318is, 320i, 325i Fuel Economy

Fri May 29, 2009 5:36 pm

I average 28mpg in the daily drive 320i 4dr, 27 in the 320i conv, and I haven't tested the 325 touring but it seems to be significantly worse. IMO, there is no point comparing mpg on a prospective purchase unless you have balanced it up with the purchase prices on the differing vehicles, and the various other pros and cons. In like for like condition, broadly speaking a 318iS is one and a half to two times the price of a 320i - I just couldn't justify the extra outlay for 7bhp and maybe 5-7mpg on less than 8k miles a year, and I wanted a six for the noise. (I also rather perversely like the feeling of looking like I've borrowed my granddad's car - I think I've grown out of cars that look quick, hence the brown 4dr...) Everyone's different though, and if I were doing more miles, I'd seek out a nice iS in a heartbeat. I think it's more down to what you like - if it's bargain BMW six-pot motoring, get a 320i; screaming twin-cam mile munching, get a 318iS; or the best stock performance/best tuning capeability without transplanting a motor, get a 325i.

Fri May 29, 2009 6:48 pm

Alex wrote:i only know one other person from darlington with a cabby and he has just joined up on here, what colour is the cabby ???

i live next to Hummersknott School more or less

there seems to be quite a few from Darlington who are members on here now

have you seen Omi's on north road ?

Were you in Halfords today about lunch time ish???

Saw a White 318is drive away as we walked out...thought it could be you

Fri May 29, 2009 7:46 pm

My Alpina lucky to hit 21-23mpg

Fri May 29, 2009 10:40 pm

rado-steve wrote:
Alex wrote:i only know one other person from darlington with a cabby and he has just joined up on here, what colour is the cabby ???

i live next to Hummersknott School more or less

there seems to be quite a few from Darlington who are members on here now

have you seen Omi's on north road ?
Were you in Halfords today about lunch time ish???

Saw a White 318is drive away as we walked out...thought it could be you

did you happen to be buying car cleaning gear

if so i was stood next to you

i heard someone mention a bm

Sat May 30, 2009 12:04 am

Alex wrote:IS has 136 actually

although most that have been put on the dyno produce around 140bhp

i'm quite looking forward to see what mine puts down

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=134397

Sat May 30, 2009 12:08 am

magpie wrote:
Alex wrote:IS has 136 actually

although most that have been put on the dyno produce around 140bhp
i'm quite looking forward to see what mine puts down
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=134397

i keep meaning to organise one with my mates there is one 20 mins from me

i should setup a zone meet there

Sat May 30, 2009 2:37 am

I used to have a 320 and struggled to get 20mpg on purely town driving (pizza deliveries!)

I now have a 318is and get 25-30mpg around town, driven pretty hard most of the time. 40+mpg is possible cruising at at steady 60-70.

I would say that an IS would be better on fuel than the OP's current daily, and a 325 not much worse depending on how you drive.

Sat May 30, 2009 3:03 am

magpie wrote:
Alex wrote:IS has 136 actually

although most that have been put on the dyno produce around 140bhp
i'm quite looking forward to see what mine puts down
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=134397

If you see them using the tie down contraption on anything less than 250bhp, tell them not use it, or do a run with and a run without - with just the chocs fitted to the front wheels. Also, if the 2nd run is more than the first, and the second more than that, ask them to keep going uptill you have 2 consistent runs (ie within 1bhp)

This may not happen if they properly warm up the car on the dyno before carrying out the power runs.

Sat May 30, 2009 3:06 am

What I wanted to post up here and I got side tracked was...

Mother had a 320i and that was pretty shocking on fuel. It was dead untill you hit around 5000 rpm but the engine sounded sweet as anything I had heard before and was silky smooth.

I also had a 325i touring. This too was shocking on fuel, didn't matter how you drove it, it seemed to give around 22-25mpg. Even less if hooning it about.

I never tuned either of those cars, but I suspect if I did, they would have been much better

Sat May 30, 2009 8:22 am

I get on average 30-32mpg from my 320i slushmatic. Its quite good on a run but struggles to see much more than 22mpg around town. The most I've ever got from it is 37mpg which involved very gentle driving, coasting up to junctions etc. It's a low mileage example that just been serviced with lots of new bits but you don't buy a 6 cylinder BMW for economy!

My daily driver E46 318ci returns 35-40mpg regardless of how you drive it.