[gchild]

. New member looking to take plunge into BMW ownership for the 1st time

seen a few adds for e90 3 series saloon, but yet to drive one.

Looking for a well spec'd 2007 330 m sport auto petrol, what should I watch out for, are these practical with kids and what is performance vs economy like? Do beemers have rust issues?

any tips and advice appreciated

not been through the classifieds on here, any for sale on here?

[The_Bear_Yid]

After having a manual petrol, I thought for a long time that my next one would be an auto diesel. I've been tempted by 335i's though, not sure why you'd get a 330i or d?

Diesel seems to have performance and economy at the cost of engine noise and high rpm.

A 520d touring rocketed off from me on the M25 Swanley round about. I wasn't trying to keep up but wasn't sure I could've lol. My point there is that a 320d could be brisk enough. Then obviously you through in remaps...

That's my 2p.

[chris...]

Had a e90 320d as a courtesy car engine is very good Eco/performance dose'nt the alpina D3 use the 2ltr? Cabin in the e90 dose seem a lot smaller than the e92 though.
I run a 325 e92 m and love it got a young un too and it copes well with car seats etc and always seem to be around 30mpg
Thers my 2p

[gchild]

thanks for the comments so far. Not really considered a diesel, do around 7k mikes a year so not sure worth the premium that the usually demand.

interesting to know you get 30mpg from a 325i, is that town or m way driving?

[TMP]

There is an ace 330i, high spec in the classifieds, go through a couple of pages

[buckethead]

a 330i will be a round 20 mpg driving around london... a 320d will do 35 mpg

[gchild]

Originally Posted by TMP

There is an ace 330i, high spec in the classifieds, go through a couple of pages

Is that the one with 60k on the clock? Slightly more mileage than I would like. Very well speccd though

[The_Bear_Yid]

Originally Posted by gchild

thanks for the comments so far. Not really considered a diesel, do around 7k mikes a year so not sure worth the premium that the usually demand.

interesting to know you get 30mpg from a 325i, is that town or m way driving?

In my 325 I get 40 mpg on a motor way run (legal speeds), 21 town driving and 18 when I was up London.

I don't know what the tank range is in a diesel, but I imagine it's better than the petrol! When I fill up it says the range is 400 miles but after a mixed driving cycle I get about 250. That's with it asking for a fill up with 50-60 miles left. It bleeps at you and then the warning light stays on making you feel guilty. It happened when I first got the car and I rarely let it get there so I'm refilling at about 230-240 miles.

[Mart1000]

I know you only do 7k a year, but what sort of driving is it? Motorway/town/traffic?
I can't comment on the petrol versions but I would hedge a bet they are lovely. I've a 330d and I'm extremely impressed with it so far. Refined, quiet and torquey as fook. Will be even better soon after a trip to Evolve

[Mart1000]

... And another thing. The spec varies massively on these. Work out what you want (leather/nav etc) and wait until you get the right car, don't compromise or you'll kick yourself later

[chris...]

Originally Posted by gchild

thanks for the comments so far. Not really considered a diesel, do around 7k mikes a year so not sure worth the premium that the usually demand.

interesting to know you get 30mpg from a 325i, is that town or m way driving?

Both goes really well on the motorway a lot better than I thought a 3ltr petrol would anyway and unless I'm feeling sporty keep it in drive
Though put ur foot down and all of a sudden I'm wondering where that 1/4 tank went !

[gchild]

Live in London. So main mileage is town driving with tfe occasional 400 mile trip up north.

Spec wise has to have m sport leather and nav. Other than that, they seem to come well speccd

[gchild]

Do these cars come with split folding rear seats as standard or as an option?

[Mart1000]

Option

[bazz780]

hi mate, i may be tempted to sell my 335d m sport, does not have nav, but zenons, bluetooth and usual spec.

email me on bazz780@hotmail.com if you want to know more.

[m1bjr]

RUST ISSUES?

Blimey, when did you last own a car?

[gchild]

Rust issues - I have had few benzs and all are rusting! they only started galvanising a few years back after years of cost cutting.

They also have 30 year corrosion warranty which is laughable.

So given that, I think its a fair question!

[pjs]

Ok, i'll try and help. I had an e90 330d sport saloon for 3 years, so can comment on some things, not the engine though.

It's a really good drive, in respect of steering ( although I think over the years they have changed it through development of ED) , handling, braking etc. The ride on 18" MV3's is firm yes, and you'll feel the bumps, but the trade off is you feel connected and you can really enjoy yourself if flinging your car around bends, roundabouts etc is your thing. I suspect the 330i engine would be lighter than the 330d engine, so that would only be a good thing. The RFT debate also splits views on here, I was, and still are, happy with them. Seems to be a simple trade of ride v sharpness at the limits.

Spec wise, I'd reccomend I drive, and even if its an older versions, it is a really good bit of kit (divides opinion on here). Also, leather & heated seats. Lemon Dakota is rare, but my favourite. Otherwise Privacy Glass OEM looks good. Xenons a bonus. The rest is down to your taste - active steering, sunroof etc. Not much love for wood trim or beige here either.

Only problem I had from memory was a cracked fuel pipe between the filler and the tank. A warranty job. The paintwork scratches easily too, although black cars and £5 kosovan car washs dont mix

If you buy AUC, you'll get a decent 12 months warranty. If you want to extend it you have plenty options.

Packaging wise, I could have done with a split folding rear seat, and 3 in the back is a squeeze. Most models have a nice can 'cooler' under the armrest which I beleive was dropped late in the model cycle along with a general reduction in quality of some interior materials in the 'LCI' versions. The seats are superb, and include an electric 'bolster' to tuck you in.

Do look out for cracked wheels. The 18" seem to crack far less than the 19", but crack they do. If you buy AUC, they'll replace under the warranty.

Almost certainly one of the finest sports saloon cars you could buy at £10k - £15k

[gchild]

Originally Posted by pjs

Ok, i'll try and help. I had an e90 330d sport saloon for 3 years, so can comment on some things, not the engine though.

It's a really good drive, in respect of steering ( although I think over the years they have changed it through development of ED) , handling, braking etc. The ride on 18" MV3's is firm yes, and you'll feel the bumps, but the trade off is you feel connected and you can really enjoy yourself if flinging your car around bends, roundabouts etc is your thing. I suspect the 330i engine would be lighter than the 330d engine, so that would only be a good thing. The RFT debate also splits views on here, I was, and still are, happy with them. Seems to be a simple trade of ride v sharpness at the limits.

Spec wise, I'd reccomend I drive, and even if its an older versions, it is a really good bit of kit (divides opinion on here). Also, leather & heated seats. Lemon Dakota is rare, but my favourite. Otherwise Privacy Glass OEM looks good. Xenons a bonus. The rest is down to your taste - active steering, sunroof etc. Not much love for wood trim or beige here either.

Only problem I had from memory was a cracked fuel pipe between the filler and the tank. A warranty job. The paintwork scratches easily too, although black cars and £5 kosovan car washs dont mix

If you buy AUC, you'll get a decent 12 months warranty. If you want to extend it you have plenty options.

Packaging wise, I could have done with a split folding rear seat, and 3 in the back is a squeeze. Most models have a nice can 'cooler' under the armrest which I beleive was dropped late in the model cycle along with a general reduction in quality of some interior materials in the 'LCI' versions. The seats are superb, and include an electric 'bolster' to tuck you in.

Do look out for cracked wheels. The 18" seem to crack far less than the 19", but crack they do. If you buy AUC, they'll replace under the warranty.

Almost certainly one of the finest sports saloon cars you could buy at £10k - £15k

Thanks. Useful advice. I like the thought of i drive as interior looks too clinical without it.

How easy is it to spot a cracked rim? I mean are they prone to cracking from inside which would be hard to spot

Would love a auc, but not sure if I can stretch to the premium approved BMW would cost.

[ChubbsBmth]

Originally Posted by gchild

Thanks. Useful advice. I like the thought of i drive as interior looks too clinical without it.

How easy is it to spot a cracked rim? I mean are they prone to cracking from inside which would be hard to spot

Would love a auc, but not sure if I can stretch to the premium approved BMW would cost.

Dont rule out AUC, I bought mine from AUC and seemed to find one at the right time and got a bargain...The AUC warranty gives you 12 months piece of mind driving which is great.

[pjs]

How to spot a cracked rim - difficult. You have to examine all the way round the inside of what is usually a pretty dirty rim. See the thread on the subject in the 'sticky'. What's your budget?

[BanziBarn]

In my opinion, if it's a petrol car, it has to be the 335.

The problem with the 330i is that it lacks the torque to allow for the 'feeling' of performance. Unless you're going to be driving on roads where you are free to use the full rev range, or indeed have the inclination to drive it like you stole it, the 330d will feel faster.

To put this into perspective, I recently did a back to back drive in an RS4 and my 330d (around town) and the soot chucker felt a lot more lively.

So, IMO, you need to decide how important the great sound of the 330i is to you, how much you love revs, how often you will get the chance to really open her up, and balance this with the price difference between the petrol and diesel cars.

The reason I went for the Derv even though I only do the same milage as you is that I wanted a car with a turbo (for the torque), was cheaper than a 335i, didn't feel slower, and is more economical (although diesel fuel prices are rising). Yes you sacrifice revs and sound, but the 6 pot diesels do sound pretty good!

However, if you can't stretch to the 335 and won't consider a diesel then a 330i is still going to be fantastic - a lot of people think it's one of the best N/A engines out there!

Children wise, I have a one year old and the buggy plus luggage for a week's holiday fit in the boot no problem. If you have two kids then maybe a roof box might be needed (but not if they are past the buggy stage!). The lack of folding rear seats in my car is a pain though - this should be standard!

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