335d feels like the boring answer for my next car
Discussion
Currently driving a 57 plate A6 estate 3.0tdi Le Mans spec, which I bought because I used to pretty much keep my mountain bike in the back of the car to ride 3 or 4 times a week. As I get less and less time to ride I'm thinking of swapping cars, because whilst the estate is so convenient and practical on occasion, those occasions when I need the load space are rare.
My driving consists of a daily commute Leicester to Derby up the M1 and a bit of work mileage, so around 18-20k miles a year. I also need 4 seats for the weekend for my wife and son. Budget is between £15k-20k. I want something quicker than I've got now, well specced, and will do more than 25mpg.
Every time I consider the options I keep coming back to the 335d (or 335i), but it just doesn't really excite me and I wonder whether to bother changing at all. Another option is an Audi S4, but again not that excited by it.
What I really want is an M3 or an RS4 but I can't justify the fuel economy for the type of driving I do. What are the other options I could consider?
My driving consists of a daily commute Leicester to Derby up the M1 and a bit of work mileage, so around 18-20k miles a year. I also need 4 seats for the weekend for my wife and son. Budget is between £15k-20k. I want something quicker than I've got now, well specced, and will do more than 25mpg.
Every time I consider the options I keep coming back to the 335d (or 335i), but it just doesn't really excite me and I wonder whether to bother changing at all. Another option is an Audi S4, but again not that excited by it.
What I really want is an M3 or an RS4 but I can't justify the fuel economy for the type of driving I do. What are the other options I could consider?
Liked my 335d but it was pretty numb experience after a while.
If you feel like its the boring answer before you even buy it i would discount it.
Several other options. e46 m3 and spend the rest on fuel.
Or e46 m3 for the fun drives and a cheap diesel daily driver. I can tell you the 2 car option is liberating
If you feel like its the boring answer before you even buy it i would discount it.
Several other options. e46 m3 and spend the rest on fuel.
Or e46 m3 for the fun drives and a cheap diesel daily driver. I can tell you the 2 car option is liberating
bp1000 said:
Liked my 335d but it was pretty numb experience after a while.
If you feel like its the boring answer before you even buy it i would discount it.
Several other options. e46 m3 and spend the rest on fuel.
Or e46 m3 for the fun drives and a cheap diesel daily driver. I can tell you the 2 car option is liberating
There isn't much difference between the 335D and the E46 M3 apart from noise and posing factor. Performance wise I'd give the nod to the 335D. It's only over 100mph does the M3 make a case for itself.If you feel like its the boring answer before you even buy it i would discount it.
Several other options. e46 m3 and spend the rest on fuel.
Or e46 m3 for the fun drives and a cheap diesel daily driver. I can tell you the 2 car option is liberating
A bit off track perhaps, but what about a D3 A8 4.2Tdi? 322bhp & 650nm out of the box. will do at least 25mpg but more like 30+ if you re-map it up to about 380bhp.
Quite rare too, lots of space, decent sounding diesel - V8, full of toys and go like s
t!
Well within budget for a decent one.
Just a thought if you want something a bit different!
Quite rare too, lots of space, decent sounding diesel - V8, full of toys and go like s
t!Well within budget for a decent one.
Just a thought if you want something a bit different!
antspants said:
Currently driving a 57 plate A6 estate 3.0tdi Le Mans spec, which I bought because I used to pretty much keep my mountain bike in the back of the car to ride 3 or 4 times a week. As I get less and less time to ride I'm thinking of swapping cars, because whilst the estate is so convenient and practical on occasion, those occasions when I need the load space are rare.
My driving consists of a daily commute Leicester to Derby up the M1 and a bit of work mileage, so around 18-20k miles a year. I also need 4 seats for the weekend for my wife and son. Budget is between £15k-20k. I want something quicker than I've got now, well specced, and will do more than 25mpg.
Every time I consider the options I keep coming back to the 335d (or 335i), but it just doesn't really excite me and I wonder whether to bother changing at all. Another option is an Audi S4, but again not that excited by it.
What I really want is an M3 or an RS4 but I can't justify the fuel economy for the type of driving I do. What are the other options I could consider?
Stretch the budget a bit to a lightly used M135i? 4 seats, fast, easily > 30mpg on the motorway, typically well spec'd.My driving consists of a daily commute Leicester to Derby up the M1 and a bit of work mileage, so around 18-20k miles a year. I also need 4 seats for the weekend for my wife and son. Budget is between £15k-20k. I want something quicker than I've got now, well specced, and will do more than 25mpg.
Every time I consider the options I keep coming back to the 335d (or 335i), but it just doesn't really excite me and I wonder whether to bother changing at all. Another option is an Audi S4, but again not that excited by it.
What I really want is an M3 or an RS4 but I can't justify the fuel economy for the type of driving I do. What are the other options I could consider?
I have a 335d tourer, had it for 18 months and its really starting to bore me. Its super quick, reliable, economical, well built etc but has absolutely no personality at all - oh and the ride is appalling, if I could sensibly alter the ride quality I would keep it. Also, its not very big inside at all.
bp1000 said:
Liked my 335d but it was pretty numb experience after a while.
If you feel like its the boring answer before you even buy it i would discount it.
Several other options. e46 m3 and spend the rest on fuel.
Or e46 m3 for the fun drives and a cheap diesel daily driver. I can tell you the 2 car option is liberating
Second car was going to be my suggestion. Get any old hack for motorway duty then something impractical and fast for anything else. Pointless getting anything over 3L if it bores you, just money down the drain IMO.If you feel like its the boring answer before you even buy it i would discount it.
Several other options. e46 m3 and spend the rest on fuel.
Or e46 m3 for the fun drives and a cheap diesel daily driver. I can tell you the 2 car option is liberating
Did like the 335d (not remapped) but as alluded to above hated the stiff suspension - so much so that the next Beemer I bought had to have the sports suspension deletion option.
Am really tempted by a remapped 335i myself but unsure of the suspension situation with them . i.e. is it possible to buy one with it softer...
ETA: Forgot to add I know there's a few people who ditched the runflats and got a smoother ride but I always understood this messed with the pressure sensors or something and the ECU had to be re-programmed (could be PH/Pub talk)?
Am really tempted by a remapped 335i myself but unsure of the suspension situation with them . i.e. is it possible to buy one with it softer...
ETA: Forgot to add I know there's a few people who ditched the runflats and got a smoother ride but I always understood this messed with the pressure sensors or something and the ECU had to be re-programmed (could be PH/Pub talk)?
Edited by TangerinePool on Tuesday 1st July 12:06
antspants said:
Currently driving a 57 plate A6 estate 3.0tdi Le Mans spec, which I bought because I used to pretty much keep my mountain bike in the back of the car to ride 3 or 4 times a week. As I get less and less time to ride I'm thinking of swapping cars, because whilst the estate is so convenient and practical on occasion, those occasions when I need the load space are rare.
My driving consists of a daily commute Leicester to Derby up the M1 and a bit of work mileage, so around 18-20k miles a year. I also need 4 seats for the weekend for my wife and son. Budget is between £15k-20k. I want something quicker than I've got now, well specced, and will do more than 25mpg.
Every time I consider the options I keep coming back to the 335d (or 335i), but it just doesn't really excite me and I wonder whether to bother changing at all. Another option is an Audi S4, but again not that excited by it.
What I really want is an M3 or an RS4 but I can't justify the fuel economy for the type of driving I do. What are the other options I could consider?
Well, in the same vein as the 335d, you could look at the Merc C350d. I have one with the AMG pack and really like it. It's nice to sit in, has a top chassis (and handles well with the AMG suspension), and has the torque of a C63, so I'd think it would be a fine alternative -- and personally, as a complete package, I like mine just as much as my S4.My driving consists of a daily commute Leicester to Derby up the M1 and a bit of work mileage, so around 18-20k miles a year. I also need 4 seats for the weekend for my wife and son. Budget is between £15k-20k. I want something quicker than I've got now, well specced, and will do more than 25mpg.
Every time I consider the options I keep coming back to the 335d (or 335i), but it just doesn't really excite me and I wonder whether to bother changing at all. Another option is an Audi S4, but again not that excited by it.
What I really want is an M3 or an RS4 but I can't justify the fuel economy for the type of driving I do. What are the other options I could consider?
TBH, it's not the car, it's the road and the traffic you drive in..........
No, "sensible" estate car is going to be that exciting, tbh, even an RS4 estate is really not that much actual "fun" to drive once you get used to the performance. Something like an Elise, or caterham or similar is "fun" because it is visceral, but that "fun" rapidly turns to "complete pain in the a**e" when you're sat with 500 other people in a massive traffic jam on the M5 or whatever!
(so, i'd second the "keep what you've got and buy a toy" approach!)
No, "sensible" estate car is going to be that exciting, tbh, even an RS4 estate is really not that much actual "fun" to drive once you get used to the performance. Something like an Elise, or caterham or similar is "fun" because it is visceral, but that "fun" rapidly turns to "complete pain in the a**e" when you're sat with 500 other people in a massive traffic jam on the M5 or whatever!
(so, i'd second the "keep what you've got and buy a toy" approach!)
Ginja said:
I have a 335d tourer, had it for 18 months and its really starting to bore me. Its super quick, reliable, economical, well built etc but has absolutely no personality at all - oh and the ride is appalling, if I could sensibly alter the ride quality I would keep it. Also, its not very big inside at all.
I've just taken delivery of a new 335d.It now only comes with x-drive (to cope with the not insubstantial hike in power), so doesn't have the rock hard M-sport suspension.
I've put adaptive suspension on and can really feel a difference.
Frankly I think it's the most complete car we've ever owned.
Yes it may be lacking in lurid tail slides and a petrol I6 soundtrack (if that's what you mean by personality) but in sport mode it sounds ok, revs reasonably urgently and goes extremely quickly.
It sounds ok.
I love it.
antspants said:
will do more than 25mpg.
What I really want is an M3 or an RS4 but I can't justify the fuel economy for the type of driving I do. What are the other options I could consider?
I do the same mileage as you if not a bit more, to help you out on a run I get 27-28mpg out of my e92 DCT M3, so I think an e90/2 DCT M3 would be perfect! What I really want is an M3 or an RS4 but I can't justify the fuel economy for the type of driving I do. What are the other options I could consider?
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