Hi,
I am looking to buy the outgoing 3 series 330D in auto guise (have owned the manual version with no problems).
Has anyone got any exprience of the 330D with the auto box?
Thanks in anticipation!
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Readers report that economy is not too good. Around 30mpg.
HJ
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Strewth! I got 43 out of the manual.
Is the bmw auto box just very inefficient or is it the autobox when coupled with 3.0 engine. Does the 2 litre suffer the same?
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BMW's own figures for 320d say from 50MPG (manual) to 42MPG (auto). I know someone who has the 320d Touring Auto and he can't get it to 40MPG. My Merc C270 (auto, of course) does 46-48 on a motorway run (but 33-35 on shorter journeys). Some days it seems better than other - I think the 2 MPG differences are due to the brand/grade of fuel, but I can't establish a definite pattern.
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Read the CO2 emission figures for the different versions. You get a good idea of how worse off the auto is compared to the mannual.
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The Audi A4 multitronic transmission produces fuel economy that is at least as good as the manual version. I have to laugh when I see the BMW figures - you pay more for a BMW diesel compared to petrol, you pay more for the auto and you pay more for the fuel economy.
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Further to my many previous posts, I can report MPG of 50+ over a 4 year period for the 320d (i.e. this is the pre common rail engine - but I don't believe the later engines are especially thirstier).
'In a former life' I used to have an easy commute to work mostly involving the M3 and A339 and used to get high 50's and had to stop for fuel only once every 600-700 miles.
These days I commute around 11 miles per day and get mid 40's.
On a trip to Munich involving a lot of high speed Autobahn running it worked out at 47 mpg overall.
Not that I spend a lot of time working all this out - I just add details to a spreadsheet on each fill.
Oz (as was)
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Further to my many previous posts, I can report MPG of 50+ over a 4 year period for the 320d...
That's a manual though, isn't it?
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As it happens a friend called today and unprompted was complaining about the consumption of his 330d auto. ( 3 month old E46) reporting low thirties consumption. I feel a combination of issues here, new car/autobox/heavy foot and 24/7 air con. What does he expect ?
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As it happens a friend called today and unprompted was complaining about the consumption of his 330d auto. ( 3 month old E46) reporting low thirties consumption. I feel a combination of issues here, new car/autobox/heavy foot and 24/7 air con. What does he expect ?
All those will be factors but my experience is the type / length of journey makes all the difference. On a motorway the BMW probably lopes along at under 2000RPM, but around town big auto diesels are hopeless. Even driving steadily on A roads, mine seems to take 15 miles before the consumption settles.
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On gentle driving my 530d Manual returns between 35 and 40 depending on road types, last night its computer was showing around 25mpg when in combat with a DB9 - his consumption must be in the low 12s hence the 530d will always be at its destination sooner in the real world. My old 330d returned similar figs to the 530 but was more economical when thrashed this was a high mileage manual car carefully run in and driven mainly on A roads and duals.
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That's a manual though, isn't it?
Yes, 5 speed. Latest 320d manual cars are 6 speed.
Not to be out-nerded I can vouch for the fact that:
Even 800+ miles is possible from a single tankful (63 litres);
Also that a modest 120+ mph is easily possible (tested between Stuttgart and Munich - had to slow down at that point because the traffic in front all appeared to be reversing into me at high speed).
Both achievements not at the same time however.
Oz (as was)
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Fuel consumption aside, IMHO these cars are best driven with an auto (tiptronic) box since you don't really want to be faffing about with gear changes and the like - but rather concentrating on the drive and feel of the road :)
Don't get me wrong, I was a firm manual proponent before...but have switched sides to auto since taking the plunge and buying a 330SE petrol. My 52 plate Passat was a V6 TDi - six speed manual. With hindsight, wish I'd have gotten it as a tiptronic. But the point is, cars with an engine over 2.5l should be auto...good luck with your hunting!
-----
Im not plain stupid, just a special kind of stoopid.
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Very important to add to this discussion which I learned today:
BMW owners should check their on board computer has been configured for Imperial Gallons, not US gallons! I gather that 'it is known' for Beemers to exit their PDI inspection without this having been done. The adjustment is very quick and simple one for the owner to do.
Oz (as was)
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Would that give a rather bleaker MPG figure ?
How do you adjust it - more importantly how do you tell whether its in Imperial or not ?
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Would that give a rather bleaker MPG figure ?
Yes, on the basis that there is a 20% difference in the size of the two different 'gallons', Imperial being larger. Therefore the system will think you've used more 'gallons' than you thought.
How do you adjust it
I'll ask my technician friend
- more importantly how do you tell whether its in Imperial or not ?
Same answer, the configuration procedure involves a selection of one or the other.
I only know (assume) that mine is in Imperial because the physically measured MPG (i.e. the odometer mileage divided by the volume of fuel added from the pump) corresponds fairly closely to the on-board computer figure.
The OBC is nearly always higher by 1-1½ units, but if the OBC was set to US gallons, the discrepancy would be around 20%.
Oz (as was)
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I've done just over 5,000 miles in my '05 330d Auto, with very little urban mileage, and have averaged 34 mpg according to the OBC. It's a touring, in case that makes any difference. The economy has improved slightly as the mileage has increased and the engine loosened up, but not by much, and it does feel more responsive now.
However I find that the auto box doesn't really make the most of the torque available, as it is a little too keen to kick down. I often resort to using the manual mode to hold it in 5th to prevent this, especially on motorways...
Hope this helps
Peter
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"However I find that the auto box doesn't really make the most of the torque available, as it is a little too keen to kick down. I often resort to using the manual mode to hold it in 5th to prevent this, especially on motorways... "
Snap! After 3 days on the motorway in the 330D I do the very same thing. It's desire to down-shift just because you squeeze the throttle at motorway speeds seems a bit OTT.
Rgds.
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Lesson #1 in why to buy a manual - You and no-one else chooses the ratios.
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