330i vs 320d....

[Fordo]

A slightly more focused what car than usual - my car choice has been narrowed down to an E46 3 series Touring. - I like the shape, drove a 330i and found the driving position perfect for me, and the split tailgate and boot size are perfect for my line of work.

my budget is around the 4k mark, so i'll need to choose wisely. Mileage of the car isnt a massive fuss to me, I usually buy on general condition and history.

Sensible head says 320d - it'll have good residuals, decent mpg, tax is less, insurance is less.- most have a lot of miles though, and maintenance worries me - i've heard whispers of dual mass flywheels, turboes going and swirl flaps or pots.......

Petrolhead side of me says - get the 330i- i probably wont do interstellar mileage, so lower mpg may not be a big concern. More oomph will be welcome when I have a car full of crew and kit. Prices seem good on 330's, perhaps fuel prices making the market for large engined cars is waning. 330's seem to be higher specced often too, and come with lower mileage for the money. Plus an NA petrol engine, i feel like less to go wrong? But - in 2 or 3 years, am i going to be left with a car than hard to get rid of? I get the impression the 320d however will be a popular car still in a few years.

So which way would you swing? Anyone owned either of the above?

[bmthnick1981]

I've had a 330i, good car. I wouldn't consider a 320d a real alternative, but thats just me. Bit of a diesel snob! Get the 330i that's my vote.

[Steameh]

I owned a 330ci and hated it, felt the engine didn't suit the cars looks at all. However I was and still am of the opinion that the 330i Touring makes a lot of sense, the engine will suit the car better.

4k could just about snip a 330d Touring as well, might have higher mileage though.

[wackojacko]

High miler 330D is the best of both worlds.

[Fox-]

Why do you care about residuals? It's a £4k BMW - its already worth nothing. It's not going to shed any appreciable value - certainly not against the backdrop of the repair bills - so its irrelevent.

Buy the 330i.

[Fox-]

wackojacko said:

High miler 330D is the best of both worlds.

It's also a liability and not even that more economical than a 330i.

[adycav]

Ooh, four cylinder diesel or six cylinder petrol?

Hmmm, tough choice!

[anonymous-user]

Prices for a lot of "Normal" cars with big petrol engines have bombed over the last 6-12 months so I'd buy the 330i, everyone loves a bargain Some of these newer diesel engines do worry me, what are the 'real' running costs going to be once they rack up mega-miles and injectors/DMF's/turbos start to fail?

[Mafioso]

Steameh said:

I owned a 330ci and hated it, felt the engine didn't suit the cars looks at all.

What the hell does that mean?

[Urban Sports]

Mafioso said:

Steameh said:

I owned a 330ci and hated it, felt the engine didn't suit the cars looks at all.

What the hell does that mean?

That's exactly what I was thinking!

[Steameh]

Mafioso said:

What the hell does that mean?

It means I didn't like the car.

[Urban Sports]

Steameh said:

Mafioso said:

What the hell does that mean?

It means I didn't like the car.

I think he was referring to the engine not suiting its looks. I didn't understand it either.

In what way?

[edo]

2000 BMW 3 SERIES 330i SE 5dr Touring
Trade Seller: Roger Stone Cars

68,000 miles, 2000 X reg 5 Door Estate, Petrol, automatic,silver with grey leather PAS, Cruise control, Passenger airbag, Side airbags, Alarm, Rear electric windows. one owner with service history only 68,000 miles new mot taxed end august,this is a lovely example worth seeing. £3,495.

[Steameh]

Urban Sports said:

I think he was referring to the engine not suiting its looks. I didn't understand it either.

In what way?

I felt that a car that looked that good and aggressive deserved something a touch more powerful. Maybe it was because of the coupes I had come from but I felt a touch underwhelmed...or maybe the one I had was shafted.

Either way I never really got on with it. Shame really as I really wanted to like it.

[Fox-]

Steameh said:

I felt that a car that looked that good and aggressive deserved something a touch more powerful.

Then why didnt you buy an M3? Thats more powerful.

The power of the 330Ci is just right for the sort of car it is.

[Steameh]

Fox- said:

Then why didnt you buy an M3? Thats more powerful.

The power of the 330Ci is just right for the sort of car it is.

I guess it all comes down to personal opinion, you obviously think it did, I think it doesn't.

[Fox-]

Steameh said:

I guess it all comes down to personal opinion, you obviously think it did, I think it doesn't.

The E46 Coupe came in a wide range of power outputs from 115bhp to 343bhp depending on your tastes. Picking the wrong power output for your tastes and then blaming the car is slightly daft, really.

[r1ch]

Steameh said:

I owned a 330ci and hated it, felt the engine didn't suit the cars looks at all.

LOL, made me laugh for some reason.

[bmthnick1981]

Fox- said:

Steameh said:

I guess it all comes down to personal opinion, you obviously think it did, I think it doesn't.

The E46 Coupe came in a wide range of power outputs from 115bhp to 343bhp depending on your tastes. Picking the wrong power output for your tastes and then blaming the car is slightly daft, really.

Exactly.

[66comanche]

Fox- said:

wackojacko said:

High miler 330D is the best of both worlds.

It's also a liability and not even that more economical than a 330i.

That's a very subjective opinion as regards the economy - the 330i states 30.4mpg and the 330d 41.5mpg, so the diesel offers 36.5% more fuel economy (albeit costing 3% more per litre). OP doesn't state how many miles he does though so it's hard to say just how important a factor it is. If it was a more recent model I would say 330d every time but of this era it's a fair bit less powerful so would probably take the 330i.

I see you've regurgitated the PH mantra of diesels being 'a liability' - I bet that many of these indoctrinated people have never even owned a diesel, let alone a 6cyl version, however it makes them feel better about their huge petrol costs if they can reconcile it by thinking that every diesel car is a 'ticking timebomb' (another quote from this thread). Surprising that people still buy them isn't it!