[Titanflux]

As I'm now being made redundant from work - yippeee! The F10 520d SE 7sp auto will be going back and I'm using a portion of my payoff to go towards a 2009/2010 E90 330d auto or 335d. Will be M Sport - I hate the ride but the looks are worth it.

I haven't driven either engine yet until this weekend. Closest I've had is a 325i E92 or Audi A6 2.7 TDI multitronic and that was petrol anyway. Some say the 335d is too heavy at the front - but I bet the power delivery will be much better than the 330d. The 330d would suit me great - but for a little more I could get one of the best production diesels (probably THE best) in the world.

Whilst I'm weighing up the numbers and available cars on the market, it appears that a 335d with a good options list, and a 330d auto also well-specced will cost about £2k sticker price different That will be about £60 per month different on HP - which isn't that much.

The insurance will cost me about £100+ more for the 335d, road tax a little more per year - but what about real-world fuel economy?

Now I drive around 20k miles per year - mostly motorway and busy-ish motorway at that. I always drive pretty keenly and got around 34 in the 325i (rated 38-ish), got 42 in the F10 520d (rated 54-ish), got 39 in the A6 6-cyl (rated 42-ish). It makes me wonder if my driving style will suit the more powerful engine as I don't tend to push as hard for the same effect?

So any advice on what real-world economy difference between the two I might get will really help my decision.

Is there anything I haven't considered?

[JLR1969]

Why would you want to blow a load of money on a car when you have not got a job?

[Kerr]

Originally Posted by JLR1969

Why would you want to blow a load of money on a car when you have not got a job?

I thought the same but then he goes on about HP costs. Can only assume he has another job lined up and using this cash to pay for a bigger deposit before finance.

[JLR1969]

Originally Posted by Kerr

I thought the same but then he goes on about HP costs. Can only assume he has another job lined up and using this cash to pay for a bigger deposit before finance.

Live now pay later.

Personally though I would go for the 330d, plenty of performance and still sensible running costs.

If you need more power get it mapped to 290+ bhp.

[Titanflux]

Originally Posted by JLR1969

Why would you want to blow a load of money on a car when you have not got a job?

Because I am walking straight into another job with better salary. I'm only using about a quarter of my severance to deposit on the car. Hey I could spend more cash on it, or buy outright, but HP is more cash-efficient.

[JLR1969]

If the HP percentage is higher than the interest that you will get on the cash lump sum which is normally the case how is going down the HP route more cash efficient?

[Titanflux]

Originally Posted by JLR1969

If the HP percentage is higher than the interest that you will get on the cash lump sum which is normally the case how is going down the HP route more cash efficient?

It's all about how I use the capital and what for. If you have a load of cash, it's not at all sensible to throw it all into a 30k car - the depreciation. With a finance agreement over a sensible period (def not a PCP) you are gradually offsetting the depreciation and even increasing your equity from your monthly revenue instead. It maintains or adds to your cash deposit in effect.

Ask an accountant or financial advisor what THEY would do themselves (not necessarily the same as what they would advise a client to do) - assuming they have other things to use the cash for too - like home improvement, wiping out any unsecured debt, etc.

[JLR1969]

So assuming that I had no debt whatsoever only a mortgage and this was at 2.5% you feel that it's still better to get a car on finance?

Would you not be better getting a car that is 12 months old and as such has taken a hit in initial depreciation.

[Team Green2]

Get a 335d if you get the 330d you will always be thinking of what it would have been like to have the 335d (they are amazing cars)

[Titanflux]

Originally Posted by JLR1969

So assuming that I had no debt whatsoever only a mortgage and this was at 2.5% you feel that it's still better to get a car on finance?

Would you not be better getting a car that is 12 months old and as such has taken a hit in initial depreciation.

That's not what I am saying. I said assuming you also have other things you could usefully do with the capital.

What I'm getting will be 9-18 months old as I put in my first post. These cars have already lost 10-15k.

As an aside - anyone's mortgage that's on variable rate and currently at 2.5% or so will be paying a LOT more in the months and years to come!

[Tunbridge]

If I was you I would get the 335d, but then I would say that.

My view is that they command a premium for a reason. Not sure how the economy compares to the 330d but mine averages 38mpg on my long drive to work (43 miles on dual carrageway), thats doing 80-85mph. If I drive it a 70mph it will do 45mpg but I didn't buy it to not use the power. When the wife gets her hands on it the average is low 30's but she only does short journeys round town.

Another advantage of the 335d is that they are usually better speced than the 330d as if people were willing to pay a premium for the engine they were generally willing to splash more on options. Only downside is there isn't as many 335d's to chose from as 330d's, that was a particular problem for me as I wanted an E91.

[EssexIan]

To try and answer some of your original questions - I got my 335d four months ago, in that time I have averaged 32mpg over 6k miles. It will do 38mpg on a good motorway run but I have never seen it do better than this over any distance, it may show 40+mpg for a short while but can never maintain this over a complete journey. In traffic fuel consumption plummets and the car really isn't happy doing it, generally it will drive like a pig after any period of town driving until it gets a good run.

However, get the car out on the open road and it will drive fabulously, I had mine re-mapped by e-maps recently and it is now a genuinely fast car, prior to this it was a quick car. I do not find the nose overly heavy, this car understeers far less than my last car, however that was an M5 which is generally heavier. I can't see 330d being much different to 335d in this respect as the weight in the front can't be hugely different as the basic engine is the same with the addition of a turbo and a few ancillaries on the 335d.

I have not driven a 330d but in hindsight I suspect as an everyday car it would do most of what the 335d does for less fuel, in my opinion most of the 335d performance is further up the rev range and this would have you in license losing territory in most situations. It is however a fabulous car when the road in front opens out!

Reards
Ian

[JLR1969]

Originally Posted by Titanflux

As an aside - anyone's mortgage that's on variable rate and currently at 2.5% or so will be paying a LOT more in the months and years to come!

What would be your advice regarding a mortgage. I understood that the rates were being held for a while yet. I appreciate no one trully knows what is happening.

[TMP]

330d and 335d do deliver the power very differently as well.

330d is more old school turbo then runs out of puff.
335d far more linear up to the redline

Worth a test drive on both, as you cant really go wrong, great cars.

For me, the cash saving (£4k) and all around ability of the 330d was spot on.

[ibanezking]

i agree - get a 330d and you'll always be wondering - "what if i'd got the 335d!"


Loved mine to bits - but we both wanted to try an M3 - its superb - but i miss the lazy bottom end grunt and decent fuel economy of the 335d


When we're bored of the M3 - who knows.............. i'd happily have another 335d though


Mine had already been remapped to 340Hp by DMS when i got it - and it went like F**k!

Max

[phil200tdi]

of the two 330d is the better car. plenty of power and torque and much, much better fuel economy.

I was looking at both a few months ago - 335d bored me and wasn't efficient enough to warrant getting a Diesel... Went for a 335i in the end!

Oh and if you want the best diesel engine out there, get an Audi A8 4.2TDI, absolute monsters and fairly cheap now!

[rsmallwo]

what mortgage info do you know that no one else knows? most pundits are saying levels remain as there are at least until next year now, all the inflation pressure is from increased raw material costs, not rising wages which is the true pressure.

I'd say 335d, I own one and fook me it feels like a rocket ship (its remapped) when your gunning it. But if your doing 20k a year then the 330d running costs will kick in abit. I think the running costs will only be a several hundred pound in it. The 335d has more exclusivity and most people feel they are bulletproof, mines at 82k miles and feels like it did at 63k when I got it (it felt like new then!!).

How do you feel about Auto's? the 335d is auto only, you can get a manual 330d.

[briers]

Well i will be in for a shock in September when my tracker ends. .25% above base rate, capped floor of 1% i believe.

The rates are about 3.5% - 5% average now.

Luckily only 50% mortgage, get the 335d!

[Tippo]

Not sure how most people opt for Finance, it is Hire Purchase at the end of the day, you don't actually 'own' the car. Personally I always get non secured personal loans for cars, fortunately for this current BMW I did not need that this time. Not sure when I will be the same position again to go for a newer car though saying that. Fixed rate (5 years) mortgage is due to end soon so that may help a fair bit!

[Titanflux]

Originally Posted by JLR1969

What would be your advice regarding a mortgage. I understood that the rates were being held for a while yet. I appreciate no one trully knows what is happening.

It pretty much pretty depends on whether inflation keeps in check as the economy grows further out of recession. As soon as employees start to command higher wages, and businesses can sell their goods for more, inflation will increase rapidly - hence higher interest rates needed to cool it down. Inflation is already too high becuase of fuel, VAT and global commoddities and staples prices. As you say, truth is, nobody knows. Anyone who really knew would make a killing in business!

To rsmallwo: I don't claim any inisde info, it's just inevitable, whether in a few months it starts to creep up, or a few months more. Rates where they are are unsustainable for the medium to long term. Some city analysts are (for the first time ever I think) calling for interest rates to increase.

Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be about HP and interest rates - I'd be on moneysavingexpert.com if that were the case.

To the rest of the guys - thank you very much for your advice and comments so far. Will drive both on Saturday morning and then make up my mind. At the end of the day with my mileage (and has to be auto because I often can be sat in stop-pgo traffic and a manual box drives me nuts) my head will say get the 330d - my heart will definitely want the 335d.

[RCUK]

335d .. simple.

Cos you get 2 exhausts at the back - what better reason???

(also i had a 335d and loved mine, but then had a remapped 330d E46 - and loved that more)

[Titanflux]

Originally Posted by RCUK

335d .. simple.

Cos you get 2 exhausts at the back - what better reason???

(also i had a 335d and loved mine, but then had a remapped 330d E46 - and loved that more)

I agree! What makes you love the E46 more?