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I am planning on purchasing a used E90 320, i do 12000 miles a year (half are motorway), i know that a diesel car costs more to purchase and takes longer to break-even. Anyone here got a 320i M Sport E90 and what kind of figures of mpg do they get?
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In your case if you're keeping for 3 years I would probably have a drive in both and see what you think, they will drive very differently.
I can't help on the specific MPG figures as I have never owned either car, but the 320D is a very efficient car that will return some damn good figures, the 320i will be markedly less efficient but may be more pleasing to drive depending on what you look for in an engine.
I would say that at 12,000 miles per year it's probably not gonna make a huge difference whichever one you buy really, bear in mind that although you pay more up front for the diesel you do get a portion of this back at resale time if you're planning on changing at 3/5 years.
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Diesel is nowhere near cost-effective for 12k miles per year.
Diesel price will be going back up to 120p/litre in the medium term, you need to be doing mega miles for that to pay off.
On the other hand, if you prefer the way a diesel car drives then go for it.
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I've got the BMW 2 litre petrol in my 2006 318ci. Its a cabriolet so a bit heavier than a saloon, but still gives 35mpg in general driving.
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I do 18k miles per year in a 320d Touring (half on the motorway).
I get around 48 mpg, though trip computer reads higher (naughty little monkey!). And this is on an Automatic!
The engine is relatively smooth for a diesel, though not as nice as the petrol, obviously.
The power band is impressively wide, not as good at the petrol equivalent, but much better than the old school diesels. You get practically full power from about 1750 revs, all the way to just past 4000.
In summary, Petrol is smoother and sounds better, whereas diesel gives better MPG and real-world driveability. Personally, I shall probably go back to petrol for my next car, but don't let that sway you - try both engines and decide what you want..
One word though. Make sure that you can live with the Sport suspension. Go on a long (I mean LONG) test drive. I sometimes get a Sport saloon as a courtesy car, and it seems OK at first, but the hard ride gets very jarring after a while. Standard suspension is much better IMHO - you still get plenty good enough handling and more comfort on longer journeys.
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I would drive both and see what you like best. The diesel is unlikely to make economic sense at your mileage but you may prefer the way it drives. The petrol will probably feel slow in comparison to the diesel in real world driving but will be more fun. I didn't really like the 320d i drove but then i have yet to try a diesel i enjoy driving.
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I'd say for only 12K per year and only half being motorway, there is too much against getting a diesel. I have an A4 diesel, and if my circumstances were like this I wouldn't get diesel again.
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