Lesiba
Member
My four years of ownership.
I bought my G20 BMW 320d in Oct 2020, it is a 2019 model and had 14,516km on the clock. Had it for ZAR598,000.
Factory fitted options
Leather seats, 18” rims with runflat tyres, M-sport launch edition, park-assist and wireless charger.
The car came standard with 2 year unlimited km warranty and 5 year / 100,000km maintenance plan.
The car was my daily for the first two years of ownership, thereafter it became my wife’s daily.
Post the two years, I generally drive the car on weekends and when we do trips as a family.
The car is currently sitting on 89,782 km as I write my experience with it.
The good
Interior 9.5/10
The interior feels expensive, which it is, and built to last. And it has lasted. The car interior has aged gracefully, it feels and looks the same inside as the day I bought it. The only visible wear is on the one side of the driver seat bolster, but that is due to how my wife enters the car.
The only issue I have in the interior is CarPlay is not full screen. I know this is because of the idrive version. But I have no idea why BMW made half screen CarPlay an option … make it wide screen! Just does not make sense at all.
It is better to have CarPlay than not to have it. I don’t know why car companies even invest in their own infotainment system. I never use it other than for radio and car settings.
Exterior 8.5/10
It’s a 3 series with M-spot body parts. It looks amazing. Looks great in any surrounding.
Will it age like the F30? +10 year later and still being one of the best looking cars on the road. Only time will tell. Till then 8.5.
Reliability and maintenance … thus far 9/10.
The car is no more expensive to service than my 2020 VW Golf mk7.5 1.4 tsi. Standard oil change has always been less than ZAR3,900 with brakes being between ZAR4,500 and R7,000. Nothing scary considering this is a premium German car. I previously had an Opel Astra, which was more expensive to service.
Other than the two items listed below. Nothing ever went wrong.
Utility 10/10
I have no idea why people buy SUVs. You pay a premium just to be 5cm higher in your car.
The 3 series has enough space to carry a family of four and their 7 days luggage no problem.
3 kids at the back, easy. 3 adults at the back, can be done with a slight compromise in comfort. That is true for any car in any class.
You don’t need more power than this for daily use on any public road. The car has more than enough power for any situation on the road. You never feel like you need more power.
Why we are interested in faster cars is beyond me. A 0-100km/h in less than 7 seconds is fast enough. Anything faster to a 100km/h is pointless.
This is a perfect family made to devour highway km in comfort.
I would say as a daily, the Golf is better because it’s a hatch and fits in any parking space. But (1) you cannot fit a family’s luggage in the boot of a Golf without removing the parcel shelve (2) 4 adults in the car and you encounter a hill, the 1.4l feels underpowered.
The 3 series is all the car you can ever need.
If you need to haul a fridge or something large, invest in a tow-hitch and hire a trailer for a few hours. Better yet, hire someone with a van.
Pro-tip, go to any major DIY warehouse. You will find someone with a van or truck + people to help carry the fridge. The G20 is cheaper and a joy to live with than buying a Land Cruiser for that unlikely event that someone you know might need help to move atop an unpaved mountain.
Fuel consumption 10/10
Coming from an Opel Astra which felt like it had a fuel leak. The average consumption is 6.3l/100 km, you get that number without trying. If you hit the freeway and keep to the speed limit, consumption for that journey is easily between 4.2-5.5l/100km. Generally in the lower end of that range.
BMW service experience 10/10
You are buying a premium car and you feel it when you service your car. If you want a car for the day as your car is being worked on, call in advance and they will organise it. You get stuck somewhere, press the SOS button and help is on the way. I think this applies if the motor-plan is still active.
The bad
Comfort 7/10
The car is sublime on the highway. The minute you encounter any road imperfections … then comfort is a challenge. I think this feeling is only pronounced if your daily is a more comfortable car. My daily is a VW Golf with 16” wheels.
My wife says the comfort is fine but always compliments the comfort-levels in the Golf after driving it.
My take is, if your daily the car, you will hardly notice any issues on comfort.
I have read this can be improved by swapping the runflats. But as this is my wife’s daily with no space for a spare (not like she can change it). Runflats have their benefits.
Long term ownership 8/10
Long terms ownership has not been a concern yet, putting this under the bad section because signs are not encouraging.
Run-flat tyres are expensive, paid +ZAR19,000 for a set of four. And every-time you hit a pothole, you need to get your wheels balanced. Otherwise comfort is compromised more so.
BMW conditioned based servicing CBS - the car sensors tell you when and what to service on the car. This can be a pain, especially under maintenance plan. Car tells you that brakes need to be changed, a month later the car tells you oil needs to be changed.
Within the 4 years of ownership two events happened that are giving me slight concern.
Event 1 2021 - there was a beeping sound in the car, took the car to the dealer. They determined that the battery for the SOS system was flat. Understandable, but it cost +ZAR3,500 to replace a ZAR100 battery. The reason for the price was the labour, the service adviser told me they had to fiddle with headliner. No issue because this was under motor plan.
Event 2 2022 - we were returning from our extended-family holiday at a nature reserve. My wife and I were using two separate cars.
She called me, after dropping her mother off at her house, told me that the car would not move. Error on the dashboard states brakes failed. WTF. Yes, my thoughts exactly.
She said as she was driving, she felt that the car was taking longer to stop, but paid it no attention.
BMW with their amazing service. Picked up the car and delivered a courtesy car to her within 1 hour. She was 50km outside the city.
Assessment of the brakes. The dealer said the was something wrong with a tube, could not explain more. WTF … again, my thought exactly.
Could this have been because the nature reserve was not paved? To this day, no ideas. Returned to the same nature reserve the following year. Car was fine.
Those two events plus the motor-plan extension gets me thinking (1) what other serviceable items are buried within the car that will be costly to replace (2) the brake thing, is it a onetime thing and what else is lingering and is about to fail.
Maintenance/motor-plan 7/10
I only paid for my monthly instalment to the bank, insurance, petrol, replacing the set of tyres once and repaired 3 tyre puncture. Everything else was covered by the motor-plan. This makes the ownership experience a pleasure for the first five years.
Why is this under the bad section?
You can only extended the motor-plan for max 7 year / 200,000 km. I requested a quote to extended the plan during my service in Jan-2024, milage at 87,265 km. I was quoted ZAR124,874 for an additional 30 month, maximum 140,000 km (7 year / 140,000 km).
I recently used the online tool for a quote. I was quoted +ZAR45,000 for an additional 1 year / 15,000 km.
[For context with VW easy-drive plan(s) you can extend the motor-plan for an additional 10 year and a maximum of 300,000 km.
I have extended my motor-plan on my Golf for an additional 18 months / 50,000 km (5 year / 180,000 km) for ZAR22,800 just before it expired.
It will cost an additional ZAR7,600 to take that milage to 210,000 km no change in years.
I do +50,000 km a year in the Golf. It’s all been worth it for me considering what has been replaced and repaired.
Audi has a similar plan but I suspect their pricing is ridiculous like BMW]
I do not plan to extend the motor-plan but a friend convinced me to only extend the warranty. I was quoted ZAR770 per month by Innovation Group.
It’s the warranty BMW South Africa has on their website. A lot of unhappy customers with Innovation Group based on reviews online (not specific to BMW but other car makes).
Conclusion
I love the car and BMW after-sale service. This is a 8/10 car for the first five years. The one point is lost due to the half screen CarPlay. If you find one with the the upgraded idrive system … 9/10.
Cannot comment yet on the next 5 years.
Will keep you posted on the next 5 years.
I bought my G20 BMW 320d in Oct 2020, it is a 2019 model and had 14,516km on the clock. Had it for ZAR598,000.
Factory fitted options
Leather seats, 18” rims with runflat tyres, M-sport launch edition, park-assist and wireless charger.
The car came standard with 2 year unlimited km warranty and 5 year / 100,000km maintenance plan.
The car was my daily for the first two years of ownership, thereafter it became my wife’s daily.
Post the two years, I generally drive the car on weekends and when we do trips as a family.
The car is currently sitting on 89,782 km as I write my experience with it.
The good
Interior 9.5/10
The interior feels expensive, which it is, and built to last. And it has lasted. The car interior has aged gracefully, it feels and looks the same inside as the day I bought it. The only visible wear is on the one side of the driver seat bolster, but that is due to how my wife enters the car.
The only issue I have in the interior is CarPlay is not full screen. I know this is because of the idrive version. But I have no idea why BMW made half screen CarPlay an option … make it wide screen! Just does not make sense at all.
It is better to have CarPlay than not to have it. I don’t know why car companies even invest in their own infotainment system. I never use it other than for radio and car settings.
Exterior 8.5/10
It’s a 3 series with M-spot body parts. It looks amazing. Looks great in any surrounding.
Will it age like the F30? +10 year later and still being one of the best looking cars on the road. Only time will tell. Till then 8.5.
Reliability and maintenance … thus far 9/10.
The car is no more expensive to service than my 2020 VW Golf mk7.5 1.4 tsi. Standard oil change has always been less than ZAR3,900 with brakes being between ZAR4,500 and R7,000. Nothing scary considering this is a premium German car. I previously had an Opel Astra, which was more expensive to service.
Other than the two items listed below. Nothing ever went wrong.
Utility 10/10
I have no idea why people buy SUVs. You pay a premium just to be 5cm higher in your car.
The 3 series has enough space to carry a family of four and their 7 days luggage no problem.
3 kids at the back, easy. 3 adults at the back, can be done with a slight compromise in comfort. That is true for any car in any class.
You don’t need more power than this for daily use on any public road. The car has more than enough power for any situation on the road. You never feel like you need more power.
Why we are interested in faster cars is beyond me. A 0-100km/h in less than 7 seconds is fast enough. Anything faster to a 100km/h is pointless.
This is a perfect family made to devour highway km in comfort.
I would say as a daily, the Golf is better because it’s a hatch and fits in any parking space. But (1) you cannot fit a family’s luggage in the boot of a Golf without removing the parcel shelve (2) 4 adults in the car and you encounter a hill, the 1.4l feels underpowered.
The 3 series is all the car you can ever need.
If you need to haul a fridge or something large, invest in a tow-hitch and hire a trailer for a few hours. Better yet, hire someone with a van.
Pro-tip, go to any major DIY warehouse. You will find someone with a van or truck + people to help carry the fridge. The G20 is cheaper and a joy to live with than buying a Land Cruiser for that unlikely event that someone you know might need help to move atop an unpaved mountain.
Fuel consumption 10/10
Coming from an Opel Astra which felt like it had a fuel leak. The average consumption is 6.3l/100 km, you get that number without trying. If you hit the freeway and keep to the speed limit, consumption for that journey is easily between 4.2-5.5l/100km. Generally in the lower end of that range.
BMW service experience 10/10
You are buying a premium car and you feel it when you service your car. If you want a car for the day as your car is being worked on, call in advance and they will organise it. You get stuck somewhere, press the SOS button and help is on the way. I think this applies if the motor-plan is still active.
The bad
Comfort 7/10
The car is sublime on the highway. The minute you encounter any road imperfections … then comfort is a challenge. I think this feeling is only pronounced if your daily is a more comfortable car. My daily is a VW Golf with 16” wheels.
My wife says the comfort is fine but always compliments the comfort-levels in the Golf after driving it.
My take is, if your daily the car, you will hardly notice any issues on comfort.
I have read this can be improved by swapping the runflats. But as this is my wife’s daily with no space for a spare (not like she can change it). Runflats have their benefits.
Long term ownership 8/10
Long terms ownership has not been a concern yet, putting this under the bad section because signs are not encouraging.
Run-flat tyres are expensive, paid +ZAR19,000 for a set of four. And every-time you hit a pothole, you need to get your wheels balanced. Otherwise comfort is compromised more so.
BMW conditioned based servicing CBS - the car sensors tell you when and what to service on the car. This can be a pain, especially under maintenance plan. Car tells you that brakes need to be changed, a month later the car tells you oil needs to be changed.
Within the 4 years of ownership two events happened that are giving me slight concern.
Event 1 2021 - there was a beeping sound in the car, took the car to the dealer. They determined that the battery for the SOS system was flat. Understandable, but it cost +ZAR3,500 to replace a ZAR100 battery. The reason for the price was the labour, the service adviser told me they had to fiddle with headliner. No issue because this was under motor plan.
Event 2 2022 - we were returning from our extended-family holiday at a nature reserve. My wife and I were using two separate cars.
She called me, after dropping her mother off at her house, told me that the car would not move. Error on the dashboard states brakes failed. WTF. Yes, my thoughts exactly.
She said as she was driving, she felt that the car was taking longer to stop, but paid it no attention.
BMW with their amazing service. Picked up the car and delivered a courtesy car to her within 1 hour. She was 50km outside the city.
Assessment of the brakes. The dealer said the was something wrong with a tube, could not explain more. WTF … again, my thought exactly.
Could this have been because the nature reserve was not paved? To this day, no ideas. Returned to the same nature reserve the following year. Car was fine.
Those two events plus the motor-plan extension gets me thinking (1) what other serviceable items are buried within the car that will be costly to replace (2) the brake thing, is it a onetime thing and what else is lingering and is about to fail.
Maintenance/motor-plan 7/10
I only paid for my monthly instalment to the bank, insurance, petrol, replacing the set of tyres once and repaired 3 tyre puncture. Everything else was covered by the motor-plan. This makes the ownership experience a pleasure for the first five years.
Why is this under the bad section?
You can only extended the motor-plan for max 7 year / 200,000 km. I requested a quote to extended the plan during my service in Jan-2024, milage at 87,265 km. I was quoted ZAR124,874 for an additional 30 month, maximum 140,000 km (7 year / 140,000 km).
I recently used the online tool for a quote. I was quoted +ZAR45,000 for an additional 1 year / 15,000 km.
[For context with VW easy-drive plan(s) you can extend the motor-plan for an additional 10 year and a maximum of 300,000 km.
I have extended my motor-plan on my Golf for an additional 18 months / 50,000 km (5 year / 180,000 km) for ZAR22,800 just before it expired.
It will cost an additional ZAR7,600 to take that milage to 210,000 km no change in years.
I do +50,000 km a year in the Golf. It’s all been worth it for me considering what has been replaced and repaired.
Audi has a similar plan but I suspect their pricing is ridiculous like BMW]
I do not plan to extend the motor-plan but a friend convinced me to only extend the warranty. I was quoted ZAR770 per month by Innovation Group.
It’s the warranty BMW South Africa has on their website. A lot of unhappy customers with Innovation Group based on reviews online (not specific to BMW but other car makes).
Conclusion
I love the car and BMW after-sale service. This is a 8/10 car for the first five years. The one point is lost due to the half screen CarPlay. If you find one with the the upgraded idrive system … 9/10.
Cannot comment yet on the next 5 years.
Will keep you posted on the next 5 years.
