[Em135eye]

So our 335d has gone in (a part needed ordering) to finally sort the stuck seatbelt - it was actually a manufacturing fault (!) but being sorted.

Got a 120d M Sport in blue for two days. It's actually a pretty nice motor - nice and "tight" and very chuckable. Quicker than expected too. I quite like it.

Bad points are:

Seats are half "leather" I think - the leather looks VERY much like plastic.
The door cards seem to be straight from the wall of an Indian restaurant. Sort of flock wallpaper effect.
Dash seems plasticky.
Gearchange is way too notchy.
Clutch foot rest keeps catching the inside of my shoe - and no I don't have weird wide feet.
Sounds cack.
Small/tiny.
Still don't like dark headlining.
Had auto stop technology - I really don't like this.
Very low for our steep drive.
A few other interior surfaces are pretty naff plastic.
Business radio looks a bit "Vauxhall/Ford/cheap car."

But the good points are:

Lovely alloys (huge too)
Ride pretty good considering the tyres and wheels.
Revs freely and easily.
Easy to fling around.
Looks decent overall.
M Sport wheel is nice.
Seats are a good shape - but covered in plastic and some weird fabric.

Overall I'm quite impressed - the 20d seems a lot livelier than the 18d engine in the 318d M Sport I had last time and shifts it along well.
The 318d felt more "solid" and better built though.

Still can't wait to get ours back....

[rogerxp]

I wouldn't mind a 1 series one bit. I've always been impressed with the 1 series courtesy cars I've had (even the mightly 116d!!!) but never had any great time with these cars to make a full comparison.

My mate has a 123d M Sport and it's the business, firm but compliant (even on the large wheels - the big 5 spoke jobs), and feels rock solid especially next to my increasing creaky 330d.

[JLR1969]

Originally Posted by 335diesel

So our 335d has gone in (a part needed ordering) to finally sort the stuck seatbelt - it was actually a manufacturing fault (!) but being sorted.

Got a 120d M Sport in blue for two days. It's actually a pretty nice motor - nice and "tight" and very chuckable. Quicker than expected too. I quite like it.

Bad points are:

Seats are half "leather" I think - the leather looks VERY much like plastic.
The door cards seem to be straight from the wall of an Indian restaurant. Sort of flock wallpaper effect.
Dash seems plasticky.
Gearchange is way too notchy.
Clutch foot rest keeps catching the inside of my shoe - and no I don't have weird wide feet.
Sounds cack.
Small/tiny.
Still don't like dark headlining.
Had auto stop technology - I really don't like this.
Very low for our steep drive.
A few other interior surfaces are pretty naff plastic.
Business radio looks a bit "Vauxhall/Ford/cheap car."

But the good points are:

Lovely alloys (huge too)
Ride pretty good considering the tyres and wheels.
Revs freely and easily.
Easy to fling around.
Looks decent overall.
M Sport wheel is nice.
Seats are a good shape - but covered in plastic and some weird fabric.

Overall I'm quite impressed - the 20d seems a lot livelier than the 18d engine in the 318d M Sport I had last time and shifts it along well.
The 318d felt more "solid" and better built though.

Still can't wait to get ours back....

I have the same engine thats mapped, gains an extra 40bhp +23% it makes a hell of a difference.

[Em135eye]

JLR - definitely a decent unit. Seems nicely free revving and it pulls the 120d (assume it's lightish?) pretty well. And extra 40bhp and it would be properly quick.

Battered a mk5 GTi up a looooong dual carriageway hill which isn't bad.

How much torque do they produce?

[chrisbin]

1 series actually isnt a great deal lighter than 3 istr....120d is a nice enough motor...but the 3 definitely feels more "grown up" - you'll see when you get yours back!

[Em135eye]

Chris - indeed and the 3 series interior is definitely nicer. But it's nice to try different Beemers out. Always thought of lesser 1 series as the sort of car you drive if you are an Apprentice wannabee...

Decent car and fun but there is definitely a bit of an "image" with them.

Oops, that'll probably get me in trouble...

Now had a 318d M Sport and the 120d M Sport to play in. Would like to try a 320d M Sport just to compare.

Or maybe an E92 M3 - but that might not be on the fleet car list!!

But of course, I'd rather have the 335d back ASAP!

[JLR1969]

Originally Posted by 335diesel

JLR - definitely a decent unit. Seems nicely free revving and it pulls the 120d (assume it's lightish?) pretty well. And extra 40bhp and it would be properly quick.

Battered a mk5 GTi up a looooong dual carriageway hill which isn't bad.

How much torque do they produce?

my produces 360 FT/LB

[Em135eye]

Ahh yes but yours is "cheating" JLR!

That's a lot though - how quick is yours? Presume mid to late 6s to 60 and late teens to 100ish (total guess)? Or maybe quicker?

[JLR1969]

I would guess mid 6s to 60 and to 100....not sure.

The amazing thing, is that at the UK meet it was driven hard and returned 47mpg over 540 miles of driving

[Em135eye]

That's where mine falls down a bit - mpg...

Dipping under 30 a bit too often.

I blame my heavy shoes.

[- Paul -]

Originally Posted by JLR1969

I would guess mid 6s to 60 and to 100....not sure.

The amazing thing, is that at the UK meet it was driven hard and returned 47mpg over 540 miles of driving

I'd guess around that performance from what I saw of it whilst following you - whilst being chased by a fire breathing AMG!!

Similar torque figs as my 4.4l V8!

[rogerxp]

These bloody diesel engines do sometimes make you question a large petrol engine.

Take my 350Z for example, it's got 313bhp and 264lb ft at 4800rpm, with a 0-60 dash in a shade under 6 seconds.

Pauls 645i has 330bhp and 330lb ft. 0-60 in a shade over 5 seconds.

A 335d has 286bhp and 580lb ft. 0-60 a shade under 6 seconds.

I'm getting 19mpg, Paul can't be too far away, Matt is getting over 30mpg if good, and JLR can get 47mpg (with 360lb ft chipped).

That's it, I'm getting a 1 series and chipping it within an inch of its life. 123d Coupe - lovely.

edit - oh, please ignore the accuracy of these figures, just quickly gathered using google seaches

[dxb335d]

A re-mapped 320d is a proper little weapon, quicker than standard Type-R's Focus ST's (2.5Turbo ones) and also Golf GTi-s and in standard trim do over 140MPH.

[Em135eye]

Roger - 428lbs/ft for the 335d standard - which is exactly 580Nm!

When I got my first soot chucker, I was mildly mortified. It was after a lovely free revving, beautiful sounding 3.2 litre V6 engined Golf, not too dissimilar in it's "aims" as the 350Z (which I also tested). Suddenly I had (thanks to vandals and thieves) a clattery tractor that had a power band the size of a blade of grass.

But I stuck with it and learned to get the best out of it; despite being WELL down on bhp (150 vs 250ish) the torque was the same and it was a lighter car - I found I was managing the same entry and exit speeds in the Ashtray as I was in the R32 give or take a very small margin. The hateful lack of oomph below 2500rpm (before the turbo kicked in) was soon driven "around" and it was a rapid little load lugger.

So virtually double the bhp (but add some weight too), get near to doubling the torque, remove that hateful non turbo low rpm bit (using another turbo) and hey presto, it's a damn fine car. It even sounds decentish when pushed.

Now the only thing I miss from a decent petrol is the sound effects. But I'm now such a torque addict (getting old maybe?) that I'd struggle with any petrol with anything less than a huge turbo (or two) or a massive capacity. And then I'd get sub 20mpg...

A chipped 123d would be a very nice, very economical and very quick car.

[rogerxp]

I was obviously overlooking the aural experience and ability to rev the nuts off a petrol car. My experience with a diesel has opened up my eyes (but just can't get over the auto box forced upon me with a 335d so it's always a remapped 330d for me).

And, yes, I knew I'd screw up the bmp/ps and lb ft/Nm!!!

[JLR1969]

Originally Posted by rogerxp

These bloody diesel engines do sometimes make you question a large petrol engine.

Take my 350Z for example, it's got 313bhp and 264lb ft at 4800rpm, with a 0-60 dash in a shade under 6 seconds.

Pauls 645i has 330bhp and 330lb ft. 0-60 in a shade over 5 seconds.

A 335d has 286bhp and 580lb ft. 0-60 a shade under 6 seconds.

I'm getting 19mpg, Paul can't be too far away, Matt is getting over 30mpg if good, and JLR can get 47mpg (with 360lb ft chipped).

That's it, I'm getting a 1 series and chipping it within an inch of its life. 123d Coupe - lovely.

edit - oh, please ignore the accuracy of these figures, just quickly gathered using google seaches

And when driven normally will easily return 54mpg (motorways mainly) driving back on the M1 had to do 50mph for ages actually averaged 64MPG, very very boring though.

[Em135eye]

I averaged 46mpg in that 120d and I drove it hard. And £35 road tax!

But got ours back now (all sorted) and suddenly didn't give a stuff about £200ish tax or sub 35 mpg...! Drop a gear (or two) foot down, racing truck sound, turbo whistle headbutt the horizon!

[chrisbin]

Originally Posted by 335diesel

But got ours back now (all sorted) and suddenly didn't give a stuff about £200ish tax or sub 35 mpg...! Drop a gear (or two) foot down, racing truck sound, turbo whistle headbutt the horizon!

Told you!