There seems to be quite a few E90 LCI build threads on here recently so I thought I’d start one on my 330d! I bought the car in June 2015 and most of the mods/changes I have done have been relatively cheap and good value!
Bit of background first, I used to own an E46 325i M Sport which I owned for 6 years. I didn’t do much to it during my ownership other than maintenance.
It wasn’t the quickest car around as it only had 192bhp but was it was great fun to drive. The engine was very responsive and sounded good. It handled better than my E90 too! I still think the E46 was one of the best all round BMW’s in recent years.
The main thing I did do was an LPG conversion. I started doing plenty of miles a couple of years into my ownership. It worked out quite well as it still drove great but fuel was 50p a litre!
LPG tank in spare wheel well
So in summer 2014, I decided to get rid as it started costing me too much in maintenance. Started to look for a E90 LCI M sport. Didn’t mind either a 4 cylinder or 6 but did need diesel due to my mileage of 20k a year.
Most of the 318/320 M sport were pretty basic spec and the high specced cars were too expensive, over £13k. I did drive a few N57 330d’s which were fantastic. Compared to the older M57, the engine was massively more refined.
Decided to get something half decent for the time being which ended up being a VW Passat CC.
Was a solid all round car, economical, spacious, and reliable but pretty boring to be honest.
So in June 2015, I had a quick look on Auto Trader for E90’s and managed to find a well specced 330d with good mileage for a very reasonable price. It was local too!
One big advantage it had was that it was a manual which I do prefer to the Auto!
Went to have a look and bought it! It was in very good condition all round, the owner had spent some money on the exterior getting some paintwork done.
Only downside was all the wheels were curbed which wasn’t a big issue.
Full spec;
- 330d M Sport
- LCI
- Bluewater metallic
- Rare manual gearbox
- Black leather interior
- Electric seats with memory
- Professional CIC Navigation with HDD and Live Traffic Updates (7 digit postcode search)
- Bluetooth
- Voice control
- USB in armrest
- Aux inut
- Brushed aluminium trim
- Front + rear PDC
- Adaptive Bi-xenon headlights with washers
- High beam assist
- 18” MV3 alloys
- Usual M sport spec - Cruise, sport seat, gloss black shadowline, etc
Very pleased with my purchase especially for the price, drove great and also very economically. With my driving I’m getting 45MPG. In the same conditions my E46 325i was getting 28MPG.
Gave the car a very good clean inside and out. 50/50 pic of the seats.
Interior shot
The engine start/stop was peeling slightly. Price for new button was around £40 which I was difficult to justify. Instead I decided to peel the trim of completely and to be honest I thought it looked rather good. Very difficult to tell.
