The prices for a used F30 now is quite crazy so made a video on it!

Anyone thinking of getting one?

Updated full review here -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGBmJPOcfro&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7vlWdXzsRA



This post has been edited by treason: Jan 1 2021, 09:15 PM

Not bad. Short and simple video. Keep it up!

However, I still prefer the f10 as it’s more luxurious, spacious and comfortable.

No ! Seeing G20, this became ancient !

Thanks!! Yah the F10 is great too , just feels abit big sometimes!

Haha yah the new generation interiors are really next level. But F30 is 1/3 the price now of a new G20 haha

Most of the interiors are cheap plastics. Such a shame. Even the much cheaper Camry and Accord have better quality interior.

I actually like the F30 exterior better than the G20. G20 is also even bigger which I don't prefer but unfortunately that's the trend, cars just keep getting bigger and heavier. 🙁

330i F30 is the best model to buy I think but price still around rm170k.

TS's video is about 328 for 2012. In terms of power, driving, this F30 is a good car. But, just be careful of the initial batch.

I used to drive a 2012 F30 328. I believe the crazy second hand price was due to the initial batch in 2012. A lot of technical and quality issues. I remember my car was in workshop for weeks and weeks because of the drain train malfunction. Also, the aircon, the seat, .. of course, all were resolved after 2 years. When I sold in 2017, I only could get around 110k despite I bought it nearly 300k.

But, one key has to be extremely careful about F30: the air intake duct is very low and will be in big trouble during heavy rain:

http://bmwclubmalaysia.com/forums/index.ph...20i-down.32549/
https://www.bmw-sg.com/forums/threads/f30-t...downpour.67216/

The N20 engine has a defective timing chain guide.

Wow some great info here. I remember hearing about the issue with the rusted seat railings and smelly aircond too. Ours is a 2012 CKD. Was yours CKD too or CBU?

Mine was first batch for CKD. Yap, I changed my rusty front seats barely six months. Leather cracked before 12 months. I had to fight hard in order to get a replacement as BMW claimed it was wear-and-tear. Nevertheless, I managed to get all problems sorted out before the warranty expired.

Actually, maintaining a BMW does not always mean cheaper outside the authorized service centre.

For example, there are two exhaust tail pipe tips for 328. One is controlled by a flap, driven by a motor. There is a pin between the flap and a mini motor. I guess the design is to amplify the noise levels. Unfortunately, for my case, the pin fell and the flap rattled. I went to a friend's workshop. He told me I could not buy only the pin. The part seller only sold the entire unit i.e. the motor and the pin. That would cost me a few hundred - minimum. So, my friend recommended me a "dirty" solution. Drill a hole and use a screw to lock the flap. I did that because I thought it was a cheaper to do it by third party. Subsequently, I found out from my SA in the authorized workshop that I could buy that pin for merely RM29! I did not have to buy the entire set. Several of my friends had this problem. So, just in case you have that rattling exhaust tip, this is the solution:


https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=933668


This post has been edited by ongss: May 19 2019, 10:56 PM

Wow thanks, will keep all this in mind!

my bro-in-law bought a 2012 320i last year
yesterday the coolant tank give way, but other than that all is fine until now
never heard he complaint anything about the car spend a night in workshop

exterior wise F30 really does look sporty.. but interior not really my taste

328i real 248 hp rather than 330e with battery

What year model would you recommend one getting? 2014-2015 models the problems sorted already?

Also, 320i or 328i? Not in terms of performance but reliability.

Thanks! Great video btw!

I think just avoid the 330E and also the 316 and 318i - the 1.6 and 1.5 3 pot engines.

The rest should be ok- get LCI and as new as possible of course.

I would get 328i over the 320i due to the sport gearbox, bigger screen etc but i believe you can find a later 320i as the 328i was replaced by 330i (this is the best as someone else mentioned too - newer, most power, full specs- has keyless, HUD, M Sport Trim). Otherwise 320D is actually a good choice also- i would prefer that over 320i.

So I guess - 330i (but most ex), 320D, 328i, are my recommendations

Ah, but can't justify spending 330i money (HM still pushing to buy SUV). Haha so trying to bring budget lower to avoid buying any of that CX-5/CRV.

I heard horror stories about the 320d though, why do you recommend it over the 320i?

Now hunting for a good 328i but it seems Mudah is just super bad..

My 2015 F30 still has rust under the seat. Hahaha. I guess whatever the eye cant see directly they wont bother to rectify.

I guess you have to complain. What they do is to replace with another one with paint. I think BMW offered 4 years warranty for those produced in 2015, you still have time to claim. For 2012 CKD, the warranty was 2 years and the free maintenance was 3 years. For the free maintenance, I managed to claim only one set of disc rotol and air con filter. My car was in the workshop for more than 8 weeks in 2013 alone. As a result, it was under-utilized. Nevertheless, F30 is fun to drive. Not the problem of the design (except the air intake duct issue).

What the...? More than 8 weeks in the shop in a year?? Did they give you a replacement car for that duration?

This post has been edited by 6UE5T: May 22 2019, 01:34 AM

I wonder what horror stories have you heard over the 320d Msport?

5years - 100k mileage without any issue since 2014

Ya, they did loan me a courtesy car for that duration. It was a X1. Nevertheless, several problems were resolved. Better than in and out. For the initial batches, I heard several cars were lemon like mine. So, to buy a second hand, best to check with service centre if it was consistently sent for services.

328i F30 better buy year 2014 if used, otherwise just skip it and buy 330i with the revised B48 engine and HP50 gearbox. However what I hate the most about BMW engines is no dipsticks!

This post has been edited by 6UE5T: May 22 2019, 10:36 AM

how about 335i?

All my friends with a 320D are really happy and actually I think it's quite a proven engine as I believe it was the same engine in the E90 320D and F10 520D.

Chris Harris himself had a video that said a 320D M Sport is actually the only car you would ever need

Good luck with your hunting!!!

Best ever 3 series ever sold here other than m3..

Sadly, majority cant afford to maintain it.

320d is the car u ever need.. unless u kaki exhaust + kaki mod.. then stick to the petrol brethren.. good pull (enuf for city n some hiway sprint).. good mileage .. bullet proof engine



This post has been edited by adri4n: May 24 2019, 01:16 AM

second that,320d is probably the closest to ideal continental car you can have in malaysia
my advice is don't get the m sport if you gonna daily drive it,i scraped the bottom of my car dunno how many time in my years of owning it

wow! heard that from some youtubers that this engine is build to last!

welll.. i chg to adjustable coilover.. it handles like a champ but not really suitable for malaysian roads (potholes and speedhumps.. steep parking ramps .. etc)

nice car. any issue with the n47 engine? what engine oil do u use? i read it can only use the with the LL04 rating. im interested with the used f10 520d, same engine.

The C 250 also same! Gonna do zig zag over a hump if the car is fully loaded!

on e90s.. bmw n47 do have timing chain issue.. i think f-series not so much prone to this anymore .. but just keep a close eyes if you hear loose chain sound..

im on hks oil now .. used ravenol... millers oil cfs 5w40 nt+..

This post has been edited by adri4n: May 27 2019, 04:44 PM

yea that's why i advice to get the non m sport variant, it doesn't had the lowered suspension like the m sport thus had better ride comfort and ground clearance.
i feel that even with regular stock suspension the handling is really good enough i have no complaint

c250 had more hp on the paper but trust me the 320D feel much faster, plus i bet it can't do 14km/l full Urban drive, pejam mata can do 900km per tank, you literally gotta change engine oil every 10-11 time fuel up

This post has been edited by Valentino46: May 28 2019, 12:21 AM

Thanks for the info

Nice car and agreed!! the torque is pretty nice too!

F30 been in the market for about 7 years, the interior is just disgusting. Exterior wise still ok but since I will be in the car most of the time, I can't stand the shit interior :vomit:

Even a 2012 Volkswagen Passat CC 2.0TSI is a better buy. At least its cheaper, interior is ok, dyna audio system and alot of options to mod. Stage 2 already 270bhp 450nm

yeah .. plz go buy VW!!!

To each their own, but my parents own the f30 and I have f20 (similar styling interior) and honestly speaking I don't have an issue with them, and neither does the rest of other the owners.

I guess different ppl look for different things.

And you're actually saying a passat interior being OK while the bimmer being disgusting, lel pretty bias much there

This post has been edited by axtray: May 31 2019, 01:26 PM

Yeah the interior is not bad just cannot compare to what's coming out these daysla..the bigger screen is still pretty nice though

I just sold my F30 2012, which I drove for 7 years! I loved every bit of the car. Not much hiccup and maintenance for me throughout the years. Before I sold i changed the battery and realized that's the first time I changed it after 7 years, impressive I would say.

Nice, what is your new ride?

Did you switch off the auto start/stop everytime?

Hey guys,

Any advise on the 318i luxury model? How is the maintenance like?
I am planning to get a pre-reg one as well. Not a racer, am a light-footed driver

Adequate power for city use
Don't expect very powerful compare to other similar vehicle since it is using small 1.5l turbo charged engine

5 years/100k km free maintenance

I m driving one. So far satisfy with it

This post has been edited by jasonlim: Nov 15 2019, 03:13 PM

How many times have you sent yours for servicing? Any testimonial on the service center you went?

Do you foresee there will be a problem maintaining the turbo engine after the warranty period ends?

3 times so far
I have only been to glenmarie n tun razak branch
Both service is more or less the same

I believe yes
There is always wear n tear even for non turbo charged vehicle
For now I enjoy first before thinking the potential issue which I can't predict

I heard the glenmarie branch is being relocated to ara damansara and it'll be the largest BMW center in south east asia. Will definitely check that out and if possible send mine there for servicing

Yes I will definitely pay ara 4s a visit for my next service

Guys.. i know im bumping up an old post

So is the F30 320d worth to buy? The price varies quite a lot from 2013-2015. And there is local spec and japan spec right?

Noted recon has better monitor than local spec and lane deprature warning, etc goodies while local has none.

A 2013 320d msport is going for 79k. Mileage around 80k km
A 2015 320d msport for 112k for mileage 75k km

30k difference for 2yrs span?

And a quick google saw the horror of timing chain issues on F30, is the 320d spared from it?

See if 2015 is LCI or not..
Timing chain issue most likely on N20 engine petrol engine

2013 msport impossible at rm79k. Must be 2012 modern version

Yup. You are correct.. after i compared 2 photo, the steering gave it out

Japan recond not bad condition normally and can scrut - but if it's already registered just like buying a used local car but with possibly better specs as mentioned. if 2015 LCI M sport is quite nice..not sure if it's worth the extra 30k..maybe...but watch out for mileage i guess..75-80k seems quite low...see the condition of the seats , interior etc..

Hi guys,
Wanted to get a BMW F30 used, with budget of 60-70k. Will buy it next year 2021 to get cheaper price.
Wondering which year model have lesser problem? What should I take notes ? I’m a fresh not knowing much about car.
For those BMW F30 car owner or ex car owner, how much maintenance cost for a year average ?
Thanks for the reply, confusing to get lexus i250 or BMW F30 users

Did you have the sticky rubberized door handles ?
I heard this was a common issue on the Pre-LCI F30s.

Yes , due to hot weather in Malaysia, I bought OEM product with same rubberized touch and get it replace.

Which model of the 3 series are you looking for?
Best is look for F30 facelift onwards (LCI) which mostly are late 2015 onwards.. Look for those 2016 and above.
F30 facelift models have totally different engine compared to pre-facelift.

Pre-facelift 2012 - 2015
328i, 320i -> N20 Engine
316i -> N13
320d-> N47

Facelift 2016 onwards
330i, 330e, 320i -> B48
318i -> B38
320d-> N47

it's B47 engine

The new B series engine is definitely better performance wise. Tho im curious to see how it fares when owners have to start with the long term maintenance with it's timing chain and vanos system located at the back.

Not gonna be a problem for those who buys and sell within the 5 years warranty tho.

Hey guys, I did an updated full review here if anyone is interested. Have also started modding the car! But agree with what people have said here, get the LCI with the b48 engine if possible!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGBmJPOcfro&feature=youtu.be

N20 engine have a known engine timing chain guide issue. B48 engine is better.

good vid nicely done

Thank you!!

Is year 2018 BMW318i worth buying?

Is it a problematic car?

Since its a 3 cylinder car, will the car vibrate like axia during idle at a traffic light?

I've been told to avoid the 1.6 and 1.5 F30s as the engines are prone to having issues - but don't have any experience myself. I think the 3 cylinder 1.5 is quite interesting though haha

How about 330e? Aside from battery, were u told to avoid this model as well?

most used 330e in the market still have warranty intact. so guess its still ok until the warranty ends

I was quoted by a SA, extending the hybrid battery for 2 years package priced at RM2200, worth to take?

Great video! Thumbs up

My F30 with 3 cylinder is at 2.5 years old now and 45k mileage and nope it doesn't vibrate like an axia during idle. In fact I don't find any notable difference from a 4 potter car except maybe during cold start in the morning but that's about it.

I see. Have u encountered any major breakdown before? That requires u to send to the SC for few days?

I own an F30 with 1.6T. 85k miles, only 1 issue which is the fuel pump relay.

Went for walnut blast carbon cleaning. Surprisingly the carbon buildup on the valves are not too bad.

My peugeot running supposedly the same engine had major carbon buildup around 50k+ miles. So bad that it went into limp mode

No major breakdown, only a minor (and a common) issue, wheel speed sensor on the rear right corner, got it replaced by Auto Bavaria under warranty, job done in 2 hours.

Wheel speed sensor, read plenty of it in the fb group. Almost everyone has it 🤦🏻‍♂️

True, it's a very common problem, annoying but not expensive to fix.

imo. used, worth it since the first owner take a whole lot of depreciation already. New, nah I passed

I have heard stories of 330e is more unreliable compare than 318i

Not sure should choose which one 😂

the 330e torque whole new level compared to 318.
Anyhow, need to standby at least a jap or myvi for both of the bmw pun. lol

😂😂

I would recommend to at least go for 320i. 4 cylinder engine is way more better and common in term of spare parts compare to 3 cylinder engine.

For sure non hybrid will be more reliable and less issue due to less parts involved.
If you want even less issue go get the turbo diesel model 320D, even less sensor and wiring compare to petrol counterpart.

The torque of the 320D can almost match of 335i petrol with almost 380~400Nm torque @ 1,750–2,750 rpm, losing only on hp (180hp vs 300hp - 335i)

This post has been edited by littlefire: Jan 5 2021, 10:08 PM

yup...
2016 320i LCI
if TS has the budget, 2016 330i LCI
or 320d LCI with B47 engine

318i wise is decent with 136hp, but the car weight 1500kg..
136hp is like Corolla 1.8, Civic 1.8 kind of power. but the 2 Japanese cars weight 200kg less

while 118i is just nice with the 1.5 B38, it is smaller lighter car with shorter wheelbase.

This post has been edited by twincharger07: Jan 6 2021, 10:58 AM

There are few options you can easily fix with the rubberized door handles.
OEM replacement are now readily available online for DIY.
I did some research and opt for the easy fix, a cover to slide over the handles. It fits well and not obvious.
https://shopee.com.my/(Ready-Stock)-BMW-F30...2205.2087697428



The other option of replacing the handles requires removing the handle, not easy and you would break some clips.

Yeah mine all 4 kena so I bought the snap ons like dudester mentioned above.

I have a video on how it works below - (link to purchase is in the video too, about Rm60 for one pair only)

https://youtu.be/Ju_snmyTxJE

You forgot B38 engine has 220nm from very low RPM, while the civic/corolla has only 170nm+ from 4000RPM. It's the low end torque that determines the daily drivability. You dont always drive at 6000RPM to make use of the max HP figure

But BMW wor... just daily drive only meh.. lol
Anyway, the car still weight 1500kg..

Maybe some ppl drive on highway alot, but I think for those that mostly do city drives, 220nm at revs between 1k to 3k is more than enough.

220nm is enough to push the car up genting comfortably with revs around 2k - 3k rpm. For cars with N/A 2.4 with 230nm, you'll probably be screaming at 4k+ rpm all the way up

220nm torque is sufficient for city driving, between 0 to 80km/h
once you hit the highway, power matters especially if you want to accelerate from 80 to beyond 100km/h, over taking lorry and slow moving cars. You will feel that you need to work a lot on the engine to move the car just a little bit faster when power to weight ratio is insufficient. For 2.4NA, the power that helps to sustain high speed.

If you look at some of the drag race (of course I am not promoting to drag race) between a Turbo car (high torque, lower power) and an NA car (lower torque, high power), Turbo cars always start off quicker but at high speed, the NA with higher power will over take.

Actually in highway cruising scenario, the ZF 8 speeder does help alot with lower torque engines. At 150kmh, the engine is just revving at slightly below 3000RPM, comfortably within optimal torque From my own experience, going from 100kmh to 150kmh feels OK, not too rapid no too slow, enough to ditch a myvi But anything above 150kmh, you'll feel the lack of punch

actually i wish to know. 220nm can happen without full pedal ?
why i feel 220nm is so weak from daily ride unless u step more. even idrive power indicator show less than 220nm

My Accord 2.4 got same torque with ketam, but NA u need to rev like mad, below 4k, feel heavy, feel no power.above that only feel alive.while ketam power delivery is great.

With NA characteristics, immediately potong stim to drive fast.lol. Its like u need to try so hard to drive fast. So so hard. But so many drive fast NA car on highway. They all definitely push throttle like maniac. Me cannot liao.lol.