What sporty coupe £15k

[htid]

I've posted this in the general gassing section but as I'm a bit of a BMW fan thought I'd post it here too to get your opinions:


The time has come to sell my beloved e36 M3 evolution coupe which I've owned for 5 and a half years and get something a little newer. I'll be putting the advert up here on pistonheads in the next week or 2 (if anyone's interested pm me for details).

In the meantime I'm trying to decide what car to get next. I don't do massive miles so ideally it should be petrol / manual and probably rwd although I've just test driven a Scirocco 2.0 GT TSI and rather liked it. So below is what I like the look of and I'd like to hear which you would choose from the list (if any)

BMW 330i M Sport Coupe
BMW 335i M Sport Coupe
BMW Z4 3.0i Coupe
VW Scirocco 2.0 GT TSI


I would consider a 135i but they are too expensive still.


Others have suggested I test drive an Audi TT but I have to admit I'm just not that keen on them but I will test drive it and give it a chance.I'd probably lean towards the 330i over the 335i just because of the reliability but am keen to hear others opinions. (£15k max, ideally less )

I should probably add I've got my half sensible head on and trying to save a bit of money in running costs, so although ideally I'd like the Z4 M coupe or e46 M3 or a Porsche I've tried to pick cars that give close to the same performance but cost a lot less to run.

Edited by htid on Friday 11th November 18:23

[Redzedfour]

Being an owner of a Z4 3.0si Coupe i would say go for that,if you don't need 4 seats and you like exclusivity the Z4 is the car to go for.
The coupe is my second Z4 the first being the Roadster version but imo the coupe is far better looking.

For more info check out http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/ a great bunch of guys and a world of information to be had.

[Crackie]

Deja Vu htid ~ 12 months ago I bought an early (N54) 335i coupe to replace my E36 EVO coupe after owning it for five and a half years. The 335i is deceptively quick and is nearly as fast as a standard EVO however the power delivery is very very different; the 335i does its best work low down from only 2000 but its had enough by 5500 just as the EVO is letting loose.

The 335i is running on 19" wheels and benefited enormously from changeing from run flats to standard tyres, the ride is very good now and well ahead the EVO. The 335i does roll a little and the steering & clutch are very light relative to the EVO; I should mention my EVO is modified though. The 335i's fuel consumption is fine on a long run ( 31~32 ) but it is thirsty in town ( 22~23 ); surprisingly the the 335i has been nearly 3 mpg thirstier overall than the EVO over the same mix of roads.

I don't know the Scirocco well but I think the chassis is good fun when its twisty and the dampers are stiffened up. The 335i does well here too but it can't hide that its 250+ Kg heavier and doesn't have a proper LSD. Imho the 335's chassis is very progressive and much easier, than the EVO's, to control on and over the limit.

If you do go for a 335i I would budget for some winter tyres; their big torque, from almost tickover revs, mean they are a real handful when its slippery .

I didn't sell the M3 last year; I still love driving it too much but now can't justify running both cars, I've just had the EVO serviced and sadly I'll be advertising mine in a couple of weeks too.

Edited by Crackie on Saturday 12th November 16:29

[htid]

Thanks for taking the time to reply RedZed and Crackie. I think the best thing for me to do is test drive the 3 series and the z4 coupe, however not really needing additional seats my heart is steering me towards the z4 now having looked at them again and on that forum. They do seem a bit rarer but also quite a high insurance group 44 where as even a 3.2 TTS is only 36 which I would of thought was comparable.

[R_T]

I have a Z4 Coupe 3.0 Sport and can thoroughly recommend it for performance, rarity and practicality as a daily driver.

[eastsider]

335i would be my pick of that bunch, if you can find a good one for your budget. Have a read up on the engines in detail first though, I vaguely recal they have various issues, early models had N54 twin turbo engines, later N55 single turbo. BMWLand forums will have info.

[Pulse]

You'll get much more Z4 Coupe for your money. Incidentally I think it's the better car out of the bunch, too.

[anonymous-user]

Monaro (VXR)...........

[Crackie]

bmw535i said:

Monaro (VXR)...........

or if you want something even quicker instead just remap the 335i .

[gangzoom]

Never been in a Z4 but the engine in the 335i is an absolute gem, spent the best part of a hour sliding around the back roads of Leicestershire this morning just for the sake of it, and mines a 4 door saloon with an automatic gear box. If your after good drive forget about the Scirocco, its good for a FWD hatch but not in the same league as RWD BMWs.

Edited by gangzoom on Sunday 13th November 18:06