[The_Bear_Yid]

I'm still trying to scratch that 335i itch (along to the M3 itch) and have been looking around for a while.

I've seen a fair few, but finding what I want is becoming hard. I've seen two that tick a couple of boxes but not all of them. Both are black, one has a black interior and is a manual (with slightly higher miles than I want and the alloys known for cracking), and the other has DCT but has a beige interior with silver trim

Stick the DCT on the one with the black interior and there's no need for this thread, it'd be a my new car thread.

But I'm beginning to think I should just settle for one now?

I don't think my brief is too awkward, black, black/red leather, black trim, 19's. The main one is black exterior followed by interior.

[Sparky68]

Plenty about, why settle for something you will regret buying a few months later? How far are you searching, have you tried to see if your local BMW dealer can source one?

[Jedimindtrix]

Took me 10 months to find the 'right' car and it ended up being 350 miles away.

I'd say sit and wait, of you rush in Sod's law says the right car will come along when you've already settled for 2nd best.

[AlwynMike]

Originally Posted by Alpina-d3

Took me 10 months to find the 'right' car and it ended up being 350 miles away.

I'd say sit and wait, of you rush in Sod's law says the right car will come along when you've already settled for 2nd best.

Took me the best part of a year to find my blue one.
The white is second best, but I realise to wait for another LM blue one on a later plate may be a step too far. Hence the plans to mod - something I've not considered before. Having had the 335d, I knew I wanted another as there is nothing else around that ticked all my boxes.

Hang out for the right car and enjoy it to the full when it does happen.

Mike

[The_Bear_Yid]

Originally Posted by Sparky68

Plenty about, why settle for something you will regret buying a few months later? How far are you searching, have you tried to see if your local BMW dealer can source one?

Yeah true. I haven't but I'm on the AUC site and AT all the time. I do national searches.

[The_Bear_Yid]

Alpina & Mike: Yeah I guess you're right. I'd love a DCT but can't stand beige interior.

[AlwynMike]

Originally Posted by The_Bear_Yid

Alpina & Mike: Yeah I guess you're right. I'd love a DCT but can't stand beige interior.

I am not well known for my colour taste/sense, but I had beige interior in my 5er. It was OK with the silver trim, but when I went to the wood trim, it really set it off a treat and looked really classy. But I am old too!!
Downside to beige interior - don't have a black dog, as I have. The dog hairs really show up!!

Mike

[rogerxp]

I think you need to hold out for 'the one' however tempting it is. If the choice was between one with folding mirrors or not then maybe easier to choose but when it's colour/engine/gearbox then you need to get it right. You'll still be able to enjoy a car with the odd option missing but the wrong colour/engine/gearbox will just piss you off and signal short ownership and ultimately an expensive change.

I've got the exact same probem. I'm on a hunt for a manual E92 330d M Sport which are like rocking horse shit. I've been hunting for 6-12 months now with no success. I've now opened the search to include 325d's. Keep questioning whether to relax me need for sat nav, as that more than doubles the cars available, but it would really piss me off having a car without the 'double-bubble'. I'm holding out.

[lolololol]

My Mrs has a Black E93 330d with Beige interior and it looks the nuts !! She has the black trim so that will need to be changed but that is a 1 hour £150 job.

[Cyprio]

Definitely hang-in until the right one comes along - and it will.

I would'nt have thought you'd have too much of a problem finding the right 335i, unless you're after a lci saloon, or even worse, a touring. Both petrol and diesel are as rare as rocking- horse-shit unless your'e happy to go north of £25000.
It took me around 4 months to find a lci 335d-Touring, and that didn't include waiting for any particular spec to come along.

[richk84]

Originally Posted by rogerxp

I think you need to hold out for 'the one' however tempting it is. If the choice was between one with folding mirrors or not then maybe easier to choose but when it's colour/engine/gearbox then you need to get it right. You'll still be able to enjoy a car with the odd option missing but the wrong colour/engine/gearbox will just piss you off and signal short ownership and ultimately an expensive change.

I agree with this, these are the main things to consider. I really wanted a le mans blue with grey interior and kept seeing loads with beige and black and was so close to getting one with black interior. Then i saw one with the right colour combo and knew i had to wait it out.

[jimpom23]

Hmm, I just think you need to be sensible

My needs were 07 onwards (pref 57)
M Sport
Less than 40k miles
Warranty/no mods so I could get warranty
Automatic
Silver trim
Black Leather
USB/iPOD connector
Sparkling Grey then Black then silver in order of colour pref

Some of those things were absolute like the Automatic, leather colour and the warranty/no mods and I toyed with the idea of the much more widely available SE but I would always look at the MSports and fee disappointed (though if I found a slightly higher miler SE in Space Grey that was >£5k cheaper then I would consider it)

I found some that looked perfect other than the trim or the leather and whilst the trim can be swapped out the leather would always annoy me. My advice is write your spec list and make a note of what things you absolutely have to have and those which you're bendable on and try not to move from it as the weeks go on.

I looked for about 6 months and found everything I wanted bar the music system being as good and it being an 07 so tax was more expensive but I was willing to compromise on an otherwise perfect car. I love looking out the window at it, I can't help but feel I wouldn't get that feeling if I could see an SE sat there or a beige interior...

[The_Bear_Yid]

Originally Posted by AlwynMike

I am not well known for my colour taste/sense, but I had beige interior in my 5er. It was OK with the silver trim, but when I went to the wood trim, it really set it off a treat and looked really classy. But I am old too!!
Downside to beige interior - don't have a black dog, as I have. The dog hairs really show up!!

Mike

I feel bad now for slating the beige. It was just too much for me. The inside is so bright and as you said, dirt, marks/stains will show up much more.

Originally Posted by rogerxp

I think you need to hold out for 'the one' however tempting it is. If the choice was between one with folding mirrors or not then maybe easier to choose but when it's colour/engine/gearbox then you need to get it right. You'll still be able to enjoy a car with the odd option missing but the wrong colour/engine/gearbox will just piss you off and signal short ownership and ultimately an expensive change.

I've got the exact same probem. I'm on a hunt for a manual E92 330d M Sport which are like rocking horse shit. I've been hunting for 6-12 months now with no success. I've now opened the search to include 325d's. Keep questioning whether to relax me need for sat nav, as that more than doubles the cars available, but it would really piss me off having a car without the 'double-bubble'. I'm holding out.

Good point Rog. I can always get one and sell one, but that's extra hassle.

Why are you after a manual 330d out of interest?

Originally Posted by omaragha

My Mrs has a Black E93 330d with Beige interior and it looks the nuts !! She has the black trim so that will need to be changed but that is a 1 hour £150 job.

I have seen it with black trim and that does help. It's just too bright for me inside. I'd be watching people like a hawk when they got in and out to make sure they didn't leave a mark!

Originally Posted by Cyprio

Definitely hang-in until the right one comes along - and it will.

I would'nt have thought you'd have too much of a problem finding the right 335i, unless you're after a lci saloon, or even worse, a touring. Both petrol and diesel are as rare as rocking- horse-shit unless your'e happy to go north of £25000.
It took me around 4 months to find a lci 335d-Touring, and that didn't include waiting for any particular spec to come along.

No, I'm after an E92 335i, black, black/red leather, black trim, manual or DCT, Sept '07 or later, BT and Nav would be nice but not essential. As would 19's be, preferably not the cracking ones though.

What I'm finding is that ones fitting the spec are going past M3 money and that seems pointless to me.

Originally Posted by richk84

I agree with this, these are the main things to consider. I really wanted a le mans blue with grey interior and kept seeing loads with beige and black and was so close to getting one with black interior. Then i saw one with the right colour combo and knew i had to wait it out.

Grey interior? Not a fan tbh.

Did you get the one you saw?

Originally Posted by jimpom23

Hmm, I just think you need to be sensible

My needs were 07 onwards (pref 57)
M Sport
Less than 40k miles
Warranty/no mods so I could get warranty
Automatic
Silver trim
Black Leather
USB/iPOD connector
Sparkling Grey then Black then silver in order of colour pref

Some of those things were absolute like the Automatic, leather colour and the warranty/no mods and I toyed with the idea of the much more widely available SE but I would always look at the MSports and fee disappointed (though if I found a slightly higher miler SE in Space Grey that was >£5k cheaper then I would consider it)

I found some that looked perfect other than the trim or the leather and whilst the trim can be swapped out the leather would always annoy me. My advice is write your spec list and make a note of what things you absolutely have to have and those which you're bendable on and try not to move from it as the weeks go on.

I looked for about 6 months and found everything I wanted bar the music system being as good and it being an 07 so tax was more expensive but I was willing to compromise on an otherwise perfect car. I love looking out the window at it, I can't help but feel I wouldn't get that feeling if I could see an SE sat there or a beige interior...

True. I know I can change trim and leather, but carpet is too much imo, though I know it can be done.

[swhoyle]

Stick to your guns and wait, as has been said, the second that you deviate from your wish list the right car will come up for sale, and of your anything like me it will tarnish your feelings towards what should be your pride and joy

Ive been looking for a replacement for my E90 as although I love it its caused me so many problems with back pain / ache etc

Now anything I try to replace it with has to meet such a high specification that its making finding the right car almost impossible - but I absolutely refuse to get rid of it till what ever replaces it makes me feel the way the BMW does, anything else will be a disappointment

[gaza01]

wait till the right one comes along!

[Rudz]

assume you've seen this already ?

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=758836

[rawbhp]

Tbh I think unless you buy new or are very lucky/prepared to wait a long time there will always be some level of compromise.

I wanted a Pre lci 335i M Sport E90 in LeMans with satnav and black leather. I still haven't seen one for sale several months after finding my car! All the cars were silver or black and I swore I'd never buy another black car because I'm a bit obsessed with them looking clean.

In the end I found a mint silver car with black leather,nav etc and put some gunmetal CSLs on it. Now I couldn't be happier!

I think it's better to compromise slightly and have most of the car you want rather than be without it for a year while you search. Engine, number of doors and nav were key for me.

[The_Bear_Yid]

While I will keep my eye out for the right one I do think there will have to be some compromise.

I've not had much problem with colour combos when looking at M3's. They all seem to have the combo I like.

Rudz - I hadn't seen it no. But it's £10k more than the 335 with DCT and about £6k more than a couple of M3's I've seen. Not sure I want an M3 DCT that much...