Description
Estoril Blue is the colour for the F20 1 Series; deep metallic, & it looks superb in all light. It's been regularly cared for with proper Autoglym products (clay bar, Super Resin Polish, HD Wax); amazing paint.
I've owned it nearly 3 years & it's been brilliant everywhere; Edinburgh runs, Birmingham traffic, Welsh B roads, Spa for the F1. Selling only because of a job change.
Under the bonnet is BMW's N47D20 twinturbo diesel (bonnet opens with BMW's doublepull catch & gas struts; no dirty hands) producing 221 bhp & 450 Nm. Proper sequential twinturbo setup: instant response, relentless. The later B47 went single turbo & lost some of that punch. This is the enthusiast's one.
Official figures are 52.3 mpg urban, 68.9 mpg extra urban, which counters Mr Trumps antics in the Middle East. It's Euro 6, so fully compliant with ULEZ, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, etc drive straight in with no emissions charges. Road tax: 170/year.
The 8speed ZF gearbox is superb sharper and quicker than the old 6 speeder, always in the right gear, no lag. The M Sport brakes are one of my favourite parts of the car: 4pot fronts, 2pot rears, loads of feel and confidence.
At speed it feels planted, with that classic BMW stance. The 18" M Sport alloys (staggered) look great & give real presence.
Practicality
This is the 5door, with proper rear access and a true fiveseat layout. The boot is one of the biggest in the class. With the seats down it's huge. I can fit a full size bike in the back without removing the wheels. Seats fold one handed with belts neatly out of the way. You also get active tyre pressure monitoring, washerfluid warnings & a proper rear wiper.
Inside, the Hexagon/Alcantara trim is cooler and more comfortable than leather. Auto lights/wipers, Sport mode displays, strong aircon, & rear privacy glass all add to the feel.
Full service history, mostly BMW/BMW specialists. Looked after in my ownership by Noel Butler at AutoKraft. Full MOT.
Mileage is 94,000, still below average for its age. These engines routinely go past 200k when maintained properly.
Upgrades include full Android Auto/CarPlay on the original iDrive screen, & the Harman Kardon system sounds superb with your favourite Spotify playlist. Koni Special Active dampers transform the ride; comfortable when crcruising, controlled when pressing on. Michelin Pilot Sport 5s fitted.
Summary: right colour, right spec, properly looked after. check the video and photos to see how it stacks up.