder, auto and without the m performance pack or I think there was an option of M sport spec with comfort suspension swap.
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Post by Andy C on Jan 5, 2021 9:51:53 GMT
Or spec adaptive dampers and keep them in comfort
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Post by racingteatray on Jan 5, 2021 9:52:36 GMT
Or you could find one with the Adaptive Suspension, although I understand it's a pretty rare option.
Mine has it as did my M135i. Really keen drivers apparently prefer the passive set-up and Birds are actively rude about the adaptive set-up, but for the mix of driving I do it was a no-brainer to spend that £500 extra. I test-drove a 440i GC with the passive set-up before ordering mine, and it was noticeably stiffer-riding.
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Post by Tim on Jan 5, 2021 9:57:14 GMT
The missus 320 was grey with red leather and black wood which was by far the best colour combo to my eyes. However I made the seriously poor move of specing manual and M plus pack which gave 19" rims. 19's and RFTs made it the worst riding car. I know this is a boring subject that everyone has their own opinion on it but I'd have ditched the RFT's if I had to use it more then I did. Question for the spotters, did the touring have a different suspension setup to the saloon/coupe? I ask as everytime the 3 series was lauded as the best car in the real world it was a never a touring they tested. I still think the touring is the best looking 3/4 series but doing it again I'd make sure it had a 6 cylinder, auto and without the m performance pack or I think there was an option of M sport spec with comfort suspension swap. I think Bob said a while back that xDrives had slightly softer suspension than RWD only. Possibly a slightly higher ride height too. Adaptive suspension is extremely rare. |
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Post by Martin on Jan 5, 2021 10:02:54 GMT
The missus 320 was grey with red leather and black wood which was by far the best colour combo to my eyes. However I made the seriously poor move of specing manual and M plus pack which gave 19" rims. 19's and RFTs made it the worst riding car. I know this is a boring subject that everyone has their own opinion on it but I'd have ditched the RFT's if I had to use it more then I did. Question for the spotters, did the touring have a different suspension setup to the saloon/coupe? I ask as everytime the 3 series was lauded as the best car in the real world it was a never a touring they tested. I still think the touring is the best looking 3/4 series but doing it again I'd make sure it had a 6 cylinder, auto and without the m performance pack or I think there was an option of M sport spec with comfort suspension swap. I'm fairly sure it had the same suspension, unlike the 5 Touring which has rear air springs and imho rides better than the saloon. As Tim says, X Drive cars have the normal suspension. I've driven quite a few previous model 3 series and never been exactly blown away by how they drove, which could have been due to high expectations but I agree that an M Sport on 19" wheels doesn't ride well. I was fairly sure I'd buy a 335d Touring back in 2014 but I drove a 330d (19s / Adaptive Suspension) back to back with a 530d (19s / M Sport suspension) and the 5 was so much nicer/better in every area, it was well worth the extra money. |
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Post by johnc on Jan 5, 2021 13:26:38 GMT
Tourings have slightly stiffer rear springs to cope with the potentially heavier payload. Adaptive is the best option for a daily driver but the Sport and Sport Plus settings are a bit unforgiving. The passive setting is probably better if you have smooth roads or go on track. I agree with Martin that a 5 series is more comfortable and feels a bit more special in every way. It also rides really well on passive suspension and better than a 3 or 4 series on adaptive. However it's not a coupe. You should try something like this before you make up your mind: usedcars.bmw.co.uk/vehicle/202010024507167?quoteref=d389f3de-4b81-474c-9e50-2e82ccaa5290 |
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Post by racingteatray on Jan 5, 2021 15:22:25 GMT
I rarely use anything other than the Comfort setting on the suspension in this country. In fact I have the Sport setting configured with the dampers in Comfort.
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Post by Martin on Jan 5, 2021 15:47:36 GMT
In the 7 I kept it in Adaptive mode for 95%+ of the time, as it was excellent at getting it just right thanks to all the sensors, camera and link to the navigation including going into comfort+ and raising the suspension for speedbumps and other smart things like increasing the height at the front if you parked nose into a kerb.
The Golf has 3 settings (Comfort/Normal/Sport) and I mainly use comfort due to spending a lot of time on dual carriageways / motorway. I've set Individual up with the suspension in Normal, engine sound in Eco and steering/throttle/cruise/lights etc in Sport and that's what I use when I'm on a more interesting road. Lindsay has it in Normal most of the time as she thinks comfort is too soft, so it's only used on the rare occasion she goes on longer motorway trips.
I use Dynamic quite a bit in the RR as it's still very comfortable, but it stops the initial 'wallow' you get when the Terrain Response is set to Auto, before it firms up the active roll control when you are pushing on a bit.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Jan 5, 2021 17:21:26 GMT
The 3 series X drives delete the M Sport suspension, making do with the standard set up and a slightly higher ride height. Mine is on 19s and it is noticeably more comfortable than a RWD 3 series M Sport on 18s.
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Post by racingteatray on Jan 5, 2021 19:15:08 GMT
Yes, I always think 435d xDrive GCs look tippy-toed compared to my car - you do notice the extra ride height.
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Post by Tim on Jan 6, 2021 9:08:25 GMT
I don't mind the ride of my 3 series but it is a little concerning that the cars I'm looking at will have stiffer suspension.
Perhaps if they ever answer the phone I'll get an opportunity to test drive one.
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Post by alf on Jan 6, 2021 10:20:20 GMT
I say this entirely toungue in cheek, but this thread is a classic of its kind on here. "BMW have made me angry. A lot has gone wrong with it, and the dealers are awful. What sort of BMW can I buy next?"  |
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Post by johnc on Jan 6, 2021 11:07:59 GMT
I say this entirely toungue in cheek, but this thread is a classic of its kind on here. "BMW have made me angry. A lot has gone wrong with it, and the dealers are awful. What sort of BMW can I buy next?" All addictions are dangerous but BMW seem to be able to get the hook in early and then your stuffed: there is no escape. |
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Post by johnc on Jan 6, 2021 11:09:51 GMT
I don't mind the ride of my 3 series but it is a little concerning that the cars I'm looking at will have stiffer suspension. Perhaps if they ever answer the phone I'll get an opportunity to test drive one. Remember that the tyres have a lot to do with the ride. The Bridgestone S001's are about as good as a runflat gets but some of the other choices are less ride friendly. |
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Post by Martin on Jan 6, 2021 11:53:43 GMT
I say this entirely toungue in cheek, but this thread is a classic of its kind on here. "BMW have made me angry. A lot has gone wrong with it, and the dealers are awful. What sort of BMW can I buy next?" All addictions are dangerous but BMW seem to be able to get the hook in early and then your stuffed: there is no escape. Not true, it is possible to escape quite easily now they're making everything so ugly. Put me off the X7, which is a really good family truck. |
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Post by alf on Jan 6, 2021 12:11:01 GMT
OK -so Tim, just get an XE V6 S  I still may well do so next myself. More power than a 335/340 (a lot more if its one of the later 380bhp versions). Sounds miles better. No lag / turbo to blow up. Great ride handling balance designed for UK roads. £26k is the most expensive one available - 380bhp 2018 car with 25k miles.... |
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Post by johnc on Jan 6, 2021 13:22:37 GMT
All addictions are dangerous but BMW seem to be able to get the hook in early and then your stuffed: there is no escape. Not true, it is possible to escape quite easily now they're making everything so ugly. Put me off the X7, which is a really good family truck. You're right. With the current line-up I don't see anything made by BMW that I would change for. |
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Post by PG on Jan 6, 2021 14:04:07 GMT
Doesn't all this debate about what suspension / wheel / tyre combo the car has just show that far too many manufacturers are designing cars that are not really what people want or need? Many seem designed for looks alone and for the 1% of time that motoring journalists or people rag them senseless on a track (as that is what gets the headlines) and that the other 99% of the time they are a poor compromise or designed for looks not reality.
Adaptive suspension sounds like an essential on a M specced 3 series. But it's an option. And therefore nobody specifies it.
Our MINI JCW looked great on 18's (which have R/F as standard) but in daily use the tyre noise and firmness was not really liveable with, hence the move to 17's. But the XFR on 20's is still really comfy.
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Post by Roadrunner on Jan 6, 2021 14:18:32 GMT
This is one of the reasons why I drive a wafty, air-suspended Benz. It will never be doing a track day but it drives on our crappy roads all the time.
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Post by Martin on Jan 6, 2021 14:20:27 GMT
Doesn't all this debate about what suspension / wheel / tyre combo the car has just show that far too many manufacturers are designing cars that are not really what people want or need? Many seem designed for looks alone and for the 1% of time that motoring journalists or people rag them senseless on a track (as that is what gets the headlines) and that the other 99% of the time they are a poor compromise or designed for looks not reality. Adaptive suspension sounds like an essential on a M specced 3 series. But it's an option. And therefore nobody specifies it. Our MINI JCW looked great on 18's (which have R/F as standard) but in daily use the tyre noise and firmness was not really liveable with, hence the move to 17's. But the XFR on 20's is still really comfy. It's the sidewall (depth and stiffness) not the wheel size that's the issue (ignoring the suspension firmness), the XFR has a taller sidewall than the Mini on 18s plus the benefit on not having a stiff RFT. Mine has 22s and is super comfy, but the sidewall is c25% greater than the XFR on 20s. Agree with your point about cars being designed for a different purpose to how they are used and the mags make it worse by basing too much on the track performance, especially for anything 'sporty'. I read an online review of the new Golf GTI yesterday and it didn't compare well because it was too soft on the track, but was a short comment "its lovely road car and not a great track car". I wonder how many Golf MK8 GTI owners will take their car on track? |
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