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You are too honest mate, initially I hated your videos for bashing all my favourite cars but now I'm all over your videos, every car buyer needs this content...Thank you, don't change for anything. And I've been seeing a lot of "PRETENTIOUS" things around me of late...lol
I really like the more dynamic camera and for majority of the shots, maybe leaving the static camera with some panning shots for the interior sections would help keep a more a ‘professional’ presentation but I’m loving the growth and production value of the videos, keep it up guys.
Great report Adam! I have had my F30, 328 for almost 11 years and done 170k. Timing chain replaced at 155k (limp mode). Yes it was expensive at $7500. Before this I had a C Class. There is no comparison between the MB and a BM. BMW are the Ultimate Driving Machine. And in my experience, the dealership really looks after you. And the police do love them as we do tend to contribute our fair share of donations to their multi-nova speed camera department, because they are so enjoyable to drive.
$7500 for a timing chain thain should not have to be replaced anyway?! That is insane. Those kind of repairs justify why I will stick to Lexus and Toyota.
Honestly never had a single problem like that in my 3 years of owning a 3rd hand f30 335i bought it at 92k kms and now has 120k kms and it’s still immaculate. Only thing you’re right on with the idrive giving issues
Dont mean to discount your experience but its the statistics that matter. And when something eventually does go wrong the repair bills are simply going to be a lot higher.
@@mbag012 only speaking of my personal experience with BMW and alot of things are easy to do yourself, plugs coils injectors etc can all be done at home, just the obvious ones are don't drive your car hard when cold and be on-top of your maintenance with a proper service centre not just BMW. Ofcourse it won't be a Toyota but the 340i and 335i's from personal experience are damn near the best reliable modern performance sedan's you can currently buy
2016 320i M sport owner here with a smidge under 150k km on it! I picked it up with about 9000km on it in 2017, had it ever since and have loved it! Have taken it to all its service needs as scheduled. Maintenance plan ran out in July 2021 and it hasn’t been a problem child! Except until literally two months ago when it got a slow coolant leak; turned out to be the oil filter housing and turbo coolant feed lines. Bit of a pricy fix but not too bad (I’m in South Africa fyi). Small rattle when the plastic clip for the handbrake lines broke but that was a cheap fix. Other than that it has been absolutely rock solid! Drives really well still. Infotainment is now fairly dated admittedly but works well and doesn’t look like a pig’s arse on the outside like most new BMWs these days! Will probably look to trade it in next year cos out of maintenance plan BMWs are a risky prospect but I’ll be sad to see it go!
Lol nice to see other saffas watch redriven. Weird that Aus gets them from here but gets more models than here. Also weird that in SA BMW people swear by the diesels.
@@ronz91 I have a diesel in Australia (320d) and the problem seems pretty overblown generally here. I've had no issues with mine at all, I just change the oil and filter at half the service interval that the service indicator tells me to make sure that the oil doesn't suffer diesel dilution. I think the main issue with the timing chains is the 30,000km service interval - if you do mostly city mileage then the oil can get diluted over time due to cold running and extra DPF burn offs.
This video right here is the sort of quality you'd expect from a channel or TV show with a far larger budget than what you guys have yet you are consistently improving and out doing yourselves on the quality of the videos compared to the competition and this layout is the best of the bunch so far. The only thing that was a bit off putting was the camera was a bit all over the place with Hullsy but even that's a minor thing. They should use this as an example of how to do a video in film making classes. Had to laugh at the indicator and GT variant's looks bits as they were priceless. Also have to admit I honestly thought this generation of 3 series was made in Thailand not South Africa. Should get a banner made with the 10k kms servicing recommendation Hullsy keeps saying so he can hang it behind himself and point to it as needed to save repeating himself all the time lol. Also congrats on breaking 130k subs guys you're really starting to get the recognition you all deserve. Have a good weekend guys and look forward to next week's videos as always 👍.
Love all your videos! Just thought I might add that you mentioned the 330i as the second most powerful 3 series behind the M3. I think you forgot about the 335i or 340i which were more powerful which makes the 330i the 3rd most powerful behind the M3!
The reason why most BMW drivers don't use their turn signals is because they don't know how to cancel it after a lane change. In other cars, if you use the turn signal to signal a lane change and return it to centre, it will cancel. In the 3 series that puts on the turn signal of the other side. It's very annoying to most people, hence why they don't use it.
Sometimes I wonder why they have to reinvent things that work. That said it shouldn’t be too difficult to get used to the fact you can press it the same way it’s blinking to cancel - if people can get used to the fact different cars have turn signals on different sides of the steering wheel, I think this is also a quirk you’ll get used to when it’s your own car and you drive it everyday.
I hear you. I understand. I even sympathise. But it does basically boil down to "they don't use their turn signals because they didn't learn how to, perhaps through repeated usage of the turn signals."
I have watched nearly all your videos, thanks to multiple FIFO quarantine's, and you are on the money for the cars I have owned. I have a 2012 and a 2013 f30 335i as well as a 135i from BM Trouble You stable. I do all my own repairs, etc. Here are some of the very common issues you may have missed on that car. The plastic panel under the wipers degrades in the sun and looks crap while the rest of the car still looks great. Inside the real issue with door handles is the sticky degrading black muck that comes off on your hands from the inner side of the handle until you buy Chinese replacements that are great. The door lock pins that stick out of the tops of the doors vibrate and make a tone of noise when driving on coarse bitumen roads ( one well placed wrap with electrical tape fixes it ). Yes the steering has issues and knocks prematurely ( $120 for a guide kit from the internet fixes it but at 130k on it, it shouldn't need it ) Mine being N55's both leak oil from the pan, one was also leaking badly from the filter housing to the oil cooler pipe block, $9 and a few hours = sorted but the belt was so badly damaged, it was close to delimitation. The water pumps OMG, the seal on the impeller leaks internally and coolant enters the electronics of the pump. This causes the pump to start by itself when the car is shut and locked ( about 8 minutes after ) and drawing 28 amps, it kills the battery overnight. ( that took some diagnosing, LOL) no electronics issues of yet inside, drives beautiful and quick but the 0-100 time you quoted of 4.5 seconds is not realistic, my daughters Stinger is quicker than my f30, maybe that should be 5.5 seconds. Keep the good work, Cheers Trev
Great informative and funny video as per usual. I had a great number of Beemers over the years, some bad and some worse. I might be biased but........I rather put my money on a Mercedes any day of the week if one chooses between a Beemer and a Merc. You be spending a lot more of your hard earned cash on spare parts ( or the mechanic if you can't do things yourself ) being a Beemer owner. That means less time tailgating good folks on our roads. The choice is yours 😉
My daughter has a 218 in manual and the reverse gear is a nightmare to engage, we went back to the main stealers where she bought it who test drove it and said that is how it’s supposed to be 😮😮😮automatic all the way from now on, I’m looking at an f31 335d and it’s a toss up between touring or the grand coupe here in the uk
Planning on buying the F30 330e LCI M-Sport ever since a buddy let me be a passenger in one. It's amazing value for money considering it comes with the relatively reliable and efficient detuned B48 engine, a hybrid system that's enough for driving my city commute using only electricity and it has enough space and facilities for my small family. Plus it keeps up with the 330i just fine and absolutely rips in sport mode, 0-100kmh in just a little over 5 seconds (with a sneaky stage 1 chip tune)
You are spot on. I had a 328i F30 that I drove to 78,000 miles. Problems I had were: Thermostat needed replacing at 50,000 miles. Driver's and passenger's door latch needed replacing at 40,000 Seat belt sign turns on if I put anything over a pound on the passenger seat. Exhaust actuator broke at 75.000 miles and made rattling sound when idling. When parked on an incline overnight a transmission fault would come on and would go on limp mode, but when it's warmed up it goes away. Dealership found nothing wrong and after getting an oil change it inexplicably went away. Would I buy another one? Absolutely! It was one of the most fun car I have ever owned. I regret trading it in for the 330e.
Lexus IS all day everyday! Thanks for another great video team. Sent it to a friend of ours who just bought a 2014 X6 against our recommendations. Had the car for 6 months and has already spent $5K in repairs! 🤦🏽♂️
I love this presenter, if not for the fact I want him to continue making these I’d so he’s wasted and should be a comedian, I laughed out loud a few times at this and still got all the info I needed.
The F30 with the B series engines have been around for 8 years now and have generally proved to be way more reliable than the N series engines before it. 8 years is long enough to test the durability or reliabilty and I have yet to hear of any horror stories for the B48 or B58 the later which by the way is a gem of an engine hence why it’s fitted to the new Supra.
Toyota engineers looked at the B58 and went 'this sh*t looks alright', and chucked it in the new Supra. Land Rover enginners looked at the N63, thought the same and chucked it in the new Range Rover :D
@@manofsesame3024 Check your facts, a quick google search will do. Both the B58 and B48 entered the market in 2015, we are now in 2023 that makes it 8 years. Long enough to test the durability of the units, even 6 years is enough to know if they are going to good or not.
@Phelelani Khuluse i don't know about that. Haven't heard of many major engine issues such as timing chains etc. They're pretty solid units. Electrical gremlins though 🤦♂️
I purchased new 2014 BMW 328 x drive - I now have 258,000 Km with very few issues - an oil sensor at 12,000 Km ( warranty ) , pulley belts under extended warranty, some sort of mechanism that makes the car drive slow ‘ ( wastegate something ? ) it was worn and broke loose ( 204,000 km ) and oil and brake maintenance - I am in love with this car - the comfort. Red seats , amazing fuel economy , X- drive for the snow. Rear seats fold down etc - this car has performed like a Toyota Corolla in terms of reliability- the only thing is the run flats were harsh and I replace several of them in the first 25,000 Km ( makes me paranoid that the mechanics at the dealership were in on some diabolical scheme ) - however I used to be a BMW hater - this 3 series now made me live BMW - I purchased a 2021 M40i Z 4 with 6000 Km on it and that is a dramatic fun car - but somehow in my 2014 3 series - it feels so right - they did an amazing job with this model. And yes - on start up it is a bit noisy.
I will keep saying this time & time again. These things need servicing every 10,000ks without fail. Run for the hills on any example that has missed even 1 service. They are susceptible to sun damage especially the top of the dashboard.
A few things missed.... The msport brake discs can relentlessly squeak and a basically made of soft cheese On xdrive models, the transfer box is really sensitive to tyres The zf 8 speed needs an oil change at least every 100k The manual seats are tricky to adjust of two of you use the car Egr cooler issues can make 6 cylinder diesels catch fire (quite common)
Few things you've missed, all the soft touch especially the trims in the door handles and the knobs on the sound system and climate control melts and becomes sticky after a few years, and this model also suffered from the infamous knocking noise from the steering wheel rack when going over broken tarmac.
Umm the only engine with the timing chain at the back is the B58, and because of modular design, the 4 cyl B48. Not once have I heard of a timing chain issue on a B58/B48. You’re confusing the N54 and earlier engines with the modern BX8 engines.
God bless you, I’ve been waiting for a video on the pre facelift 3 series and it just answers so many questions I had till now. Please kindly do a 4 series one too if possible. Seriously love your work and wanna see you grow in the future 👌🏿👌🏿
The last best 3-series was the E90 range, with the NA 6-cylinder no-turbo models. All newer 3-series are turbo models, which started with the E90 335i and onwards. I own a German-Built 2006 E90 330i M-Sport and is rock-solid.
Got a high spec M performance 2017 model and Wireless Apple CarPlay comes with the BMW Professional navigation (and it has connected services), no need to retrofit it. I can recommend to look for one with the Harman/Kardon system, its well worth it. Also mine just passed the 110.000km mark and basically still feels like new, no rattles, little wear. On the negative, I have to replace my engine and transmission suspensions now, they broke. Apparently its quite common on these if you’re into drifting but I’ve never drifted and it still broke so i don’t know… no other complaints
I’ve got a 2015 pre-LCI 330d XDrive M-Sport, 87k on the clock. Had it about 2 years, great car but in that time I’ve spent about half of the cost of what I spent buying the car on fixing it.
I just discovered your channel... nice! And, I just bought a pre-lci Touring 320d... wish me luck! It replaces my E61 with the pretty much bulletproof NA N52. Quite a change!
All cars suck to own and repair these days. The government is ruining them with emissions systems and then making it harder and harder to drive them freely. And corporations are making them ever more complex, harder to repair, more expensive and cheaper in options.
Nup, bought a used 2018 ZB Commodore RS-V with the great sounding V6, 9 speed auto and AWD (Twinster diff at the back). Way better value for money (i.e. cheaper), much more room, totally reliable, cheaper parts and it was actually made in Germany! Plus, it is a truly great drive.
Are there any good durable car left that aren't terribly boring or technologically outdated? Because of that I bought two new cars. 2022 Cupra Forementor and 2022 BMW320. I massively overspent but those are also under warranty :)
What makes the BMW F30 3 series lean more to "yes" than an Audi A4 b8 which you said in your review, even if you found a perfect example with good service history still probably "no" is BMW more reliable and cheaper to fix than Audi A4? thanks mate, loving your videos btw.
My sports car got T-boned in March 2023; my neighbor just bought a Tesla. They have a three car garage, yet now have four cars. Ergo, I bought their fourth car. I 2013 “BMW 328i.” I never would fathom that I would ever buy a used BMW. However, it was the wife’s car and she used it as a commuter car; all freeway miles. Always maintained at the dealership. So, I bought it; the car is weird. Quite strange to shift and put it in park via pushing a button. The signally can be hard to learn, I’ll signal left, turn off signal and then I’m signaling right. Two clicks to open the and. hood. I does drive like a brand new car; but I’m holding my breath that the transmission and/or timing chain won’t go out on me. But when I buy a used car, I’m not buying that specific car, I’m buying the car based on the owner. Wish me luck. 🙏🏼
Always nice when the 2nd row seats fold Forward for extra cargo space. Why any manufacturer doesn't make this standard on all models is completely befuddling
Vf commodore smokes both BMW 3 series and c class mercedes. Having had the pleasure of driving all 3, the merc however has a weird vibration under acceleration which no one knows why.
The VF commodore is a bigger car so it isn't a fair comparison. Also A VF commodore doesn't smoke a 3 series unless the VF is a SS model up against a 318 which again is not a fair comparison.
Most of it is plastic sadly. Well documented history. The current b48 and b58 engines seem to be more reliable though. Just avoid anything below year 2018.
What people might not realise was the F80 M3 was a totally different platform. Basically a race car for the road. Bullet proof reliable, cheap to maintain and a great daily driver
I drive like a dick in BMW's and Amg's but not so much in HSV's commodores ect. or wifes cars. its just the cars handle and respond so well that changing lanes and overtaking is so easy. Other cars Im happy to just sit behind. In my case its definitely the car.
@@ReDrivenThat's funny because they're usually quite a lot less maintenance intensive than petrols, at least from what I've witnessed, read and heard through my lifetime of being in and around cars.
You see these here in the UK everywhere, they’re so generic. And unfortunately the majority are owned by people who can’t afford them. If you want to drive something that everyone else doesn’t, don’t get one of these. Plus parts and dealers are ridiculous.
It might be a bit pricey but how about detailing each cars interior before featuring it? That way we can get a more accurate understanding of the wear and tear as opposed to how mucky the owner is
Joe we’d love to but as we’re borrowing these cars from friends, family and viewers, and we’re on the tightest of budgets and schedules, we simply don’t have the time. We’d rather spend that 30 minutes to an hour filming more content. Hopefully, one day we’ll be big enough that we can detail the cars. - AK
Should people be concerned that the 3 series is assembled in South Africa? If I'm paying considerable $$ for a German car I kind of want to know it's actually been built in Germany. Is this a silly concern? I know lots of manufacturers do this like Hondas from Thailand, Volvo's from China or X5s from the U.S. if I bought an Italian sports car I would sure as hell want it to be made there.
@@ReDriven Australia has been getting South African BMWs since the late-90s, build quality on them is fine. The F30 sedan was the last Australian delivered 3 series built in South Africa - the current X3 is built there now. Current Australian delivered 3 series are built in Germany.
Buy a BMW from before 1999. That's it. Beyond that, like Mercedes Benz, they are built by sales & marketing rather than engineers. Volvo is much the same, but you'll still be driving to your destination days after the others have arrived. Driver engagement? An 80s will kill you, but you'll be smiling like a mad man up until the end.
Glad to see the indicators working on that BM, because most I see on the roads seem to have ones that don’t work 😂 Your bit about the indicators was so on point! That GT body style is so ugly, maybe it was a peek into the future with the huge beaver grilles, getting us used to ugly BMWs…
BMW is known for having weird functioning turn signals, it's one of those that returns to center and it has no click, hard to turn off. A tap only flashes it a couple times and it's not long enough to complete your turn. So most people just don't even bother.
Love the channel and was waiting for your F30 video. I was aware of a few of these issues but the others were informative. I purchased my BMW 340i (RWD) post-LCI used in Sep 2022 with about 24k miles on it. It still had a few months left on the original warranty and had a year’s CPO. As a owner, I wanted to add my 2 cents to the F30 conversation as well. These are my own experiences, and it could be different from others, so take it with a grain of salt. Hope this benefits anyone who is considering the 3 series. Try to purchase with warranty - I had the following taken care of because it still had 3 to 4 months of warranty left. CPO wouldn’t cover these (transmission and engine only). Coolant problem - The B58 engines have this issue where the coolant keeps depleting. If you’re in warranty, have the coolant reservoir and/or it’s cap replaced. But to be safe, travel with some coolant with you and top it up often. There are sensors, but the sensor is at the absolute bottom of the reservoir, so by the time the sensor throws an error, you’re screwed. Rattles & squeaks - Two well known issues here. The door pins rattle in a few models and another issue is squeaky noises with the shadowline trim. There are service bulletin codes for each of these, which you can use with your service center to have them corrected under warranty. While fixing one of the rattles in the passenger door, they found something wrong with the weather seal in it and fixed it for free. All of this wouldn’t be possible without warranty. Plastic cowl under windshield - Extremely prone to crack around the edges with time. Looks ugly, doesn’t lead to water seeping in. XDrive - The xDrive system is praised by a lot of people BUT only consider it if you live in a place with extremely adverse weather. It comes with a certain set of “rules”. For ex - the rolling diameter of the front tires and the rear can’t go beyond 1%. Why would there be a difference? That goes into our next topic. Staggered vs square setup - A lot of the BMWs have thinner front wheel tires and wider rear wheel tires - staggered setup. The staggered setup tends to force the car to understeer, and thereby making it “safer” from a OEM’s POV. It’s hard to explain but it’s almost like the chassis is twisting (if you take a turn hard), it’s like the front is understeering and the rear wheels are pushing you forward. It doesn’t “rotate” easily. Ok, so do I switch to a square setup of same tires all round? Next topic. Tires - I HIGHLY recommend you go to a square setup and to get better tires. The default tires on BMWs are RFTs which are NOISY as hell and give a very firm/rough ride. Continental DWS are soft and comfortable, not like SUV luxury/softness, but they do the job. Not to mention, with a square setup, you can carry a spare (esp if you go off RFTs) for road trips. Wheels/Alloys - Since the world is leaning to lower and lower profile tires with big wheels, you will FEEL the road. Especially if you have the mSport alloys. Changing your wheels and tires mean a lot of research so they don’t rub on the inside. There are quite a few options out there which look better and weigh lesser. Lesser weight is lesser unsprung mass, faster turn in. Seats & Adaptive dampers - Definitely on the firm side. In fact, forums say that if your car was made in South Africa, the seats are definitely a problem. Despite all this, I like my car. I won't own it till I die, but I’ll have fun with it for a few years. What works well. Transmission - I would rate the ZF transmission only a notch below the Porsche PDK. It’s really good. PDK is cerebral, it just instinctively knows what you’re trying to do. The ZF isn’t that good, the first 3 gears feel like they’re holding you back, they feel over complicated to my millennial brain which grew up with 4 and 5 speed stick shifts. Engine - The low subtle grunt of the inline 6 is an absolute pleasure. The newer m340i has too many crackles and pops. Not my cup of tea. And merging into the highway or highway cruising is a delight. Never lacks power. You also get a 30+ mpg on highways (if you stay in the vicinity of the speed limit). Community - I moved from a Miata to this car and honestly the BMW forums & community have been on par with the Miata’s. A lot of the forum people helped me figure out a lot of these, and they are extremely knowledgeable. Aftermarket support - Endless. It’s expensive, but there are just so many options that it’s mind boggling. Modifications/tuning - You can easily bump the power on a B58 engine by 50whp with just a Stage 1 software tune. And these are conservative estimates. Pretty sure you can go higher.
Coolant loss is something I had on my 18 540 but didn’t on 19 440i. Also I got coolant low message, when it was about 5fl oz down, mb even less (I waited till car cooled down before adding coolant)
💵 Save $$$ on your next car finance and get a $250 fuel voucher when you do! Use our link - fastnfinance.com.au/redriven/
New/used cars, bikes, boats, caravans, classics, grey imports and more. If it moves...they'll finance it!
You are too honest mate, initially I hated your videos for bashing all my favourite cars but now I'm all over your videos, every car buyer needs this content...Thank you, don't change for anything. And I've been seeing a lot of "PRETENTIOUS" things around me of late...lol
too honest? no such thing
I really like the more dynamic camera and for majority of the shots, maybe leaving the static camera with some panning shots for the interior sections would help keep a more a ‘professional’ presentation but I’m loving the growth and production value of the videos, keep it up guys.
Great report Adam! I have had my F30, 328 for almost 11 years and done 170k. Timing chain replaced at 155k (limp mode). Yes it was expensive at $7500. Before this I had a C Class. There is no comparison between the MB and a BM. BMW are the Ultimate Driving Machine. And in my experience, the dealership really looks after you. And the police do love them as we do tend to contribute our fair share of donations to their multi-nova speed camera department, because they are so enjoyable to drive.
$7500 for a timing chain thain should not have to be replaced anyway?! That is insane. Those kind of repairs justify why I will stick to Lexus and Toyota.
@@gavinr9107 all timing chains need replacing.
@@richiepaddick9261 Well it should last at least 200K and not cost $7500....
I had a F30 328i and it was a great car but the G20 330i is better.
@@davidperry3531 yes they are terrific. I have had one as a loaner when my car has been in for a service. Nice note in the exhaust!
Honestly never had a single problem like that in my 3 years of owning a 3rd hand f30 335i bought it at 92k kms and now has 120k kms and it’s still immaculate. Only thing you’re right on with the idrive giving issues
Dont mean to discount your experience but its the statistics that matter. And when something eventually does go wrong the repair bills are simply going to be a lot higher.
@@mbag012 only speaking of my personal experience with BMW and alot of things are easy to do yourself, plugs coils injectors etc can all be done at home, just the obvious ones are don't drive your car hard when cold and be on-top of your maintenance with a proper service centre not just BMW. Ofcourse it won't be a Toyota but the 340i and 335i's from personal experience are damn near the best reliable modern performance sedan's you can currently buy
2016 320i M sport owner here with a smidge under 150k km on it! I picked it up with about 9000km on it in 2017, had it ever since and have loved it! Have taken it to all its service needs as scheduled. Maintenance plan ran out in July 2021 and it hasn’t been a problem child! Except until literally two months ago when it got a slow coolant leak; turned out to be the oil filter housing and turbo coolant feed lines. Bit of a pricy fix but not too bad (I’m in South Africa fyi). Small rattle when the plastic clip for the handbrake lines broke but that was a cheap fix. Other than that it has been absolutely rock solid! Drives really well still. Infotainment is now fairly dated admittedly but works well and doesn’t look like a pig’s arse on the outside like most new BMWs these days!
Will probably look to trade it in next year cos out of maintenance plan BMWs are a risky prospect but I’ll be sad to see it go!
Lol nice to see other saffas watch redriven.
Weird that Aus gets them from here but gets more models than here.
Also weird that in SA BMW people swear by the diesels.
@@ronz91 I have a diesel in Australia (320d) and the problem seems pretty overblown generally here. I've had no issues with mine at all, I just change the oil and filter at half the service interval that the service indicator tells me to make sure that the oil doesn't suffer diesel dilution. I think the main issue with the timing chains is the 30,000km service interval - if you do mostly city mileage then the oil can get diluted over time due to cold running and extra DPF burn offs.
This video right here is the sort of quality you'd expect from a channel or TV show with a far larger budget than what you guys have yet you are consistently improving and out doing yourselves on the quality of the videos compared to the competition and this layout is the best of the bunch so far. The only thing that was a bit off putting was the camera was a bit all over the place with Hullsy but even that's a minor thing. They should use this as an example of how to do a video in film making classes.
Had to laugh at the indicator and GT variant's looks bits as they were priceless. Also have to admit I honestly thought this generation of 3 series was made in Thailand not South Africa.
Should get a banner made with the 10k kms servicing recommendation Hullsy keeps saying so he can hang it behind himself and point to it as needed to save repeating himself all the time lol.
Also congrats on breaking 130k subs guys you're really starting to get the recognition you all deserve.
Have a good weekend guys and look forward to next week's videos as always 👍.
Love all your videos! Just thought I might add that you mentioned the 330i as the second most powerful 3 series behind the M3. I think you forgot about the 335i or 340i which were more powerful which makes the 330i the 3rd most powerful behind the M3!
Second behind means two behind so in LCI guise 340i and this 330i! The 335i was on the earlier cars when the 340i wasn’t out so the video is correct.
@@joebloggs4191 Apologies for that, I thought I heard him say 'including' not 'excluding' M3!
The reason why most BMW drivers don't use their turn signals is because they don't know how to cancel it after a lane change. In other cars, if you use the turn signal to signal a lane change and return it to centre, it will cancel. In the 3 series that puts on the turn signal of the other side. It's very annoying to most people, hence why they don't use it.
Sometimes I wonder why they have to reinvent things that work. That said it shouldn’t be too difficult to get used to the fact you can press it the same way it’s blinking to cancel - if people can get used to the fact different cars have turn signals on different sides of the steering wheel, I think this is also a quirk you’ll get used to when it’s your own car and you drive it everyday.
I hear you. I understand. I even sympathise. But it does basically boil down to "they don't use their turn signals because they didn't learn how to, perhaps through repeated usage of the turn signals."
Hardly a reason - I had a F30 but using indicators was never a problem.
Lexus GS has the same stupid indicators - so annoying
It's actually incredibly easy to use, people are just stupid.
Idiot proof something and the world will invent a better idiot.
I have watched nearly all your videos, thanks to multiple FIFO quarantine's, and you are on the money for the cars I have owned. I have a 2012 and a 2013 f30 335i as well as a 135i from BM Trouble You stable. I do all my own repairs, etc. Here are some of the very common issues you may have missed on that car. The plastic panel under the wipers degrades in the sun and looks crap while the rest of the car still looks great. Inside the real issue with door handles is the sticky degrading black muck that comes off on your hands from the inner side of the handle until you buy Chinese replacements that are great. The door lock pins that stick out of the tops of the doors vibrate and make a tone of noise when driving on coarse bitumen roads ( one well placed wrap with electrical tape fixes it ). Yes the steering has issues and knocks prematurely ( $120 for a guide kit from the internet fixes it but at 130k on it, it shouldn't need it )
Mine being N55's both leak oil from the pan, one was also leaking badly from the filter housing to the oil cooler pipe block, $9 and a few hours = sorted but the belt was so badly damaged, it was close to delimitation. The water pumps OMG, the seal on the impeller leaks internally and coolant enters the electronics of the pump. This causes the pump to start by itself when the car is shut and locked ( about 8 minutes after ) and drawing 28 amps, it kills the battery overnight. ( that took some diagnosing, LOL) no electronics issues of yet inside, drives beautiful and quick but the 0-100 time you quoted of 4.5 seconds is not realistic, my daughters Stinger is quicker than my f30, maybe that should be 5.5 seconds. Keep the good work, Cheers Trev
Hahaha, yes indicators are great, shame the BMW’s sold here in Canberra don’t have them installed.
Great informative and funny video as per usual.
I had a great number of Beemers over the years, some bad and some worse.
I might be biased but........I rather put my money on a Mercedes any day of the week if one chooses between a Beemer and a Merc.
You be spending a lot more of your hard earned cash on spare parts ( or the mechanic if you can't do things yourself ) being a Beemer owner. That means less time tailgating good folks on our roads.
The choice is yours 😉
The B58 engines will still earn my heart though, Mercedes hybrid techs from F1 is still unpredictable reliability wise. But you do you
My daughter has a 218 in manual and the reverse gear is a nightmare to engage, we went back to the main stealers where she bought it who test drove it and said that is how it’s supposed to be 😮😮😮automatic all the way from now on, I’m looking at an f31 335d and it’s a toss up between touring or the grand coupe here in the uk
The 335d is a long term keeper. Will let mine age gracefully. 100k+ miles and zero issues. And a very relaxing engine.
Planning on buying the F30 330e LCI M-Sport ever since a buddy let me be a passenger in one. It's amazing value for money considering it comes with the relatively reliable and efficient detuned B48 engine, a hybrid system that's enough for driving my city commute using only electricity and it has enough space and facilities for my small family. Plus it keeps up with the 330i just fine and absolutely rips in sport mode, 0-100kmh in just a little over 5 seconds (with a sneaky stage 1 chip tune)
Your videos are very well made, especially for a small team
You are spot on. I had a 328i F30 that I drove to 78,000 miles. Problems I had were:
Thermostat needed replacing at 50,000 miles.
Driver's and passenger's door latch needed replacing at 40,000
Seat belt sign turns on if I put anything over a pound on the passenger seat.
Exhaust actuator broke at 75.000 miles and made rattling sound when idling.
When parked on an incline overnight a transmission fault would come on and would go on limp mode, but when it's warmed up it goes away. Dealership found nothing wrong and after getting an oil change it inexplicably went away.
Would I buy another one? Absolutely! It was one of the most fun car I have ever owned. I regret trading it in for the 330e.
Lexus IS all day everyday! Thanks for another great video team. Sent it to a friend of ours who just bought a 2014 X6 against our recommendations. Had the car for 6 months and has already spent $5K in repairs! 🤦🏽♂️
14:29 “pile of dog shit”. Holy shit that caught me off guard 🤣🤣🤣🤣. Noticed you guys are going a different style with the videos! I dig it!
I have a 2012 320d with 300 000kms and absolutely bullet proof so far
I love this presenter, if not for the fact I want him to continue making these I’d so he’s wasted and should be a comedian, I laughed out loud a few times at this and still got all the info I needed.
The F30 with the B series engines have been around for 8 years now and have generally proved to be way more reliable than the N series engines before it. 8 years is long enough to test the durability or reliabilty and I have yet to hear of any horror stories for the B48 or B58 the later which by the way is a gem of an engine hence why it’s fitted to the new Supra.
Toyota engineers looked at the B58 and went 'this sh*t looks alright', and chucked it in the new Supra. Land Rover enginners looked at the N63, thought the same and chucked it in the new Range Rover :D
@@akalankadesilva5040 And McLaren put the BMW S70 in the F1, considered to be one of the greatest cars of all time.
The B series was first equipped in the 2017 models. It has only been 6 years so far not 8 years
@@manofsesame3024 Check your facts, a quick google search will do. Both the B58 and B48 entered the market in 2015, we are now in 2023 that makes it 8 years. Long enough to test the durability of the units, even 6 years is enough to know if they are going to good or not.
Hearing all those problems actually makes me feel good about owning my Alfa Giulia 😂
I think you spoke too soon. Your vid will come 😄 mwahahahaha
@@jayzr8938 Alphas are worse...
And how old is your italian piece of crap? It can't be that old...
@Phelelani Khuluse i don't know about that. Haven't heard of many major engine issues such as timing chains etc. They're pretty solid units. Electrical gremlins though 🤦♂️
Dude, you drive an Alfa, only true driving enthusiasts are that brave, my hat comes off in respect. 👏
I purchased new 2014 BMW 328 x drive - I now have 258,000 Km with very few issues - an oil sensor at 12,000 Km ( warranty ) , pulley belts under extended warranty, some sort of mechanism that makes the car drive slow ‘ ( wastegate something ? ) it was worn and broke loose ( 204,000 km ) and oil and brake maintenance - I am in love with this car - the comfort. Red seats , amazing fuel economy , X- drive for the snow. Rear seats fold down etc - this car has performed like a Toyota Corolla in terms of reliability- the only thing is the run flats were harsh and I replace several of them in the first 25,000 Km ( makes me paranoid that the mechanics at the dealership were in on some diabolical scheme ) - however I used to be a BMW hater - this 3 series now made me live BMW - I purchased a 2021 M40i Z 4 with 6000 Km on it and that is a dramatic fun car - but somehow in my 2014 3 series - it feels so right - they did an amazing job with this model. And yes - on start up it is a bit noisy.
I will keep saying this time & time again. These things need servicing every 10,000ks without fail. Run for the hills on any example that has missed even 1 service. They are susceptible to sun damage especially the top of the dashboard.
One of the funniest car vids on youtube
Cheers mate
10:06 “this is the 330i M Sport, which excluding the M3 is the second most powerful in the range.”
340i?
Hahahahahahahha! Best moment ever - how to use the indicator. Well done mate.
A few things missed....
The msport brake discs can relentlessly squeak and a basically made of soft cheese
On xdrive models, the transfer box is really sensitive to tyres
The zf 8 speed needs an oil change at least every 100k
The manual seats are tricky to adjust of two of you use the car
Egr cooler issues can make 6 cylinder diesels catch fire (quite common)
I’m really glad you made this video I’m really serious about buying one of these
Few things you've missed, all the soft touch especially the trims in the door handles and the knobs on the sound system and climate control melts and becomes sticky after a few years, and this model also suffered from the infamous knocking noise from the steering wheel rack when going over broken tarmac.
Umm the only engine with the timing chain at the back is the B58, and because of modular design, the 4 cyl B48. Not once have I heard of a timing chain issue on a B58/B48. You’re confusing the N54 and earlier engines with the modern BX8 engines.
God bless you, I’ve been waiting for a video on the pre facelift 3 series and it just answers so many questions I had till now. Please kindly do a 4 series one too if possible. Seriously love your work and wanna see you grow in the future 👌🏿👌🏿
The 3 series and 4 series will be basically the same. They're the same car underneath.
The last best 3-series was the E90 range, with the NA 6-cylinder no-turbo models. All newer 3-series are turbo models, which started with the E90 335i and onwards. I own a German-Built 2006 E90 330i M-Sport and is rock-solid.
I just knew Jim would mention the word ' plastic '.
Got a high spec M performance 2017 model and Wireless Apple CarPlay comes with the BMW Professional navigation (and it has connected services), no need to retrofit it. I can recommend to look for one with the Harman/Kardon system, its well worth it. Also mine just passed the 110.000km mark and basically still feels like new, no rattles, little wear. On the negative, I have to replace my engine and transmission suspensions now, they broke. Apparently its quite common on these if you’re into drifting but I’ve never drifted and it still broke so i don’t know… no other complaints
I’ve got a 2015 pre-LCI 330d XDrive M-Sport, 87k on the clock. Had it about 2 years, great car but in that time I’ve spent about half of the cost of what I spent buying the car on fixing it.
The jerkiness when shifting gears at low speed is another common issue I suppose 😂
I just discovered your channel... nice! And, I just bought a pre-lci Touring 320d... wish me luck! It replaces my E61 with the pretty much bulletproof NA N52. Quite a change!
One of the cars I've been dying to see❤
Really interesting to go back and see what cars get the most views. I predict this one will crack 200k pretty easily!
All cars suck to own and repair these days. The government is ruining them with emissions systems and then making it harder and harder to drive them freely. And corporations are making them ever more complex, harder to repair, more expensive and cheaper in options.
Nup, bought a used 2018 ZB Commodore RS-V with the great sounding V6, 9 speed auto and AWD (Twinster diff at the back). Way better value for money (i.e. cheaper), much more room, totally reliable, cheaper parts and it was actually made in Germany! Plus, it is a truly great drive.
Can we review it!!?? - AK
@@ReDriven Sure, no problem 🙂. I live in Brisbane.
Stickers on the front grill, James May put it well, thats “casual”
Are there any good durable car left that aren't terribly boring or technologically outdated?
Because of that I bought two new cars. 2022 Cupra Forementor and 2022 BMW320. I massively overspent but those are also under warranty :)
Another great video. Can you review the standard 2 series please?
What makes the BMW F30 3 series lean more to "yes" than an Audi A4 b8 which you said in your review, even if you found a perfect example with good service history still probably "no" is BMW more reliable and cheaper to fix than Audi A4? thanks mate, loving your videos btw.
Was thinking of buying this car before watching the maintenance section, sounds like a nightmare!
They're really not, they're quite reliable actually
My sports car got T-boned in March 2023; my neighbor just bought a Tesla. They have a three car garage, yet now have four cars. Ergo, I bought their fourth car. I 2013 “BMW 328i.” I never would fathom that I would ever buy a used BMW. However, it was the wife’s car and she used it as a commuter car; all freeway miles. Always maintained at the dealership. So, I bought it; the car is weird. Quite strange to shift and put it in park via pushing a button. The signally can be hard to learn, I’ll signal left, turn off signal and then I’m signaling right. Two clicks to open the and. hood. I does drive like a brand new car; but I’m holding my breath that the transmission and/or timing chain won’t go out on me. But when I buy a used car, I’m not buying that specific car, I’m buying the car based on the owner. Wish me luck. 🙏🏼
good to know its not just American bmw drivers
Always nice when the 2nd row seats fold Forward for extra cargo space. Why any manufacturer doesn't make this standard on all models is completely befuddling
Nice review ❤
Good review AK
Funniest video yet!! Awesome, keep up the great content
I just tune in to see the watch collection 😊
He’s really hammering BMW drivers on this review 😅
Always thought VW almost get away with the dieselgate here in Europe, specialy here in Spain
Vf commodore smokes both BMW 3 series and c class mercedes. Having had the pleasure of driving all 3, the merc however has a weird vibration under acceleration which no one knows why.
The VF commodore is a bigger car so it isn't a fair comparison. Also A VF commodore doesn't smoke a 3 series unless the VF is a SS model up against a 318 which again is not a fair comparison.
these are popular & will always hold their value
Sike
Are most of the components of the engine plastic in it, would they cause a concern?
Your reviews are excellent 👍🏼
Most of it is plastic sadly. Well documented history. The current b48 and b58 engines seem to be more reliable though. Just avoid anything below year 2018.
we have a 330 LCI and love it
Good vid, I love and agree with the comments re indicator use. The wanker per capita is higher in BMW land.
I have seen many recent years 3 series with hydro lock engines. The air intakes are in a position where they suck in water and ruin the engine.
Literally a driver brain issue lol
You should do a video on the used C-Class
Thanks responding to my request, @Redriven.
I want a 335 E92... in coupe.
Want to your thoughts.
Landcruiser 100 series review? More specifically the V8 please!
Working on finding one mate. - AK
They all have the "turn signal delete" option.
How does it work?
Have you or will you be reviewing the G20 or G26’s?
Any chance you’d like the tackle the G20 3 series? I am considering one!
I’ve been underwhelmed by 3 series interiors for a while now. The leather is firm and not to the standard of either of its German compatriots.
YT compression at it's finest. Audio is a bit crap unfortunatley.
No mention of the 340.
You guys don't get the 6 cylinder diesel engines over there ?
340i
We don't and that's very surprising
@@harveym5716 i is the petrol model, d is for diesel. They were talking about the diesel
@@TaffPlays didn't read your original post properly
@@harveym5716 That is a petrol my friend. That is a B58. What I was wondering is that in SA they don't have the F30 B57 engines.
I didn't know BMW's had indicators. 😂
No BMW driver seems to use them.
Haha the indicator lecture 😂
What people might not realise was the F80 M3 was a totally different platform. Basically a race car for the road. Bullet proof reliable, cheap to maintain and a great daily driver
Good car review. However the test car has a cringe worthy cheap Amazon bought-M sport’ tri colour grille😂
I drive like a dick in BMW's and Amg's but not so much in HSV's commodores ect. or wifes cars.
its just the cars handle and respond so well that changing lanes and overtaking is so easy. Other cars Im happy to just sit behind. In my case its definitely the car.
What can go wrong : everything except transmission
I dont like to be a predictable person, so I dont think i will indicate to turn😂
Did Aus nit get th 330d? It's the one to have IMHO.
Long term diesel maintenance costs are a turn off. - AK
We didn’t unfortunately, we only got the 4 cylinder diesel models
@@ReDrivenThat's funny because they're usually quite a lot less maintenance intensive than petrols, at least from what I've witnessed, read and heard through my lifetime of being in and around cars.
Would love to see a vid on a Skoda Octavia. Everyone praises skoda for reliability… but it’s a VW product…?
It’s coming! - AK
Skoda reliability is a myth, they're just VW's with some green accents
You see these here in the UK everywhere, they’re so generic. And unfortunately the majority are owned by people who can’t afford them. If you want to drive something that everyone else doesn’t, don’t get one of these. Plus parts and dealers are ridiculous.
I'm pretty sure its F30 series
The indicator 😅😅😅😅
It might be a bit pricey but how about detailing each cars interior before featuring it? That way we can get a more accurate understanding of the wear and tear as opposed to how mucky the owner is
Joe we’d love to but as we’re borrowing these cars from friends, family and viewers, and we’re on the tightest of budgets and schedules, we simply don’t have the time.
We’d rather spend that 30 minutes to an hour filming more content.
Hopefully, one day we’ll be big enough that we can detail the cars. - AK
@@ReDriven I see, keep up the great work guys!
very good video
certainly appreciate all the humor
-1 respect for the android dig tho
BMW’s have indicators. Good to know!
Could you see over that steering wheel ok?
Yep. - AK
Should people be concerned that the 3 series is assembled in South Africa? If I'm paying considerable $$ for a German car I kind of want to know it's actually been built in Germany. Is this a silly concern? I know lots of manufacturers do this like Hondas from Thailand, Volvo's from China or X5s from the U.S. if I bought an Italian sports car I would sure as hell want it to be made there.
The list goes on mate, Audi Q5 is from Mexico, Merc GLE from US etc etc - AK
@@ReDriven Australia has been getting South African BMWs since the late-90s, build quality on them is fine. The F30 sedan was the last Australian delivered 3 series built in South Africa - the current X3 is built there now. Current Australian delivered 3 series are built in Germany.
As they start to age, as reliable as a politicians promise.
Shane Warnings 😂
C Class coming?
The ghost passenger warning is due to the fact that people leave their smartphones on it.
Great entry point into 🇩🇪 magic 🪄
Loved the video but the android dig , not cool
Just having a laugh mate, don't take it personally.
But you can buy an iPhone from loads of outlets now, just Google it ;) - AK
Should you buy a BMW? It depends on whether you find a 20K repair bill comical or a life changing financial disaster
Buy a BMW from before 1999. That's it. Beyond that, like Mercedes Benz, they are built by sales & marketing rather than engineers. Volvo is much the same, but you'll still be driving to your destination days after the others have arrived. Driver engagement? An 80s will kill you, but you'll be smiling like a mad man up until the end.
Off topic but nice watch.
Glad to see the indicators working on that BM, because most I see on the roads seem to have ones that don’t work 😂 Your bit about the indicators was so on point! That GT body style is so ugly, maybe it was a peek into the future with the huge beaver grilles, getting us used to ugly BMWs…
BMW is known for having weird functioning turn signals, it's one of those that returns to center and it has no click, hard to turn off. A tap only flashes it a couple times and it's not long enough to complete your turn. So most people just don't even bother.
Love the channel and was waiting for your F30 video. I was aware of a few of these issues but the others were informative. I purchased my BMW 340i (RWD) post-LCI used in Sep 2022 with about 24k miles on it. It still had a few months left on the original warranty and had a year’s CPO. As a owner, I wanted to add my 2 cents to the F30 conversation as well. These are my own experiences, and it could be different from others, so take it with a grain of salt. Hope this benefits anyone who is considering the 3 series.
Try to purchase with warranty - I had the following taken care of because it still had 3 to 4 months of warranty left. CPO wouldn’t cover these (transmission and engine only).
Coolant problem - The B58 engines have this issue where the coolant keeps depleting. If you’re in warranty, have the coolant reservoir and/or it’s cap replaced. But to be safe, travel with some coolant with you and top it up often. There are sensors, but the sensor is at the absolute bottom of the reservoir, so by the time the sensor throws an error, you’re screwed.
Rattles & squeaks - Two well known issues here. The door pins rattle in a few models and another issue is squeaky noises with the shadowline trim. There are service bulletin codes for each of these, which you can use with your service center to have them corrected under warranty. While fixing one of the rattles in the passenger door, they found something wrong with the weather seal in it and fixed it for free. All of this wouldn’t be possible without warranty.
Plastic cowl under windshield - Extremely prone to crack around the edges with time. Looks ugly, doesn’t lead to water seeping in.
XDrive - The xDrive system is praised by a lot of people BUT only consider it if you live in a place with extremely adverse weather. It comes with a certain set of “rules”. For ex - the rolling diameter of the front tires and the rear can’t go beyond 1%. Why would there be a difference? That goes into our next topic.
Staggered vs square setup - A lot of the BMWs have thinner front wheel tires and wider rear wheel tires - staggered setup. The staggered setup tends to force the car to understeer, and thereby making it “safer” from a OEM’s POV. It’s hard to explain but it’s almost like the chassis is twisting (if you take a turn hard), it’s like the front is understeering and the rear wheels are pushing you forward. It doesn’t “rotate” easily. Ok, so do I switch to a square setup of same tires all round? Next topic.
Tires - I HIGHLY recommend you go to a square setup and to get better tires. The default tires on BMWs are RFTs which are NOISY as hell and give a very firm/rough ride. Continental DWS are soft and comfortable, not like SUV luxury/softness, but they do the job. Not to mention, with a square setup, you can carry a spare (esp if you go off RFTs) for road trips.
Wheels/Alloys - Since the world is leaning to lower and lower profile tires with big wheels, you will FEEL the road. Especially if you have the mSport alloys. Changing your wheels and tires mean a lot of research so they don’t rub on the inside. There are quite a few options out there which look better and weigh lesser. Lesser weight is lesser unsprung mass, faster turn in.
Seats & Adaptive dampers - Definitely on the firm side. In fact, forums say that if your car was made in South Africa, the seats are definitely a problem.
Despite all this, I like my car. I won't own it till I die, but I’ll have fun with it for a few years. What works well.
Transmission - I would rate the ZF transmission only a notch below the Porsche PDK. It’s really good. PDK is cerebral, it just instinctively knows what you’re trying to do. The ZF isn’t that good, the first 3 gears feel like they’re holding you back, they feel over complicated to my millennial brain which grew up with 4 and 5 speed stick shifts.
Engine - The low subtle grunt of the inline 6 is an absolute pleasure. The newer m340i has too many crackles and pops. Not my cup of tea. And merging into the highway or highway cruising is a delight. Never lacks power. You also get a 30+ mpg on highways (if you stay in the vicinity of the speed limit).
Community - I moved from a Miata to this car and honestly the BMW forums & community have been on par with the Miata’s. A lot of the forum people helped me figure out a lot of these, and they are extremely knowledgeable.
Aftermarket support - Endless. It’s expensive, but there are just so many options that it’s mind boggling.
Modifications/tuning - You can easily bump the power on a B58 engine by 50whp with just a Stage 1 software tune. And these are conservative estimates. Pretty sure you can go higher.
Coolant loss is something I had on my 18 540 but didn’t on 19 440i. Also I got coolant low message, when it was about 5fl oz down, mb even less (I waited till car cooled down before adding coolant)
Amazing info 👌
@@TheClaptonisgod1 Cheers, glad it helps people