anyone consider the 330i?

[tsyGT]

I'd lease the 3. You can probably get a good lease rate because of the high resale value. All maintenance is covered during the warranty period. But after the warranty period is over it is going to be much more expensive to maintain than the Subie. (BMW reliability these days isn't exactly stellar- although the 3 series is usually ok, unlike the 5 and 7)

 

As for resale, it depends on where you live. Resale on Subies is much better in the NE and NW than the eternal sunshine states.

 

If image isn't important, go with the one you want. I don't think you can lose either way, they're both great cars. (The spec B will be more rare though!)

 

Good luck

 

tom

[tsyGT]

I believe among high production vehicles Porsche holds the highest resale value of around 68 or 69 percent of original value after 3 years.

 

993 Porsches are going up in value. What can you say, for some people, there is no substitute.

 

tom

 

edit: sorry, off topic

[rkl303]

Subbie Con

People thinking they got owned by a camry.

 

I would not say that its proven reliability though, because the car has only been around for 1 year. I've had my problems ie stinky clutch(happens when someone who doesn't know the clutch uses it), squeaky clutch pedal, and the loose bolts in the suspension(easily remedied), probably my fault but gas mileage is getting worse and a few others...nothing huge but issues none the less.

 

I'd also see if someone would be nice enough to let you ride in their slightly modded car maybe a stage 1 and definately a different tire. The tires are the only realnoticeable shortcoming of the car besides the paint for me. Wish they had a grey available too.

[PGT]

Actually, Mini and Lexus have the highest resale IIRC....Porsche is in there too.

[psucaptainkickass]

BMW has some of the highest resale value around while Subaru well.....doesn't. The last article I read quoted the average BMW as holding 62 percent of its original value after 3 versus Subaru which only held, if I recall, 39 percent of orignal value. So a 40,000 BMW will still be worth 24,800 while a 30,000 Subaru will only be worth about 11,700. Thats an additional 13,100 dollars in value over the Subaru which only cost 10 grand less to begin with, factoring in the free maintenence and service provided on all BMW for 4/50,000 the BMW doesn't look like such a bad value anymore. Thats a huge difference, so in 3 years of ownign the BMW you still be able to have a car that has a fairly high value when looking for your next vehicle while the Subaru will not provide nearly the same power when searching for your next vehicle. I believe among high production vehicles Porsche holds the highest resale value of around 68 or 69 percent of original value after 3 years.

 

Thank you! It just makes so much sense now...I really just didn't have the cold hard numbers to do the calculations myself

[tsyGT]

Actually, Mini and Lexus have the highest resale IIRC....Porsche is in there too.

 

According to KBB the top 10 2006 vehicles for projected 5 year resale value are:

 

2006 BEST RESALE VALUE: TOP 10 (in alphabetical order)

BMW 5 Series

Chevrolet Corvette

Honda Accord Hybrid

Infiniti G35 Coupe

Infiniti M45

Lexus GX 470

MINI Cooper

Porsche Cayenne

Toyota Prius

Volvo XC90

 

BMW tied Mini for the brands with highest resale value.

The Outback won the wagon category.

 

For instant resale value?

A Prius is $2-5K over MSRP

A Z06 Vette is $10k over MSRP (Just got a phone call and email on this one)

 

Edit: I don't think the 911 had high enough production numbers to be included.

 

tom

[blitzenwannabe]

In terms of performance for the price, I think the Spec B is the clear winner.

 

Status symbol goes to BMW (even though there are tons of them on the road).

 

Uniqueness goes to Spec B. I might go as far to say that car enthusiasts would think of the Spec B as a real gem and not be overly interested in a 3 series.

 

I've tested over 4 different configurations of the 325 and 330 and really like the car...very solidly built. But the ongoing maintenance cost of the 3's got me to choose the LGT.

[05LegacyGT330Ci]

I really don't understand why people think BMW have such horrible reliability, they have always been known as a class leader throughout there many years of production. The last generation 3-series, the E46, which is the most recent in term of reliability ratings rates quite high http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Reliability.aspx?year=2001&make=BMW&model=3-Series&trimid=-1&src=VIP&tab=6&sub=-1 . The only flaw is in the 2003 ZHP which had a cam lift at 4000RPM that was fixed by a simple flash and was only expierenced in the 330 with ZHP package. Yet when looking at the same data of the previous generation Legacy many more problems show up with a few showing a serious problems, an indicator that never showed up on the E46 ratings, http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Reliability.aspx?year=2004&make=Subaru&model=Legacy&trimid=-1&src=VIP&tab=6&sub=-1

. From this data if the Legacy is considered reliable then using the same thinking the E46 can only be considered more reliable. There has always been atleast one in the driveway for the past 20 years and we have never had a single one that has expierenced any type of serious problems. The biggest and only unscheduled problem on the current 330 was a vacuum seal that broke on the current fuel milage meter that is in the tachometer, it was fixed in 10 minutes and we were on our way. Though every vehicle will have its problems and all brands will have their horror stories, some more then others, I would not consider BMW by any stretch to be of poor quality or reliability. And also for one last stab if a BMW oil change costs 150, which it does, but it only needs to be done once every 15,000 miles, how could it possibily be more expensive then the Subaru which needs 4 services in the same time period ranging from 90-120 dollars.

[PGT]

I really don't understand why people think BMW have such horrible reliability, they have always been known as a class leader throughout there many years of production.

 

My buddy is on his fifth BMW in six years. Let's recount - '99 540ia - motor needed a full rebuild at 52K miles, or just out of warranty earlier this year - sold for $12K. '01 X5 4.4i - three ECU replacements, lots of trouble with the HVAC system and stranded more than once....traded on a new one when warranty expired a few months ago. He bought an '06 X5 3.0 and hated it. Currently, he has CPO '05 X5 4.4 and an '05 545is....the X5 with an extended warranty to 100K miles (545 is leased, since it's a new model). As much as he likes BMW's, he's not a fan of their reliability.

[05LegacyGT330Ci]

Well like I said some people have bad luck, but for every one person with problems theres many others with none. All 7 BMWs over the past 20 years have been perfect reliability wise, all were owned up to or past 100,000 miles, so these weren't lease and trade cars. Also this post was about the 3 series vs the Legacy hence the reliability charts from the same source for the the two specific model series.

[thepdmm]

I have never owned a bmw, I loved bmw my entire like until I thought about starting to buy one.. my PERCEPTION is that BMW's reliablity is bad.. my perception of subaru is good..

 

I know that perception can really irritate me sometimes.. but it does go a long way I think!

[tsyGT]

Well like I said some people have bad luck, but for every one person with problems theres many others with none. All 7 BMWs over the past 20 years have been perfect reliability wise, all were owned up to or past 100,000 miles, so these weren't lease and trade cars. Also this post was about the 3 series vs the Legacy hence the reliability charts from the same source for the the two specific model series.

 

The 3 series have been pretty good. But the 7, X, and new 5 series reliability has been less than stellar. It also seems their reliability has dropped off over the last 3 years or so. This may just be my impression based on friend's Bimmers though.

 

tom

[Mike M]

Someone suggested the S-4 a few posts back. I purchased my LGT three weeks ago and was debating between the S-4 and the LGT. The S-4 handling was more refined, but the car is almost 600 lb. heavier and despite 300 hp felt big and heavy. Subaru's target with the LGT was the last generation S-4 and I think they hit or surpassed the target (unfortunately right down to the vague on-center steering feel). The Spec B will come in at less than two thirds the price of a new S-4.

[jc51373]

Buy the Spec B...More of a Collectors item if you ask me. Not to mention it will SMOKE that BMW sled. Plus they break, and have silly problems that should not happen on a car with its price tag. German reliability is not there, may never be able to match the Japanese. In speaking for Japanese reliability just know this, 29 of 32 Consumer Reports Recomended vehicles were Japanese, not German, certainly not American. You will get a much better value out of the Subaru, and like most Subie buyers probably won't buy anything else once you get hooked.

 

If you want good road feel, to be looked at and have the prestige factor, go for the BMW. If you want a sleeper that only a select few on the road recognize go for the Spec B, you will not regret it. Car rips.

 

If you really want to make people look foolish buy the STI. Then you can hang with Porsches.

 

 

Did I mention AWD? One of the best systems in the world?

[Syndicate]

...the E90 is something I was considering when I first started looking for a car to replace my GLI. I drove a 6-speed 330i and really enjoyed it, but the Legacy GT simply felt more entertaining imo. However, terms of interior quality and other features the 3 has the Legacy pretty much beat imho. It comes down to are these extra features worth the cost to you. In terms of warranty isn't BMW currently doing the free maintainence for 4yrs or 50k miles? Additionally if you want mod the car the BMW is more expensive, but if you use Dinan parts and have them installed by a dealership your warranty is retained.

[laz]

Recently in the snow that we had here in NYC I saw an owner of a 330 trying to get out of a parking space that probably only had 1/2 inch of snow and some patches of ice. He got the car sideways, and was still fighting to get out of the space with his back wheels just spinning on the ice. Granted he may do better with winter tires, but the whole luxury factor gets lowered a notch when you are sideways in a parking space searching for stuff in your trunk to place under the wheels so you can gain traction and get going. Everyone going by him just stared at his car.

 

I went by him, pondered for a moment if I should get out and help him, but decided against it, after all this is NYC, and it was late at night.

 

 

I felt pretty good about my purchase at that moment.

 

X

[jc51373]

Recently in the snow that we had here in NYC I saw an owner of a 330 trying to get out of a parking space that probably only had 1/2 inch of snow and some patches of ice. He got the car sideways, and was still fighting to get out of the space with his back wheels just spinning on the ice. Granted he may do better with winter tires, but the whole luxury factor gets lowered a notch when you are sideways in a parking space searching for stuff in your trunk to place under the wheels so you can gain traction and get going. Everyone going by him just stared at his car.

 

I went by him, pondered for a moment if I should get out and help him, but decided against it, after all this is NYC, and it was late at night.

 

 

I felt pretty good about my purchase at that moment.

 

X

 

Thats awesome! And one of the many reasons I love NYC...Don't talk to me, don't look at me, get outta my face. Being from Boston I understand this mentality very well.

 

BMW=overpriced, unreliable, sled.

[AWDxBOOST]

the new bmw's are ooogly imo

[melayout]

the new bmw's are ooogly imo

 

+Aztec

[rfd425]

The 330xi is a very nice car, and is probably what I would have got (e46 version) if I hadn't gotten the LGT. I'm not a big fan of the new 3-series looks, but that's a matter of personal preference.

 

To me, paying $27K for an LGT vs. $40K+ for a 330xi (or more likely, ~30K for a used '03 330xi) was an easy decision. The LGT was inexpensive (around $5K less than I paid for my A4 2.8Q eight years ago), and very moddable.

 

If you really want all the Spec B -specific equipment (Nav, red leather, bigger wheels, Bilstein suspension), and if you can get a good price, I'd say go for the Spec B. However, another option would be to get an LGT Limited for ~$26K, and spend the extra $7-8K on mods. For that much, you could get the suspension of your choice (even STi Bilstein coilovers!), a 300-hp stage 2 reflash package, serious high-performance tires, and..........????

[mudfoot]

I like the look of the new BMW 330

[crex]

The 330xi is a very nice car, and is probably what I would have got (e46 version) if I hadn't gotten the LGT. I'm not a big fan of the new 3-series looks, but that's a matter of personal preference.

 

To me, paying $27K for an LGT vs. $40K+ for a 330xi (or more likely, ~30K for a used '03 330xi) was an easy decision. The LGT was inexpensive (around $5K less than I paid for my A4 2.8Q eight years ago), and very moddable.

 

If you really want all the Spec B -specific equipment (Nav, red leather, bigger wheels, Bilstein suspension), and if you can get a good price, I'd say go for the Spec B. However, another option would be to get an LGT Limited for ~$26K, and spend the extra $7-8K on mods. For that much, you could get the suspension of your choice (even STi Bilstein coilovers!), a 300-hp stage 2 reflash package, serious high-performance tires, and..........????

 

 

i agree. the problem is i drove the m3, cause well it was sitting right there staring at me when i went to drive the 330xi. And the dealer said here test drive this one... i was like well ok... i'll try it but its not what i am looking for...

oh nooooooooo....famous last words.. i couldnt believe that car... insane!!! 8k rpm redline, you can watch the tach range become available as the car warms up... reving that thing was amazing and the steering feel and responsiveness of the suspension is among the best i have to say... so tempting.. it was marked at 43k, 2004 with 10k miles on it... so now i am like well i drove that baby, i am going to drive a 987 boxster s now!!! and then i will decide.. i caught some wierd sports car virus after driving the m3. i dont know if i will ever come back to normality now.