Fox - talk to me about BMW's

ChrisD.

ChrisD.

ChrisD.

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Joined
20 Sep 2006
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Not many know, but I wrote off my DC5 last week. Thankfully no one was hurt but there is too much damage to the car and the insurance company has written it off.

I've decided not to get another Teg, mainly because I don't want finance on a car any more. With the payout I am hoping to get (can vary due to it being an import), I should be able to clear the finance and have around £5k to spend.

It's been 44 months since I bought the DC5 and it will be sorely missed. Who knows, I may step back into a Type R of some form in the future but I can't see it happening for a while yet.

Anyway, I'm wanting an E46 3 series, preferably a 330d and then get a remap. I know what to look for on the Petrols but not so much on Diesel engines, so I'm hoping the resident BMW nuts can point me in the right direction.

The prospect of over 400 miles to a tank (how many from the 330d please?) and all the toys and comfort while still being quick are very appealing.
 
Unless you do big miles I wouldnt bother with a 330d but 400 miles from a tank is certainly possible, but more because it has a large tank than the fact its super economical.

Depending on budget you'll want a 6 speed 03 plate onwards version as these are 204bhp and are quick, whereas the 184bhp ones are merely brisk.

Edit: Hang on £5k to spend? Absolutely do not bother with a 330d. A complete pain at this budget. Its only going to get you models at the age and mileage where large bills are looming and they'll be too old or high mileage to buy a warranty for to cover yourself. You'll have a better chance of a decent 330i but £5k is more 'average' condition wise (And it'll be 8-10 years old as well) rather than 'wow, thats a nice one' range.

There will now be a swathe of people turn up to tell you I'm talking **** and a £500 3 Series is JUST AS RELIABLE as a £50000 one, etc etc, yada yada. I cba to argue, you'll just have to read what they say and make your own mind up :)
 
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Ah right. I don't know on exact budget yet till the payout. I looked at a 330i but the economy is dire from what I read.

What about a 5 series?
 
You'll be able to find a reasonably tidy 530d SE for this budget. They have the higher power 193bhp variant of the 30d but its only 10bhp more and means its about as quick as a 330d rather than quicker as it weighs a bit more. There remains the potential for bills as they are still ageing, and to be honest the 530d SE is really a Motorway cruiser. I'm not sure it would suit you at all. The Sport is a different story but back to 'arghghghghg' at £5k with those as well - and the majority of the 5's are automatics (Which introduce the swirl flap problems).

If you can find a tidy petrol 530i or 330i you like in the condition you want, and you can set aside a pot of cash for when not if something goes wrong, then you'll probably enjoy owning. If you can't (Either the condition thing or the pot of cash thing) then you probably wont :)

Personally I'm totally happy with the idea I chose repair bills over depreciation worries when I went for mine.
 
Up the budget a bit and becomes a good suggestion, though. If you can afford a 330d Sport with sensible mileage and age you can buy a half decent warranty so if the injectors or the turbo give problems its not your problem.
 
To be honest, the money that I was spending on the finance will be going into a pot so any work that would need doing is no worry. But I want a sport really. I don't know what budget I'll have till I get a cheque.

I might just get a DC2! lol
 
You are right, you do want a Sport. The SE's work for some, and offer a better chance of finding a nice one but really, if you are into cars, you want a Sport.
 
I managed a approx 550 miles to a full tank in my 330Ci last week - mainly motorway/A roads but a good hundred or so city driving.
 
Six6siX said:
I managed a approx 550 miles to a full tank in my 330Ci last week - mainly motorway/A roads but a good hundred or so city driving.
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Thats the same sort of distance I got from the tank in my old Mondeo diesel...does the 330ci have some sort of epic fuel tank?
 
Six6siX said:
I managed a approx 550 miles to a full tank in my 330Ci last week - mainly motorway/A roads but a good hundred or so city driving.
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What? Did you have a tanker following you? Best I have made so far is 350 miles, I think the best I could ever hope for would be 400 miles if it was all motorway.
 
Nick1881 said:
What? Did you have a tanker following you? Best I have made so far is 350 miles, I think the best I could ever hope for would be 400 miles if it was all motorway.
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I filled up yesterday morning and reset my trip counter and have done just over 230miles - again mainly motorway with some city driving!

Still have slightly over halfway on the fuel gauge and range estimate currently sat around 300 with cruise control on depending on whether I was going uphill or downhill :)

Is my fuel tank magic or something lor do I have a strange abnormally efficient engine....?! By the sounds of things this is diesel mpg territory.... :confused:
 
Morba said:
Get the petrol. You'd be disappointed with the diesel imo.
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This is true. If you want a 330d then don't bother with a sport one. Any extra driving dynamics afforded by the sport configuration are sucked out by the way the diesel drives. If you do get a 330d sport then it should only be for the looks IMO.
 
monkey_boy said:
This is true. If you want a 330d then don't bother with a sport one. Any extra driving dynamics afforded by the sport configuration are sucked out by the way the diesel drives. If you do get a 330d sport then it should only be for the looks IMO.
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This is one of the most incredible amounts of LOL I've ever read on here.

"the way the diesel drives"? What's that then? I'd certainly not have traded my sport for an SE, and the diesel lump certainly hasn't made it impossible to have any fun when either the road or the mood took me.

What it did achieve was better road holding and driver feedback, far better looks, and got me the economy I needed to do large continental European mileage without meaning I needed fuel every 20 minutes.

Yes, the petrol is smoother, and yes it's more "petrol head", but the diesel hate in here is comical.

I'd not recommend the diesel for anyone who isn't doing the milage to justify it (or just simply prefers the power delivery), and I'll be getting a petrol powered BMW this summer, but I don't regret the choice of 330d for one second.
 
monkey_boy said:
This is true. If you want a 330d then don't bother with a sport one. Any extra driving dynamics afforded by the sport configuration are sucked out by the way the diesel drives. If you do get a 330d sport then it should only be for the looks IMO.
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what rubbish. Guess you've not actually driven one.
 
Morba said:
what rubbish. Guess you've not actually driven one.
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I've driven a 530i sport, 530d se, 330ci and I own manual x5 3.0d se.

Paradigm is just crying because he has one therefore it must be the bestest. And if what I said is so full of lol why is he getting a petrol one instead?

The OP had a dc5 that revs to about 100,000 rpm, the last thing he needs in a BMW 'sport' model is a diesel engine. He's not jez, swanning up and down the motorway all week else he wouldn't have had a teg. If he's had a change of circumstances and is swanning up and down the country then why do it in a car with a diesel engine but hard suspension?
 
how they drive dont get that myself my mate was gonna chop his for a Cooper S turbo one and it was nowhere near as quick as his 330d
 
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