2009 BMW 3 Series 328i 3.0 gas from North America

Summary:

This car lived on Car & Drivers 10 Best list for a reason

Faults:

Bad ignition coil, have since replaced all plugs and coils. 135,000 miles.

Rear struts replaced. 175,000 miles.

Starter replaced. 220,000 miles.

Thermostat replaced. 260,000 miles.

General Comments:

It is an all-around great car, it does everything well and doesn't have any glaring faults - no wonder it lived on Car & Driver's 10 Best List for so many years.

I wouldn't call it a sports car, but it is quick and has a motor that sings its way to the redline. Like most BMW's (especially before electronic steering) it has impeccable road manners that made the brands slogan of "Ultimate Driving Machine" the real deal, whether back country roads or the interstate haul, it is always composed.

A practical daily driver packaged in a 4 door sedan with enough headroom for my 6'3" frame and rear seats that are useable for smaller adults and children. Trunk is a decent size and I use the built-in roof rack anchors for that extra room on long trips. Top it all off with good looks, respectable gas mileage and a car that has largely defied BMW's reputation as being unreliable. This 15-year-old daily driver has nearly 270,000 miles in it and is still going strong.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th March, 2024

14th Mar 2024, 14:10

My experience mirrors yours - 2009 320i, owned since 2019. I haven’t done as much mileage as your one, 75k km over 5 years, but mine has been unexpectedly dependable. I know of some BMW owners who have had issues, but mine’s been good. My previous BMW, I kept for 9 years, and so far my current one is even better. Agreed on the drive and handling - no sports car, but definitely composed and confident. Mine still has hydraulic power steering, and all the better for it. Driving position is spot on, I’m 6’ tall, and it’s definitely better than Audis I’ve had. I had a chance to buy the 6-cylinder 325i at the time, but driving in city traffic, I couldn’t justify it; the engine would’ve been using fuel to idle 6 cylinders instead of only 4. Had I lived more rural with open roads, a six would’ve been fine. When time comes to replace this, I’m not sure if the newer turbo ones will be as dependable.

2009 BMW 3 Series 318i SE 2.0 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Not bad at all

Faults:

Nothing while I have had it, but I have owned it less than a year. Has full history and there are some expensive repair bills listed in there, but looks like a well looked after car that has given no major problems besides the wear and tear expected of age and mileage.

General Comments:

318i SE saloon model in silver, very smart looking car with original alloy wheels.

Bought this as a daily driver and it has not disappointed me in any way - very nice to drive, handles very well, gear change is smooth, and the petrol engine pulls very fast when you need it while averaging 43 - 44 mpg.

For this fairly basic model, tax and insurance are reasonable, but be aware with these cars repairs are expensive. As a lot of people always say, look out a good independent garage, BMW main dealers are very expensive for servicing and repairs.

Interior is very comfortable, not quite as spacious as I thought it would be, but suits me just fine as I usually drive on my own.

For a 2009 car it is getting on a bit, but I see myself keeping this one for a few years to come, has been a great car so far, and still feels very modern. Buy nothing less than a full history looked after car and you will enjoy it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st August, 2022

29th Sep 2023, 16:41

I'm only getting 37 mpg out of mine, you must drive at 50 mph everywhere to get over 40 mpg from a petrol 3 series!

In reply to 29th Sep 2023, 16:41

29th Sep 2023, 20:07

You're still lucky. I have a 320i automatic, same year, I only manage 10 km/L (around 28 MPG Imp.). My previous BMW was a manual that got to around 11 km/L (31 MPG Imp.). The best I ever got from the 320i auto was 14 km/L (37 MPG Imp) on a long, out of town trip 600 km away, with the air conditioning on. If it weren't so hilly, in parts I averaged 16 km/L (45 MPG imp.) But anytime you have stop-and go, or hills driving at urban speeds, the fuel economy drops immediately.

In reply to 29th Sep 2023, 20:07

30th Sep 2023, 23:15

True, I had a 318i manual transmission years ago. Did 32 - 34 mpg at best in realistic driving conditions (barely getting out of 3rd or 4th gear in busy stop start traffic). Average mpg from manufacturers stats said 38 - 41mpg on average, this was possible but only on an endless motorway at 60 - 70 mph long distance cruising with light/no traffic. Pretty good for a 1990s petrol engine actually.

Friend of mine had a mid 2000's diesel 320d, very fast and regularly managed 50 mpg, but again would drop to 40 or even into the 30s mpg (very poor mpg for any diesel) in heavy traffic.

I always advise people that whatever car they buy, to expect a few mpg less than the stated mpg average figure, realistically. But it is very possible for a good driver to get the average or even slightly better than average mpg depending on the roads where they live. Also most trip computers are accurate, but you are better working out the averages yourself to be sure.