£13k to spend 335i 335d 1xx coupe or e46 m3?
Discussion
I'm on my 2nd E46 M3 at the moment, terrific car but I'm no longer gelling with it, it does everything brilliantly BUT
I've also got a loan of a 335d tourer I sold to my mate in 2012, I honestly wonder why I sold that car, it fits my motoring requirements better than the M3, easily as fast and hugely more practical.
Each to their own, I regret selling both my 335ds, I won't much regret parting with my E46 M3
I've also got a loan of a 335d tourer I sold to my mate in 2012, I honestly wonder why I sold that car, it fits my motoring requirements better than the M3, easily as fast and hugely more practical.
Each to their own, I regret selling both my 335ds, I won't much regret parting with my E46 M3
pidsy said:
i like the look of the 1 series coupe. the ideal would be a nice 135 but they are out of budget (except one which is up for 11k and looks a bit rough) so i'm left with the 125i petrol and 120d - the performance figure on these are not great but that could be over looked if the drive is nice.
Yup, your budget isn't going to get you a nice 135i I'm afraid, they are still holding their value well, and there aren't very many good ones to be had for under 14-15k.Don't be put off by lack of performance of the 125i though, as the engine is mechanically the same as the 265hp 130i hatch, and a £500 remap from Evolve or P-Torque will get a 125i up to only about 5hp shy of a 130i....around 260hp.
And the N52 n/a engine in the 125i/130i sounds lovely as well, and is mega reliable. They sound even better with a BMW Performance intake and exhaust
aeropilot said:
Yup, your budget isn't going to get you a nice 135i I'm afraid, they are still holding their value well, and there aren't very many good ones to be had for under 14-15k.
Don't be put off by lack of performance of the 125i though, as the engine is mechanically the same as the 265hp 130i hatch, and a £500 remap from Evolve or P-Torque will get a 125i up to only about 5hp shy of a 130i....around 260hp.
And the N52 n/a engine in the 125i/130i sounds lovely as well, and is mega reliable. They sound even better with a BMW Performance intake and exhaust
Couldn't agree more with Mr Pilot. I didn't want a turbo, nor a hatch. 260hp is plenty for me as I prefer to lean on the chassis.Don't be put off by lack of performance of the 125i though, as the engine is mechanically the same as the 265hp 130i hatch, and a £500 remap from Evolve or P-Torque will get a 125i up to only about 5hp shy of a 130i....around 260hp.
And the N52 n/a engine in the 125i/130i sounds lovely as well, and is mega reliable. They sound even better with a BMW Performance intake and exhaust
Bought a high spec 26k miles 125i M-Sport for £12k last year and set aside £1k for :
- Evolve remap (£450 but can be bought for less).
- Michelin Pilot SS (£350 after selling the old RFTs on ebay).
- M3 front lower control arm for a bit more neg camber (1.5 deg is achievable). (£200).
Ideally the car should have better dampers and a LSD but it's pretty good as is. Cheaper to run than alternatives discussed here and probably more reliable being NA and non-DI. The best £13k I have ever spent on a car.
Crackie said:
335i plus Evolve map plus Birds B3 suspension. 
. The E46 is still special but a mapped 335I is great too, much quicker than E46 M3 and the B3 kit is a big improvement on the standard E9* setup. When you're feeling flush, add a Quaife LSD.
Quaife diff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHmSDXrVG84. The E46 is still special but a mapped 335I is great too, much quicker than E46 M3 and the B3 kit is a big improvement on the standard E9* setup. When you're feeling flush, add a Quaife LSD.nickfrog said:
Couldn't agree more with Mr Pilot. I didn't want a turbo, nor a hatch. 260hp is plenty for me as I prefer to lean on the chassis.
Bought a high spec 26k miles 125i M-Sport for £12k last year and set aside £1k for :
- Evolve remap (£450 but can be bought for less).
- Michelin Pilot SS (£350 after selling the old RFTs on ebay).
- M3 front lower control arm for a bit more neg camber (1.5 deg is achievable). (£200).
Ideally the car should have better dampers and a LSD but it's pretty good as is. Cheaper to run than alternatives discussed here and probably more reliable being NA and non-DI. The best £13k I have ever spent on a car.
This!! I have a Z4 with the NA 3.0 and it is a total peach of an engine (265bhp) The delivery is brilliant, sounds good with normal exhaust can only imagine it with a BMWP one. A very smart move I thinkBought a high spec 26k miles 125i M-Sport for £12k last year and set aside £1k for :
- Evolve remap (£450 but can be bought for less).
- Michelin Pilot SS (£350 after selling the old RFTs on ebay).
- M3 front lower control arm for a bit more neg camber (1.5 deg is achievable). (£200).
Ideally the car should have better dampers and a LSD but it's pretty good as is. Cheaper to run than alternatives discussed here and probably more reliable being NA and non-DI. The best £13k I have ever spent on a car.
nickfrog said:
Couldn't agree more with Mr Pilot. I didn't want a turbo, nor a hatch. 260hp is plenty for me as I prefer to lean on the chassis.
Bought a high spec 26k miles 125i M-Sport for £12k last year and set aside £1k for :
- Evolve remap (£450 but can be bought for less).
- Michelin Pilot SS (£350 after selling the old RFTs on ebay).
- M3 front lower control arm for a bit more neg camber (1.5 deg is achievable). (£200).
Ideally the car should have better dampers and a LSD but it's pretty good as is. Cheaper to run than alternatives discussed here and probably more reliable being NA and non-DI. The best £13k I have ever spent on a car.
Little video of 125 Coupe with BMWPE ClickBought a high spec 26k miles 125i M-Sport for £12k last year and set aside £1k for :
- Evolve remap (£450 but can be bought for less).
- Michelin Pilot SS (£350 after selling the old RFTs on ebay).
- M3 front lower control arm for a bit more neg camber (1.5 deg is achievable). (£200).
Ideally the car should have better dampers and a LSD but it's pretty good as is. Cheaper to run than alternatives discussed here and probably more reliable being NA and non-DI. The best £13k I have ever spent on a car.
With a bit of man maths and budget creep. Not keen on the beige, but seems to be a sorted car.
http://www.birdsgarage.co.uk/used-cars/bmw-3-serie...
http://www.birdsgarage.co.uk/used-cars/bmw-3-serie...
nickfrog said:
aeropilot said:
Yup, your budget isn't going to get you a nice 135i I'm afraid, they are still holding their value well, and there aren't very many good ones to be had for under 14-15k.
Don't be put off by lack of performance of the 125i though, as the engine is mechanically the same as the 265hp 130i hatch, and a £500 remap from Evolve or P-Torque will get a 125i up to only about 5hp shy of a 130i....around 260hp.
And the N52 n/a engine in the 125i/130i sounds lovely as well, and is mega reliable. They sound even better with a BMW Performance intake and exhaust
Couldn't agree more with Mr Pilot. I didn't want a turbo, nor a hatch. 260hp is plenty for me as I prefer to lean on the chassis.Don't be put off by lack of performance of the 125i though, as the engine is mechanically the same as the 265hp 130i hatch, and a £500 remap from Evolve or P-Torque will get a 125i up to only about 5hp shy of a 130i....around 260hp.
And the N52 n/a engine in the 125i/130i sounds lovely as well, and is mega reliable. They sound even better with a BMW Performance intake and exhaust
Bought a high spec 26k miles 125i M-Sport for £12k last year and set aside £1k for :
- Evolve remap (£450 but can be bought for less).
- Michelin Pilot SS (£350 after selling the old RFTs on ebay).
- M3 front lower control arm for a bit more neg camber (1.5 deg is achievable). (£200).
Ideally the car should have better dampers and a LSD but it's pretty good as is. Cheaper to run than alternatives discussed here and probably more reliable being NA and non-DI. The best £13k I have ever spent on a car.
As an aside, I've got the 330i M-Sport Coupe with the 272bhp N53 - every problem I had with it was dealt with under recall and it seems pretty reliable now (touch wood). Really is a nice engine and returns decent economy if you don't thrash it, but feels like a proper drivers car that you can work really hard and get involved with when you want to press on.
Edited by tomic on Thursday 17th April 11:13
Im also at a crossroads as to what to buy next having my old my M6 2 months ago and boy do I miss it!! But I was sick to death of being in petrol stations .. was brutal at 11 mpg etc etc but was worth the 8 months of ownership. Im thinking 335i now as I like the 335d but NO engine noise is an offputter. 135i I think is ugly and could never even contemplate one but I heard the performance on them is awesome! I was looking at the E46 M3 but like another poster they seem outdated now and there so cheap .. there becoming chav like so I scratched it off my list. I could go for the new M3 but I aint prepared to pay the used prices at the moment at around 23k for a good example. So ive pretty much decided on the 335i which is think is a great looking car and a few mods and it wont be far of the new M3, I also intend to put a bodykit on it for it to be unique as this the most important thing for me. My M6 was a Hamann and truly a unique vehicle and a true headturner .. this unfortunaly is what I like in a car and this is why I always end up over spending lol .. plus im in love with BMW .. there is no other car for me!!!
^^^ Depends on what one's definition of "chav-like" is*, but I think the E92 335i is probably just about to enter that stage of its life, whereas the E46 M3 is beginning to come out of it. As the older cars become less common on the roads, you'll find the appreciation for them increases too I reckon
'* IMO it refers to folks spending on non-essential items on their cars but not bothering with the unseen items like servicing and preventative maintenance. Nicest rear wing in the scrap-yard, etc.
'* IMO it refers to folks spending on non-essential items on their cars but not bothering with the unseen items like servicing and preventative maintenance. Nicest rear wing in the scrap-yard, etc.
I have had full warranty on every car ive owned .. imo its essential. I see more E46 M3s now than ive ever seen in my life! I do not see many 335i on the roads to be honest, I just don't but this isn't my reasoning for choosing one .. imo its that middle road between good looking coupe and performance without the astronimcal costs of an M division car as I know exactly what there like .. fair enough the new engines are becoming much more petrol friendly but your still paying top priced for those. Just my opinion. I think the E9X is far sexier looking car than the E46 too, again my opinion 
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