3200 km Road Trip in British Columbia

Well, not exactly in a TDI. We just got back from BC where we visited some family including my son who is studying and working out there, and also my wife's siblings who live there. Our mount for the trip was this, courtesy of Budget (BMW 328i X-Drive):



Not exactly a TDI. We drove from Vancouver through the Okanagan to Nelson, BC, then up to Revelstoke and Field, then up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper and the foot of Mount Robson where we went on an epic 25 km hike, then to Prince George where my son lives, then back down to Vancouver.

This photo, taken near Mount Robson with my iPhone 6, sums up the scenery and the weather we enjoyed on the entire trip:



A few notes on the car. The extensive drive allowed me to conclude that... I much prefer my Golf TDI. Although the handling was of course great, and the engine had plenty of torque and power (241 hp to be exact), and the fuel economy was decent (we averaged 7.2 L/100 km over 3200 km, which is close to 33 mpg), my observations are:

-The BMW 3-series is no longer the razor-sharp driver's car it once was; I find my Golf more "tossable" in the turns, flatter, better planted and with better steering feel;
-Construction quality is about on par with a Jetta: same cheap door hardware, big steel trunk deck hinges (no gas struts here either), flimsier feel than my Golf when slamming doors;
-Weird packaging, for example... no fold-down rear seats?????
-Great bi-xenon headlights. I want some...
-No trouble on the many mountain passes we had to cross;
-Seats nowhere near as comfortable as my Golf... they gave me a backache and I was never able to find a truly comfortable position
-The user interface. Oh my what can I say... IT SUCKS!!! Far too complicated, not intuitive to use. I much prefer my cheapo RNS-315 Nav in my car, as well as the simple but effective trip computer. Out of revenge, I change the settings to FRENCH for the next poor guy who rents it

A 3200 km road test that made me wish... I had brought my Golf. BMW has evolved a long way from the classic 2002... and not all in a good way. When I got home, getting in my Golf was like putting on my best pair of jeans. Still, it was a fun experience, and my wife was relieved to hear me say I preferred my Golf to the BMW

Though I did appreciate the BMW's power and xenon headlights which now make me covet... a Golf R (but I'd settle for a GTI).

A few observations on driving in BC: finally a place with sensible speed limits; good two-lane roads are mostly 100 km/h with some 80 and 90 zones where conditions warrant; excellent posting of reduced speed warnings for sharp curves; 110 km/h on 4-lane roads, and apparently 120 on some better 4-lanes though we didn't use those. The higher limits are kind of nice when a typical driving day was 800 km... Excellent road surfaces; Quebec is positively 3d world in comparison, especially Montreal. The roads leading out of our airport (and for that matter domestic arrivals at the airport itself) are an embarrassment.

Great report. Looks like you had plenty of fun. Same here! Fell in love with the GOLF IV TDI....Bought it for the trips to Edmonton and back. Loved the handling and the savings on DIESEL. Normally I changed my cars every few month or so... max. 2 - 4 years. But this TDI is all I'm looking for in a car.... comfortable and I save a lot of money on Diesel and Maintenance.

Thanks!

I should add that I once owned a 328i for two years: a 1996. The '96, while definitely more rustic, had much sportier behaviour and was more fun to drive. The newer one is of course smoother and quieter, has better build quality, and has more power, but the '96 was much closer to what I always thought BMW was all about. Alas the newer one is more "luxury" and far less "sport sedan". I certainly wouldn't cough up the north of 40 large they are asking for it.

I think the GTI is the true spiritual heir to the 2002. A small, practical and affordable sporty ride.

Side note I wish BMW would ditch its orange dash lighting or at least do like some cars and allow the option to change the colour. Nearing upper end of my 50s, my eyesight isn't as sharp as it once was and I had to wear my reading glasses to be able to even begin to decipher the instrument panel. I can still read the white-on-black gauges on my Golf without too much trouble and without glasses. I have similar issues with the blue lighting on our old '05 Passat but wisely VW has moved away from it. When you reach a certain age, contrast is everything.

I can chime in on this - I've done about 5000 kms in a 2013 328xi - some parts of it were very impressive, but for the most part, I much prefer my GTI

yatzee said:

I can chime in on this - I've done about 5000 kms in a 2013 328xi - some parts of it were very impressive, but for the most part, I much prefer my GTI

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I can relate! I preferred my TDI as well (mine is a Highline with Nav). The only thing I found I really wanted on the BMW was the bi-xenon lights, and perhaps the power which was handy on some of those mountain passes (we reached a max altitude of 7000 ft). Both I can get on a GTI, and both I can get on my TDI if I'd be willing to spend a few $ on it (chip and OEM bi-xenons).

Given where I live (Quebec) the chip probably isn't necessary but the bi-xenons would be nice.

PlaneCrazy said:

I can relate! I preferred my TDI as well (mine is a Highline with Nav). The only thing I found I really wanted on the BMW was the bi-xenon lights, and perhaps the power which was handy on some of those mountain passes (we reached a max altitude of 7000 ft). Both I can get on a GTI, and both I can get on my TDI if I'd be willing to spend a few $ on it (chip and OEM bi-xenons).

Given where I live (Quebec) the chip probably isn't necessary but the bi-xenons would be nice.

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I live here too. Wonderful place to run 18's....

I have a base model with just the roof/18's option. I would have liked to have gotten the xenon's but the difference in the lease payment didn't make any sense. Powerwise, my GTI is very close to the BMW - VW understated the power on the new 2.0t engine

Owned 2 BMW's in my life: 1975 520 plus a 1988 318

Dislikes on the NEW models: The stupid looking Antenna on the roof. I call it the Butcher Knife !

Looks like you had a nice trip! Shame about the car.

shicks15 said:

Looks like you had a nice trip! Shame about the car.

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Well it wasn't all that bad. It could have been worse, something like a Dodge Avenger or similar. It did drive nicely though I find my Golf tighter and more responsive.

But the Golf just is a better fit and way more ergonomic. Everything in the Golf is at your fingertips but the BMW foists that stupid rotary controller on you that is far from intuitive, not to mention the gear leaver that forces you to downshift forwards in manual mode, rather than back as on our old Passat. I did eventually start to get the hang of it mid-way through the trip, but I wonder how many new BMW drivers are driven to near the edge on their first few weeks with the car.

Maybe I'm just getting old, but with my fingertips I can scroll through phone, basic nav, radio, and trip computer on my Golf, via the steering wheel. I don't really need more info, and the information is right between the tach and speedo.

I was in that part of the world years ago. Skied at Sunshine and Lake Louise. Spectacular scenery! Jasper is beautiful, too. It's great in the Summer when the sun doesn't set until 10-11 PM. Great pics. Makes me want to go back. I'd like to do that trip in a 535d.

Glad you enjoyed yourself over here in my neck of the woods!

I love driving in the interior of BC. Mountain highways are a ton of fun, it's why I built up my car to have more power. This province is definitely fun to drive in once you're out of Vancouver.