BMW 328 CI buying advice please

[jo strummer]

Hi looking at a couple of examples one auto one manual, anything in terms of obvious pitfalls, I'll be doing motorway driving about 60 a day, cars I am looking at are at 89K and 99K any obvoius issues?

many thanks

[Vee]

Check if the boot floor has ever been replaced.
Early E46 coupes had a problem where the subframe came away.
If it hasn't been done at BMW, check for signs of damage and bodged repairs.

[jo strummer]

Thank you

[Doctor Bone]

Get a 330Ci instead.

[soprano]

I know of a nice 328Ci with 84k on the clock for sale

Subframe issue has been taken care of in the last year at a cost of £2800.00 at BMW (paid for by BMW). It is in great condition, been a joy to drive. Lots of extras.

I'm going to shut up now because i sound like a used car salesman, but PM me if you are interested or want some more details. If you're not interested in mine I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding ownership.

Cheers.

Edited by soprano on Thursday 28th August 20:23

[jeff666]

Doctor Bone said:

Get a 330Ci instead.

+1 make it a sport.

[Fox-]

jeff666 said:

Doctor Bone said:

Get a 330Ci instead.

+1 make it a sport.

Yea great advice apart from the small issue that a 330Ci Sport will be a 2001 onwards car and worth about twice the value of an early 328Ci.

If he wants a 328Ci then he'd probably love a 330Ci Sport but it's out of his budget.

[jo strummer]

Well I can see what appear to be fairly well looked after 328 ci's around the £4500-5500 mark mileages between 85-110 and also a number of 330 Ci's as well.

Is the 330 clearly better, is there a lot of difference in miles per gallon on the motorway?

To be honest I was surprised there were 330ci's at that money they would all appear to high mileage but that does not concern me too much.

[Doctor Bone]

jo strummer said:

Well I can see what appear to be fairly well looked after 328 ci's around the £4500-5500 mark mileages between 85-110 and also a number of 330 Ci's as well.

Is the 330 clearly better, is there a lot of difference in miles per gallon on the motorway?

To be honest I was surprised there were 330ci's at that money they would all appear to high mileage but that does not concern me too much.

I think if you can afford it, the 330 is a much better car. Its faster and costs the same in mpg/servicing/parts etc.

[Bill Carr]

Fox- said:

Yea great advice apart from the small issue that a 330Ci Sport will be a 2001 onwards car and worth about twice the value of an early 328Ci.

If he wants a 328Ci then he'd probably love a 330Ci Sport but it's out of his budget.

330 is 2000X-onwards (so not clobbered by the new tax regime).

I've seen a quite few 330s hovering around the £4-4.5k mark - all over 100k miles obviously, but still in apparently good nick. I've also watched 2 on ebay not make their reserve in the past week, falling short at £2.5k-3.5k

A lot of car for the money as no-one seems to be buying them at the moment.

330 is probably marginally faster than 328 with little noticeable increase in running costs. I *think* the 330's have the refreshed interior (so more modern-looking steering wheel, clear indicators, slightly different seat designs etc) but I'm no expert and happy to be proven wrong.

[jo strummer]

Thanks Bill, nervous about E-Bay just been keeping an eagle eye on Autotrader more 330's than 328's it seems

[Fox-]

Bill Carr said:

Fox- said:

Yea great advice apart from the small issue that a 330Ci Sport will be a 2001 onwards car and worth about twice the value of an early 328Ci.

If he wants a 328Ci then he'd probably love a 330Ci Sport but it's out of his budget.

330 is 2000X-onwards (so not clobbered by the new tax regime)

But the 330Ci Sport didn't come out until later in 2001.

[jo strummer]

There seem to be a lot of 2 door 330 Ci Coupes on autotrader that are Ci SE's are they not the Sports versions? There are 2000, 2001 and 2002 for under £6K

[Fox-]

jo strummer said:

There seem to be a lot of 2 door 330 Ci Coupes on autotrader that are Ci SE's are they not the Sports versions? There are 2000, 2001 and 2002 for under £6K

Originally the E46 Coupe had no trim level - it was just a Ci. This is the case for every 328Ci and every 323Ci and also the 2000 models of the 325Ci, 330Ci etc.

Somewhere in 2001, I think it was about July, the trim levels were introduced. Two of them - Sport and SE.

[jo strummer]

So are you saying a 2000 330 Ci Coupe with leather is not a Ci Sport?

[Bill Carr]

jo strummer said:

Thanks Bill, nervous about E-Bay just been keeping an eagle eye on Autotrader more 330's than 328's it seems

Hmm, I'd say you had no greater or lesser chance of getting scammed on ebay. If you've got an eye for a dodgy ad it doesn't matter where it's posted! (ie, if it looks too good to be true...)

Interesting to learn about the "Sport" trim, thanks Fox.

BTW, I know of a red 330 that's being sold fairly local to me that the chap wants £4k for - it may be on PH actually but if you PM me I can send you a link to the ebay ad. It looks in pretty good nick. I was speaking to the owner with a view to part-exing my car, but decided to be sensible and stick with my current motor for the time being.

[Fox-]

jo strummer said:

So are you saying a 2000 330 Ci Coupe with leather is not a Ci Sport?

Yes - it is not a Sport, irrespective of what the seller may think. It'll probably have Sports seats and they all had Sport suspension anyway but it isn't a Sport model.

Genuine Sport models have Sport bodystyling, M badges on the entry sills, anthracite headlining, etc.

[kith]

I ran a '99 328ci auto for a couple of years (2002-2004). In c35,000 miles I had no real problems with it, aside from the air con. and thermostat (both fixed under then warranty).

It was a lovely, refined cruiser but the transission was a bit slushy and the steering wasn't particularly feelsome.

I still think that even today, the interior design and quality has yet to be matched (especially if you go for one with the aluminum, instead of faux carbon, inlays).

[jo strummer]

Fox- said:

jo strummer said:

So are you saying a 2000 330 Ci Coupe with leather is not a Ci Sport?

Yes - it is not a Sport, irrespective of what the seller may think. It'll probably have Sports seats and they all had Sport suspension anyway but it isn't a Sport model.

Genuine Sport models have Sport bodystyling, M badges on the entry sills, anthracite headlining, etc.

Hmmm I can't really say I am totally convinced, on Autotrader there are a choice of 4 2001-2002 330 Sport, I am excluding people with "coupes" and they are all around the £5300+ £5900 mark and I am not including people who badge 330 ci SE ( is that a sport ) in which case there is more choice. You said originally they would be double the money....was that just a fatuous comment?

[Fox-]

jo strummer said:

Hmmm I can't really say I am totally convinced, on Autotrader there are a choice of 4 2001-2002 330 Sport, I am excluding people with "coupes" and they are all around the £5300+ £5900 mark

No wonder you are not convinced if you are excluding coupes. This is a thread called '328 CI' so I assumed you wanted a Coupe. The Saloon was entirely different - the 330i Sport Saloon was introduced in July 2000. It is only the Coupe which had to wait nearly another year before an official Sport model was introduced. This thread makes constant references to Ci - this is Coupe or Cabrio. Why would I be talking about the Saloon?

jo strummer said:

You said originally they would be double the money....was that just a fatuous comment?

No, it was not - you can get 328Ci's for £3500-£4000 now. A DECENT 330Ci Sport, ie one worth buying, on a Y/51 plate or newer, is going to set you back at least £7-9k.

Edited by Fox- on Friday 29th August 15:43

Edited by Fox- on Friday 29th August 15:43