2011 BMW 3 Series E93 M Sport DCT Cabriolet 3.0 twin power (single) turbo

Summary:

Nice car, but a bit of a disappointment to drive

Faults:

Water leaks from the roof.

Previous owner had to get a Vanos fault fixed shortly before my ownership.

Bridgestone runflat tyres split regularly.

General Comments:

Nice looking car, great sounding engine good build quality (but not as good as my previous E46).

Performance is very good but not outstanding. The car is very heavy and this blunts the performance somewhat, especially at legal speeds. Also I wasn't a fan of the DCT gearbox. It isn't as good as a manual in manual mode and not as good as an auto in auto mode, and could be very frustrating at times.

Ride and handling are pretty poor I would say. The car came fitted with 19" wheels and Bridgestone runflats. They were very hard and the car felt almost like it had no suspension. I replaced the runflats with standard tyres and the ride quality improved, but the car still feels very heavy and uninvolving on twisty roads, and ride quality is on the unacceptable side of firm. With the roof down it is nice on a sunny day, but the car isn't practical to use otherwise with a small boot, small rear seats, and the roof leaks and creaks during cold weather.

Fuel economy wise I was averaging 23 MPG in gentle driving, and less when driven enthusiastically.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th December, 2019

18th Dec 2019, 11:39

I have a 2009 E90 320i, I will agree with you - coming from an E46 (hatch), the build quality is not as good. I have creaks and squeaks from my dashboard, and no kidding, the tab for one of the central vents has broken! I found that these are already being sold on eBay, what the hell; I have never once had a vent tab break on me.

Also agree, the ride quality is pretty poor, I have Bridgestone run flats. I would like to change them to normal tyres, but not having a spare can be a problem. I think my next BMW will be a 5-series; they seem to consistently have better build and the solidity hasn't changed, whereas the 3-series has felt less and less well-built after the E36 (which felt like a smaller scale 5- or 7-series).

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2011 BMW 3 Series 320d 2.0 turbo diesel

Summary:

Vastly over-rated, you are just paying for the badge

Faults:

New clutch at 6000 miles.

General Comments:

The car handles well, and has good mid-range power.

The seats are comfortable, and I have no problems driving long distances without feeling fatigued.

The model I have is the efficient diesel 320d; it is averaging at the moment 61 MPG.

The interior is poor, no sat-nav, no cruise control, no split rear seats. Compared to a Mondeo of the same value, the BMW does not come close in comparison.

The main complaint I have is of clutch judder; the car had a new clutch at 6000 miles, and has now started juddering again. If you check on the Internet, this is a common problem.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 7th June, 2012

13th Jun 2012, 07:53

I had two replacement clutches, and a new gearbox on my 320d under warranty to cure clutch judder. They never managed to completely get rid of it. They even accused my driving style of damaging the dual mass flywheel. I asked them how they would explain the fact that my last two cars (both from VW) were DMF equipped diesels, and did over 100k each without a single problem.

Great cars to drive, but a shadow of what they used to be in terms of engineering integrity and reliability. Very much trading on the name in this respect. BMWs used to be unbreakable, even if abused. The new stuff is fragile, even when treated carefully.

In reply to 13th Jun 2012, 07:53

8th Oct 2022, 18:51

Their automatic petrol models from this time are OK; downside is you only get 40 mpg though, not 60 :)