Faults:

The timing chain is the most critical failure.

The plastic timing chain guides can break, causing metallic noises (humming) and potentially leading to catastrophic engine failure. Luckily, I replaced the chain ahead of schedule, so nothing serious happened.

The electric water pump and thermostat often fail, causing overheating.

Sensor failures (such as the IBS battery), side mirrors that do not retract, and electronic modules.

General Comments:

My wife had recently bought a 2008 320D, which was really comfortable and a joy to drive, even with 192,000 km on the odometer when we bought it. I was impressed that it was in such good condition after so many kilometers, so I was looking for something similar for myself.

The 2012 model was the first of the F30 series. The first thing that caught my eye was the color: Imperial Blue with a Dakota leather interior. A very nice combination. The overall design and style of this BMW were fantastic, and it was slightly larger than the E90. It had a few small scratches on the left rear fender, but you had to look very closely to notice them.

The car handles excellently and feels great; the 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbo engine feels as smooth as any 6-cylinder engine I've ever driven, and the 8-speed transmission was also very smooth.

Mine is the Luxury Line trim, and it has some nice features, like power seats with memory for the driver and passenger, a sunroof, and adaptive driving modes, but it didn't have a rearview camera or anything fancy. That said, it did have rear parking sensors with a graphic display that worked pretty well for me. In fact, it was less well-equipped than my wife's E90 320D Executive.

I bought it 8 years ago and considering the price, I got a very good deal.

The ride and handling are good on paved roads, but driving on secondary roads I began to understand the comments about the stiff suspension. The 18-inch run-flat tires transmitted every bump directly! Sometimes, going over a small pothole, it felt like the front end was going to lose control, but that hasn't happened, and I've driven over some pretty big bumps over the years. The suspension has held up well without any issues, but the E90, with 16-inch wheels, is more comfortable on secondary roads.

Wind noise at high speeds on motorways and dual carriageways is certainly noticeable, and run-flat tires are typically noisy as well. But it's not so bothersome as to prevent you from hearing yourself speak; it's simply more noticeable than you might expect from a high-end luxury vehicle.

I've always had the maintenance done by an independent mechanic, so it hasn't been very expensive. I haven't had any major bills either. There was a problem with the paint on the front bumper, which was blistering and peeling, but the dealership fixed it.

I mainly drive on the motorway to work, so my average fuel consumption is about 6.8 liters per 100 kilometers. Overall, it's been a fairly economical vehicle.

I've already put over 180,000 km on it and I don't notice any difference compared to the day I bought it. A very reliable car, as well as luxurious and of great quality.

Faults:

Water pump broke at 240000 km.

One ABS-sensor broke.

Brake disks worn out.

Radiator cracked at 290000 km.

Back suspension spring broken in both ends at 330000 km.

Back suspension dampers worn out at 240000 km.

And that's all. Incredible.

General Comments:

The European version is has its performance figures understated from BMW, guess they wanted people to buy the 328i instead. (And that probably why it's called 323i, although it's a 2.5l engine.)

BMW says 170hp and 0-100 kmh in 8.0 seconds. My own measurements indicate slightly above 180hp and 0-100 in around 7.1 seconds.

By far the most reliable and fun car I've owned. The previous owner even rang me up a couple of years later to ask if I wanted to sell it. His BMW 323i E46 (the next model) had a lot of faults. I must say I drive like a mad thief most of the time, and it's fantastic that almost nothing broke on it in all those years.

Cons: Hard to fit a stroller in the boot. That's why I had to sell it. Rust resistance is slightly below average. If equipped with anti spin, then it's a quite good car on snow, but it's a bit too "fun" if doesn't have that option. Insurance expensive here where I live.