Your opinion please? A5/335

Fizman

BMW

I'm a big fan of Audi's, but must admit very tough choice (albeit a nice one). I went for the Audi, but i'm not gone on those wheels in the pic, would much rather the new RS4 19's (i know you pointed out in a previous thread they are about 4700), if not then the 18's.

Theboinkmaster

BMW

MarkN wrote:

Well here's the thing - in the A5 I think 2.0T petrol excepted, I think diesel is the way to go, even the sales guy in Grange who I know well enough at this stage said you'd be mad to even consider the 3.2 A5.

They also reckon an S5 that has 100k on the price tag due to extras will lose €20,000 a year for year one and two. :eek:

Now if I were to go BMW, I think I would prefer the petrol, be it 325 or 335.

I would probably prefer to go automatic in this type of car - Audi are the opposite to BMW on the diesel front at the moment, I don't think automatic/ S tronic is available on the diesel yet.

In the A5 the prices are nearly the same for the 3.0 TDI and the 3.2 petrol but like I say, I don't really do diesel kms at all so it would be just for the power of it and the nice economy to go with it - I cycle to work most days - for example, I haven't put petrol into the S3 in nearly 2 weeks and I'm lucky to see 400 kms from a tank in that.

You're spending €70k on a car and you cycle to work :eek:

What colours are you looking at? I think different cars look better in different colours - silver audi and black beamer?

E92

MarkN wrote:

Well here's the thing - in the A5 I think 2.0T petrol excepted, I think diesel is the way to go, even the sales guy in Grange who I know well enough at this stage said you'd be mad to even consider the 3.2 A5.

They also reckon an S5 that has 100k on the price tag due to extras will lose €20,000 a year for year one and two. :eek:

Now if I were to go BMW, I think I would prefer the petrol, be it 325 or 335.

I would probably prefer to go automatic in this type of car - Audi are the opposite to BMW on the diesel front at the moment, I don't think automatic/ S tronic is available on the diesel yet.

In the A5 the prices are nearly the same for the 3.0 TDI and the 3.2 petrol but like I say, I don't really do diesel kms at all so it would be just for the power of it and the nice economy to go with it - I cycle to work most days - for example, I haven't put petrol into the S3 in nearly 2 weeks and I'm lucky to see 400 kms from a tank in that.

The 2.0TFSI A5 will have 200 bhp, MarkN, so thats going to be a lot slower than your current car(especially as its heavier too). There are no plans for any other output to be available in that engine that I know of(for now anyway).

The 3.2 FSI A5 is being upped to around 265 bhp as well.

What kind of driving do you do if you say you are lucky to only get 250 miles(400 km is about 250 miles isn't it?) from a tank of petrol from a smallish 2 litre car?:eek:

What about the 330i Mark, its basically a 325i with a remapped engine (272 bhp and 232 lb ft)?

Or a diesel 6 pot 3 series Coupé? I know someone who has an E60 530d(218 bhp), and I'm reliably informed that it is 1.1 seconds faster from 50-75 mph in 4th gear than a 545i(333 bhp). That person said it is a bit faster in the real world than the 540i E39 it replaced.

The only thing about that is I still believe that a large petrol 3 series Coupé will still hold its value well.

Cyrus

E92 wrote:

The 2.0TFSI A5 will have 200 bhp, MarkN, so thats going to be a lot slower than your current car(especially as its heavier too). There are no plans for any other output to be available in that engine that I know of(for now anyway).

The 3.2 FSI A5 is being upped to around 265 bhp as well.

What kind of driving do you do if you say you are lucky to only get 250 miles(400 km is about 250 miles isn't it?) from a tank of petrol from a smallish 2 litre car?:eek:

What about the 330i Mark, its basically a 325i with a remapped engine (272 bhp and 232 lb ft)?

Or a diesel 6 pot 3 series Coupé? I know someone who has an E60 530d(218 bhp), and I'm reliably informed that it is 1.1 seconds faster from 50-75 mph in 4th gear than a 545i(333 bhp). That person said it is a bit faster in the real world than the 540i E39 it replaced.

The only thing about that is I still believe that a large petrol 3 series Coupé will still hold its value well.

is the 325i not a 2.5 litre and the 330i a 3 litre

R.O.R

E92 wrote:

The 2.0TFSI A5 will have 200 bhp, MarkN, so thats going to be a lot slower than your current car(especially as its heavier too). There are no plans for any other output to be available in that engine that I know of(for now anyway).

Are they definately putting the 2.0TFSi in to the A5? According to my brochure engine line up will be:

1.8T - 170BHP
3.2 2wd/Quattro - 265bhp

2.7Tdi - 190bhp
3.0Tdi Quattro - 238bhp

And the S5


MarkN - before going with Grange (I know Audi are fantastic down there), have a word with Chris in Fosters and see if he'll do any better - if going for the A5.

If it were me, the A5 would have to be very special to lure me away from a 330d or 335d. Tried to get a 335d to test and there is only one Coupe in the country on Press Demo - nothing in 330d Coupe either, ended up having to give the driver the 335i convertible.

prospect

BMW

Personally I wouldn't go near either, they both look bland.

But seeing as you ask us to make a decision I would go with the Audi, because it smells slightly less of the bleach-blonde new-money brigade.

MarkN

I don't think the size of the car or the style of driving I do matters one bit when the car has an engine with 265bhp stuck onto the front of it The S3 is no slug of a car at all.

I'm not 100% on the 2.0T it's just what I was told, again was just told, 240bhp in it.

I'm dealing with someone from VW in Grange, not Audi but I wouldn't give Fosters my business. They are to55ers, end of.

If I was going for bigger than the 325 BMW then I'd just go the whole hog and get the 335.

The BMW is nice in black but I've had a few black cars now, I think the grey (not space grey in the M sport sadly) looks the business in the BMW. The Audi I would probably go for Meteor grey but possibly black.

Theboinkmaster

BMW

My current car is black and I find it hard to keep clean and scratches show up very easily. So I think my next car, if an a3, will be silver. If i get the gti though i think ill stick with black as it looks so damn good.

I think 'sports' cars are best looking in strong colours such as black, silver, red and that audi bright blue. I don't like the 'gun metal' grey colour at the moment (except in the new aston martin) as it looks too subtle or wishy washy - same with navy and the audi lava grey. But it's all down to personal taste...

E92

Cyrus wrote:

is the 325i not a 2.5 litre and the 330i a 3 litre

The E90(Saloon) and E91(touring) 325i is a 2.5 litre, the E92(Coupé) and E93(Cabrio) 325i is a 3 litre. Both have 218 bhp, but the E92 and E93 has a newer engine, which will be fitted to the E90 and E91 in the Autumn.

MarkN wrote:

I'm not 100% on the 2.0T it's just what I was told, again was just told, 240bhp in it.

I remember distinctly reading that the A5 2.0T would have 200 bhp, unfortunately I can't find it at the moment where I got that information from, actually I can't even find reference to a 2.0T A5 of any description, so we'll wait and see, sorry about that. Time will tell.

I would suspect that should Audi decide to launch a 2.0 T A5, that it will have 200 bhp, as if it were to have 240 bhp, there would be a huge gap between it and the 1.8T which has 156 bhp, and consequently a very small gap between it and the 3.2, but I don't have an 'inside track' on it(in any case, having just checked audi.de, they only have the 6 pot engines on sale at the moment(and the Quattros are manual only, the front drivers are Auto only there at the moment), so if/when this engine does appear, it will be some time before we get it).

MarkN

Some good research done there E92!! You must be right about the 2.0T so.

I'll have to stand alone and say I actually thought the E92 325i was a 2.5 - then the 335i is a no brainer for me really if it's the same size engine and that is the car I end up going for.

fletch

E92 wrote:

The E90(Saloon) and E91(touring) 325i is a 2.5 litre, the E92(Coupé) and E93(Cabrio) 325i is a 3 litre.

Okay, now I'm confused
From bmw.ie

Ice_Box

BMW

Off topic but here is the new A4. Inspired by A5.

E92

fletch wrote:

Okay, now I'm confused
From bmw.ie

I'll now get my coat and leave:D . Anyway, why does BMW Ireland feel the need to use the German symbol for rpm(1/min) and quote power in kiloWatts when everyone uses bhp?

In my defence, BMW Irelands site is incorrect, as they still havent updated the page for the 320i, 320d,and 325d which are all now available here.

To make matters even worse for me, I've just found out on BMWs UK site,which has the engines updated for the new 'Efficient Dynamics' mpg figures that when the new engines do arrive(it now seems that they will all arrive at once for the E90-E93, contrary to what I said earlier, so very sorry for the confusion:( ) that the 325i will still be a 2.5 litre(but the 325i Cabrio will be a 3 litre), which has me really confused because on the continent the 325i with the Efficient Dynamics technology is basically a de-tuned 330i, with exactly the same power and torque as the 325i they will be selling to the UK(and presumably Ireland).

And even more confusing is that the Efficient Dynamics 525i in the UK and Ireland is a 3.0 litre engine. The mind positively boggles.

Mark and Fletch, I'm sorry about that, I just simply assumed that as the 525i was a 3 litre engine, the 325i would follow suit, I thought that the new generation of BMW petrol engines which already have made their debut in the 5 series were the only ones ever available in the 3 series Coupé and Cabrio, because the uprated 320i went on sale straight away with 170 bhp in the E92&E93(it is still 148 bhp for the E90&E91 for the moment), and similarly the 330i was only available with 272 bhp in the E92&E93(Coupé and Cabrio respectively) whereas the 330i still has 258 bhp in the E90 and E91(Saloon and Touring) for the moment.

Hence why I made the incorrect assumption that the 325i was always a 3 litre engine in E92 and E93 guise.


Actually BMW Irelands website says that the Cabrio 325i is a 3 litre.

MarkN

ha, will ya look at him putting up an essay of jargon to try and distract us from the fact that he got a BMW fact wrong

38psi

prospect wrote:

Personally I wouldn't go near either, they both look bland.

But seeing as you ask us to make a decision I would go with the Audi, because it smells slightly less of the bleach-blonde new-money brigade.

What do you mean BLEACH-BLONDE NEW-MONEY BRIGADE..
As a BMW 335i coupe owner I can confirm that none of the above statements apply to me and I think a lot of BMW owners will take offence to that remark....

richie_rvf

E92 wrote:

I would agree with you in that while sat nav is a nice extra in a car, it is not something I believe that would command a premium on resale.

Nowadays it is possible to buy a very good, portable sat nav system for only €750(and they can often do other things as well like be used for Bluetooh connectivity for a hands free phone), which can be used on any car, compared to the €3k you say the full Audi one costs.

If I were buying a used car in the morning, I wouldn't pay an extra penny for it to have sat nav, unless it were something like an S class/A8 etc, which in any case I would expect to have everything I have thought of and a few things I haven't.

I would have paid extra for sat nav before, but now we have portable sat navs which you can transfer from car to car, and are much cheaper to buy too.

Good points.

the only thing I would suggest is - have you seen the amount of nearly new cars on the market? Almost everyone is buying new, it is very easy to get the finance, if your car has all the toys when it comes to trading/selling it could be the deciding factor for someone.

just a though

MarkN

38psi wrote:

What do you mean BLEACH-BLONDE NEW-MONEY BRIGADE..
As a BMW 335i coupe owner I can confirm that none of the above statements apply to me and I think a lot of BMW owners will take offence to that remark....

I wouldn't worry about it. Having a nice car and being Irish is something which is frowned upon by a lot of our green isle occupants.

Not saying Prospect is one of them but it was a bit of an OTT remark in fairness!!

copacetic

BMW

Ice_Box wrote:

Off topic but here is the new A4. Inspired by A5.

i quite like it is silver, the red pics are rotten, very dissapointed that they appear to have dropped the exhaust on either side and gone for a lhs dual only though..

E92

MarkN wrote:

ha, will ya look at him putting up an essay of jargon to try and distract us from the fact that he got a BMW fact wrong

sigh, the things I do for some peopke, and all the thanks I get for it

RedorDead

BMW

R.O.R wrote:

Are they definately putting the 2.0TFSi in to the A5? According to my brochure engine line up will be:

1.8T - 170BHP
3.2 2wd/Quattro - 265bhp

2.7Tdi - 190bhp
3.0Tdi Quattro - 238bhp

And the S5


MarkN - before going with Grange (I know Audi are fantastic down there), have a word with Chris in Fosters and see if he'll do any better - if going for the A5.

If it were me, the A5 would have to be very special to lure me away from a 330d or 335d. Tried to get a 335d to test and there is only one Coupe in the country on Press Demo - nothing in 330d Coupe either, ended up having to give the driver the 335i convertible.

They are defo putting the 2.0TFSI in the A5 next year. There will be two versions of it.

2.0TFSI 180BHP - begins production Nov 08
2.0TFSI 211BHP - begins production Jun 08

Pricing of the higher bhp one to be 56ish afaik.

MarkN

Did up a few sums last night regarding the A5.

€78,000 was the total I came up with

3.0TDI Quattro
Milano leather
S Line exterior and interior
upgraded 19s
storage pack/lighting pack
metallic
colour driver information system
electric folding mirrors
interior anti dazzle mirror with rain sensors (although I think this is standard)

Now bear in mind this is with 240bhp.

The BMW 335i coupe with 306 bhp
M sport
upgraded 19s
dakota leather
Auto box with paddles

is €76,000

Now I know the A5 has more options but it needs that spec, give or take, the BMW M sport pack gives you an awful lot IMO.

Now I reckon I could get €3,000 discount off the A5, less on the BMW but when the BMW has stuff like button start and Audi want over €1,000 quid for it - same with electric seats, I really have to question how much value Audi are giving.

Cyrus

hmmm bmw straight 6 twin turbo power or an audi diesel

a bit simplistic i know but i know what id have

MarkN

At the moment, the only reason I could pick the Audi over the BMW is because they're gonna be rare. But this thread has really helped me, normally for me it's test drive, order. :rolleyes:

siralfalot

Locutus wrote:

Eh I know you don't want alternatives, but really for that money a secondhand RS4 or M5 beckons. I've tortured an M5 on a test drive and briefly driven an RS4 and they are both in a different class to the 335. Sorry, couldn't help it.

I have to say I agree 100%

for the life of me I can't see why people buy inferior cars just because they have a 07 or 08 reg no. feck the bland and boring looking Maxwell House style 335i and S5, get the full strenght Double Espresso M5 or RS4 it maybe a year or two old but far far superior.............. :cool:

sorry, I know you don't want to hear that, but hey thats my opinion

Cyrus

lads i would normally agree,

and for 70 odd k i wouldnt settle for anything less than a 911 myself however old i had to go

but you cannot get an rs4 or an m5 for 70 odd k yet

Theboinkmaster

BMW

MarkN wrote:

Did up a few sums last night regarding the A5.

€78,000 was the total I came up with

3.0TDI Quattro
Milano leather
S Line exterior and interior
upgraded 19s
storage pack/lighting pack
metallic
colour driver information system
electric folding mirrors
interior anti dazzle mirror with rain sensors (although I think this is standard)

Now bear in mind this is with 240bhp.

The BMW 335i coupe with 306 bhp
M sport
upgraded 19s
dakota leather

is €76,000

Now I know the A5 has more options but it needs that spec, give or take, the BMW M sport pack gives you an awful lot IMO.

Now I reckon I could get €3,000 discount off the A5, less on the BMW but when the BMW has stuff like button start and Audi want over €1,000 quid for it - same with electric seats, I really have to question how much value Audi are giving.

You certainly do pay for the audi don't ye. Would you not expect more like a €4-5k discount? TBH Mark just get the one you actually prefer - everyone has different tastes...whilst the audi isn't as good value I think it looks better in and out, and if image is important to you it'll be alot rarer sight on the road than the beamer

MarkN

Theboinkmaster wrote:

You certainly do pay for the audi don't ye. Would you not expect more like a €4-5k discount? TBH Mark just get the one you actually prefer - everyone has different tastes...whilst the audi isn't as good value I think it looks better in and out, and if image is important to you it'll be alot rarer sight on the road than the beamer

I don't know about the discount available yet TBH. I'm just going on what I was offered on the S3. I haven't got to that stage of talking money yet.

Both RS4 and M5 are great cars, far better than anything being discussed here, I just don't have the budget for the depreciation associated with them, nor do I need a car that size at 25 years of age. If you have a look at the guys driving those cars, they are in their late 30s and 40s.

R.O.R

MarkN wrote:

I don't know about the discount available yet TBH. I'm just going on what I was offered on the S3. I haven't got to that stage of talking money yet.

PM sent regarding pricing.....

MarkN

R.O.R wrote:

PM sent regarding pricing.....

Thanks a mil for that, reply sent. :cool:

Lads I left out that the BMW has the auto with paddles in the price I quoted above, I just left that out of the actual spec list I did but I edited it now.

Theboinkmaster

BMW

MarkN wrote:

Thanks a mil for that, reply sent. :cool:

Lads I left out that the BMW has the auto with paddles in the price I quoted above, I just left that out of the actual spec list I did but I edited it now.

Could it be a case of style over substance ie bmw would drive better but audi looks the biz?