Upgrading from a Civic to...

Freakitchen

Freakitchen

Freakitchen

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I realise I might be falling into the 'he wants to change his car but doesn't know what he wants' camp here, but I'm wondering if there's something I just haven't thought of that I could be looking at.

At the moment I have 2009 Civic 1.8 and am looking for something a bit more refined and a bit more powerful. I do about 10k a year, mostly A Roads. Motorway every couple of weeks with the very occasional long drive. A pretty 'normal' usage profile I guess! Budget is somewhere between 8 and 12k, car dependent, moderately flexible.

So far I've been looking at BMW 325s, though would appreciate guidance from the BM experts re. spec and models. Happy to look at other things too. Had a quick look at the C Class, but all the petrols seem to be 1.8s! Practicality isn't important - a 3 door would be fine and small rear seats okay too.

Appreciate any suggestions from whoever is bored!
 
Yeah the type R is a pointless exercise if refinement is your aim.

A 325 isn't a bad car by any stretch of the imagination, in fact it's probably one of the best ways to get into 3 series ownership (e9x) at the lower end of your budget but it's probably worth going and driving a few different sizes of car , as personally I would say you only notice a masive jump in refinement when going a class up again.

If you decide the 3 is the car for you then consider a 330 as you'll notice no real world difference in running costs.
 
Have you tried the 9G Civic? It is much more comfortable than the 8G the suspension is improved and rides a lot nicer, the interior is loads better and more solid with a huge improvement with plastics used, kit level is better and the engine must have a different map or something because it drives slightly better too
 
rodenal said:
If you decide the 3 is the car for you then consider a 330 as you'll notice no real world difference in running costs.
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However depending on his budget he will find the 325i, as the unloved E90, is often noticeably cheaper than the 330i and far less likely to be in the hands of, well, a chav. There seem to be quite a few nice 325i's left.
 
Relentless81 said:
Have you tried the 9G Civic? It is much more comfortable than the 8G the suspension is improved and rides a lot nicer, the interior is loads better and more solid with a huge improvement with plastics used, kit level is better and the engine must have a different map or something because it drives slightly better too
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I can't agree with this. It does ride mildly better but I really couldn't say it is a much nice place to be.

It is littered with dull black plastic in places where the old car had better looking trim and they've made a complete mess of the dash layout. The trim certainly seems to be screwed together better as I've yet to experience one with much in the way of rattles / squeaks whereas that is part of daily life with the fn2.

It's a bit better than the older car, but given it is effectively the same model it's no great step forward. Still not a patch on even the likes of a 3 series or worse the Accord for refinement. No hatchback can ever really match a saloon for composure and islation from road noise etc
 
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Was there not someone on here a couple days ago mentioning the sale of his rather reasonably priced 335i?

Obviously there is nothing in the OP's post to suggest that sort of power is what he is looking for. But none the less, it was reasonably priced (IIRC) and under 60k for the cheaper warranty. And is unlikely to cost much more to run than a 325i/330i assuming warranty was had on all cars.

Could be a good introduction to the BMW range.
 
Thanks gents. Obviously if I do go down the BMW route I'll be looking at E90s. This might be a subjective question but is there a 'maximum' amount of money I should be throwing at a car of this 'age'? I usually try and buy as new as possible for reliability reasons but am conscious of the fact that the E90 is a 10 year old design.

If I did go down this route, what is the preferred spec? I wouldn't want to lose anything from my Civic, so I'd want auto lights, wipers and cruise (guessing these are all standard) but bluetooth audio is also a must for me, as I installed a Parrot in my car with a certain amount of difficulty, and would like an integrated solution for my next car!

Going back to the Merc C Class briefly, am I right in thinking that the C180 is the only petrol engine available post circa 2008? This is all I'm seeing on Autotrader, I was expecting to find a few C250s or similar?
 
Fairly sure there is more than one power level but you might find they are all 1.8's until you get to the c280 and 350 (which are way over budget if you want a post 2011 facelift one)
 
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That was my concern. Hmm, perhaps I'll have to compromise and make do with an Aux socket!

Assuming I do go and look at some E90s, what are the main things I should be looking out for? I'd only be interested in FSH and 1 owner cars (if possible), probably around the 2010 vintage to get something a little newer than my Civic. Is a BMW warranty worth considering, and possible, on these cars?
 
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Why not look at the 8th gen Accord, you can get them cheaper with loads of kit, lots of other cars can fit your criteria too, don't just limit yourself to an e90, they aren't anything special to pay extra money for.
 
As much as I like the look of the Accord, they're a big car, and I just don't need all that space. I realise the E90 and the C Class aren't that much smaller, but they do feel that much more compact on the inside.

At the moment my search is limited to 325s in 4 and 2 door form, and C250s. As comparatively 'rare' as these are (compared with diesel versions of both), petrol Accords seem even more so! Only 16 petrol Accords on AT in total between 5 and 15K!

I made the mistake of visiting a MB main dealer today. I asked whether there were any C250s in the group and was all but laughed at. The salesman suggested I look at the C180s with OMGAMG and/or got something new on PCP.

Appreciate the suggestions so far :)
 
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