[Animalfreeride]

Hi all,

As per the thread really, has anyone made a move from a 335i to a 330d?

I am contemplating a change of vehicle spring of next year.

I generally use the car at weekends/long weekends in Cornwall. Most of the time I drive "normally" (I value my licence!) with the exception of national speed limit country roads when the car really comes into its element. Don't get me wrong, I think the 335 is awesome. I goes like stink, growls like an beast and is such a pleasure to drive. I was even toying with the DCT if a stick with the 335.

However, as I say, I mostly just cruise about and have been thinking; can I justify keeping the 335 particularly when it is costing me a fortune to run? I have already made some of my own austerity measures and am now looking at whether keeping the car is worth it.

The road tax is £400 and fuel ecomomy generally around 23mpg. I understand the new 335 has improved fuel economy and lower tax but I'm not sure how much of an improvement this is.

The 330d would seem like a good compromise as it has very good fuel economy whilst being a very quick motor. I would want more or less the same spec including an auto.

Will I really notice a massive difference?

Will I regret such a change?

Thoughts and opinions appreciated.

Thanks.

[kaishang]

Not a 335i, but I went from a NA 325i to a 330d. Both cars were automatics.

The 325i was the old valvetronic 2.5 litre unit, I think BMW currently use a detuned 3 litre in their 325i. The comments below are for the current 245hp/ 520Nm 330 diesel. I'm not sure if you are looking new or secondhand, but the 330d engine was updated in the LCI facelift and is more powerful than the pre-LCI 330d. If buying new next year, note that you will be buying in the last year of the current 3-series life, before it is replaced probably in 2012.

I have/had the standard, non M-Sport suspension in both cars. I had a 3 year ownership gap in the middle where I rode around on a 125cc motorbike, but I'm sure the 330d suspension is a little bit softer.

The biggest difference I think is the weight. The 330d is 100 or 150kg over the weight of a petrol car and you can feel it. It has massive amounts of torque to overcome the weight bit it isn't quite as nimble. If you put two ordinary passengers or one extra-fat passenger in the car you would get the idea.

On idle or at low engine speeds like under 1500rpm it feels a bit coarse and truck like.

Motorway or high speed country road driving is excellent in the 330d, it has phenominal in-gear acceleration and the fact you can drive at 90mph and get around 40mpg is satisfying in itself.

The 330d does not magically solve your fuel consumption problems. I live in London and if I drive it around congested central London streets, I still only get less than 20mpg.

I think you need to test drive a diesel and see if you like it. The diesel experience grows on you and gets better with time (either that or you forget how good a petrol engine is, I'm not sure which).

£400/year in road tax sounds like a lot, your 335i must be an older model that puts out a lot of CO2. The current 335i would be a lot cheaper to tax and the 330d is also pretty cheap to tax.

If you are interested, here's a couple of Youtube vids of my 330d at Santa Pod.

[JJD]

I went the other way, 330d to 335i. 330d was an early E46 with 184bhp. I don't think it is a change that you would regret.

330d is a very capable plenty of shove and very smooth plus they make a nice noise too. It won't make you want to drive around like your hair is on fire but it will deliver a lot of satisfaction in day to day driving.

[p1tse]

Does anyone know on late e46, pre lci e90 and e60 are the 3.0d auto the same engine and transmission?

[p1tse]

Depends, you really need to try it. I'm a petrol man for sure, free revving, responsive and generally lighter so more chuckability in nature

However diesels are just as quick these days, but not as much fun.

I'm looking to get a diesel for a number of reasons.
I've driven a remapped 335d coupe, quick yes, but it just didn't give me the sense of fun, maybe and I'm sure it would grow on me.

But if your looking for a balance of performance, mpg it's definateley high on the list

[tomgrey]

I got back from a 3500 mile trip around Europe about 1 month ago. I have a 330d convertible. I love the car. It is an enigma, it has phenomenal in gear acceleration (which is when you need it), cruises so effortlessly, the wife can read the newspaper at speeds well over the legal limit when the tops down because there is almost no wind in the cabin. It also returns 40 MPG on average over 16,000 miles, most of which is on A type roads and not motorway.
The bmw3 replaces a Nissan 350Z, which was a lot of fun, but very unrefined compared to the BMW.
Diesel is different to petrol but all in all the fantastic in gear acceleration and lower fuel costs of diesel make it a winner every time for me.
It will take some adjustment and you will wonder sometimes when you hear it rattling at 10 MPH if you should have got a petrol, but get over 20MPH and you forgotten the thought already.

[jwbmw]

335i 0 - 60 mph = 5.5 sec / 50 - 75 mph = 5.2 seconds

330d 0-60 mph = 6.0 sec / 50 - 75 mph = 4.7 seconds

In real world driving, like overtaking and pulling into the outside lane of the motorway on full throttle you will not be disappointed and give the 335i more than a run for its money. 335d = 3.9 seconds on the 50 - 75 mph measure which is only 0.2 behind the 911 turbo! The 330d will not disappoint unless you want a traffic light drag race against 335i's.

[themetz]

i did 335i to M3 to 330d (n57) and quickly back to 335i (n55). I literally hated EVERY second in the 330d and would never buy a diesel in a 'sports-orientated' motor ever again...

Really didn't like the noise or the depressing knowledge i'd gone for perceived economy over an engine to ENJOY!

Ignore the comparisons on times, those figures are based on 4 th gear performance - and obviously the torque performance of the d distorts the on paper numbers - the real proof, especially with the DCT box, is the sight of a 330d disappearing in the rear view mirror after exhaustion sets in at 5,000 revs....

[jwbmw]

Originally Posted by themetz

i did 335i to M3 to 330d (n57) and quickly back to 335i (n55). I literally hated EVERY second in the 330d and would never buy a diesel in a 'sports-orientated' motor ever again...

Really didn't like the noise or the depressing knowledge i'd gone for perceived economy over an engine to ENJOY!

Ignore the comparisons on times, those figures are based on 4 th gear performance - and obviously the torque performance of the d distorts the on paper numbers - the real proof, especially with the DCT box, is the sight of a 330d disappearing in the rear view mirror after exhaustion sets in at 5,000 revs....

Total shite!

[themetz]

Originally Posted by jwbmw

Total shite!

nope, just my opinion (it is allowed )

but really well thought out argument

[themetz]

Don't forget that the op asked for the opinions of anyone who had gone 335i to 330d... not for a diesel vs petrol debate willy nilly...

[willhollin]

We can compare 330d vs 335i at UK10 for real.

[themetz]

I'm wheeling round on my bike!!

[kdiz]

Also what most people don't think about when switching is the cost of doing so!!! By selling yours and getting a 330d depending on how you do it you might end up losing money, that is certainly the case when doing a trade in.

I see a lot of threads where people buy a diesel switching from a petrol, but the money they spent switching they would need to drive the diesel for like 30 years before it will workout cheaper in the longrun lol.

[rogerxp]

I did exactly what you're asking. I swapped an E92 335i SE (56 plate) for an E90 330d M Sport (06 plate), both manual, about 2 years ago.

I loved the 335i but it was costing me a fortune (more the finance though) so chose to 'downgrade' to the 330d for a double whammy saving of finance & fuel.

At first, I wasn't massively happy with the 330d, the suspension was noticably harder for some reason (not to be debated in this thread), but it sounded like a tractor, felt heavy, and not hugely quick. However, after a couple of months, it really grew on me. I had to change how I 'drove' to a certain extent to squeeze the best out of a diesel engine having never owned one before and allow the torque & turbo throw me out of corners, etc.

I used to get 19mpg out of my 335i (not a shy driver) but no matter what I threw at the 330d I couldn't get it under 32mpg (I have no idea how 'kaishang' gets under 20mpg as I gave mine proper beans all the time) and that's a really noticable difference. Reducing fuel costs wasn't part of my remit but it was a nice bonus.

If you remap it (mine wasn't) it's an absolute rocket-ship.

Yes, you could test drive a 330d, but I really don't think you'll be able to 'get' the 330d in such a short space of time, you really need to 'live' with one and, honestly, it'll get under your skin.

335i - belting car. 330d - belting car. Just in a different style.

[kaishang]

Drive around central London and you can get 20mpg no problem, even in a Smart Car.

[mjh93sa]

Well, I've sort of done the opposite (E91 330d to 135i). As has been said, different cars (both quick) that appeal to different people.

To cover the various areas being discussed:

Performance:
Obviously the 35i will have it over the 30d. But the 30d is still a quick car that will see off most other things on the road. Yes the 0-60 is slower, but realistically it's only when your getting to higher speeds that you will see a difference.... traction is the thing that will limit just how fast the two cars are off the line. The 30d has plenty of torque and will willingly pull throughout the revrange. The torque curve isn't the table mountain of the 35i, so it feels like it needs a few more revs before it really starts to pull.

In real world driving they'll not be too far apart. With a loon behind the wheel... it'll be the one he's driving that edges ahead.

Economy:
Over the couple of years that I had the 30d it averaged 42mpg on a pretty evenly mixed set of town and motorway driving. This was a pre Efficient Dynamics car, so the old 230 odd hp car. By comparison I'm now doing more motorway miles and the 35i hovers around 28~30mpg.

Refinement / Noise:
Sure the 30d is a diesel and there is little mistaking it. But, it's one of the best out there. Smooth and refined, with a decent gruff note when pushing it. Different to the out and out howl of a petrol, but with a character of it's own.

To conclude:
In conclusion, try a 30d to see what you think, but keep in mind what you are looking for when you do so. Don't expect it to be a more economical 35i and judge it on it's own merits.

...and the real testing question - If I were going back to a 3 which would I choose? Probably a 330d with an auto-box. Unless I said hang the cost and went for a DCT 335i coupé.

[rogerxp]

Originally Posted by kaishang

Drive around central London and you can get 20mpg no problem, even in a Smart Car.

I appreciate London driving is start stop but I'm amazed quite how badly it's effected mpg. I drive my cars like I stole them (in a responsibly way of course) so always get very poor mpg compared to others in the same car. My 330d was driven hard and, as I say, never dipped under 32mpg. Surprising.

[kaishang]

I like giving the 330d a good boot on B-roads however accelerating through 40mph at 3500rpm with your foot on the floor is still more economical than zero mph at 650rpm stationary in traffic. I often drive in to the West End and you can easily spend 15 mins clearing the last 1/2 mile to Piccadilly Circus. According to the trip computer, my average central London speed is around 11mph.

Since I was in central London when I made the last post, I reset the trip computer for the return journey - about 25mpg - however this was about 12.30am so there was a lot less traffic than normal.

As another FYI, there were about a 15 Ricers in Skyline GT-Rs and the odd Evo doing burnouts on Embankment. The smell of burning tyres right near Big Ben. I love London

Originally Posted by rogerxp

I appreciate London driving is start stop but I'm amazed quite how badly it's effected mpg. I drive my cars like I stole them (in a responsibly way of course) so always get very poor mpg compared to others in the same car. My 330d was driven hard and, as I say, never dipped under 32mpg. Surprising.

[Swiller]

Do the maths and work out how much more the 335 costs over a week of your usage.. Then weigh that up against the benefits of owning a 335.

I have thought hard about getting a 320d over my 330i. For my usage it's about £20 extra per week. I remain happy paying the additional premium for the sound and power. Then again, if 20 quid a week was important to me, I wouldn't be driving a 3 litre BMW.

[NFS]

I drove a 330d for a week between selling my 330i and collecting my 335i.

My honest opinion is as follows:

The 330d initially felt really unpleasant. The overly light (electro assisted) steering and nasty noise at tickover were real issues for me.

Happily, taking the car onto the motorway revealed it's other side. The 330d is a real mile eater and it is an absolute pleasure to drive long distances. The lazy torque lets you waft along in luxury and at motorway speeds the diesel noise and electric steering is not an issue.

Getting into the 335i afterward was interesting. In many ways it feels midway between the 330i and 330d. It has all of the motorway prowess of the 330d, but with the charms of a fast petrol (lovely noise, drama, engagement).

In summary, I think the 330d is hugely competent and it is definitely a car that you will appreciate over time. However, it lacks 'fun factor' compared to the 335i.

[pjs]

I've had a e90 330d auto for 3 years and 90k miles, then moved to a 335i e92 auto for the last 12 months. And yes, i know that is in reverse to the OP's question)

Ther 330d is an fantastic car

The 335i is only better in a few areas - noise, noticably quicker above 80mph on the autobahn, and the only time you'll notice it handle better is when you are really 'making progress' Initially I even missed the torque/waftiness of the diesel.

I think the autobox is a better match, in the 330. Mpg wise i now get 26mpg as opposed to 36mpg.

As others have said though, you'll have to do an awful lot of miles to make the fuel savings to offest the cost to change