# 328i vs. 330i



## RandyB (Mar 4, 2003)

acd483 said:


> Here's what I NEED in the car:
> 
> 5spd
> sport package
> ...


Wow! You would love my car. It's an '03 330i 6-speed with SP, Bi-xenons and leather. Good luck finding one not loaded down with 'fluff'. :yikes: I ordered mine that way. There may be a few around...


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## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

TD said:


> ...the early 330s has issues with engine thermostat failures and even engine cooling fans catching fire (and burning down the owner's homes).


:eeps:


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## Alex Baumann (Dec 19, 2001)

Uh oh, that looks like the BBQ edition


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## Jon Shafer (Dec 15, 2001)

Alex Baumann said:


> Uh oh, that looks like the BBQ edition


It's the official "Bavarian Barbeque"...


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## acd483 (Dec 20, 2004)

Dawg90 said:


> So I guess I'm saying that buying
> 
> an '03-04 ZHP for $35k
> an '02 330 for $30k
> ...


Well apples to apples, your '95 is not an example of maintenence costs for an '00.

Leasing a new car nets you nothing at the term end while buying a used car for the same cost leaves you with a car for as long as you want.

And it's more like:

an '03-'04 ZHP for $37K
an '02 330 for $27K
an '00 328 for $20K

which makes the 328 a lot more desirable.


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## LarryN (Dec 24, 2001)

Come on!  There were *very few* cars that this happened to. I see proof of two here. Backing up your statement of houses catching on fire, and cars bursting into flame, you make it look like the thousands of us on this board run the risk of killing our families in bed. That's ludicrous, slanderous, and provactive.

This is no more than a TSB for faulty fan relays. I really don't think it's fair (and downright deceptive) to lead acd483 down a path based on scary photos, and stories of houses catching on fire. Nobody is helping anybody doing that. I agree with TD on a lot of technical issues, and he knows his stuff mechanically, but this is plain wrong.

As for the 330's, I wouldn't personally get a '01 due to the steering others have mentioned. As for an '02 330i, it's a great car, and I really like mine.


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## acd483 (Dec 20, 2004)

RandyB said:


> Wow! You would love my car. It's an '03 330i 6-speed with SP, Bi-xenons and leather. Good luck finding one not loaded down with 'fluff'. :yikes: I ordered mine that way. There may be a few around...


I would but for the electric red. Now if it was "imola" red, that'd be a different story.

Lucky you.

Anyone wishing to sell an '02 verison of the above spec.ed car in black or grey can email me!


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## acd483 (Dec 20, 2004)

LarryN said:


> As for the 330's, I wouldn't personally get a '01 due to the steering others have mentioned. As for an '02 330i, it's a great car, and I really like mine.


So it's down to the '02 330i vs. the '00 328i.

Who wants to make up a compelling reason to bridge the $7-9K difference and convince me to go with the 330i?

More horsepower and that gorgeous natural brown leather have yet to do it!


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## LarryN (Dec 24, 2001)

acd483 said:


> I would but for the electric red. Now if it was "imola" red, that'd be a different story.
> 
> Lucky you.
> 
> Anyone wishing to sell an '02 verison of the above spec.ed car in black or grey can email me!


I'm turning in my '02 steel gray 330i (off lease) in May. It has the sport package, xenons, 5-speed, and moonroof. Nothing else. It has 23k miles on it now. I would assume it will have 28k miles at lease end. If you want, I'll keep you in the loop about me turning it in. I understand that that's still 5 months away, but it sounds like exactly what you are looking for.


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## norihaga (Aug 25, 2004)

acd483 said:


> So it's down to the '02 330i vs. the '00 328i.
> 
> Who wants to make up a compelling reason to bridge the $7-9K difference and convince me to go with the 330i?
> 
> More horsepower and that gorgeous natural brown leather have yet to do it!


I'd go with the 328, then...


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## SONET (Mar 1, 2002)

acd483 said:


> Leasing a new car nets you nothing at the term end while buying a used car for the same cost leaves you with a car for as long as you want.
> 
> And it's more like:
> 
> ...


Total cost of ownership (or 'use' in the case of a lease) is what he was trying to bring to your attention. Not the initial cost as you seem to be pointing out. He does have a good point if you're willing to calculate it out and include scheduled maintenance.

--SONET


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## acd483 (Dec 20, 2004)

SONET said:


> Total cost of ownership (or 'use' in the case of a lease) is what he was trying to bring to your attention. Not the initial cost as you seem to be pointing out. He does have a good point if you're willing to calculate it out and include scheduled maintenance.
> 
> --SONET


I understand his point, but arguing maintenence costs is almost useless. Every used car is a crap shoot, I've been lucky so far but a used Bimmer could be perfect or a disaster.


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## NH-SHICKS (Nov 3, 2003)

Here are a few things I would consider when buying a used 3er.(some may be obvious)

1. Idle problems on the 328 (could be the Vanos) Start it when it is cold.
2. Control arms
3. Control arm bushings
4. Subframe cracking 328
5. Warranty, get as much as you can.
6. Electrical problems, (Climate control!)
7. Sqeaks and rattles. this may cause you to hate the car.
6 Window regulators, no way of knowing if they will fail, but find out if they have been replaced.
7. Service history(important to me)
8. Overall conditon, paint, leather, etc....


Steve


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

norihaga said:


> I think the 328 sport cars have the same sport steering wheel as the '01 + cars - that premium package wheel is too old school even for me.


I agree about the premium package steering wheel but wanted to set the record straight .. the 328i with sport had a different steering wheel then the 330 with the sport package.


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

I had 2 330's, an early 01 330Ci and a 03 330i. I never had an issue with the steering until the dealer messed with mine and I then had the retrofit ... the retrofit steering was awesome feeling and very tight !!
The 03 330i had incredible steering also though a drop lighter then the retrofitted 01 330Ci.

The poster above by the name 'TD' ... if you do a search on his name here or on Roadfly, you'll find he hated his 01 330i and has been on a rampage ever since. Not that his opinion isn't valid (don't have a cow Tom  ), it is just very heavily one sided.

I beleive March 2001 production was when BMW changed the steering rack on the production line and anyone with a model built from that date forward had no complaints. You can see the build date listed on the drivers door jam.

I really liked the exhaust sound of the 330 over the 328 and the torque is what really made the different in the overall feel of the 2 models. The 330 really has a nice torquey feel in comparison ... 

Good luck !!!


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

acd483 said:


> Well apples to apples, your '95 is not an example of maintenence costs for an '00.
> 
> Leasing a new car nets you nothing at the term end while buying a used car for the same cost leaves you with a car for as long as you want.
> 
> ...


My '95 was 5 years old when I bought it. The '00 is currently 4 years old. Mine had 49k miles, a '00 has similar miles usually. The BMW Peabody car has 66k miles. So maintenance can be expected to be very similar.

I saw a 2003 ZHP on sale at a BMW dealer for $31k (non-CPO), posted it in this forum too.


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

acd483 said:


> I understand his point, but arguing maintenence costs is almost useless. Every used car is a crap shoot, I've been lucky so far but a used Bimmer could be perfect or a disaster.


My car has been quite good, actually, and has cost close to $10k in 4 years. Everything I've done has been typical for the E36, nothing unusual. With a BMW that is approaching 90k miles, there is a ton of maintenance that you need to do. It's the exact reason that a 4-5 year old BMW will not save you money over a new one.

So I'm saying get a low mileage ZHP instead of an '02 330 or '00 328i. It will not cost you any more if you factor in maintenance, and is a better car than both.


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## brave1heart (Jan 7, 2002)

Disclaimer: did not read thread, just your initial post.

The 328 is MUCH closer in power to the 325 than it is to the 330. There was a 328 SP in my run group at a Lime Rock DE last April and we were running about the same in a straight line. My car cornered better because of the sway bars that I had put in so I was a bit faster overall than the 328 (driver had about the same track days as me). The 328's driver came over to talk to me after the run when I passed to find out what I had for mods  We both had the CAI and Shark injector. The 328 has a lot more torque in the low rpms but once you make it over to the right side of the tach, it is very close to the 325. The 330 has noticeably better top end than both the 325 and the 328.


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## acd483 (Dec 20, 2004)

brave1heart said:


> Disclaimer: did not read thread, just your initial post.
> 
> The 328 is MUCH closer in power to the 325 than it is to the 330. There was a 328 SP in my run group at a Lime Rock DE last April and we were running about the same in a straight line. My car cornered better because of the sway bars that I had put in so I was a bit faster overall than the 328 (driver had about the same track days as me). The 328's driver came over to talk to me after the run when I passed to find out what I had for mods  We both had the CAI and Shark injector. The 328 has a lot more torque in the low rpms but once you make it over to the right side of the tach, it is very close to the 325. The 330 has noticeably better top end than both the 325 and the 328.


I was worried that the 2.8 was going to be closer in feel to the 2.5 than the 3.0. I'll find out soon.

In summary:

The most compelling reasons I'm reading to pick the 330 over the 328 are a more satisfying (i.e. exhilerating) driving experience, better exhaust note (also important), and less maintenance work because it would be two years newer.


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## acd483 (Dec 20, 2004)

Dawg90 said:


> My car has been quite good, actually, and has cost close to $10k in 4 years. Everything I've done has been typical for the E36, nothing unusual. With a BMW that is approaching 90k miles, there is a ton of maintenance that you need to do. It's the exact reason that a 4-5 year old BMW will not save you money over a new one.
> 
> So I'm saying get a low mileage ZHP instead of an '02 330 or '00 328i. It will not cost you any more if you factor in maintenance, and is a better car than both.


Good luck finding one though eh? I would love to get the ZHP. It oozes sex, power and I'm sure the drive is to die for...everything I want in a car.

So you spend (on average) over $200 a month in maintenance? You gotta be regretting that move!

I should note this will be a second car and I'll probably put about 7,000 or 8,000 miles a year on it. So, if I buy a car with 40,000 miles and keep it for three years, I'm still looking at only 65,000 miles...not 100k.


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## apar330i (Aug 19, 2002)

I had a '99 E46 328i, owned it until this past June when I traded it in on a 330i ZHP. I really liked the 328i, it was my first BMW. It had the SP and a 5 speed. Part of the reason I got rid of it was within the first year after the warrantee expired I spent close to $6K on maintenance. I was a little disturbed by this since the car had approx 65K miles on it. The biggest blow was having to replace the entire A/C system. I'm sure this might be an isolated incident but who knows. We run the A/C a lot in this part of the country. I had to have 5 window regulators replaced while I had it. I had to replace the electric cooling fan. And of course the control arm bushings. 

The main differences I noticed between the 328i and the 330i are obviously the power. There's really no comparison. The ride on the 330i is a little more harsh but not noticable enough to bother me. The exhaust not is quite different. The 328i was almost whisper quiet, while the 330i has a nice tone to it. I have noticed very little drone. 

I guess it comes down to how much you want to spend on initial price and what you're willing to pay in maintenance costs. The things I listed above shouldn't necessarily be used as a guage, these are just the things I experienced. You might find a nice 328i that has had a lot fewer problems. I'd be sure to obtain the service records if you can. Good luck.


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

acd483 said:


> Good luck finding one though eh? I would love to get the ZHP. It oozes sex, power and I'm sure the drive is to die for...everything I want in a car.
> 
> So you spend (on average) over $200 a month in maintenance? You gotta be regretting that move!
> 
> I should note this will be a second car and I'll probably put about 7,000 or 8,000 miles a year on it. So, if I buy a car with 40,000 miles and keep it for three years, I'm still looking at only 65,000 miles...not 100k.


I spend about $1800/year, yeah, but then the car is past all the 90k maintenance and past its depreciation curve, so it's not the money sink it was the first 2-3 years. Since it saw 10 track days, I did a lot of preventive maintenance. But any out of warranty BMW will cost you a lot, especially if you go to a BMW dealer for service (I don't). A new 325 would cost me about $5k/year to own too.

The only reason I don't regret it is that at the time, my choices of new cars were '01 325i (the worst year), automatic-only IS300 etc. The car's a blast to drive too.

If you're willing to wait til the E90 comes out, I bet you can pick up a nice '03 ZHP for under $30k privately. Like I said I saw the dealer one for $31k recently.


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## norihaga (Aug 25, 2004)

AF-RX8 said:


> I agree about the premium package steering wheel but wanted to set the record straight .. the 328i with sport had a different steering wheel then the 330 with the sport package.


Oh, ok, sorry...I guess all the 328s I looked at when buying were premium-only.


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## Übel ein (Nov 10, 2004)

I love mine. Got a 4 year extended warrantly with it as well. :thumbup:


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

I found the 3 spoke wheel in the '99-'00 cars made my thumbs sore after an hour or two. can anyone confirm this?


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## Guest (Dec 21, 2004)

Dawg90 said:


> I found the 3 spoke wheel in the '99-'00 cars made my thumbs sore after an hour or two. can anyone confirm this?


 All I can confirm is that the 3-spoke wheel on the 2001+ E46s had sharp edges that, if encountered in just the right way, could actually break the skin and draw blood. Ask me how I know.


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## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

TD said:


> All I can confirm is that the 3-spoke wheel on the 2001+ E46s had sharp edges that, if encountered in just the right way, could actually break the skin and draw blood. Ask me how I know.


Interesting-- which parts?


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## Guest (Dec 21, 2004)

robg said:


> Interesting-- which parts?


IIRC (it's been a while) there are some sharp edges along the backside of the airbag unit where it meets the wheel along the top edge of the wheel center and the lower sides of the wheel center. I also noticed some edges where the goofy split bottom spoke meets the wheel itself.


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

TD said:


> IIRC (it's been a while) there are some sharp edges along the backside of the airbag unit where it meets the wheel along the top edge of the wheel center and the lower sides of the wheel center. I also noticed some edges where the goofy split bottom spoke meets the wheel itself.


yes, I know what you mean about sharp edges. But I was talking about how the '00 sport rim sort of pinches the thumbs at 9 and 3 - i think they widened that area for the new 3 spoke in the '01+ cars. It feels fine til you drive it for about an hour. The only way to avoid it was to abandon the way I hold the rim - with thumbs hooked at 9 and 3.

This was a 320d rental car in France, so maybe the wheel wasn't leather?


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## AF (Dec 21, 2001)

TD said:


> All I can confirm is that the 3-spoke wheel on the 2001+ E46s had sharp edges that, if encountered in just the right way, could actually break the skin and draw blood. Ask me how I know.


LMAO ... you have got to be kidding me ... holy sh*t I am literally on the floor laughing I cannot beleive you just posted that :rofl: :rofl:


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## Salsero2 (Mar 10, 2004)

Don't sell yourself short and don't listen to TD. Go drive both and decide for yourself.


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## Guest (Dec 22, 2004)

Salsero2 said:


> Don't sell yourself short and don't listen to TD. Go drive both and decide for yourself.


 Hey, ignore me all you want. But if you actually care about driving feel, you'll see that I am correct.


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

Here's a ZHP for ya, offer him $25k - he's asking too much ($29,500) for an out of warranty ZHP anyway. Also has alcantara, which hurts resale a lot, since almost no one buys it.

2003 ZHP silver, 51k miles

http://www.roadfly.org/bmw/classifieds/cars/detview.php?view=29024


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