Davey P

iTrader: (1)

What are you thoughts on the above car?

Also, are there any bmw forums around that are worth checking out

Cheers

Bobby Peru

Here is mine, has full schnitzer kit. Proper car, excels in nearly every area. Fast, what an engine, handles beautifully, good fuel economy for a 231bhp car, excelent residuals. Not as quick as an STI granted, but when you learn to master the handling - and it does take some time if you are new to RWD - you really can move, more so than many on here would accept. The best way to find out is to take one for a test drive, I guarantee you will be well impressed. The most complete car I have ever owned, great to drive fast or slow. Mine ---http://www.tyresmoke.net/gallery/album74

Bobby Peru

P.S. loads of people on here seem to have an "I Roasted a 3** last night" story, my advice would be to pull in, let them past, in the knowledge that you couldn't give a toss if some MY94 with Blitz blah blah is quicker, the 330ci is a f*cking lovely car, period!

Webdunk

Fora @ http://www.bmwland.co.uk/talker and http://www.bmwcarclubgb.co.uk/forum/

HTH

Duncan

Tiggs

i drove one before buying a MY01- big mistake, the BMW was better in every way...best car i've ever driven as an all round package.

only prob is the badge, i'd struggle to own a BM.

T

ps- auto box was superb

Davey P

iTrader: (1)

Anybody else ....

GaryC

Once you get through the pathetic 'I'd never own a BMW' crap, the 330ci is a truly awesome car. Straight line it will give a WRX a run for its money, and genuine mid-range will midly embarass it...more down to the flexibility advantage of NA over Turbo.

It's general build quality, comfort, standard kit and handling (post MY02 - preMY02 the steering wasn't quite as sharp) are superb. It doesn't give that 'kick in the kidneys' the old scoobs do, but then neither really does the new WRX Jump into a WRX after a 330ci and it will feel very low rent.

That being said, the WRX is still the 'grab by the scruff of it's neck' option, the 330ci, whilst as quick and superior in many areas, feel to take so much less effort and energy. Let's not also forget that the 330ci is £4/5k more expensive so it should be better - a better price match would be the STi and that would be a whole different ball game.

All in all they are superb cars, and for the money, pretty unbeatable. As bomb proof as cars get (yes you will always hear the 'my mates was crap' spin), the dealer support is superb (ditto), and running costs will be really quite cheap (tyres every 20/30k, servicing every 15k (c£80/£160/£80/£250/£80/£160/£80/etc), brakes pads 50k+). Residuals are strong, although main dealers do take the **** on trade in. The later 'sport' model (again MY02 on - with the M3 kit) whilst being the popular option, still looks the danglies, although for my money, I think the Saloon Sport looks better...and it's cheaper/more practical )

Genuine like for like, there is no better car!...and no I don't have one, used to have a 330d, now got a V8 Merc...and a fuel card

si325i

330 nice car..but why is it so down on power? the old E36 M3 had 50 bhp on it? i know they gone for smooooth but 50bhp down come on. saying that if i had £16k i would buy one.

330dSport

Don't have a 330ci but have a 330d Sport which is chipped to 220bhp,324lbs/ft so has nearly similar performance,the 330ci is quicker of the line but when rolling i can keep up with a 330ci easily . Will trade it in for a 330cd and chip that when it comes out. If it wasn't for the 330d being a great all rounder i would have bought a 330ci instead .

Spooks

Never owned one but I work on em a lot( every day in fact). Superb bit of kit. If you have the money you will not be disapointed by one.Reliable, good build quality, good aftersales ( bit expensive but hey I have to eat ).
HTH
Laters
Spooks

Davey P

iTrader: (1)

Gary C, is that the servicing costs you just posted because if it is then that is a lot chaper than what I thought

R.B

Got my baby yesterday (Awesome but its not fair to compare it to my p1 (see for sale forum)They are like chalk and cheese.






[Edited by R.B - 4/3/2003 10:19:52 PM]

MattW

Did you get your outside lane owners certificate

Nice looking motor!!

PS - Your grass needs a cut.

ukhuskynox

Anyone got contact details for importing a BMW from europe ?

Ta

andyjd

330dSport

www.carimportsolutions.co.uk ,know a someone who has bought 2 BMW's thru them and is happy with them.

RT

Had a 320Ci for a short while. The only thing that disappointed me was the relatively clunky rear differential. It was not much louder than what we get on our WRXs/STIs (with their 4wd backlash), but it was kind of "out of place" on a car such as a BMW coupe.

Thought it was just my unit at first, but my dealer let me drive couple of other 320s (sedans and coupes) and all of them showed this same clunkyness.

Other than that, very nice.

Davey P

iTrader: (1)

R.B, I know it is difficult to compare but what is it like compared to your P1

[Edited by Davey P - 3/30/2003 12:23:44 PM]

GaryC

Comparing a mass produced BMW engine with a specialist built M-Power engine is a bit irrelevant. The M-power engines are largely handbuilt, and represent the bulk of the extra cost of the 'M' models. The 3.0 M-power unit is 10 years old, that itself has been uprated and now produces well over 100bhp/litre...very very few NA engines can claim that.

The std 3.0 straight six (a la 330) is one of the best engines in the current world (along with a large number of BMWs other engines) - almost 80bhp per litre is still an amazing acheivement for a mass produced engine, especially when it still retains massive flexibility and mid range and low down torque. Honda are the only manufacturer that get close, and if you drive honda engines, they have had to shift the power to high up the the rev band and with far inferior torque to the BMW units. The Honda engines are real screamers (with is a good thing ) but the fact the 330 manages high bhp/litre whilst still retaining so much flexibility is one of the main things that make that engines so good!


Those were the prices I paid for my 330d - which should be marginally more expensive than the 330i/ci. The car tells you when it needs a service (calculated by oil degredation, gearbox/engine wear, driving style etc)

£80 oil service at 13k
£160 inspection 1 service at 28k
£80 oil service at 41k
£250 inspection 2 service at 53k

I sold the car with 60k on it. £570 on servicing in 60,000 miles (and still c6500 miles to the next oil service.) I'd spent that much in 30,000 miles in my Impreza

Mmmmm

Great cars.

As said above lovely engines with linear power all the way from low revs up to the red line, engine is silky smooth even when fully extended and makles a great noise. Lovely cabins and controls, sport cars have firmer suspension but still are very good cruisers being comfortable for long trips.

I loved the handling and steering, steering was nicely weighted with good feel through the chunky steering wheel. Chassis gave good grip and nice amount of feedback through the seat of you pants, DSC is a good traction control system not very intrusive in the dry and keeps you save and fast in the wet, with it off the car still grips very hard in the dry the tail stays firmly in place unless you are really trying, in the wet or on a greasy surface you can provoke a tail slide easier.

330 engine is quite economical on longer trips, the cab only got 27mpg at highish speed cruise 90-100, but I had a 328 saloon that got 30-32mpg and 330 coupe drivers I have spoken too have got the same. The 330 cabs have knock out resale, I bought one for £34500 ran it for 11 months put 12000 odd miles on and got £31000 as a trade in.


[image]http://www.geocities.com/mrjumjum/330cab.JPG[/image]

ukhuskynox

Thanks for the link, was really looking for a european dealers name...so i can cut out the middle man

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

They are nice but I couldnt cope with parking it and coming back and not knowing which one was mine, Is this the case everywhere or because I live in Cheshire ?

DARREN

Sounds like good news for me.
Took order of a 14 month old 330d Sport Touring in Topaz blue today!!!!!
18" alloys,M tec suspension,leather etc etc!!!

Need extra boot space so the STi is up for sale soon !!!

Darren

Huck_B

hi darren,

i too am a convert to the 330d sport after a stint with a much loved rechipped octavia rs. love it to bits but would ask you if you're getting the auto or manual. i've got the auto and the fuel economy isn't up to much *at all* compared with the manual ( 25% down according to honest john, and from my experience, i believe it ) but it is so damn relaxing to drive when you feel like it. recently had it remapped by superchips ( via diagnostics port, no physical change to car ecu at all ) and it really does fly now - the auto box deals with it beautifully.

congratulations on your order!

si325i

330d auto 25% less mpg might aswell of got the 330 petrol manual and (and) saved your self three grand, that a lot of petrol

IMHO diesel that go fast you as much fuel as petrols and are noisy my point less.

Si.

Huck_B

i didn't buy new so price differential wasn't important. with the amount of town/stop-start driving i do, it's still better than a 330i. also, i couldn't have got a 330i in sport spec with similar mileage/condition for anything like the money i spent.

regards,
huck

si325i

can't say fairer than that..

Si..

GaryC

Don't go on the trip computer figures, it just doesn't work for some reason and reads a fair bit own.

I had a 330d Touring Auto, trip said I was ave. 33mpg, but by working out miles per tank I was averaging 39mpg with over 45 mpg on some tankfuls Try getting that from a 3-litre petrol

Huck_B

hi gary,

did you find that the mileage got better with time? my car has 15000 miles and i feel it hasn't really opened up as yet.

330dSport

I wen't for the TuningBox CR51 module for my 330d Sport and it transforms the car totally,without it fitted the 330d feels so slow.

DARREN

I have a Manual!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Couldnt go for auto.cannot get on with them!!!!


The manual gives a lot better fuel consumption doesnt it!!!
Will let you know how i get on.
Picking it up next tuesday!!

Dal