[ComputerKnowHow]

Originally Posted by raptor_f22

I'm wanting to upgrade to a 335i DCT M Sport with the N55 engine. Looking at £14-17k and for that money I'm now wondering whether I should go for the F series instead...

My F30 320d Msport Xdrive is still up for sale at Stratstone Derby for just over £17k if you want to know any history of the vehicle...

http://usedcars.stratstonederbybmw.c...cmdc=se_ce_re_

[raptor_f22]

Originally Posted by ComputerKnowHow

My F30 320d Msport Xdrive is still up for sale at Stratstone Derby for just over £17k if you want to know any history of the vehicle...

http://usedcars.stratstonederbybmw.c...cmdc=se_ce_re_

Thanks for the link - I'm definitely after a 6 pot though driving a 2 litre at the moment and missing the power badly!

[raptor_f22]

Originally Posted by bazz780

Granted the e92 is solid all round as mentioned

However for that sort of money id want to be in a newish car with latest tech, current models appeal to a wider market should the need to sell arise

Just my opinion

Wouldn't disagree with you at all. Just wish they'd carried on the 3 series coupe albeit with new styling and the new tech.

[ComputerKnowHow]

Originally Posted by raptor_f22

Thanks for the link - I'm definitely after a 6 pot though driving a 2 litre at the moment and missing the power badly!

Haha yes, completely understand! These forums can have an impact on your finances!

[FieldingMellish]

Originally Posted by ComputerKnowHow

I've never owned a petrol 3 series, but my progression from E90 320d Msport Pre LCI manual, then E91 330d SE LCI auto and then F30 320d Msport Xdrive manual makes me think the most significant things for me were:

- The E90 Msport had the best steering wheel and steering feel

- The E91 was my first experience of a 6 cylinder engine and it was excellent

- The F30 suspension is soft, almost too soft. I didn't know at the time, but the Xdrives are fitted with SE suspension. It was comfy but bouncy, even in Sport mode. The E90 Msport Pre LCI suspension was granite hard.

- The F30 320d has a gravelly engine especially when cold. It's fine on the motorway.

- The Xdrive seems to create a poor turning circle and the transmission drones when cruising.

- The professional media and xenons in the F30 are fairly essential in my opinion

The F30 320d Msport is no doubt an excellent motor and I appreciated the economy. I don't know if I was lucky as I've seen some reports of poor consumption but mine was brilliant. It was in my favourite colour EB2. The F30 tech was light years ahead of my E90 and E91 but I didn't have idrive in them.

But the danger of reading these forums is that we all end up taking test drives in cars.

So I recently traded the F30 for an F31 330d Msport Sdrive auto as I need the bigger space and no longer need Xdrive.

The 8 speed auto is amazing and the engine is a definite step up (although I'm not yelling 'buy a 330d' because I suspect what I really want is a petrol) and although the Xdrive was excellent and traction out of corners I find the Sdrive more to my liking (very subjective). I find the 330d more of a driving machine.

I don't think the HK sound is the revelation I thought it would be but that might be the bigger F31 cabin spoiling it a bit.

Enjoy your new car! Just scrolled back through the thread to see you chose the 330d...

Yeah, I originally thought the 320d would do me. When i got the 330i I was determined to enjoy a 6 cylinder petrol (while we still can) and I certainly enjoyed it, a lot. But I gradually stopped using the full power, plus i got sick of petrol stations - with sedate driving I was averaging around 23 mpg.

One factor that nudged me towards the 330d was that approved used listings for 320d M Sports with good spec seemed quite high, obviously it's a popular model; and 330d prices were comparatively reasonable, not much more for a good spec 330d. And you get more refinement and the power is there if you want it.

It's a very different sort of power to teh 330i. The 330d is muscular where the 330i was punchy.

I know the hydraulic steering on the E90 models was good, but I always had the eslectric steering and it was too light, my 330i in particular had the worst BMW steering feel I've encountered. My daughter's 1 Series feels much better. So for me, the F30 steering is a big step up, it actually does have some feel to it.

The F30 steering wheel is nice but the E90 was better. And with the F30 being a bigger car it combines with the bigger steering wheel to make the car feel much less maneuverable when parking etc.

I don't have pro nav, just business, but coming from no nav or idrive at all, what I have seems fine to me. All teh connected drive gubbins I will never use. Had bluetooth on the 330i for 6 years and never even paired my phone. I do not make or accept phone calls!

The Harman Kardon, so far, is unimpressive. On the E90 I could feel the bass in teh speaker under teh seat, can't feel that really on the F30. And there's a hole in the middle of teh sound, I keep having to turn up the volume to hear John Humpreys monstering someone on Radio 4.

I love teh feel of the suspension on the F30, but I might not like it all the time, I use SPort mode a lot and the adaptive suspension makes it so much sharper. The car really comes alive in Sport and I definitely think the adaptive suspension is a must-have, way more important than Xenons or HK audio.

The M Sport brakes, that come as part of the M SPort Plus package seem fine, but I don't notice anything spectacular about them.

The 8 speed auto is indeed sublime.

Originally Posted by raptor_f22

Really interesting thread!

I sold my e92 330d end of last year for various reasons. It was my dream car and what I loved about it was the styling, the chunky steering wheel, the handling and feel - to name a few things. Agree with the last post, I didn't love the M sport suspension. Replaced all 4 shocks after they'd failed and felt virtually no difference at all. Unbelievabley stiff.

Keep hearing good things about the F series and I've been inside my mates 2 series, very slick, very pretty. I'm just disappointed that they didn't make another 3 coupe because I still think the e92 is a much much better looking car.

I'm wanting to upgrade to a 335i DCT M Sport with the N55 engine. Looking at £14-17k and for that money I'm now wondering whether I should go for the F series instead...

I always wanted a coupe and nearly got one when I was shopping around for the 330i. Those wing mirrors on the LCI E92 coupe were the best looking on any modern BMW I reckon. But with kids and that... and they all had crashy 19 inch wheels... and teh wife gave me hell about the restricted back seating, so I ended up with another saloon. And frankly I have now got so used to the saloon, not just the practicality but the shape, I actually prefer it overall, and teh sun protection glass helps mitigate the monolithic look of saloons, sort of breaks it up a bit.

The F30 interior is gratifyingly chunky, I think. Plastics a little cheap around the radio but the dash is very nice.

Originally Posted by bazz780

Granted the e92 is solid all round as mentioned

However for that sort of money id want to be in a newish car with latest tech, current models appeal to a wider market should the need to sell arise

Just my opinion

Yeah I know what you mean. I did have a look for E92 listings, and you get a lot of spec with those cars, they still look swish.... But I wanted the modern look ad feel of the F30.

Originally Posted by raptor_f22

Wouldn't disagree with you at all. Just wish they'd carried on the 3 series coupe albeit with new styling and the new tech.

I think the 4 Series is somehow too big for a coupe, they look good but really not that great, imho. With the sun protection glass, the F30 looks as good if not better. Heresy? Each to their own.