BMW 3 Series // Hard to believe it's over a decade old (F30 330d Review)

The F30 generation BMW 3 Series was at the top of its game when it came out in 2012. Is it still worth buying today?
Car on review: 2016 BMW 330d M Sport F30
Affordable car data checks: www.carinforma...
#bmw #bmw3series
***************
If you'd like to see your car on JJ on Cars, email me at [e-mail] or contact me via Facebook or Instagram!
Instagram - / jjoncars
Facebook - / jjoncars
"Buy me a coffee" - www.buymeacoff...

[@Sha-Ayo]

The disadvantage of being an outstanding vehicle is that everyone seems to have them, it makes it feel less special when you see 10 of them everytime you go outside

[@JJonCars]

I think this is why I love Saab so much :)

[@Sha-Ayo]

@@JJonCars I love the final generation Saab 95, it's easily one of the most striking saloon cars on the road even today. It looks so sleek and I wish Saab was still around.... I'm planning on buying a Lexus SC430 later this year or next year. If I could find one a post facelift model in a purple colour or a red colour with a cream interior I think 🤔 it would really stand out since you don't see them very often and for ordinary people it still looks expensive especially with a personalised number plate, and the engine is super reliable....that's my plan anyway, you can get them for under £6k. I'm 25 and I know it's a stereotypical old persons car in the US, but you get so much for your money If I get a SC430, I'll be emailing you to let you know you can drive it for your channel 😉

[@JJonCars]

@@Sha-Ayo The SC430 is a great example of a car that fits what you're after. It's not everywhere (almost never see them) and it's seen by some as a bad car. But the good news is, it's not a bad car, it's an awesome thing so you get to have your cake and eat it 😄 The last gen 9-5 also gets it's criticism but I fully agree that it's a very striking car. I really want to find out what they're like to drive. Will definitely take you up on the offer of the 430!

[@benjones7117]

This is why i went for the 5 series.. not as common but equally a good car

[@bensmithkent22]

Saab would sell now in huge numbers if they had survived to the hybrid and ev revolution. Quality and good looking vehicles. Sadly they were the victims of said 3 series when everybody wanted one if those instead of a tiguan or model Y and viewed kia and the like as peasants cars. Now times have changed korean brands are launching 80k evs. Saab would have smashed it in todays era.

[@paulbornuat5655]

I once looked on parkers owners reviews, and no cars had more great owner reviews than this generation of 3 series. Everyone who has one just seems to love it. They're such great cars.

[@w-j7210]

The G20 is much better. Big difference

[@Bond786muslim]

Its the best bmw ever made

[@stuartgroves7545]

I've got a F31 330d , hadi it 3 years and on 85K, no issues, starts first time and still puts a smile on my face when i drive it

[@Thuds593]

Any real difference between the 335d?

[@ronniep9272]

​@@Thuds593the 335d will give you about 5mpg less and handling won't be as good due to the xdrive. However it is quite a bit faster and the x drive means you can always put the power down on the damp UK roads. Whatever you do don't get the 330D X drive. If you're doing low miles just go for the 340i.

[@Thuds593]

@@ronniep9272 I think I’d lose my licence with a 340i 😂

[@AlanH-o2u]

@@ronniep9272nothing wrong with a 330d xdrive mines drives great

[@Birmingham_racing]

Love how smooth 6 cylinder engines are

[@novicetheaf]

They're nice cars tbf, all these brand new cars I feel are pointless these days, half the features are just annoying what with all the excessive safety features, this car is definitely made at a time when you had a good balance between features and still retaining character

[@JJonCars]

Yup definitely! We're going to look back on this era of cars fondly :)

[@x6land]

Yes this is what I was thinking too, after somewhere after 2016, cars have lost character, They all feel the same, all 1 big screen, excessive safety features..

[@safbeafbe]

I've always had a prejudice against BMWs mainly because of the drivers. Yet the more time I spend in them the more I soften up, there's just something undeniably satisfying about them

[@JJonCars]

Yep, if you forget some of the drivers, you realise people like them for a reason :)

[@wertywerrtyson5529]

I’d be concerned buying a used BMW because many drivers seem to drive them so hard. Get a car that mostly driven buy pensioners and it’s usually in a lot better condition than a 21 year old that got a BMW from daddy and drive for fun.

[@zannatul23]

Love your reviews man

[@JJonCars]

Thank you! :)

[@km4089]

Great honest review. I bought my BMW m330d xdrive back in 2017 (67 plate) new great discount at the time just before the new model came out and still love the car, thought about a change but as soon as I get back into my car it reminds me of how much I love the car from power, comfort and to quality and would sad to see it go.

[@JJonCars]

Cheers! Glad you enjoy the car, and a perfect time to buy one 👍

[@amphilbey]

Owned a Touring 330d 2014-23, only got rid due to ULEZ extension in London, brilliant engine and gearbox, effortlessly quick and easy 40mpg+. Ride quality was way better when ditched the runflats at first opportunity (1st set of rears lasted about 12k miles 🙂).Didn't need anything other than routine maintenance over 60k miles other than a few recalls by BMW. Now replaced it with a new M340i and just hope I get this lucky again, but local BMW specialist reckoned unlikely to get another car like that again!

[@general7050]

You can apply for it to become ulez free i heard somewhere because it fits the criteria

[@pauldavies9420]

Also have the 330d M Sport and totally agree what you said in your good indepth review. Only difference, I've had mine remapped but I love mine. Traded in a mercedes C250 amg sport plus and it's the best thing I've done. Definitely no regrets.

[@JJonCars]

Cheers, glad you like the car!

[@johngoodwin1710]

The sweet spot is finding a 2018/2019 low mileage 330d or 335d. I’ve got the latter as a Touring and it’s an unbelievably good car.

[@anon1231]

Why 18/19? Noob here

[@callummccubbing4506]

Okay so this, E30, E36, E46, F30/31 are probably peak BMW's i'd argue. E90 was okay but didn't have the charm of before or even after.

[@JJonCars]

They definitely all have their charms :) Backseat JJ would agree with you on the E90 😄

[@DB0310]

I have a 2013 328 xdrive with sport package, I bought it in 2015 with 30000 kms, now has 132000 kms. I have maintained it well and it drives and looks great. It is the best car I have ever had. I look forward to driving it even after 9 years. There are faster cars with more tech etc. but this is such an engaging drive. It owes me nothing at this stage. I looked at some of the new 330 and 430’s and while very nice they do not make a compelling case to change. I will likely keep another few years at least.

[@ronniep9272]

I've had my remapped F30 330D for over 6 years now. I get tempted to sell it for an F80 M3, but this is such a great all rounder and with 316hp and 680nm it has more than enough power to have fun with and you can't use it on anything but country roads really.

[@shane_and_sue]

I've got the same specs, love it !

[@ronniep9272]

@@shane_and_sue I decided to keep the F30 330D. The F80 M3 Competition is not a good daily car although it is a lot more fun and handles light years better.

[@bashbailey6778]

Any cons with the remap? I heard everyone talking about the positives, but are there any negatives, fuel economy, reliability, servicing etc?

[@shane_and_sue]

@bashbailey6778 no, very fast now, no issues so far after 12 months, fuel still great 👍

[@ronniep9272]

@@bashbailey6778 I've had the remap for 5 years now, not had a single issue with the car. Fuel economy is better than stock. Driving 70mph on the motor way you'll get 50+mpg, even higher if you drive at consistent speeds of 50mph in controlled speed zones. Short journeys around town you'll get about 30-35mpg. Definitely do the remap but get it from a place that dynos your car.

[@coolcat23]

I know what you mean about that extra bit of satisfaction some cars give you. I can see how the BMW would have that effect. What an aesthetic design, especially compared to what BMW are producing nowadays. Current designs seem to be geared towards markets where the need to impress trumps all sense of proportion or elegance.

[@JJonCars]

Yeah this is true! Designs are all out of proportion in areas that are deliberately designed to 'impress'. It's kinda crazy. Just look at the size of the average car badge these days

[@RandallSlick]

Great review. The design has grown since hating it when it came out. Would love to see you review a late e39 5er to compare and contrast to the F30.

[@DingKong]

I had an M-Sport xDrive 2.0 petrol with a manual gearbox. 2016. It was a fantastic car. Sadly written off (rear-ended) I would definitely have another. It did everything so well. Brilliant to drive. Firmly planted. Reasonably quiet. Roomy. Decent boot. Sport mode is just a joy. From 2019 onwards the petrol ones are auto-only though, which is a real shame.

[@johnhumphreys4923]

The BMW 330 D M SportTouring in a striking Melboourn Red is the car to go for, and i have one, with over 6 k extras like a tow bar, press a button gone. The Touring is a far better car than the saloon and few in germany buy the saloon as most buy the touring as they want a lifestyle choice, as the touring offers stiffer suspension given a estate. Roof rack ,all seats fold in rear , window on boot window opens for long loads all features in the Touring. a spacious boot and really for me the touring as the best family car as safe roomy and so adaptble unlike the saloon as has limited options

[@steveberridge4648]

I've got an f30 318d and its my first bmw. The feel good factor driving it is immense. Couple of annoyances. Firstly the standard suspension set up is flawed. The RFT mean it crashes into pot holes and it lacks suspension travel. Binning the RFT improves ride comfort but you then lose that sharp turn in. Secondly the annoying loud beeps, when it's cold, when you open the bonnet or when water ingresses into the back light cluster and starts causing the cruise control faulty warning to come on. Overall though I think they are so easy to live with and that lovely RWD balance makes roundabouts and corners a joy....

[@zzhughesd]

335i lovely

[@AlanH-o2u]

I had an Audi A4 for 24 years and still goes like it’s new.

[@ptime5612]

I think this is the best time period of cars perfect mix between modern and old

[@JJonCars]

I think it will become more and more clear to us that it is, as time goes on :)

[@fredonline]

So many equipment levels to check out, I see that particular car has indicators fitted, I'm guessing not many BMW drivers specified that option when buying from new! As for the Citroen DS, YES, I'd love to see one on your channel and I volunteer to take BSJJ's place for that video! 🙂

[@JJonCars]

Haha! I didn't mention it this time, but the indicator on this generation 3 series (and the E90 before it) are a bit of a mental design. They don't click on, and to cancel them you can end up putting the indicator on on the other side. You can cancel by pushing the same way as the way you indicated, but that just doesn't make intuitive sense to me and I still find it annoying. So this might be partially why they famously don't indicate 😂 Now to find a DS :)

[@shane_and_sue]

Try turning off the indicators on the motorway, they have a mind of their own 😂

[@psp0guy]

Post April 2017 340i with cheaper tax but pre July 2017 petrol particulate filter is the real sweet spot.

[@psp0guy]

Although for real I actually think a rwd 330d is the sweet spot

[@JJonCars]

That is a very specific window, be hard to find one I imagine :)

[@psp0guy]

@JackYinson yeah I’ve driven my mates 330d xdrive. Ehm.. tbh I don’t really agree with any of what you said but there’s no point arguing in KZbin comments🤣 never the less,,, unless your brake boosting off the line in the wet or driving like a knob it’s hardly noticeable. Even if the rwd is more skitty isn’t that the whole point? Everything is boring these days so may as well have some fun! This aside the actual reason I wouldn’t recommend x drive to a friend is 2 points. • slightly worse reliability, the front differential is a knowing failure point and requires much more frequent servicing. Compare this to the basically bomb proof rwd open diff • second point is rwd doesn’t force you to have matching tread down the the millimeter and most importantly of all you can fit any size wheel on any corner to get your self out of the shit. My space saver in the boot has saved my ass twice now. No waiting hours on the AA like x drive owners.

[@tcaudiobooks737]

F30 330d owner checking in. Great car, but it lacks the x factor of the e46.

[@eddiej1980]

7.45 😂 not heard that for years “Jesus handles”

[@1000lightyrs]

I've always thought BMW owners came standard with ED, however I'm starting to look into BMW's now. The one thing about the German cars that I really respect now, is that they still offer a huge range of regular cars, while it seems every other manufacturer has gone all in with those stupid bloody SUV's and trucks!

[@JJonCars]

😂 This is true though - at least the Germans are still producing saloons, coupes and estates. I hope this continues, and I nearly feel like saluting anyone who has picked a new A4 or 3 Series over the SUV equivalent when I see one 😆

[@Rjhs001]

Another great review of a lovely motor JJ, shame it's not a hybrid 😂 I've just decided this week that my next car is going to be a car that had the 3 series and others in this sector in its sights when it was introduced...watch this space.

[@JJonCars]

Cheers John. Consider me intrigued...

[@Rjhs001]

@@JJonCars Don't know if you've reviewed one of them yet, and if that's still the status when I get it, in maybe a year from now, it may be of interest to you.

[@JJonCars]

@@Rjhs001 if I haven't then count me in 👌

[@Aadilf1]

I've got a 330D, my main complaints are the road noises, going over small bumps you hear the thuds underneath, there's so much rattling inside as well, back seats, door locks, central panel, rattles everywhere, the steering wheel feel is lacking too.

[@anon1231]

What year?

[@Aadilf1]

@@anon1231 December 2014

[@lesvassallo5760]

I've now got a 2018 330e which is near to 70000 miles it's probably one of the best 3 series. On the downside it's bland boring

[@rickp2293]

Got the shadow edition, great car

[@betterbeavailable]

That facelift is not a decade old.

[@sprinter1313]

8:40, das mit dem Hund geht gar nicht " . Der Schlüssel ist nicht mehr in der nähe des Fahrzeugs. Fail

[@JJonCars]

Yes, I thought the same thing lol

[@AlexToma]

The last good looking 3 series, after it became too big

[@p9fx365]

I think the two major downsides of this car is the cheap interior build quality “sqeuaky” and the Sound insulation is just so bad. You hear a lot of noise if you go above 100kmh. I have researched in some forums a lot of people seem to complain about noise cabin compared to the solid build e90.

[@JJonCars]

Interesting. I did notice a fair bit of road noise at higher speeds. But I put that down to the wide M-sport tyres

[@aljack1979]

Leather interior in mine is fine

[@azaboy2]

Get the 4 gran coupe (biased) i dont think i'll ever get rid of it

[@jasvirdosanjh1901]

I 2nd this I've owned the 420d GC in the past, it was an unbelievable car! PS. I own the car in the video 😉

[@jasvirdosanjh1901]

You should let JJ review the GC!

[@daveallsopp320]

I like the seat colour but why don’t they do the dash in just complete black instead of 1/2 and 1/2, reminds me of a 70’s American car not German

[@segapc1994]

Cries in 330i

[@JJonCars]

Hey, it's still a nice smooth powerful car :)

[@kampferpl7759]

I perfectly happy with my 430i GC - Sport Mode makes all the difference.

[@endaksi_channel]

I own one F30 and I can still to find something good about it. Such a rubbish car. Maybe because I have owned 14 other makes/brands before so I there is no lack of understanding.

[@ronniep9272]

What engine is it?

[@ogman396]

What? Proofread dude.

[@genichiroashina6372]

Rubbish?