BMW 330 Ci
 

Hi all

Just some thoughts on a BMW 330 Ci. Recently sold my Bugeye WRX and was thinking of buying a beemer. My scooby was 280 BHP and wondered if the BMW will feel slow compared.

Whats the better car BMW 330 Ci or Scooby?

Thanks

Ive driven a couple of 330Ci' - one was a convertible and it felt slow in comparison to my birds 180T Golf, and the other was her dads 330Ci MVR.

Imported from Germany it was their demonstrator car and man was it quick, it had been tuned to buggery and got their styling pack on, gorgeous.

But, to summarise, yes it will feel slow compared to your scooby!!

Adam

agreed on that aspect. Two different cars altogether. But what you do have in the 330 is quality build. Me's had 330 vert dropped to the 19's with cold air induction fitted. Def not as quick as my P1 but it was quality. However, there is a stigma attached to Beemer ownership.....no one lets you out at junctions.

Convertibles are normally slower than the hard top versions though are they not?

I want the one with the sports pack. Changes the look completely. Are they easily remapped?

:lol1: I know what you mean. I had an E36 318iS a few years back and I felt like I was hated by a vast majority of drivers. Didn't bother me though!

You'll be suprised at how quick they are, just because you cant hear it as much as a scoob doesnt mean it is'nt.

In the dry my 320 grips just as much if not better than my scoob ever did!!

Gav..:)

Well yeah, but my point was that it is MUCH slower.

Agree with Big MO, the quality of them is brilliant - but if you were to buy one, you'd automatically start cutting people up, barging through lanes, and always be in the fast lane of the motorway - which is annoying!!!

http://www.dtmautohaus.com/img/bmwE4...sideskirts.jpg

That was the car he had, but his was dark blue

scoobygav - Thats what I like to hear a car that can grip as well as a Scooby. My E36 had amazing grip and that technology come out in the early 90's. My maye had an L reg 318iS a couple of years ago and could out grip lots of modern cars.

Nice kit Afroking. Thats not a BMW kit is is? It can't be that slow can it?

of course these babies can be tuned. s/c's seem to be the way. Check out forum.evotechnik.net . one good thing about the vert is that you won't need to buy any neutradol. Oh and the boot can be small when the roofs down.

We the vert not upset the handling as they are a fair bit heavier than the coupe? What sort of brake can you get out of them?

320 is accessible, but you're talking mega bucks for the conversion. As for handling, some say that the vert flexes a bit (which is true but is very insignificant). Never really drove mine hard, it was made for cruising....who's gonna notice you with the hood down going fast anyway. One needs to slow down to talk to the chics. Vert+chics=heavenx2

Good point. Don't think of it like that.:D

As a N/A engine, you won't get much from a remap - s/c is megabucks I'd guess.

Most importantly, it will also FEEL much different as no turbo boost - what the stats say is another matter.

Roof down it will feel faster though!

I'm liking the idea of 3.0 N/A as it will not suffer from turbo lag but then I don't suppose i'll get that reward when the turbo kicks in!!

Awesome cars in their own right, refined, fast, very nice handling on the sports, simply superb, I had one for almost a year and loved it, I regret selling it, and its only been gone a couple of weeks!

you will go back to the scooby..........i did.

if you love the zip zip style driving as to the criusing which the bmw will do with such ease, you will allways go for the FUN style car. in my opinion.

zip zip you no what i mean:cuckoo:

The test figures show that the 330is are about the same to a 100 as the 215 /222bhp WRXs - about 16.5 seconds. They are slower to 60 though, higher top speed by about 10mph and about the same 30-70 through gears if you believe the timing gear.
However, they will FEEL a lot slower.
Have you considered a chipped 330d?

They are actually pretty quick but feel slow because the power delivery is so linear. The Scoob feels quicker than it actually is...

I'd like a 330d but are they not alot more money? I'll check out autotrader.

I have spent a bit of time in a 330 (auto). Not mine but one I was lent a few months ago for about 4 weeks. The car is quite fast, 230bhp IIRC but they are not slow, the gearing is quite good on them so you can easily keep up with some fairly quick cars. Build quality is good, but the leather seats can look old quickly. Handling wise, not great, they understeer and if you turn the TC off you just spin the inside rear wheel as its not got an LSD.

I was in a position where I had sold my car and was deciding what car to buy next, my time in the 330 did make me wonder about buying one, but the back seats are not easy to get in and out of and the doors are very long. So I took a test drive in a 130iM......

What a brilliant car, similar space to the coupe, faster (as its got about 35bhp more), similar boot space and cheaper to run, insure etc etc. No brainer really so I now have one :)

If you are looking at a 330 I would seriously look at the 130i, its going to be almost as fast as your old scoob and still have the space (almost) of the 330.

I test drove a 120d a while back and must admit I did like it. Its slightly more modern than the 3 series and the gearbox was excellent. Is yours the diesel or petrol?

Its a petrol, they dont do a 3000cc diesel in the 1 series, its the same engine and gear box as the 630ci but in a 1 series body. The handling is *brillaint*, just spent 2 weeks in France giving it a good thrash with a group of like minded friends and it impressed everyone who I took out in it... including "M" owners...

If you look into the small details what BMW have done to improve the car over the standard 1 series its just amazing, bespoke ali suspension, 6 series brakes including the inteligent ECU for the ABS, latest high output 3L engine with valvetronic throttle, first 1 series to feature DTC etc etc etc.
However, I must say I dont think I would pay list price for it.. 26.5k + options = 30k before you know it. I got an ex-demo with some extras for 21k. :thumb:

What sold me.... 8min 35 seconds around the ring... look what cars do that kind of time!

130s a do'er too. I had scoobs for 3 years (3 in all) and felt time to move on. Haven't looked back yet (he says fingers crossed)

Dude,

There is no doubt the 130i is a cracking car, but I' not sure what bull**** your dealer came out with...LOL...

It doesn't have "bespoke" alloy suspension, just different springs/dampers in M Sport guise. Its not the only 1 series with a valvetronic throttle (they are all drive by wire) and the 1 series had DTC before the 130i was released.

The 1 series generally is an amazing little car in its own right. The 130M Sport is, of course, the "best" of that range.

Me thinks 130i with Hartge tuning

Not b/s from dealer, I read it in a car mag - the rear wishbones are cast ali on the 130i - or so the article said. Article also said its the first 1 to have DTC,,, instead of DSC. I have the mag at home - was reading it the other day so can check later.

In the meantime there is a reference to it here

http://www.pistonheads.com/roadtests...?c=100&i=12436

"BMW has gone to the extremes of mixing up the metals in the suspension to ensure the basic balance is right."

Doesn't the new 330i get the 265bhp engine as well though if you are starting to look at newer cars?

No. I'm after the MY03. Really don't like the new shape. Seems to big and clumsy. Its close to being the same size as a 5 series.

I'm really liking the 1 series but I think the 330 Ci just looks slightly more aggressive and sits on the road nice.

I've got a 130i at the moment. Very impressed with it...

Got in an previous shape 320d the other day and could believe how dated it felt. But still a nice car to drive.