Bmw 330i vs Mk 6 Gti vs Megane RS
Discussion
Hi everyone hope you are well.
Im in the market for a new car and i am torn between 3 choices.
Bmw 330i coupe 2009 Auto M sport
Golf Gti mk6 DSG
Renault megane renault sport 2010 Manual
Ive had a couple cars in the past bmw 120d, nissan primera gt p11, Mitsubishi evo 7 fq300 to name a few so have had my share of comfortable cruisers and fast track cars.
Currently drive a clio 1.2 Tce as my daily and want to replace it with something i can live with as a daily that is quick and fairly comfortable for uk roads.
The bmw is a cruiser with comfort and power has a bigger boot and has the most power out of the 3. The golf is a golf and is a best between both worlds. And the megane is more of a toy but can be driven daily to.
Just not sure what to go for and i know everyone will say drive them and see what you like which I get.
Any advice from somone who has owned one or more of these any thing that made them regret there purchase, reliability issues, common problems etc
Anything would be helpful.
Kind regards
Im in the market for a new car and i am torn between 3 choices.
Bmw 330i coupe 2009 Auto M sport
Golf Gti mk6 DSG
Renault megane renault sport 2010 Manual
Ive had a couple cars in the past bmw 120d, nissan primera gt p11, Mitsubishi evo 7 fq300 to name a few so have had my share of comfortable cruisers and fast track cars.
Currently drive a clio 1.2 Tce as my daily and want to replace it with something i can live with as a daily that is quick and fairly comfortable for uk roads.
The bmw is a cruiser with comfort and power has a bigger boot and has the most power out of the 3. The golf is a golf and is a best between both worlds. And the megane is more of a toy but can be driven daily to.
Just not sure what to go for and i know everyone will say drive them and see what you like which I get.
Any advice from somone who has owned one or more of these any thing that made them regret there purchase, reliability issues, common problems etc
Anything would be helpful.
Kind regards
I do love the look of the megane true drivers car and genuine hot hatch chris harris review on it stated the 250 mode actually produces 270 bhp according to evo dyno 🤣🤣.. i would have thought it would be more likley to get knicked as its less common well it would be more likely where im from anyway haha West Midlands 😭
I had an E90 330i manual which as great fun. You had to work the engine quite hard, but it loved revving, with max power about 6.8k. Long gearing was an issue though.
But as an auto, I'd get something with more torque and a more rewarding auto box. Either a 335i or even an F20 120i, which is very tunable with the lovely 8 speed ZF.
But as an auto, I'd get something with more torque and a more rewarding auto box. Either a 335i or even an F20 120i, which is very tunable with the lovely 8 speed ZF.
There aren’t many manuals available in the 330i coupe 99% are auto boxes with the spec i want anyway. I thought about the 335i but they are way to thirsty and have alot more to go wrong on them. If only they introduced the 8 speed earlier on would have been perfect my budget is 8k think those maybr out of that budget.
Khalid0121 said:
There aren’t many manuals available in the 330i coupe 99% are auto boxes with the spec i want anyway. I thought about the 335i but they are way to thirsty and have alot more to go wrong on them. If only they introduced the 8 speed earlier on would have been perfect my budget is 8k think those maybr out of that budget.
The 2009 330i you are talking about has an N53 engine, which has most of the reliability issues of the N54. If you want to steer clear of this, get an earlier N52 equipped car. I agree it's hard to find a manual. Or even any 330i E9x. They are out there though if you are patient 
Don't rule out the saloons either.You can pick up a 114/6 F20 for 8k which have the same Prince engine as the 118i. A remap will double the power of a 114i, but that engine was never the most reliable in any incarnation. You do get the more modern current F20 body shape and gizmos though and I guess you could say that a 114i or 116i motor is somewhat understressed.
Mk6 GTI owner here and wouldn’t buy one if entertainment is your priority, especially the DSG as it’s quite dull at times. Bought one myself as that wasn’t my main concern, wanted a comfortable daily with some pace, economical on a run and not be too hardcore. And that it does incredibly well. Had to fix intake manifold in my 3 yrs of ownership but otherwise been solid. Tensioner is an issue depending on build date - golfgtiforum is a good resource.
The Megane RS with the Cup chassis is the pick of those three it's easily the best steer & it will also daily with ease, the BMW & VW are similar so not as sharp or as entertaining (at which point I'd be looking for an R32 over the GTI) as the Renault & in reality no more or less reliable.
What's the budget?
What's the budget?
I have a BMW Z4 Coupe for happy days - so the 3 litre N52 engine.
For 3 years I had a 325ti with the M54 engine, then last year I decided to have an "upgrade" and got an E91 325i with the 2.5 litre N52.
But I just didn't gel with it, so last week I picked up an E90 330i with a 3.0 litre N52 to replace it - looking promising!
I really don't like FWD.
For 3 years I had a 325ti with the M54 engine, then last year I decided to have an "upgrade" and got an E91 325i with the 2.5 litre N52.
But I just didn't gel with it, so last week I picked up an E90 330i with a 3.0 litre N52 to replace it - looking promising!
I really don't like FWD.
Personally I really like the 330 out of that list.
I had an E90 330 auto with the N52 engine and it was a great car (still going strong and sailing through MOT’s without issue). It does need Revs, but it likes to rev and sounds lovely (mine has the M Performance carbon air intake) and the auto box in sport mode will happily hold on until the red line. It’s a bit slow by modern standards but I was happy with it....until I drove the current ZF8.
Running costs were ok. One minor breakdown in 30k (VANOS actuators). Other than that it was consumables. Fuel was c.23 around town and 35 on a run. It was a much much better built car than my previous E46 325ti. Much better.
The Golf is a good car but they do very little for me. I looked at a current GTI and an R recently but couldn’t see past the M140 I ended up ordering. I just struggle with the ‘want’ for one.
I had an E90 330 auto with the N52 engine and it was a great car (still going strong and sailing through MOT’s without issue). It does need Revs, but it likes to rev and sounds lovely (mine has the M Performance carbon air intake) and the auto box in sport mode will happily hold on until the red line. It’s a bit slow by modern standards but I was happy with it....until I drove the current ZF8.
Running costs were ok. One minor breakdown in 30k (VANOS actuators). Other than that it was consumables. Fuel was c.23 around town and 35 on a run. It was a much much better built car than my previous E46 325ti. Much better.
The Golf is a good car but they do very little for me. I looked at a current GTI and an R recently but couldn’t see past the M140 I ended up ordering. I just struggle with the ‘want’ for one.
nickfrog said:
ZX10R NIN said:
It's not that short geared they sit a sensible revs at motorway speeds & they daily with ease more so than a Civic Type R etc.
Mine didn't, it was too short geared and too stiff for a easy/relaxed daily.DoubleD said:
nickfrog said:
ZX10R NIN said:
It's not that short geared they sit a sensible revs at motorway speeds & they daily with ease more so than a Civic Type R etc.
Mine didn't, it was too short geared and too stiff for a easy/relaxed daily.Don't underestimate how much fun a manual 330i E90 can be. I had to use one as a stop gap on a Silverstone GP LOT track day. I was expecting to park it after a few laps, but it was great.
Like a big MX5, you could rotate it on the brakes into corners and pick up the balance on the throttle. The only prep was decent front pads and a brake fluid change. Brilliant!
Much better setup as standard than a 130i or Z4 (non M), which was a bit of a shock after a Z4C. A great all-rounder with plenty of ability. Just junk the run flats and fit the best tyres you can.
Like a big MX5, you could rotate it on the brakes into corners and pick up the balance on the throttle. The only prep was decent front pads and a brake fluid change. Brilliant!
Much better setup as standard than a 130i or Z4 (non M), which was a bit of a shock after a Z4C. A great all-rounder with plenty of ability. Just junk the run flats and fit the best tyres you can.
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