BMW F30 330D (2015 LCI ->) 5 year Ownership Feedback

[Keatonraman330dMSport]

Good day all, I have noticed quite a few queries relating to:
BMW F30 reliability and long term ownership and owners being scared of keeping these cars out of plan, thought it best to share my ownership experience:

2015 BMW 330D M SPORT A/T LCI (Bought January 2018 R449k - Sold October 2023 R340K ->Dealer sold her for R389K)
Purchased with 32 xxx kms
Motorplan Expired in September 2021 (mileage was 89000kms)
Paid R23k to extend plan by 1 year to Sept 2022
Kept the vehicle out of motorplan from September 2022 to September 2023.

Full Spec sheet below: (NB: 330D come with a hell of a lot more extras than the 20s.

Editions And Packages​

S337​	M Sports Package​
S704​	M Sports Suspension​
S710​	M Leather Steering Wheel​
S715​	M Aerodynamics Package​

Comfort And Interior Equipment​

S403​	Glass Roof, Electrical​
S415​	Sun-Blind, Rear​
S423​	Floor Mats Velours​
S428​	Warning Triangle And First Aid Kit​
S431​	Interior Mirror With Automatic-Dip​
S441​	Smoker Package​
S481​	Sports Seat​
S493​	Storage Compartment Package​
S497​	Centre Armrest, Rear​
S4FU​	Fine Wood Fineline Anthracite/Acc.Strip​

Multimedia​

S609​	Navigation System Professional​
S688​	Harman/Kardon Surround Sound System​
S698​	Area-Code 2 For DVD​
S6AC​	Intelligent Emergency Call​
S6AE​	Teleservices​
S6AK​	Connected Drive Services​
S6AP​	Remote Services​
S6NH​	Hands-Free System With USB Interface​
S6WA​	Instrument Panel With Extended Scope​

Driver Assistance And Lightning​

S508​	Park Distance Control (PDC)​
S521​	Rain Sensor​
S534​	Automatic Air Conditioning​
S544​	Cruise Control With Brake Function​
S548​	Kilometre Speedo​
S563​	Light Package​
S575​	Additional 12V Sockets​
S5A1​	LED Fog Lights​
S5A2​	LED Headlight​
S5AC​	High-Beam Assistant​
S5DA​	Passenger Airbag Deactivation​
S5DS​	Emergency Release, Luggage Compartment​

Wheels And Drive​

S216​	Hydro Steering-Servotronic​
S258​	Tyres With Runflat Properties​
S2PA​	Locking Wheel Bolt​
S2PF​	BMW LA Wheel, M Star Spoke 403​
S2TB​	Sport Automatic Gearbox​

Environment And Safety​

S302​	Alarm System​
S3AG​	Reversing Camera​
S3AP​	Windscreen With Grey Wedge​
S823​	Hot-Climate Version​
S853​	Language Version, English​
S861​	Data Record Without EOBD​
S880​	On-Board Literature, English​
S8KK​	Dummy-SALAPA​
S8S3​	Automatic Locking During Starting​
S8SD​	Underride Protection, National Variants​
S8SM​	Car Ident. Number Visible From Outside​
S8SX​	Providersteuerung Telematik​
S8TG​	Thiefproofing Device​
S8TN​	Daytime Driv.Lights Adjus.Via Light Menu​

Individual Equipment​

S760​	High Gloss Shadow Line​
S775​	Headlining Anthracite​

Other Equipment​

S169​	EU3 Exhaust Emissions Standard​
S999​	Job Control "HEA"​
S9AA​	Outer Skin Protection​
SA090​	90 Ah AGM Battery​
SLEDE​	Leather Equipment​

Cost incurred during ownership:

BMW Rubber Mats: R2500
BMW Key Fob holder: R600
Aftermarket M Style Mirror Caps Black: R790 (fitted myself with an old credit card)
Aftermarket Boot Spoiler Lip Black: R900 (Autostyle).

Changed tyres at 66xxxkms: R13 000 for all 4 (Beware of Supaquik their prices are quite inflated, shop around - best bet is Hi-Q)
Wiper Blades: BMW - R700 a set
Oil Top Up: R200 (Bought the BMW oil on Takealot)

First service out of motorplan at Supertech PMB: R 3500, at 98000kms
Major Service and Brake Pad Change: BMW Centurion: R 9500 at 109000kms
Next minor service would have been in the region of: R2000 - R3800?
Tyres needed to be changed at time of sale, vehicle was sold as is.

In my 5 years of ownership not a single thing went wrong on the car.
No check engine light, no going in to limp mode,
It was meticulously maintained and services were all done on time.
I would have kept the vehicle till she died (was about to be paid off) but sold her to invest in a business.

If these vehicles are looked after, driven well, serviced on time and the interiors are taken care off, they can last you a lifetime.

Things to be aware off:
1. These cars deliver more torque than an M3, if you are heavy on your foot, your rear tyres will not last
2. If your tyres are reaching their end of life and you launch the car, you run the risk of severely damaging your rear tyres
3. If you drive conservatively you can achieve 7-8l/100km in town driving and between 5-6l/100km highway
4. Real life fuel range with a combo of highway and town driving around 800kms (Avg 7l/100kms)
5. Do not expect this car to be as light on fuel as a 320D, you will be tempted to drive spiritedly and achieve the economy of a 320i or 330i.
6. GTI drivers are genuinely shocked when you leave them in the dust from the robots (as will most Mercedes Benz drivers)
7. You will be tempted to flip the car in to sport mode at every robot
8. Many people will ask you to sell them the car when park.


I sincerely believe these cars can and will run far into the 400 xxxkms provided people do not write them off.
Note BMW has discontinued the G20 330d so both the F30 and the G20 are in high demand , more so the F30 due to the price variance.

The difference in price between a 320d and 330d is quite significant, but it is well worth it.
I now drive an '17 F30 320D LCI as it is now very hard to find a replacement 330d with a good spec and decent mileage.

Hope this helps those considering one of these or debating between 330d or 320d, feel free to DM me for further discussions.

#F30
#330D
#320D
#LCI
#2015

 

[///M Individual]

Nice info there bud. Did you sell it hoping to get into a lower mileage/later model 330d?

 

[Keatonraman330dMSport]

Nice info there bud. Did you sell it hoping to get into a lower mileage/later model 330d?

I did sell it last year October 2023, would have loved to have sold it to a fanatics member however due to the forum rules my ad was removed (less than 50 posts). Sold her to Weelee.

Very hard to find a low mileage 2015-2018 330d most people use them as a daily and weekend car so they have averged around 20-25k kms a year. I did see a few on cars.co.za . But I would say don’t stress too much about the mileage if you can get into one with around 110-140k kms should give you a few good years ahead.

Check these out below seem pretty decent (cars.co.za)

 

[MR_Y]

Excellent review and info @Keatonraman330dMSport

 

[Keatonraman330dMSport]

Excellent review and info @Keatonraman330dMSport

Thank you

 

[TurboLlew]

Good post! A 30d in any chassis is probably as close as it gets to 'for all seasons and all reasons' for the majority of people.

I think the G20 (and this market as a whole) has these lineup deletions because of the price points they now find themselves at. A 30d (or 'M40d') at around the same price as an M340i would probably not make any sense. There's also either market confusion or apathy (or both)... Eg: with Audi (Rivonia), the salesperson couldn't even tell the difference between models on the floor let alone between 35, 40 and 45 things (whatever these mean nowadays)

 

[///M Individual]

Good post! A 30d in any chassis is probably as close as it gets to 'for all seasons and all reasons' for the majority of people.

I think the G20 (and this market as a whole) has these lineup deletions because of the price points they now find themselves at. A 30d (or 'M40d') at around the same price as an M340i would probably not make any sense. There's also either market confusion or apathy (or both)... Eg: with Audi (Rivonia), the salesperson couldn't even tell the difference between models on the floor let alone between 35, 40 and 45 things (whatever these mean nowadays)

I hate these new Audi model conventions....first time I saw an A3 35TFSI I thought is was a 3.5L V6 ......only to realise it is a 110kw 1.4 motor. 🫣

 

[sash]

Great write up, thanks for the info. I'm sure a fanatic would have snapped up the car. Hopefully by your next sale you will be over the 50 posts or get another fanatic who can vouch for you to post the ad.

 

[Keatonraman330dMSport]

Good post! A 30d in any chassis is probably as close as it gets to 'for all seasons and all reasons' for the majority of people.

I think the G20 (and this market as a whole) has these lineup deletions because of the price points they now find themselves at. A 30d (or 'M40d') at around the same price as an M340i would probably not make any sense. There's also either market confusion or apathy (or both)... Eg: with Audi (Rivonia), the salesperson couldn't even tell the difference between models on the floor let alone between 35, 40 and 45 things (whatever these mean nowadays)

Would have been great if they kept the 30d in the G20 or gave us an M40d Xdrive in a 3 series, have seen the X3 M40d do some amazing things on the highway .

 

[Keatonraman330dMSport]

Great write up, thanks for the info. I'm sure a fanatic would have snapped up the car. Hopefully by your next sale you will be over the 50 posts or get another fanatic who can vouch for you to post the ad.

Thanks Sash, hope so too. Will do that in future if i'm not up there with the posts.

 

[JordanB]

How did you get all this info and in this format?

 

[TurboLlew]

How did you get all this info and in this format?

There are a few VIN decoders on the internet you can use. They change from time to time

Free BMW VIN Decoder : ///M Decoder

BMW VIN decoder will check your BMW VIN and show you full vehicle specification

www.mdecoder.com

 

[lucian]

Bought mine in 2019 (2014 modern line), just before the lockdown. Not an Msport package as I have an inclined driveway and I need clearance in front to get up there.

I can concur with the OP.
The car is amazing and definitely has power, especially from standing still. I sometimes wonder what happened to the other cars that was next to me when I pull away at the traffic light. You're way over 60 in no time.

I mostly throw her in Eco mode. Save some fuel and the drive feels more normal. Also I do not get the occasional kick from behind when my foot becomes too heavy.

Fuel consumption is on par with what the OP had. It just so nice to ride with aircon on and there is no change in performance.

Only issue I had, apart from the normal wear and tear, was the ABS unit failed and locked the rear brakes.
Replaced it with a secondhand one and all is well for the last 7 months.

I have no warranty as I believe that it is a rippoff. I will take my chances and I believe in the reliability of these cars.

Will probably sell down the line because of a back problem I have. Need to get a SUV or something a bit higher than the beemer.

 

[Keatonraman330dMSport]

How did you get all this info and in this format?

Used the BMW MDecoder Site copied in the vin number or last 8 digits of the vin

Free BMW VIN Decoder : ///M Decoder

BMW VIN decoder will check your BMW VIN and show you full vehicle specification

www.mdecoder.com

 

[Keatonraman330dMSport]

Bought mine in 2019 (2014 modern line), just before the lockdown. Not an Msport package as I have an inclined driveway and I need clearance in front to get up there.

I can concur with the OP.
The car is amazing and definitely has power, especially from standing still. I sometimes wonder what happened to the other cars that was next to me when I pull away at the traffic light. You're way over 60 in no time.

I mostly throw her in Eco mode. Save some fuel and the drive feels more normal. Also I do not get the occasional kick from behind when my foot becomes too heavy.

Fuel consumption is on par with what the OP had. It just so nice to ride with aircon on and there is no change in performance.

Only issue I had, apart from the normal wear and tear, was the ABS unit failed and locked the rear brakes.
Replaced it with a secondhand one and all is well for the last 7 months.

I have no warranty as I believe that it is a rippoff. I will take my chances and I believe in the reliability of these cars.

Will probably sell down the line because of a back problem I have. Need to get a SUV or something a bit higher than the beemer.

That's great Lucian, glad you are enjoying yours.

Power is quite unreal at times and doesnt make a fuss to get you there.

Quite hard to stay in Eco mode all the time though, Sport mode on the highway gets you to 220 a bit too quickly though.

Agree with you on the warranty side of things as well, BMW always try to sell you on "peace of mind" to take up extended plans when they know very well how reliable these engines are, far better to set aside 1-2k a month for "just in case".

Step in to an X3 xdrive40d next ;-)

 

[///Dees]

Mine was a demo model purchased in 2015 from BMW with 28 000km. Its a 2014 model M sport with lots of extras.

In terms of maintenance I had the transmission and diff serviced with ZF at 120 000 km.
The vehicle was serviced with BMW until 150 000km thereafter I serviced it myself. I've changed brake discs and pads and replaced tyres and thats it. Its been running trouble free and just touched 200 000km

 

[Keatonraman330dMSport]

Mine was a demo model purchased in 2015 from BMW with 28 000km. Its a 2014 model M sport with lots of extras.

In terms of maintenance I had the transmission and diff serviced with ZF at 120 000 km.
The vehicle was serviced with BMW until 150 000km thereafter I serviced it myself. I've changed brake discs and pads and replaced tyres and thats it. Its been running trouble free and just touched 200 000km

Wow, that is awesome. 200 000 and only the usual maintenance items, what a dream ;-). Is it easy to service these vehicles DIY?

 

[SinghGP]

I have been reading all the threads a
I can on the 330D vs 320D..

I have been looking for about 6 months for a good spec 330d at my price range, or a swop plus cash on my 350z HR.

Drove both the 330D and 320D, and i can say there is no comparison.

There are some gems here for sale, just out of my price range.