F30 335D vs F80 M3
Discussion
Basically here's the story.
After a few years in cheap to run cars for work my job changed and I decided to treat myself. So I bought a 2014 F30 335D with 10k on it, 8 grand of extras and in as new condition. I bought it private after a months research and looking at cars with no spec at all and ones that just were not as desirable, I paid £26750 privately based on the cars I had seen versus this car, they were all the same or more money for less car. I really like the car but and its really ALL you need but its not a fun car.
Anyway, I was passing a dealer that had a 2015 M3 manual and I know the salesman so I took it for a good drive. Great car, all the fun that I would want, suspension is a bit hard and its 45 grand but I thought I would ask, how much..............23 grand to change..................WHAT?!?!?! Apparently my car is worth 22 max to trade in!
I am still in shock, I have never seen an F30 335D for less than £23,000 never mind mine in Estoril blue with loads of extras and only 12k on it. Its pissed me off TBH. I would like an M3 sometime but there's no way I'm doing a deal at that money. I have now spoken to a few dealers and they are all around the same figure, they say they would be retailing my car at ££24 -25000 or so, I think that's BS as when I was looking for on they were all just under £30000 for my spec of car and that's 3 months back.
Just a final word, an M3 is nowhere near twice the car of a 335D, I'm not even sure its better as an every day car but it's definitely fun and fast were the 335D is just fast.
I suspect M3 prices will fall a lot over the next 2 years, then I might get one, my car should be worth a couple of grand then.
After a few years in cheap to run cars for work my job changed and I decided to treat myself. So I bought a 2014 F30 335D with 10k on it, 8 grand of extras and in as new condition. I bought it private after a months research and looking at cars with no spec at all and ones that just were not as desirable, I paid £26750 privately based on the cars I had seen versus this car, they were all the same or more money for less car. I really like the car but and its really ALL you need but its not a fun car.
Anyway, I was passing a dealer that had a 2015 M3 manual and I know the salesman so I took it for a good drive. Great car, all the fun that I would want, suspension is a bit hard and its 45 grand but I thought I would ask, how much..............23 grand to change..................WHAT?!?!?! Apparently my car is worth 22 max to trade in!
I am still in shock, I have never seen an F30 335D for less than £23,000 never mind mine in Estoril blue with loads of extras and only 12k on it. Its pissed me off TBH. I would like an M3 sometime but there's no way I'm doing a deal at that money. I have now spoken to a few dealers and they are all around the same figure, they say they would be retailing my car at ££24 -25000 or so, I think that's BS as when I was looking for on they were all just under £30000 for my spec of car and that's 3 months back.
Just a final word, an M3 is nowhere near twice the car of a 335D, I'm not even sure its better as an every day car but it's definitely fun and fast were the 335D is just fast.
I suspect M3 prices will fall a lot over the next 2 years, then I might get one, my car should be worth a couple of grand then.
Have you upgraded the 435 at all.
If you're a bit bored, ditching the runflats, getting ACS springs and having a remap will reveal a lot of the potential.
It still won't feel,as alive as an M3 but it will be significantly better than before and way cheaper than the cost to change for the M3.
Or just buy an e92!
If you're a bit bored, ditching the runflats, getting ACS springs and having a remap will reveal a lot of the potential.
It still won't feel,as alive as an M3 but it will be significantly better than before and way cheaper than the cost to change for the M3.
Or just buy an e92!
ratty6464 said:
Have you upgraded the 435 at all.
If you're a bit bored, ditching the runflats, getting ACS springs and having a remap will reveal a lot of the potential.
It still won't feel,as alive as an M3 but it will be significantly better than before and way cheaper than the cost to change for the M3.
Or just buy an e92!
Its a 335D but anyway............If you're a bit bored, ditching the runflats, getting ACS springs and having a remap will reveal a lot of the potential.
It still won't feel,as alive as an M3 but it will be significantly better than before and way cheaper than the cost to change for the M3.
Or just buy an e92!
It's still on the original Pirelli RF but getting rid of them is on the list, if Alpina see it as improvement why can't BMW?
The ACS springs would be good but I can't justify £1000 to have them fitted which is what both my local BMW dealer want.
The remap would concern me with warranty on the car and the risk of something breaking although I would consider it in the future.
I think overall the 335D is a better car than an M3 90% of the time but it lacks the excitement for the other 10% of the time.
I think I'll be keeping it................................
Not happy taking a 4k ish bath on a 335d! Whatever you do don't buy a 45k M3 then, the depreciation may just kill you.
In all seriousness you can't really compare a 335d to an M3, they may look vaguely similar but they are completely different cars and for me the extra £s are well worth it if you can afford it.
In all seriousness you can't really compare a 335d to an M3, they may look vaguely similar but they are completely different cars and for me the extra £s are well worth it if you can afford it.
mike150 said:
I think overall the 335D is a better car than an M3 90% of the time but it lacks the excitement for the other 10% of the time.
How can a diesel 3 series be a better car than the current M3 for 90% of the time?The only things the 335d is better at than the M3 is running costs and MPG.
The M3 has a far superior chassis and is far quicker, it still has 406torque so plenty of shove for daily driving too, given the choice I would run the F80 M3 over the F30 335d all day every day.
Not to mention the 335d has the same exhaust set up as a 320d now too...you get four exhausts on the M3 so it's a little bit harder to confuse it with the 320d as well.
Don't get me wrong the 335d is a belting all round motor but money no object I can't see many picking it over the M3.
I think most would prefer the comfort and the x-drive in the 335D over the M3 most of the time, I know I would. You spend most of your car journeys stuck behind a train of traffic where an M3 just is not as nice to be in.
I am sure a lot have seen this this but its a great watch none the less and its an Alpina D3 against an M3 but it's not that different..............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoRAeL8qgSM
I am sure a lot have seen this this but its a great watch none the less and its an Alpina D3 against an M3 but it's not that different..............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoRAeL8qgSM
mike150 said:
I think most would prefer the comfort and the x-drive in the 335D over the M3 most of the time, I know I would. You spend most of your car journeys stuck behind a train of traffic where an M3 just is not as nice to be in.
I am sure a lot have seen this this but its a great watch none the less and its an Alpina D3 against an M3 but it's not that different..............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoRAeL8qgSM
Hahaha that pile of crap video again, he doesn't even take the M3 out of efficient throttle mode. Anyone who has properly driven an M3 knows the efficient throttle is about as potent as a soggy biscuit or in car terms a 320d. I am sure a lot have seen this this but its a great watch none the less and its an Alpina D3 against an M3 but it's not that different..............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoRAeL8qgSM
MWM3 said:
Hahaha that pile of crap video again, he doesn't even take the M3 out of efficient throttle mode. Anyone who has properly driven an M3 knows the efficient throttle is about as potent as a soggy biscuit or in car terms a 320d.
Yes clearly Steve Sutcliff doesn't know what he's doing and can't drive. You must be so much more talented, what's your name and then I'll know if I've heard of you.It's a great video that in summation tells you the M3 is more fun to own for a tiny proportion of the time and the rest of the time the Alpina D3 is a better bet and that there's nothing in it on performance.
I did own an E36 M3 20 years ago, amazing to think my 335D is faster!
mike150 said:
Yes clearly Steve Sutcliff doesn't know what he's doing and can't drive. You must be so much more talented, what's your name and then I'll know if I've heard of you.
It's a great video that in summation tells you the M3 is more fun to own for a tiny proportion of the time and the rest of the time the Alpina D3 is a better bet and that there's nothing in it on performance.
I did own an E36 M3 20 years ago, amazing to think my 335D is faster!
Sutcliff is no doubt a better driver than I, however the video is completely slanted to the Alpina, i.e the M3 isn't taken out of it's limpest mode so not a proper comparison. It's a great video that in summation tells you the M3 is more fun to own for a tiny proportion of the time and the rest of the time the Alpina D3 is a better bet and that there's nothing in it on performance.
I did own an E36 M3 20 years ago, amazing to think my 335D is faster!
I must have also been a fool to have bought an M3 over the mighty 335D, not only did I buy a worse car for 90% of the time but it had cost me more to do so. Why o why didn't I listen to that genius dxb335d all those years ago!
Anyway, I'm off to make a video to show My Missus Focus is a much faster car than a La Ferrari...Surely no one will notice the La Ferrari isn't even aware I'm 'racing' it and jut pootling along at 30 mph, as I wiz past at 45mph.
Edited by MWM3 on Friday 7th October 12:49
mike150 said:
Its a 335D but anyway............
It's still on the original Pirelli RF but getting rid of them is on the list, if Alpina see it as improvement why can't BMW?
The ACS springs would be good but I can't justify £1000 to have them fitted which is what both my local BMW dealer want.
The remap would concern me with warranty on the car and the risk of something breaking although I would consider it in the future.
I think overall the 335D is a better car than an M3 90% of the time but it lacks the excitement for the other 10% of the time.
I think I'll be keeping it................................
There's a load more potential you can un tap in the 335. It's still on the original Pirelli RF but getting rid of them is on the list, if Alpina see it as improvement why can't BMW?
The ACS springs would be good but I can't justify £1000 to have them fitted which is what both my local BMW dealer want.
The remap would concern me with warranty on the car and the risk of something breaking although I would consider it in the future.
I think overall the 335D is a better car than an M3 90% of the time but it lacks the excitement for the other 10% of the time.
I think I'll be keeping it................................
The runflats rob the front or grip and are noisy. Michelin pilot super sports make a big difference. Improving the handling and ride. Around £700. Ish
ACS springs are about £295 from rossiters and £360 to get fitted there. If it's a long way away call them and they will recommend a decent place to fit them. The wallow in corners and diving under braking disappears. It's the single most apparent upgrade.
A remap by Simon at emaps is £399. He's remapped hundreds of bmws, and a lot of people here recommend him. He doesn't take the engine past safe limits and it's ups the response of the engine so it doesn't feel wheezy past the 3.5k rev point like it does in standard form. Yes it may invalidate your warranty if they find out and something goes wrong with the engine, but a decent map is low risk. All it does is change the data tables in the Ecu within reasonable limits.
There's a load more potential available. And performance wise a massive difference.
I've owned a e92 M3, was loaned an M4 convertible for 24hrs and have driven the 510bhp ACS M4. With a remap the 435d is a similar pace to the convertible M4. It's quicker than the e92 lower down too but by about 120mph all the M cars walk it.
The ACS car was in a different league, it's an animal and very fast, but struggled to get the power down on bumpy roads.
The 435 will never give you that completely keyed in feel of an M car but it performs well with the upgrades and has a lot less road noise. It will average 40 mpg and is a bit of a weapon with 4wd and bags of low down torque.
ratty6464 said:
There's a load more potential you can un tap in the 335.
The runflats rob the front or grip and are noisy. Michelin pilot super sports make a big difference. Improving the handling and ride. Around £700. Ish
ACS springs are about £295 from rossiters and £360 to get fitted there. If it's a long way away call them and they will recommend a decent place to fit them. The wallow in corners and diving under braking disappears. It's the single most apparent upgrade.
A remap by Simon at emaps is £399. He's remapped hundreds of bmws, and a lot of people here recommend him. He doesn't take the engine past safe limits and it's ups the response of the engine so it doesn't feel wheezy past the 3.5k rev point like it does in standard form. Yes it may invalidate your warranty if they find out and something goes wrong with the engine, but a decent map is low risk. All it does is change the data tables in the Ecu within reasonable limits.
There's a load more potential available. And performance wise a massive difference.
I've owned a e92 M3, was loaned an M4 convertible for 24hrs and have driven the 510bhp ACS M4. With a remap the 435d is a similar pace to the convertible M4. It's quicker than the e92 lower down too but by about 120mph all the M cars walk it.
The ACS car was in a different league, it's an animal and very fast, but struggled to get the power down on bumpy roads.
The 435 will never give you that completely keyed in feel of an M car but it performs well with the upgrades and has a lot less road noise. It will average 40 mpg and is a bit of a weapon with 4wd and bags of low down torque.
Thanks for the useful info. Whilst I would like to get into an F80 M3 they don't make sense financially for me against what I have, my own car has a higher spec than one but as I have found out that does not seem to reflect in its value. In a nutshell one is a 4wd 3.0 diesel with 2 turbos, the other is a 2wd petrol with 2 turbos yet one is twice the price, not worth it to me.The runflats rob the front or grip and are noisy. Michelin pilot super sports make a big difference. Improving the handling and ride. Around £700. Ish
ACS springs are about £295 from rossiters and £360 to get fitted there. If it's a long way away call them and they will recommend a decent place to fit them. The wallow in corners and diving under braking disappears. It's the single most apparent upgrade.
A remap by Simon at emaps is £399. He's remapped hundreds of bmws, and a lot of people here recommend him. He doesn't take the engine past safe limits and it's ups the response of the engine so it doesn't feel wheezy past the 3.5k rev point like it does in standard form. Yes it may invalidate your warranty if they find out and something goes wrong with the engine, but a decent map is low risk. All it does is change the data tables in the Ecu within reasonable limits.
There's a load more potential available. And performance wise a massive difference.
I've owned a e92 M3, was loaned an M4 convertible for 24hrs and have driven the 510bhp ACS M4. With a remap the 435d is a similar pace to the convertible M4. It's quicker than the e92 lower down too but by about 120mph all the M cars walk it.
The ACS car was in a different league, it's an animal and very fast, but struggled to get the power down on bumpy roads.
The 435 will never give you that completely keyed in feel of an M car but it performs well with the upgrades and has a lot less road noise. It will average 40 mpg and is a bit of a weapon with 4wd and bags of low down torque.
I did look at a 2010 C63 as well but it just feels a generation older to drive which it is.
I think I will be keeping the 335D for a year or two and reconsider an M3 then.
I have looked a bit on the tyres and look forward to fitting normal tyres but my RF's have 4mm on them yet. Personally I like Goodyear Eagle F1's having used them on a lot of cars over the years.
I will inquire again about the ACS springs. Both BMW dealer within 20 miles of me wanted £980, rip off I thought, I might just get them and fit them myself, how hard can it be?
The remap would be good but the car is quick enough really and invalidating the warranty would concern me too much so if I do it its a year away.
Again, thanks for the advice.
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