As ever, car dilemma - Daily with a difference

[david_h]

I'm going to sell my 530i soon as it's too big for me and not fast enough as my only car. I plan to buy an E46 M3 spring next year and stick that in the garage as a toy.

However, I need a new daily, although I train it to work so it's not really a daily.

Requirements:
- Budget £4k
- Don't care about mpg at all.
- Has to be automatic (health issues)
- Reliability (nothing French or Italian pls)
- Nothing bigger than a 3 series BMW pls.
- Wouldn't mind some load space when seats are down.
- Will be used both around town and on long journeys to see the rents etc. (cruise control a bonus)

My thoughts are:
BMW 330i SE Auto Estate
VW Bora TDi Sport Auto 130
Audi A3 1.8T Auto

Any other suggestions that I may have missed?

Thanks in advance.

Edited by david_h on Monday 16th August 13:43

[RobM77]

My only comment is that your toy seems rather similar to your everyday car. The E46 M3 was extremely good as a four door saloon that also went really fast, so in many ways it's a dual purpose every/sports car, it wasn't really intended as an out and out sports car, like a 911 or Boxster is, and that's reflected in the drive, where everything seems hidden from the driver.

My recommendation from the cars you listed would be the 330, but having owned an E46 330ci, and driven an E46 M3 the two cars feel very similar to drive (a comment I've heard before, and is echoed in the back of Evo too); the differences, which are well hidden from the driver, being the power, suspension and the rear diff. The M3 would be my choice if I wanted a four seater everyday car that was fast, or in many ways a really sorted version of the 330ci, rather than my choice from a blank sheet of paper as a weekend toy.

If I was you I'd buy a 330i for everyday use, and get something more special and connected as a toy.

[david_h]

Thanks for your comments.

Hmm, 330i is similar to an E46 M3, really? Maybe I need to rethink the toy in that case, or at least drive an M3 first.

The toy list was:
C55
CLK55
E46 M3
335i chipped (I know)

The car will be used for trips to Europe and back and has to be auto. When in Europe it will be used up the mountain passes.
I thought the M3 ticked all the boxes and was thinking if I get bored of the power I could stick a supercharger on it.
I'm not buying a boxster or cayman S, they are poor man's 911, and I hate the sound of Porsche's.

Edited by david_h on Monday 16th August 15:56

[jimmy156]

david_h said:

I'm not buying a boxster or cayman S, they are poor man's 911, and I hate the sound of Porsche's.

Edited by david_h on Monday 16th August 15:56

Really? I would have thought a Cayman S would be more fun then an M3 on a mountain pass? (not that an M3 wouldnt be fun, mind.)

I can only echo the comments of the other poster, i see an M3 (and all the other 'Toy' cars you posted in fact) as being very quick cars, that can be used as daily drivers, not a car you would have as a toy alongside a Daily drive. But thats just my opionion.

[sjc]

This to waft in...
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1879779.htm

And your toy of choice to blast in.( I've gone this route with a 75 and a M400 and it covers all bases.)

[Acheron]

sjc said:

This to waft in...
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1879779.htm

And your toy of choice to blast in.( I've gone this route with a 75 and a M400 and it covers all bases.)

Didnt he want something reliable?

[RobM77]

david_h said:

Thanks for your comments.

Hmm, 330i is similar to an E46 M3, really? Maybe I need to rethink the toy in that case, or at least drive an M3 first.

The toy list was:
C55
CLK55
E46 M3
335i chipped (I know)

The car will be used for trips to Europe and back and has to be auto. When in Europe it will be used up the mountain passes.
I thought the M3 ticked all the boxes and was thinking if I get bored of the power I could stick a supercharger on it.
I'm not buying a boxster or cayman S, they are poor man's 911, and I hate the sound of Porsche's.

Edited by david_h on Monday 16th August 15:56

No problem. Obviously there are differences between an M3 and a 330i. The M3 feels a lot faster in a straight line for starters, the chassis is more neutral and tuned for performance, rather than comfort, and the rear diff is lovely, rather than obstructive. However, the general levels of feedback, the feel of the controls and the NVH are very similar between the cars, and make no mistake, the M3 feels like a saloon rather than a clean sheet of paper sports car. I expect that a non car enthusiast who didn't explore the performance of the car wouldn't tell any difference at all. They're obviously different cars, but I'm not sure that they're sufficiently different to warrant having one of each. Have you thought about spending the whole budget on an SMG BMW M3? Your toys seem remarkably big and comfy to me; I just wonder whether such a car would be ideal for everyday use, and whilst depreciation, running costs and fuel will be more, would it be more than running two cars?

It's a shame that you feel that a Boxster is a poor man's 911. Is a 458 Italia a poor man's 599, or a 330i touring a poor man's M3 CSL? They're just different cars made by the same company. If you don't like the flat six, then that's fair enough I suppose.

PS - the plural of "Porsche" is "Porsches". You just add an "s" in English

Edited by RobM77 on Monday 16th August 16:57

[sjc]

Acheron said:

sjc said:

This to waft in...
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1879779.htm

And your toy of choice to blast in.( I've gone this route with a 75 and a M400 and it covers all bases.)

Didnt he want something reliable?

My one owner( with me being the 2nd) 75 2.5 V6 is 9 years old.I've had it 10 months and done 8000 miles in my ownership.I It has cost me 56 pence on two bulbs.
My Noble M400 has done 28,000 miles now and has cost me one service of 650 quid in the last 12 months.

By all means please post your experience of both cars as a comparision.

[david_h]

My total car budget for both cars is around £22k.

I want the toy car garaged as I'm likely to switch the wheels and suspension on it, and it won't be that practical as a supermarket car and in the middle of winter.

The list of toy cars may seem comfortable but they have a duel purpose:
1.) Get me 1200 miles to Southern Austria in comfort
2.) Give me smiles up mountain passes.

I need a Jekel & Hyde type of car.

The thread has deviated from my original idea which was to sort the run around out first.