Basically the latest incarnation of the Car Infotainment Computer otherwise known as iDrive
335i v 330i v 330d
- Thread starter [TW]Fox
- Start date
Basically the latest incarnation of the Car Infotainment Computer otherwise known as iDrive
Associate
- Joined
- 11 Jun 2008
- Posts
- 1,276
- Location
- Stuck on the A406
Looking forward to your review.
I too cant decide if a 330i or 335i is best for me.
Im looking in the £12k-£16k range, seen quite a few examples on pistonheads and autotrader, but I havent test driven anything yet, still saving up the £££.
I do love researching this kind of stuff though!
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
In the £12k-£16k range I'd have to say neither unless you have a hankering after a tired example or one with no kit. I don't think you can comfortably buy a nice one with that sort of budget. All that seems to be around for £12-16k are cars with crap spec, cars with high mileage (That warranty is ESSENTIAL, you *need* a good warranty) and SE's with tiny wheels etc.
I'm having enough trouble with £20k, I wouldnt want to be spending £12-16k.
Depends what kit you want.
I didnt want sat nav or specific colours, so i got approved used for less than £15k.
Still had xenons, manual and leather, the things I did want.
I agree for a good spec you have a tough choice, but if you want some of the common options like leather and a good car, it can be done.
edit: I agree it has to have a good BMW warranty... the service I get is also excellent
I didnt want sat nav or specific colours, so i got approved used for less than £15k.
Still had xenons, manual and leather, the things I did want.
I agree for a good spec you have a tough choice, but if you want some of the common options like leather and a good car, it can be done.
edit: I agree it has to have a good BMW warranty... the service I get is also excellent
[TW]Fox;19273310 said:
I've seen a fair few examples between £14-£16k which look solid. Obviously they are SE's, but they have iDrive, 19in 5 spoke star alloys, and below the all important 60k mile.
Although you are looking at newer M-Sport variants, i don't think i personally could justify spending £20k on one when there are thoroughly decent examples of 335i SE's out there for less than £15k which are extremely similar.
I'm looking to get a 335i SE in the next 12 months or so for around the £14k mark with iDrive, bluetooth etc, under 60k. The warranty can be bought from BMW for around £450 for under 60k.
That said, when i actually get around to looking seriously, i don't know if i will be able to justify it. It'll be about £9k on top of what my 330i is worth - but i am not getting anywhere near £9k more car
The N53 engined featured in the 330i Coupe's from around 57 onward don't tend to suffer from the fuel pump issues, but do suffer from injector/coil pack issues. However, that one is an 07 so will in all likelihood have the N52 engine which seems to be the last of the reliable BMW engines, so you have less chance of being stung. However, this does not take into account what should happen if something like the iDrive goes wrong, costing over £2000 to put right, or if a DSC unit goes.
It would have to be a decision based on risk assessment and luck. You could pay £450 a year and need absolutely nothing. Or you could have a hefty bill if your iDrive fails.
That should be worth around £13k by next year.
I'm assuming he wanted a Coupe.
Typical of the sort of cheap 335i you get in Coupe form. How many more M badges do you think he can stick on his SE? It doesnt have the warranty either, so thats another 500 on top.
Last edited:
The full warranty package with zero excess is £540.
That said, when i actually get around to looking seriously, i don't know if i will be able to justify it. It'll be about £9k on top of what my 330i is worth - but i am not getting anywhere near £9k more car
If you think about it like that, it isn't £9k more car. But then that sort of thought process has kept me in my E39 for years and probably would do for another 5 years. You have to draw the line somewhere.
Note that pre 07 cars have the inferior older version of iDrive. It's more sluggish and lacks shortcut buttons.
The cheaper ones are a compromise - either in spec, or provenance, or things like ED and the iDrive, etc etc. I dont know about you but I dont really like the idea of compromising when spending 5 figures on a car. It has to be right.
Associate
- Joined
- 11 Jun 2008
- Posts
- 1,276
- Location
- Stuck on the A406
[TW]Fox;19273310 said:
Thanks for the reply, Im interested in your comments because I think I have found some that look good to me, but Im not so familiar with BMWs that I know whats "tired" and what isnt without actually going out and seeing the car.
Admittedly in my range there are some horrible interior/exterior colour combinations
Heres a couple of examples:
Private, but only 1 owner, a visit should show how well its been taken care of:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2875162.htm
From a dealer:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2798992.htm
Another private, 1 owner (slightly above my price range)
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2755440.htm
Ok this one is £17k, I admit
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2858189.htm
From BMW, £16k, low miles, nice colour. Possibly low on options though
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2610195.htm
Again private and slightly above my range (although I can could offer cash), but looks in good nick, if you can get over the interior leather colour:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2841121.htm
I should mention Im not overly bothered by Auto vs manual, would prefer a manual but there is a limit as to what premium I will pay, esp. if the auto has paddles.
Last edited:
As you can see - either no kit or older SE's. I mean if you love the SE and you dont mind a 5 year old car then actually I guess you stand quite a good chance of getting one
The Auto is generally worth £1k more than the manual. The auto has paddles as standard on 330i and 335i.
For me though no navigation is an absolute deal breaker, not for the nav but because it makes the whole interior more modern. Not having iDrive would be a real blow.
The Auto is generally worth £1k more than the manual. The auto has paddles as standard on 330i and 335i.
For me though no navigation is an absolute deal breaker, not for the nav but because it makes the whole interior more modern. Not having iDrive would be a real blow.
Associate
- Joined
- 11 Jun 2008
- Posts
- 1,276
- Location
- Stuck on the A406
[TW]Fox;19273581 said:As you can see - either no kit or older SE's. I mean if you love the SE and you dont mind a 5 year old car then actually I guess you stand quite a good chance of getting one
The Auto is generally worth £1k more than the manual. The auto has paddles as standard on 330i and 335i.
For me though no navigation is an absolute deal breaker, not for the nav but because it makes the whole interior more modern. Not having iDrive would be a real blow.
Interesting, thanks for the tips again. We do have different priorities I think, Satnav is not important for me in any way shape or form.
May I ask what the issue is with SE's? Did they only come out in 2006? Do they have any crucial mechanical faults?
My purchase is by no means immediate so conceivably I can wait some time if the later models are that much more desirable.
The SE was introduced at the beginning of E92 production in late 2006. In common with new models, the M Sport did not appear until the following year. This means all the early 335's are SE's. The 335i SE actually has M Sport suspension and M Sport seats as standard anyway.
There are mechanical issues with the 335's - the most common is failure of the high pressure fuel pump. It's very common, there is a recall in place in North America but alas not over here. There are also turbo/wastegate issues but these are less common.
The nav thing isnt about nav - you dont get iDrive without Nav. iDrive is the cars central computer, giving you everything from a graphical representation of the cars future servicing requirements, to media capability, the ability to fine tune all the various settings in the car, as well as Nav.
If you really dont want that, you are likely to be able to save up to £2k off the price of the car as it has a huge effect on value.
There are mechanical issues with the 335's - the most common is failure of the high pressure fuel pump. It's very common, there is a recall in place in North America but alas not over here. There are also turbo/wastegate issues but these are less common.
The nav thing isnt about nav - you dont get iDrive without Nav. iDrive is the cars central computer, giving you everything from a graphical representation of the cars future servicing requirements, to media capability, the ability to fine tune all the various settings in the car, as well as Nav.
If you really dont want that, you are likely to be able to save up to £2k off the price of the car as it has a huge effect on value.
Associate
- Joined
- 11 Jun 2008
- Posts
- 1,276
- Location
- Stuck on the A406
[TW]Fox;19273722 said:
Great info (particularly about the navigation and fuel pump) - thanks again.
I was set on a 335i before getting my new car. I drove and looked at a number of 335i's and came to the conclusion that I would be happy to buy an SE providing it had the right extras (leather, nav and nice alloys) as the main M Sport thing I was interested in was the sports suspension.
[TW]Fox;19273490 said:
I guess, but i've just been out for a random drive and the only thing i could think of that i would want is a more up to date ICE system and maybe a bit more power. I still love the looks of mine, i still love the noise, i still love the drive and i still even look forward to driving it, anywhere and for anything. I just think that when i came to hand over the money for a 335i, i would come over all indecisive. I can't think of a better car than a decent 330i Sport for £6k. There's absolutely nothing i would replace it with for the money - even double the money there is nothing i would replace it with. It's a crying shame that such a good car is going to worth sweet FA when i sell it, when the car i'm replacing it with will be nearly the same.
[TW]Fox;19273490 said:
I haven't actually used the older iDrive system yet, but the lack of shortcut keys is something i could live without. I don't tend to fiddle with the stereo when i'm driving so shortcuts would be kind of wasted on me. I just want a nice computer system all in built that looks pretty and i can nerd out with.
[TW]Fox;19273490 said:
Compromise is more acceptable on a £14k car than it is on a £20k car, especially - mostly because you get to experience 99% of what the £20k car gives, but also have £6k in your pocket.
[TW]Fox;19273581 said:As you can see - either no kit or older SE's. I mean if you love the SE and you dont mind a 5 year old car then actually I guess you stand quite a good chance of getting one
A 56/07 335i SE with around 45k on the clock with iDrive/bluetooth etc is quite manageable at £14k. The older generation SE's (e39/e46) were not at all nice when compared to the Sport models, however I actually very much like the newer BMW SE's. Especially when they come with everything the M-Sport models come with, bar the bumpers and interior trim, like in the 335i. As much as i like the E92 M-Sport model - i don't think for one minute that it is worth £4k more than the SE.
[TW]Fox;19273581 said:
Same. It's a shame that there are so many around without the Professional Nav as it would make buying a second hand one a lot easier.
The number of exec cars without sat nav spec'd is quite frankly shocking. I drove 3 hours up to Norwich last night, and the number of 3/5 series, C/E class and A4/A6's I saw with satnavs stuck to their screens was shocking. Hazard a guess and a fair few of these being non company cars too, I feel the only justification for this is people buying these cars new and thinking "oh, I got given that 'insert satnav name here' for Christmas so don't need to spec nav".
This makes me sad
This makes me sad