Used 2014 BMW 3 Series Diesel Consumer Reviews

2014 328D Xdrive

IMHO the recommended intervals for fluid changes are too long. I will change in-between. Also lifetime fluids don't exist once again IMHO. This is a ploy by BMW to reduce their warranty costs for maintenance and gives the false impression that ownership is not so costly. This might be fine for someone who trades often but those used ones that followed BWM's schedule will not hold up as well. This is a fine car. It does everything well and offers great mileage without any sacrifice. We totally love the car. Costs are high all the way around but then again I'd expect them to be from such a fine auto. I'm on my 4th one now without one regret. Loved them all. The 328D offers it all. Don't buy any BMW and expect low costs for anything. If you make the purchase knowing this and maintain them well you will be a very happy BMW owner. We also currently own a 2014 335i and a cheap to maintain 2016 Toyota Tacoma limited for boat and stuff hauling. Update 1. After an additional 6,000 miles we couldn't be happier with this car. By far our favorite car ever. Good job BMW. Just keeps being a fine car. I bought a bigger sister now that will replace the 3, a 535D M Sport. Also a great car. It will be a sad day when the 3 drives off.

To New York and back 51mpg!

I love the car. This is my 3rd 3-series, -when my last 328i at 180,000 miles started to show signs of costly repairs I thought is was time to trade in. I was hopping around for fuel efficient cars including hybrids, once used to the driving environment of the BMW its difficult to switch. The car has been 5/5. The mileage I get has been great. I am a bit of a mpg-geek and think its fun to keep track. Most recent was a full-packed 4 people trip to NY from Atlanta, including Labor day traffic jams and driving on Manhattan. Coming home after 1750 miles the trip computer showed 51mpg average. -I'm happy with that. Around town (Atlanta traffic 25-30mph average): ~40-45mpg MPG "geek" driving (careful driving smooth acc etc): 55-60 mpg Update I have now driven the car over 15,000 miles. No issues. I really like the torque of the diesel Sometimes I get an annoying warning about a malfunctioning parking light. That’s about it. After my initial “mpg-craze” I still routinely get >50mpg on longer highway trips. City traffic is probably more like ~38mpg. Typical highway at 75mph: ~53mpg Update 50,000 miles. Emission light came on at 49k, dealer changed fuel injectors Had my first experience with run-flats while travelling. Drove 25 miles to a Wall-mart, bought a plier and a plug-kit, repaired the tire on the parking lot. -Great! No other problems! Update 65,000 miles Absolute Zero Problems. Bought new tires

Great car, but be cautious

I purchased a 2014 328d Xdrive a little over a year ago. I purchased what I thought was going to be an exceptional car. I travel quite a bit for work and personal (roughly 1000 miles per week). With the diesel being so efficient, I thought this was going to be the perfect purchase of luxury and performance. At a little over a year of ownership, I just picked up my car after having the entire engine replaced at a BMW dealership. The dealership has serviced my car on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the premature engine failure was labeled as "due to normal wear and tear". The good news was the $16,000 engine replacement cost me $0.00. The bad news is that my warranty expires soon and BMW told me that when it expired that they would possibly review the case, but no guarantee. Update: I will never repeat as a BMW customer. After the engine failed the first time, I had additional issues with the second engine. The technicians here in the US spent countless hours discussing with the team in Germany. In addition, the transfer case began experiencing major issues. BMW suggested that I replace the transfer case at a cost of $4600. All in all, I found too many issues to believe that this car would be solid investment for me long term or reliable as a daily driver. At 91,000 miles, I parted ways with this car. Sorry for the bad review. I experienced too many issues.

Diesel is great but one caution....

Bought mine new - 2014 BMW 328d, and yes it actually gets to 45 MPG hwy, I averaged 42 mixed and I've tracked every single fuel up on the Fuelly app. I'm 4 years and 76k miles in now, and I drive in Eco mode 90%, but sport mode is a blast, the low end torque is remarkable, and the car is every bit a 3 series in handling dynamics and road feel. Diesel clatter is only evident at very low speeds, and never intrusive. Above 15-20 mph sounds like a regular gas engine to me. This is my second BMW, having spent the previous 6 years with an '07 BMW 530i, the 328 has almost the same passenger room but handles way better. One caveat, beware of cheap diesel! I've been told diesel is not regulated to the same standards as gasoline. Now I gas up only at heavily trafficked gas stations where trucks frequent near the interstate, where fuel is more likely to be fresh. My car at 40k miles had a bad high pressure fuel pump which partially disintegrated (or delaminated) and threw bits of metal into the fuel injectors. Car just bogged down and died, lucky it was on city streets. The repair was a entirely new fuel tank, pump, injectors - the entire fuel delivery system, I was told the repair cost was $6k-$7k but fortunately it happened under 50k miles and BMW warranty covered. I was advised the trouble probably was contaminated fuel, and I do recall the previous diesel fill up at an off brand gas station was about 15% lower price than usual. Steering clear of cheap diesel and very contented with this car!

Reliable, efficient, fun to drive BMW 328d

I've done a lot of research on Mercedes/Audi/BMW diesels before I bought my 328d: if you pick up a copy of Consumer Reports magazine (or subscribe online), you'll learn that 2014 BMW 3 series earned an average of 4 star (above average) reliability ratings in every area (mechanical, electrical, etc.), better than any other year; other 3 series have average reliability and most 7 series and 5 series score below average reliability. These BMW 328d have very few mechanical issues unlike 2009-2011 335d, which were known for expensive fuel injector/pump, carbon buildup and DEF/EGR problems. I fill up with Propel HPR diesel, a 100% renewable diesel (way better than bio-diesel) available in most cities in CA, which will help keep this 328d very reliable for many years (look up HPR diesel online, I tested it on my TDI before, it's a superb clean diesel alternative). Fuel economy is way better than EPA rating at cruising speed - I get 52-54 mpg at 73-75 mph, (high 50's! when cruising at 55-65 mph) - I average 39-44 on each tank (600+ miles) depending on what % is city driving & how aggressively I drive - that's the fuel economy of a Toyota hybrid. Considering the great handling and how much fun it is to drive (280 lb. ft. of torque), this BMW is a winner! I bought my 328d certified pre-owned from BMW of Marin County with an extended warranty (2 years, unlimited miles) which gives me a peace of mind as I drive 3K/month all over NorCal. The 8 speed ZF transmission is smooth and quick shifting in either sport or comfort mode: I've owned many BMW's with 5 & 6 speed transmission and this 8 speed is the best. Interestingly enough, I searched for 328d for 3 months and paid less for very clean low mileage Certified 328d than private parties were asking, which shows how high the demand is for these reliable diesels. If you find one with a clean title & well maintained - buy it - you won't regret owning it. Here's a nice review from Motorweek - http://www.motorweek.org/reviews/road_tests/2014_bmw_328d

Fun to drive PLUS great fuel economy

I bought a Certified Pre-Owned 2014 328d (X Drive) with 18K miles, and now have 36K miles after 9 months. This car replaced a 2007 328xi that I traded in after 180K miles (loved that car too). I consider the 328d a bridge between regular gas engines and an electric vehicle; the mileage is so fantastic, I feel just as smug as the Prius drivers as I pass them on the highway, knowing I'm sipping fuel at a slower rate than them at highway speeds. Acceleration is not the reason you buy this car, but getting up to speed is effortless, with the low RPMs and fast-shifting transmission getting you to full highway speed without a worry. Handling and breaking are, as typical for a BMW 3 Series, second to none. I'm now a stranger to gas stations, as I usually go 550-600 miles between fill-ups. Although many don't like run-flats, I absolutely love them, and they've saved me from many bad situations in the past. They are well worth the extra replacement cost, given the peace of mind that they provide. I'm 6'4", and that's probably pushing max height for a BMW 3 Series driver...however, the car is still very comfortable for me, even on long trips. Getting out is not as easy as higher-profile vehicles, but until my age catches up with me, I'm completely fine with that.

So happy we chose this car

We were in the market for a fuel efficient car that can haul our two German shepherds, plus myself and my wife, plus baggage. We have owned our 328d derive wagon for 6 months now and I have averaged 38.8 mpg. Average! And I have a lead foot... If I put it in Eco Pro mode and cruise on the highway I can average nearly 50mpg. Amazing. And the car is still a blast to drive. Does great in snow as well. It doesn't pin you to your seat like a 6 cylinder Beemer, but the engine pulls really strong when the turbos kick in and it's a blast to drive. In sport mode it turns into an angry little car. The handling really is superb. Never thought getting 40 mpg could be this much fun.

So far, so very, very good

I shopped for 3 years and test drove several cars before deciding on the BMW 328d. I've had the car for a month and I am so impressed with every aspect of it. I have a typical long commute in San Diego - early morning to beat the rush, and a slog in the afternoon. So far close to 39 mpg and >500 miles/tank. Highway mileage is well above the 45 estimated. Car is so sweet and fun to drive. Got the Nav, which comes with a host of other stuff and I say worth the extra $$. For me, this was a momentous upgrade from a reliable 2003 Accord V6 with 145K miles. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a high mpg, mid-level luxury car. In addition, BMW of Escondido treated me very, very well!

Fuel sipping fury!

This is a great car. I get 32 mpg in the city and over 50 on the freeway. I average just above 40 mpg per tank and in Los angeles Diesel fuel is a dollar less than regular gas. The ride is extremely smooth and comfortable. The steering is too light unless its in sport mode. The cabin is a little too loud at highway speed, the engine is quiet but the road noise is too high for a $40k + car. My only other complaint is that features like HID headlights, Bluetooth streaming audio, and backup camera are not standard features. But I am very happy with my purchase and highly recommend the car.

100,000 mile review

UPDATE: 4 years and 150,000 miles. Still no repairs or anything outside of regular maintenance. New battery finally replaced and coming up soon will be my first brake job. Still a wonderfully reliable car and looks amazing as long as I can keep it clean. I have owned this car for almost three years and so far it has been a wonderful car. No repairs at all outside of regular maintenance. The car still drives like it was new. I will say that this car is best suited for lots of highway driving but the seats in the sport model get very uncomfortable after about 45 minutes of driving. Handling is excellent. However, if something does go wrong with the car, there is no place but the dealership that will service it because it is the diesel model.

Twelve thousand miles and in the shop again.

My 328d now has roughly 12k miles on it now, and as I type this the car is sitting at the BMW dealer with the techs trying to figure out what's wrong with it. Basically, they don't know for sure and they've reached out to senior engineers at BMW for answers. To date they have fixed a squeaky dash that was missing a clip from the factory. They have removed a stink bug from inside the right tail light (A common problem with bugs getting in it seems). They gave the car back without repairs for an engine idle problem at stoplights, saying they couldn't reproduce it. The engine acts like it wants to shut off and shakes the whole car. I video'd the tach jumping around and gave it back again.

Fun Vehicle with Outstanding MPG

Picked up a 2014 328d a month ago. Was in dealership looking at a few models and spotted the 328d. Took it for a test drive. Leased one. Some folks comment negatively on the premium for the 328d over a gas model. However, on a lease you only pay for about 40 percent of the difference which is likely more than offset by the increased MPG. My first tank averaged about 42mpg, mixed city and country driving. Second tank improved to 46 mpg also with mixed driving. I attribute the difference to driving in the Eco Pro mode with a bit more attention to the mpg. Vehicle seems very well put together and is a blast to drive.

Finally a diesel that matches a gas engine

Got this 3 serie wagon in the fall and have driven about 1,800 miles. The car performs flawlessly. It's fun to drive, taunt and the interior execution is fantastic. At the end of the week I can't help but smile when I realise I get a combined 35 mpg on a week of driving. This little machine will outperform 90% of V6 engines out there (although 0-60 is still a bit slow for my taste).

Close to the ideal all around car

This is a great little car! It hugs the road and is a pleasure to drive. It gets great fuel mileage and is very comfortable on long trips. The only downside is that BMW "nickels and dimes" you on packages rather than making everything standard on an automobile in this category.

Wonderful purchase and daily driver

6 months, 6000 miles....Love it, bottom line! I am dealing with more city driving, getting 32-33 mpg. I do miss driving a manual trans. but the paddle shifters and sport mode make up for it. Space is amazing for hauling people under 6 ft. Update (almost 3 years - 31k miles) of ownership.... At 23k miles, the transfer case had to be replaced under warranty. The replacement unit was a re-manufactured unit. Not pleased and doesn't give me much confidence in the car. More importantly, VAG and diesel-gate has hurt the resale value, should I have wanted to trade it in, sell, etc... Mark my words, diesel is dead in America and looking abroad, it is going to quickly die in Europe, etc... as a result of diesel-gate. Most recent update (over 4 years, 50k miles), Transfer case had to be replaced, again at 40k miles and was replaced under warranty. Not cool! Car has performed pleasantly on two, not one, but two cross USA trips over 1700 miles each. Car still puts a smile on my face while driving it, so still on the fence for trading it in.

Good but not great

My biggest gripe is value for the money. If all you're looking for in a vehicle is engineering and performance, then BMW is definitely for you. The 2.0L Turbo 4 is a powerful little engine which is smooth as silk and provides sprightly acceleration, especially in Sport mode. I'll even forgive the fact that it sounds like a low-end diesel mill at idle. But BMWs come by their sticker price by virtue of their reputation and position in the luxury segment. Upgrading the technology, luxury and safety components comes at a steep price. To get something as basic as a backup camera (standard equipment in most cars now), you need to tack on a $900 Driver Assistance Package, and active monitoring features come in another $1700 package. I'm probably going to trade this car soon for a small SUV and need to try and justify whether I want to fork over another $16 to $18K above my trade-in for an X3 which will have less than half the comfort and safety equipment of many other worthy contenders in the segment at thousands less. Tough call.

Most beautiful car I will ever own, plus ...

Original review -- This bmw 328d is beautiful, sporty, economical (50mpg hwy), and with the diesel reliability, it should last me the rest of my life. Got buyback money from VW for my old 2009 Jetta TDI (which I also loved) and got this 2014 328d in perfect condition for buyback money plus $2000. These cars depreciate fast but most of that loss was incurred by the prior owner. Everything about the car seems very high quality, much more so that the Jetta was. Always looking fwd to taking it on another trip. 11/19/2021 Update -- Still absolutely love this car. Have had a few incidents where I had to hit the brakes pretty hard on the highway and take evasive action, and it handled beautifully. Only problems I've had so far are the nox sensors, which were covered under extended warranty, and the rear oxygen sensor which I had replaced. I dread the day I have to replace it with an all elec vehicle because I just love diesels. 5/12/2024 update -- Still loving this 328d beemer. So glad I got one before they stopped making diesels. No problems at all since my previous update. A beautiful ride with beautiful BMW style. This car is a long term keeper. 11/20/2024 Update -- Still loving this diesel BMW, and it's even more special now since you can't even buy diesel cars in the US anymore, thanks to VW dieselgate scandle. Not a big E-car fan yet and will never go back to gasoline, so still plan on keeping my ultra reliable diesel vehicles for a long time. 5/21/2025 Update -- No change. Keeping this awesome car for the rest of my life. Only way I would buy a new one is if they started making diesels again.

Wow!! The MPG is no joke!!

My wife and I purchased a 2014 328d sedan about 2 months ago and we could not be happier. She had a 2009 G8 GT and were used to driving a high performance car BUT it got horrible fuel mileage (avg 17.3 mpg). When I found the 328d and the 32-45mpg estimates I was very skeptical of the accuracy of that fuel rating but let me tell you right now for a fact, this car gets every bit of 45mpg on the highway and I drive it with a heavy foot. We took a 500 mile trip and I drove at 85-90 mph almost the whole way and I was blown away when I saw 42.2 MPG driving in comfort mode and I was not trying to conserve in any way. We have not found anything that we do not like about this car so far.

328d is great BUT!!!

I agree with most of the positive comments regarding owners inner feelings about owning a BMW. However, with sticker prices out of sight the real reviews should be on the cost to own an operate these cars. An oil change can run from $200 to more than $250 depending on what dealer you call. Run flats cost an arm and a leg- but BMW does not have to provide jack , spare not even a mobile repair kit. Everything and I do mean everything from brake pads to air filters cost 2x more than my 2014 full size hybrid. I got caught up in all the reviews both by pros and owners. Most do not talk about cost of maintain the car or it's overall reliability.

2014 328D WAGON - M Sport Package

Great vehicle! Like riding on rails and still space for 2 dogs! Practicality mixed with a sexy fast car is the best duality money can buy!

Great MPG

Chose the diesel for mpg on a 70 mile daily commute. I had am replacing s large Crew Cab Pickup and this cat sips fuel in comparison.

Saves gas and still fun to drive!

The 328d may be one of the slower models of the fleet, but it's torque to horsepower ratio is superb.

Fantastic 2014 BMW 328d

This is a great car with all the known characteristics of a BMW 3 series plus an amazing gas mileage and superb power and torque. The car has been a joy to drive around town and even better on the highway and specifically mountain roads. I love this car.

Catastrophic fail - lost all power on fwy

Do not get this car, or possibly any BMW if you need to travel long distance from time to time. I experienced one about 180 miles from home. It lost all power without any warning (turns out to be a failed fuel pump). I had to pay $1,200 to have it towed back home. It actually saved me money as the fuel pump was still under warranty (But I have to pay the towing). It’s a fun car to drive around town, and good for commuting as it gets good mileage. But do not, I repeat, do not take this car for any long distance travel. It is simple not reliable for that, and you’d be putting you or your family in risk if you get stranded in the middle of no where

three months and counting

Have owned it for 3 mos. includes premium package. Handles very well but would suggest getting an extended warranty if you plan to keep it beyond 4 yrs. Jeff S. at Passport BMW in MD gave me best price for Gold package by far.

2014 BMW 328d

Leased this vehicle with fuel savings in mind. I must say it has done very well with mid 40's mpg. The power is awesome and the vehicle is very solid. The maintenance warranty package was a huge selling point as well. 4 yr 50k maintenance package was tough to beat. Should be virtually cost free for oil and filter changes. One negative for me is the nav screen is not a touch screen. The wheel gets annoying and it is not very user friendly and the iPhone 5 has a hard time hooking up with the system. Other than that it is an awesome car.

Everything I Ever Wanted in a Car, and More!

*Note: This review is for the diesel 328d model, despite the limitations of the website showing it as a 328i - the diesel engine plays heavily into my satisfaction with this car* This 2L diesel AWD wagon is perfectly suited to my active lifestyle in the Pacific Northwest. If I drive conservatively, I can exceed 600 miles on a single tank of fuel. If I drive aggressively, I can out-accelerate most other cars on the road. I've comfortably sustained 130mph with virtually no road noise and rock solid maneuvering while cruising the autobahns of Germany, where diesel wagons are as common as SUVs are here. In winter with a good set of snow tires, I have easily traveled over icy mountain passes and conquered unplowed roads with up to half a foot of sticky wet Washington snow. The rear compartment in the wagon is big enough for all the gear I've ever needed to haul and the roof rails make adding a roofbox on-the-fly easy allowing me to carry gear for four. I've also hauled a canoe, a couple of ocean kayaks, surfboards, and bicycles - on separate occasions - all the while averaging 30+ mpg and never facing a hill I couldn't drive at the posted speed limit. All of this with ample comfort, thoughtful features, and style that makes this car equally suited for valet parking at the opera as it is for the outdoors. For over six years, this car has helped me live the life I want better than any other I've ever driven.

Built to Drive

exceptional engineering

No issues with this car whatsoever. Keep up with the maintenance, read the codes every now and then not only when the CEL lits and be proactive. My diesel has 122000 miles and no issue it drives and looks new. I did replace two injectors waterpump, belts, valve cover gasket and manifold gasket. But this is all I've done in addition to regular maintenance. After owning several M3, M5, AMG, I can honestly say that this car has the least expensive maintenance.

47mpg hwy and 130000 miles nothing expensive

I am a BMW/Mercedes aficionado while I will admit that BMW is behind mercedes on reliability, it all depends on how you do your maintenance. If you're listening to wannabe mechanics that advise you to change oil at 8000 miles when you take mainly 2 miles trips then your car regardless of the brand it will die prematurely, if you on the other side don't mind doing the maintenance early then your caar will last a long time. My Beemer runs fantastic at 47mpg the mpg is an EV killer, the car is fast as a gas powered one I manage my own maintenance and repairs and I err on the paranoid side as I have little to no trust in parts and consumable manufacturers so I am one of those that change oils between 5-6k miles, use only a certain type of filters, etc ... knock on wood in 40k miles I only replaced tires and did the 100-130k miles recommended maintenance (tranny, filters, fluids, brakes, O2 sensors and injector cleaning). This is one fantastic car I would put it right behind the Mercedes OM606 engine reliability ...which is probably the best on any diesel car ever ....