Fuel consumption: BMW 318dA LCI (MY2018 / F30)

Model (Code / Model Year): BMW 318dA Limousine LCI (F30 / MY2018) 

Engine: 4-cylinder TwinPower-Turbo diesel engine (1995cm³)  - Engine code: B47D20ATransmission: 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmissionPerformance: 150hp / 320nm0 to 100km/h: 8,4 secTop speed: 212km/h (132mp/h)Weight: 1.450kg

Fuel tank (US gallons): 57 liters (15.06 US gallons)

The video below shows the approximate fuel consumption at different (constant) speeds. However, I drove this particular car for 5.000 kilometer on regular driving in different driving conditions. This resulted in a calculated fuel consumption during this trip averaged out at 4.93l / 100km.

In the video I did a test of the consumption at different speeds. Aim of this test is not to give an exact specification of the fuel consumption of this car, but to show an approximation of the fuel consumption under real life circumstances. As the result also depends on tyres, size of the rims, road condition, weather and equipment that may alter the exact weight of the car, your personal experience may differ from mine.

Video update: BMW 318d Gran Turismo

Since June 2013 BMW offers the 3-series Gran Turismo (F34) as part of the 3-series offering, that already consisted of the saloon (F30) and touring (F31). Intented as a mix between the saloon and touring, the Gran Turismo also feated characteristics of a coupé.

 

Compared to the other models of the 3-series line, the Gran Turismo is considerably larger and can be compared to the 5-series Touring, but is a smaller and sportier version of the 5-series Gran Turismo. However it features the same interior design and platform as that of the regular 3-series.

This specific car is a BMW 318d with the (optional) Luxury Line package. The car itself has Black Sapphire Metallic paint and Black Dakota leather. 

Model (Code / Model Year): BMW 318d Gran Turismo (2013 / F34) Line: Luxury Line Engine: straight four-cylinder turbocharged common rail diesel engine (1995cm³)   Transmission: 8-speed automatic transmission Performance: 143hp / 320nm 0 to 100km/h: 9,6 sec Top speed: 210km/h (131mp/h)

BMW 318d Gran Turismo  Walkaround - Exterior and interior shots of the car

BMW 318d Gran Turismo Fuel Consumption Test - testing the fuel consumption under real life conditions

  BMW 318d Gran Turismo Acceleration - Acceleration test from 0km/h

BMW 318d Gran Turismo Flatout - Putting the pedal to the metal on the German Autobahn

Fuel consumption: BMW 335i xDrive F30 / 318d Touring F31

In the post few blogs, we have posted a car review on the BMW 335i xDrive and a set of pictures on the BMW 318d Touring, both belonging to the new generation 3-series that is internally know as the "F30 / F31".

Guitigefilmpjes has hit the road with both the 335i xDrive F30 and 318d Touring F31 in order to see how the fuel economy is when driving in real life circumstances and if the engines live up to its expectations. Technical details can be found below:

Model designation: 335i xDrive

Engine: N55B30 6-cylinder TwinPower-Turbo petrol engine (2979 cm³) 

Transmission: 8-speed sport automatic transmission
Performance: 306hp (225kW) / 400nm
0 to 100km/h: 5,0sec
Top speed: 250km/h (155mp/h)
Fuel tank (US gallons): 60 liters (15.85 US gallons)

Fuel consumption depends on many different factors, like the tire pressure / size of alloy wheels, the weight of the car (4 people with bagage or travelling alone). The driving profile is the most important determinant of the result. Therefore you can find the driving profile during this trip below:

• 350 kilometers (310 miles) Autobahn at high speeds, 180km/h and more
• 400 kilometers (125 miles) Autobahn between 100km/h and 130km/h 
• 170 kilometer secondary road between 80km/h and 100km/h
• 17 kilometer city traffic in normal conditions, outside rush hours

The total trip was 937 kilometers (586 miles), and in contrast to previous tests where I tried to achieve the best possible consumption, this time I had some more fun while accelerating and used the "sport-mode" on a regular basis, leading to a higher consumption. Driving more considerate could probably results in a consumption of 1,5l / 100km to 2,0l / 100km lower then below.

Driving this way has resulted in an average fuel consumption of 11,2l / 100km (21mpg US) as calculated by the car itself, but it is well known that trip computers tend to understate the actual fuel consumption. After having calculated the consumption manually, I found a result of 11,78l / 100km, a difference of 0,58l / 100km or 5,2%. 

Model designation: 318d Touring

Engine: 4-cylinder diesel engine (1995 cm³) 

Transmission: 6-speed manual transmission
Performance: 143hp / 320nm
0 to 100km/h: 9,2sec
Top speed: 210km/h (131mp/h)
Fuel tank (US gallons): 57 liters (15.1 US gallons)

In the past, cars with a manual transmission were considered to have superior fuel economy compared to their counterparts with an automatic transmission. Nowadays, it is the other way around, as the manual transmission only has six gears while the automatic transmission has eight. 

When driving this BMW 318d Touring, I had the following driving profile. Opposite to the 335i xDrive above, I was driving the 318d in such a way that saves more fuel, though a more stricter driving style could have saved just a bit (o,5l ~ 1,0l / 100km) more fuel.

• 300 kilometers (310 miles) Autobahn at high speeds, 180km/h+
• 900 kilometers (125 miles) Autobahn between 100km/h and 130km/h 
• 260 kilometer secondary road between 80km/h and 100km/h
• 27 kilometer city traffic in normal conditions, outside rush hour

Resulting in a fuel consumption of 6.4l / 100km or 36,8mpg (US) after having drivin 1487 kilometers (929 miles). After having calculated the consumption manually, the result was only slightly higher, being 6,51l / 100km or 36,13mpg (US).

Previous fuel consumption reports:

• Audi A4 2.0 TDI / Audi A6 3.0 TDI / Mercedes Benz E220 CDI
• BMW 530d xDrive / Mercedes Benz C220 CDI
• Mercedes Benz C180 / VW Passat 1.4 TSI / BMW 520d Touring
• Audi A6 3.0 TDI 204hp (MY2012 / C7)
• Mercedes Benz C180 Avantgarde BlueEffiency Facelift
• Audi A4 2.0 TDI Avant Facelift
• BMW 520d / 525d xDrive Touring

And watch the designated playlist on Youtube here, that features many more fuel consumption tests on video.

Picture update: BMW 318d Touring F31

BMW introduced the sixth generation of the BMW 3-series (F30) in 2012, as the succesor to the 3-series E90. The F30 is produced at BMW-plants in Munich, Regensburg, Tiexi (Shenyang / China) and Rosslyn (South Africa). Its official introduction was in Munich on the 14th of october 2011, and the first customers received their F30 on the 11th of february 2012.

Apart from the sedan, BMW introduced the Touring (F31) in may 2012, while it has been delivered to the first customers in august 2012. A change from the previous system is that the coupe and convertible will not be in the 3-series range anymore, but will be placed in the 4-series range, available this year. 

This specific car is a BMW 318d Touring Sport Line. It features BMWs N47D20 TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder diesel engine. Equipped with a turbocharger including variable turbine geometry, BMW calls this the TwinPower-Turbo technology, where the turbocharger serves both the lower and higher rev ranges.

Model (Code / Model Year): BMW 318d Touring (F31 / 2013) Engine: four-cylinder TwinPower-Turbo diesel engine (1995cm³)   Transmission: 6-speed manual transmission Performance: 143hp / 320nm 0 to 100km/h: 9,2sec Top speed: 210km/h (131mp/h) Weight: 1555kg Fuel tank (US gallons): 57 liter (15,1 US gallons)

€34.650,00 BMW 318d Touring F31


€0,00 Alpine white
€0,00 Wing mirror caps black
€0,00 18-inch light alloy wheels Double-spoke style 397*
€0,00 Anthracite / Red Track cloth upholstery*
€0,00 Black trim, high-gloss*
€0,00 Matt Coral Red interior trim finisher*

€1.900,00 Sport Line:

€0,00 18-inch light alloy wheels Double-spoke style 397
€0,00 Black trim, high-gloss
€0,00 Anthracite / Red Track cloth upholstery
€100,00 M Steering wheel
€0,00 Sport seats

€650,00 Automatic Air Conditioning

€250,00 Servotronic Steering

€-,-- Floor mats, velour

€30,00 Smokers package

€130,00 Rain sensor with automatic headlight activation

€0,00 Model designation deletion

€230,00 Roof rails black

€390,00 Sun protection glass

€-,-- Split-folding rear seats

€370,00 Seat heating, front

€-,-- Multi-function controls for steering wheel

€1.490,00 Navigation System Business

€-,-- Bluetooth hands-free with USB audio interface

€270,00 Headlight wash

€710,00 Xenon headlights

€490,00 Park Distance Control (PDC), rear

€-,-- Foglights, front

Total price in Germany: €42.460,-*

*Prices are the German prices in June 2013

Some pro's and con's on the BMW 318d Touring Sport Line:

Pro:

• The engine is very economical
• Good sport seats
• Easy bluetooth connection for both phone and music of the phone
• Nice M-sport steering wheel and stick

Con:

• Plastic interior finish does convey the "premium" feeling
• Steep price
• Small storage space in the center console
• Modern, Sport and Luxury line limit the choice of options / color combinations

More pictures of this BMW 318d Touring Sport Line can be found here, please click and scroll down.

Other BMW 3-series F30 / F31 media:

• Picture update: BMW 335i xDrive Sport Line (2012 / F30)
• Video update: BMW 335i xDrive Sport Line (2012 / F30)
• Video update: BMW 318d Touring Sport Line (2013 / F31)

Video update: BMW 318d Touring Sport Line (2013 / F31)

In this blog we post several videos of the new BMW 318d Touring Sport Line F31.

BMW 318d Touring Sport Line Walkaround - Exterior and interior shots of the car

BMW 318d Touring Sport Line Fuel Consumption Test - testing the fuel consumption under real life conditions

BMW 318d Touring Sport Line Flatout - Putting the pedal to the metal on the German Autobahn

More pictures and videos of the BMW 3-series F30 / F31 can be found here:

• BMW 335i xDrive Sport Line Alpine white

Car review: BMW 318d Touring (MY2010)

Car: BMW 318d Touring (MY2010)
Engine: 2.0 Liter R4 Diesel engine
Exterior: Titansilver Metallic
Interior: Leather Dakota Black; Interior trim Black high-gloss
Optional equipment: Steptronic automatic transmission (6-speed), 16-inch alloy wheels styling 283, Xenon headlights, ParkDistanceControl front and rear, Panoramic sunroof, Navigation Professional with BMW Online / Assist, Bluetooth, USB-connection, Exterior lighting package, Extended luggage features, Extended storage 
Price (in 2010): €48.980,-
Performance: 143hp / 300nm - 9,7s from 0 to 100km/h
Top speed: 210km/h
Fuel consumption: 7.3l/100km (32mpg / US)
In 2008 BMW gave the 3-series, internally know as the E90 (sedan) and E91 (Touring), a facelift. LED-technology modernised the design, the front was slightly reworked, and the newest communication technology was incorporated (new SatNav Professional, BMW Assist / Online).

1. Exterior

For the car manufacturer, the facelift always poses a dilemma. On the one side, existing customers should not get the feeling to drive an outdated car, while the car needs to be updated with recent technology in order to compete with more modern cars.

When comparing the 3-series (2005) against its direct rivals, the Mercedes Benz C-class (2007) and Audi A4 (2008), it is obvious that the 3-series the oldest one is. In the then available model range (7-series E65 and 5-series E60, the previous models), the 3-series was designed in a more conservative way. However, when introducing the facelift (also known as the LCI - Life Cycle Improvement), BMW did not try to match the competition, but to surpass it.

The exterior design has lost its sharp edges as the curves have been redesigned more "smoother". Looking alongside the hood, several lines have been added to represent a more muscular design, the front spoiler also has been "smoothened" and has been integrated deeper into the design of the car. These smoother lines represent the departure of the steep curves that Chris Bangle used in the BMW-design. Unfortunately, due to EU-regulations, the sleek rear-view mirrors have been replaced with larger "elephant ears".

Apart from the aforementioned changes, LED-technology has been introduced into the front and rear indicators, the rear lights (with LEDs in the distinctive "L-shape"). In contrast to the competition that fixed LED-technology "onto" the car, BMW was able to make it an integral part of the design.

Instead of the standard rims, this BMW 318d Touring is equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels. Although the small size, the styling 283 rims still give a good impression and are able to fill out the room in the wheel arches very well.

Styling 283 16-inch alloy wheels

2. Handling & Engine

Handling of the BMW 3-series is good, the car gives the driver enough feedback to the driver in order to feel what is happening. Although the car handling is good, the ride never is too hard or uncomfortable. Therefore the BMW 3-series is an excellent car for driving long distances. When comparing the handling to the Audi A4, it is very comparable, the main advantage for the 3-series stems from the rear wheel drive.

Although the BMW 318d has 143hp, one should not expect the performance of a 6-cylinder engine. It provides adequate power for most situations, while only on the highway the performance could be better, as the diesel engine loses its momentum at higher revs.

One of the main strenghts is the fuel consumption, including fast driving segments (160km/h+) on the German Autobahn, an calculated average of 7,3l / 100km was the result. But when driving at routine speeds, the consumption may even fall below 6,0l / 100km/h without becoming an obstacle to the other traffic. Lastly it is not only the fuel consumption that matters, but also the range you have without needing to stop for refuelling. Driving for 1.000 kilometer without having to refuel should be possible, when driving on secondary roads and on the highway.

3. Interior, multimedia and communication

BMWs standard seats are a constant object of discussion. Especially taller people view them as uncomfortable, while the seats are perfectly ok for people with a regular height. The interior itself has quite a fair amount of plastic, however it does not feel cheap, compared to the plastic in different brands / lower classes (Asian cars, Opel / Peugeot etc.). In direct comparison the interior of the Audi A4 is feeling somewhat better, while the Mercedes Benz C-class has risen to the same level after introducing the facelift in 2011. But the interior clearly represents the previous generation of BMWs, that now has been replaced with a new interior design. On the high gloss black interior trim dust and scratches are easily seen, therefore the aluminium trim might be a better option when selecting a dark upholstery.

Another excellent feature is the panoramic sunroof, both closed and opened it is a great additional feature to the car. Because of its sheer size, the car interior receives a lot more daylight, giving the impression of a more "open" and "larger" interior. But when opened the roof is only useful on secondary roads and in the city, as on the highway too much wind noise develops.

Combined with the facelift, the BMW 3-series also received an updated navigation system professional with an internal hard disk. It is the same that has been introduced in the new BMW 7-series F01 / F02 (in late 2008), with not only an upgrade regarding the iDrive-controller but also the software and interface of the system itself.

One new feature it the possibility to show the map with a satellite view

Together with the new navigation system Professional, BMW also introduced "BMW Online" for the 3-series. This gives the driver access to a wealth of online information, ranging from the weather to the new. As can be seen in the video below, the new also can be red to the driver in order to keep the focus on the road.

One point of bother is the placement of the USB-connection inside the armrest. As can be seen on the picture below, it causes an USB-stick to be placed vertically, therefore it is unable to close the armrest. You either need to have an extra USB-cable in order to let the device rest horizontally, or keep the armrest open.

4. Final thougths

The 2010 BMW 318d Touring LCI is a very good car, there are no major points of bother. The facelifted design, the modern navigation system Professional that included BMW Online / Assist and connecting the car to a large amount of information, the economical engine, the BMW 318d is even after having been on the market for 7 years a remarkable good car. Only a few minor details tell its age, while it still is not less then the current competition (Audi A4, Mercedes Benz C-class).

Although it has a steep price of almost €50.000 new (including the options this car has), you still should be able to get good discounts on a new E91, as its successor is only a few months away from introduction. If receiving a good discount, the BMW 3-series E91 is still a very good car that gives excellent value for money.
5. Videos & Pictures

More pictures of this BMW 318d and other 3-series can be found here: BMW 3-series LCI E90 / E91

Picture update: BMW 3-series LCI

A new picture galery has been created, focused around the BMW 3-series E90 (sedan) & E91 (touring) LCI. This album contains the following cars:

- 2010 BMW 318dA Touring E91 LCI (Platinum silver metallic)

- 2010 BMW 318i E90 LCI (Sapphire black metallic)
- 2009 BMW 320iA E90 LCI (Space grey metallic)
- 2009 BMW 318d Touring E91 LCI (Space grey metallic)


Please click here for the album: