BMW 330e ordered...
Discussion
greatwhitenorth said:
Tonycv51 said:
Thanks will pop there Monday - it's the ICE coolant that's on or just below minimum by the looks of it. Electric is on max
Happened to mine when newish. I think the same coolant does both motors.poona said:
Sorry in advance if this the wrong place to ask the following questions:
Anyone upgraded from ah3 to a 330e
Whats a better drive?
Is a ah3 a good buy? Second hand
Much appreciated
Think you'd need to drive them both but AH3 seems to be more an all out peformance car from reviews I read, but there may be someone on this thread that's driven both. 330e is slower as only 2 litre even with the more powerful electric motor. An AH3 may be a better 2nd hand buy but is pretty rare in the U.K. A lot of people on here will have got 330e as a company car, and I know I couldn't have afforded an AH3 even with its slight emissions benefit over other 3 litre 3 series at the timeAnyone upgraded from ah3 to a 330e
Whats a better drive?
Is a ah3 a good buy? Second hand
Much appreciated
poona said:
Sorry in advance if this the wrong place to ask the following questions:
Anyone upgraded from ah3 to a 330e
Whats a better drive?
Is a ah3 a good buy? Second hand
Much appreciated
I'll be upfront now and say I haven't driven the AH3 but I know the on paper specs at least.Anyone upgraded from ah3 to a 330e
Whats a better drive?
Is a ah3 a good buy? Second hand
Much appreciated
I guess your question is a little subjective as it depends on the following considerations:
Size of your budget
Ongoing running costs including tax and insurance
Your preference of performance or ecology
I've driven the 330e and am awaiting delivery of one. Hands up it's a company car so yes there is a significant BIK saving going for this model - the AH3 (if it were still available new) would've cost me easily double per month in tax.
The AH3 starts from the outset with the 3 litre engine and its electric motor and batteries, which weigh a fraction of the 330e's, are really only there as a performance booster - expect very little in the way of economy savings.
Because of this, the AH3 has an emissions test result of nearly 3 times higher at 139 grams of CO2 per KM. These tests are total BS but hey that's what the Government currently lets manufacturers get away with. As a result - expect to pay a lot more road tax for the AH3.
Second hand costs between the two aren't actually that huge. On auto trader the AH3 can be had for just under £23k whereas the 2016 330e can be picked up from about £25k.
I'd recommend you test drive both cars as options are always subjective and nothing beats hands on
poona said:
Sorry in advance if this the wrong place to ask the following questions:
Anyone upgraded from ah3 to a 330e
Whats a better drive?
Is a ah3 a good buy? Second hand
Much appreciated
I looked at both the AH3 and 330e. Went for the 330 for the following reasons.Anyone upgraded from ah3 to a 330e
Whats a better drive?
Is a ah3 a good buy? Second hand
Much appreciated
Cheaper to run with very little drop in outright pace (0-60: AH3=5.3s 330E=6s)
Looking at used prices an older AH3 was not as cheap as I thought it would be.
As mentioned above the AH3 is rare so if a problem occurred there would be less support when it comes to asking existing owners.
If you're after outright performance and that lovely BMW 6cyl noise then AH3 is the obvious choice.
If an AH3 was local to me I definitely would've test driven it, but I feel I would've still gone for the 330e as I personally feel it is the better all rounder!
poona said:
thanks for the replies but i decided not to buy the ah3.
looking for a used 330e m sport, what are the must have options guys?
I'll give my two penneth but still awaiting my car so someone with the car may be able to attest or provide more hands on insight.looking for a used 330e m sport, what are the must have options guys?
Essential
Comfort Pack - as this gives you heated seats, heated steering wheel, folding rear seats and adjustable armrest for about £630 all in.
Ideal
Reversing camera - great if you've pets or small children about and does make reversing a lot less hassle !. Think this is around £350 off top of my head.
Professional Media - for about £900 you get a supposedly better satnav with a bigger screen 9 inch as opposed to 6) online music services, 20gb music storage and, more importantly, advanced automated use of your electric power when you program your route via the satnav - making best use of the electric for economics.
Harmon Kardon speaker & Amp upgrade - £630 ish gives you 16 speakers (more than doubling the standard) and higher power amp driving them. Demoed this when I had a 330e for 4 day trial - compared very well to the Bose system I've come accustomed to in my current motor and was a must for me !.
Electrically folding wing mirrors - can't believe you have to pay for this but they have you by the nads if you wish to avoid watching your mirror take flight when driving down narrow lanes and getting smacked by an inconsiderate pleb convinced his phat motor is going to squeeze past you at what always seems to be the narrowest section of the lane that they could pick. I always fold my mirrors currently when going down lanes. Haven't ordered this myself though as it's another £300 odd quid and ultimately it's a company car.
Nice to have
Sunroof - At £900 its daylight robbery but nice if you find it on one second hand.
Tinted Rear Windows - I think this is around £350 as an extra. The car does look a bit better in my opinion with rear tinted windows but this is down to personal taste. Didn't think it was worth me paying extra to add though!
M Sport Plus pack - gives you 19" alloys, better braking system with blue calipers, Harmon Kardon Speakers and a few other bits I can't recall (might be rear tinted windows). This doesn't come cheap though at over £2k.
Upgraded alloys - there's a reasonable choice of them. Some of them do look better than the standard M Sport ones. Most are 19" and will give a firmer, possibly harsher, ride as a consequence.
Adaptive Cruise control - can't recall the cost. Almost like driving a tesla with autopilot (okay not quite but makes motorway driving a little more interesting). Not an essential but a bonus if you find a second hand car with it on for sensible money.
That's about it I think - unless you also count the heads up display. Another one that's nice to have but costly if paying as an extra when new.
Hope this helps
poona said:
thanks for the replies but i decided not to buy the ah3.
looking for a used 330e m sport, what are the must have options guys?
In my honest opinion the pro media is a must as its so much superior to the basic system. Folding rear seats are also a must with the smaller boot. Apart from that anything else for me was a bonus. Mines in sport trim and has the optional 18" wheels and tbh looks great! looking for a used 330e m sport, what are the must have options guys?
Regarding fuel economy vs performance, I don’t think the AH3 and 330e are really comparable.
Even when it was released, it was widely noted the AH3 was more of a nod towards improved urban economy, and if BMW were serious about it economy, a larger batter and 4cyl motor would have been required. Which ties in with what you are getting with the PHEV 330e.
Granted they arenonsense official consumption figures, but the AH3 is a fraction off the 335i’s performance, yet improves urban economy by ~19mpg / 80% and combined by ~10mpg / 29%, also knocking £115 off the annual road tax.
The 330e is nearly a second slower to 60 than the AH3, beyond that though its electric assistance doesn’t make up for the AH3’s extra grunt. Looking at 40-70 there’s about a second in it, 50-90 is 2 seconds. Its interesting they are broadly the same weight though, presumably larger battery roughly equals larger engine in weight terms.
If you’re totally fixated on fuel cost and tax (BIK), then the 330e is always going to be the winner I would say. Private user, smart enough to realise road tax isn’t the be all and end all of a car purchase, there’s a lot of variables to factor in to decide 330e / AH3 / 335i / 335d
Even when it was released, it was widely noted the AH3 was more of a nod towards improved urban economy, and if BMW were serious about it economy, a larger batter and 4cyl motor would have been required. Which ties in with what you are getting with the PHEV 330e.
Granted they are
The 330e is nearly a second slower to 60 than the AH3, beyond that though its electric assistance doesn’t make up for the AH3’s extra grunt. Looking at 40-70 there’s about a second in it, 50-90 is 2 seconds. Its interesting they are broadly the same weight though, presumably larger battery roughly equals larger engine in weight terms.
If you’re totally fixated on fuel cost and tax (BIK), then the 330e is always going to be the winner I would say. Private user, smart enough to realise road tax isn’t the be all and end all of a car purchase, there’s a lot of variables to factor in to decide 330e / AH3 / 335i / 335d
poona said:
thanks for the replies but i decided not to buy the ah3.
looking for a used 330e m sport, what are the must have options guys?
Only essential one to me would be split folding seat - preferably as part of comfort pack. looking for a used 330e m sport, what are the must have options guys?
Anything else is a bonus based on your own preferences. I've got HK on mine as a standalone option as didn't go for M Sport plus package
poona said:
thanks for the replies but i decided not to buy the ah3.
looking for a used 330e m sport, what are the must have options guys?
Harmon Kardon - A must have upgrade.looking for a used 330e m sport, what are the must have options guys?
Split Rear Seats - Although this is a cheap upgrade of £250 I decided to purchase roof bars for £150 which I can keep / sell when I change motor, the boot is reasonably sized already for most day to day items.
Heated Seats / Steering Wheel - Didn't see the point of this when you have pre conditioning, car nice and warm when you get in every morning, not had any issues with cold seating.
Folding Mirrors - This should be standard and was really annoyed when I found out that a car at almost £39K came without them, I would say a must have.
I also went for 403M wheels although nice, not necessary and quite expensive.
So to sum up...... Harmon Kardon & Folding Mirrors !
Wonks said:
Harmon Kardon - A must have upgrade.
Split Rear Seats - Although this is a cheap upgrade of £250 I decided to purchase roof bars for £150 which I can keep / sell when I change motor, the boot is reasonably sized already for most day to day items.
Heated Seats / Steering Wheel - Didn't see the point of this when you have pre conditioning, car nice and warm when you get in every morning, not had any issues with cold seating.
Folding Mirrors - This should be standard and was really annoyed when I found out that a car at almost £39K came without them, I would say a must have.
I also went for 403M wheels although nice, not necessary and quite expensive.
So to sum up...... Harmon Kardon & Folding Mirrors !
Heated Seats/Steering wheel are a must in cold climates. They use almost no power while the heating system cuts range by 30%. Precondition and then Seats/Wheel while driving with heating system off (unless ICE kicks in then doesn't mater).Split Rear Seats - Although this is a cheap upgrade of £250 I decided to purchase roof bars for £150 which I can keep / sell when I change motor, the boot is reasonably sized already for most day to day items.
Heated Seats / Steering Wheel - Didn't see the point of this when you have pre conditioning, car nice and warm when you get in every morning, not had any issues with cold seating.
Folding Mirrors - This should be standard and was really annoyed when I found out that a car at almost £39K came without them, I would say a must have.
I also went for 403M wheels although nice, not necessary and quite expensive.
So to sum up...... Harmon Kardon & Folding Mirrors !
Wonks said:
Harmon Kardon - A must have upgrade.
Split Rear Seats - Although this is a cheap upgrade of £250 I decided to purchase roof bars for £150 which I can keep / sell when I change motor, the boot is reasonably sized already for most day to day items.
Heated Seats / Steering Wheel - Didn't see the point of this when you have pre conditioning, car nice and warm when you get in every morning, not had any issues with cold seating.
Folding Mirrors - This should be standard and was really annoyed when I found out that a car at almost £39K came without them, I would say a must have.
I also went for 403M wheels although nice, not necessary and quite expensive.
So to sum up...... Harmon Kardon & Folding Mirrors !
With m sport plus, parking and comfort packages as well as a few other bits on mine, I have quite a few decent options. But I agree, HK is absolutely essential imo, closely followed by the folding mirrors. HK as part of the m sport plus for £2k worked for me, great value.Split Rear Seats - Although this is a cheap upgrade of £250 I decided to purchase roof bars for £150 which I can keep / sell when I change motor, the boot is reasonably sized already for most day to day items.
Heated Seats / Steering Wheel - Didn't see the point of this when you have pre conditioning, car nice and warm when you get in every morning, not had any issues with cold seating.
Folding Mirrors - This should be standard and was really annoyed when I found out that a car at almost £39K came without them, I would say a must have.
I also went for 403M wheels although nice, not necessary and quite expensive.
So to sum up...... Harmon Kardon & Folding Mirrors !
And although mine is a cc, renewing the road tax for £0.00 felt good for some reason
Wonks said:
Harmon Kardon - A must have upgrade.
Split Rear Seats - Although this is a cheap upgrade of £250 I decided to purchase roof bars for £150 which I can keep / sell when I change motor, the boot is reasonably sized already for most day to day items.
Heated Seats / Steering Wheel - Didn't see the point of this when you have pre conditioning, car nice and warm when you get in every morning, not had any issues with cold seating.
Folding Mirrors - This should be standard and was really annoyed when I found out that a car at almost £39K came without them, I would say a must have.
I also went for 403M wheels although nice, not necessary and quite expensive.
So to sum up...... Harmon Kardon & Folding Mirrors !
To confirm though, the mirrors presumably manually, i.e. by hand, fold don't they? It'd be a bit crap if you can't even push them in yourself when parked up without paying for the electrically folding option!Split Rear Seats - Although this is a cheap upgrade of £250 I decided to purchase roof bars for £150 which I can keep / sell when I change motor, the boot is reasonably sized already for most day to day items.
Heated Seats / Steering Wheel - Didn't see the point of this when you have pre conditioning, car nice and warm when you get in every morning, not had any issues with cold seating.
Folding Mirrors - This should be standard and was really annoyed when I found out that a car at almost £39K came without them, I would say a must have.
I also went for 403M wheels although nice, not necessary and quite expensive.
So to sum up...... Harmon Kardon & Folding Mirrors !
Just about every CC I've had in recent times has come with electric folding mirrors as part of the model spec. Mine toped out at over £45k and still with no electric mirrors. Even my sons 9 year old fiesta has them. I didn't tick that box in the end , as with many others or I would have ended up with a £50k motor!
No hardship really , you can push them in manually if you want to, if they get busted, the company can pay for replacement. Also I think it stops cars parking closer at the supermarket car park if they are still sticking out. I appreciate its good to have them if you have to park on the road all the time , which fortunately I don't.
No hardship really , you can push them in manually if you want to, if they get busted, the company can pay for replacement. Also I think it stops cars parking closer at the supermarket car park if they are still sticking out. I appreciate its good to have them if you have to park on the road all the time , which fortunately I don't.
Just a quick update. I am 4500 miles in with mine.
Notes so far......
1. Noticeably less tight engine, really zings now right up the redline - love the drivetrain. Transmission a bit slower that the 535d I had, though
2. Michelin Pilot Sports are incredible tyres and grip grip grip
3. Wotsits are a b
d to get out of the suede seats
4. Basic hifi is a bit lame for music but very good for Radio 4
5. No fluid top ups required at all
6. You MUST get the split rear seats, lack of folding mirrors is a pain in the arse
Great car, great deal on tax, but of course that has been put a stop to so in two and a half years I'll be back to the cash option againt.
Average mpg 45-50 (charges very rarely).
Notes so far......
1. Noticeably less tight engine, really zings now right up the redline - love the drivetrain. Transmission a bit slower that the 535d I had, though
2. Michelin Pilot Sports are incredible tyres and grip grip grip
3. Wotsits are a b
d to get out of the suede seats4. Basic hifi is a bit lame for music but very good for Radio 4
5. No fluid top ups required at all
6. You MUST get the split rear seats, lack of folding mirrors is a pain in the arse
Great car, great deal on tax, but of course that has been put a stop to so in two and a half years I'll be back to the cash option againt.
Average mpg 45-50 (charges very rarely).
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