[raf555]

Any one got a 330i 2005/06 plate, if so what they like to own?

how much is road tax? whats the economy?

worth looking at as an option?

[Dr Dave]

Mapped 330d FTW

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Mapped 330d FTW

+1

[G82Dude]

58 plate E92 any good?

[Butch]

Tax is £215, unless it's gone up in recent weeks... On a long journey I can get 30mpg, but short town journeys I get around 22mpg.

Amazing car to own and drive, although if I could have got the spec I wanted at the right price I would have probably gone for 330d instead (especially with the price of fuel at the minute).

Looking on this forum and speaking with a couple of independent garages there doesn't seem to be any major issues with the 330i - definately the most luxurious, coolest, fastest car I have ever owned, very happy with mine !!!

[NFS]

Originally Posted by raf555

Any one got a 330i 2005/06 plate, if so what they like to own?

how much is road tax? whats the economy?

worth looking at as an option?

Ignore the derv-heads.

The 330i is a fabulous car. I averaged 27mpg in mine. Last car tax was £230.

Buy one.

[penport]

Well pleased with mine - currently getting 33mpg (mainly motorway and it's an auto). Sound is awesome and engine has a strong reputation for being bulletproof.
Go for it!

[mits]

I went for a 330D with the cost of petrol always increasing.
The only thing I miss is the 6 cylinder howl and exhaust note, more than made up for with the torque and less visits to the pump.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by mits

I went for a 330D with the cost of petrol always increasing.
The only thing I miss is the 6 cylinder howl and exhaust note, more than made up for with the torque and less visits to the pump.

The 330d is a completely different experience to the 330i. Both are great cars, but they are chalk and cheese.

[janbm]

If your going for a petrol. Try an pick up a 330I from Dec 07 on, as this was the efficient dynamics car and road tax is £175 a little cheaper.
But Diesel and pet both good cars. Im getting 32.2 again on an auto.

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by NFS

The 330d is a completely different experience to the 330i. Both are great cars, but they are chalk and cheese.

Yes I agree,

One is quick, one is slow.

Mapped 330d FTW.

[G82Dude]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Yes I agree,

One is quick, one is slow.

Mapped 330d FTW.

That's harsh; wouldn't call the 330d slow!!!

[NFS]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Yes I agree,

One is quick, one is slow.

Mapped 330d FTW.

You are a complete knob jockey at times Carlos

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by raf555

Any one got a 330i 2005/06 plate, if so what they like to own?

how much is road tax? whats the economy?

worth looking at as an option?

I had a E90 330i for new (March 06)

Best car I've ever had (except the current 335i of course) Fabulous engine. Fabulous drive. Fabulous noise. EVO said that the E90 330i was 'close to greatness' and that is fair praise indeed.

You have to really want a larger petrol car IMO, on paper you can't justify them cost wise, don't forget you'll want to run it on Super unleaded only to get the best from it which will cost even more.

Mine did about 28mpg average for all use and it was the older 256bhp model not the 270 bhp later model released in 07 I think.

Stick with a manual though, harder to find and worth more to private enthusiasts. When I sold my manual I had people calling for weeks afterwards desparate to find a manual 'box in the sea of used slushboxes.

Road tax? Who cares? About the same as 1 decent tyre or 3 tanks of fuel or a night away with the missus... nothing to worry about.

Get one, shift the 4 pot derv burner, and you'll never regret it..

[nicko44]

I've had my E92 330i SE Auto for about 19 months now, and I too absolutely love it. For all the reasons given by others above.
Yes, I think I would prefer a manual box for most of the time, but those trips to London, the M25, the North Circular, North London suburbs etc etc make me glad that I have the auto. However, whenever I'm back on deserted A or B roads, I put the car into manual, and there is no doubt this is when the car really comes alive. Holding 3rd and 4th through a variety of bends for complete control, and then punting it up from 4000 to 6800 on the next straight is always very satisfying.

My car has been remapped by Evolve, and whilst there is only a fairly limited amount of room for improvement on a NA engine, such as the 272hp N53 unit in my car, it has certainly given me a few extra horses (they claim 13bhp more) and some torque. But the biggest benefit has been an even better exhaust note, really silent when wafting, but an even more sonorous howl above 4000rpm, plus a fiercer top end with the engine becoming notably more aggressive at about 5000rpm. Certainly worth doing, and a lot cheaper than upgrading to a 335i (which I know is in a totally different league).

[Jon D]

Disregard the rhetoric and take a 330d for a drive; you'll then be in a better position to make your own decision.

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by Jon D

Disregard the rhetoric and take a 330d for a drive; you'll then be in a better position to make your own decision.

Rhetoric?

The OP asked for mpg / opinions / ownership prospects on a 06 E90 330i, not a 330d.

Who's swaying the discussion now?

Also, I think you are being a little patronising to the OP to suggest that the buying decision would be anything other than his own.

[rogerxp]

I'm too sure what the comparison is like but I've got an 03 plate E46 330i (I guess it's actually the same engine???). My road tax is £245 (just bought it last week) so not sure how 'butch' paid £215 unless a) it's jumped up that much in a year or b) it is in fact a different engine. I'm averaging in the high 20's but I've only owned the car a couple of weeks so the figure hasn't settled yet but I do drive it hard most of the time.

You really need to get behind the wheel and judge for yourself. There must be equal pro's and con's for both 330i and 330d (if indeed you were considering the 'd'). It it was 320i/325i vs 330i then the 330i has to win each time.

There is no doubt that the 330i is an extremely capable car in it's many guises and, if we were honest, more than enough for 95% of us, had has a perfect balance of performance vs costs (fuel, tax, insurance, service, etc).

Other cars mentioned here (the 330d specifically) is an absolute belter too and remapped is just awesome but not necessarily better than a 330i, just different.

If you've currently got a diesel and fancy a petrol then go for it. Coming from a diesel myself it really has been refreshing to get back behind the wheel of a large-ish cc petrol engine once more. Nothing against diesels; the 330d really opened my eyes and I certainly enjoyed the efficiency for a while but I craved a petrol engine and my heart eventually won (this time!!!).

You state "worth looking at as an option?" - what else is on the radar as we've jumped to the conclusion that the 330d is worthy of consideration ourselves.

[xenon]

The engine in the e46 (m54) and e9x 330i is somewhat different, not least 70-ish bhp extra on the N53.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by doughboy

Rhetoric?

The OP asked for mpg / opinions / ownership prospects on a 06 E90 330i, not a 330d.

Who's swaying the discussion now?

Also, I think you are being a little patronising to the OP to suggest that the buying decision would be anything other than his own.

Personally speaking, I prefer to actually try the alternatives first and then, if necessary, make further enquiries which will then be based on a more informed standpoint.
As 'Rogerxp' says: "You really need to get behind the wheel and judge for yourself".

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by rogerxp

it is in fact a different engine.

The N52 (256bhp) that my car had was very different to the E46 engine as said.

The later N53 (272 bhp) again was different (valvetronic etc) and lower emissions.

N52 was 204g/km and the N53 is 196g? I think?

So N52 = £245 and N53 = £235 for 2010/11

OK maybe 4 tanks of fuel then.....

[rogerxp]

So the N52 engine was 05-07 (ish) which was then replaced by the N53 engine from 07 onwards.

If the N52 engine was 256bhp and 204g/km what outputs are coming from my E46 engine???

Sorry to thread-jack raf555 but as you've not posted since 9th April it's fair game