What petrol 3 series?

[ORD]

I know "what car" threads are annoying, but I have one on which people might actually be able to help.

I have a very flexible budget (say £10k to £20k), which makes it hard to narrow down which petrol 3 might be the best for me. Obviously, I don't want to spend more for the sake of it, so a car that costs twice as much would have to be a fair bit better.

My needs/wants:-

(1) Has to be petrol.
(2) Vastly prefer a 6 cyl to a 4 cyl turbo.
(3) Has to have decent suspension and turn in (i.e. not like the F30 320d I drive recently, which was awful).
(4) Has to be manual.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

[ORD]

Esseesse said:

daemon said:

330i for me. Much nicer engine than the 335i

How so?

OP, could go looking for a mint e46 M3?

M3 might be a bit OTT as I want this car for a family run-around with a bit of poke and nice engine sound, rather than a weekend car.

I have driven the 335i (as my mum has one) and I quite liked it, but the turbo killed the engine sound for me.

[ORD]

I think I would prefer a 330, so the question is really which generation will be the best given my (fairly wide) budget limits.

Is an older version for £10k going to be materially less good (ignoring mileage) than a newer version for £20k?

[ORD]

Oh. Worth the additional cost over a 330? I suppose one benefit is lower depreciation due to scarcity/classic status.

[ORD]

Thanks, everyone.

Any thoughts on the best generation of 3 at the, say, £15k mark? What model year would you aim at if it was your decision?