BMW Touring - which one?
Discussion
Hey guys
So unfortunately my pride and joy has been written off (cue the tears and violins), which leaves me with the predicament as to what to replace it with...?
My previous was a BMW e46 330d saloon with the manual gearbox and some optional extras including a nice remap. I loved it; plenty of power and ridiculous amounts of torque, I also averaged 40mpg even with my heavy right foot.
My only gripe with the saloon was the practicality of the bootspace, which is what has lead me to the e46 330d touring. I actually prefer the aesthetic of the touring over the saloon!
...but then as I was browsing the usually car sale websites I dropped on a few e39 530d sales.
I am struggling to decide between an e46 touring and an e39 touring...the 3.0 diesel with manual box is pretty much settled in my head, but reviews have said that the e39 is about 15% less efficient, so I should only expect 34mpg rather than 40?!
am I any more likely to have a major engine/turbo/injector failure with the 5 as I am with the 3?
Cheers chaps
So unfortunately my pride and joy has been written off (cue the tears and violins), which leaves me with the predicament as to what to replace it with...?
My previous was a BMW e46 330d saloon with the manual gearbox and some optional extras including a nice remap. I loved it; plenty of power and ridiculous amounts of torque, I also averaged 40mpg even with my heavy right foot.
My only gripe with the saloon was the practicality of the bootspace, which is what has lead me to the e46 330d touring. I actually prefer the aesthetic of the touring over the saloon!
...but then as I was browsing the usually car sale websites I dropped on a few e39 530d sales.
I am struggling to decide between an e46 touring and an e39 touring...the 3.0 diesel with manual box is pretty much settled in my head, but reviews have said that the e39 is about 15% less efficient, so I should only expect 34mpg rather than 40?!
am I any more likely to have a major engine/turbo/injector failure with the 5 as I am with the 3?
Cheers chaps
imho the 3 doesn't do it for me, comparing my 39 530i to my mates 330i
Both Tourers, his is manual mine auto, his is a tiny bit faster in a sprint
interior is cramped on the 3
boot is small on the 3
the boot isn't flat load on the 3, it is a drop in
button layout in the 3 just isn't that good, everything is sort of in everything else's way
doesn't have self level rear suspension
39 does have it's cons against the the 46 though
46 is cheaper to buy in general
46 has less tech to go wrong,
rear airbags can deflate after time, not a hard job to do, just bags are £100 each or so
rear bushes are prone to creaking and a bit of a knob to change
They're heavier on fuel to be fair, but they're a heavier car
For me it's all about load space and comfort, the 39 does it much better than the 46.
Both Tourers, his is manual mine auto, his is a tiny bit faster in a sprint
interior is cramped on the 3
boot is small on the 3
the boot isn't flat load on the 3, it is a drop in
button layout in the 3 just isn't that good, everything is sort of in everything else's way
doesn't have self level rear suspension
39 does have it's cons against the the 46 though
46 is cheaper to buy in general
46 has less tech to go wrong,
rear airbags can deflate after time, not a hard job to do, just bags are £100 each or so
rear bushes are prone to creaking and a bit of a knob to change
They're heavier on fuel to be fair, but they're a heavier car
For me it's all about load space and comfort, the 39 does it much better than the 46.
Im staggered that you actually had a manual 330d
Our family shed back when they were current was an E46 330d wagon which I'd planned on being manual however found it utterly impossible to test drive in the whole of the South East as all dealer demo 330d's were autos (saloon and Touring)
After reluctantly test driving an auto we were converted (sorry for the pun) and bought our own straight away
Neither of us had driven an automatic before amazingly, the missus didnt trust them and as a petrol/diesel head I had my dignity
Just about every dealer we spoke to said they'd never sold a manual 330d
You may have trouble finding a replacement but the auto cars are worthy of a test drive
Cheers
I have an E46 330d manual saloon. I specifically waited long enough to find a well specified 6 speed manual, the 5 speed automatic is not a great box from a performance or reliability point of view. Economy is higher with the manual, however I do concede it is hard work in heavy traffic and the gear changes come quick and often, as is the nature of the power delivery. However it has been utterly reliable and is capable of handling higher torque levels at lower rpm's concerning maps.
I was much in the same position as the OP, I had an E46 Saloon previous and found the boot space and general lack of practicality occasionally restraining. Waited a long time looking for a good manual E46 330d touring...like hens teeth, so settled with the saloon. Great to drive once a long list of jobs have been completed (polybushes, replacement springs, new calipers, droplinks, adjustable camber arms, all new ball-joints and front wing replacements). As with all 'older' BMW's, never expected a trouble / maintenance free time.
I was much in the same position as the OP, I had an E46 Saloon previous and found the boot space and general lack of practicality occasionally restraining. Waited a long time looking for a good manual E46 330d touring...like hens teeth, so settled with the saloon. Great to drive once a long list of jobs have been completed (polybushes, replacement springs, new calipers, droplinks, adjustable camber arms, all new ball-joints and front wing replacements). As with all 'older' BMW's, never expected a trouble / maintenance free time.
tting it...
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