330i vs 530i

[bobert50]

Been reading the thread "new car " and its made me wonder. The 5-series e39, whether in 528i/530i / se / sport form is without doubt a very refined and calm car. I don't want to enter this whole debate on whether or not its boring as that conversation can clearly go on forever!

My question is, has anyone got experience with a 330i and a 530i (preferably of the same type, ie SE or sport) and can compare the 2? maybe you test drove them both before deciding on one? Does the 330i feel drastically more 'sporty' than the 530i? does the 530i feel drastically more refined/luxurious than the 330i? or are the differences more subtle? maybe the 3-series has less noise reduction and maybe slightly louder exhausts as standard making it appear more on the sporty side?

 

[Adz]

The 3 series is undoubtedly more nimble but the 5-series offers more comfort (the longer the wheelbase, the more comfortable the car in general) and better value for money on the used market.

It's horses for courses really. Personally I'd buy a 5-series and almost have on a few occasions .

 

[Scania]

I can confirm an e46 330i is sharper & quicker than an e39 530i by quite a way.

The bigger car gives a better ride and, I actually prefer the handling.

I went a stage further, and decided on a 728i over a 528i (I nearly bought my dads) again, bigger, more comfy and compared back to back with my dads - no worse to drive But again cheaper!

Oh wait! Why am I bothering with this reply? - I'll just wait for Fox!

 

[[TW]Fox]

I've driven both of them in both manual and automatic form and to be honest there isn't actually as much in it as you'd think.

The 5 Series is more refined and feels slower than it is, the 3 Series reduces this problem a bit and gives you a marginally better sense of speed but it isn't really that much quicker (It's 100kg lighter and the same power).

The 5 Series feels more relaxed and more.. effortlessly competent. The 3 Series feels more hurried. The interior of the 3 Series is suprisingly cramped but when you look at the dimensions of the cars the 3 isn't as big as you'd think. Give you an idea, a Mk3 Mondeo is closer in size to the E39 than the E46. The E39 is actually narrower than a Mk3 Mondeo.

The differences are subtle indeed and which car is best is entirely down to personal preference, there is no world of difference between them. One rather interesting thing though is that the E39 does feel noticeably better built than the E46, and everything is more solid and more robust. Not by a massive margin, but step out of one right into the other and it's there. Again, this higher level of build quality does have its disadvantages, and is the primary reason behind the greater refinement and thus, lower sense of speed.

The E39 is rarer than the E46 so it can be harder to find a good one, but in turn, it's also better value for money than the E46. Running costs are virtually identical, infact as standard the E39 is marginally cheaper to run as it has 17" wheels as standard rather than 18" (Which give a perfect balance between ride quality and handling, but don't look as good as the 18's).

The 5 Series is very spacious in the back and pretty nice for rear seat passengers whereas the 3 Series is cramped but the day you start worrying about that is the day your passengers should start contributing to the cost or shut up

The 5 Series in facelift form also retains more of BMW's current styling cues - as standard you get the modern styling cues you'll find on current BMW's such as Angel Eyes and LED rear lights, whereas the 3 Series has neither but is slightly more rounded and modern looking from the front despite this.

5 Series is also better specified as standard although the extras you get as standard over the 3 Series are arguably pointless stuff like front park control and dual zone climate.

Both are very boring which is what you'd expect from an M-Sport kitted, M-Sport suspension fitted rear drive 230bhp saloon with perfect weight balance and an excellent chassis

 

[NickXX]

Ride in a 330 Sport is still very good though. I've comfortably covered over 2000 miles on 2 occasions now so consider that pretty adequate

e46 looks better too

 

[Scania]

Blah Blah , Rhubarb etc

Thanks pal.

 

[jamoor]

We have a 530d sport saloon and a 330d sport touring.
pretty much echo what fox says, 3 series feels a lot faster, when it isn't, 5 series is just a comfortable cruiser.

The 3 series feels like it's on rails and responds very quickly and perfectly to direction changes whereas the 5er is less responsive but still very good nonetheless.

By the looks of things the 3 series is a little more common, hence you will find one easily and it'll probbbaly be better value for money.

We paid 12.5k for the March 2002 530d sport with 70k in Feb, it had xenons and comms pack and leather.

The 330d was 12.750 oct 2003 model 85k miles with leather, electric seats, heated seats, tinted windows, xenons, comms pack, bluetooth, and 18" MV2 alloys this was bought in May.

Clearly, the 3er was a better buy.

 

[Jez]

I have had 2 330's in a row now, and have driven a fair few E39's. Fox has summed it up, i dont have a lot to add.

I think the 3-series definately looks nicer, the coupe even more so, but the 5-series isnt exactly an ugly duckling itself so there isnt a lot to go on there.

I am looking to buy another BMW, probably with a 3.0 engine again, looking to get one very soon, and i am looking at both. I will get whatever comes up for a good price at the right time. There isnt enough in it for me to care which one i will get. Prices are very similar, as is performance, as are the looks (saloon vs saloon). To say the 5 offers better value isnt true any more, the E46 market is falling much faster than the 5-series market which went through its model replacement stage a couple of years ago, they are now roughly in line.

Both good cars, look at them side by side and get whatever comes up at the right time.