Diesel just doesn't win me over....
Discussion
Welshbeef said:
What was the budget?
Well worth waiting for the right one to come along and not being afraid of higher miles. Plus stick shift was £3k less new over and auto so dead cheap used us those who like to modify these cannot wth the stick shift as the clutch and torque rating of the box is vastly less than the auto.
Didn't really have a budget. Wanted one 2 years younger or less, if I remember rightly. Well worth waiting for the right one to come along and not being afraid of higher miles. Plus stick shift was £3k less new over and auto so dead cheap used us those who like to modify these cannot wth the stick shift as the clutch and torque rating of the box is vastly less than the auto.
We really did look for a long time and manual, petrol 3 series were insanely rare.
ORD said:
Welshbeef said:
What was the budget?
Well worth waiting for the right one to come along and not being afraid of higher miles. Plus stick shift was £3k less new over and auto so dead cheap used us those who like to modify these cannot wth the stick shift as the clutch and torque rating of the box is vastly less than the auto.
Didn't really have a budget. Wanted one 2 years younger or less, if I remember rightly. Well worth waiting for the right one to come along and not being afraid of higher miles. Plus stick shift was £3k less new over and auto so dead cheap used us those who like to modify these cannot wth the stick shift as the clutch and torque rating of the box is vastly less than the auto.
We really did look for a long time and manual, petrol 3 series were insanely rare.
What's all this nonsense about diesels not working at low revs, my 530d works absolutely fine at low revs... isn't that what a diesel does best?
Also, pretty sure the Lci E90 330d I drove recently revved to 5.5k it was certainly round about that. I remember it as it took me by surprise just how revvy an engine it was, a real step forward, it felt as if the flywheel was lighter or something.
I can't help but suspect the guys getting themselves into a frenzy over some diesel s
tbox hire car they drove once haven't tried this engine, it wipes the floor with most 4cyl petrol engines (since we're comparing 1.6d's to 5L V8 petrols etc.)
Also, pretty sure the Lci E90 330d I drove recently revved to 5.5k it was certainly round about that. I remember it as it took me by surprise just how revvy an engine it was, a real step forward, it felt as if the flywheel was lighter or something.
I can't help but suspect the guys getting themselves into a frenzy over some diesel s
tbox hire car they drove once haven't tried this engine, it wipes the floor with most 4cyl petrol engines (since we're comparing 1.6d's to 5L V8 petrols etc.)ORD said:
Welshbeef said:
Were you looking at £10k or £40k ?
I think we looked from about £15k to about £30k. We may have hit a bad time in the market, but it was really bloody boring. You wouldn't have thought it would be hard, but it was just a torrent of diesel autos.active Hybrid 3
f30 335i m sports
All well within that budget.
ORD said:
Devil2575 said:
But what petrol 3 series were you looking for? 320d sales aren't replacing 330i sales, they are replacing 320i sales.
A few years back it was difficult to buy a decent 328i because they were all 316s and 318s.
Anything from the 320i upwards. Pretty much nothing.A few years back it was difficult to buy a decent 328i because they were all 316s and 318s.
The 320d largely replaced all petrol 3 series, not just the 320!
Fastdruid said:
ORD said:
Welshbeef said:
Actually there are loads of 335is far more than 330is so look higher up or go M3 instead.
Couldn't justify the 335 to my wife (it being her car). She thought £10k extra for performance she didn't want might be OTT 
330i was the goal but they are incredibly rare.
M3 estate? Meh.
It was the same with the E39.
Edited by Devil2575 on Wednesday 22 April 22:42
Devil2575 said:
Fastdruid said:
ORD said:
Welshbeef said:
Actually there are loads of 335is far more than 330is so look higher up or go M3 instead.
Couldn't justify the 335 to my wife (it being her car). She thought £10k extra for performance she didn't want might be OTT 330i was the goal but they are incredibly rare.
M3 estate? Meh.
It was the same with the E39.
Admittedly only a fraction are manual but that translates into feck all cars (all one of them at the moment).
Devil2575 said:
ORD said:
Devil2575 said:
But what petrol 3 series were you looking for? 320d sales aren't replacing 330i sales, they are replacing 320i sales.
A few years back it was difficult to buy a decent 328i because they were all 316s and 318s.
Anything from the 320i upwards. Pretty much nothing.A few years back it was difficult to buy a decent 328i because they were all 316s and 318s.
The 320d largely replaced all petrol 3 series, not just the 320!
There were a few 320is and 328i, but not many. And most were autos.
It was depressingly hard to find what should be the norm for a RWD estate car that won't do many miles - reasonable capacity petrol engine with a manual box!
The mileages on 3 series tourings are pretty low.
Interesting fact: ALL the decent used BMWs that I saw (acceptable engine, reasonable to good spec) were ex-BMW head office company cars. I think it is the only source of newish petrol BMWs below the M cars.
Welshbeef said:
Other solution is to buy a new car and spec it exactly as you want keep it 10+ years and it will be a great and sensible buy.
Nah. If you add in the things that anyone sane would want, it's a £40k car. £4k a year for 10 years to drive around in a 3 series touring is a bit heavy (I know I wouldn't actually pay £40k).
I think the one I bought cost something like £24k and was £39k list a few months before. Nearly new makes a lot of sense when options depreciate like a stone.
AClownsPocket said:
daemon said:
If you've jumped out of a mk7 GTI and into some Vauxhall not-so-state-of-the-art loan car, its not really a surprise you're not impressed.
Is it an Astra or Insignia?
Insignia. Might be better in an Astra. I've owned diesels in the past, a 530D, Mondeo ST TDci and found them perfectly acceptable modes of transport. This just isn't.Is it an Astra or Insignia?
Fastdruid said:
Devil2575 said:
Fastdruid said:
ORD said:
Welshbeef said:
Actually there are loads of 335is far more than 330is so look higher up or go M3 instead.
Couldn't justify the 335 to my wife (it being her car). She thought £10k extra for performance she didn't want might be OTT 330i was the goal but they are incredibly rare.
M3 estate? Meh.
It was the same with the E39.
Admittedly only a fraction are manual but that translates into feck all cars (all one of them at the moment).
To be fair though a 5 series is the type of car you buy to chew up and down the motorway, where a diesel is ideal.
I think that BMW petrol engines are a victim of just how good the BMW diesels are. Why buy a 530i when the 530d is as good as it is and gets better mpg.
Have we really got people on here who are complaining they cant buy good used petrol variants and when its suggested they buy new and keep it they say they wont suffer the perceived depreciation, BUT they're expecting other people to do what they wont do instead of buying the more economical, better residual diesel variant?
ORD said:
It was depressingly hard to find what should be the norm for a RWD estate car that won't do many miles - reasonable capacity petrol engine with a manual box!
The issue is what you think should be the norm and what the majority of buyers think. I agree that it is frustrating, even finding a decent older 330i with a manual box in 4dr or touring can be areal challenge.Devil2575 said:
ORD said:
It was depressingly hard to find what should be the norm for a RWD estate car that won't do many miles - reasonable capacity petrol engine with a manual box!
The issue is what you think should be the norm and what the majority of buyers think. I agree that it is frustrating, even finding a decent older 330i with a manual box in 4dr or touring can be areal challenge.Devil2575 said:
ORD said:
Nearly new makes a lot of sense when options depreciate like a stone.
Except you are then at the mercy of what spec other people chose when they bought new.I would have thought there was enough large discounts, manufacturer incentives and low rate finance available to be able to justify your "dream car" if someone really wanted it and was otherwise spending a big amount of money anyway.
Devil2575 said:
Fastdruid said:
Devil2575 said:
Fastdruid said:
ORD said:
Welshbeef said:
Actually there are loads of 335is far more than 330is so look higher up or go M3 instead.
Couldn't justify the 335 to my wife (it being her car). She thought £10k extra for performance she didn't want might be OTT 330i was the goal but they are incredibly rare.
M3 estate? Meh.
It was the same with the E39.
Admittedly only a fraction are manual but that translates into feck all cars (all one of them at the moment).
To be fair though a 5 series is the type of car you buy to chew up and down the motorway, where a diesel is ideal.
I think that BMW petrol engines are a victim of just how good the BMW diesels are. Why buy a 530i when the 530d is as good as it is and gets better mpg.
Looking at cars the same age as my current one (a 2008/08) if I'd bought new at list and was selling now at "trade in" price I'd have saved £134. Over 7 years.
Fastdruid said:
Because it's 80kg heavier, 0.5s to 60 slower, ~2k more to buy (both when new and now) and for all the "better mpg" I would save (ignoring the purchase, borkage and servicing costs, assume the average mpg is hit by both and *including* VED)...... £14 a year.
Looking at cars the same age as my current one (a 2008/08) if I'd bought new at list and was selling now at "trade in" price I'd have saved £134. Over 7 years.
Is 0-60 time that important to you, given its not really a reflection of how a car drives?Looking at cars the same age as my current one (a 2008/08) if I'd bought new at list and was selling now at "trade in" price I'd have saved £134. Over 7 years.
Bung a remap on the diesel and get an easy 25% more power for £300. See how much extra power you get from a petrol for your £300.
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