03-05-2020, 11:28 AM | #1 |
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One year of G20 ownership - a look back and a look to the future of the 3 Series
Slow day at work today so I figured I would summarize my thoughts after a year of ownership...If my ramblings sound completely contradictory at times-it's b/c I have such mixed feelings about this car.
Reliability: Excellent so far-Zero issues and no rattles/creaks. However, the Pirelli run flats are wearing fairly quickly. I don't think I can make it through the lease without changing them out. Interior: Fit/finish/materials are excellent. Best out of any prior 3 series. Sensatec seats are the best vinyl seats I've ever sat in and also the most comfortable out of any 3 series. Virtually indistinguishable from leather. Kind of disappointed with the digital dash- it's not very customizable and is unreadable most of the time b/c of the tints/dimming issue. Exterior: Has really grown on me. Very attractive and modern looking car. The flat alpine white paint quality seems much improved over prior 3 series. LED high beam output needs MAJOR improvement. It does not even come close to the 500 foot IIHS threshold. Power/Fuel economy: I am so impressed with this engine. The amount of power on tap is more than enough for me. It never lets up. And the transmission is instant-without the lag and confusion you find in other cars always trying to find the right gear. I'm averaging a mind blowing 35mpg on my commute averaging 80+ mph..Usually get 450+ miles on a tank which is also excellent. Steering: So many mixed feelings here. Many improvements have been made but it seems like we've taken a few steps back too. Feedback is virtually non-existent which is fine and we've all accepted that. Steering feels great when cornering and in spirited driving but in day to day driving-the EPS rack seems "over-engineered". It's not as linear and direct as I've seen in other cars or even in the F30. It's also a bit too darty at speeds above 80mph. Ratio is decent at 14:1 but could be a bit quicker for low speed maneuvers. Now that the old BMW hydraulic is gone- I think I prefer the point and shoot set up found in the VW GTI/Jetta GLI/Subaru WRX, etc. But, I guess this car is way too large for that kind of set up? Chassis/handling: In stock,non-m sport form, this is by far the stiffest/most rigid and best handling 3 series to date. It's astonishing how agile this car is + zero body roll considering just how large this car has become. G20 really shines here and is easily best in class and virtually untouchable. I can imagine how much better the M sport model must be but i like to have some semblance of comfort on my commute so I always go with the base suspension. Usually the stock suspension is an afterthought by BMW but not with the G20. Really well executed for those looking for a stock suspension more geared towards handling. That being said...I still think this car has become too big to be considered a proper "sports sedan" and is simply too big for me to be a daily driver now. As agile and athletic as it is, you can still feel the size and weight of this car when tossing it around. BMW can't overcome physics...It's hard to weave through traffic and zip through parking lots, etc. Maybe some of that can be attributed to the dull steering too-but i think it's more the size/mass of this vehicle. If you've driven the e46/e90 and even F30, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Conclusion: As good as this car is, this will probably be my last 3 series(especially if the next generation further increases dimensions/weight-and i'm sure many of you feel the same way) It's simply become too large for a solo commuter like myself and I feel it in my day to day commute...So where do we go from here? I am partial to 4 doors b/c of all my nieces and nephews that i occasionally lug around. So...2 Series Gran coupe? It's such a shame we can't have the 1 series hatchback here in the states. I really don't know. I may just end up switching over and picking up the GTI(b/c I love the steering and size so much even though G20 is better in almost every other way)...2 years left to decide. Feel free to chime in about your thoughts and opinions about G20 ownership and moving forward after the G20 (or even if you plan on sticking with LCI)
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03-05-2020, 12:03 PM | #2 |
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I agree with all of your observations.
If I were in the market for a small hatchback, it would be the GTI or Golf R for me.
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03-05-2020, 12:15 PM | #3 |
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Oh, one more minor gripe I forgot to address: The stock tires can not handle the new stock chassis. 225/45/18 was great for the F30 chassis but i feel like they can't keep up with the G20. I would have preferred BMW use a bit of a wider/lower profile ultra high performance all season tire. It's not like the current A/S Grand touring Pirelli runflats are super comfortable anyway and will barely last 25-30k miles. I find myself losing grip even though the chassis feels super rigid in heavy cornering and ready for more. It would have been nice to have wider, lower profile Michelin pilot sport A/S' or even Pirelli P Zero A/S's as stock tires..especially for the RWD models.
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03-05-2020, 12:32 PM | #4 |
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I agree to must of what you are saying and I respect your thoughts.
I do think you should have opted for a M sport. I was too conflicted on if I should go non M-sport for the smoother ride. Honestly, unless I hit a major whole in the road, my car is as smooth or more smoother then I could ever imagine. I was shocked and I love it the cabin is also quiet and very much feels like a 5 series or 7 series. Not to mention I dont even have adaptive. The car is huge and you can feel it but I dont have no problem managing it and zipping through things. Steering is super direct with the M sport package and I never slip on turns and it can handle alot. Lights. I have the laserlight packaging and although I dont see it work till im on a dark highway or back roads going fast. The lights seem to light up a good amount of way. The LED fogs help out a little too. =) But when those lasers are at work you can see a big distance out. |
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03-05-2020, 12:53 PM | #5 | |
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I was so conflicted about this. But then i realized my main gripe with the car is the size and dimensions and the m-sport package wouldn't have done much to address that. That being said, is the variable steering that comes with the M sport much better than the regular steering? Can someone who has tried both chime in? That may have been worth it for me but I can't imagine it is *that* much different.
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03-05-2020, 06:55 PM | #6 |
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Good post, nice to see an honest long-term review. I definitely agree on the size, although while the G20 does handle well, I will say that in my opinion at least, a few of the competitors feel smaller or more agile despite being similar sized.
My wife when she was looking at the compact class found them all too big and heavy, she really didn't want anything bigger than her E90, and it didn't help that for a while she had been driving a small Boxster. She decided to sacrifice rear doors in order to get the M2C because she really enjoyed the M2C and there was no other 4-door vehicle that was as small while still offering a RWD based platform and 6-cylinder engine, and the manual was the icing on top of the cake, not to mention I own a 4-door so we still always have one (albeit very impractical since its a "4-door Coupe"). If you need a 4-door, the GTI is a great choice for an everyday car, and the steering and engagement is really fun, although I would personally opt for the R (used or new) because I prefer AWD over FWD. An Audi S3 or RS3 could also be fun, although I haven't driven one (but that 5-cylinder is cool). Its a shame there are no more "small" RWD based 4-doors out there.
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03-06-2020, 08:54 PM | #7 |
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Delivery imminent. Will I rejoice or regret?
I’m soon to take delivery of a G20 320i M Sport Plus. I’m coming from an Audi A3 saloon that I really liked but fancied a change. Over the last few months I’ve tested the facelifted A4, Golf Gti Mark 7 and a number of other cars to help me make a purchasing decision. In the U.K. the roads are full of pot holes but perversely drivers often choose 19” wheels, (for their appearance), resulting in a harsher ride. Car dealers usually spec their test vehicles accordingly. One of the first cars I tested was the g20 320i M Sport. The dealer’s car had 19” wheels. The first thing I noticed with the jittery ride in town, not in keeping with a car of its class and price bracket I thought. I then tested an M Sport with 18” wheels but the ride was almost as bad, the stiff sports springs being clearly the primary culprit. Despite the handling being good and the steering okay the poor ride was enough for me to discount purchasing the G20. BMW no longer allows you to de-select Sports suspension. I was able to do so on my Audi A3 after reading that the sports suspension added little to the handling but greatly detracted from the ride. I never regretted that decision. I was aware that the ride on the G20 non-M Sport models was better, in the guise of the SE and Sport models as named here in the U.K. but what put me off considering them was that neither comes with the new digital dashboard and in my opinion they just don’t look as good inside and out as the M Sport models do. Several months down the line however I revisited the G20. This time it was the M Sport Plus Edition and although on standard 19” wheels the driving experience was completely transformed. The ride was compliant, the steering feelsome and precise and the handling streets ahead of anything in its class. What made the difference? Two things I think. The primary one was the addition of adaptive suspension that comes as standard on this edition and the second was the variable steering, another standard feature. Despite the fantastic driving experience I was still not convinced that the car was right for me. I rarely carry passengers another than my wife and while the A3 saloon was an ideal size for me the G20’s dimensions are unnecessarily large for my needs. Although my wife has her own car she was not keen on the look of the G20, mainly because of its heft. I also think it’s quite a masculine and aggressive looking car that means that many women aren’t likely to love it. I was on the verge of returning it to the dealer and moving on but during my last drive I had the strong feeling that the car was so great to drive that I couldn’t pass it by and in spite of my reservations about buying it I went ahead. Delivery is scheduled for two weeks. When I look at the newly launched A3, a perfect size for me, I wonder whether I’m doing the right thing. I do know that the front wheel drive will be good to drive as was the older model I just sold but it’s unlikely to have the exquisite handling and steering of the G20. So time will tell. My thoughts at present are that on driving the M Sport Plus its bulk in no way affected my driving enjoyment, rather the contrary in that it made the car feel incredibly stable and secure. So for me it’s just down to whether from an aesthetic perspective the bulk on my driveway annoys or whether the car’s considerable strengths make that quite irrelevant. I’ll post an update after a couple of weeks of ownership.
Last edited by Keepondriving; 03-06-2020 at 10:50 PM.. Reason: Spelling mistake |
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03-07-2020, 03:55 AM | #8 |
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I would prefer as softer ride in Comfort (probably caused by run flats on 19"). Other than that very happy.
For the future I would like to see a bigger boot and more rear legroom - areas that the 5 Series also struggles with. I can't get my golf clubs in without dropping one of the rear seats....could get two sets in my f34 with no issues. Maybe a hatchback versions.... |
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03-07-2020, 09:53 PM | #10 |
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I'm about 10 months into my lease. I have a 330i M-Sport with variable sport steering - also in Alpine white. For me, the steering is simply amazing. I think an M-sport may give you the 'feel' you are looking for.
Just for comparison, my wife's Q7 went into service last week, and I got an A5 S-line as a loaner, to compare to my 330. By lunchtime, I was already missing my car. The 330 responds so much quicker when I hit the gas and the steering is so much tighter. It's a pure joy to drive. The A5 felt sluggish and bigger compared to my car. The compromise is that my wife doesn't particularly enjoy riding in my car. She says it tosses her around too much. But it's a small price to pay considering we almost always take her Q7 if we are going somewhere together. Last edited by bananaleaves; 03-07-2020 at 11:34 PM.. |
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03-08-2020, 12:20 AM | #11 | |
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03-08-2020, 09:13 AM | #12 | |
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03-08-2020, 10:22 AM | #13 | |
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I hate the fact that car companies keep incrementally increasing the size of their cars. My other complaint is that as you go down in series, most car companies including BMW assume that you don't want luxury fittings (or they just don't want to sell them to you). I want something small, maneuverable and luxurious and I am willing to pay extra for the latter. That shouldn't have to translate to Porsche. |
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03-08-2020, 11:02 AM | #14 |
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i owned an F30 335i (early 2013) for almost 7 years and got a M340i at the end of 2019. at the same time my wife got an M240i. And i have to say that i love that M240i over the M340i in almost every way.
The M340i is just too big, the drive line is no where near as responsive, the steering is no where near as nice as m old F30 or this M240 and the seats on the M340i are bar none the most uncomfortable seats i have ever had in any car. the M240i is such a COMFORTABLE joy to drive and the M340 is a fast boat with crappy seats.
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03-09-2020, 08:53 PM | #15 |
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I lived with a 330i XDrive loaner for a week that had the base suspension. While I found it had great balance, the stock suspension just had too much movement/travel for driving it hard. It's fine for everyday, but get around 70% and I found it very floaty if there are any undulations mid corner. Great example of "zero body roll" being a matter of one's perspective. Honestly it's great for someone who doesn't really expect to ever push the car, but the base suspension wasn't right for me personally.
I also agree the tires needed more grip, however grippier tires would just overwhelm the suspension further.
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03-09-2020, 10:04 PM | #16 | |
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03-11-2020, 12:55 AM | #17 | |
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03-11-2020, 10:53 AM | #18 |
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Thank you for the review
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03-11-2020, 02:10 PM | #19 |
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Good review, I agree with the tires but I also enjoy the non run flat 18" tires that I specifically ordered with my car. They make Seattle roads bearable.
As far as the size is concerned, I am coming from a 5 series so M340 sure feels more zippy. I also owned 2 E92s in the past and to me the size of G20 is not that big of an issue for a DD.
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