Which Car?

[Koomber]

Wonder if any1 can help again... Was looking at an E46 M3 as my next car for when i turn 21 but due to moving out and high insurance costs it is now impossible for me to afford and run one :( .

But was thinking of either going for a cheaper alternative say an E36 M3 Evo? or an E46 330ci? anyone got any opinions please and what to look out for when buying these two :confused:. I live about 5mins from my work so the car would be used simply as a weekend toy most probably :rolleyes:.

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated, Thanks Brett.

[jk330ci]

Iv got a 330ci, and went for it for the same reasons as you high running cost insurance and maintenance , in some ways im glad as its a quick car and very comfortable, not a lot goes wrong other than the bushes, my car has been faultless since i bought it. I would always buy as new as possible within your budget,

[MEGA]

Lets face it, most likely the insurance is stopping you. Paying 40% of the cars value for a years insurance is a total slag.

So you either need to sacrifice on power a little, or get a much cheaper car and spend the extra money on those first 2 years insurance.

An E36 EVO even perfectly maintained will require a couple of grand a year minimum in servicing to keep it to a high standard I would have thought. Quite probably more. So its NOT a cheap option.

I'd get an E46 330d personally, because and I said something similar in Kimbo's thread, you can then remap it :evil: and it will be very close to M3 territory away from the traffic lights anyway. Torque of the devil :cool:

[jk330ci]

Lets face it, most likely the insurance is stopping you. Paying 40% of the cars value for a years insurance is a total slag.

So you either need to sacrifice on power a little, or get a much cheaper car and spend the extra money on those first 2 years insurance.

An E36 EVO even perfectly maintained will require a couple of grand a year minimum in servicing to keep it to a high standard I would have thought. Quite probably more. So its NOT a cheap option.

I'd get an E46 330d personally, because and I said something similar in Kimbo's thread, you can then remap it :evil: and it will be very close to M3 territory away from the traffic lights anyway. Torque of the devil :cool:
Didn't know you could get them up that much... Maybe should of got a D!

[PlatinumM3]

the 330 is a very nice downstep and with a few choice modifcations will be just as quick as your m3 and a fraction of the price for most :)

as mega said 330d FTW

[MEGA]

Off the line theres not toooo much in it. You'll lose but it wont be an embarrassment. At higher speeds the M3 would hammer you.

Remapped 330d is still a beast though :)

[Missle]

Owned an E36 M3 Evo vert and an E46 330 sport coupe. Its the 330 for me everyday of the week - not as fast but cheaper to run and maintain and much better build quality.

I wish i had never brought the M3 Evo

[Black Sabbath]

Had the M3 Evo saloon,chavved it up a bit,throughly enjoyed it.However downside was fuel consumption running around locally,it was shit.Maintenance costs should be relative to the mileage,so if used as a weekend toy shouldn't be as costly as people think.Good luck with your choice whatever it is :)

[danch]

Can vouch for a 330d, had an upgraded intercooler, performance filter uprated exhaust system & remap from CA Auto, to say it was quick is an under statement.

When i bought my M3 I had an off the line blast on a private road with my brother driving the 330d & me in the ///M, up to 3 figures there was nothing but a 1 or 2 car lengths in it.

Mine was featured in BMW Car last October (iirc)

Dan

[Koomber]

Thanks for all the help guys... The 330ci is prob the one i will go for as its cheaper to run etc etc... Plus its a better lookin car imo and with a few choice mods it will stand out from the norm.

The 330d could be an option as yes i can see that some choice engine upgrades could make it very fast, But a 330d as a weekend toy?? Not too sure lol... but we will see!!

Btw one more question... Whats the most power you can get out of the 330ci without using turbo/supercharger?? and what would i need to achieve this e.g. exhaust, air filter, remap etc etc.

Many Thanks again...

[MEGA]

Why would you think not? The d has the same bhp but far more torque at the lower range meaning faster getaways etc. Also, a remap would do fuck all on the 330ci but the denzil it would unleash 50+ bhp.

You could spend 7-10k to get the same power gains in the petrol as you could get from a £250 remap on the diesel variant.

I don't understand people who don't see the benefit of diesel in this day and age! :)

The only negative is the sound they make, lol. So depends if thats a show stopper imo.

[c1samd]

I don't understand people who don't see the benefit of diesel in this day and age! :)

The only negative is the sound they make, lol. So depends if thats a show stopper imo.


Nothing like having a six pot under your right foot, a diesel imo is a horrible car to drive fast, low rev gear changes and the noise it makes just doesn't do it for me, plus the sales rep image it can portray isn't my cup of tea.

Think a 330ci with a few choice mods will suit, the e36 m3 is now although I love them dated. Sure you will have fun with whatever u choose though

[MEGA]

330d is a 6 pot. Just with the revs in a different place than you are 'used' to. It still goes like shit off a shovel :)

But I give up :D For now...

[c1samd]

330d is a 6 pot. ...


Not saying the D isn't a six pot, the revs aren't in a different place there just aren't as many of them! its the power thats in a different place, it is all at the beginning of the gear instead of then end. Which in a performance car is not the way you want the power to be delivered

The point I am trying to make is that a diesel engine is primarily designed for economy not performance, so I think anybody looking for a car which they can enjoy the occcasional tear in will much more appreciate the petrol engine over a diesel, I know I do

[MEGA]

The point I am trying to make is that a diesel engine is primarily designed for economy not performance

I completely disagree, and not to put too fine a point on it:

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/13/detroit-2008-audi-unleashes-its-diesel-monster-the-r8-v12-tdi/

It depends entirely on the manufacturer, what the engine is designed for.

Getting past the R8, the BMW 330 and 335d engines are clearly designed with performance as a primary concern as well.

If you want a economy diesel you can get a 318d this is true, or a 1.3 eco corsa etc... but if you want an economy petrol you can go get a 1 litre daewoo matiz etc as well. The fuel type doesn't really hold a great deal of baring on this at all imo..

Anyway, bang for buck and horses for sterling you won't beat the 330d but we could probably argue our respective points forever on this :)

[c1samd]

The audi in question is designed for le mans and is merely a concept, when racing 24 hours fuel economy is a massive concern so as to reduce pit stops.

With regard to the BMW's you cannot have 2 primary concerns only 1 hence it being primary. The 335 only comes with an auto box, no smg or manual, if performance was a primary concern surely they would have looked into at least a manual box. The performance seems to be merely an after thought so as to open up the market a bit.

Your right we could argue our points to death on this one. I agree you will see much greater bhp gains from a mapped diesel rather than an na petrol. But thats more to do with tweeking the turbos more than anything else.

[XKaLiBaR]

They both suck, as neither has a limited slip diff :D What fun is a weekend car if you cant do donuts :cool: :p
I had a 330ci, and with a remap and exhaust tweek, it gave m3 converts a run for their money.
With my m3, i have raced both cars, remapped, and the petrol had the slight edge.

[Koomber]

I had a 330ci, and with a remap and exhaust tweek, it gave m3 converts a run for their money.
With my m3, i have raced both cars, remapped, and the petrol had the slight edge.

Thats all i needed to know thanks mate... lol:D

As for the petrol diesel debate, a few years ago my mum had a E46 325ci vert and me dad had a E60 530d, the derv wud kill the vert everytime extra power most prob the reason... but i loved the way the 325 sounded! Plus i am used to drving a high revving engine so the 330ci is the perfect step up ;)

[L1 3NVE]

Its 231bhp standard I think u could push push to just under 250bhp.

[L1 3NVE]

Its 231bhp standard I think u could push push to just under 250bhp.

With an exhaust and remap. 245ish BHP

To give u an idea of performance I had a 330ci. I raced the following cars and here is how I performed bare in mind mine was an auto I lunched the car with traction off from 2000 RPM. I raced each car twice so it was a fair run. Most of the people I raced tought my car wasn't standard and also felt it sounder a little louder then any other 330ci but it was fully standard, just depends how u drive the car. A few forum members even commented on this on the last meet.

Clio 182 - I was ahead by about half a car upto 70mph then I started to steadily pull away.

Focus ST 220 Remapped with Exhaust pushing about 260BHP - I left him off the line upto 80mph I was about a car ahead, then he started pulling away quite fast and went ahead by about 3-4 cars.

Clk 280 - I left this one easily all the way!

SLK 280 - Pretty much neck and neck, although over 140mph I was pulling away by about 2-3 cars.

Civic TYPE R - Very similar.

E36 328 - I left this quite easily all the way.

[gaz1234]

petrol always over diesel!