[chrissyw]

I'm contemplating upgrading from my E90 320d to an E90 330d.

Economy is quite important for me, I do about 23k miles a year so it seems a 330d with the N57 engine in would be better than the M57?

What year did BMW introduce the N57 in the E90?

[bishbosh]

Off the top of my head I think it was 2010 onwards.

[Len_Beach]

My 330d is a November 2009. It's mapped to 290whp; dependent on transmission loss (10-15% being an auto) it's supposedly putting out about 320-340 bhp.

I still manage 37mpg on a mix of short 10 mile city runs and mid range 30 mile runs.

It's a great balance of speed and economy and I doubt a 335d would be hugely better in either field. A friends wife has a 335d and she also averages 37mpg and I drive much more quickly than she does.

[elbutio]

It was end of 2008, I have a 58 plate LCI with n57 engine

[chrissyw]

Originally Posted by Len_Beach

My 330d is a November 2009. It's mapped to 290whp; dependent on transmission loss (10-15% being an auto) it's supposedly putting out about 320-340 bhp.

I still manage 37mpg on a mix of short 10 mile city runs and mid range 30 mile runs.

It's a great balance of speed and economy and I doubt a 335d would be hugely better in either field. A friends wife has a 335d and she also averages 37mpg and I drive much more quickly than she does.

So that's an N57 then? My mates got an N57 E92 and he reckons he can get 50mpg out of it on the motorway.

Low 40's an M57 will do at 70mph won't it?

Is the timing chain as big a problem on the N57 as it is the N47?

Did the emissions change on the M57? Seen some 330D's tax at £200+ and some at £145?

[bishbosh]

The N57 shares the same timing chain components - although the frequency of failures is a lot lower than the N47 engines. Whether this is because BMWs most popular diesel engine is the N47 or because of the smoother power delivery of the N57 i.e. fewer torque pulses is still up for debate

[Len_Beach]

Originally Posted by chrissyw

So that's an N57 then? My mates got an N57 E92 and he reckons he can get 50mpg out of it on the motorway.

Low 40's an M57 will do at 70mph won't it?

Is the timing chain as big a problem on the N57 as it is the N47?

Did the emissions change on the M57? Seen some 330D's tax at £200+ and some at £145?

I can easily get 50mpg on the motorway even when at outside lane speeds.

I forget the tax band but it's either £145 or £180 for the year.

If you're that way inclined; the N57 maps really well too. Mine is putting out 290whp and 450lb/ft at the wheels.

[Dan-danGT]

I have a pre lci m57 330d, no dpf + remapped I did a run to a safari park. Doing 70-80 max I got 46mpg tank to tank measurement. My normal commute I get 30-34mpg but I only do 16 miles each way with lots of stopping!

[ahmedb]

I have an N57 330d and it's fantastic, £180 annual road tax and insurance is very reasonable (£400ish for a 26yr old).

245bhp but feels more like 260ish and can be mapped to 300bhp. Very good on fuel considering the power. For the first 25k miles, the car averaged 46mpg.

Even now, I regularly get 45+ mpg (mixed commute with some B roads, some motorway but mainly normal roads) and I could get 50 out of it if I tried. The power is addictive though coming from a 320d (trust me, I did the same) and you will want to enjoy letting the horses loose from time to time.

0-60 times dropped dramatically between the M57 and N57 engine, 0-60 is now 6.1 seconds and you can feel the pull

[chrissyw]

The economy is a important but I really don't like paying high tax.

But, if the chain goes then I'm going to end up paying far more than the £100 difference in tax!

[ahmedb]

Originally Posted by chrissyw

The economy is a important but I really don't like paying high tax.

But, if the chain goes then I'm going to end up paying far more than the £100 difference in tax!

Not much of a jump up from £110 tax to £180 is there?

You could take out BMW extended warranty if you feel paranoid about parts going. Someone on Wikipedia has wrote up about timing chain issues with N47 engines and believes there may be a recall out from BMW but no such issues mentioned on the N57 wiki page. Poor source of info I know

[chrissyw]

I thought M57 330d tax was £200+ ??

[chrissyw]

I'm seeing various tax bands for the M57 engine. Some are £260 some are £200?

When was the DPF introduced on the 330d?

[Dan-danGT]

I thought all e90 330d m57 had DPF, mine is 200 a year, did have dpf, is also auto and 2008 year.

[ahmedb]

Tax will depend on model year and gearbox. I think the older M57 auto's are £265 annual road tax and manuals £205. The newer M57 are £205 for auto and £180 for manual. The N57 330d are £180 road tax for auto and manual.

I was under the impression that the M57 timing chain issue had a recall from BMW?

Personally, I think the 245bhp variant 330d is nicer to drive, more economical on fuel and is substantially quicker as well as having the fresher lci look both internally and externally. You will pay more to find a nice one but they will also hold value more than the M57 engine.

Horses for courses, depends on your budget and what features you like to enjoy and of course personal choice. Each to their own when opinions are out in the open

[chrissyw]

Originally Posted by ahmedb

Tax will depend on model year and gearbox. I think the older M57 auto's are £265 annual road tax and manuals £205. The newer M57 are £205 for auto and £180 for manual. The N57 330d are £180 road tax for auto and manual.

I was under the impression that the M57 timing chain issue had a recall from BMW?

Personally, I think the 245bhp variant 330d is nicer to drive, more economical on fuel and is substantially quicker as well as having the fresher lci look both internally and externally. You will pay more to find a nice one but they will also hold value more than the M57 engine.

Horses for courses, depends on your budget and what features you like to enjoy and of course personal choice. Each to their own when opinions are out in the open

Budget is around £9k, so looking at the Auto Trader, it's looking like a late E90 M57 M Sport.

As far as I am aware, the M57 is pretty bullet proof. The N47 has a timing chain recall, N57 shares the same chain too I believe but a far less lower failure rate.