[stugolf]

Hi Guys,

In a quandary, I need a reliable but quick car and I'm torn between an E90 330D pre LCI and a Golf Gti Ed30/Pirelli? I know they are very different cars but cost approximately the same and are the same age and similar performance tuned or not.

I'm unsure what to do!

At the moment I drive short ish journeys so the petrol would suit my requirements but I do need to do long journeys a few times a month, and that's where the diesel shines.

Can anyone offer me some advice on owning one or the other or both?

Thanks

[M4rius]

Golf's are boring, go for e90

['V']

Was having a similar quandary not too long ago, glad I didn't get the golf. Fun drive but just felt like a 'normal' boring car against the BMW

[ahenners]

They are completely different cars really so it depends what you're really after. 330d is great and effortlessly quick but doesn't really engage in the same way as a petrol hot hatch and doesn't feel as chuckable either. MPG on short journeys is probably low 30's at best in the M57 and you'll have the dpf too which wouldn't be an issue in the petrol golf.

I love my 330d, but I bought it because I do mainly motorway journeys and cover at least 2k miles per month. It's perfectly suited but if my journeys were shorter and I did less miles I'd take a hot hatch or 335i.

[335d Rocco]

Ive had an e90 330d and a mk5 gti, the bmw is by far a better place to sit, the interior in the gti is full of cheap plastic and tends to have rattles which are hard to rectify. Drive wise, the gti is a good fun car to drive, quite quick but I found it drinks petrol compared to the performance it delivers, I was getting around 26mpg and was using tesco momentum petrol, I found they run slightly better on 99 oct petrol. The 330d is a very good engine, I loved it but the dpf is always a concern, I had a couple.of issues with it but was lucky enough to clear the warning through a forced regen. I would have kept the 330d but I moved and my useage dropped considerably so I sold up and bought a 330i, I average more mpg in the 330i than I did in the gti so im happy.

All in all, which ever one you went for you wont be disappointed

[timp7748]

I had a GTI DSG a few year back and its a great all round car. Averaged 40mpg on a steady run, it felt nippy and sounded decent. I own a 330d LCI now and it is also a fanastic all round car, probably the best all rounder I have owned. Its fast, frugal, looks great and the build quality is much much better. There is nothing wrong with the GTI, but in my opinion they are in different leagues. Maybe once you drive both, if you havent already; you will get a better idea of what suits your requirements. But on paper, the 330d is my choice.

[90MSP]

I can only give you a view of a 330D M Sport 2006. Mine had 56k when I bought it, had to replace both thermostats, re-gen the DPF, clean EGR and swirl flaps, replace glow plugs and glow plug relay. Do a full wheel alignment. It was previously owned by an estate agent who potted about town.

After that I gained an additional 130 miles from a tank full of fuel. I travel 25 miles to work, cruises effortlessly along and has the power in spades when you need it. Looks good, great place to be (quality build) and I look forward to driving it every day. Keep right on top of the little things and it's a great car.

[stugolf]

Thanks for all the advice on this guys

[jayblue]

My dad has an Edition 30 , it drives really well and responded very well to a remap, ending up with just over 300bhp. They have the same engine in as the S3, just detuned - a much stronger engine than the standard GTi and probably the only real reason you would pick one over a stock Gti i think.

The interior is not as good as the BMW and of course it is only front wheel drive but it is a great fun, nimble car and not much gets close to it with the power it has because it is still relatively light. Can't speak for the 330d as i have a 335i but if your driving it mostly around town i would say the Golf would be more fun and as an added bonus the residuals are rock solid on them, unlike the BMW...

[Nobber]

Again can't comment on the 330D but I'd choose the golf!

Having owned 3 cars with the 2.0 TFSi lump in them I'm very much a fan.

a normal Mk5 gti, mapped, on KW v3's, Milltek exhaust and some wheels. Was a lovely car at the time as it was quite new then, but great build quality, fun car, handled superbly, went well.

A Seat Leon Cupra K1 - stage 2+ tuned, on KW v3's. Went incredibly well, bloody quick actually. Proven 380bhp + 380lb/ft. Cheaper interior but more entertaining than the golf.

An Audi S3 8p. Again stage 2+ (slightly more actually!). Went like nothing else I've ever owned (and I've owned a v8 RS4 and own a modded 335i). I miss it, a lot and wish I hadn't sold it!

In short, if you don't need the extra space, buy the Golf and tune it.

[3sgte]

I own a an 260BHP ED30 and a 355BHP 335D E90 and TBH there is no comparison. The E90 is superior in every single department, from performance to styling to interior to handling. Its just a more complete car.

Get an E90 330D ... though if you want a sorted ED30 PM me, its up for sale :-)

[SO8]

I have had both !

I had a Golf GTi Edition 30 DSG for 2 years and remapped it via Superchips to just under 300bhp. The stupidest thing I ever did was to sell it !!

I have recently sold a 330d E92 LCI auto for 3 years which I remapped a few months before selling it to 305bhp via DMS. The map was excellent but the car (being an LCI at 6 to 60) was actually more fun as standard.

Which would I buy - sorry to say on a BMW forum but the Edition 30 remapped is the one i really miss !

BMW build is better but the Golf was good. Fuel was 28mpg average for me on the Ed 30 and about 36 on the BMW for similar routes.

The BMW is totally effortless but the Golf was far more fun. I loved both these cars far more than many others I have had. I miss the BMW but not half as much as the Golf !

FWIW I never really had any problems with either - mechanically or trim, etc.

[SO8]

Originally Posted by 3sgte

I own a an 260BHP ED30 and a 355BHP 335D E90 and TBH there is no comparison. The E90 is superior in every single department, from performance to styling to interior to handling. Its just a more complete car.

Get an E90 330D ... though if you want a sorted ED30 PM me, its up for sale :-)

Interesting - opposite view to me ... but a 335d as opposed to a 330d. The Ed30 can't use 1st really when mapped but after that flies. It won't fly like a 335d remapped though but would out accelerate my 330d remapped ... the Ed 30 mapped felt far quicker than the 330d remapped ... though probably wasn't. The DSG box was great though.

[Ajs_435d]

If you want quick and economical get a stage 2 335D, i get 35MPG out of mine pottering about on a mixture of 30/60 mph roads primarily 30 mph roads.

Almost 375BHP/570 lb ft, I'm not sure if it will be quicker than a tuned ED30. I can only base my experience on hot hatches like Focus RS's which i have left in a drag - likely standard.

I have no need for a petrol car because i already own a turbo S2000 and that leaves my 335D will relative ease.

They are both good cars the E90's are common, ED30's not so much so, but the interior in the E90's is better IMO, i think my 335D looks better too but thats me.

I just dont think the ED30's looks vastly different from normal golf GTi's. IMO the E90s M sports etc tarted up are one of the best looking saloon's on the road, just too common.

[E92Dan]

I had a Golf GTI and sold it as it bored me. It was quite a thirsty car and sounded crap on tickover. Had loads of reliability problems with it as well.
My 330d is ten times the car and I love it

[Billyray911]

When you get the 330d,make sure you change that username as well!

[stugolf]

Ha ha will do

Some great unbiased comparisons on here guys which I appreciate, I would like a 330d with iDrive but they command an extra premium which I'm unsure if it's worth it

[335d Rocco]

Id only be concerned about having idrive if you were getting the LCI 330d, the older idrive is very dated imo