[neil_1821]

Hi everyone, I've been doing some research into BMW's and I think im set one either a 325i or a 330i. I can't really afford the running costs of a 335i let alone find one that's a 2 door manual!

How do you find mpg wise the 335 and 330 compared to book figures? Obviously driving style is dependant etc. also how do people find the 325i? I don't want to go into something slower than I currently have (Leon fr diesel, about 200bhp and 400ft/ibs torque) so I'm hoping the 325i can suffice.

I was set on the metallic grey, 2 door with red leather but price wise they seem expensive as does a manual white one.

I'm looking at spending £8.5k maximum really but what are your opinions on mileage?

I've been looking at m4rius BMW as I stumbled across that on eBay and I absolutely love it but was slightly worried about the high mileage and his location!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[KM79]

I would go for the 330i out of the 2.Theres almost nothing in the mpg between them.I had a 330i e92 auto and was a great car,got around 25mpg in town and 38mpg motorway.
Had it a year and never missed a beat,have had a 335i for a year and it's had 7k spent on warranty repairs so far.

[Reece]

I wouldnt bother with a 325i even the later 3 litre lump, my 177bhp 320d blows my pals out the water of the line to 70-80mph then he comes past.

If your worried about mpg you will probably be better off with a diesel, a 330d is a good all rounder tbh

[chris_s1]

Neither are cars that get a lot of love from the forums to be honest. I had a 325i coupe as a temporary car during some repair work and wasn't impressed. I had a 325d at the time and it wasn't a patch on that. After your FR, you will be disappointed in the performance and the mpg I'm sure.

If you can't run to the 335i, I would be looking at the diesel models. The 325d is a great bargain choice if you remap it.

[xPETEZx]

I have a E90 325i SE with the later 3.0L N53 engine, a colleague of mine has the same engine in a E92.

I paid £8.6k for mine 2 years ago with 65k on the clock. (58 Plate)
My colleague paid about the same for his E92 with 70~ K recently on a 57 plate.

So the budget you have will definitely get you a 325i with the N53 engine.

I would have preferred a 330i (or 335i) but for my budget I could not find a decent one.
It seems 6MT 330i's are hard to come by. During my whole time looking I only found 1 that fit the bill. It was a little out of my price range and gone before I could look.

For my budget I couldnt get either Pre-LCI M Sport 325i with more miles, or LCI 325i SE and decided Id rather the new lower mileage car.

Coming from a diesel you may find the 325i seems slow. You need to rev it more as the power is higher up the band.

For me, its the quickest car I have driven/owned, but then this is only my second car.
So I do not find it slow at all. Sure at times in the wrong gear it does feel sluggish, but a down shift sorts that out.

I would definitely recommend a test drive. See what you think.
I have been very happy with mine.

[neil_1821]

I'd heard some horror stories about the diesels as the timing chains snap and my journey to work only sees me getting high 30's in the winter and very low 40's in the summer as it's not really an 'effective' diesel route.

The 0-62 times don't differ much to that of my Leon but I know it's not just all about the figures. 330i's seem to be a tad more expensive than the 325 and the 335i's seem to have a lot of issues.

I'm even more confused now

[rhysh1990]

I have an 09 plate 6MT 330i and absolutely love it i went for it as like yourself could not afford running costs of a 335i its a great car day to day driving i get 30-33mpg however on a run i get around 42mpg but the other day i drove VERY carefully to work and managed an astonishing 47mpg on a mix of 30mph roads and dual carriageways! Although roads were dead as it was 6 in the morning lol

[AlanYoro35i]

I think early 325i have the detuned 330i engine.

330i would be noticeable improvement over your fr but 325i will be probably slower since its a heavier car than the fs?

[sohail330]

Originally Posted by neil_1821

Hi everyone, I've been doing some research into BMW's and I think im set one either a 325i or a 330i. I can't really afford the running costs of a 335i let alone find one that's a 2 door manual!

How do you find mpg wise the 335 and 330 compared to book figures? Obviously driving style is dependant etc. also how do people find the 325i? I don't want to go into something slower than I currently have (Leon fr diesel, about 200bhp and 400ft/ibs torque) so I'm hoping the 325i can suffice.

I was set on the metallic grey, 2 door with red leather but price wise they seem expensive as does a manual white one.

I'm looking at spending £8.5k maximum really but what are your opinions on mileage?

I've been looking at m4rius BMW as I stumbled across that on eBay and I absolutely love it but was slightly worried about the high mileage and his location!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I have a 2007 e92 330i and they are great. Plenty of power and good economy considering what it is. I often go on longish drives (120 miles each way) and achieve 35mpg but if you are in town it will be more like 25mpg. Very reliable cars, engine sound is fantastic and they look great.

I'm going to be putting mine on auto trader and this site very soon, it will be a sad day seeing it go.. Only reason im selling is due to moving house commute being much shorter so going to get a motorbike instead.

I wouldnt worry about the power, trust me there is plenty 272bhp and 315nm torque. 0-60 is approx 6 secs and they pull all the way up to 7000rpm. Im talking about the n52 330i in the e92s here fyi

[neil_1821]

Yeah i'm keeping my eyes peeled for a nice 330i now, gonna be an uphill struggle to find one though!

[xPETEZx]

Originally Posted by Yoro35i

I think early 325i have the detuned 330i engine.

330i would be noticeable improvement over your fr but 325i will be probably slower since its a heavier car than the fs?

OP, is your FR re-mapped?

Looking @ cars on Auto Trader the 0-62 sprint takes:

Older FR's : 8.5s
Newer FR's: 7.5s

Compared to the BMWs:
325i: 6.7s
330i: 6.1s

So difference between 330 and 325 is .6s
While even the newer FR is .8s slower than the 325i

Now of course this is all just on paper.

As I said above, drive them. See if its fast enough for YOU.
Its easy on forums to think you need the fastest car, when some of the people recommending them may just have a history of fast motors so have a different yard stick.

[sohail330]

Originally Posted by neil_1821

Yeah i'm keeping my eyes peeled for a nice 330i now, gonna be an uphill struggle to find one though!

You won't regret it they're really good overall cars.

Not many on auto trader (especially manuals) when I was looking. If you are interested in an e92 330i auto then let me know as I said earlier i'm looking to sell mine.

[Russbmw]

Not all diesels have the timing chain issues, it's was only the 2ltr versions.

All this talk of manuals being rare makes me glad I got my 335i manual!

[neil_1821]

Originally Posted by xPETEZx

OP, is your FR re-mapped?

Looking @ cars on Auto Trader the 0-62 sprint takes:

Older FR's : 8.5s
Newer FR's: 7.5s

Compared to the BMWs:
325i: 6.7s
330i: 6.1s

So difference between 330 and 325 is .6s
While even the newer FR is .8s slower than the 325i

Now of course this is all just on paper.

As I said above, drive them. See if its fast enough for YOU.
Its easy on forums to think you need the fastest car, when some of the people recommending them may just have a history of fast motors so have a different yard stick.

Yeah my FR is running a custom map after it had air filter and stainless exhaust from turbo back with no cat, got a nice even torque curve.

Yeah I think I'll be going to a local garage to have a test drive of a 325i and then compare that to a 330i.

[mikeouk]

I had a 07 325i e92 msport. I bought the car because it had the spec I wanted at the time apart from the engine. I never fell in love with it, mpg was bad and just didn't like the fact it felt like I had to rev it high in each gear to feel any power. I swapped it a year ago for a 325d e92 msport, had it remapped, and I smile every time I drive it. It's amazing how much differance the "right" engine makes to drivability and enjoyment from a car.

[Marshall878]

Originally Posted by mikeouk

......I swapped it a year ago for a 325d e92 msport, had it remapped, and I smile every time I drive it. It's amazing how much differance the "right" engine makes to drivability and enjoyment from a car.

Serious lack of 325D's on here.....who did your remap?

[mikeouk]

Originally Posted by Marshall878

Serious lack of 325D's on here.....who did your remap?

Dynodrive in Warrington . Mine is an lci, so a ecu out job. There wasn't many places who could actualy do the job. I'd recommend them.