Advice on BMW 330d

padraigmyers

I was thinking of changing my car soon and one if the cars that I was looking at seriously is the BMW 330d. I was just wondering does anyone here have any expierence with them? Any problems to look out for. I was looking at buying either a 00 or 01 car from the North perhaps. Whats the deprication like on them down here, its hard to tell because there seams to be very few of them availible in the south. Also any advice or tips about the 320d as well, because if the 330 is a viable option I was considering the 320.
Any help is appricated.

mike65

I have no experience of either sadly! But I'll say this - the 320d goes well you'll pay 540 odd euro a year on road tax, the 330d wont be much faster in the real world or any more economical it'll loose value faster as its costs over €1000 pa to tax!

http://www.parkers.co.uk/choosing/car_reviews/review.aspx?range_id=793

http://www.topgear.com/servlet/tg?DEST=/content/jsp/individualRoadTest.jsp&EVENT=1010&MAKE=BMW:A4&MODEL=3%20Series:E2&roadTestNumber=64.html

http://www.carsurvey.org/review_32694.html

http://www.carsurvey.org/review_43787.html

Mike.

Seth Brundle

was chatting to a friend recently that owns a (lovely) e46 318ci ('03) and he was sayint that he was in a 330i recently and it was a different "world altogether" & "super car".
Ask on the BMW Club Forum

unkel

Padraig

The engine has gone up in output from 184bhp when it was introduced here in 1999 to 193bhp and is now 218bhp. Research the details on the web. The earlier versions can apparently be chip-tuned with good results (better performance and even lower fuel consumption)

I am very interested in changing my old model 530i V8 to a 530d sometime in the next year and have therefore done a little research on the engine. I am now convinced there is not a better diesel engine in this segment

Mind if I had set my mind on a 3 series diesel, I'd be inclined to go 320d. Have been a passenger in one and must say the torque is incredible. Did the checking later and can you believe the torque of the 2 liter diesel is more than my 3 liter V8 petrol

As Mike rightly says the tax is €513 vs €1056, also insurance would be much better as the majority of insurance companies don't take on cars over 2.5 liters. Furthermore you would spend about 15 - 20 % less in fuel (guessing here) and depreciation would be lower. You would probably have to buy it in the north / UK as well. I think I have seen only about 5 Irish reg 330d.

Just as a side note - the 320d and merc 220CDI are the cars with the lowest depreciation from new over 3 years in the UK, so second hand they are expensive. Same probably applies here and if you can find one, a 330d second hand might be good value for money - remember very few people here can even contemplate buying a 3 liter car, which fact alone makes them depreciate faster. Not good when you buy new, better if you buy second hand :cool:

BogoBot

Er....wot unkel said!

I'm changing my 323i for a 330d early next year. They are the best diesel engined car on sale today without a doubt. The road tax is huge but be *very* careful with the insurance......I have had a lot of insurance companies hang up on me.

Bogobot.