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      08-17-2012, 02:34 PM   #1
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Just secured a 330d M Sport...help with colour/spec

Hi All,

Well, after very nearly going for a e93 335i, a last minute lease on an F30 330d caught my eye. To be honest, i hadn't really considered the F30, but when i saw the specs of the new 30d I was amazed! I have loved my e90 330d and had it for almost 4 years...so 0-60 in 5.6 secs and 57mpg and a (possibly one off) great Contract Hire deal sold me!

Now, as its contract hire i cant spec the car up too much and it will mean loosing a few toys over my current car, but hey cant have everything!

So, the spec I am thinking of is:
Metallic paint,
Xenons / headlamp washers
Heated Front seats.
Pro Media Pack

Am i missing anything else essential...eg the apps looks good, but do i really need to view facebook? No

Also, these are the colours I am thinking.....
Estoril Blue (always loved this e36 / e46 M3 blue)
- beige interior or black?
Mineral Grey
- red interior or black

Now i am trying to get away from previous black/silvers cars with black interiors but struggling as would like Oyster (which is no longer available) so
any one seen Beige in the flesh? Wil it work with Blue?

Cheers all!
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      08-17-2012, 04:50 PM   #2
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Well done on ordering a new F30 330d! Nice one.
I'd go for the visibility pack as xenons really look the part on a car such as a 330d. You can get them on their own but you may as well pay that little extra and get the full visibility pack.

If it was me personally, I'd order the adaptive suspension and variable sports steering - but then you are really starting to rack the cost up.

I've been sent a letter today to go to a "special closed event" from the dealer I bought mine from and they are promising great deals etc... - I'm tempted to go along and price up a F30 330d myself.

Can you tell us more about your lease deal?
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      08-17-2012, 05:26 PM   #3
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Cheers mate.

the Xenons / headlamp washers were offered as a £5 per month special discount, full visibaility pack was a lot more (£31 per month).

I have always liked the standard M Sport setup (except when it crashes/bangs and i wanted smooth) - so pretty cool with default. I bet those extra's would cost £££ per month as well (thats the problem with leasing )

I havent even driven a F30, only sat in it! the 30d engine also wont be around until Sep....
Go-on you know you want to, we need some more E90 peeps in here LD
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      08-18-2012, 02:17 AM   #4
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Deffo, just stick with just the Xenons / headlamp washers at a £5 a month. That's a bargain for £700+ of options.

Like you, I'm still keen to stick with swapping to another 330d M Sport (my last car was also a pre-LCI 330d M Sport LOL).

I could tell quite a difference in ride quality moving from pre-LCI to LCI E90. I was very impressed with the LCI and glad I swapped from the bloody awful crashy pre-LCI M Sport suspension.
Not sure if you have a pre-LCI? If so, then I'd say you'll be able to tell a massive difference from the pre-LCI E90 to F30 M Sport at least in terms of ride quality.
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      08-18-2012, 09:55 AM   #5
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I drove a 335i with and without adaptive suspension and immediately added the suspension to my shopping list. It's awesome. The variable Sports Steering is a gimmick you'll NEVER use because it's just a faster rack over 100 degrees of lock. Bovvered. The servotronic is what matters and that's standard on the M Sport anyway

For me, Xenons were an absolute must and it's criminal they're not standard on a £36k car and adjustable lumbar too for that matter, but then I have back trouble and drive quite a lot
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      08-19-2012, 06:11 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dopper99 View Post
Deffo, just stick with just the Xenons / headlamp washers at a £5 a month. That's a bargain for £700+ of options.

Like you, I'm still keen to stick with swapping to another 330d M Sport (my last car was also a pre-LCI 330d M Sport LOL).

I could tell quite a difference in ride quality moving from pre-LCI to LCI E90. I was very impressed with the LCI and glad I swapped from the bloody awful crashy pre-LCI M Sport suspension.
Not sure if you have a pre-LCI? If so, then I'd say you'll be able to tell a massive difference from the pre-LCI E90 to F30 M Sport at least in terms of ride quality.
I did hear that the LCI lost some sharpness in the trade off though?
How did you find the pre LIC 231hp 30d engine compared to the LCI 30d 245 hp version...i was quite underwhlemed in terms of not much difference?

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaestroAl View Post
I drove a 335i with and without adaptive suspension and immediately added the suspension to my shopping list. It's awesome. The variable Sports Steering is a gimmick you'll NEVER use because it's just a faster rack over 100 degrees of lock. Bovvered. The servotronic is what matters and that's standard on the M Sport anyway

For me, Xenons were an absolute must and it's criminal they're not standard on a £36k car and adjustable lumbar too for that matter, but then I have back trouble and drive quite a lot
Yeap, Xenons should soooo be standard.

Will have a look at adaptive suspension, good spot. Although having had a mate who had it in this Rocco, i always struggled to feel the difference as a passenger.

Also my worry is, i would leave it in Sport all the time....so wouldn't really get my monies worth?
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      08-19-2012, 06:45 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TMP View Post
Yeap, Xenons should soooo be standard.

Will have a look at adaptive suspension, good spot. Although having had a mate who had it in this Rocco, i always struggled to feel the difference as a passenger.

Also my worry is, i would leave it in Sport all the time....so wouldn't really get my monies worth?
Quite the contrary from my point of view. When you're just commuting to work or doing motorway miles, you want the option to soften things up for a nicer ride. yeah, we all want the sporty suspension to get the most out of hte chassis but haivng the adaptive suspension gives you the best of both worlds. And that's only the most black and white view. The reality is that the car just rides better whichever mode you're in. It levels the car so there's less lean in bends and it "adapts" to the road surface all the time. It's really not just a hard/soft switch, it's an intelligent suspension system
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      08-19-2012, 02:58 PM   #8
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Just a personal preference but I would go for DAB and found rear visibility limited on a test drive without folding head rests, but pure personal thought
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      08-19-2012, 04:57 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TMP View Post
I did hear that the LCI lost some sharpness in the trade off though?
How did you find the pre LIC 231hp 30d engine compared to the LCI 30d 245 hp version...i was quite underwhlemed in terms of not much difference
After owning the 330d pre-LCI for 2 years and LCI for 1 year I'd have to say there is no loss in sharpness whatsoever. The handling is exactly the same - but without the absolute awful bone shaking ride of the pre-LCI M Sport. In fact I've just recently been testing with the tyre pressures and by up'ing them slightly, the handling seems a little better still.

The new 245 bhp engine has a slightly different power delivery. The power on the old one does come in a bit more abruptly so feels quite punchy. The new engine is slightly more linear but does still pull well. The new one does feel slightly quicker, but its a job to tell. I bought my current car brand new so its a job to compare a old 60K miles with a new one that needed to be run in. Also, its getting better all the time and now done just over 7k miles. Even the dealer said this engine needs a good 8K before it comes alive and this has also been said by the guys on e90post.

One thing I did notice is first gear off the mark is quite rapid compared to the old one. I guess that one of the reasons how they got the 0-60 down 0.5 sec.

Note also, both cars were/are 6sp manual.
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      08-19-2012, 06:59 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MaestroAl View Post
The variable Sports Steering is a gimmick you'll NEVER use because it's just a faster rack over 100 degrees of lock. Bovvered. The servotronic is what matters and that's standard on the M Sport anyway
Are you sure about that? The following seems to describe the opposite.

From this thread:

Quote:
Originally Posted by E90Fleet View Post
Ok, 1am postings may be allowing some confusion to creep in
From the technical documents.:

Standard steering has 1 ratio from 0-359 degrees

Sport starts the same as standard at 0.
But from just after 0 it changes very quickly all the way to 90.
From 91-359 degrees the ratio does not change anymore

The change from 0-90 is that the ratio becomes more and more direct. meaning less turns of the steering wheel are needed to get the road wheels to turn.

The sport steering is always more direct than the standard, except in the center position. the amount that is is more direct by changes till 90 degrees then stays constant.

So for a slight maneuver the sport steering requires slightly less steering wheel movement, but for a big maneuver the sport steering needs a lot less steering wheel movement. The amount less steering wheel movement needed is variable up to 90 degrees then becomes constant.

The sport steering always needs less steering wheel turn, but the amount less needed changes from 0-90. ( hardly less at 1 Degree, a lot less at 90 Degrees)
Everybody in that thread seems to be agreeing with him?
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      08-20-2012, 03:51 AM   #11
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Well that's totally contrary to how two dealerships have described it to me. It has always been explained to me as the complete opposite, inasmuch as it's exactly the same up to 90 degrees and then a sharper turn-in after that and meant mainly for parking manouvres and the such like.

The BMW website say:
Quote:
Variable sports steering.


Sports driving dynamics meet maximum comfort: variable sports steering adapts the angle of the front wheels to the actual conditions so that the new BMW 3 Series Sedan reacts more or less directly to the driver’s steering commands.

The steering wheel movements required for large wheel angles are reduced by up to 25 per cent. Parking and cornering thus become easier and more comfortable because the driver has to exert less effort.
Handling qualities also benefit, such as when rapid evasive manoeuvres are required.

In the case of smaller steering angles between zero and 100 degrees, the car displays accurate tracking and high stability on straight stretches while conducting steering movements with impressive precision. The steering ratio in each case is determined purely mechanically by a variable transmission for the steering rack.
Make of that what you will because it's inconclusive Now it's possible that two dealerships wouldn't know what they're talking about but I made a point of asking both because I assumed I wanted it. They both told me it makes no difference in normal driving and is only useful over 90* lock when parking and manouvering and that the "sporty" vs "comfort" steering comes from Servotronic, not VSS. They both definitely told me that Servotronic and VSS are itentical up to 90* of lock.
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      08-20-2012, 04:06 AM   #12
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Well I just read a whole bunch of VSS threads from all over t'internet and the conclusion is that it is a faster rack over 100* of lock. It is no different under 100* of lock. Which is what I thought. So i'm glad I didn't buy it
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      08-20-2012, 04:39 AM   #13
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I think that's how the dealer told me it works. For normal driving it's pretty much the same as without. The main benefit comes when parking as it makes the steering quicker to full lock or for getting around in tight multi storey car parks it can help get round the tight bends.

What I was told is a bit hazy now but it was enough to convince me it would be beneficial as my work parking is one of those tight car parks that can be a nightmare so the £375 or whatever it costs would be a small price to pay
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      08-20-2012, 04:55 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MaestroAl View Post
Well I just read a whole bunch of VSS threads from all over t'internet and the conclusion is that it is a faster rack over 100* of lock. It is no different under 100* of lock. Which is what I thought. So i'm glad I didn't buy it
Sounds like that is how it works then. I dont know to be honest, I just read a few bits here and there on it.
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      08-20-2012, 05:31 PM   #15
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Don't worry dude, it's still not entirely clear because BMW dont' actually say what it does, it's just inferred from their round-about way of saying nothing

I'm 99% sure but I'd gladly be proven wrong if someone can actually find proper evidence from BMW themselves. It really is most strange that it's a bit cloak and dagger. Maybe it's because they're selling it at a price and including the name "Sport" when actually it's designed to make parking easier?
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      08-21-2012, 05:52 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dopper99 View Post
I've been sent a letter today to go to a "special closed event" from the dealer I bought mine from and they are promising great deals etc... - I'm tempted to go along and price up a F30 330d myself.
Me too. That will be for the disposal of around 5000 London 2012 cars from Minis to 5 series. Bargains will be had, I am assured...
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      08-21-2012, 03:42 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by DivideBYZero View Post
Me too. That will be for the disposal of around 5000 London 2012 cars from Minis to 5 series. Bargains will be had, I am assured...
Yeah, those cars will have to hit the dealers very soon now. However, I guess they be hanging onto them for the para-Olympics?
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      08-21-2012, 03:51 PM   #18
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Me too. That will be for the disposal of around 5000 London 2012 cars from Minis to 5 series. Bargains will be had, I am assured...
yeap, everybody seems to be talking about this!

No 330d's though....

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaestroAl View Post
Don't worry dude, it's still not entirely clear because BMW dont' actually say what it does, it's just inferred from their round-about way of saying nothing

I'm 99% sure but I'd gladly be proven wrong if someone can actually find proper evidence from BMW themselves. It really is most strange that it's a bit cloak and dagger. Maybe it's because they're selling it at a price and including the name "Sport" when actually it's designed to make parking easier?
As you said in another post, Servotronic assisits driving, so this does feel a little bit of marketing if it helps parking more

Quote:
Originally Posted by dopper99 View Post
After owning the 330d pre-LCI for 2 years and LCI for 1 year I'd have to say there is no loss in sharpness whatsoever. The handling is exactly the same - but without the absolute awful bone shaking ride of the pre-LCI M Sport. In fact I've just recently been testing with the tyre pressures and by up'ing them slightly, the handling seems a little better still.

The new 245 bhp engine has a slightly different power delivery. The power on the old one does come in a bit more abruptly so feels quite punchy. The new engine is slightly more linear but does still pull well. The new one does feel slightly quicker, but its a job to tell. I bought my current car brand new so its a job to compare a old 60K miles with a new one that needed to be run in. Also, its getting better all the time and now done just over 7k miles. Even the dealer said this engine needs a good 8K before it comes alive and this has also been said by the guys on e90post.

One thing I did notice is first gear off the mark is quite rapid compared to the old one. I guess that one of the reasons how they got the 0-60 down 0.5 sec.

Note also, both cars were/are 6sp manual.
yeah, hard to compare apples with apples if the first was very run in at 60k ! Looking forward to seeing how the new one compares

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rb79 View Post
Just a personal preference but I would go for DAB and found rear visibility limited on a test drive without folding head rests, but pure personal thought
Standard e90 has middle headrest folding, and had no problem with visibility...will hope the F30 is the same for me . As you say, its all down to personal pref

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaestroAl View Post
Quite the contrary from my point of view. When you're just commuting to work or doing motorway miles, you want the option to soften things up for a nicer ride. yeah, we all want the sporty suspension to get the most out of hte chassis but haivng the adaptive suspension gives you the best of both worlds. And that's only the most black and white view. The reality is that the car just rides better whichever mode you're in. It levels the car so there's less lean in bends and it "adapts" to the road surface all the time. It's really not just a hard/soft switch, it's an intelligent suspension system
I am sure its fab, but equally so is the standard M Sport set-up. I actually prefer a firmer ride especially on the motorway, although if this system does adapt it may be a good option.

For me though i have been deliberately prudent with the options list - my current e90 is more fully loaded but this is much funded a different way!

the F30 does also come with quite a bit more standard as well, plus looses q bit including 10kg (which for a new gen car, is amazing), well done BMW
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      08-21-2012, 03:56 PM   #19
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btw, i went for Estoril Blue in the end, with black interior and brushed alu (prefer brushed to the hex as have hex in my e90) Oh, didnt want that blue strip on the dash as well.

Pretty unimpressed with the interior colour options on the F30...oyster contrast is my fave
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      08-22-2012, 05:29 AM   #20
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Every example of EBII has been gorgeous
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      08-22-2012, 07:06 AM   #21
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Every example of EBII has been gorgeous
It certainly stands out! Saw this 1er which helped my choice



Just but worried if I will still like it in 2 years
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      08-22-2012, 07:53 AM   #22
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When I was working at Ford, I had a whole string of ST model cars over the space of 6 years. Every single one was in Ford's "Performance Blue" (actually, or "Imperial Blue" which was nearly identical) and I never got tired of it. I just find this kind of shade of shiney blue is gorgeous on a car

I had one black Mondeo ST and I currently own a silver MPS and I couldn't bear the thought of having another black or silver car to blend in with 90% f cars on the road which are somewhere on the grey scale Shiney blue all the way
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