In Review; 2017 BMW 320d Touring M Sport

We’re very pleased to have gotten our hands onto the BMW 3 SERIES DIESEL TOURING 320d M Sport 5dr Step Auto which was on our premises recently.

As we have been discussing in our blogs recently, the estate/tourer category of cars has come under pressure due to the considered growth of the SUV market which seems to have satisfied the family-car driver. What is the best family-car? This is actually quite a difficult question to answer now as there are a plethora of quality options and product choice…

Some drivers now want the “higher” driving position which many of the SUVs now offer. Aesthetically, the estate/tourer can look a tad old-fashioned and so is often more likely to be popular with our older-drivers. It is actually quite a rare occurrence for a younger-driver to ask for the estate vehicle; long live the Kia Sportage, the Nissan Qashqi and the Peugeot 3008 we suppose!

On the matter of age and car leasing, it is probably important to clarify a couple of key points. In terms of leasing a car as a younger-driver, there is no age restriction as such. So long as you are aged 18 or older you are legally able to enter into a credit agreement, so long as you have a full UK driving licence in the case of contract hire of a car or van.

However, as a young driver, you need to consider two facets:

1) Insurance – before committing to a vehicle, ask the credit broker to supply you with the P11d on the vehicle, the insurance group and any relevant details. If the car is pre-registered, obtain the reg and chassis number too. When you have the information, you can then properly procure the correct insurance quotes. As insurance is NOT included with contract hire, make sure you factor this into your budgets; and

2) Credit – contract hire is a credit-based product, so do understand your credit position before looking for vehicles. Experian is a good place to start, as this helps educate you on any issues or restrictions on your credit file.

In terms of the Beemer shown here, this is based on the following configuration:

· Metallic – Glacier Silver

· Dakota leather – Black

· Hexagon aluminium trim with estoril blue matt finish

· 18″ M Star spoke alloy wheels – Style 400M

The “M Sport” is the top of the range, sitting above the SE and the Sport. As a result you do get a nice level of specification including manual adjustable seats, 18” alloys, M Sports suspension, Dakota leather, navigation system business advanced, rear parking sensors, heated door mirrors, LED headlights, cruise control, heated washer jets, rain sensing wipers, hill start assist, drive performance control, automatic tailgate, electric door mirrors, LED lights, dual zone air conditioning, multifunction steering wheel, extended light package, interior light package and sports function on the steering wheel. Factory options-wise – add the sun protection glass, front parking distance control, and BMW Plus Pack for the perfect mix of sporty and comfort!

On the technical-side, the company car drivers can note the P11d at £36,770.00 and CO2 at 119g/km on a standard vehicle. The 1995CC 8 speed automatic engine delivers 190ps, MPG of 62.8 and 0-62 times of 7.4 seconds. Servicing is every 24 months or 36,000 miles, whichever lands sooner.

With the longer service intervals on the 3 series, if you are looking at a low mileage 2/3 year contract, you may find yourself in a driver-maintained agreement.

So with the Audi A4 Avant and Mercedes C-Class Estate as the main rivals, does the BMW do enough in the mid-size luxury estate category for your business? Or would you be looking for a leasing deal on another manufacturer?