[splintheter]

Hey Guys,

Any of you guys driven the the 320I SE....... I have ordered one with out test driving ...... Reason for this is that no BMW is a bad BMW and it was the only E90 I could afford......

I still own an E36 328I back in South Africa, I know that the 320I will have much less power (aprox 50hp) but maybe some of you guys who have driven can tell me how good it is for a 2 litre........

Any photos of the 320I in Jet black would also be appreciated.

Delivery is expected in mid July

Thanks a million......

[booforty]

splintheter, I drove the 320i SE at the UK launch. It is smooth and refined as you would expect but it is not quick. I drove a manual and there was considerable lag when you floor the throttle and wait for the acceleration. If you are happy with a smooth cruiser you will love it.

[Broken1]

I drove one here back in south africa. Comming out of a 325ti (141kw, 0-100 is 7.1 seconds), i found the 320 (110kw, 0-100 in 9.0) to be just a tad "unexciting" for my boy-racer driving style.
Not willing to wait for the 325i (which delivery is expected in october/november) I test drove and opted for the (330nm torque) 320d ;-) I hope i love it...it'll be my first ever diesel.

Now, to make you feel a bit better. I have spoken to many poeple who love the 320. It is a very smooth ride, and the power delivery although not intense is adequate and precise...smooth. It's not a robot to robot racer, but it's still definately a BMW

[splintheter]

Originally Posted by Broken1

I drove one here back in south africa. Comming out of a 325ti (141kw, 0-100 is 7.1 seconds), i found the 320 (110kw, 0-100 in 9.0) to be just a tad "unexciting" for my boy-racer driving style.
Not willing to wait for the 325i (which delivery is expected in october/november) I test drove and opted for the (330nm torque) 320d ;-) I hope i love it...it'll be my first ever diesel.

Now, to make you feel a bit better. I have spoken to many poeple who love the 320. It is a very smooth ride, and the power delivery although not intense is adequate and precise...smooth. It's not a robot to robot racer, but it's still definately a BMW

Back home In Cape Town I have still got a 1997 E36 328I which has got dastek unichip and a branch installed, SO IT FLIES.... (210 BHP)

I was thinking of going down the 320d route but they are about £3000 more than the 320I so I rather got some options on the 320I..

I wish BMW had just kept the 320 as 2.2 6 cylinder... THEN I WOULD BE REAL HAPPY... :rocks:

[kevbhoy]

Splintheter

I have dropped from a 323Ci to the 320i SE. Yes, there is a difference in power but not as bad as I thought it would be.

I was very wary about dropping from a 2.5 to a 2.0 but was pleasantly surprised when I test drove it.

Very smooth ride and still enough power to keep the boy racers on their toes

Only thing I would say that is bad about the petrol version is that it sounds like a diesel!!

If you want to see my 320 in Black Sapphire check out this:

My E90

[splintheter]

I must be honest I remeber having a 318I e46 as a loan car once, and when it was idling it sounded like a tractor.... hmmm.... Thats the one thing I am going to miss, the sound of a straight six

[jhbodle]

Well although I have ordered a 325i, I have test drove several 320i E90s. The engine note sounds nice and raspy when you rev it high (something that's missing from my current E46 318i but was present in my E36 316i). It had a bit of go in it, but don't expect it to pull very hard on the motorway in 5th gear - it does gain speed, but slowly. Otherwise, its a fine car and a lot of fun to thrash though the gears. Its also a fair bit lighter than all the other E90 models, so it's a little bit more 'chuckable'

[320eye]

Funny how you fellas get the lower displacement taxes and all.My pre 2006 which was made in the late 2005 with only 5k on it ( last of the 3 2005 available left in dealer here ) when i bought about a month ago had the Inline-6 2.2L Auto/Steptronic,Heated Seats ( for winter of course ),MoonRoof,Rain Sensors,Adaptive HID.RunFlatTires,MP3 Cd Player, Lots to mention all for in the mid 30's with remaining warranty plus 3 more years,Oil change and maintenance Free for 3 years,RFT ( tires and wheels )covered for the duration of ownership.Free BMW cap and BMW F1 toque,2 Keychains,Complete Set of rubber BMW floormats,Wash/Detail Free when in for an Oil Changes,FREE Valet,Invitations for Special BMW unveiling new models Events,Free Subscription to BWM Magazines,Free Roadside Assistance (towing,gas,etc)Free Full Tank of Premium Gas when you roll off the lot when purchased.They also call you or email you when your oil change/maintenance check up is due...to top it off it comes with a BMW courtesy car free when your ride is in Service FREE!!! all this.So in other words are we getting a raw deal here.Thats probably why im happy even with the modest yet powerful enough for what i do.Ti'l i get an M3 for my B-Day.
I cant think of any country that can offer this service and customer satisfaction anywhere else.I guess it depends on the dealer too.Maybe this is where they win customer which IMHO are TOPS!!!..and they sure got me before i took on the Infinity 2004- G35X

Cheers!!!

Here she is BTW !!! In STEEL BLUE:

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by 320eye

Funny how you fellas get the lower displacement taxes and all.My pre 2006 which was made in the late 2005 with only 5k on it ( last of the 3 2005 available left in dealer here ) when i bought about a month ago had the Inline-6 2.2L Auto/Steptronic,Heated Seats ( for winter of course ),MoonRoof,Rain Sensors,Adaptive HID.RunFlatTires,MP3 Cd Player, Lots to mention all for in the mid 30's with remaining warranty plus 3 more years,Oil change and maintenance Free for 3 years,RFT ( tires and wheels )covered for the duration of ownership.Free BMW cap and BMW F1 toque,2 Keychains,Complete Set of rubber BMW floormats,Wash/Detail Free when in for an Oil Changes,FREE Valet,Invitations for Special BMW unveiling new models Events,Free Subscription to BWM Magazines,Free Roadside Assistance (towing,gas,etc)Free Full Tank of Premium Gas when you roll off the lot when purchased.They also call you or email you when your oil change/maintenance check up is due...to top it off it comes with a BMW courtesy car free when your ride is in Service FREE!!! all this.So in other words are we getting a raw deal here.Thats probably why im happy even with the modest yet powerful enough for what i do.Ti'l i get an M3 for my B-Day.
I cant think of any country that can offer this service and customer satisfaction anywhere else.I guess it depends on the dealer too.Maybe this is where tey win customer which IMHO are TOPS!!!..and they sure got me before i took on the Infinity 2004- G35X

Cheers!!!

Here she is BTW !!! In STEEL BLUE:

Again, you have a E46

No way was it made late 2005, production stoped in about January 2005.

[320eye]

Yes it's an E46 and i love it. Lighter than the E90's,Delivery date was 7 months ago, yes it was made from early January '05,I guess i jumped the gun there Mon!

Im not fond of the newer E90's at all,maybe the power and options but the shape reminds of a Japanese Mazda/Hyundai.It dont have the classic shape from the 4th generation E46 which IMHO was the best looking Bimmers around when they came out.Yes it's more rounded but refined??? I dont know.E46 are the shit i say.E90 will have to sell hard to get the new look imbedded in your mine.When i think of BMW??? I think of the 3 Series E46 shape not the E90.But then again its just my Opinion Aaight??

Peace!!! :rocks:

[E90Fleet]

Actually the E90 323i is 20Kg (44 pounds ) lighter than the E46 320i

[320eye]

..depending on the options right???Maybe its the reason why it has a little bit more horses.

Peace!!

[E90Fleet]

If you had one of each, both with the same options, the E90 will be 20Kg lighter

[320eye]

Yah but they dont offer that do they.We cant be smarter than them ( BMW ),all the more reason why we tweak/slam/modify.

[Broken1]

don't offer what?

[320eye]

Engine or Model!! This is where there will be a diff in weight.

Peace!!

[Broken1]

The E90 320i and the E46 318i have the same engine.

I doubt the 20 weighs more than the 18

[320eye]

See the thing here is that the E90 320i is not offered here,Makes me wonder why the model went down from 6 to 4 for 2006.So in other words the 2005 E46 I-6 is considerably better if not than the E90 new shape/engine 4 cyl. 320i being offered to the rest of the world.

Cheers!!

[MIKEGYVER]

Hi all,

Coming out of a Opel/Vauxhall Vectra 2.6 V6 and an old 1988 320I I really regret I chose for the E90 320I in June 2005. Designwise and quality that's real top. Engine performance I am very disappointed. Really waiting for the BMW guarantee to be over and hope the 15 HP chiptune increase will improve the situation. I need to stick to this one for another 2.5 yrs so need to get most fun of the car. Why would my dealer not help me with installing a chip straight from the start? Take Audi with ABT chips built in without losing warranty/guarantees? The 318I is also a 2 litre engine - also had that one for a couple of days - almost felt no difference. I think there will be a another engine coming up. to fill up the gap between the 150 hp 320i and the 218 hp 325I........would be very interested to hear about any chiptune experience on the 320I.........many tanks Mike