# 330 is slow



## thaydith (Apr 2, 2002)

*IMO the 330 is slow*

I'm a proud owner of a 2002 330i but I have to get this off my chest - IT"S SLOW. What is so hard about getting this motor to give another 30-50hp?

EDIT: I changed the subject of the thread - I was pissed at the time and it was too much like a trolling subject.


----------



## Nick325xiT 5spd (Dec 24, 2001)

Stick or pansy?


----------



## Tanin (Dec 21, 2001)

Put an M3 badge on the back for another 108 hp


----------



## thaydith (Apr 2, 2002)

Nick325xiT 5spd said:


> *Stick or pansy? *


Look at my "What I Drive" - it's to the left of my message.


----------



## thaydith (Apr 2, 2002)

Tanin said:


> *Put an M3 badge on the back for another 108 hp *


I would if it would stick to a sedan didn't cost $20,000.


----------



## webguy330i (Jan 9, 2002)

thaydith said:


> *I'm a proud owner of a 2002 330i but I have to get this off my chest - IT"S SLOW. What is so hard about getting this motor to give another 30-50hp? *


You're kidding right? Tell me this is just an attempt at trolling, please.


----------



## thaydith (Apr 2, 2002)

*Re: Re: 330 is slow*



webguy330i said:


> *
> 
> You're kidding right? Tell me this is just an attempt at trolling, please.  *


Face the truth - it's not fast. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't buy any other car, but IMO it's something that they could really improve on.


----------



## Tanin (Dec 21, 2001)

Although quick, the 330i is never going to be a rocket. 
It's going to be tough and $ to add HP to this car.

The best band for the buck is going to be handling. Sways are inexpensive, easy to instal and immeditely noticable. 

I also have a Tri-Flo exhaust and the JC Cold Air Intake. Yes, they each claim an increase but it will cost you .


----------



## Spiderm0n (Dec 19, 2001)

*Re: Re: Re: 330 is slow*



thaydith said:


> *
> 
> Face the truth - it's not fast. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't buy any other car, but IMO it's something that they could really improve on. *


What do you consider a fast car? C&D rated my car at 5.6 seconds for the 0-60 :dunno:

I would rather have 225 BMW HP over 240 HP of some Japanese car.... check out thread descriging this in detail.


----------



## thaydith (Apr 2, 2002)

Tanin said:


> *
> I also have a Tri-Flo exhaust and the JC Cold Air Intake. Yes, they each claim an increase but it will cost you . *


How much did you pay, and how much of an increase did you notice?


----------



## webguy330i (Jan 9, 2002)

thaydith, while I don't think the 330 is a rocket by any means, it definitely does move and it moves with confidence, wouldn't you say? If you want anything faster you're going to need to cough up some extra cash and get a different car, slap on some FI/nitrous, or regress into an older car like the e36 m3 or hell even a used/prev. gen 540i or something.

I mean what else do you want from a car? The 330 covers it all pretty well IMO.


----------



## JPinTO (Dec 20, 2001)

thaydith said:


> *I'm a proud owner of a 2002 330i but I have to get this off my chest - IT"S SLOW. What is so hard about getting this motor to give another 30-50hp? *


I agree with you. Try taking out a 330CIC for a spin. It's slower than my 323i.

The reason I still have my 323i past the 3 year lease end is that I can't see myself upgrading to the 3.0L for the extra 40hp. It's not enough, especially for highway driving. You need alot of hp to seriously accelerate from 70mph.

Nothing that a 335 couldn't cure... or 3.0TT.


----------



## JPinTO (Dec 20, 2001)

webguy330i said:


> *If you want anything faster you're going to need to cough up some extra cash and get a different car, slap on some FI/nitrous, or regress into an older car like the e36 m3 or hell even a used/prev. gen 540i or something.
> *


BMW's V8 4.4L has impressive power even with a heavy X5. I can't imagine what the valvetronic V8 will feel like.

Alternately, a turbo would do the trick. Unfortunately turbo's are out of vogue currently. The 280hp 3.5L Nissan engine should have excellent power in the Z350.


----------



## Tanin (Dec 21, 2001)

I am close friends with a product evaluation editor and fortunately got the exhaust at a great price :thumbup: Retail is around $699.

The JC air intake was $399

Tri-Flo claims an increase of around 8 hp? and the intake claims 8-14 ?

To me the car sound great and feels quicker. Especially above 4000 rpm I feel an definite increase in power.

How much is psychological ????????


----------



## blackdawg (Jan 4, 2002)

*the 330.....*

SHOULD perform like the 1995 M3.

but with more torque throughout the rev range.

and it does, in general.

however, if you examine the rear end: it's geared quite lowly.

the cheapest thing to do for kicks if you really want to keep this car and keep up with the mustangs is to bump the rear end up to 3.23 or 3.38:1.

just a thought. the "old" M coupe even had a 3.23:1 rear end, the new M3 has a rear end of 3.62:1, that's why not only does it have power off the line, but also punch everywhere else.


----------



## ride365 (Dec 19, 2001)

I'm still waiting to hear what your point of comparison is. I'm not saying the 330 is a speeding bullet, but what kind of "fast" cars are you otherwise accustomed to?

kurt


----------



## obLu (Jan 10, 2002)

JPinTO - I severly resent that remark....but it's true.


----------



## FireFly (May 2, 2002)

I don't know guys, my 330xi seemed to do a heck of a job getting me from 25 to 90 getting onto the highway this afternoon. The truck coming up in the right lane didn't think I'd squeeze by him.

Squeeze by him, I flew past him and directly into the left lane.

I think the 3.0 is plenty fast. It's a smooth fast through all RPM's- the higher the better.

Thaydith: Have you red-lined yours yet in 2nd and 3rd? If so, you'll know what I'm talking about.


----------



## SONET (Mar 1, 2002)

If you think the 330 is slow, try driving a Vanagon or better yet a Hummer.

I guess it's all relative... if you're used to driving muscle cars or exotic cars, then a 330 might feel 'slow'. Personally I don't think the 330 is _fast_, but I wouldn't call it SLOW either. From the way this post was presented I think it's just a troll anyway.

--SONET


----------



## chukiechz (May 15, 2002)

I've never driven one, but I hear they are quite fast. I dont see how you can think they're slow


----------



## JPinTO (Dec 20, 2001)

cenotaph said:


> *
> With the possible exception of the M cars, BMWs have never been about being a stoplight hero. They've been about being a well ballanced package with adequate to good power and amazing handling.
> *


4.4 V8 equipped BMW's pull with authority.

I wish BMW would bring out an intermediate engine between the 3.0L and the 4.4L. That would serve the 3's and 5's well. (I don't consider the M3's 3.2L race engine as a practical intermediate motor) Perhaps something in the 3.5L range.


----------



## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

Any car that runs to 60 in about 6 seconds, can do the quarter in the mid 14s at 95+ mph, and can carry four people is a fast car. Period. The 330 will handily outrun all but the most recent generation M cars, showing its taillights to such worthys as the E28 M5, the E24 M6, the E30 M3, and the E34 M5. My *guess* is that it would even give an M1 a pretty serious contest, though I can't remember off the top of my head how fast the M1 was. 

As against it's current competition, only the G35 6 speed has the potential to be faster in a straight line, and that car is still vapor ware. Every thing else plays catch up. 

You've got a car that, in terms of performance, is the equal to the M flagship from ten years ago, can out run every Mustang GT built to 1999, can carry five people in comfort, and only cost $41K. What the hell else do you want?


----------



## scupper (Jul 3, 2002)

"What the hell else do you want?"

. . . . . asks the gentleman driving the M3!


----------



## steve dunham (May 30, 2002)

I'd have to second the thought that the 330
is slow, and even more so because I drive and
live at high elevation in Colorado. The engine
just doesn't make impressive horsepower nor
does it accelerate aggressively IMHO. Nor does
my wife's 325XiT for that matter. I get dusted
regularly by Audi A4's with the 1.8L turbo because
the turbo goes along way towards re-gaining the lost HP due to the thinner air here. 
That's why I'm leaning real hard towards the ESS
supercharger for my 330Ci or 330i when I take delivery... Have you considered going the Supercharger route to make your 3.0 L come to life? It's a $5995.00 mod but with that comes
the horsepower required to liven up this car and
it still is less $$ than an M3... For me, it makes sense and comes with an additional powertrain warranty and is a Vortech Product with a good reputation. It might be just what your
looking for.


----------



## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

thaydith said:


> *
> 
> My last car was an Audi A-4 2.8 auto, but I'm not really doing a comparison to that - I just expected a faster car for $41,210. *


How many miles are on your 330 ??

These cars need time to get quicker . . . my car got a nice boost in power when it hit 3000 miles while others have said they got this feeling at 4000 miles

However when my car had 1200 miles and I floored it I was expecting something quicker . . . as I've put more miles on my car, I feel it is getting quicker at certain increments.

BTW my brother has the A4 2.8Q with the tip and though it retains the feeling of having decent power, it is pretty slow !!


----------



## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

JPinTO said:


> *
> My 97 Saab 900Turbo was a slug off the line, but when the Turbo spooled up it was entertaining. FWD, high CG, lots of body roll, poor reliability and abysmal resale plagued that car.
> 
> *


JP, how was the manual transmission in that car, I've driven one Manual Saab many years ago and it was terrible . . . have they imporved it since ??


----------



## chukiechz (May 15, 2002)

ff said:


> *
> 
> BMW 332i???
> 
> ...


no, people like yourself amuse me. People that roll up in their 330's and think they are all bad and wanna race cause they think Im some idiot with a messed up badge. They think they have no equal in their mighty 330. :tsk: I let them get a good car's length head start and let them have it.

Trust me, its legit. Its a 3.2 from a 97 M3 that has a stage 2 RMS supercharger. I badged it that way because it is not an M3, but it isnt a 325 either.


----------



## chukiechz (May 15, 2002)

webguy330i said:


> *
> 
> Dude is your car badged as a 332? That's hilarious! Does anyone realize what it means? :thumbup: *


most people here in socal dont. They buy bimmers for the name, half of them dont really understand or think twice about the significance of the numbers.


----------



## Nick325xiT 5spd (Dec 24, 2001)

You should put a 318 badge on.  Maybe even a 316 badge. Then they'll REALLY be fun to play with.


----------



## chukiechz (May 15, 2002)

Nick325xiT 5spd said:


> *You should put a 318 badge on.  Maybe even a 316 badge. Then they'll REALLY be fun to play with. *


yeah, Im gonna take the badge off, and change the plates again. But Im enjoying it for now. Makes it a bit more unique. Plus, the badge turned out pretty damn good!!!! I still get funny looks and people asking whats wrong with my car when they hear the blower whistling. "You got some loose belts or something?"


----------



## ride365 (Dec 19, 2001)

chukiechz said:


> *
> yeah, Im gonna take the badge off, and change the plates again. *


I would leave the badge and remove the plate. That way people who know better can be spared the embarrassment  and fools can be laid to waste. Plus like you said, the badge looks clean.

kurt


----------



## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

chukiechz said:


> *
> 
> People that roll up in their 330's and think they are all bad and wanna race cause they think Im some idiot with a messed up badge. They think they have no equal in their mighty 330. :tsk: I let them get a good car's length head start and let them have it.
> *


I don't know about ff but whenever I roll in my 330 I think I'm all bad & shit . . . I start singing out my favorite song 'bad, bad leroy brown . . . the baddest man in the whole damn town . . . " you know the rest.

I am too cool :lmao: :lmao:

heh heh heh . . .


----------



## thaydith (Apr 2, 2002)

JPinTO said:


> *
> 
> I wish BMW would bring out an intermediate engine between the 3.0L and the 4.4L. *


I couldn't agree more!


----------



## JPinTO (Dec 20, 2001)

Alan F said:


> *
> 
> JP, how was the manual transmission in that car, I've driven one Manual Saab many years ago and it was terrible . . . have they imporved it since ?? *


It wasn't terrible... honestly I don't remember much about it.

The engine problems that plagued my car were so overwhelming that I didn't have to worry about trivialities like "feel". "Work" was so much more important--- as in "is it working"?


----------



## Dan (Dec 27, 2001)

I've driven hundreds of cars (used to work for a manufacturer) and the 330 is definitely not slow. In fact, I think it is a quick little car with one of the smoothest inline sixes I've ever driven. For street usage, I don't think any sane person needs any more acceleration than a 330 will give.

A friend of mine, who has owned numerous Porsche 911s and Acura NSXs, recently borrowed his brother's 330cic for a couple of weeks. We drove it together, and he commented that it has great acceleration between 30 and 70, which makes it well suited for the street.


----------



## 31st330i (Jan 11, 2002)

the power is great. the isolation is what sucks in my opinion. I drove the miata bare foot up to the lick observatory and back. this is a very windy road, more so than calaveras. (saw an E46 up there - was it any of you astrology geeks?) anyway, the miata throttle is adjusted to as near 0 slack as I possibly could. the fly by wire thing really detracts from the car. it would be nice if one of the aftermarket vendors came up with a kit to replace the fly by wire with a throttle cable.


----------



## JPinTO (Dec 20, 2001)

Dan said:


> *I've driven hundreds of cars (used to work for a manufacturer) and the 330 is definitely not slow. In fact, I think it is a quick little car with one of the smoothest inline sixes I've ever driven. For street usage, I don't think any sane person needs any more acceleration than a 330 will give.
> 
> A friend of mine, who has owned numerous Porsche 911s and Acura NSXs, recently borrowed his brother's 330cic for a couple of weeks. We drove it together, and he commented that it has great acceleration between 30 and 70, which makes it well suited for the street. *


I don't think anyone argues about the smoothness and refinement of BMW's 6's. And you are correct that calling the 3.0 "slow" is an exaggeration. The 3.0 is "quick"... and whether that is quick enough for any given person is up for debate.

I think the problem is that in a world of increasingly powerful cars (G35, IS300's...) the 330 can stand it's ground and then some, but it doesn't have the power to truly dominate. (Witness the discussions about 330 vs car X on bimmer.org)

I drove a 330CIC for an afternoon and the cab is so heavy that it negates most of the 3.0's power--- in fact, it was barely faster than my 323i.

I know of an individual who's E46M3 got stolen and he replaced it with a 330CIC because it was summer time. Within 6 weeks the 330CIC was gone. Duh!


----------



## JPinTO (Dec 20, 2001)

31st330i said:


> *it would be nice if one of the aftermarket vendors came up with a kit to replace the fly by wire with a throttle cable. *


LOL! UUC Throttle cable upgrade! Mine already has it!


----------



## brave1heart (Jan 7, 2002)

How much HP is enough? Is 260 HP enough to mask poor driving skills?!?:tsk:


----------

