BMW 3.0 or Audi A5 TSFI

[mahoone]

I’m looking for a replacement for a Fiesta ST.
Brilliant little car but after over 3 years of owning it I want to try something different.

It is going to be my daily car but I’m not concerned about MPG since I do about 6k p/a.

Price limit is £12000.

3 door is fine as long there’s enough space on the back for 2 people.

Petrol engine only.

No hot hatchbacks.

Any advice would be appreciated!

I’m considering those two at the moment:

2010 BMW 325i:

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2011 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI

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[mahoone]

Thanks for the comments.

I had a test drive in ‘59 325i and overall experience was very good. Power delivery was smooth and felt completely different compared to a 1.6 turbo in Fiesta.

Obviously build quality and overall feel of interior is far better than my current car so I was happy with that.

I’ll have a look at 330i as suggested. 270bhp does sound good.

[mahoone]

Thanks for all the links and suggestions!

Merc E350 CGI is a good shout and I’ll definitely ask for a test drive in one.

Looks like a BMW is the one to go for based on the comments. Hopefully I can get the LCI 330i or something like this:

It’s a 2010 335i DCT
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Gompo said:

Do you want something similar to your ST in power delivery, or different?

I believe the 325i uses a detuned N52 unit; I used to have a 130i (so an N52 with around 260 BHP, a 325i can be uprated to this spec quite easily) and my partner has an A5 TSFI, with around 190 bhp, so I've driven both a reasonable amount.

I was surprised at the pace of the A5, for what is quite a big car. I've not driven an ST so can't compare directy, but I'd say the TSFI isn't too different to a diesel in delivery. A good surge low down, but does fall off up the rev range. The N52 has a decent shove from low revs, and keeps on pulling, however I don't know how much the standard *25i compares with the *30i.

I think if I go for a BMW N/A engine like 325 or 330 I might miss the characteristics of turbo engine, however it won’t be the case with 335i or TSFI.

[mahoone]

Thanks for all the comments!

Here is what I ended up buying:



It’s a 2010 BMW 330i M Sport Auto with 80k miles and full service history.

Few things on my to-do list:

Exhaust system because the stock system is way to quiet for a 3l straight six engine. I looked at the BMW performance exhaust which is £450 or cat-back system from Power Flow for £650.

Do some coding and check for any error codes. Need obd2 reader and an app for phone or PC.

Full bodywork and interior detail.