Looking for a 330i Manual
Discussion
Been looking around (in the South London area) recently for a 330ci Sport Manual but doesn't seem that much about that fitted my bill. Have around 5-6k to spend as an absolute max. I'd like it to be below 90k miles really and would be a nice extra to have the HK stereo, but more importantly for it to be looked after with no big bills looming (like tyres/mot/service)
So thought i would throw it out there in case anyone is looking to sell their car and has been delaying it, mine should go this weekend so I will need to find one sharpish for work (hence the thread!)
Thanks
So thought i would throw it out there in case anyone is looking to sell their car and has been delaying it, mine should go this weekend so I will need to find one sharpish for work (hence the thread!)
Thanks
To be fair you need to budget for big bills, it's not a Saxo 1.1.
If you don't like the fact it's 600 quid for a decent set of tyres, etc etc, then pick something else. It's a bonus to find a car that has just had 4 fresh tyres but if a car that might need tyres at some point in the future honestly puts you off think carefully about whether you want to take this sort of car on.
My 530i is very similar in the cost department to a 330i. I bought it when it was 4 years old and have owned it for coming up for 5 years. Look at my profile to get a feel for the costs involved.
If you don't like the fact it's 600 quid for a decent set of tyres, etc etc, then pick something else. It's a bonus to find a car that has just had 4 fresh tyres but if a car that might need tyres at some point in the future honestly puts you off think carefully about whether you want to take this sort of car on.
My 530i is very similar in the cost department to a 330i. I bought it when it was 4 years old and have owned it for coming up for 5 years. Look at my profile to get a feel for the costs involved.
I've had a few BMW so am aware of the costs, but I simply don't want to be doing any insp2s etc within the first few months if ownership. I currently have a 528i, and have had numerous 3 series in the past so very used to the prices. My CSL was strangely the cheaper car I had for running costs as during my ownership I didn't need to service it or purchase consumables.
This car is going to be an interim car for
me but I'd still like to find one that isn't due a service or other big bills (all tyres/an MoT where a problem could raise it's head, like the headlamp adjusters dis on my 5 series).
This car is going to be an interim car for
me but I'd still like to find one that isn't due a service or other big bills (all tyres/an MoT where a problem could raise it's head, like the headlamp adjusters dis on my 5 series).
hi mate im currently hunting for a 330ci too, im also in london, 5-6k should get you a decent car, BMW didnt make many manual 330ci's because the demand was low for them, in this country anyway, prehaps you should consider a 330i saloon- theres alot more manuals in them, or you could consider a 330ci clubsport i think you get manuals in em
I, too, am on the hunt for a 330 ci manual. Been watching the market for a while...lots of the stuff on autotrader has been there for a while or been to the moon and back.
If anyone has a facelift in orient blue with black leather, nav/hk/heated seats and reasonable mileage <£8.5k, pm me! [/thread hijack]
If anyone has a facelift in orient blue with black leather, nav/hk/heated seats and reasonable mileage <£8.5k, pm me! [/thread hijack]
Ignore Fox, he's so negative. If you get one with full main dealer service history and sub-100k miles, you can put a comprehensive BMW warranty on it which will be a very good way of avoiding big bills for a year (except the price of the warranty, of course!)
My auto Touring was £4200, 92k miles, full history and new tyres, brakes all round etc so exactly as I describe above. But it took a bit of searching to find a good one at the right price.
My auto Touring was £4200, 92k miles, full history and new tyres, brakes all round etc so exactly as I describe above. But it took a bit of searching to find a good one at the right price.
Jobbo said:
Ignore Fox, he's so negative. If you get one with full main dealer service history and sub-100k miles, you can put a comprehensive BMW warranty on it which will be a very good way of avoiding big bills for a year (except the price of the warranty, of course!)
My auto Touring was £4200, 92k miles, full history and new tyres, brakes all round etc so exactly as I describe above. But it took a bit of searching to find a good one at the right price.
My thinking exactly. My auto Touring was £4200, 92k miles, full history and new tyres, brakes all round etc so exactly as I describe above. But it took a bit of searching to find a good one at the right price.
Just put 2 x Vredestein Sessantes on mine for £250 and they are at the expensive end of tyres.
Jobbo said:
Ignore Fox, he's so negative. If you get one with full main dealer service history and sub-100k miles, you can put a comprehensive BMW warranty on it which will be a very good way of avoiding big bills for a year (except the price of the warranty, of course!)
My auto Touring was £4200, 92k miles, full history and new tyres, brakes all round etc so exactly as I describe above. But it took a bit of searching to find a good one at the right price.
I had huge bills with my last years ownership with an E46 330i touring. I had owned it from 12 months old and it had only ever been serviced by a main dealer.My auto Touring was £4200, 92k miles, full history and new tyres, brakes all round etc so exactly as I describe above. But it took a bit of searching to find a good one at the right price.
The car was coming up for 8 years old and 100,000 miles and in a 12 month period I replaced the inlet cam sensor, an electric window motor, two control arms and suspension bushes, and the expansion tank for the cooling system.
Bear in mind that a set of discs and pads will set you back £500 and tyres at least £400. Be very careful before you buy, check the service history very carefully.
Jobbo said:
Ignore Fox, he's so negative. If you get one with full main dealer service history and sub-100k miles, you can put a comprehensive BMW warranty on it which will be a very good way of avoiding big bills for a year (except the price of the warranty, of course!)
No BMW warranty is worth the money you pay for it - and for comprehensive on a 8-10 year old 330i with over 60k is likely to be approaching £1000 a year - on a car at this end of the market! The BMW product after 60k reduces in the level of cover even on Comprehensive. I'm not negative, I'm realistic. Far too many people see these cars at £5k and think 'I've got £5k, what a good idea', presumably under the illusion that its the same as running any other £5k car. The problem you get is that some people buy one, are lucky for a year, then move it on. Then as far as they are concerned thats it, everyone cautioning against big bills is a doom monger, and they have experience to suggest nothing ever goes wrong. Great.
I've had periods of a year when my 530i cost me not a penny other than fuel. Then I've had 3 month periods where it's stiffed me for almost £2k. Thats just how things go on these cars.
I like to think that having had one for 5 years - right through a complete servicing cycle (ie all the service types) I am in a better position to tell you whether its going to be expensive or not.
Thankyou for your opinions fox but I didn't start this thread for a debate. I am not one of those that doesn't understand the difference, but I do know that I should be able to find a car with decent tread, MoT, tax and time to service. Repair bills will always be pot luck and is just something you have o accept with any older mileage car, but if you try to buy on condition with a car that's had most of the bigger jobs already done you can hopefully reduce a chunk of the risk.
Jobbo said:
Ignore Fox, he's so negative. If you get one with full main dealer service history and sub-100k miles, you can put a comprehensive BMW warranty on it which will be a very good way of avoiding big bills for a year (except the price of the warranty, of course!)
My auto Touring was £4200, 92k miles, full history and new tyres, brakes all round etc so exactly as I describe above. But it took a bit of searching to find a good one at the right price.
Other than putting the warranty on, I'm with you Jobbo, even looking at Fox's costs (and bearing in mind the mileage on his car!) the cost over 5yrs for servicing/repairs & breakdowns are fairly resonable, as regard tyres, well big wheels need big tyres which result in big bills regardless of car.....Focus's & Astra are all running on 16'+ (often 17 or 18)these days !My auto Touring was £4200, 92k miles, full history and new tyres, brakes all round etc so exactly as I describe above. But it took a bit of searching to find a good one at the right price.
costs on mine so for last 16k miles (mostly motorway) / 12mths on a sub £4k E39 525i purchased with FBMWSH & 62k on it
Coolant Change £40
Oil Service £110
MOT £25
2 Tyres Goodyears(16's)£200
Upper Rear Control Arms £180
Hedgehog Resistor £52
currently running on 4 excellent tyres and 3 green lights remaining
No you wont run one for the price of a Saxo, but they are certainly no more expensive than anything else comparable (less IMHO)
The word Expensive is all relative
And just as Jobbo is no stranger to slightly older BMW's neither am I..... the E34 520i my brother ran was quite possibly one of the cheapest means of motoring http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/members/showcar.asp?c... (offset by the fact it was sold for about £400 more than it was purchased for)
Edited by Mustard on Sunday 6th February 09:37
The Comprenhesive Warranty doesn't have extra exclusions after 60k miles - I have already told you that in the context of my old 545i, Fox (81k when I sold it, immediately after some warranty work).
On a 330i the cost of a comp warranty is about £700-800 for a year, or pay monthly or increase the excess. I'm not advocating the warranty personally, since I'm only concerned about the auto box in mine and have thus gone for the driveline warranty with the largest excess, but I was simply pointing out that it's an option if you want some certainty.
And obviously I wasn't talking about general running costs being covered by it but you only have to look briefly at a car for sale to see whether the pads, disks and tyres are going to need replacing soon.
ETA: www.bmw-warranty.co.uk - for a 330i with ~90k miles like mine it's £832 for annual comprehensive cover with no excess or £631 with £100 excess.
On a 330i the cost of a comp warranty is about £700-800 for a year, or pay monthly or increase the excess. I'm not advocating the warranty personally, since I'm only concerned about the auto box in mine and have thus gone for the driveline warranty with the largest excess, but I was simply pointing out that it's an option if you want some certainty.
And obviously I wasn't talking about general running costs being covered by it but you only have to look briefly at a car for sale to see whether the pads, disks and tyres are going to need replacing soon.
ETA: www.bmw-warranty.co.uk - for a 330i with ~90k miles like mine it's £832 for annual comprehensive cover with no excess or £631 with £100 excess.
Edited by Jobbo on Sunday 6th February 14:30
Gunk said:
I had huge bills with my last years ownership with an E46 330i touring. I had owned it from 12 months old and it had only ever been serviced by a main dealer.
The car was coming up for 8 years old and 100,000 miles and in a 12 month period I replaced the inlet cam sensor, an electric window motor, two control arms and suspension bushes, and the expansion tank for the cooling system.
Bear in mind that a set of discs and pads will set you back £500 and tyres at least £400. Be very careful before you buy, check the service history very carefully.
Discs and pads all round, nearer £300 using the same OEM parts from somewhere like ECP.The car was coming up for 8 years old and 100,000 miles and in a 12 month period I replaced the inlet cam sensor, an electric window motor, two control arms and suspension bushes, and the expansion tank for the cooling system.
Bear in mind that a set of discs and pads will set you back £500 and tyres at least £400. Be very careful before you buy, check the service history very carefully.
Alot of people talk about "huge" bills, but an 8 year old car of many marque is going to require the odd bit of suspension work, brake work, one of the weaknesses on the car is the cooling system, my 330i is coming up to 7 years old and I've replaced the entire cooling system, but it doesn't have to be majorly expensive.
I'll keep looking.. although pickings are very few on the trader and in here. I guess I'm being too picky or should up my budget, but I'm already risking single life pushing my budget to middle of 5k. I've got a few more days to go then I'll start dropping my standards and going for the 'less than perfect' spec.
With regards to running costs... who is exactly arguing the other side? Has anybody actually said running a 330i is cheap? I think everyone is aware they can be expensive, like most high mileage cars but with a premium. But you can still use your eyes to see the condition, check out the service history and prior receipts and buy with decent consumables and you are reducing your risk.
With regards to running costs... who is exactly arguing the other side? Has anybody actually said running a 330i is cheap? I think everyone is aware they can be expensive, like most high mileage cars but with a premium. But you can still use your eyes to see the condition, check out the service history and prior receipts and buy with decent consumables and you are reducing your risk.
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