[Steve vRS]

I am giving up my 320d ED company car and fancy an estate.

I'll be doing a lot of miles (25k per year) but fancy a petrol. I'll get 45p per mile (first 10k etc) and so can afford to go petrol so is the 330 significantly thirstier in the real world than the 325 and on the flip side, is the 325 much slower in the real world?

Ta

Steve

[Subzero2003]

OH FFS!!!

I wrote out a massive, long, detailed post about 325's and 330's and i clicked submit for "We are currently doing maintenence on the website, pleases wait 2-3 minutes" to appear and when i clicked back, the post had gone.

****ing ****s whoever did that. Sorry, i don't think i can be bothered to write it all out again, at the moment at least. Grrrr pissed off now.

[Bungle009]

Very little difference in the real world.

[jonw]

330 imo had a 325 and I'd hardly call them brisk and need plenty of revs to get them going.

[davyk31]

Depends on age of 325, if its the 2.5 engine it sounds great, is mega smooth but nooooooooo torque at all, needs so many revs to overtake safely.

[phil200tdi]

335i isnt much less economical.

[RichJ]

I have a N53 330i, a good all rounder, more than quick enough in the real world and a good blend of N/A noise and affordable running costs i.e servicing, road tax and insurance. Average late twenties town driving and mid 30's plus on motorways.

[shrink]

i've had an E46 330i and now an E90 325i.

The 325i is smooth as silk, sounds lovely at low RPM, moves the car around easilly and is spirited once you get the revs high!

But the E90/91 etc 330i is quite a lot more powerful and has quite a bit more torque from lower down. Its not night and day, and you're not going to notice massively profound differences in them, but for sure my old 330i was faster in overtaking, mostly due to having considerably more torque than the 325i.

I picked my 325i based on spec, mileage, condition and warranty etc. I'd let that be your real guide. Get a good 325i rather than a poor spec 330i and vice versa. IN the real world, theres not a HUGE amount in it.

The 325i is also capable (in theory) of ever so slightly better fuel economy. If thats your ultimate concern, then its probably the more rounded of the two.

[E90325iM-SPORT]

Get 330i mate its faster and same mpg. Simples

[gaza01]

I've got a 325 but if I had the option when buying I'd have got the 330. Only reason I got the 325 is because there weren't any 330s about that I liked when i was looking. not much in the mpg either

[andyoxon]

I have a E91 335i and I love it and I know if I had a 325 or 330 I wouldn't the difference is huge the fuel economy is fine for normal driving if you cane it everywhere then you are looking at 20mpg but you can't go that fast all the time. I always hated paying for fuel but with this car I really don't care I just love driving it, admittedly my car has had a few mods.

[G82Dude]

Not much difference in real MPG and virtually the same CO2. 330!

[Steve vRS]

So what can you get with either on a 70mph motorway run. Please be honest chaps!

Steve

[Phil325i]

My 325i (N53 engine) gives 42mpg on a M/way run (on-board computer only - haven't worked it out manually).

[G82Dude]

N53 330i will do 40 on motorway no problem.

[gaza01]

N53 325i london to birmingham but town driving either end and motorway in the middle I get 35mpg. Motorway driving there is absolutely nothing to worry about...town driving is the real killer. I range between 19-23mpg in london.

[chris325]

I recently reset the obc because the average was reading 23mpg with a lot of short journeys and town driving, and starting a new job commuting from the south coast to Bromley.

With a mixture of A27, A23, M23, M25 and the bits around, over 900 miles so far I have achieved (according to the obc) 31.3mpg.

Thats some 'spirited' driving - had it up to 120 without realising tonight, and in a rush to get home for last orders

and some driving like a nun when I left my wallet at work and only had 45 miles range to do a 76 mile journey. Made it though.

I would have thought the 330 could achieve more than the 325 in real world conditions, especially on a long cruise.

Having said that, love my 325, its quick, although as some say it does need the revs working, but for me thats part of the fun of driving - dropping it into 3rd and flying up to 120 at nearly 7k revs

[shrink]

On a recent trip from edinburgh to harrogate. I managed 41.5 in my 325i. By the time we had done a few day trips and driven home it said 38.7

[Bungle009]

On a public forum, and with your number plate in your avatar, you might wish to confirm that that was 120 KMH, rather than mph.

Originally Posted by chris325

I recently reset the obc because the average was reading 23mpg with a lot of short journeys and town driving, and starting a new job commuting from the south coast to Bromley.

With a mixture of A27, A23, M23, M25 and the bits around, over 900 miles so far I have achieved (according to the obc) 31.3mpg.

Thats some 'spirited' driving - had it up to 120 without realising tonight, and in a rush to get home for last orders

and some driving like a nun when I left my wallet at work and only had 45 miles range to do a 76 mile journey. Made it though.

I would have thought the 330 could achieve more than the 325 in real world conditions, especially on a long cruise.

Having said that, love my 325, its quick, although as some say it does need the revs working, but for me thats part of the fun of driving - dropping it into 3rd and flying up to 120 at nearly 7k revs

[Nick the Greek]

Had both. After a diesel either will be heaven. I'd go 330i.