[richk84]

I know where you are coming from getting bored of your 320d. I had one but was doing big miles so. As soon as my mileage reduced I got my e93 330i.

Out of the cars above only a e46 330i is one which allow you to properly save imo. Both the M3 and 335i have potential for big bills and maintenance.

I'd try and get a 330i clubsport if you can, nice straight 6 and rear wheel drive. Should be much cheaper than the other two cars to run.

[CitizenKane]

Originally Posted by richk84

Out of the cars above only a e46 330i is one which allow you to properly save imo. Both the M3 and 335i have potential for big bills and maintenance..

Cheers. Would the statement above also be true re an e92 330i? The consensus seems to be that they are a lot more reliable and cheaper to run too?

[CitizenKane]

Originally Posted by ChawenHalo

An naturally aspirated (N/A) BMW inline / straight 6 with RWD and 3 series chassis is like strawberries and cream, a gift from the gods of mechanics. If you like your cars you need to have one at some point in your life. Simple. I've plenty of serious car owners (some of which now have very exotic and expensive machinery) and all have said a 330i was simply one of the best cars they've ever had.

Just last year I was on a track day where I'm one of the regulars. A fella I know who runs and Italia properly came up to talk about those engines for 45 mins. We ended up having coffee and missing a 20 mins session.

There is a reason why so ma,y of us wax lirical about BMW's in general and any 330i or older gen 328i are really at the heart of that reason.

Otherwise an mk6 or Mk7 golf GTI is a good fun too has no image association and is great all rounder.

Thanks mate, you're certainly selling the n/a straight six to me, not that I needed selling to tbh!

Maybe the reason I was arguing the toss between a 330Ci and a 335i is because they are both the top of the range non-M cars for their respective generations, so I sort of overlooked the e92 330i.

Certainly any 330i's that I have found (in both UK and Ireland) are at least as expensive as 335i's of similar age and mileage, but it seems like this could be offset by not-inconsiderable savings in tax and maintenance costs?

Food for thought... but in the meantime I have gone back to my old Mk4 GTi as a run-around! It's interesting going back to it after the 320d - on paper and in fact the 320d is a faster car, but the GTi feels so much faster and more responsive. And it's only the 150bhp version too.

[CitizenKane]

On a related note, what is the general consensus around gearboxes on these cars?

If I was going for a 330Ci I would definitely be going for a manual, but what about the later generation? Will an automatic gearbox on a 330i detract from the driving experience or throttle response much?

[ChawenHalo]

Originally Posted by CitizenKane

On a related note, what is the general consensus around gearboxes on these cars?

If I was going for a 330Ci I would definitely be going for a manual, but what about the later generation? Will an automatic gearbox on a 330i detract from the driving experience or throttle response much?

generally speaking automatic gearboxes (as in torque converters as opposed to dry clutch robotised ones such as SMG or the later DSG mutliclutch) suit engine with good capacity and torque. Being a manual box die hard I remember my old man saying "just try it" upon the purchase of an old E39 540i - gatta say I saw the light. With these engines it just does not matter what gear you're in.

To answer your question if it were a 330d (pre or LCI) or a 335d (no choice) then the excellent autobox is the right choice (I drive a E91 330d LCI X-Drive in manual. HOWEVER for a high revving petrol, frankly a manual box is just so much more interactive, you really get all the benefits. LIghter weight too.

Back to your MK4 GTI that was supposed to be a bit of a dog's breakfast but it shows just how subjective "enjoyment" is and that lower powered cars are often more exploitable than high pôwered onse (I have fond memories of a Mini Clubman Copper S full to the hilt going skying driving at 160 kph (100 mph) on small roads (not Snowy onse of course). If you want inexpensive but high quality Entertainment and just fabulous value for many and simply one of the best cars out there period you must try a Renaultsport Megane (2010+). If you're not fussed about track driving get the non "Cup" chassis version. It will be more comfortable 98% as good on road. Totally reliable, practicle cars and cheap to maintain.
Hope this helps

[CitizenKane]

Well I've now sold the e92. Still trying to decide what to go for next, but in the meantime I picked up a cheap LCI e46 318Ci M Sport to use as a runaround. It's nice being back in a manual petrol and it feels faster than the e92 320d (although it obviously isn't), but the drop in comfort and spec after coming from the e92 is quite noticeable.