I’m driving a Nissan 370z at the moment which I love in a lot of aspects but hate also in a lot of aspects.
Of course it’s a sports car. V6, great road feeling, power etc.
But I’m getting old and want something more comfortable that doesn’t take up a third of my salary every month.
I’ve been looking at a lot of different cars over the last few months and I’m now on the verge of buying an G20 320i Limousine sports line.
I really like the modern aesthetics, it’s very comfy and I like the fuel consumption. Of course it’s a lot slower than my Nissan and the emotions while driving are low because of the R4 but i want to spend less money on my car and still drive something nice.
I already looked up fuel costs, insurance, tax.
Something I can’t get costs of is the reliability of the car.
In my opinion a lot more electronic systems in new cars always have a higher chance to fail which kinda scares me. The B engine should be good, I read online the N engines did have quite some problems.
Are there any problems you know of I should watch out for?
2020 model, 80k km, 320i sports line for 28k € Plan is to put all weather tires on and daily it, 20k km/year
Stock photo btw.
If you think the Nissan is expensive just wait til you get the bmw!
Lmao the comments. Half these people don’t even own a 340.
You will be fine with a 320i, no it’s not the fastest but it drives great and won’t be super high on petrol. Spec it nicely with all the optional stuff and enjoy the car.
I’ve got a 328i. I know the N20 gets bashed on (for the right reasons). Get a 2016+ turbo 4 and you’ll get good gas mileage and a fun ride. I race in spec Miata so I’m used to the lower power and a fun chassis combo. Mine is perfect for a daily.
Every fucking post goes like this:
-> OP is thinking about a 318d or 320i
Then 18 yo kids who don’t even have a licence try to convince them to buy an M5C or whatever
I love the 340i but it is clearly out of OPs budget. For the majority of people a 330i ticks every box, the 320i too if you don’t mind lesser performance
Just get an F10 535 or up. Certified pre owned. They were built
I have the f series 320i as a daily and it’s great. Good mileage, comfortable, quick when I need it to be, and it hasn’t given me any problems. If you’re able to, keep the Z for a fun/weekend car.
Just Do It
My dad drives a bmw 330e g20. Such a nice driving car. The interior is also very nice. Last version without the stupid ipad screen
Get one with the M-sport package and not sport line. It handles better and is more stiff and sporty. Don’t expect it to be fast, both 320i and 320d are not fast cars but they are great daily drivers.
You may save on fuel but you’ll lose money on depreciation. 370 will hold its value more. Add the fact that the 320 is probably going to cost more to buy etc.
I got my 2020 330i xDrive back in August. Haven’t regretted in once, i’m absolutely in love with the car. Everyone went crazy telling me to get the m340i but the used ones by me just weren’t at the price point I needed. The speed, power, and comfort has been great for me and I daily it in Brooklyn. Within a few years the goal is to upgrade to a newer m340i though. Highly recommend the 330 if you can find one for a price that works for you.
edit - forgot to add i bought mine CPO.
Get a 2019 m340i 😊 , looks better , and stock exhaust is leaps and bounds better then the facelift
i have this exact model, in portimao blue if you have any questions?
I would go for the 4 series gran coupe. The 420i. It looks way, way better and much more agressive and modern. And you have the huge advantage of the hatchback. There is no reason to go with the already dated looking 3 series.
Why not a touring? A sedan is so impractical. Touring also looks better IMHO.
A 320i is fine as a daily. Don’t listen too much to the Americans on where who don’t pay our high fuel prices/taxes/insurance :)
Touring looks like a grandpa’s car. Sedan has more style.
But that’s only my opinion tho
I’d have pounced on the touring/wagen if it was available in the US. Love the looks and it’s practical af.
A sedan is not really impractical. A coupé on the other hand is something you can call impractical. Plus a sedan is waaaaaaay more beautiful to look at than a touring. I really don’t understand the hype about touring cars. If you look around 20 years back the touring cars were not really popular and was considered only a family car for people who could absolutely not do with a sedan and most people would agree that a sedan looks better. The car brands have really done some incredible PR for the touring models just like they have with the SUV over the past two decades.
California walks in the room…
Quick question.
Do you pay higher taxes on the 330 over the 320? Both are 2 liter turbo.TIA
Wow is your 320i engine 2 liters. In my country (Türkiye) its 1.6liters 170hp.
If you get 330i yes, if you get the 330e no
In practice very little difference but, yes. As it’s CO2 based. 330 has a higher CO2. Note this is only for where I live. Every country has its own rules…
I had a 2015 320i for 6 years and I loved it. Drove it 70k miles, only routine maintenance and it was a champ. Great on gas too. Highly recommend if you don’t mind lesser performance than your 370z!
Lol 320i is junk
The engine in the 320i is very lacklustre, you’ll feel it more acutely coming out of a 370Z. Would your budget stretch to a 340i? The B58 a cracking engine that’s reliable and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to maintain.
Mate, not everyone needs 300+hp car… the 320i is a fantastic dailydriver
Agreed!!! 320i Xdrive (2018) is my daily driver & I love it. It’s very nimble and plenty power for me to zip around hills & bends of Virginia
In fairness, specifically given the context of coming from a 370z, the comment does have at least some merit. Outside of that context, I’d agree with you.
I went from a Clio RS200 to a F30 320d. From a highly engaging, raw driving experience to a mile munching sofa.
As you can probably tell, I never fell in love with the F30 and two years later I got an F87. Although we do still have the F30…
I 100% agree. As an endurance racing driver. You don’t need a lot of power on the street (imo) to have fun. The F30’s can be a comfortable party.
Sadly no. Here in Germany prices for the 340i are more at 35k to 45k
Remap the 320 or 330 and you will get up to 300hp if you have the b48b20B. If you have b48b20A it will only handle about 250. 330i are all stronger B variants but 320i has both A and B variants so you will need to check.
It’s not a very fun engine as all the power is in mid-range but this makes it perfect for a daily as it’s so easy to drive, you can keep up with traffic with just the lightest touch on the throttle. There is lots of torque and it pulls hard at all speeds, it’s amazing how the speedometer moves so consistently up to around 200kph and then keep going to a top speed of over 160mph in my Mini Cooper s, this thing in a 3 series or larger will eat autobahns all day long.
Get an F30, those are like half.
G20 340i owner from Germany here:
Taxes arent significantly higher due to the “hybrid system”.
Insurance is pretty high if you’re young, which ofc is due to 370+ HP
With fuel prices probably hitting 2€ /l in the years to come, make an educated decision. It’s just a car.