Are they actually pants or are they just comparitively uninteresting though?
BMW and M Power Owners
- Thread starter panthro
- Start date
Are they actually pants or are they just comparitively uninteresting though?
Having owned the 4 (2litre) for some years and driven the 330/530 in both fuel variants… The 4 lacks power low in the rev range. You need to treat it like a Vtec to have some fun with the power band and yes it does have such a band regardless of what some will have you believe on forums. I believe Jez bought one recently too and shared my thoughts on the matter.
It’s very refined for a 4 cylinder and reliable. It will be as smooth or as rough as you want it to be depending on how eager you are with the gearbox and rev range. Most poke come in between 4k and 5.5krpm where vanos/valvetronic comes on. Shifting at 5.5 gives the most satisfaction but also saps the most fuel.
The 6s have more power from lower in the rev range, give a nicer deeper engine and exhaust note and are more wafty and ideal for long hauls and gear drop free overtaking.
Comparatively speaking economy is much of a muchness. If you can find a good 6 then stick to that, it’s the better engine, more power, more refinement and little difference in economy.
So in short, the answer to your question is no, it’s not “Pants” but the 6 is better and given how much they cost now it makes sense to get the 6, that and running costs are similar too, not the same but the small difference doesn't warrant going for the 4 if you have the choice of the two. Only reason I haven’t switched is because try finding a 6 in the same condition as my car
I’ll happily wait it out and in that time if nothing becomes available I’ll have saved even more money for something even better yet perhaps.
It’s very refined for a 4 cylinder and reliable. It will be as smooth or as rough as you want it to be depending on how eager you are with the gearbox and rev range. Most poke come in between 4k and 5.5krpm where vanos/valvetronic comes on. Shifting at 5.5 gives the most satisfaction but also saps the most fuel.
The 6s have more power from lower in the rev range, give a nicer deeper engine and exhaust note and are more wafty and ideal for long hauls and gear drop free overtaking.
Comparatively speaking economy is much of a muchness. If you can find a good 6 then stick to that, it’s the better engine, more power, more refinement and little difference in economy.
So in short, the answer to your question is no, it’s not “Pants” but the 6 is better and given how much they cost now it makes sense to get the 6, that and running costs are similar too, not the same but the small difference doesn't warrant going for the 4 if you have the choice of the two. Only reason I haven’t switched is because try finding a 6 in the same condition as my car
I’ll happily wait it out and in that time if nothing becomes available I’ll have saved even more money for something even better yet perhaps.
Having owned the 4 (2litre) for some years and driven the 330/530 in both fuel variants… The 4 lacks power low in the rev range. You need to treat it like a Vtec to have some fun with the power band and yes it does have such a band regardless of what some will have you believe on forums. I believe Jez bought one recently too and shared my thoughts on the matter.
It’s very refined for a 4 cylinder and reliable. It will be as smooth or as rough as you want it to be depending on how eager you are with the gearbox and rev range. Most poke come in between 4k and 5.5krpm where vanos/valvetronic comes on. Shifting at 5.5 gives the most satisfaction but also saps the most fuel.
The 6s have more power from lower in the rev range, give a nicer deeper engine and exhaust note and are more wafty and ideal for long hauls and gear drop free overtaking.
Comparatively speaking economy is much of a muchness. If you can find a good 6 then stick to that, it’s the better engine, more power, more refinement and little difference in economy.
So in short, the answer to your question is no, it’s not “Pants” but the 6 is better and given how much they cost now it makes sense to get the 6, that and running costs are similar too, not the same but the small difference doesn't warrant going for the 4 if you have the choice of the two. Only reason I haven’t switched is because try finding a 6 in the same condition as my car
Absolutely my experience too having owned (i think) 2 4pots and at least 5 or 6 of the 6 pot's of this era. The 4's are fine and are definitely more economical if driven sensibly, but you do have to thrash them to make use of the excellent 3-series chassis.
That said now that i am getting used to a much much faster car than any of these, the 6 pots feel stupidly weedy too, its all relative. Someone coming from a very low power car will find the 4 pot pretty good!
That is the thing, most of the people I speak to about cars on here have pretty decent cars, so their idea of what a quick car is, or what an "acceptable" amount of power is, and so on, are typically very different from mine.
I understand that if you drive a M3 or an RS4 or a C63 AMG you might think that a 325i or an A4 V6 or a C200 is slow, and something like a 318i or an A4 2.0FSI etc etc is unbearably slow.
But the reality of it is that I daily a 54HP VW Polo, so imagine how breakneck even a 318i feels to me.
I'm not entirely sure I would trust myself to go straight from a Polo to a 330 anyway, I feel as though a stepping-stone car is required first, but again, I'm really not sure. I'm not even decided on whether I want a hatch, a saloon, a supermini, a luxobarge or a sports car. They all have their appeals and drawbacks, thats why I have such a long and complicated test drive list, and am starting so early.
For a 19/20 year old in the UK, it is.
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Well, i drive a car faster than anything you have listed and i do not consider the 318i Sport to be slow - i accept it for what it is.
It has a fantastic chassis, handles brilliantly, chucks around brilliantly, and has a revvy little engine which you need to thrash but ultimately does the job just fine. The 6's are better yes, and if the affordability is there they are certainly the cars to go for, but they are hardly the last word in power or refinement either
It has a fantastic chassis, handles brilliantly, chucks around brilliantly, and has a revvy little engine which you need to thrash but ultimately does the job just fine. The 6's are better yes, and if the affordability is there they are certainly the cars to go for, but they are hardly the last word in power or refinement either
This is very true though to the point where insurance between these models is much of a muchness, although i am late 20's now.
That is the thing, most of the people I speak to about cars on here have pretty decent cars, so their idea of what a quick car is, or what an "acceptable" amount of power is, and so on, are typically very different from mine.
I understand that if you drive a M3 or an RS4 or a C63 AMG you might think that a 325i or an A4 V6 or a C200 is slow, and something like a 318i or an A4 2.0FSI etc etc is unbearably slow.
But the reality of it is that I daily a 54HP VW Polo, so imagine how breakneck even a 318i feels to me.
I'm not entirely sure I would trust myself to go straight from a Polo to a 330 anyway, I feel as though a stepping-stone car is required first, but again, I'm really not sure. I'm not even decided on whether I want a hatch, a saloon, a supermini, a luxobarge or a sports car. They all have their appeals and drawbacks, thats why I have such a long and complicated test drive list, and am starting so early.
For a 19/20 year old in the UK, it is.
Do a quote... you'll be surprised. Mine was only 700 or so when I was 24 with 3 years no claims.
Could be worse... mine is $2100 here right now
1300quidDo a quote... you'll be surprised. Mine was only 700 or so when I was 24 with 3 years no claims.
Could be worse... mine is $2100 here right now
I won't be surprised because I did a quote the other day.
I like that an M3 is only a tenner more than my current car to insure at £258
8years ncb and being over 25 down the south coast has a use I suppose!
I remember at 22 a Civic 1.5 cost me £2100 one year. Damn notch on the fault claim
8years ncb and being over 25 down the south coast has a use I suppose!
I remember at 22 a Civic 1.5 cost me £2100 one year. Damn notch on the fault claim
I won't be surprised because I did a quote the other day.
If your insurance is going to be high then i would personally just stick to the Polo until it comes down.
Can you really be bothered with the hassles of an old BMW tied in with high insurance?
Strangely, as long as I don't wind up broke, yes.
In seriousness though, there are an awful lot of reasons why I want to get a new car, it is just a question of how good my next car can realistically be when factoring in insurance and such. Do I get a stepping stone car, or do I go the whole hog and get a car that I might want to keep for a long time? If I get a stepping-stone car, how good should it be? Will I wind up wanting to keep it? etc etc.
The Polo has had a lot of work done on it, it is now a solid, reliable car, with a good set of new tyres on it, fairly new disks, new clutch etc, and I never have any doubt that it will start in the morning.
But I am very into cars, I'm as passionate about them as an inexperienced kid can be...
The only time I am ever really at-ease is when I am driving, I often go for drives of-an-evening just to relax, I have grown up around cars and motorbikes also, Dad is a mechanical engineer and he builds vintage bikes in his free time, which I used to help with and observe. I have attended countless car shows and events, ever since I was a kid I was obsessed with driving simulators and such, when I was 11 my desktop wallpaper was of an E12 M5 The Polo isn't something I can have much fun in, it sounds "nice" if you rev its nuts off thanks to the slightly unusual 1.2 short stroke triple, but it is sluggish and slow, it is loud on the motorway, it isnt that comfortable, it is a bit tatty, and it has no A/C
In truth, I wasn't satisfied with it from the moment I got it, I wish I had got a 70HP Ibiza with air-con and a slightly higher trim level or something, at the very least. And I am well and truly, 100% dis-satisfied with this car now, and I have to keep it a *minimum* of another 5 months, after which I will seriously be looking into getting shot of it. The "ooh I have a car" novelty is gone, and I'm chronically bored.
Oh and also, I just did a quote for a 330Ci Sport, and it came in at close to £5000 for a non black-box policy, at 19 with 1yr NCB and 8 months with a full licence. When I am 20 and have 2 years NCB and 20 months with a full licence, it comes down to £1300.
By comparison, I could insure a 2008 Ford Mondeo 2.5T Titanium X for £1500 right now, or £750 when I'm 20.
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The problem with that last idea is that you will be driving a Ford. Not very comparable.
It sounds obvious from that, you need to wait until you are 20, then get a 330 Sport.
It was just a random example, I'll check something else for you sir.
e; E90 325i SE - Insurance for right now is £1750.
e; 2010 Hyundai Coupé SIII V6 - Insurance for right now is £1400 (But the tax on these is nearly £500 lol)
Seems 19y/o drivers and E46's = a definitive no for most insurers.
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Its your post code which must be the problem.
I just did a quote at my house (Rural Oxfordshire) for a 19 year old male born 15/05/1995 with 2 years NCB and 2 years 0 months license, no convictions or points, or claims. 5000 miles pa, personal use only, parked on driveway. Full Comp with £350 voluntary excess.
I never find insurance expensive, never have. It looks like my son will be getting a 330 sport for his 17th
I just did a quote at my house (Rural Oxfordshire) for a 19 year old male born 15/05/1995 with 2 years NCB and 2 years 0 months license, no convictions or points, or claims. 5000 miles pa, personal use only, parked on driveway. Full Comp with £350 voluntary excess.
I never find insurance expensive, never have. It looks like my son will be getting a 330 sport for his 17th
That is a little different though the £5K quote was for a 19 year old male born 19/07/1995 with 1 year NCB and 0 years 9 months licence, no convictions or points, or claims, 8000 miles pa, social & commuting, parked on driveway. Full Comp with £250 voluntary excess.
The £1300 quote for the same car was for a 20 year old male born 19/07/1994 with 2 years NCB and 1 years 9 months licence, all other details the same.
Job description I am using is "Office Worker" which is one of the cheapest relevant ones, and the sector is Financial Services (but that doesnt seem to make a difference)
I can wait, it isn't a massive issue, I have a hell of a lot of things to test drive in the mean time anyway. Who knows, I might not even like the E46!
I'm just worried that I may get tempted into buying something with lower insurance, sooner, even if I do like the E46. I mean, the Ford is a nice car, sure it isn't E46 quality, but then again it wont cost E46 money to repair either. And it is a Ford with a Volvo engine, so in my mind it should live forever.
I may even find that those saloons are too big for me, it would be easier to move from a Polo to something Golf or Focus sized. Ive driven an A6 and big vans, but never in town. The Polo is great in town. All my quotes are with my Dad as a named driver. He is late 40's, has 20+ years accumulated NCB, and brings my quotes down by a metric ****e tonne.
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I can tell you that the E46 6 pots never die and you WILL like it when you drive it, even the auto.
Why would you want a Mondeo though? I know they are nice cars but they are definitely the 30+ age group cars (ST aside)
Why would you want a Mondeo though? I know they are nice cars but they are definitely the 30+ age group cars (ST aside)
