335i and other options
Discussion
rallycross said:
300bhp/ton said:
Why would you not want an E46 M3 at this price range. Surely a 335i is the poor cousin here.
Here you go again, you probably have never so much as sat in an m3 or 335i let alone driven or owned one - but once again you are advising people, based on what experience exactly? 30'000 posts of mainly spurious s
te. Come back when you have actually driven the cars you are commenting on ( if they will let you drive one).
The 335i was very disappointing to me as a sports saloon. Great cruiser, but crappy on a B road. Should have gone 330i.
That's why after 10 months it was sold for its more successful, better looking brother
mikeyscott said:
Mmm 330i haven't really thought about that, but not sure.
Late E90 330i should be a nicer build than R32, but not as much "character"
335i felt like a diesel to thrash tbh. Loads of punch from 1200rpm, but after 4,000rpm you didn't gain much holding on. And the dampness of the throttle response was disappointing. Late E90 330i should be a nicer build than R32, but not as much "character"
Did sound great though! And the torque was very useful off roundabouts. I think I'd change 2/3 times on the way to work!
mikeyscott said:
Mmm 330i haven't really thought about that, but not sure.
Late E90 330i should be a nicer build than R32, but not as much "character"
335i + birds kit?
The Birds dynamic kit with LSD is a given Late E90 330i should be a nicer build than R32, but not as much "character"
335i + birds kit?
Would a 130 be too small? The E46 is great but there are so many tired old heaps which need a lot of money chucked at them. I'd take a spin in the 335i and 330, a remap on either should sharpen the throttle up. I went from a E90 330i to a Mk5 R32 and to be honest, as much as I thought the E90 was a great car, I loved the character of the R32. I didn't notice a massive drop in quality between the two. I'm now in a late E46 M3 and yes its a bit dated compared to the E90 inside, but it is still a great car... Everyones' different though I guess...
Anyway, other options...You'd need to up the budget a bit, but Lexus ISF? Maybe an E60 M5, Alpina B3 or D3 but I appreciate they aren't easy to come by. CLK 350 or AMG55 Merc?
Anyway, other options...You'd need to up the budget a bit, but Lexus ISF? Maybe an E60 M5, Alpina B3 or D3 but I appreciate they aren't easy to come by. CLK 350 or AMG55 Merc?
Leins said:
I think all E46 coupes have split/fold
In that case a coupe is probably going to be more practical than the vast majority of saloons. AIUI split/fold seats were a costly (for what they are) option that very few people ticked. Im massively limited to what I can get it because I can't drop the seats.I must admit, its my own fault. I assumed split/folds would be there as standard fit, like most cars. How disappointed I was when I tried to put them down.
clubsport78 said:
I went from a E90 330i to a Mk5 R32 and to be honest, as much as I thought the E90 was a great car, I loved the character of the R32. I didn't notice a massive drop in quality between the two. I'm now in a late E46 M3 and yes its a bit dated compared to the E90 inside, but it is still a great car... Everyones' different though I guess...
Anyway, other options...You'd need to up the budget a bit, but Lexus ISF? Maybe an E60 M5, Alpina B3 or D3 but I appreciate they aren't easy to come by. CLK 350 or AMG55 Merc?
Interesting. I was looking at the 130i and R32. Appreciate that a car doesn't really get under your skin on a test drive but I found the R32 was all about the engine - great noise and decent throttle response. The rest of it left me cold, steering, handling etc all lacking in feedback/feel. The 130i lost out in the looks department, but felt more fluid to me. That said it felt awfully bouncy and interior on the pre-facelift ones was poor. Anyway, other options...You'd need to up the budget a bit, but Lexus ISF? Maybe an E60 M5, Alpina B3 or D3 but I appreciate they aren't easy to come by. CLK 350 or AMG55 Merc?
In the ended I went for the 335i as I found the ride and handling better than the 1-series and the added benefit that they seem to be a bit cheaper than a 130i. Also having a young child the touring was a more practical option. However, I can see what people are saying about the power delivery - apparently this can be addressed with a remap, which gets you a bit more punch higher up the rev range (and 60 extra bhp). I think it sounds surprisingly good for a forced induction engine.
Still working out if it's a stopgap to a E90 M3, or a car that needs to be augmented with something sporty with rear seats - problem being there aren't many of those about, possibly lotus Evora.
In terms of the OP's requirement, you might wait a bit but they are out there. Depending on whether you prefer the midrange punch of a FI engine or something with better throttle response the the 335 and 330 are both good options and a tough car to beat. Not that I've driven one, but how about an Alfa 159 Q4 V6 - couple for sale now that look nice.
Edited by survivalist on Sunday 27th September 22:07
GroundEffect said:
rallycross said:
300bhp/ton said:
Why would you not want an E46 M3 at this price range. Surely a 335i is the poor cousin here.
Here you go again, you probably have never so much as sat in an m3 or 335i let alone driven or owned one - but once again you are advising people, based on what experience exactly? 30'000 posts of mainly spurious s
te. Come back when you have actually driven the cars you are commenting on ( if they will let you drive one).
The 335i was very disappointing to me as a sports saloon. Great cruiser, but crappy on a B road. Should have gone 330i.
That's why after 10 months it was sold for its more successful, better looking brother
A little over budget but a low mileage, well equipped car at a main dealer and a lower price may be negotiable with some hard nosed dealing. In stock soon.
http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/3-Series/3.0-335i-M-Spor...
http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/3-Series/3.0-335i-M-Spor...
Blakewater said:
A little over budget but a low mileage, well equipped car at a main dealer and a lower price may be negotiable with some hard nosed dealing. In stock soon.
http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/3-Series/3.0-335i-M-Spor...
That's the one I tried to put a deposit on, was at £16.4k when first listed. Spec was v good.http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/3-Series/3.0-335i-M-Spor...
I have only ever driven a convertible E93 335i (rather than the coupe). It is a weighty car with an effective but uninteresting engine and a farty exhaust. Still better than any Audi that I have driven, but not terribly engaging.
I would expect a 330i to be slower but a bit more fun. I have driven a couple of 330i's and found it intolerable in auto and quite good fun in a manual.
E90 M3 is a peach but out of price range.
I would expect a 330i to be slower but a bit more fun. I have driven a couple of 330i's and found it intolerable in auto and quite good fun in a manual.
E90 M3 is a peach but out of price range.
burpface said:
Has the OP considered a Jag?
(Biased owner opinion)
The XF SV8 or XFR pack an exciting engine that makes a great noise and really packs a punch. They are generally loaded with toys and are a lovely place to sit.
Bit bigger than a 3 series though.
If I'm totally honest this does keep coming up and making the mind tick, but certainly more barge like. I was tempted to hunt one out to look at, but know little about Jaguar servicing / maintenance and such. Also Mrs will prob say it's too big, she's not great with big cars.(Biased owner opinion)
The XF SV8 or XFR pack an exciting engine that makes a great noise and really packs a punch. They are generally loaded with toys and are a lovely place to sit.
Bit bigger than a 3 series though.
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