328 vs 330 coupes

Jake wrote:
> I fancy a BMW coupe, but I'm unsure whether to go for a 328 or a 330. Does
> anyone have any opinions as to whether the 330 is worth spending the bit
> more money on? Is there much difference in performance/fuel consumption?
>
> I don't want to spend more than £15k, so I'll be looking at 1999-2001
> examples. I'll also be going for an auto rather than a manual, if it makes
> any odds.
>
> Thanks in advance for any comments or advice.
>
> Cheers
> Jake
>
>

They are the same offering (largest engine) of different model years.
The 330 will have a little better overall performance, but will also be
a later year car, which will further increase the price differential. I
think the 328i with 2.8L engine is quite nice, much better driveability
than the 323i w/ 2.5L due to increased torque. If you can find a good
one it will be quite a bit less expensive than a 330i in similar condition.

-Fred W
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

"Malt_Hound" <Malt_Hound@*spam*yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:wc2dnXcMdewwR1rfRVn-sQ@adelphia.com...
> Jake wrote:
>> I fancy a BMW coupe, but I'm unsure whether to go for a 328 or a 330.
>> Does anyone have any opinions as to whether the 330 is worth spending the
>> bit more money on? Is there much difference in performance/fuel
>> consumption?
>>
>> I don't want to spend more than £15k, so I'll be looking at 1999-2001
>> examples. I'll also be going for an auto rather than a manual, if it
>> makes any odds.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any comments or advice.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Jake
>>
>>
>
> They are the same offering (largest engine) of different model years. The
> 330 will have a little better overall performance, but will also be a
> later year car, which will further increase the price differential. I
> think the 328i with 2.8L engine is quite nice, much better driveability
> than the 323i w/ 2.5L due to increased torque. If you can find a good one
> it will be quite a bit less expensive than a 330i in similar condition.
>
> -Fred W

I've had a 1998 328i SE manual and a 2004 330i Sport auto and I'd say that,
for enthusiastic driving, the 328i was the better (and possibly slightly
quicker) car. Manual change is more responsive than the auto and the fuel
consumption was about 20% better.

BMW's consumption figures are about the same for both engines, while I think
their auto MPG is a bit optimistic vs the manual. So, of the four
combinations, the manual 330i would be much the most sporty, while the auto
328i would be the slowest and one of the thirstiest.

If you want a relaxed (and fast) drive then the 330i auto is good but
nowhere near as smooth and effortless as my previous car - a 530i auto.

Another point - I would avoid the sport suspension and 18-inch wheels on UK
roads unless you have fewer fillings than me!
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

Suggest you buy this months BMW CAR magazine as they have an article on
exactly this subject. For £15k you should be looking at the 330.

"Jake" <nobody.DeleteThis@home.com> wrote in message
news:p76dnUPmEfihb1vfRVnyvA@pipex.net...
>I fancy a BMW coupe, but I'm unsure whether to go for a 328 or a 330. Does
>anyone have any opinions as to whether the 330 is worth spending the bit
>more money on? Is there much difference in performance/fuel consumption?
>
> I don't want to spend more than £15k, so I'll be looking at 1999-2001
> examples. I'll also be going for an auto rather than a manual, if it makes
> any odds.
>
> Thanks in advance for any comments or advice.
>
> Cheers
> Jake
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

The '30 gets standard equipment that the '28 gets as options. I think the
'30 is the better choice, but you have to decide if the options are worth
the money. Personally, I wouldn't confine myself to the coupe either. I't
take any quality car that had the equipment I wanted at the price I was
willing to pay. After years of driving two door cars, my 325i has 4 doors,
and I wouldn't have it any other way. I actually put people in the back
seat -- if one considers children to be people -- and the extra doors come
in very handy.

I think the comparison of the 328 and the 330 is a good one, but you can get
both of these in 4 door packages. Yes, the 2 door looks very cool, but if
you use the back seat for people, the doors are a "must have." I found that
the insurance is cheaper on the 4 door too. You should look into this
because the difference in my case was hundreds of dollars per year. I had an
Accord Coupe, and it cost considerably more to insure than an Accord sedan.
Your mileage may vary.





"Jake" <nobody RemoveThis @home.com> wrote in message
news:p76dnUPmEfihb1vfRVnyvA@pipex.net...
> I fancy a BMW coupe, but I'm unsure whether to go for a 328 or a 330. Does
> anyone have any opinions as to whether the 330 is worth spending the bit
> more money on? Is there much difference in performance/fuel consumption?
>
> I don't want to spend more than £15k, so I'll be looking at 1999-2001
> examples. I'll also be going for an auto rather than a manual, if it makes
> any odds.
>
> Thanks in advance for any comments or advice.
>
> Cheers
> Jake
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

Many thanks to everyone who took the trouble to reply - lots of good stuff
here!

Now, time to arm my chequebook and start haggling ...

Cheers
Jake


"Jake" <nobody RemoveThis @home.com> wrote in message
news:p76dnUPmEfihb1vfRVnyvA@pipex.net...
>I fancy a BMW coupe, but I'm unsure whether to go for a 328 or a 330. Does
>anyone have any opinions as to whether the 330 is worth spending the bit
>more money on? Is there much difference in performance/fuel consumption?
>
> I don't want to spend more than £15k, so I'll be looking at 1999-2001
> examples. I'll also be going for an auto rather than a manual, if it makes
> any odds.
>
> Thanks in advance for any comments or advice.
>
> Cheers
> Jake
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

This message is not archived
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

<see.my.sig.4.addr.RemoveThis@nowhere.com.invalid> wrote
> However, you must consider than the 330 is the newer uglier body style,
> and the 328 is the older, as well as options/performance.
> If looks are an issue, definitely consider that.

That is not true. The last year or two of the E36 was a 328/323.
The first 2 years of the E46 (which you call ugly) was also a 328/323.

Floyd
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

<see.my.sig.4.addr DeleteThis @nowhere.com.invalid> wrote
> That's true, because ins. co's are morons. They fail to realize it's
> exactly the same car performance wise.

Their statistics show that a person buying a 2-door coupe is more likely to
drive more aggressively and more likely to get into an accident than a
person buying a sedan. On top of that, the coupe is more costly to fix in
case of a serious accident. Why does that make them morons?

Cheers,

Pete
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

This message is not archived
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

This message is not archived
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

On Mon, 05 Sep 2005 21:33:11 -0700,
see.my.sig.4.addr.DeleteThis@nowhere.com.invalid wrote:

>I stand corrected, SOME of the 328's are the older better looking style.
>I was not aware that 330 didn't start at the introduction of the E46.
>So you're saying 2002 for E46 sedan and 2003 for coupe? Or did both coupe
>and sedan start offering the 330 at the same time? I know they staggered
>the start of the E46 for 2/4 doors, 2dr. being 2001 instead of 2000.

The E46 sedan started with the 99 model year, the coupe with the 00
model year.
Emanuel
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

<see.my.sig.4.addr DeleteThis @nowhere.com.invalid> wrote
> "fbloogyudsr" <fbloogyudsr DeleteThis @nwlink.com> spewed:
>>> However, you must consider than the 330 is the newer uglier body style,
>>> and the 328 is the older, as well as options/performance.
>>> If looks are an issue, definitely consider that.
>>
>>That is not true. The last year or two of the E36 was a 328/323.
>>The first 2 years of the E46 (which you call ugly) was also a 328/323.
>
> I stand corrected, SOME of the 328's are the older better looking style.
> I was not aware that 330 didn't start at the introduction of the E46.
> So you're saying 2002 for E46 sedan and 2003 for coupe? Or did both coupe
> and sedan start offering the 330 at the same time? I know they staggered
> the start of the E46 for 2/4 doors, 2dr. being 2001 instead of 2000.

Both coupe and sedan - and convertible - were given the new 3.0 and 2.5
engines in '01.

It's very confusing, especially since the 2.5 is actually the same size
as the 2.3...

Floyd
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes 

see.my.sig.4.addr.DeleteThis@nowhere.com.invalid wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 16:08:54 +0200, "Pete" <escape2music.DeleteThis@hotmail.com>
> spewed:
>
>><see.my.sig.4.addr.DeleteThis@nowhere.com.invalid> wrote
>>
>>>That's true, because ins. co's are morons. They fail to realize it's
>>>exactly the same car performance wise.
>>
>>Their statistics show that a person buying a 2-door coupe is more likely to
>>drive more aggressively and more likely to get into an accident than a
>>person buying a sedan. On top of that, the coupe is more costly to fix in
>
>
> If that's actually true, perhaps.
> Depends if their determination of "aggressive". Does it mean accidents,
> or tendency toward a better skilled driver who drives faster on a test
> track or something.
> I only wonder because I've never heard higher rate of accidents being
> called "aggressive".
>
> I'd like to see somebody do a test to prove that slower "less aggressive"
> drivers are such because they're worse drivers!
> IOW, proving the quote "A man's got to know his limitations."
>
> I hadn't heard the more $ to fix issue. Why? No window frames on the
> doors?
>
> --
> _____________________________________________________
> Drivin a 94 BMW 325is w/sport.
> For email response, or CC, please mailto:see.my.sig.4.addr(at)bigfoot.com.
> Yeah, it's really a real address

Well Sir, you just slid off the road into the ditch and filpped your car
3 times. Guess you just found your limitations. Care to try again,
after you get out of the hospitol?

--
========================================

Todd Zuercher
mailto:tzuercher@earthlink.net

========================================
 >> Stay informed about: 328 vs 330 coupes