Convince me a 330d is all i need. Will a 335i/M3 satisfy me?

[Welshbeef]

dartissimus said:

You can have what you want if you're prepared to pay for it.

You haven't quite found your comfortable position on the minimum requirement - total extravagance curve.

I'm on my 21st car in a 41 year driving history, never had a perfect car yet, there's always something that disappoints me, although my latest, 330d xdrive msport is getting pretty close.

The problem I had wit the E90 330d 231bhp was that in reality it was a great car did everything well cheap to run fast enough modern (at the time). The key problem I had was what to replace it with - I agonised for ages as sure there were plenty of faster cars but the additional costs were high for the change

[graham22]

As a 330d owner and haven driven a 335i a few times and have looked to change, I feel the 330d feels fast within reasonable speeds whereas the 335i (and I guess M3) really start to pull well once the speeds start getting illegal.

The way traffic is now, I felt times of using a 335i to it's potential would be limited and frustrating, whereas the 330d works more often with day to day traffic.

Not a criticism but an observation.


eta - and it's ok to have a auto box in a diesel, borderline on the 335i

Edited by graham22 on Thursday 28th July 14:27

[Welshbeef]

The thing is these 535d/330ds do 0-62mph in low 5's ... That's fast not question - sure a C7 RS6 performance pack would utterly demolish them with 3.6seconds to do the same.

However for the main there is not that many cars which are quicker not really.

[f1nn]

I'm not sure that the remapped 335i I'm driving at the moment is much quicker in the real world than the remapped 330D I ran previously, at least up to and around legal speeds in any case, but the petrol engine is such a nicer engine to use IMO.

Neither is a hardship, and main reason I changed was to go from an E90 to a higher specced E92. If it was a like for like swap, say similar specced E90's, I wouldn't bother.

[RobM77]

I never really got on with the 335i due to the throttle response to be honest, so prefer the 330d. The M3 though is on another level, as obviously it has a beautiful high revving V8 (assuming we're talking about the E90), but it's also got very different suspension and diff. The diff especially gives a very different feel to the M3 at speed compared to a 335i or 330d. The running costs are on another level though!

[Mintdog531]

Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated!! Think I'm going to stick with the 330. However.....The C63 AMG has just come onto my radar🤗It's never going to end is it?

[gizlaroc]

Mintdog531 said:

Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated!! Think I'm going to stick with the 330. However.....The C63 AMG has just come onto my radar? It's never going to end is it?

Well considering you asked the question on Saturday 23rd July 2016 and it is now January 2017, I would have a punt on "No".

[msej449]

I recently swapped my 330d xDrive Touring for an M235i Convertible. Which is something of a contrast. It works for me because I'm no longer doing long treks to distant clients each week. I wouldn't want to be clocking-up the motorway miles in the new car, although I was entirely happy to do a summer road trip through the Alps in it (but not the same thing, obviously). I have been surprised that losing the Touring capacity hasn't been a big issue, really. Similarly with concerns over giving up xDrive for a 228 BHP RWD car. With a good set of winter wheels and tyres, the M235i has been fine in heavy rain and standing water.

I had the M2 vs M235i (now M240i) choice and I felt that they were not direct competitors, rather two variants of the same basic design. And that you'd choose each for different reasons. I've had a Lotus Elise 111S and a Porche Carerra S4 so I'd done the no-compromise sports car thing and chose the M235i as something more usable for us, day-to-day.

And I'm glad we opted for the convertible: it gives a special dimension to driving and the open-top is usable more often than you'd think. Given I had to stop the car and manually assemble the Elise soft top, under 20 secs to get the top up in the 2 is a relative luxury. I had a look at the 4 Series convertible and the one in the showroom wasn't much short of £70,000 for not much more space than in the 2, so I think it's a bargain (man maths).

Edited by msej449 on Wednesday 18th January 21:47

[ninjag]

For me the F30 330D xdrive I have is pretty much a perfect blend of performance, economy and emissions at a very reasonable lease price.

I'd love more performance but then I'd have to sacrifice one of the other benefits, besides I'm finding fewer and fewer opportunities these days to be able to fully enjoy the performance without the stress of being caught or some idiot pulling out on me.

[RobM77]

I've owned a variety of road cars from 115bhp/tonne up to 390bhp/tonne and I completely agree. Opportunities to use the acceleration do exist (coming off slow DC roundabouts for example), but they're pretty rare. For the vast majority of the time that I'm driving, I'm either sat at a steady speed (e.g. 70mph on a motorway) or I'm cornering at between 45 and 60mph in a speed limit between 50mph and 60mph (so barely using any acceleration). Paying out vast sums of money in purchase price, fuel and running costs for straight line performance is therefore way down on my list of priorities. Furthermore, if you get a car with more grip, as fast cars tend to have, you corner even closer to the speed limit, so you can use even less acceleration.

Due to the above, when my commute was a B road I owned an Elise, because it offered the most feedback and enjoyment from the act of driving. Now that my commute is mainly motorway with only some twists and turns, I own a 3 series, because it's quiet at 70mph, and still balanced and RWD for the C and B roads I drive on.

I've driven and been in a broad range of super saloons, and they're very nice, but I don't think I'd ever own one unless the running costs really were inconsequential to me, because 99% of what I'd do in one could be done with a more mundane model.

[Mr Tidy]

RobM77 said:

I've owned a variety of road cars from 115bhp/tonne up to 390bhp/tonne and I completely agree. Opportunities to use the acceleration do exist (coming off slow DC roundabouts for example), but they're pretty rare. For the vast majority of the time that I'm driving, I'm either sat at a steady speed (e.g. 70mph on a motorway) or I'm cornering at between 45 and 60mph in a speed limit between 50mph and 60mph (so barely using any acceleration). Paying out vast sums of money in purchase price, fuel and running costs for straight line performance is therefore way down on my list of priorities. Furthermore, if you get a car with more grip, as fast cars tend to have, you corner even closer to the speed limit, so you can use even less acceleration.

Due to the above, when my commute was a B road I owned an Elise, because it offered the most feedback and enjoyment from the act of driving. Now that my commute is mainly motorway with only some twists and turns, I own a 3 series, because it's quiet at 70mph, and still balanced and RWD for the C and B roads I drive on.

I've driven and been in a broad range of super saloons, and they're very nice, but I don't think I'd ever own one unless the running costs really were inconsequential to me, because 99% of what I'd do in one could be done with a more mundane model.

Very nicely put Rob!

It all depends on the OP's intended use, but I sense after all this time there may be an itch that needs scratching!

I'm amazed we have got this far without much mention of a 335d - even if it is auto only!

Looking forward to the next instalment.

[Wills2]

It isn't about speed it's about how the car feels to drive, my 335d xdrive was quick but felt mundane to drive all the time, real world mye M3 is probably slower due to the lack of traction and my poor skill set, but feels so much better to drive.

[Welshbeef]

The things you miss on a good petrol over a good derv

1. Noise
2. Looking forward to starting it up
3. Revving it while static
4. For the rare occasions when you can really let lose - but those really really are rare
5. Smell of the fuel when filling up.
6. The Fact you can look back at a car history listed with great petrols

Nothing wrong with derv they are fast no question - SQ7 now 4.7 seconds and 223bhp/tonne pre remapping.

[anonymous-user]

gizlaroc said:

Mintdog531 said:

Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated!! Think I'm going to stick with the 330. However.....The C63 AMG has just come onto my radar? It's never going to end is it?

Well considering you asked the question on Saturday 23rd July 2016 and it is now January 2017, I would have a punt on "No".

He was probably trying to work out what Welshbeef was banging on about.....

[cerb4.5lee]

Welshbeef said:

The things you miss on a good petrol over a good derv

1. Noise
2. Looking forward to starting it up
3. Revving it while static
4. For the rare occasions when you can really let lose - but those really really are rare
5. Smell of the fuel when filling up.
6. The Fact you can look back at a car history listed with great petrols

Agree with this, another thing that annoys me about a diesel in this cold weather is how rough the engine feels from cold, the engine really shows its roughness which you don't feel with a nice petrol in the same situation.

[Welshbeef]

cerb4.5lee said:

Agree with this, another thing that annoys me about a diesel in this cold weather is how rough the engine feels from cold, the engine really shows its roughness which you don't feel with a nice petrol in the same situation.

It takes 10 miles for oil to get up to temp.

However I've found that the premium diesel makes a marked improvement in clatter noise reduction.

[cerb4.5lee]

Welshbeef said:

It takes 10 miles for oil to get up to temp.

However I've found that the premium diesel makes a marked improvement in clatter noise reduction.

I`ve never tried premium diesel and I will have to give it a go, I notice the roughness on initial moving off although it doesn't feel that bad for too long in fairness.

[Welshbeef]

cerb4.5lee said:

Welshbeef said:

It takes 10 miles for oil to get up to temp.

However I've found that the premium diesel makes a marked improvement in clatter noise reduction.

I`ve never tried premium diesel and I will have to give it a go, I notice the roughness on initial moving off although it doesn't feel that bad for too long in fairness.

I've only tried it recently as always opted for cheapest derv at the supermarket.

Anyway tried it - made zero MPG difference but noise was reduced markedly. I've nearly finished a tank of cheap normal derv after the previous tank of premium the difference is certainly there.
Also reviness - I think it is more eager but I need more premium and then normal derv to verify.

So if you want to lessen the clatter notably premium derv works in the F10 535d.