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Comments
I applaude the performance package on the new 330, but $9k seems very little to pay for the thrill of getting the 333 horses. There are few cars that can generate the kinds of smiles you get when you are really laying on it in second and third gears in the M3. You only live once. If you live a disciplined life and money is not too important to you then just pull the trigger and get the M3.
I will again say that there was something beautiful and unique about the 5 speed in the 330 that I loved. I wish the performance package didn't take that 5 speed away. (I liked it more than the 6sp in the M3)
BTW: you must all go and drive the Z4. Unbelievable. It generated the same feeling for me as my M3 for a lot less. I loved it, but I need a more practical car (We take family trips in the M3--put the kid seat in the back and pack the trunk full--it is great).
The PP brings the 330i to about the same power as an E36 M3. That was sufficient level of power three years ago to have a lot of fun and still is. And the price of an E46 330i PP is about the same as an E36 M3 sedan.
Sorry, I don't understand why folks these days are so obsessed with more power. $9K for 100 extra hp? Why not? We're headed for the next generation M3 making 400-hp and weighing 3800 lbs.
- Mark
i ended up going to new century where i bought my car from, though a bit far. first, they had earliest opening and gave me a loaner. second, they all speak my native language chinese. anyhow, i may try crevier next time - oil services is just 1200 mi away...
- Mark
If anyone has any comments about Gault I would appreciate hearing that. Also if there are any watch fors or questions I could put to the body shop personnel to make sure everthing is checked out properly, that would be appreciated as well.
Finally, I had the misfortune of having a Canadien truck driver responsible for the collision (he was cited with a ticket). If anyone has any pointers on dealing with the Canadien/NY liability insurance laws, I would want to hear that. I think this is going to end up costing me money (deductible, rental cars, etc) even though we were entirely not to blame (We were at a standstill due to an accident ahead of us)
Any comments you have would be helpful. Thanks.
Also, every other car reports on drivers' personal experiences in the car. The 3er's is always very vague and generic - "This month we'll talk about the beautiful lines of our long term 330...". Thanks, but I'd like to know what your 45,000 dollar ride is like to drive on a daily basis. Isn't that the point of the long term test cars?
I wrote the editors asking to explain the difference in reporting style and they ignored me. Am I the only person who's noticed this?
Thanks,
Scott
In some ways the 330 was easier and possibly even more fun to drive. I found it very responsive and it communicates with the driver very well. Having less horsepower it was easier for me to take it through the tight turns and it would always give good feedback and warning as the rear tires would let go. In the M3 it has so much power that with DSC on you frequently feel the computer kicking in and saving you, and with it off you have to be easy with the throttle in the turns. As Brian Herta said "The M3 is a car that wants to be driven sideways." I have found that to be true. I love it but sometimes it is a beast to control.
As for the Edmunds long term test on 330, I too noticed the lack of substance in their reports. Maybe they lost the keys for a few months and were too embarrassed to mention that! I hear that this month's report will focus on they way the sun gleams off of the paint when the car is positioned at a 45 degree slant in the driveway!
Get with it guys!
Has anyone out there tried to come off lease early recently. I'm halfway through a 36 month lease and I suspect that the rates have dropped substantially since I made my deal. I was wondering if it would be close to a wash to roll into a new model.
I think that with the new 5er been here at the end of 2003, start of 2004. BMW might inject some more excitement at the end of the E46 run (maybe one of the new inline-6 engines from the 5er). I just wish that BMW would give us the Individual program, even our neighbors in the North have it.
I have never driven a M3 but would almost be scared too. The 330i suspension already feels very tight for a daily commuter.
I would think the M3 is a blast to drive but not make as good as a daily commuter with its tighter suspension and tons more hp.
I'm currently a contractor working in Qatar (Middle East). Since a 330ci was one of the vehicles I may be interested in buying, I recently stopped by a BMW dealer here in the city of Doha and looked at some 2003 models. What I noticed was a different set of exterior paint colors, upholstery colors and trim colors. I was really impressed with a paint color of light yellow metallic, with light yellow nappa leather and birch wood trim. So rich looking. Obviously the color options are different for "European" spec models, the kind they import here. I verified the colors by surfing the BMW Germany web site.
Here are my questions:
1) If I decided on either ordering a 2003 U.S. model back in the states directly from the dealer or via European delivery, am I able to request/order these special "European only" colors?
2) If I went the other route of purchasing the vehicle here in Qatar or flying directly to Germany and doing the same thing, can a European model vehicle be optioned with U.S. emission so it will pass inspection? If so does anyone have experience or knowledge of the cost of this option or the costs of doing that once it is back in the states?
I welcome any input, especially from dealers. I won't be buying a vehicle till late summer, but any help I can get now can possibly lead to a 100% cash sale for any of you sales representatives out there. ;-)
Thanks!
Mark
BTW: M3 makes a great daily driver. Its suspension is great. You can hit speed bumps at 45mph that would rip the bottom out of most cars. (I do not routinely do this). (I am talking about speed bumps in the middle of the road, not in a parking lot--I do not drive 45mph through a parking lot). My wife loves it. We drove up to Austin twice this past week with the kid (200miles from Houston) and had a great time. It is virtually silent at 85-95mph in 6th gear and the distance melts away. The V1 comes in handy too at those speeds which are not unreasonable on the empty stretches of road down here in Texas.
On the other hand, 98% of drivers don't need RWD and 50/50 weight distribution. Now I'm arguing with myself )
Hmmm...the competiton continues to come.
Car companies don't give anything away, it you want a scrappy little car get an EVO, but don't expect the "total BMW package", that is not their market. The same for the RX-8. Xenons/DSC/LSD are becoming standard on a lot of cars, and I'm sure it'll have a dynamite drive, but it will fall short where BMW excels, if not it wouldn't be $28,000 loaded, less than the G35.
I sure am- and I stand by my comments. And I'm certainly not saying AWD doesn't have some real advantages over RWD. For example, if your goal is to maintain high average speeds in inclement weather then AWD IS the hot ticket-though I'd prefer a C4S or a 4.6is over an E46. My point is simply this: If your driving skills are so weak that you need AWD to feel "confident" driving in the rain you really should just take the bus.
brave1heart, your statement "98% of drivers are brain-dead morons who have no business behind the wheel of ANY motor vehicle"......AMEN
I know the dangerous sort who thinks they're the next coming of Senna. trust me, THEY fit into that 98% too.
-Colin
Every accident I've been in, my foot was firmly on the brake, not the gas. How would AWD have helped me avoid those accidents?
-murray
I sometimes wonder why BMW is more profitable than any other car company besides Porsche. It's a great car - no doubt, but it isn't the only car. I owned an RX-7 15 years ago, and it handled as well as my current 3 series.
ButMyWife
I would like to say more expensive is usually better in the aggregate. Does that mean a $100,000 CLK is better than a Crown Victoria. Yes, it probably has a better fit and finish, better engineering, better safety, better materials. But if you can afford the car but can't use it car because you need a people hauler, it doesn't fit your needs. Therefore it isn't better for you. This dichotomy of a subjective "better" arises when our wants and prejudices are not in-line with our needs/requirements. And this leads to all sorts of things, like a perceived marquee image. (you pick the marquee)
In the summer I sweat in the car with leather seats, I'm not sure why sweating in a car on a hot day is unusual with any seats.
Thanks, Richard
ButMySweatyWife
Has BMW released the EPA MPG estimates for the performance package yet? I'm curious to know if it's below the gas guzzler threshold -- if so, that's equivalent to another $1000 of savings compared to the M3. I really wish BMW could tweak the economy of the M3 since its just barely over the limit and it would be nice to save $1k rather than pay it to the gov't. I would like to pull the trigger on an M3, but the extra taxes and insurance makes it a bit less attractive. Perhaps the PP will be cheaper to insure as well?
Also - Can anyone say definitively which 3 models will have the SMG as an option and when? I've seen occasional mentions but nothing definitive.