[NFS]

Originally Posted by KD

I have only owned 6-cyl petrol engines, and the diesels I have driven have felt like the 330d, which is probably why I was underwhelmed with the 335d... it probably delivered the power more linearly. 330d felt more interesting, and certainly sounded better.. having owned a V6 and my current straight six Z3, that is quite important to my driving experience.

I think I understand what you mean.

The 335d is very quick, particularly when accelerating from 40+mph, but it gains pace so smoothly that it can feel slightly underwhelming.

The 330d has slightly more 'edge'. It's obviously not as fast, but I do think you can engage with it slightly more. The 335d is always on the power, but with the 330d you can get that little bit more interaction by working with the car to keep it in the (admittedly broad) powerband.

Thats the difference between the petrol engines and the diesels really, a level of interaction. Some people get their driving buzz from that and others enjoy the wave of torque that propels you effortlessly in the 335d.

For me the word 'effortlessly' sums it up. The 335d is too smooth and too effortless in my opinion. To really put a grin on your face you need to pedal it at license loosing speed. In contrast the 330d gets ever so slightly closer to the petrol experience by providing an additional level of immersion.

[dxb335d]

How does it NFS in auto form? Because thats what the OP is after.

[KD]

Originally Posted by encee

Hi KD, I currently have exactly the model you`re looking for (not for sale, btw ) in my E92 330d SE auto, on an `07 plate (so not the modified engine, obviously).

Unfortunately, I have never driven the 335d, so I can`t do a comparison-opinion for you, but I have had mine remapped to approx 275bhp, and honestly mate, I don`t think you`d be disappointed !

Re-mapping aside, the 330d is absolutely fantastic, with a real peach of an engine, and I sometimes question my decision to get it mapped, as it was just sooooooooo good in standard form in any case.

It goes without saying, that in mapped form, it is utterly stonking; what a great car !

Another change I did make, which made quite a difference, was an upgrade to aftermarket 19`alloys, which is not quite my point, but the new alloys were fitted with non-runflats, which IS my point, as these will make a significant difference to overall comfort and feel on the road (IMHO anyway).

There is, however, no doubt in Will`s point that the M-Sport seats would have been nicer, as they simply provide much greater lateral support; something that the SE seats are somewhat lacking in.

Other than that, I can`t really tell you much more mate, but here`s a pic of mine to whet your appetite for the 330d.................!

Good luck with your choice !

Thanks very much encee! I agree I will be getting the 18 or the 19" wheels for it, the stock ones just don't do the car justice at all... and I have been a member of a zed forum for a while now and have a friend with a Z4 coupe with runflats, so know all about those evil beasts!

Seats also - having had sport seats in my last 8 years of motoring, the SE seats are a little of a let down. I will be looking out for ones with these added as options.

Thanks again, and your 330d is gorgeous!

[KD]

Originally Posted by NFS

I think I understand what you mean.

The 335d is very quick, particularly when accelerating from 40+mph, but it gains pace so smoothly that it can feel slightly underwhelming.

The 330d has slightly more 'edge'. It's obviously not as fast, but I do think you can engage with it slightly more. The 335d is always on the power, but with the 330d you can get that little bit more interaction by working with the car to keep it in the (admittedly broad) powerband.

Thats the difference between the petrol engines and the diesels really, a level of interaction. Some people get their driving buzz from that and others enjoy the wave of torque that propels you effortlessly in the 335d.

For me the word 'effortlessly' sums it up. The 335d is too smooth and too effortless in my opinion. To really put a grin on your face you need to pedal it at license loosing speed. In contrast the 330d gets ever so slightly closer to the petrol experience by providing an additional level of immersion.

Summed my experience of both to a tea, and my feelings at this precise moment. I will be haggling for a longer term test drive of both though.. the advantage that the 335d has is that it will have the sports seats and usually the better wheels, I may have to hunt a bit harder for the 330d that I want.

[dxb335d]

is the performance a factor for you KD and will you tune your car?

[KD]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

is the performance a factor for you KD and will you tune your car?

The performance is always a factor - but I am not a boy racer anymore! I also would like to balance full out performance with fuel economy and running costs, hence looking at a diesel.

I can see that the BMW diesel engines seem to get chipped as soon as they leave the forecourt, not something I'd be interested in from the start I must admit. Is it recommended? How do you get along with BMW servicing after tuning?

[brett23]

Hi KD

The 330d is a stonking car. I just got my new one 2 weeks ago and can only say WOW. Bearing in mind i came from a 200bhp petrol turbo Audi i will say the 330d is easily quicker and better to drive. Mine is a e90 saloon. I know you are after the coupe but haggle hard there are great deals to be had. Defo try and get the M Sport. worth the extra money in my opinion.

As far as the 335 goes and this may be bUll"£*t but after i picked my up from the dealer i was chatting to him and said i would be back in a year or two for a 335d and he said that there really was not much difference in the two and he prefered the 330d

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by KD

The performance is always a factor - but I am not a boy racer anymore! I also would like to balance full out performance with fuel economy and running costs, hence looking at a diesel.

I can see that the BMW diesel engines seem to get chipped as soon as they leave the forecourt, not something I'd be interested in from the start I must admit. Is it recommended? How do you get along with BMW servicing after tuning?

Depends what servicing is required.

I recommend a re-map. STOCK 330d from 230bhp to 270-280bhp

Stock 335d 286bhp- 340-350bhp.

Originally Posted by brett23

Hi KD

The 330d is a stonking car. I just got my new one 2 weeks ago and can only say WOW. Bearing in mind i came from a 200bhp petrol turbo Audi i will say the 330d is easily quicker and better to drive. Mine is a e90 saloon. I know you are after the coupe but haggle hard there are great deals to be had. Defo try and get the M Sport. worth the extra money in my opinion.

As far as the 335 goes and this may be bUll"£*t but after i picked my up from the dealer i was chatting to him and said i would be back in a year or two for a 335d and he said that there really was not much difference in the two and he prefered the 330d

Thats his opinion. He prefers the 330d when you left in yours, he prob prefered the 335d when the next punter left with his.

Not much in it, generally speaking no. Both good on juice both fast.

But if you do want balls out acceleration then go with the 335d. But map the 330d and your coming close to stock 335d perfomance. Which is for sure fast enough for everyday road use.


But have you actually tried the 335d yourself? (Bit of HP difference, 230 vs 286.)

[KD]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Depends what servicing is required.

I recommend a re-map. STOCK 330d from 230bhp to 270-280bhp

Stock 335d 286bhp- 340-350bhp.

Those are insane figures!

What I mean is, does it invalidate your warranty, does it make BMW run a mile?

[dxb335d]

Well if they knew maybe. Every dealer is different. There are people on this very forum who have struck up great relationships with dealers. Others are more careful.

This is me vs a 305BHP vectra VXR.

[MOB]

Originally Posted by KD

Those are insane figures!

What I mean is, does it invalidate your warranty, does it make BMW run a mile?

If you're ever around Junction 15 of the M1 on a weekday I'll gladly take you for a spin in my 330d auto (Evolve remap, K&N, circa 300bhp and 500lbs)

[KD]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Well if they knew maybe. Every dealer is different. There are people on this very forum who have struck up great relationships with dealers. Others are more careful.

This is me vs a 305BHP vectra VXR.

Unbelievable!

I've just been on youtube for 335d videos, and quickly coming to the conclusion its just an awesome machine.

Thanks for making my decision making all the more complicated dbx

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by KD

Unbelievable!

I've just been on youtube for 335d videos, and quickly coming to the conclusion its just an awesome machine.

Thanks for making my decision making all the more complicated dbx

I have few more vids i have that i can PM ya if your interested.

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by willhollin

The latest 330d is only out in the E90 + E91 so far (may be wrong) its all aluminium and as fast as the 335d to 60mph according to the BMW site.

No longer the case Will, it looks like the ECU on newer 335D's has had a tweak from BMW, it's now up on power to keep the gap between the 330's and 335's consistent, and avoid upsetting the status quo!

However the performance from the new model 330D certainly looks good.

KD, my previous car was the E46 coupe with the 330D engine and autobox,fantastic car with great performance, coupled with impressive MPG.
Remapped by DMS, it was awesome!

Current car is the big D,totally different in the way the power is delivered,but a great car none the less, again running a remap it is blisteringly quick.


If I was to choose a BMW again, it would be the 330D, it's all the car you will ever need,it goes without saying that for me, it would have to be remapped.

Based on what you have stated,the 330D will give you what you want and more, a remap will increase the power yes, but it will also improve the MPG,that alone might prove more useful to you.

There are plenty of reputable mappers out there, and doing a search will reveal the candidates.
Any map could be found by BMW if they choose to go looking for it, however your more likely to just have it overwritten by BMW either deliberately or purely by chance, and if that happens any good mapper will just rewrite the map to the ecu for no extra charge.

If the whole warranty issue concerns you, you could consider a tuning box, easily installed, and more importantly, easily uninstalled prior to a dealer visit.(I'm not recommending one, the general consensus is that a remap is the better option)

Remapped or not the 330D is a fantastic car, and receiving rave reviews in the motoring press, if the coupe rocks your boat, I'd try and hang on for the newer engined version.

[KD]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

I have few more vids i have that i can PM ya if your interested.

Yes please if you wouldn't mind?

[Ti Rich]

Carlos

That vid is great but how did you get traction in that wet?

Was the DTC off or on?

Rich

[strongdeo]

Originally Posted by encee

Another change I did make, which made quite a difference, was an upgrade to aftermarket 19`alloys, which is not quite my point, but the new alloys were fitted with non-runflats, which IS my point

Hello! The 19" wheels look great they are obviously BMW orignals and were they expensive, they look it, purchased from a BMW dealer? Non RFTs is great but it seems sometimes BMW want you to pay the earth for 4 alloys and 4 tyres, there was a set of 4 Alpinas in Sytners at the weekend they wanted £5K. Christ.

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by Ti Rich

Carlos

That vid is great but how did you get traction in that wet?

Was the DTC off or on?

Rich

Hi mate, ive had several people comment on that.

it in fact is NOT wet, dry as a bone. Drag racing is not allowed to commence if the track has any grease of wetness on it.

Its the surface, it appears wet.
DTC was off

[encee]

Originally Posted by strongdeo

Hello! The 19" wheels look great they are obviously BMW orignals and were they expensive, they look it, purchased from a BMW dealer? Non RFTs is great but it seems sometimes BMW want you to pay the earth for 4 alloys and 4 tyres, there was a set of 4 Alpinas in Sytners at the weekend they wanted £5K. Christ.

Thanks mate; I`m very pleased with the alloys.

Sorry if this deflates you somewhat (as most people prefer to stick to OEM), but the wheels aren`t actually BMW; they`re from a company called Beyern Mesh (a subsiduary of TSW, I believe).

Beyern Mesh, however, only make alloys that fit BMW`s, which is probably why they look OEM, as they look like a BMW alloy, if that makes sense ?

Anyway, the fit and finish is beautiful, and IMHO, I couldn`t have found better; certainly for the price.

Thanks again.

[encee]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Well if they knew maybe. Every dealer is different. There are people on this very forum who have struck up great relationships with dealers. Others are more careful.

This is me vs a 305BHP vectra VXR.

Carl, thanks for sharing this vid with us mate, as I was particularly interested to see it, only because I used to own a Vectra VXR (in standard form, 280bhp)

When I had mine, it did feel very quick, and felt somewhat comparable to my 330d (when standard) although the 330 does feel a bit quicker.

Now mine is mapped, I know that there would be no contest, as such, but again, I`m sure the mapped VXR is very quick too.

Interesting to see then, that yours absolutely DESTROYED it.

Nice one mate !

[encee]

Originally Posted by KD

Thanks very much encee! I agree I will be getting the 18 or the 19" wheels for it, the stock ones just don't do the car justice at all... and I have been a member of a zed forum for a while now and have a friend with a Z4 coupe with runflats, so know all about those evil beasts!

Seats also - having had sport seats in my last 8 years of motoring, the SE seats are a little of a let down. I will be looking out for ones with these added as options.

Thanks again, and your 330d is gorgeous!

Thanks KD, good of you to say-so !

Yes mate, being another who has owned many cars in recent years, all with sports seats, the seats in the SE are, perhaps, a slight let-down, certainly in terms of lateral support for upper torso.

I must admit, when I bought mine (used), the deal was so good, and I liked the car so much, that I couldn`t turn it down for the sake of the seats. Like yourself though, I would, next time, definitely be on the lookout for one with them already fitted.

I do have to concede, however, that as I head rapidly toward middle age, and the expanding mid-section that goes with it, the SE seats certainly don`t give me any "fitment issues" (should we call it)...............

[KD]

Originally Posted by Hotcoupe

No longer the case Will, it looks like the ECU on newer 335D's has had a tweak from BMW, it's now up on power to keep the gap between the 330's and 335's consistent, and avoid upsetting the status quo!

However the performance from the new model 330D certainly looks good.

KD, my previous car was the E46 coupe with the 330D engine and autobox,fantastic car with great performance, coupled with impressive MPG.
Remapped by DMS, it was awesome!

Current car is the big D,totally different in the way the power is delivered,but a great car none the less, again running a remap it is blisteringly quick.


If I was to choose a BMW again, it would be the 330D, it's all the car you will ever need,it goes without saying that for me, it would have to be remapped.

Based on what you have stated,the 330D will give you what you want and more, a remap will increase the power yes, but it will also improve the MPG,that alone might prove more useful to you.

There are plenty of reputable mappers out there, and doing a search will reveal the candidates.
Any map could be found by BMW if they choose to go looking for it, however your more likely to just have it overwritten by BMW either deliberately or purely by chance, and if that happens any good mapper will just rewrite the map to the ecu for no extra charge.

If the whole warranty issue concerns you, you could consider a tuning box, easily installed, and more importantly, easily uninstalled prior to a dealer visit.(I'm not recommending one, the general consensus is that a remap is the better option)

Remapped or not the 330D is a fantastic car, and receiving rave reviews in the motoring press, if the coupe rocks your boat, I'd try and hang on for the newer engined version.

Thanks a lot for the advice HC

I think thats what sparked me starting the topic, I don't want to wait any longer for the newer engine!