BMWs get beneath your pores and skin. The extra of them you drive, the extra you begin to need one, or not less than that’s what occurred to me. After driving numerous BMW press vehicles in my over ten years as an automotive journalist, I lastly determined to tug the set off about 5 years in the past and get one in all my very own.

My plan was to search for an F30, one thing with a 2-liter engine and a handbook gearbox. Nevertheless, after scouring the native used market in my space (I reside in Bucharest, Romania), I noticed that I favored the older E90s extra, and I shifted my search to seek out a kind of. A lot of the vehicles out there within the nation have been 2-liter diesel vehicles, with the occasional gasoline mannequin and 3-liter.

Why a 320d?

I wasn’t searching for a automobile with too many choices, since it will be dearer and because it aged it simply meant there was extra to interrupt. After seeing a number of E90 that didn’t meet my necessities, I ultimately discovered the automobile that I nonetheless personal in the present day. It’s a 2010 320d Environment friendly Dynamics, with the marginally detuned N47 2-liter diesel hooked as much as a six-speed handbook gearbox. I selected this explicit E90 as a result of it was one of the best maintained out of all those that I noticed, with no prior accident historical past, repainted physique panels, or any main occasions in its previous.

It has a number of non-obligatory extras, but it surely’s not significantly well-specced. It has xenon lights with cool LED flip indicators (I actually wished this as a result of I believe it transforms the entrance of the E90), dual-zone local weather management, the game steering wheel, cruise management, and some others which are much less noteworthy. I didn’t go away it inventory, although, and I made some modifications that reworked it from a daily 320d right into a automobile that devours corners like few different sedans can.

Trying For Lightest E90

One of many causes I selected a fundamental 3 Collection was to maintain its weight down. I wished probably the most nimble E90 attainable, and whereas the 320i is lighter because the engine is positioned principally behind the entrance axle, this doesn’t negatively have an effect on dealing with in a means that I might observe. Apart from, the N46 gasoline engine that you simply get within the E90 320i feels sluggish in comparison with the torquey and surprisingly fast N47 diesel that equips my 320d, and to my ear, the N46 doesn’t sound superb both.

Whereas it could come as a shock to you in North America, we love our small-displacement diesel BMWs in Europe. For a lot of Europeans, myself included, a 2-liter diesel engine gives one of the best stability between gasoline effectivity, efficiency, and falling right into a decrease tax bracket that retains the federal government from robbing you yearly. In Romania, for example, the annual tax for a 3-liter is over 5 instances increased than it’s for a 2-liter, so except you’re made of cash, it’s greatest to be wise. Insuring the 3-liter and fueling it’s also dearer, and all of it provides up.

Is the N47 as unhealthy as they are saying?

Europeans are properly conscious of the N47 diesel engine’s timing points, the place the chain can snap via extreme put on, which might compromise the engine. Doing the timing was a precedence instantly after I obtained the automobile, and this was the one main mechanical operation accomplished to it (the engine wants to return out of the car for the timing to get replaced).

With the timing accomplished, I used to be left to benefit from the automobile’s robust surge of torque with out concern that it might break at any time.

After 5 years with my 320d, I can now say the N47 is definitely one of many automobile’s highlights for me. The common gasoline consumption by no means goes over 8 l/100km (29.4 US mpg), and on lengthy journeys, if I drive it with a restrained proper foot, the typical will drop to five l/100km (47 US mpg), or perhaps a bit decrease if the journey isn’t solely accomplished at freeway speeds.

Loads of Efficiency

But it surely gives punchy efficiency too. The claimed 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) time of a bit of over eight seconds sounds gradual, however from behind the wheel, it simply seems like a seven-second automobile because of its very excessive torque. On condition that my automobile is the Environment friendly Dynamics mannequin, the facility output is simply 163 horsepower (as an alternative of 177 or 184 horsepower), however torque will get a slight enhance over the common mannequin, and it rises to 380 Nm (280 pound-feet), which is delivered flat between 1,750 and a pair of,750 rpm.

Energy does die off virtually instantly after 4,000 rpm, however since there’s a lot torque and elasticity, you really don’t have to shift gears that a lot in regular driving to take care of your velocity. Even going up hills in a better gear, if the rpm needle is wherever close to 2,000 rpm, it is going to energy up surprisingly effortlessly. The truth that it makes such good use of the engine’s out there sources additionally comes courtesy of its comparatively low weight of 1,488 kg (3,280 lbs) with all of the fluids in and about half a tank of gasoline.

What mods does it have?

What I love to do most in a BMW is present it a number of corners. My 320d was fairly good in inventory type, particularly because the Environment friendly Dynamics mannequin really comes with decrease suspension, however after driving many a lot spicier BMWs, I knew that with a number of mods, it will be even higher.

The inventory springs have been swapped out for a set of black Eibach decreasing springs, and the automobile obtained new Bilstein B6 sport dampers. The entrance and rear anti-roll bars have been additionally upgraded, and this had a right away impact on the automobile’s physique management via corners. The inventory 16-inch aero wheels additionally wanted to go since their excessive sidewall detracted from the automobile’s corner-carving functionality, and I changed them with a set of 17-inch Borbet XRTs shod in extremely excessive efficiency tires (presently Goodyear Eagle F1 Uneven 6).

Serving to the automobile put its energy down higher, the bushings for the differential have been changed with the unique ones for the M3, that are stiffer and assist make the automobile really feel extra managed on the restrict.

With my automobile’s improved cornering functionality, its base seats have been not as much as the duty of holding you in place on a twisty street, so I changed them with a set of sports activities seats that I picked up from a salvage yard. These not solely have extra lateral help, however additionally they have extra vary of adjustment, and I discovered them to be far more snug on an extended journey than what the automobile initially had.

One other factor I felt wanted bettering on the automobile was the six-speed handbook’s shifter really feel. Except your BMW is a full M mannequin, its handbook shifter really feel is fairly unhealthy, particularly if the linkage is a bit drained and worn. I changed the manufacturing unit shifter with an aftermarket brief shifter equipment, in addition to the selector rod, which is now of the twin shear selection. With the addition of a JDM-style strong metal shift knob, it doesn’t really feel like a BMW shifter, and that’s factor.

Black E90s like mine are quite common the place I reside, so I wished my automobile to have some distinctive visible touches in order that I didn’t confuse it with another person’s within the grocery store car parking zone. I gave it M-style mirror caps with the winglet, and I additionally had the inventory xenon lights painted all black on the within to match the remainder of the automobile. Sure, I do know the mirror caps is likely to be a bit an excessive amount of on such a gradual BMW, however they’ve been on the automobile for therefore lengthy now that it will look bizarre to me with out them.

Why do I adore it?

My E90’s odometer is now shortly approaching 300,000 km (186,000 miles). Simply over half that’s how a lot I’ve pushed it, and it’s solely let me down as soon as after I needed to name a flatbed. But it surely was solely a cooling hose that had burst, letting all of the coolant spill onto the street, which was a fast repair, and I used to be again on my means.

That apart, that is probably the most reliable automobile I’ve owned. I’ve pushed it from Bucharest to the south of England and again after I attended the Goodwood Competition of Pace in 2022. That was a virtually 10,000-kilometer (6,200-mile) spherical journey, and the automobile by no means skipped a beat. I even drove it flat out on German autobahns, sustaining its prime velocity of 230 km/h (143 mph) for mile after mile, and it was nonetheless rock-solid.

I’ve pushed this automobile to Greece a number of instances and all the way in which to Montenegro as soon as too, in addition to varied distant areas round Romania. On all these journeys, if I occurred upon a twisty stretch of street, it will immediately remind me why I’m so reluctant to promote my gradual, getting old diesel BMW.

Finest Trying 3 Collection, IMO

It additionally seems to be actually good. I believe the E90 is likely to be one of the best wanting 3 Collection ever, particularly the LCI. It seems to be each trendy and considerably stylish and understated and it doesn’t want the M pack to look good. Joji Nagashima did a implausible job designing it within the Chris Bangle period and it’s getting old gracefully. It might be a bit cliché, however I nonetheless flip round to have a look at the automobile as I lock it and stroll away, even after so a few years of possession throughout which I’ve pushed dozens of recent, quicker, and far fancier vehicles.