Discussion
don't panic - this is not a which is faster topic!
I have a 335d at the moment, originally I bought it as I got fed up waiting for the M3 to come out.
After buying it (my first ever diesel!) I was impressed, pretty quick, reasonably economical, seats 4, etc, etc.
So when the M3 finally arrived I cancelled my order after driving one, on the road and to be fair mostly in traffic but then that is where I spend most of my time - it just did not seem worth the extra £25K or so.
I do not want this to become a bashing post, but I am interested in people's opinions on how good the new M3 is in docile mode - i.e. driving into city centres in rush hour, taking the kids to football, taking the missus for a meal - all that stuff we do in real life.
I am considering the change quite seriously, I do love the 335d a lot but now and again I do wish i had gone for the M3 (heart only by the way - wallet suggests having the 335d and changing now is the better option).
I have a 335d at the moment, originally I bought it as I got fed up waiting for the M3 to come out.
After buying it (my first ever diesel!) I was impressed, pretty quick, reasonably economical, seats 4, etc, etc.
So when the M3 finally arrived I cancelled my order after driving one, on the road and to be fair mostly in traffic but then that is where I spend most of my time - it just did not seem worth the extra £25K or so.
I do not want this to become a bashing post, but I am interested in people's opinions on how good the new M3 is in docile mode - i.e. driving into city centres in rush hour, taking the kids to football, taking the missus for a meal - all that stuff we do in real life.
I am considering the change quite seriously, I do love the 335d a lot but now and again I do wish i had gone for the M3 (heart only by the way - wallet suggests having the 335d and changing now is the better option).
DXB!! Your thread is here!
Neil.D said:
I dont know what your car history is but the M series cars (even the CSL) are well venerated, partly for their dual personality. So easily to live with yet fantastic on track.
In this months BMW car a chap takes one for a 4 thousand mile road trip, if youre interested.
before the 335d I had a 330ci, and before that a TVR Chimaera and a motorway muncher, so I do love V8s, I like a car to drive, but 99.5% of my driving is boring stuff going to work and back, I know a good car makes a difference all the time, but I am particularly interested in hearing from current M3 owners who live day to day with their cars - I may put up to 30K a year on it.In this months BMW car a chap takes one for a 4 thousand mile road trip, if youre interested.
gizlaroc said:
The M3 with EDC is actually far more comfy than the regular cars, the damping is far superior.
You really need to try one, they are fantastic as an everyday car, in fact, that is the only thing that puts me off them a little, just don't feel as raw as the E46 M3, sure I will swap at some point but not in a desperate hurry.
yes EDC would be on my shopping list - what do people think of DCT, better/worse than the manual?You really need to try one, they are fantastic as an everyday car, in fact, that is the only thing that puts me off them a little, just don't feel as raw as the E46 M3, sure I will swap at some point but not in a desperate hurry.
I have tried one - but as I said only in traffic, and I have grown to love the auto box for day to day driving....
waremark said:
Mine is an E92 with DCT and EDC. I consider it to be a good daily driver, while always managing to feel (and sound) more special than a 335 (either i or d).
People say the low down torque is less good than the 335's. It is definitely much better than the E46 M3, and I find it swift but refined when driven gently.
The DCT is fantastic on track or country road; the gears swap instantly and smoothly when you pull a paddle. I generally use auto in suburban and town driving. In auto it works fine most of the time, but it is not as consistently smooth around town as a conventional auto. It makes good gear choices and a lot of the changes are good, but sometimes you get a particularly awkward change, particularly when you have slowed to say 10 to 15 mph and then want to accelerate again.
For your mileage and in the present state of the market changing to a DCT M3 sounds expensive - early cars are so cheap (£25k less than list), but I have not yet seen cheap DCT's. As to consumption (and range) on local journeys I average 18 mpg (up to 24 for long distances on trunk roads).
thankyou for your post - exactly what I was after - an honest post.People say the low down torque is less good than the 335's. It is definitely much better than the E46 M3, and I find it swift but refined when driven gently.
The DCT is fantastic on track or country road; the gears swap instantly and smoothly when you pull a paddle. I generally use auto in suburban and town driving. In auto it works fine most of the time, but it is not as consistently smooth around town as a conventional auto. It makes good gear choices and a lot of the changes are good, but sometimes you get a particularly awkward change, particularly when you have slowed to say 10 to 15 mph and then want to accelerate again.
For your mileage and in the present state of the market changing to a DCT M3 sounds expensive - early cars are so cheap (£25k less than list), but I have not yet seen cheap DCT's. As to consumption (and range) on local journeys I average 18 mpg (up to 24 for long distances on trunk roads).
I am sure I will get criticised for this but money is not my primary driver in this - I spend a lot of time in my car so I want to enjoy it, I work long days and travel a lot so for me a good car is an essential.
I could live with the gear changes - we went over to Guernsey last year and the autobox really struggled with the speed limits over there - it was constantly hunting!
wow, so I thought everyone would post and say go for the M3, but it seems a lot of other people feel like me, when I swapped from the TVR and motorway rep special, the 330Ci felt like the ultimate compromise - very, very good at everything but not the best in each category. The 335d is a step on from that in most respects (except exhaust note!).
I think given where we are with the economy, my head is going to rule this one and I will wait and see where the prices go.
I think given where we are with the economy, my head is going to rule this one and I will wait and see where the prices go.
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