335i v 330i v 330d

[TW]Fox;18733918 said:
Thats what the USB Telephone interface is for rather than the application thing.

Of course, but in addition, this is mentioned as part of the mobile app prep

Operation of music playback with the Apple iPhone user interface on the vehicle Control Display.

Which is different to the USB interface
 
[TW]Fox;18725792 said:
When are you thinking of buying? If its this year, the 330i is actually terrible, and the manual box is horrid, please dont buy one :p

As I've just gone and dumped another £700 on the Accord I think I'll need to keep it for at least another year to try and get a feeling of getting my moneys worth :) So probably this time next year, I'm waiting for the saloon LCIs to come down in price as I can't stand the arse of the pre LCI.
 
Out of interest, what are your thoughts on Car Discount sites - like this?

Basically it looks like they have pre-negotiated large discounts at dealers across the country. Mostly £3k off, if not more...
 
Know people who have used them without issue.

You basically give them £250 or whatever and they put you in touch with your local dealer with that pre agreed price. Everything from then on is via the dealer as you would a normal sale. Obviously dealer is a bit annoyed that they've been given a sale with probably minimal profit but they've not really had to do much work.
 
Out of interest, what are your thoughts on Car Discount sites - like this?

Basically it looks like they have pre-negotiated large discounts at dealers across the country. Mostly £3k off, if not more...

Broadspeed is or at least used to be owned and run by Inchcape, one of the biggest car groups around, drive the deal have negotiated deals with large dealer groups like Stratstone etc. Use one of them or at the very least use them to beat up your local dealer on price...
 
I don't really see the point in these souped up rep-mobile variants of the 3 series to be honest.

You get near enough M car levels of cost, when things go wrong, but without the proper performance kit of the real deal. No M-diff or uprated brakes etc. It might be great in a straight line on the way to sell curtain rings in Milton Keynes - but sooner or later you are going to get hassled by a porker to see who is the king of the road, and you are left red faced.

I'd be more inclined to get a nice sensible diesel and save up for a day when you can rock up in something more special.
 
I have to disagree, obviously.

While costs to repair can be high, running costs are much more appropriate. Most will be under warranty anyway, so major failure isnt so much of an issue. Performance might be a touch behind, but at the end of the day I like the fact it has superb performance for the money... thats purchase price and running costs.

I couldnt get an m3, wouldnt want to run one either. You also get something far more understated than an M, which some people might want. Its more of a Q car than the M, which can be an attraction to some.

I really get it. I'll write a review sometime, but after 6 months with the 335i I get it.

During most days at work, it plods along quite happily like any other 3 series. When I want it to, it loves to be thrashed on the back roads and really puts a smile on my face. Would an m3 do that too? Probably, but it couldnt be my daily driver and its not worth the extra outlay to get one for me.

Im not out to try and destoy porsche drivers, and I wont get a red face, even if it is quicker than some. Its a car, a great car, and it meets my needs extremely well.
 
So what is the point in wanting loads of performance that you, and only you appreciate, when alone on a back road?

Lets admit it - car's to many people are one big willy waving exercise, which is why we fuss about performance so much.

Not wanting to tar you with that brush of course, but you see a lot of 335i owners constantly comparing their car's to M3's as if they are better in some way. I reckon most of them would have the M3 if they could afford it, but are trying to somehow retrospectively justify their reasons over and over again.

It's no doubt a great car, but i wonder how safe all that performance under the bonnet is, if the car was driven like an M car. More of a cruiser as you say.
 
I don't really see the point in these souped up rep-mobile variants of the 3 series to be honest.

You get near enough M car levels of cost, when things go wrong, but without the proper performance kit of the real deal. No M-diff or uprated brakes etc. It might be great in a straight line on the way to sell curtain rings in Milton Keynes - but sooner or later you are going to get hassled by a porker to see who is the king of the road, and you are left red faced.

I'd be more inclined to get a nice sensible diesel and save up for a day when you can rock up in something more special.

Well not really because anyone sensible with half a brain would have BMW warranty - these days it's very stupid not to run a modern BMW without a warranty because of their complexity and ability to land you with large bills. Also for sub 60k mile cars the BMW warranty is good value.

The point is the 330i and 335i give you decent performance whilst giving good economy (considering) and acceptable running costs. Obviously most people would want an M3, but as with lots of things in life you need to be realistic and strike a balance - you can't always have anything. I'm not sure why you think there can't be a middle ground between a BMW diesel and an M3....
 
I don't really see the point in these souped up rep-mobile variants of the 3 series to be honest.

You get near enough M car levels of cost, when things go wrong, but without the proper performance kit of the real deal. No M-diff or uprated brakes etc. It might be great in a straight line on the way to sell curtain rings in Milton Keynes - but sooner or later you are going to get hassled by a porker to see who is the king of the road, and you are left red faced.

I'd be more inclined to get a nice sensible diesel and save up for a day when you can rock up in something more special.

You are comparing a "repmobile" to a 911? Good one.
 
I must have missed my comparisson there. It must be in there somewhere so thanks for pointing it out ;)

You see plenty of 335i's on the outside lane of the motorway showing off their (impressive, admittedly) straight line performance. It doesnt matter what marque you are in, sooner or later you are gonna get someone in one of Stuttgart's finest asking you to move over
 
I don't really see the point in these souped up rep-mobile variants of the 3 series to be honest.

You get near enough M car levels of cost, when things go wrong, but without the proper performance kit of the real deal. No M-diff or uprated brakes etc. It might be great in a straight line on the way to sell curtain rings in Milton Keynes - but sooner or later you are going to get hassled by a porker to see who is the king of the road, and you are left red faced.

I'd be more inclined to get a nice sensible diesel and save up for a day when you can rock up in something more special.

What a bizarre thing to say.

The M3 is quite obviously a better car than either the 330i or a 335i if we remove cost from the equation. It looks better, it's faster, it's more special and it's more focused. But of course we cannot remove cost from the equation because cost is an inherent part of everyones decision making process.

The E92 offers the ability to have a great performing all round package without being a drain on your finances or forcing you to compromise in other areas.

The 330i/335i are fantastic all round, every day cars. They tick so many boxes. They'll do 35mpg+ on a run, they are reasonably cheap to service, they are comfortable, they handle nicely for the sort of car they are, they offer performance which is frankly fantastic for the costs involved in owning them and, provided you purchase a new enough one, you can cover them with a fully comprehensive warranty for just £500 a year.

The reason why I've chosen an E92 330i/335i as my next car despite the fact that for the same money as a 3 year old E92 you can buy an Audi RS4, a Mercedes E55 AMG, a 996 Porsche 911 or an E46 M3 is quite simple - lack of hassle and ease of affordability. An older performance car quickly becomes a drain on your finances, whereas the 'souped up rep-mobile' variants with a warranty simply don't.

Whilst at the same time enjoying a luxury interior, bags of kit, good handling, 0-60 in under 6 seconds, whats not to like?

Put simply, it's the 'sensible' performance coupe.

You see plenty of 335i's on the outside lane of the motorway showing off their (impressive, admittedly) straight line performance. It doesnt matter what marque you are in, sooner or later you are gonna get someone in one of Stuttgart's finest asking you to move over

You do? I hardly ever see them, which is a constant source of frustration becuase the fact there are not many around (There are less than 2000 pre LCI 335i M Sport's registered in the United Kingdom, I suspect Porsche probably sell more 911's in a year!) is making a complete nightmare to find a nice one to buy. I'm not even sure what your point is here. Don't buy a 335i because one day a Porsche might pull up behind you?

Once I've bought one I'll often be finding 320d's asking me to move over, let alone 911's, because when I'm on the Motorway, I've got the cruise set to 70.
 
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You make a good point there. Can't really disagree with it.

'souped up rep-mobile' i have to admitted sounds like an antagonistic badge, but coming as a 2 time and current BMW owner myself we more than know about the badges given to us.

U gotta admit that their cars are marketed at certain demographics if you were to profile the average kind of guy that buys a new (not second hand, since when prices drop you get all sorts of people buying them) 335i might fit that description all too well ;) - It's certaintly not a chicks car, and 300+ BHP of twin turbocharged motor is definately for the kind of person who likes a bit of oomph under their right foot.
 
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