BMW 320d
With some cars it call comes down to the numbers. Take today's specimen under our lens. The BMW 320d efficient dynamics. A member of the excellent 3 series which has just had its replacement announced. Particularly in the run-out of a model, and especially in a mid-price model for a given range, very careful analysis of the numbers is going to make a go of a purchase or not.
Usually one is always desiring the top if the line, the superlative 335i would fit that bill or perhaps the iconic M3. The more frugal or perhaps sane and rational among us will look towards the economy models and the diesels. The 330d is one hell of a machine. With 180kW and 520Nm, it is a stump-puller. Buying it as a statement of frugality is however perhaps stretching the point. At a purchase price of R470k for the manual before ticking any options, it does give you 6.3l/100km on the claimed combined cycle. It also gets you to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds. Frugal? Hardly. Unthirsty. Certainly. The bean counter's choice? Hardly. So we go lower down the food chain. Consider the 320i Start at R314k, the lowest cost 3 series. The 2 litre petrol gets you to the ton in 9 seconds flat and will drink 7.8l per 100km.
This is where our venerable 320d comes to the fore. It gets through the sprint in 7.5 seconds, quick enough to be considered sporty, all the while sipping 4.7 litres per 100. It has more torque than the 330i at 380Nm vs the “puny” 330's 310Nm. The real clincher is the 320d's 2.0 135kw which will set you back R372k, a “mere” 60k difference over the very cheapest and slowest on offer. At R10,50 per litre and 7.8 vs 4.7 litres per 100km, that will equate to a saving of R32.55 per 100km. With the price differential of R60 000, you would however have to drive 184 000km's to get to equilibrium. That of course ignores the fact that the diesel would probably fetch more used, and also that it is a relative certainty that fuel will cost more. It also ignores that diesel is vaguely cheaper than petrol some of the time. If you get farm diesel, it is a no-brainer. It also gets leather, climate control, auto anti-dazzle mirrors, and MP3 compatible sound system over the 320i Start. If you consider it against the similarly specced regular 320i, the price difference is only R41k or a “mere” 125 000km's if fuel doesn't go up.
The long and short of all of that, is that for the higher miler purchaser, the diesel is a viable consideration. The closer for me is how the 320d feels. I can sum it up in one phrase. Quick enough. It feels like you have the full BMW dan under your right foot. It is quick feeling. Not outrageous in the speed department, but certainly sprightly and sporty. The diesel doesn't feel too “diesel” either. No big heavy lump of an engine in front. In fact the most it feels of a diesel is from the endless torque and impossibly wide power-band. Drivability is exceptional.
It is for me the pick of the BMW 3 series bunch if you aren't planning on driving sideways most of the time. If you are planning a purchase of a 3 series now, and I am sure dealers will be discounting them somehow, whether through outright discounts or advantageous finance schemes, take this one if you drive lots. There may be a buying opportunity as the new model begins its roll out.