540i vs 330ci

[zara 0]

Hey all, been around here before but looking at getting back into a BMW.

Currently I have around $13k to play with after selling my Type R, looking for a car

that's good at being a daily, awesome on the open road and not bad through the twisties.

Which brings me to a dilemma I'm sure some have faced before, between a 330ci or 540i. Both M-sport.

A few examples I'm considering are:

330ci:

This is my top pick for being manual

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=538831774

Then it's between the following 2, one has sunroof, the other has a colour I like more.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-534666339.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=554906949

I'm also considering this one, however it lacks a sunroof and is a tad rough around the edges, though it drives fine (has an aftermarket exhaust of some kind which I don't like) and I think the price reflects it

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=556297571

As for the 540i, here are my considerations.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=522330510

This one may be out of my price range

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-553024519.htm

Why is this so cheap?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-545532813.htm

And K's a bit high?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=554594454

So here a few of my questions,

>Who can I trust to do an independent inspection of the Hamilton and ChCh cars? All Auckland ones I'll be test driving and bringing to Glenn at Botany Motor Worx.

>What should I particularly pay attention for when test driving E46s and E39s? I know from research the cooling systems are a bit weak on both?

>Anything I should know on the particular cars I've filtered out?

>Your thoughts/opinions/experience with 330ci and 540i's, particularly maintenance and fuel costs. I've test driven both back to back, my impression is the E46 is much better around corners and better on fuel, whilst the E39 is more powerful and more luxurious. However I couldn't take them for long drives so I can't judge yet.

>Anything else I should know?

I've actually done quite a bit of reading on both cars already but still can't make up my mind. Obviously I'll be test driving them all but I would like to know as much about them on NZ roads as possible.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.

[kiwi535 538]

Hey all, been around here before but looking at getting back into a BMW.

Currently I have around $13k to play with after selling my Type R, looking for a car

that's good at being a daily, awesome on the open road and not bad through the twisties.

Which brings me to a dilemma I'm sure some have faced before, between a 330ci or 540i. Both M-sport.

A few examples I'm considering are:

330ci:

This is my top pick for being manual

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=538831774

Then it's between the following 2, one has sunroof, the other has a colour I like more.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-534666339.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=554906949

I'm also considering this one, however it lacks a sunroof and is a tad rough around the edges, though it drives fine (has an aftermarket exhaust of some kind which I don't like) and I think the price reflects it

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=556297571

As for the 540i, here are my considerations.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=522330510

This one may be out of my price range

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-553024519.htm

Why is this so cheap?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/...n-545532813.htm

And K's a bit high?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=554594454

So here a few of my questions,

>Who can I trust to do an independent inspection of the Hamilton and ChCh cars? All Auckland ones I'll be test driving and bringing to Glenn at Botany Motor Worx.

>What should I particularly pay attention for when test driving E46s and E39s? I know from research the cooling systems are a bit weak on both?

>Anything I should know on the particular cars I've filtered out?

>Your thoughts/opinions/experience with 330ci and 540i's, particularly maintenance and fuel costs. I've test driven both back to back, my impression is the E46 is much better around corners and better on fuel, whilst the E39 is more powerful and more luxurious. However I couldn't take them for long drives so I can't judge yet.

>Anything else I should know?

I've actually done quite a bit of reading on both cars already but still can't make up my mind. Obviously I'll be test driving them all but I would like to know as much about them on NZ roads as possible.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.

the 540 can be made to corner better than stock ones will but you will always be aware its a heavy car compared to the e46.There isnt a much nicer experience than a road trip in a nicely specced 5 series..Unless you are really keen on a 540 try a 530,may be just the compromise you may want.

[my_e36 43]

that's good at being a daily, awesome on the open road and not bad through the twisties.

From this sentence, I would say a 330 is a better choice than a 540.

Depends if you need the second pair of doors on the 5-er. 330 is a bit less thirsty (mine was around 12L/100km), should make it a bit easier to live with. It's quite comfortable on open road (thought I must admit not as comfortable as a 5-er).

Twisties, 5-er is capable, but 3-er being smaller and lighter, it will be easier and more fun.

[dr_kahu 8]

My 2c

When I was test driving a few 5 series a wee bit back I did really like the 540i but I couldn't help but feel that the 530i would be better suited to my everyday needs.

As recommended to me, I would try and aim towards the end of the e39 series, you might have to wait it out, but it's up to you.

I would have absolutely loved a 330, and, I think it will meet your needs (daily/open/twisties) quite well.

For myself, the leg room difference (and all round space) in the e39/5 series is a winner for me because we often travel long distances every couple of months.

[Allanw 1071]

330Ci weighs around 1430kgs manual,

530i seems to be around 1530kgs manual

Me? I'd buy a 530i motorsport and get it manualified. The V8s are nice, but do require a bit of maintenance. The 6 cylinders have less expensive issues on average, and are easier to make manual. When it come to resale, a manual 530i is pretty rare, and pretty desirable.

The manual seriously makes a massive difference - our manual 525i goes really well - I'm sure most on here don't realise how well.

Whichever you get, you'll want some extra money for things like Vans seals, Disa Valves, CCVs, suspension bushes, cooling systems etc, etc etc! Don't spend ALL the cash on the car!

[CSET 583]

This wouldn't be forum user Zara from NZH by chance, would it? If so, Christian here mate.

Two very different cars. If you're after the cornering experience of the ITR, you'd be closer with the 3 IMO. My best advice is to take one of each for a test drive and see which you prefer.

[BreakMyWindow 1874]

In my experience, a 330i auto will keep up with a 540i auto up until about 4th gear...

[allan 295]

If you don't mind my I suggest the following get yourself a note book, pen, quiet place, thinking cap on. Then write down what it is you are after i.e daily, weekend car, sedan coupe,trans, colour, k's, nav gps price range and any other items you want. Then start looking in the market place, private sales, dealers, trade and exchange, trademe and the like's.

Once you have some cars sorted (take your note book) were possible go and have a look over them and take it for a drive this will give you a feel for the vehicle a bit hard to explain but you will just know.Take notes on the vehicles viewed things that you liked and didn't, possible bargaining chip later on. Don't be in a hurry take your time get to see as many vehicles as you can this will give you a better feel for what is out their in the market place. Then if one shows out against the rest get a Pre- Purchase inspection done on it. If this shows up all good then you need to decide if you want to go to the next stage and haggle with the owner over the price. As AllanW said leave some coin in the bank because their will be maintenance bills no matter what. Don't mean to insult you in any way but so many time this situation shows up.

To compare the 540 vs 330 lets not go their could even start a riot on here haha happy hunting.

[hybrid 1043]

Have owned both.

The 330i is an excellent car for gas consumption vs power with most of the modern comforts added.

Both are great open road but I would say the 540 is a lot more comfortible to drive.

If youre looking at a non TU 540 motor then the it will feel about the same as a 330. However the m62b44TU (face lift 5 series) motor is a lot more powerful than the m54b30 (3series)

I recently drove a 330 and coming from the 540 it felt like driving a 320.

However, if you drive city 90% of the time, who cares? .. you save more on gas.

For fun, the 330 is the winner here, however a proper motorsport 540 will down trail a standard 330i with none motorsport suspension setup.

In honesty, I much prefer the 540i .. not because I have one now but because I've grown up a little bit and the days of hooning around in my daily for me have gone. I prefer more comfort and space, and power. (I have the e30 for weekend drives)

However for my 20s I loved the 330. It allowed me to hoon around more and was a more FUN car to drive on the edge.

It all really depends what youre after.

[zara 0]

Thanks for the replies guys, I'll add a few more pieces of info:

>I will almost always drive the car alone or with my gf, so the 2 extra doors and huge interior space isn't a necessity, though it would be nice on long trips with friends.

>She has a Honda fit, which we will probably drive on short/around town trips. If I got a 540i it would be reserved for longer trips or when I have to drive myself (we don't live together)

>I could very well be moving into the city centre in April, hence most of my commuting would be done without a car. At the moment I bus into the city anyway. The car would be an evening car, a weekend car and a long distance car. It might be used on a day-to-day basis but I won't be driving it much.

>Right now I have 2 cars, a Honda Accord for daily duties and a track-prepped Integra Type R. I've sold the ITR and selling the Accord in April to downsize to 1 car. I've always had a 2nd weekend car (quite fast ones too) so I'm hesitant in getting anything less powerful (I mean power to weight actually) than a 330ci.

>Whatever car I own, I'll be selling at the end of the year as I'll most likely leave the country.

>I won't spend all my $ on purchasing the car, esp not an European.

And as for my dilemma, I have actually sat down and discussed with myself both cars for a week now, including test driving 1 of each example (no time this week). I love the power and luxury of the 540i but the nimble and most likely cheaper maintenance of the 330ci. Ideally, I want both, no element right now is "worth" less in my mind, maybe apart from luxury which I can deal with having a bit less of.

(sorry not too sure how to multi-quote on this forum yet)

Allanw: Thanks for your insight, it's interesting to see how 530i's are costing as much if not more than 540i's, even if both are motorsport packages. I would be considering doing manual swaps if I was a few years younger, but I've gotten over the stage of modifying cars now and really can't be bothered much. I don't mind the auto but manual is definitely preferred.

Christian: It is me mate! Switching back into the dark side now I've sold my ITR. I don't expect anything in the BMW range that's in my price bracket to be as fast or handle anywhere near my ITR (no offence guys). What I'm after here is a bit of a compromise, a car that can triple duty as daily, gran tourer and spirited driving.

Allan: Thanks mate, I've done exactly that over the last week actually. I'm sure I want the motorsport package for the seats, steering wheel and suspension. I'm also sure I want a sunroof unless the deal is too good to ignore, and that the E46 must be a 330ci. Other than that I haven't gotten anywhere

hybrid: When did the TU motors get phased into production? I drove a 2000 540i and 03 330ci back to back, although they're about as fast up to 100kph ish, the 540i felt much better due to the mountain of torque. I didn't go any faster than the legal limit but no doubt the 540i would take it from there.

Once again sorry for long replies, I really do just want some opinions as I've got a lot on my own already.

The 540i is attracting me a bit more atm purely due to my torque-withdrawal after owning a couple of Hondas (had 2 twin turbo Zs before that), though funny enough the 330ci is most likely more "practical" for me.

Also, anyone know where I can trust to do pre-purchase inspections in Hamilton and ChCh? The manual 330ci is still my top pick

Edited January 29, 2013 by zara

[hybrid 1043]

hybrid: When did the TU motors get phased into production? I drove a 2000 540i and 03 330ci back to back, although they're about as fast up to 100kph ish, the 540i felt much better due to the mountain of torque. I didn't go any faster than the legal limit but no doubt the 540i would take it from there.

Late 1998, however check that the car you look at is infact a 98 onwards using the VIN number and realoem .. dont just go off the date on your rego, they can differ from the actual BMW production factory date.

Just becareful when making judgements that VANOS is healthy on each example .. when it stops working properly .. its like towing a loaded trailer in difference.

[deeveus 81]

If I had no kids, I'd have the first one, 330ci manual NZ New.

[Apex 693]

Personally I would take the E46, would have to be a manual to make it remotely interesting to drive.

Coming from a Type-R you may be disappointed though, they not very sporty at all, open diff, soft suspension etc, don't expect it to be the M3 people like to dream they are.

I would be on the hunt for a nice E36 M3 Manual 3.2 Evolution, its an older generation but its twice the car the others are.

[deeveus 81]

Personally I would take the E46, would have to be a manual to make it remotely interesting to drive.

Coming from a Type-R you may be disappointed though, they not very sporty at all, open diff, soft suspension etc, don't expect it to be the M3 people like to dream they are.

I would be on the hunt for a nice E36 M3 Manual 3.2 Evolution, its an older generation but its twice the car the others are.

Dunno mate, that E46 330ci manual up there would be a nicer daily and cheaper daily to own.

[allan 295]

Seen these http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/CategoryAt...path=0001-0268-

[deeveus 81]

Visit Someones Website

This one if you want a bit of fresh air at this time of year?

[liyi_92 37]

Had the exact same question last year. Ended up with a 540i.

[MattA 164]

My pick 540 manual, you can make anything go round corners well with a decent suspension setup.

I've averaged 12.1L/100km combined driving since I've owned mine, mostly open road but there's a whole bunch of corners what ever way I go from home.

V8, manual, rear wheel drive.... the 5 series may not be the sports car the 330i is but it has a nice sound track with your foot in it up to the knee!

[elmarco 56]

>Anything I should know on the particular cars I've filtered out?

Yeah - you forgot to include my one

[zara 0]

Hybrid: Yup all the cars I'm looking at are 98 onwards, will be using VIN to check. Any tell-tale signs of facelift? As far as I can tell, the lights in pre-98 are different (orange indicators)

Apex: I'm not expecting any BMWs in my price range to handle anywhere close to the Type R, which I'm ok with. Looking for more of a compromise.

Allan: Yup I've seen those but not really considering the 328's as I think the 40hp will make quite a difference? Besides not motorsport

The Diesel Guy: Not really wanting a vert as it can seem a bit more a hair-dressers car. Only convertible I would own atm is an MX-5, which is oddly more of a hair-dresser's car but imo drives fantastically and has more character.

Elmarco: Is yours a motorsport? I'm really fussy about it for the suspension and bodykit (less of an issue)

MattA: A 540i manual would be very nice, but you just simply can't find them. That and I'm not really into spending money modifying cars at this stage so it'll be close to OEM. I did see Brent's E34 and I'm a bit tempted, but it's a tad old (although the E34 is actually my favourite body style 5er)

I guess I'll find some time to test drive more examples, then head down to hamilton to try the manual one.

So.....anybody know a good inspection place in Hamilton?

[KwS 2425]

Not sure if anyone else has pointed it out yet, only skim read, but the cheap one in CHCH isnt a full motorsport package. The original owner ticked some of the boxes but not all. Doesnt have the full motorsport bodykit, only the front. The wheels should be style 66s for a motorsport package.

[zara 0]

Not sure if anyone else has pointed it out yet, only skim read, but the cheap one in CHCH isnt a full motorsport package. The original owner ticked some of the boxes but not all. Doesnt have the full motorsport bodykit, only the front. The wheels should be style 66s for a motorsport package.

Thanks for pointing that out! I noticed it a few days ago.

...and I ended up with a 540i! Will have a thread tomorrow when Glenn can get a look at the drama causing radiator.

[kiwi535 538]

Thanks for pointing that out! I noticed it a few days ago.

...and I ended up with a 540i! Will have a thread tomorrow when Glenn can get a look at the drama causing radiator.

was going to suggest a e34 540 6 speed manual.

[hybrid 1043]

Oh yeah, If you do get an e39, and youre at 110-120ks .. Do all of the cooling system replacements. Doesnt always mean radiator. But all of the hoses and plastic bits. Also reaplce the thermostat regardless and get a metal impellar water pump. Water pump is a whore btw .. requires some funky angles without removing the AC hoses but is possible once you work it out.

[emac 9]

what did you decide to get n is it living up to your expectations?