The 320D is an Impending Sense of Doom and Fun

The E90 BMW 320D is, by far, my favourite car I have ever owned. Which isn't saying much, given the only other car I've owned is my less beloved 2007 Fiat Punto in a light blue, which made keeping up in the ups and downs of the A30 a rather difficult task... with a whopping sixty-ish brake horsepower.

Safe to say, going to this E90 was nothing short of a treat. Long and sleek, and in the best colour a BMW can come in (insert colour here), and it makes very good mileage for a car that's also incredibly fun on the bends and straights. Cornwall to Manchester AND BACK in a single tank? Not bad at all! (ignoring the modern day cost of diesel).

In addition, I own the SE Business spec. When it was released, this edition was catered more to the “middle management company car” section of the market, meaning that mine comes with a couple of extra features like a Sat Nav, heated leather seats, front and rear parking sensors and even a phone dock in the armrest for making those important middle management decisions on the way to some suave 2010's grey office meeting. 

So what's the impending sense of doom? To put it simply, the N47 engine.

BMW decided that the timing chain wouldn’t need regular access to, so they placed it right at the back of the engine for space saving reasons, which seemed like a pretty clever and reasonable thing to do. However, timing chains started breaking. A LOT of N47 chains started breaking. Forums and forums of people panicking over four-figure repairs due to how laborious getting to the chain was, which scares me as an owner of one of these very engines.

And I'm even more worried, as my stage 1 remap might make things worse...

So, how do I feel about owning this car?

I think it’s pretty damn cool for a second car. I have the privilege of age on my side, as I can get away with being young and irresponsible with my choice in cars. Who wants to own something reliable at the age of twenty-one? I want fun! Something I can throw the back end out with, and impress all my friends with!

Thanks to the second-hand market, I think that the demographic of the 320D has changed from the initial corporate market to something more exciting, and a new lease on life has been given to these cars. I think a welded rear diff on this would make an enticing drift car...

I paid a grand total of £2,000 for this BMW. It did need work done to it, but once I sorted it, I haven't looked back since. I've made the exact mistake the internet warned me not to make, and I'm driving it anyway…