Quote:
Originally Posted by ab330e
Quote:
Originally Posted by Albmw1977
Now I've had my G20 for a few weeks (and 2000 miles) thought I'd note down a few thoughts to compare it against my F30 330e that I had for the last 6 months (pool car!).
Firstly I should say my F30 was a Luxury spec on 18's with no added options. My G20 is an msport with premium pack, msport plus pack and I also added HK stereo and enhanced Bluetooth with wireless charging, so a step up in terms of options. But In the last 2-3 years I've also had an F30 320d msport with plus pack, and also a G31 520d... (changed jobs/promoted a few times...!).
My initial impression- and this has not subsided after 2000 miles - clearly this is a huge step up for BMW for the 3 series in every area from the F30. This incarnation definitely feels more g30/31 5 series in terms of refinement/comfort over the F30.
I think the first thing to notice is how quiet it is in the cabin when driving - the acoustic glass and improved soundproofing makes such a big difference over the F30 be that driving round town or on the motorway. It's virtually impossible to tell when the engine kicks in (whereas this was pretty obvious in the F30 from both the engine sound and also a bit of a jolt/kick).
The ride is also really impressive. I've seen some discussion elsewhere about the merits of adaptive suspension and in my opinion it's a must especially if you're getting 19s. It's incredible how comfortable it makes the drive on big wheels with RFT's! Much better than the ride on 18s and standard suspension I had on my F30, on a par with the standard suspension and 18s in my G31. I also had adaptive on my F30 320d - I really think it's a must have.
The performance is simply astounding...! Even though it's a company car I did resist the temptation to thrash it over the first 1200 miles (as per the manual ). So just got used to normal everyday driving where even if you're just in hybrid mode (where it's choosing power/drive for you) you've got plenty of pace to play with - and it feels similar to the F30 330e here. However... post 1200 miles and I decided to drive home the countryside way the other day and have a play with Xtraboost mode (shoddy name - and about my only criticism of this car!). This mode is mental, the car has a quoted 0-60 of 5.5ish I think, but it almost feels quicker than this. The F30 330e felt fast in sport mode, but you could almost feel the power train straining a bit when booting it. This just delivers what feels like endless grunt. Corners arrive VERY quickly! But it's then so stable and planted through the bends you just have so much confidence. I've read elsewhere about the extra weight - my only comparison is to the F30 320d I had, but I really don't feel this is a heavy car at all.
My main driving is on the motorway - and as mentioned above this is where BMW have stepped this up to make this feel more 5 series. The seats with the premium pack are so comfortable and can be adjusted in so many different ways. Better than the sports seats on the F30 msport.
Having had BMWs over the last few years I'm a massive idrive fan, and the latest version here again is a big step up. I've read elsewhere about glitches but I haven't had any issues so far. I haven't used the Connected music that people seem to say isn't great - I have Apple Music so use CarPlay for that. This is where the enhanced Bluetooth is really useful as you can connect two phones at the same time. I could do that in my previous BMWs - but now I can actually make and receive calls on either my work phone or personal phone without having to disconnect/reconnect which is so so useful. CarPlay is fantastic too - I have a big data pack so can stream music to my hearts content! I also really like google maps - and you get full integration (even full satellite maps of you want!). I have tried the car's nav and it seems pretty good - just never think the RTTi on these can match the google/Waze performance. Wireless charging isn't that fast, plus phone gets very hot, but that's not a huge concern.
The reverse/park assist is also great and I'm using this all the time now. It's the first time I've had a car that does this - feels a bit weird at first not steering but I'm very used to looking like a weirdo in supermarket car parks now! Not such a fan of the lane assist function which basically pushes you back into the lane you're trying to leave if you don't indicate (surely not indicating is the right of every BMW owner )! You can dampen this down though if you want, or learn to indicate.....!
In terms of economy/electric range - as it's a company car and I have a fuel card I don't really have any incentive to max out on my MPG, and I haven't yet plugged it in (yes, shoot me now). However what I have noticed is the much better range I'm getting with this over the F30 330e. Used to get about 340 miles between fill ups in that, this is more like 420 so far. Only another 80 miles (and I do sometimes miss the range of my previous big diesel tank cars!) but it's a big step up (although realise a less than scientific comparison).
So in summary, this is one awesome bit of kit and a massive evolution from the F30. Any questions/comments gratefully received! Realise car choice is all pretty subjective, but this is my humble opinion. Cheers!
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Really appreciate the write up. I've ordered this car and am a couple of weeks from delivery now. Reading up as much as I can before it arrives and it all reads excellently! |
Excited for you! I was hassling the poor lady BMW Williams in Manchester the last few weeks before mine was delivered 😂