E90 3 Series advice
Discussion
Hello chaps. Currently got an R53 Cooper S, and shes getting on a bit and I want to upgrade to a Beamer soon and have my eye on the E90 3 series. Now having the Cooper S is fair to say its pretty nippy and I love it to bits. I always thought Id go for another Cooper S in the form of a R56 but seeing how you can pick up a E90 for the same money I fancy getting a Beamer.
I have looked at the specs and just want to get some opinions on the engines and trims. I have looked at the 2litre diesel and the 2.5 litre petrol. Are the petrol capable of 30+ mpg like they say, and are the diesels just as good to drive?
Any tips, opinions, advice would be ace!
Cheers chaps
I have looked at the specs and just want to get some opinions on the engines and trims. I have looked at the 2litre diesel and the 2.5 litre petrol. Are the petrol capable of 30+ mpg like they say, and are the diesels just as good to drive?
Any tips, opinions, advice would be ace!
Cheers chaps
I've had a 2006 330i M-Sport Auto for 7 months with 40k miles. It has been a great car so far. Fuel consumption is OK. I do quite a bit of round town driving and I am lucky to hit the mid 20's to be honest. On longer runs though mpg picks up quite a bit and with mid 30's achievable. After a bit of mixed driving you will probably see 300-320 miles to a tank. At the end of the day if you are buying a 3 litre six you need to expect it to like a bit of a drink though so can't really moan!
Overall it is a great car, silky smooth and shifts along when you need it too. They are quite spec and colour sensitive so try and one with as much kit on as possible. Leather is a must and Prof Nav is worth it as is the M-Sport spec imo (mine is pretty much well kitted out in Lemans Blue with Lemon Dakota Leather which sets it off nicely). It needs decent verifiable history (service lights are easily reset) too, but the engine seems to be a strong unit with less to go wrong that on the diesels. The runflat tyres are damn expensive and not great as many others will no doubt agree... Check all the electrics are OK and for worn bushes, clonks and squeaks. No real nasties to report from me so far though...
Overall it is a great car, silky smooth and shifts along when you need it too. They are quite spec and colour sensitive so try and one with as much kit on as possible. Leather is a must and Prof Nav is worth it as is the M-Sport spec imo (mine is pretty much well kitted out in Lemans Blue with Lemon Dakota Leather which sets it off nicely
). It needs decent verifiable history (service lights are easily reset) too, but the engine seems to be a strong unit with less to go wrong that on the diesels. The runflat tyres are damn expensive and not great as many others will no doubt agree... Check all the electrics are OK and for worn bushes, clonks and squeaks. No real nasties to report from me so far though...It is a very good car handling is very tight like it's on rails - doesn't like snow though I power slides mine 5mph in the snow darn hard to drive on untreated roads.
For me M sport is the only spec I'd have it in. The looks and better handling sports seats black roof lining are winners for me plus tp some people that is also the top if the range spec apart from M3.
If your going 6 pot you have to go leather auto and pro nav.
Diesel or petrol your call whatever suits, I run the 330d which is great it can pootle round town traffic or really get a wiggle on. It is the easier car out of that and the 330i to drive fast and apart from off the line which it's a fraction of a second slower it's faster in every other way.
Diesel noise sure you can tell it's a diesel at idle and the petrol noise would be lovely and I sure miss it. However nail it and the engine actually does sound really good not amazing but I like it and it encourages pushing it even though you don't need to.
I average 40-42mpg on my commute and on m way long runs im into the50's. For a note a friend does the exact same commute as me and drives no differently on that commute he barely breaks 25/26mpg - roughly 250miles to a fill whereas I'm filling up at 550miles ish his being the 254bhp unit of exact same age as my 231bhp. He is intending on replacing it with the D next time we have had a play here and there and he is surprised at how quick the D is and he cannot catch up once on the move.
The lesser diesels never driven them but all the reports suggest they are better than the 320i even in off the line performance
But try them.
My car doesn't have runflats it has Michelin pilot sport 3 which are very good not tried run flats but ride in mine is hard so run flats that's got to be worse.
I've had mine 16 months now and still love it. I've always wanted a 330d as it's the sensible choice between good performance and economy the accountants car which ironically is what I am.
Try them all and choose which ever you prefer but be mindful of spec and colour choices
For me M sport is the only spec I'd have it in. The looks and better handling sports seats black roof lining are winners for me plus tp some people that is also the top if the range spec apart from M3.
If your going 6 pot you have to go leather auto and pro nav.
Diesel or petrol your call whatever suits, I run the 330d which is great it can pootle round town traffic or really get a wiggle on. It is the easier car out of that and the 330i to drive fast and apart from off the line which it's a fraction of a second slower it's faster in every other way.
Diesel noise sure you can tell it's a diesel at idle and the petrol noise would be lovely and I sure miss it. However nail it and the engine actually does sound really good not amazing but I like it and it encourages pushing it even though you don't need to.
I average 40-42mpg on my commute and on m way long runs im into the50's. For a note a friend does the exact same commute as me and drives no differently on that commute he barely breaks 25/26mpg - roughly 250miles to a fill whereas I'm filling up at 550miles ish his being the 254bhp unit of exact same age as my 231bhp. He is intending on replacing it with the D next time we have had a play here and there and he is surprised at how quick the D is and he cannot catch up once on the move.
The lesser diesels never driven them but all the reports suggest they are better than the 320i even in off the line performance
But try them.
My car doesn't have runflats it has Michelin pilot sport 3 which are very good not tried run flats but ride in mine is hard so run flats that's got to be worse.
I've had mine 16 months now and still love it. I've always wanted a 330d as it's the sensible choice between good performance and economy the accountants car which ironically is what I am.
Try them all and choose which ever you prefer but be mindful of spec and colour choices
Got a 320 petrol on the little fleet I look after for work, its slower and less fuel efficient than the diesel and seems to need replacement coil packs all the time or it cuts out and kangaroos about, friend with a 1 series on the dame engine suffers it too, poor residual too I'd guess. Agree Msport all the way and leather and xenons are the minimum standard. Get a 4 wheel alignment done too, tyres are expensive to replace prematurely (as I just found to my cost 
). Used to have an E46. 330 Msport but these days the 320d is all I need an I prefer it. I still have the mini too though
). Used to have an E46. 330 Msport but these days the 320d is all I need an I prefer it. I still have the mini too though I have a 335i, i got it 5 months/6k ago and haven't stopped grinning since.
RE. fuel economy i average mid 20's (i don't drive like a saint) the best i got was 37on a long motorway run so fuel economy isn't too bad for a 300+ bhp car
On a flip side you do need a warranty, i've already had the HPFP replaced
RE. fuel economy i average mid 20's (i don't drive like a saint) the best i got was 37on a long motorway run so fuel economy isn't too bad for a 300+ bhp car
On a flip side you do need a warranty, i've already had the HPFP replaced
KennyGT said:
Wow! Cheers guys some great advice!
So I am correct in thinking a Diesel rather than a Petrol?
And Im thinking not the 2.0 and not 3.0 but the mid 2.5 for a mix of both speed and economy. Either way i think I will have to do some test driving!
Thanks again
there is no difference in economy between the 325d and the 330d. The 325d is a 3ltr I6 a detubed 330d different turbo etc but economy is the same. So I am correct in thinking a Diesel rather than a Petrol?
And Im thinking not the 2.0 and not 3.0 but the mid 2.5 for a mix of both speed and economy. Either way i think I will have to do some test driving!
Thanks again
You need to decide if you should go for diesel or petrol however the 320d is the better of the two whereas when you get to the 330d you have the aural benefit of the petrol nut economy is way off bs the diesel and apart from off the line it's quicker.
335d well that's a possibility too and it's faster again
The 330d is undoubtedly a very good car, but I went for the 330i for the reason that to get a 330d that was anywhere near the spec and miles of mine was at least £3000 more to buy... Now that is quite a bit of the heavy juice before you start making it back! I don't do a huge personal mileage though and when I do long trips it is mostly for the company so I don't feel it in the wallet.
If you really need the economy then the 320d is the one to probably go for, but I think getting the swirl flaps removed if it is high mileage is good idea from what I understand... If you have the cash then the Alpina D3 has to be be worth checking out.
If you are going for a newer facelift ("LCI", 57 reg on I think) car then the 330i has higher power (272bhp) but a slightly tricky injection system which can be prone to issues, but economy is 5-6mpg better on average, which means pretty amazing economy for a 3.0 petrol. If looking at 335i's the fuel pumps are known to be problematic.
If it was my money and you don't need the space, Z4 3.0 coupes are also worth a look in my opinion. I have a feeling rarity value will probably keep prices more stable than the E90's over the coming years (I may be proved wrong though, it has been known!)
If you really need the economy then the 320d is the one to probably go for, but I think getting the swirl flaps removed if it is high mileage is good idea from what I understand... If you have the cash then the Alpina D3 has to be be worth checking out.
If you are going for a newer facelift ("LCI", 57 reg on I think) car then the 330i has higher power (272bhp) but a slightly tricky injection system which can be prone to issues, but economy is 5-6mpg better on average, which means pretty amazing economy for a 3.0 petrol. If looking at 335i's the fuel pumps are known to be problematic.
If it was my money and you don't need the space, Z4 3.0 coupes are also worth a look in my opinion. I have a feeling rarity value will probably keep prices more stable than the E90's over the coming years (I may be proved wrong though, it has been known!)
The LCI 330d is 245 bhp and combined does 50mpg... Also 0-60 in6.2 seconds
But every new iteration of the 330d just keeps getting better. You don't really need a car any quicker than a 330d on the public roads they are plenty fast enough sure more would be great but not really need.
Also another one you may want to consider is the 320d ED averages 70mpg. Seriously does.
But every new iteration of the 330d just keeps getting better. You don't really need a car any quicker than a 330d on the public roads they are plenty fast enough sure more would be great but not really need.
Also another one you may want to consider is the 320d ED averages 70mpg. Seriously does.
Buy the petrol one, this is probably one of the last chances you'll get to own a proper engine and it's remarkably frugal.
Leave the diesel to people who whinge on about torque at the flywheel, because in 5 years time you'll probably have no choice but to own a diesel anyway, so get a fix of petrol in whilst you still can.
I've not driven the 245bhp 330d but the 231bhp variant most certainly is not faster than the 330i unless you pick arbitarily silly tasks like 50-60 in 6th without using the gearbox or something.
Leave the diesel to people who whinge on about torque at the flywheel, because in 5 years time you'll probably have no choice but to own a diesel anyway, so get a fix of petrol in whilst you still can.
I've not driven the 245bhp 330d but the 231bhp variant most certainly is not faster than the 330i unless you pick arbitarily silly tasks like 50-60 in 6th without using the gearbox or something.
Fox- said:
Buy the petrol one, this is probably one of the last chances you'll get to own a proper engine and it's remarkably frugal.
Leave the diesel to people who whinge on about torque at the flywheel, because in 5 years time you'll probably have no choice but to own a diesel anyway, so get a fix of petrol in whilst you still can.
I've not driven the 245bhp 330d but the 231bhp variant most certainly is not faster than the 330i unless you pick arbitarily silly tasks like 50-60 in 6th without using the gearbox or something.
Say 20-100leptons they are indifferent and no way can the 330i pass the 330d.Leave the diesel to people who whinge on about torque at the flywheel, because in 5 years time you'll probably have no choice but to own a diesel anyway, so get a fix of petrol in whilst you still can.
I've not driven the 245bhp 330d but the 231bhp variant most certainly is not faster than the 330i unless you pick arbitarily silly tasks like 50-60 in 6th without using the gearbox or something.
Also take note of the 70mph limit so all your really after in the real world is quick acceleration up to that speed.
the 254bhp 330i is a mere 23bhp more than the 330d so that kind of explains why it cannot overtake a 330d and of course the additional Torque which is a plateua helps to explain it.
Fuel economy difference between the 254bhp & 231bhp 330's cannot be underestimated as its c14mpg real world driving (I know as previously stated my friend drives the exact same commute same time similar average speed - the best he can get on a long run is 33-35mpg, however best I can get is nearly 55mpg).
Benefit of the diesel is of course that fuel stops are much less frequent.
Taking the fact that say you drive 15k miles a year and as per my known examples of two identical routes/330i v 330d and 1.40/ltr diesel and 1.36/ltr petrol then the saving for using a diesel is £1,200 p.a.
But buy the car you want petrol is lovely diesel makes a cracking alternative with few compromises and its just as fast. off the line its a tad slower everywhere else through the gears or in gear its qiuicker and not possible for the petrol to overtake the diesel (both giving it 10/10th's on the public road whereas the diesel coming out of corners would get the jump over the petrol & possibly pass).
ENjoy which ever you buy (dont buy the 320i though or 318i).
I had an 08 330d auto for a week and it absolutely would not do more than 38mpg on a gentle run. When i say gentle i mean quiet motorways/dual carridgeways and a-roads driving at no more than 75-80.
My own 330i auto does 33-34 on exactly the same route at the same speed. Maybe the later 330d ('09 model?) does a lot more, but 55mpg? Maybe at a constant 50mph, but that's not really realistic.
My own 330i auto does 33-34 on exactly the same route at the same speed. Maybe the later 330d ('09 model?) does a lot more, but 55mpg? Maybe at a constant 50mph, but that's not really realistic.
ITP said:
I had an 08 330d auto for a week and it absolutely would not do more than 38mpg on a gentle run. When i say gentle i mean quiet motorways/dual carridgeways and a-roads driving at no more than 75-80.
My own 330i auto does 33-34 on exactly the same route at the same speed. Maybe the later 330d ('09 model?) does a lot more, but 55mpg? Maybe at a constant 50mph, but that's not really realistic.
No mine is a 56 reg.My own 330i auto does 33-34 on exactly the same route at the same speed. Maybe the later 330d ('09 model?) does a lot more, but 55mpg? Maybe at a constant 50mph, but that's not really realistic.
I leave it in D and cruise on at 70mph.
I did Reading to Sheffield (empty roads all the way) and achieved 53mpg IIRC average speed 55/56 cruise on at 70mph all the way on M way.
I have also done Reading to Brugge that did the 55mpg - 70mph cruise in UK and in Europe I upped it to 80mph/85.
As a test (incase there is a fault with your car /underinflated/clogged injector etc) get on the M way cruise on at 70mph reset the trip and leave it for a few miles. If its flat you should see high 50's possibly 60's however real world = starting up the car getting car to the M way coming off m way etc.
I think at 55mph it does less mpg - the sweet spot seems to be 65mph to 80mph there seems to be no difference in fuel consumption based upon the instantanious guage.
Anyway we all drive differently try them boh and make a choice - however take note I have given you a strong indications of real life mpg's for both examples of the 330i/d of the same age. It is a 40mile commute with average speed of c30mph more than 75% of it is M4 rest is a/b road.
The newer 330i 272bhp is comparable to the 245bhp 330d. There are known injector issues on the 330i (petrol) that keep failing and outside of warranty represent huge costs c£2k a time.
BMW no longer sell the 330i 272bhp in the UK but looking at the 335i with 306bhp it does 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds whereas he 330d with 245bhp does it in 6.1 seconds. Clearly the 272bhp 330i will be somewhere inbetween but as you can see there is only half a second between the 335i and the 330d so it doesnt really much much difference from a standing start either.
That is my point.
Looking at the bmw website they have the 325d & 325i the 325i with 218bhp does 0-62 in 6.7 seconds whereas the 325d with 204bhp does 0-62 in 7.0 seconds. So assume a similar gap for the 330i/d.
Really highlights to the non converts that they are slow off the line... well whats that difference in car lengths?? One bonnet?
One last point is the 330d 245bhp unit - it may state 245bhp however there are rumors on the web and rolling road testers which have found it to be notably higher than that the reason they dont highlight it is that the 335d sales would suffer.
Anyway choose away.
I'll fully conceed noise is great on the petrol I6 and the diesel noise I6 well its miles better than any I4 and when your accelerating hard it doesnt sound unpleasant infact its quite nice (but different to petrol), when on M way or A/b cruise you cannot hear the engine, at idle you can hear it if the radio is off.
Welshbeef said:
BMW no longer sell the 330i 272bhp in the UK but looking at the 335i with 306bhp it does 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds whereas he 330d with 245bhp does it in 6.1 seconds. Clearly the 272bhp 330i will be somewhere inbetween but as you can see there is only half a second between the 335i and the 330d so it doesnt really much much difference from a standing start either.
That is my point.
FWIW the 272 330i is quoted as 6.2 secs on the BMW used data and the 335i 5.4. Unless I read it incorrectly.That is my point.
Thanks for a useful thread, been thinking about which one for a while.
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