[Matrez]

Hi there,

Ive been looking for a 330d/335d/335i E90/E91 and today spotted this on AT :
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...ge/4?logcode=p

Also on PH :
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3913749.htm

Its a little bit off what I would like to have but its not that bad I suppose so thinking about it, but wanted to make sure with forum members if its the right pick ?

There is a problem I have spotted about it - if you look at the 2nd pic with the front end of the car there is bigger gap between the bonnet and the bumper on the left hand side... Does it mean it was involved in accident or so ?

Help will be appreciated a lot

Regards,

Mat.

[Brian mc21]

Not necessarily. You know you can adjust that gap and level the bonnet with the wings although obviously have a good poke around the area to check for accident damage.

[Stringbag]

Ask him. Can't Do any harm.

[dopper99]

Just looked at the spec and the following are the paid for optional extras:

CSL wheels
leather
idrive/sat nav
xenons
front parking sensors
6 CD Changer
Built-In Rear Window Blinds
Electric Rear Screen Blind

Everything else mentioned in the advert is standard on every 330d (I know, I used to own an 06 330d )

Gives you an idea of what extras you are getting for your money.....

Oh, and the average consumption is not 46mpg combined - its more like 38mpg (unless you drive like miss daisy).

[Kerr]

Thought it was an E92 M3 you were going for?

As discussed the other day 330d with a manual box are rare.

I'm only looking on the mobile site and I would say the photos are not good enough to detect damage. It could be the angle of the photo or the bumper slightly dropped.

After 6 years and 74k It's not unlikely it might have had a bump.

You can only go look and see. Obviously an inspection and HPI check too if you are impressed.

[Brian mc21]

Originally Posted by Stringbag

Ask him. Can't Do any harm.

By all means do but he may not tell you the truth. Don't take anything for granted. Check check and check again. I've bought my share of cars from lying cants.

[Barlows]

Personally, I wouldn't buy a car that is being sold in a modified state (aftermarket wheels, debadged etc.)

If it's been looked after properly it will be returned to standard.

[Matrez]

Thanks a lot for help guys, so appreciate it !

Yes I would love to have M3 E90 for my family but after discussion with my lady there is no chance - the best I can do is 335i but that will be dangerous too haha
I have never experienced a fast car and any day on racetrack but would love one day in 335i or M3 but family comes first so I suppose 330d/335d this time

I really do not wanna get it wrong as this will be probably the car for many many years and on the other hand the 320d we have at the moment I am totally in love with - never had such special and spotless car in my life and are so happy to be here with you guys !!! It will be total pain selling it ohhhh... but 3L is so tempting - would love to have another spotless E90 like mine with not even smallest problem - just bloody nothing to worry at all - all is smooth and looks like new

I emailed the guy about his 330d with questions and will let you know the answer, if it seems ok to us I will go over 100 miles to view it so any tips on viewing would be also appreciated as I only know how to change parts on my E90 hehe

Thanks once again and please be in touch !

Regards,

Mat.

PS. I have advertised my E90 on the forum yesturday over here :
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=696545
So far there were many forum members asking me about my parts haha Every part I have purchased was searched for a long time as I invest only in top quality / spotless parts or if there is no such I always go to the BMW dealer and buy I hate when something is scratched etc. just will not enjoy it, I know its crazy but that is the kind of person I am.

[Kerr]

Originally Posted by SeanCorky

Personally, I wouldn't buy a car that is being sold in a modified state (aftermarket wheels, debadged etc.)

If it's been looked after properly it will be returned to standard.

I wouldn't agree to that.

Some of the biggest enthusiasts modify cars and keep better care of them.

Each car has to be taken on its own.

If you desire a standard car it is not hard to change back simple mods.

[Barlows]

Originally Posted by Kerr

I wouldn't agree to that.

Some of the biggest enthusiasts modify cars and keep better care of them.

Each car has to be taken on its own.

If you desire a standard car it is not hard to change back simple mods.

I understand what you mean and agree with most of it, but if they've spared no expense looking after it they wont have sold the standard parts to fund the mods.

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Matrez

Yes I would love to have M3 E90 for my family but after discussion with my lady there is no chance - the best I can do is 335i but that will be dangerous too haha
I have never experienced a fast car and any day on racetrack but would love one day in 335i or M3 but family comes first

I didn't by a M3 because the wife felt it would attract the wrong sort of attention, and she wasn't comfortable driving one. But I would hardly call a 335i dangerous or particularly high powered.

It's only got 300bhp, the next round of hot hatches are probably going to have more BHP standard. The thing I love about the 335i is simply how easy and and fun it is to drive. The traction control if left on will cut the power long before you run out of talent!! Debadged mine blends into the fleet of 320ds that populate my road, it doesn't get much attention from anyone which I love:-)

With early ones now going for £11k they are a absoutly bargain, the only danger is to your wallet....it's very very hard resisting the temptation to fiddle with it(power and suspension mods), simply because it's quite clear if allowed the engineers at BMW could have really made a car that would have more than challenged a M3 for pace!!

[Matrez]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

I didn't by a M3 because the wife felt it would attract the wrong sort of attention, and she wasn't comfortable driving one. But I would hardly call a 335i dangerous or particularly high powered.

It's only got 300bhp, the next round of hot hatches are probably going to have more BHP standard. The thing I love about the 335i is simply how easy and and fun it is to drive. The traction control if left on will cut the power long before you run out of talent!! Debadged mine blends into the fleet of 320ds that populate my road, it doesn't get much attention from anyone which I love:-)

With early ones now going for £11k they are a absoutly bargain, the only danger is to your wallet....it's very very hard resisting the temptation to fiddle with it(power and suspension mods), simply because it's quite clear if allowed the engineers at BMW could have really made a car that would have more than challenged a M3 for pace!!

Thats correct
You see, our family travels a lot by car so 335i would drink petrol as hell costing the holidays
a lot more so my lady isnt so happy about it either but will try my best to buy one haha and one day visit Nurburgring Diesel doesnt bring the joy of driving at all, but overall its a great compromise I suppose.

Enjoy your 335i, hope to join your team lol :-)

[Kerr]

Unless you do big miles or need a company car, there is no point buying a 335d over a 335i in my opinion.

What you save on purchase price of a similar spec car will take a lot of miles to claw back.

From what I see the average fuel consumption is only 5-6mpg between cars.

[Dave_3]

Originally Posted by Kerr

Unless you do big miles or need a company car, there is no point buying a 335d over a 335i in my opinion.

What you save on purchase price of a similar spec car will take a lot of miles to claw back.

From what I see the average fuel consumption is only 5-6mpg between cars.

I bought a 335D over a 335i or M3.

I've seen you query a few people in threads about decidng to go with the 335D.

All personal preference. And the angle of fuel economy savings is not why most choose a 335D. It is just a very nice bonus. I don't do anything approaching high miles, yet the 335D suited me perfectly.

I still have my 335D. After 4.5 years of ownership. Not one single ounce of regret.

D.

[Kerr]

Originally Posted by Dave_3

I bought a 335D over a 335i or M3.

I've seen you query a few people in threads about decidng to go with the 335D.

All personal preference. And the angle of fuel economy savings is not why most choose a 335D. It is just a very nice bonus. I don't do anything approaching high miles, yet the 335D suited me perfectly.

I still have my 335D. After 4.5 years of ownership. Not one single ounce of regret.

D.

Quite a few people dismiss petrol cars without thinking about the bigger picture.

As per Matrez they think the cost of fuel consumption is everything when running a car.

Solely looking at running costs and ignoring all other factors, it is not as simple as that.

Doing 12k per year the fuel costs would only be £250 different.

You can save a few thousand pound buying a 335i over a 335d in the first instance and fuel will never make up that deficit.

Better buying the car you prefer than worrying about ownership costs due to fuel.

[Matrez]

Originally Posted by Kerr

Quite a few people dismiss petrol cars without thinking about the bigger picture.

As per Matrez they think the cost of fuel consumption is everything when running a car.

Solely looking at running costs and ignoring all other factors, it is not as simple as that.

Doing 12k per year the fuel costs would only be £250 different.

You can save a few thousand pound buying a 335i over a 335d in the first instance and fuel will never make up that deficit.

Better buying the car you prefer than worrying about ownership costs due to fuel.

I know about all of that my friend, the thing you do not see is depreciation - for example :

The same spec 335d is £13k and 335i is £11k - Ive checked it... so I keep the 335d for 5 years I will save £2k on fuel and tax. At this point both cars cost me the same. But it doesnt end there ...

The other bigger aspect is that after owing the 335i for 5 years it would sell for around £5k as there is no market for petrol cars, but the 335d will always keep its value as its most desirable BMW diesel by all means and it would sell for even £8k...

So I have £3k in my pocket after 5 years There migh be slight miss calculations but its more or less right.

[Matrez]

I wrote an email yesturday to the seller of the 330d and today he responded :



,,Good Morning Matthew,

Thanks for the e-mail, I'll answer your questions in the order you have asked;

1) The car has never been in an accident, you are welcome to do a HPI check.

2) The car has not been remapped, it has the standard bhp output of 231bhp and torque output of 369 lbs/ft (from autotrader).

I have contemplated a remap but to be honest I couldn't justify it when I enjoy the car so much already.

3) Reason for sale is a work opportunity abroad which I can't turn down. Otherwise I would love to keep the car.

4) The mechanics of the car are as standard. The car has a full service history, part BMW and part BMW specialists.

I priced the car at 11,500 and recently reduced this to 11,300 as you are probably aware. I feel with the brand new tyres all round, 11month MOT, the equipment on the car, and the overall condition the asking price is justified. Also the 19" wheels were put on by the previous owner rather than the standard 19" M Sport wheels. These are genuine CSL alloy wheels which you may or may not be aware are worth a lot of money on their own :-)

I am however open to a sensible offer on the asking price. If you would like to make me an offer and/or view the car, you and your family are welcome to do so.

To summarise, I searched for a long time before buying this stunning example and will be sad to see it go, but the car is worth more than just sitting on the drive while I am away.

If you would like to contact my mobile to discuss anything it is: 07834 268034

Many thanks

Nick''



He seems to be a very genuine person, dont you think ?
What else could I ask him on the email or phone ?
Where is the best place to check the car online ?
What should I look at in 330d when viewing it ?

Help much appreciated !

[Kerr]

Originally Posted by Matrez

I know about all of that my friend, the thing you do not see is depreciation - for example :

The same spec 335d is £13k and 335i is £11k - Ive checked it... so I keep the 335d for 5 years I will save £2k on fuel and tax. At this point both cars cost me the same. But it doesnt end there ...

The other bigger aspect is that after owing the 335i for 5 years it would sell for around £5k as there is no market for petrol cars, but the 335d will always keep its value as its most desirable BMW diesel by all means and it would sell for even £8k...

So I have £3k in my pocket after 5 years There migh be slight miss calculations but its more or less right.

All hypothetical especially when diesel is going to keep moving out the reach of petrol costs too. More people will move to petrol the more expensive diesel gets and it will.

No market for big petrol cars? Have you seen the amount of people trying to find 335i on this forum? Keep an eye on autotrader and you will notice that cars are moving and they are also going up in value too.

Kind of kills what some people on here keep telling us.

The price guide is also showing an increase in value as well as for sale prices.

Acerboo took 6-7 months to shift his 335d and Team Green is not getting any bites for his either after repeated attempts to sell.

Wasn't that long ago a user got a nice E92 335d for under 11k too from a dealer.

The market isn't what it once was but it is not solely big petrol cars that are down. It is all big cars including the 335d.

[Kerr]

Also if you are looking at cars with upto 70k on the clocks and by your maths doing with the 2k saving in road tax and fuel you are doing 16k a year.

That is going to be a 150k mile car in 5 years and very difficult to shift.

[Matrez]

Originally Posted by Kerr

Also if you are looking at cars with upto 70k on the clocks and by your maths doing with the 2k saving in road tax and fuel you are doing 16k a year.

That is going to be a 150k mile car in 5 years and very difficult to shift.

Yes, around 15k miles a year I would say. Dont forget for a diesel car 150k miles is nothing compared with 150k miles on 335i

So 335d would shift in this state but 335i wouldnt or for very low £ss.

[Kerr]

Originally Posted by Matrez

Yes, around 15k miles a year I would say. Dont forget for a diesel car 150k miles is nothing compared with 150k miles on 335i

So 335d would shift in this state but 335i wouldnt or for very low £ss.

You seem to be making assumptions for in 5 years time.

A high mileage 335i seems to cost similar money to a 335d at the moment. There is a bigger price difference at lower mileage which doesn't back up your theory.

Not that many high mileage examples of both so what happens if one proves it can or can't handle big miles in a few years time?

What happens if diesel ends up 30p a litre more expensive than petrol in 5 years time?

There is more 535d kicking about with high miles. There is 8 year old cars for under 6k

[Dave_3]

Originally Posted by Kerr

Acerboo took 6-7 months to shift his 335d and Team Green is not getting any bites for his either after repeated attempts to sell.

To be fair, Acerboo had a custom leather re-trim. While it eventually did find someone who shared his taste, it would make a lot shy away or simply discount it.

D.