BMWs get underneath your pores and skin. The extra of them you drive, the extra you begin to need one, or at the least that’s what occurred to me. After driving numerous BMW press automobiles 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 every of 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 stay in Bucharest, Romania), I noticed that I preferred the older E90s extra, and I shifted my search to seek out a type of. Many of the automobiles out there within the nation have been 2-liter diesel automobiles, with the occasional gasoline mannequin and 3-liter.

Why a 320d?

I wasn’t in search of a automotive with too many choices, since it might be costlier and because it aged it simply meant there was extra to interrupt. After seeing just a few E90 that didn’t meet my necessities, I finally discovered the automotive that I nonetheless personal immediately. 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 the most effective 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 just a few non-compulsory extras, nevertheless it’s not notably well-specced. It has xenon lights with cool LED flip indicators (I actually wished this as a result of I feel it transforms the entrance of the E90), dual-zone local weather management, the game steering wheel, cruise management, and some others which can be much less noteworthy. I didn’t depart it inventory, although, and I made some modifications that reworked it from a daily 320d right into a automotive that devours corners like few different sedans can.

Wanting For Lightest E90

One of many causes I selected a primary 3 Collection was to maintain its weight down. I wished essentially the most nimble E90 potential, and whereas the 320i is lighter because the engine is positioned largely behind the entrance axle, this doesn’t negatively have an effect on dealing with in a approach 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 speedy N47 diesel that equips my 320d, and to my ear, the N46 doesn’t sound wonderful 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 offers the most effective steadiness between gasoline effectivity, efficiency, and falling right into a decrease tax bracket that retains the federal government from robbing you yearly. In Romania, as an example, the annual tax for a 3-liter is over 5 instances larger than it’s for a 2-liter, so until you’re made of cash, it’s finest to be smart. Insuring the 3-liter and fueling it is usually costlier, and all of it provides up.

Is the N47 as unhealthy as they are saying?

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

With the timing carried out, I used to be left to benefit from the automotive’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 automotive’s highlights for me. The typical 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 common will drop to five l/100km (47 US mpg), or perhaps a bit decrease if the journey isn’t solely carried out at freeway speeds.

Loads of Efficiency

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

Energy does die off virtually instantly after 4,000 rpm, however since there’s a lot torque and elasticity, you truly don’t have to shift gears that a lot in regular driving to keep up your velocity. Even going up hills in a better gear, if the rpm needle is anyplace close to 2,000 rpm, it should 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 just a few corners. My 320d was fairly good in inventory type, particularly because the Environment friendly Dynamics mannequin truly comes with decrease suspension, however after driving many a lot spicier BMWs, I knew that with just a few mods, it might be even higher.

The inventory springs have been swapped out for a set of black Eibach reducing springs, and the automotive bought new Bilstein B6 sport dampers. The entrance and rear anti-roll bars have been additionally upgraded, and this had an instantaneous impact on the automotive’s physique management by means of corners. The inventory 16-inch aero wheels additionally wanted to go since their excessive sidewall detracted from the automotive’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 automotive 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 automotive really feel extra managed on the restrict.

With my automotive’s improved cornering functionality, its base seats have been not as much as the duty of holding you in place on a twisty highway, 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 in addition they have extra vary of adjustment, and I discovered them to be far more snug on an extended journey than what the automotive initially had.

One other factor I felt wanted enhancing on the automotive 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 package, 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 an excellent factor.

Black E90s like mine are quite common the place I stay, so I wished my automotive to have some distinctive visible touches in order that I didn’t confuse it with another person’s within the grocery store 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 automotive. Sure, I do know the mirror caps is likely to be a bit an excessive amount of on such a sluggish BMW, however they’ve been on the automotive for therefore lengthy now that it might look bizarre to me with out them.

Why do I find it irresistible?

My E90’s odometer is now rapidly 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 once 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 highway, which was a fast repair, and I used to be again on my approach.

That apart, that is essentially the most reliable automotive I’ve owned. I’ve pushed it from Bucharest to the south of England and again once I attended the Goodwood Competition of Pace in 2022. That was an almost 10,000-kilometer (6,200-mile) spherical journey, and the automotive 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 automotive to Greece a number of instances and all the best way to Montenegro as soon as too, in addition to numerous distant areas round Romania. On all these journeys, if I occurred upon a twisty stretch of highway, it might immediately remind me why I’m so reluctant to promote my sluggish, growing older diesel BMW.

Greatest Wanting 3 Collection, IMO

It additionally appears actually good. I feel the E90 is likely to be the most effective wanting 3 Collection ever, particularly the LCI. It appears each trendy and considerably elegant and understated and it doesn’t want the M pack to look good. Joji Nagashima did a improbable job designing it within the Chris Bangle period and it’s growing older gracefully. It could be a bit cliché, however I nonetheless flip round to take a look at the automotive as I lock it and stroll away, even after so a few years of possession throughout which I’ve pushed dozens of recent, sooner, and far fancier automobiles.