e92, whats the sweet spot?
Discussion
I thought about a 330i myself, but got more focussed and went for a Z4 Coupe instead!
The 3 litre N52 engine (same as early E92 330is) is just fantastic! And doesn't feel in any way slow in a Z4C, although perhaps not quite as spritely in an E92!
In the same way as with E46s the smaller 6 cylinder engines are no more economical or cheaper to run than the bigger ones, just slower! But this does mean 330is are dearer than 325is as a result!
Would personally avoid later N53 engines with their HPFP and injector issues.
335i seems like a great idea - they map well I believe, but if you keep it standard I wouldn't want to pay another £200 a year for RFL just for 37 bhp - I wouldn't mind for an M3 with another 135bhp though!
Only downside so far is the electric water pump on the N52 (I think N53 and N54 have them too so no relative difference) but an OEM pump cost me £500 + fitting - Ouch!
Good luck anyway!
The 3 litre N52 engine (same as early E92 330is) is just fantastic! And doesn't feel in any way slow in a Z4C, although perhaps not quite as spritely in an E92!
In the same way as with E46s the smaller 6 cylinder engines are no more economical or cheaper to run than the bigger ones, just slower! But this does mean 330is are dearer than 325is as a result!
Would personally avoid later N53 engines with their HPFP and injector issues.
335i seems like a great idea - they map well I believe, but if you keep it standard I wouldn't want to pay another £200 a year for RFL just for 37 bhp - I wouldn't mind for an M3 with another 135bhp though!
Only downside so far is the electric water pump on the N52 (I think N53 and N54 have them too so no relative difference) but an OEM pump cost me £500 + fitting - Ouch!
Good luck anyway!
Having convinced myself I now need a 335i, I have been looking and notice that the LCI '09 on come with efficient dynamics and £290 RFL. This is only £25 more than my Leon!
Had a look at a' 58 plate SE yesterday that was tatty and low spec. Standard seats, no iDrive / sat nav, business headunit and sketchy history.
Up for 9k and only 45k miles, so if spec doesn't interest you than it could be an option.
Probably technically FSH, but last service was in September 2014?! Who goes that long without changing the oil?
I think I have decided to up my budget to 15k and go 3 years finance rather than 2..... The wife agrees!
Had a look at a' 58 plate SE yesterday that was tatty and low spec. Standard seats, no iDrive / sat nav, business headunit and sketchy history.
Up for 9k and only 45k miles, so if spec doesn't interest you than it could be an option.
Probably technically FSH, but last service was in September 2014?! Who goes that long without changing the oil?
I think I have decided to up my budget to 15k and go 3 years finance rather than 2..... The wife agrees!
Crackie said:
I've just sold my 56 plate manual 2 weeks ago at 90k miles. It was in great condition, first person to see it bought it, £7500.
There were clearly issues with some early cars but as is always the case, the net exaggerates. Mine was very reliable during the 50k miles I had it; no issues at all with fuel pump, injectors, coils, clutch, turbos or wastegates. The car was mapped too, so the engine, clutch & fuel delivery system all had to work harder than standard.
I put new rear shocks on and replaced front bushes at 82k miles, refurbed 19s + Goodyear Eagle F1s with good tread all round.
The only significant items I replaced were the water pump and the brake / DSC ECU; these are not 335 specific and are faults on 325i/330i too.
335's at 7k are at the rough end of the market, how many 335's are for sale for under 7k? I looked at quite a few dogs on the market for over 10k nine months ago, yours may well have been in good condition, many wont be, pick a lemon and it could cost a small fortune putting it right. Im not sure I would feel comfortable running one without a warranty given their reputation. I would go for a lower mileage 330 at this budget.There were clearly issues with some early cars but as is always the case, the net exaggerates. Mine was very reliable during the 50k miles I had it; no issues at all with fuel pump, injectors, coils, clutch, turbos or wastegates. The car was mapped too, so the engine, clutch & fuel delivery system all had to work harder than standard.
I put new rear shocks on and replaced front bushes at 82k miles, refurbed 19s + Goodyear Eagle F1s with good tread all round.
The only significant items I replaced were the water pump and the brake / DSC ECU; these are not 335 specific and are faults on 325i/330i too.
Edited by Crackie on Monday 20th June 08:13
sleepysnake said:
Bad:
I had a E92 330d SE loan car when I had a E90 330d M Sport and I agree with you and the roll in the corners was terrible on the SE and it really changed the way the car felt to me.- The SE suspension doesn't urge you to push too much along curvy roads, this may just be because I'm used to the S2000, though there is plenty of body roll. It feels like the car has too much power for the suspension to cope with.
The M Sport ride is harsh but there isn't any roll at all and the harder suspension does give you confidence to throw it around, I've only ever gone for M Sport BMW's but I do like the softer ride on the SE but not the roll.
Don't rule out a 330d without trying one.
Yes its a diesel, but its a six cylinder and once you're on the move, you would hardly know it.
I'm sure there will be plenty on here that tell you only to consider a petrol, but the 330d has effortless power and torque and the upside is much better mpg and range. Remember the 245hp version has peak torque of 384 lb ft as low as 1750rpm, so its now sluggard!
My first one, a company owned E91 Touring averaged 39mpg over hard driven 100,000 miles.
My current one, an E93 cabrio driven more gently will do 45mpg.
Just saying, its worth considering.
Yes its a diesel, but its a six cylinder and once you're on the move, you would hardly know it.
I'm sure there will be plenty on here that tell you only to consider a petrol, but the 330d has effortless power and torque and the upside is much better mpg and range. Remember the 245hp version has peak torque of 384 lb ft as low as 1750rpm, so its now sluggard!
My first one, a company owned E91 Touring averaged 39mpg over hard driven 100,000 miles.
My current one, an E93 cabrio driven more gently will do 45mpg.
Just saying, its worth considering.
Edited by GTEYE on Monday 20th June 10:17
Edited by GTEYE on Monday 20th June 10:29
GTEYE said:
Don't rule out a 330d without trying one.
Yes its a diesel, but its a six cylinder and once you're on the move, you would hardly know it.
I'm sure there will be plenty on here that tell you only to consider a petrol, but the 330d has effortless power and torque and the upside is much better mpg and range.
My first one, a company owned E91 Touring averaged 39mpg over hard driven 100,000 miles.
My current one, an E93 cabrio driven more gently will do 45mpg.
Just saying, its worth considering.
I agree having had a E90 330d and now have a E90 330i, I would say the 330d is the better car overall...just. Yes its a diesel, but its a six cylinder and once you're on the move, you would hardly know it.
I'm sure there will be plenty on here that tell you only to consider a petrol, but the 330d has effortless power and torque and the upside is much better mpg and range.
My first one, a company owned E91 Touring averaged 39mpg over hard driven 100,000 miles.
My current one, an E93 cabrio driven more gently will do 45mpg.
Just saying, its worth considering.
cerb4.5lee said:
I had a E92 330d SE loan car when I had a E90 330d M Sport and I agree with you and the roll in the corners was terrible on the SE and it really changed the way the car felt to me.
The M Sport ride is harsh but there isn't any roll at all and the harder suspension does give you confidence to throw it around, I've only ever gone for M Sport BMW's but I do like the softer ride on the SE but not the roll.
I put 17s on my 335i M sport, initially for the winters but then kept them on with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s. Best combination of ride and handling I experienced. The M Sport ride is harsh but there isn't any roll at all and the harder suspension does give you confidence to throw it around, I've only ever gone for M Sport BMW's but I do like the softer ride on the SE but not the roll.
RFTS on 19s was a dreadful ride, Michelin Pilot Super Sports on 19s changed the car, but the ride was not as smooth/comfortable than with 17s. And handling on the MP4 was sublime.
Considering the immense savings on 17s compared with 19s (I had 4 MPS4 for £387-50 for fuel cashback) when the cheaper online sites ,a t the time, were showing £230 for a rear 19 MPSS) this is a modification that pays for itself easily.
MikeTFSI said:
Having convinced myself I now need a 335i, I have been looking and notice that the LCI '09 on come with efficient dynamics and £290 RFL. This is only £25 more than my Leon!
I went through the same thought process as you with 335i's and spent forever researching - the sweet spot was a 2009 LCI. You get the benefit of marginally better MPG, £290 RFL, the CIC satnav which is a huge improvement over the DVD based CCC and if you choose carefully can also come with a DCT gearbox. All for not a huge amount more than a 2008. No brainer to up the budget slightly in my opinion.
ETA: If you are after performance it really should be a 335i and not a 325i/330i. The stock performance is very impressive and for not a huge amount of money the N54 can be modified to 380bhp with relative ease, I watched a Youtube video of one pushing 830bhp the other day (single turbo conversions). If modifying is remotely appealing then the 335i is the one to go for without a doubt.
(I ended up going for a Z4 but same N54/DCT).
Edited by rockford22 on Monday 20th June 13:26
MRobbins1987 said:
Crackie said:
I've just sold my 56 plate manual 2 weeks ago at 90k miles. It was in great condition, first person to see it bought it, £7500.
There were clearly issues with some early cars but as is always the case, the net exaggerates. Mine was very reliable during the 50k miles I had it; no issues at all with fuel pump, injectors, coils, clutch, turbos or wastegates. The car was mapped too, so the engine, clutch & fuel delivery system all had to work harder than standard.
I put new rear shocks on and replaced front bushes at 82k miles, refurbed 19s + Goodyear Eagle F1s with good tread all round.
The only significant items I replaced were the water pump and the brake / DSC ECU; these are not 335 specific and are faults on 325i/330i too.
335's at 7k are at the rough end of the market, how many 335's are for sale for under 7k? I looked at quite a few dogs on the market for over 10k nine months ago, yours may well have been in good condition, many wont be, pick a lemon and it could cost a small fortune putting it right. Im not sure I would feel comfortable running one without a warranty given their reputation. I would go for a lower mileage 330 at this budget.There were clearly issues with some early cars but as is always the case, the net exaggerates. Mine was very reliable during the 50k miles I had it; no issues at all with fuel pump, injectors, coils, clutch, turbos or wastegates. The car was mapped too, so the engine, clutch & fuel delivery system all had to work harder than standard.
I put new rear shocks on and replaced front bushes at 82k miles, refurbed 19s + Goodyear Eagle F1s with good tread all round.
The only significant items I replaced were the water pump and the brake / DSC ECU; these are not 335 specific and are faults on 325i/330i too.
After 6 weeks advertised on PH I'd had zero interest.......not one call, test or e-mail. Having sold a 944 turbo and a couple of E36 M3 EVOs via PH, I even started a thread asking the PH collective what was wrong with my advert !! A little more info about history was suggested but consensus was that it was a decent advert.
Apologies to OP matthias73........my point is that the market is frightened of N54s and consequently there are fine 335is to be had, for very little money, if you know what kind of maintenance history ( Fuel pump, water pump, brake hydro unit, injectors, turbos ) to look for. If buying privately, see how the owner drives the car; do they get some heat into the oil before using all the revs, do they consider the turbos' temps before switching off ??
Good luck
Edited by Crackie on Sunday 26th June 18:52
Thanks for all the bearding gents.
I'm of the opinion that 330i's are the most sought after at the price range I'm looking at due to reliability issues with the 335i.
On that note, I don't remember if I mentioned it but on Saturday I'm going to look at a 335i up for 6k. I've spoken to the owner twice now (I keep having to push back viewing dates due to my job) and from what he's said, it's been very well kept. It had two new turbos a few weeks ago, which was my main concern.
He's had it under BMW extended warranty and done the last 50k in it himself. A new baby forces arrival. I generally don't trust anyone so I'll need to make sure everything he claims stacks up with the vehicle history, but he sounds genuine enough. That's what everyone dreams of right, buying a car from an enthusiast who has been forced into selling it in rather sudden circumstances.
Anyway, I'll be going up there with cash in my pocket but I'm in no hurry to buy. The 330i market is pretty good at 6k so I can wait a few months as far as I'm concerned.
I looked at e46's again today, but I'd only be saving a couple of grand and they are all absolutely shagged. The ones that are in good condition save me next to nothing at all.
I've got a reasonably well paid job which provides housing etc so if something major goes wrong in a few months, I think I'll be able to justify it on the basis of having a car that I'll be happy with for at least the next 5 years. By that point I expect I'll have met a woman who wants to raid my bank account and get pregnant, in order to ultimately divorce me with a decent settlement.
I'm of the opinion that 330i's are the most sought after at the price range I'm looking at due to reliability issues with the 335i.
On that note, I don't remember if I mentioned it but on Saturday I'm going to look at a 335i up for 6k. I've spoken to the owner twice now (I keep having to push back viewing dates due to my job) and from what he's said, it's been very well kept. It had two new turbos a few weeks ago, which was my main concern.
He's had it under BMW extended warranty and done the last 50k in it himself. A new baby forces arrival. I generally don't trust anyone so I'll need to make sure everything he claims stacks up with the vehicle history, but he sounds genuine enough. That's what everyone dreams of right, buying a car from an enthusiast who has been forced into selling it in rather sudden circumstances.
Anyway, I'll be going up there with cash in my pocket but I'm in no hurry to buy. The 330i market is pretty good at 6k so I can wait a few months as far as I'm concerned.
I looked at e46's again today, but I'd only be saving a couple of grand and they are all absolutely shagged. The ones that are in good condition save me next to nothing at all.
I've got a reasonably well paid job which provides housing etc so if something major goes wrong in a few months, I think I'll be able to justify it on the basis of having a car that I'll be happy with for at least the next 5 years. By that point I expect I'll have met a woman who wants to raid my bank account and get pregnant, in order to ultimately divorce me with a decent settlement.
matthias73 said:
Thanks for all the bearding gents.
I'm of the opinion that 330i's are the most sought after at the price range I'm looking at due to reliability issues with the 335i.
On that note, I don't remember if I mentioned it but on Saturday I'm going to look at a 335i up for 6k. I've spoken to the owner twice now (I keep having to push back viewing dates due to my job) and from what he's said, it's been very well kept. It had two new turbos a few weeks ago, which was my main concern.
He's had it under BMW extended warranty and done the last 50k in it himself. A new baby forces arrival. I generally don't trust anyone so I'll need to make sure everything he claims stacks up with the vehicle history, but he sounds genuine enough. That's what everyone dreams of right, buying a car from an enthusiast who has been forced into selling it in rather sudden circumstances.
Anyway, I'll be going up there with cash in my pocket but I'm in no hurry to buy. The 330i market is pretty good at 6k so I can wait a few months as far as I'm concerned.
I looked at e46's again today, but I'd only be saving a couple of grand and they are all absolutely shagged. The ones that are in good condition save me next to nothing at all.
I've got a reasonably well paid job which provides housing etc so if something major goes wrong in a few months, I think I'll be able to justify it on the basis of having a car that I'll be happy with for at least the next 5 years. By that point I expect I'll have met a woman who wants to raid my bank account and get pregnant, in order to ultimately divorce me with a decent settlement.
Good luck all round! I'm of the opinion that 330i's are the most sought after at the price range I'm looking at due to reliability issues with the 335i.
On that note, I don't remember if I mentioned it but on Saturday I'm going to look at a 335i up for 6k. I've spoken to the owner twice now (I keep having to push back viewing dates due to my job) and from what he's said, it's been very well kept. It had two new turbos a few weeks ago, which was my main concern.
He's had it under BMW extended warranty and done the last 50k in it himself. A new baby forces arrival. I generally don't trust anyone so I'll need to make sure everything he claims stacks up with the vehicle history, but he sounds genuine enough. That's what everyone dreams of right, buying a car from an enthusiast who has been forced into selling it in rather sudden circumstances.
Anyway, I'll be going up there with cash in my pocket but I'm in no hurry to buy. The 330i market is pretty good at 6k so I can wait a few months as far as I'm concerned.
I looked at e46's again today, but I'd only be saving a couple of grand and they are all absolutely shagged. The ones that are in good condition save me next to nothing at all.
I've got a reasonably well paid job which provides housing etc so if something major goes wrong in a few months, I think I'll be able to justify it on the basis of having a car that I'll be happy with for at least the next 5 years. By that point I expect I'll have met a woman who wants to raid my bank account and get pregnant, in order to ultimately divorce me with a decent settlement.
matthias73 said:
Thanks for all the bearding gents.
I'm of the opinion that 330i's are the most sought after at the price range I'm looking at due to reliability issues with the 335i.
On that note, I don't remember if I mentioned it but on Saturday I'm going to look at a 335i up for 6k. I've spoken to the owner twice now (I keep having to push back viewing dates due to my job) and from what he's said, it's been very well kept. It had two new turbos a few weeks ago, which was my main concern.
He's had it under BMW extended warranty and done the last 50k in it himself. A new baby forces arrival. I generally don't trust anyone so I'll need to make sure everything he claims stacks up with the vehicle history, but he sounds genuine enough. That's what everyone dreams of right, buying a car from an enthusiast who has been forced into selling it in rather sudden circumstances.
Anyway, I'll be going up there with cash in my pocket but I'm in no hurry to buy. The 330i market is pretty good at 6k so I can wait a few months as far as I'm concerned.
I looked at e46's again today, but I'd only be saving a couple of grand and they are all absolutely shagged. The ones that are in good condition save me next to nothing at all.
I've got a reasonably well paid job which provides housing etc so if something major goes wrong in a few months, I think I'll be able to justify it on the basis of having a car that I'll be happy with for at least the next 5 years. By that point I expect I'll have met a woman who wants to raid my bank account and get pregnant, in order to ultimately divorce me with a decent settlement.
If it's the one I think it is, I would look very closely at the MOT history!! I'm of the opinion that 330i's are the most sought after at the price range I'm looking at due to reliability issues with the 335i.
On that note, I don't remember if I mentioned it but on Saturday I'm going to look at a 335i up for 6k. I've spoken to the owner twice now (I keep having to push back viewing dates due to my job) and from what he's said, it's been very well kept. It had two new turbos a few weeks ago, which was my main concern.
He's had it under BMW extended warranty and done the last 50k in it himself. A new baby forces arrival. I generally don't trust anyone so I'll need to make sure everything he claims stacks up with the vehicle history, but he sounds genuine enough. That's what everyone dreams of right, buying a car from an enthusiast who has been forced into selling it in rather sudden circumstances.
Anyway, I'll be going up there with cash in my pocket but I'm in no hurry to buy. The 330i market is pretty good at 6k so I can wait a few months as far as I'm concerned.
I looked at e46's again today, but I'd only be saving a couple of grand and they are all absolutely shagged. The ones that are in good condition save me next to nothing at all.
I've got a reasonably well paid job which provides housing etc so if something major goes wrong in a few months, I think I'll be able to justify it on the basis of having a car that I'll be happy with for at least the next 5 years. By that point I expect I'll have met a woman who wants to raid my bank account and get pregnant, in order to ultimately divorce me with a decent settlement.
Thanks.
Slightly bizarre blip on the odo readout but that can happen.
I'll be very careful when checking out the paperwork.
Probably be worth taking to a garage to get it checked out? If the owner isn't happy with that then that's a good enough reason not to buy, if it turns out it needs stuff doing then I can make a decision based on the outcome.
The backup vehicle I'm looking at is a 330i. If I don't like that, I'll wait a bit.
Slightly bizarre blip on the odo readout but that can happen.
I'll be very careful when checking out the paperwork.
Probably be worth taking to a garage to get it checked out? If the owner isn't happy with that then that's a good enough reason not to buy, if it turns out it needs stuff doing then I can make a decision based on the outcome.
The backup vehicle I'm looking at is a 330i. If I don't like that, I'll wait a bit.
Thanks.
Slightly bizarre blip on the odo readout but that can happen.
I'll be very careful when checking out the paperwork.
Probably be worth taking to a garage to get it checked out? If the owner isn't happy with that then that's a good enough reason not to buy, if it turns out it needs stuff doing then I can make a decision based on the outcome.
The backup vehicle I'm looking at is a 330i. If I don't like that, I'll wait a bit.
Slightly bizarre blip on the odo readout but that can happen.
I'll be very careful when checking out the paperwork.
Probably be worth taking to a garage to get it checked out? If the owner isn't happy with that then that's a good enough reason not to buy, if it turns out it needs stuff doing then I can make a decision based on the outcome.
The backup vehicle I'm looking at is a 330i. If I don't like that, I'll wait a bit.
matthias73 said:
Thanks.
Slightly bizarre blip on the odo readout but that can happen.
I'll be very careful when checking out the paperwork.
Probably be worth taking to a garage to get it checked out? If the owner isn't happy with that then that's a good enough reason not to buy, if it turns out it needs stuff doing then I can make a decision based on the outcome.
The backup vehicle I'm looking at is a 330i. If I don't like that, I'll wait a bit.
If we're talking about VE56 JYZ it's the below advisories, unless they have been dealt with and certified as so, which would concern me; I had an oil leak advisory on my old E46 it didn't leak oil visibly such as on drive and MOT people were not able to identify it. It was a gasket issue, so way to expensive to justify on such an old car, 120k miles; thus I sold it to WBAC.Slightly bizarre blip on the odo readout but that can happen.
I'll be very careful when checking out the paperwork.
Probably be worth taking to a garage to get it checked out? If the owner isn't happy with that then that's a good enough reason not to buy, if it turns out it needs stuff doing then I can make a decision based on the outcome.
The backup vehicle I'm looking at is a 330i. If I don't like that, I'll wait a bit.
Car has done 12k miles since that MOT so at this age, yes, I would be looking for a fresh one and an inspection. The warranty, at over 100k it's a limited warranty. I am surprised, as I would still have think he'd been paying out a lot but in proportion to the value of the car but worth it if turbos were done.
- something to consider, if you do buy it is that you could, if you pay within 10 days, take over the warranty if it's a monthly one (you can take it over anyways if it's a yearly one), that might give you peace of mind even if, as you could do it on a monthly basis, you only take it over for a month or so until you get the vide it's a good car, say****
Advisory Notices
Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened slightly lipped/corroded (3.5.1i)
Brake hose slightly deteriorated both front hoses starting to crack (3.6.b.4d)
Nearside front shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)
Oil leak
Front brake fluctuating, but not excessively (3.7.b.3)
Pretty tempted to just sack it off and go straight to look at the 330i.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Peace of mind and all that
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Peace of mind and all that
matthias73 said:
Pretty tempted to just sack it off and go straight to look at the 330i.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Peace of mind and all that
I don't think I would see that 335i, but wouldn't rule the model out entirely. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Peace of mind and all that
The SE's on the 330 didn't come with sports seats/suspension as standard; they could be added, and this one says it has sports seats so that's a plus in my book!
I do like 17inch rims (better ride and makes the E92 feel lighter) and great MOT history, so a prospect.
I came to the E92 from a E46 and wanted a BIG leap up in performance to compensate for let's grade it as MEDIUM loss of steering feel. As there is a E46 330, it really was only the 335i (E46 M3 level of performance) which sated me.
That probably does colour my view against the 330i which in all intents and purposes is still a b***dy good, so indeed to be fair would a 325.
Could you maybe still try a 335 around the same time as you try this and if you don't feel the 335 is loads better, then at least you know you've made the right choice and will have no regrets.
matthias73 said:
Good advice.
You need to bear in mind my car experience though. Im 23 and the fastest car I've ever owned was an e34 525I.
My e46 was a 318 1.9, so I suspect a 330i would still terrify me
I think 335i would be more scary, I used to overtake and tell passengers look in rear view mirror see how far behind the other cars are You need to bear in mind my car experience though. Im 23 and the fastest car I've ever owned was an e34 525I.
My e46 was a 318 1.9, so I suspect a 330i would still terrify me
So maybe that's another plus for 330i. I'd add to my advice and say, if possible try and drive more than one before you buy. Gives you the best feel for the model and you can then determine the nuances says different ride on different rims or whether one just doesn't feel right.
Shout up if you want any more input.
matthias73 said:
Good advice.
You need to bear in mind my car experience though. Im 23 and the fastest car I've ever owned was an e34 525I.
My e46 was a 318 1.9, so I suspect a 330i would still terrify me
Excellent - go for a 330i and be terrified!You need to bear in mind my car experience though. Im 23 and the fastest car I've ever owned was an e34 525I.
My e46 was a 318 1.9, so I suspect a 330i would still terrify me
Or if that is too tame find a 335i, get it chipped and get some life insurance!
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