BMW and M Power Owners

rodenal said:
Random question - do all 130i LE's have lemon leather? If so....does it look better in person?
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Unfortunately. I'm not keen on them as I'm looking at a LE that has landed at Birds to replace my 123d

Ideally I'd like LE spec + cruise + heated seats + tan leather + comfort pack etc.
 
Hmm, so it's no better up close than in the pictures then?

Probably need to look at one, bit of a shame as you're at least guaranteed a good spec (for a 1 series)
 
I don't personally see the point in paying extra for a clubsport if it's not even in one of the good colours tbh.

I just can't get over £7k for a 2004 330ci.
 
rodenal said:
I don't personally see the point in paying extra for a clubsport if it's not even in one of the good colours tbh.

I just can't get over £7k for a 2004 330ci.
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I wouldn't be silly to pay that much for one, £6000 would be my offer,

Plus it was the only decent 330 on AT, Bay and PH thats within my traveling range, and its on MVs instead of the not so nice split rim allows, colourwise...I don't know, it really stood out to me, I like it personally.
 
It's all about level of expectation though, I'd suggest it's unlikely you'd knock nearly a grand off the asking price for the car - where would you realistically start...£5.5k for a near £7k asking is borderline insulting (in the uk anyway, we don't really "do" haggling very well as a rule), £6k offer the seller will realistically expect to meet somewhere in the middle, regardless of how silly their asking price is.

If you're spending that amount of money and are sure you really want one why not just cast your net a bit further? Ask the important questions up front, get a good feel for the seller then take a day trip to see it. Return train tickets are dirt cheap and most people are very accomodating if you're potentially going to give them several thousand pounds.

I'm not saying don't buy that car btw, just some thoughts.
 
Expensive, but the color is stunning in the sun if it's as clean as it looks in the pics. I've had quite a few random people complement the color of mine (VB) at petrol stations and outside shops.

The Clubsport wheels do nothing for the car either, they seem to suffer a lot of damage and laquer peeling around the split. Mine were refurbished about 6 months before I bought the car, they were in shoddy shape before I decided to swap them.
 
my problem is, a decent 330ci Convert, which is what I really want, but would still buy a coupe if a really good one at a nice price comes up, they're normally coming up over 100miles away, that's nothing to most people but to me, that's a lot.

Plus I could use this as an excuse to actually see one in person, as i've yet to view any type of E46s.

For £7k I could get an M3, which are going cheaper than I think they were going...Too cheap imo, unless there's something wrong with them, this for example - AT Link
 
I don't think a £7k m3 is a great idea for someone who doesn't know what to look for in the car tbh. I'm near certain you could get something decent if you looked long and hard enough ,but gut feel says you're best steering clear.

I'd definitely go and drive a 330 though - are there none at garages near you? I can't commit to saying " I definitely want that type of car" without driving at least one example.

Again it depends on expectations but I can't find anything at a similar price that I'd say was actually a better car overall than my e46, which is a good thing to be able to say considering they first appeared in the late 90's - but I have other things pushing me to change i.e some sort of hatch and just generally a bit bored!
 
Unfortunately not, quite a few older E46 320-325s, there is a localish 52 330 saloon, could take a look maybe, when one comes up local, i'd definately go take a gander at one, I really like them, imo the best looking BMW for a long while.

Saying that, that Clubsport is local, which I am planning on contacting to get more info on the car.

Still dreaming about M3's, this is literally 2 mins down the road from where I live, so i'll be looking at this aswell - PH link
 
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With the E46 M3, ensure that the rear subframe has been checked and or replaced, by a BMW garage preferably.

Other things to watch out for are the SMG boxes, unless you particularly want the SMG gearbox, if you aren't fussed then go for the manual. Otherwise, put ~£800 away for the SMG pump failure.

I think I'd be looking to pay around £10k for a decent E46 M3, I wouldn't want to spend less and get a ropey one.

At the same time, is it what you really want? Yeah, the performance trumps the 330i (as it should), but it's not like the 330i is slow by any means, and the lowered running costs would be nicer to live with.
 
I would love an M3 at some point, £10k unfortunately is way out of my budget, so a 330/Z4 will have to do :D

I'd love a convert 330, I love the way they look and sound.

Luckily enough, i've recently been handed the keys to my Gen 7 Accord which i've only had to pay the insurance for as i've kind of inherited it, So i'm happy with that for the time being, about time i've got something different to drive, 4 years in a clio is a long time.
 
Hi everyone,

Sadly I feel its time to part with my 3.2 V6 TT and opt for something a little more economical. A change in circumstances means I am clocking up around 25k a year with the majority of which being town driving. As im sure you can imagine this is racking up a fair old fuel bill with an average calculated mpg of 20.

Fortunately work do pay mileage at 65p per mile towards my costs although with the vee this covers my fuel but doesn't leave a great deal left over for wear and tear etc.

I never thought I would do this and it pains me to say it but im considering a 320d, price wise I know 330/335's are largely similar although with driving around town im not sure i would get the benefit of them for the increased costs.

Firstly,
Does anyone have real world mpg figures for the 320d/325d/330d?

Secondly,
Common faults? I've read about cam chain stretch on the 320d's and that a BMW warranty is advisable at circa £40 per month.

Any other words of wisdom also greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Russ
 
What sort of budget are you looking at? The merits of buying a 320d or similar depend very much on whether you want a £5k one or a £20k one..

None of these are particularly efficient around town, you realise that right? mid to late 20's for the 6 pot and 30ish for the 4 pot.
 
Sorry, knew there was something crucial I forgot. Somewhere in the region of £12-14k depending on age, spec etc (although the 320's dont seem to vary that greatly in spec)
 
My friend has just got a 63 plate m135i, 3.0, very nice drive and the interior is better than expected, added to my growing list of cars to choose from!
 
Yes they're always nice inside when new. Give it a few years. They don't look as nice later on in life unlike the models of old.
 
[TW]Fox;25917791 said:
What sort of budget are you looking at? The merits of buying a 320d or similar depend very much on whether you want a £5k one or a £20k one..

None of these are particularly efficient around town, you realise that right? mid to late 20's for the 6 pot and 30ish for the 4 pot.
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I could live with 30's, that's a 50% gain in efficiency on what im currently using. Im doing typically 80 miles a day currently, i would estimate that this is split 50/50 between dual carriageway driving at between 50-70mph depending on limit with the remaining being town driving although congestion isnt particularly heavy as im driving throughout the day.
 
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