[swanseahammer]

I've had my 57 plate E90 320d for almost 4 years and am ready to change in the next couple of months. Am completely torn between a 1 year / 18 month old 335d E90 or an ex-demonstrator F30 320d with loads of gadgets for around the same price. Do around 16k miles per year, plan to keep the car approx 4 years again and am financing it myself. Any comments appreciated.

[IanS100]

I would've thought the ex-demo F30 with all the gadgets would be better value & hold it's value better but which model/engine are you talking about?

[swanseahammer]

F30 320d Sport or Luxury with visibility pack, Nav, sport auto, ideally adaptive suspension etc

[CraigUK]

The F30 makes better financial sense to me however if you have been underwhelmed with the performance of your current 320D then maybe the 335D may be better for you or wait for a bigger engined F30

[IanS100]

Originally Posted by swanseahammer

F30 320d Sport or Luxury with visibility pack, Nav, sport auto, ideally adaptive suspension etc

That's the one

[davyk31]

I would probably go F30 but wait a while. This will either let you get into a superb 330d F30 or else see the prices of the 320d models drop a fair bit more as they are beginning to flood the market a bit with them.

[Dave_3]

Best advice : Test drive a new F30 2.0D. Different car to the E90 2.0D.

I was very pleasantly surprised with the way the new 2.0D drives - and I have a 335D.

A good friend has a new F10 5 series 2.0D estate and I thought it would feel under powered, but it was very good. Especially when mated with the new 8 speed auto - totally transforms in sport mode. Looking at the torque figures shows one of the reasons it feels so good in normal driving.

Plus he regularly sees over 50 mpg. Met him after a motorway trip and it was showing over 60 mpg. He doesn't drive for Miss Daisy either. For a big bus that is impressive. As an overall package it is tempting.

The toys in the new F30 do make the E90 look a bit old too. The displays and tech in the F30 are clearly a generation ahead.

Dealers are already eager to do deals on 2.0D F30s. End of year too.

D.

[swanseahammer]

Thanks Dave. Very helpful. I've driven the F30 2.0d manual but the reports I'm hearing of the sport auto are great. Have driven the 335d already - love it but interior looks are dated compared to the F30. Would love a F30 330d but money / kids in uni.

[swanseahammer]

Down to a choice of 3 F30 320d Sports. Two have sports auto & M Sport suspension with slight spec differences, the other standard auto with Adaptive Suspension. Any thoughts?

[Subzero2003]

why don't you just save up for a bit longer and get a 330d like davyk suggested? The F30 320d I had for a few days, whilst being a competent car, was SO bland and boring. I remember thinking to myself "This would be the perfect car for people who didn't care about cars".

Even better, how about a 328i?

[swanseahammer]

Originally Posted by Subzero2003

why don't you just save up for a bit longer and get a 330d like davyk suggested? The F30 320d I had for a few days, whilst being a competent car, was SO bland and boring. I remember thinking to myself "This would be the perfect car for people who didn't care about cars".

Even better, how about a 328i?

I don't find the E90 320d bland or boring, F30 even better. 330d would be superb but ££ and I'm ready to change. 328i drinks too much petrol for my mileage to be economic.

[Subzero2003]

Fair enough, but for the record, compared to the other cars on offer, the F30 320d is very bland and boring. Anyway you only do 16k? The difference between a 328i and 320d *isn't* that much!

[dxb335d]

18 month 335 has lost a shed load already. The F30 still has a lot to loose.

[wheelie good]

Its a no brainer

335d that goes vrooooooooooom and looks stylish inside

Or a 320d that maybe a quicker than the old 320 but looks like a poxy jap car from the eighties. Better still get the sport model and you get a groovy coloured stripe inside the car to match the cars paintwork