Hello,
I’m narrowing my potential car list down and quite like 330d’s (previous shape budget wise around 2008 era) has anyone got/had one and any good/bad stories?

My father-in-law is service manager at BMW so i can get a discount on any work needed. I drive approx 8k a year and need to change my car for a 4/5 door. Needs a bit of a boot but not huge.

I’ve got a F30 330d, and I can highly recommend it. My previous car was a F30 328, and the 330d feels so much quicker. The gearbox is fantastic, with all the torque on tap, put you’re foot down at anytime at it just goes…
For a diesel the engine sounds good too.

Thanks thatscold, there’s one for sale nearby it looks a bit thrashed but I’m going for a look and hopefully a drive in a bit. Have you had any issues with it at all? How long do tyres last?

Chap at work swapped his 335d for a 320d due to long commute, said the 55mpg is nice but everyone should own the 330 / 335 at least once in their lives…
Don’t really see the attraction myself, in a 5 series estate might be good though.

Slightly older (but same shape) 320d wagon here.

Car has been good in the 4 years I’ve had it so. Minor irritations/niggles (both washer pumps packed up, cabin fan bearings squeaked, blue tooth module has died. Can’t be arsed to replace that). Mine’s been through a set of pads & discs and also I replaced the dampers and springs just over 100k miles.

It’s great to drive on open roads – fuel consumption is a steady 45+ unless you drive like a complete tool. Round town the gearbox is a bit clunky and the consumption increases drastically.

Tyres – fronts last ages. Rears? Well I got through a set of Falkens in 10k, which I wasn’t impressed by. My winter tyres (well worth having!) are coming up to their 4th season, so I guess they must have 12-15k on and are only just starting to show signs of wear comnpared to the fronts.

It’s well worth getting a proper 4 wheel alignment done, unless there’s been proof of one being done recently – makes a massive difference to how the car rides and handles over bumps. Mine was crabbing initially, and once it was sorted, it was worth 10-15mph on a bumpy b-road.

The halogen headlights are crap. Get Xenons if you can.

If I had to buy another car, I’d be after a 330d. Nothing newer appeals, and the only thing I’d really want to change about my 320 is to make it faster!

Thanks for the replies. I’ve driven a 320d hire car a few times. The 330d. (Or whatever I get) will replace a celica 190bhp so I’m used to similar MPG. Just feel like I need to grow up a bit when I replace it and I like the 3 series. A 5 is too big for what I’m after. I’m drawn towards BMW as father in law works for them.

Iirc SurfMatt thought they were awesome.

It’s a big, heavy, relatively powerful car, so if you drive it hard, the tyres & brakes will take a bit of a hammering.

I put 160k on my E46 330d tourer, and i’m now 35K into my E90 335d tourer. Both superb cars for the real world.

The performance is well hidden mind, the low cabin noise and high refinement make going fast seem effortless. On my 335 i have the speed warning “Bong” set at 99mph, because it’s ridiculously easy to just sail past 100mph and into “bansville”, especially with the auto gearbox…….

Id imagine they are good to drive, I own a model before 320d (e46) and I like it alot. Id imagine the newer engines are more refined, mines nice and smooth but compared to modern diesel is a little lumpy. All the below things are on the e46 so Id hope they’d have improved!

Not sure if they have them on newer models (e90/e91) but worth checking swirl flaps, a big problem for diesels on the e46 shape. These are worth blanking to avoid potential engine failure.

The lumpy gearbox is partly due to a restricting valve called a CDV. Easy to remove so that it opens up the flow of oil. It designed to stop ham fisted people wrecking anything from poor shifting.

The gearchange takes a bit of getting used to but Im guessing most 330ds if not all will be autos so CDV and gearchange dosent apply.

I echo about 4 wheel alignment otherwise itll handle like a bag of spanners. Also, if it tramlines this could be down to worn bushes. Even makes and models of tyres play a small part in how it drives and feels, which sounds daft but true.

Go for an Msport too, seats are much better than SE.

My shocks were gone shortly after I bought it at 120k so worth checking, even if its had motorway mileage.

All BMWs after 2004 came with a 12 year anti corrosion warranty so any rust check its not caused by poor maintenance. Arches go but if its had proper BMW or BMW inspection services throughout its life this will be one of the things thats checked.

Cheers test drove it, loved it. Not that one though it’s had a hard life… On the lookout for another. 🙂

On a serious note for 8k a year why bother with diesel? They cost more to service, fuel is more and they have the potential for big bills. BMW turbos do have a reputation for lunching themselves.

At that kind of mileage get a 330. You’ll get more car for you money because most people are petrified of petrol cars, let alone ones with big engines. Our car was significantly cheaper than the equivalent derv versions, with less miles and has had an easy life (ex-demonstrator then old by an old chap fir a while).

We have an E90 330 which I love. The engine is fantastic; it sounds lovely, is pretty brisk and doesn’t do too bad on fuel. Downside is that saloons are useless for putting stuff in (folding seats were an option).

I’m a massive fan of the E46 and hated the E90 when it first came out because it lacked personality but having had both, the E90 is a better car. The interior is not flashy but it’s functional and has aged well, the sports seats are really comfy and they just get on with things. I’ll struggle to replace it.

If looking at an older E90, watch out fir leaking fuel vent pipes. They run through the chassis which they rub on and so, it splits over time. The part is cheap but fitting it is involved do expensive. You’ll only notice it when the tank is full, and the back of the car will smell like fuel. They also suffered from sticky door handles so check that recall had been done.

The fan internal fan bearings in ours are a bit noisy, but I’m not worrying about it too much. The radio screen can loose pixels too.

As said above, I’d budget for a proper four wheel alignment. Expensive bit makes a big difference….Sytner were do.isn’t them for £99 instead of £250. BMW’s are sensitive to alignment and will chew up tyres if the alignment is out, which can get expensive with run flats. So e ditch the run flats, but I’ve kept them on the basis that the suspension was designed around them. With the 18’s they’re quite pricey….the lady pair of Bridgestone’s we put on were £570 for the pair.

Overall I think they’re great every day cars. The six pots make them in my eyes, especially the petrol ones (the earlier N52 engine was engine of the year fir a few years and is more reliable than the later, slightly more powerful one). Good luck

Why do you need a 330d ? A 320d is way fast enough, and much more mpg

+1 on checking the fuel vent pipe issue. There’s a preventative fix that is very easy to fit, but if the pipe splits, a garage will charge you a lot to replace it. I think early 2008 was the cut-off for when they started fitting an additional sleeve at the factory, but they never did a recall.

Other than that, they’re great cars. I’ve had mine (E91 330d) since 2006, and am only starting to think of changing now because we’ve got sprog #2 on the way and could do with something a bit bigger.

Why do you need a 330d ? A 320d is way fast enough, and much more mpg

And is a four pot which suffers a lot of issues with the timing chain, mixed with swirl flaps and squiffy turbos. The Bork factor would scare the hell out of me, especially on an older car.

Plus the six pots sound much nicer….even when not driving like a toolbox they sound lovely. Much smoother too.

We were quoted something in the region of £400 fie the vent pipe because most of the back end had to be taken apart to do it (although sone garages manage to do it by taking the rear seats out instead).

I’ve got a new shape (F31) 330d Touring M-Sport – it’s chuffin’ marvellous, proper quick when you fancy, 50 mpg when you don’t. It’s comfy on the long trips, room for family holidays and turns into a van when you need to go to the tip.

I’ve had various older 3’s and 5’s before. Get a good independent service shop (like Quarry Motors in Sheffield, or mates’ rates at the main dealer) and it’ll be as cheap to run as anything out there. I’m just coming up to replacing the rear tyres after 32K. I run winters for about 5 months a year so that’s probably 18K on the summers and it’ll be about £225 each for decent 19″ run flats. The fronts and winters have got ages left on them. I’d really recommend winter tyres for any BMW but especially one with a bit of poke.

I can think of no reason not to buy a 330d. There are a lot about, take you time and pick the best you find. There are lots of good points above and more information than you’d think possible (or healthy) on the many forums.

Fair enough re 330d / 320d I hadn’t realised the big differences in engines.

I’m running a new 320 so engine problems not an issue. 80 mpg is good too

We were quoted something in the region of £400 fie the vent pipe because most of the back end had to be taken apart to do it (although sone garages manage to do it by taking the rear seats out instead).

£400 sounds cheap from what I’ve heard. I did mine myself, and it’s *just* possible to do by dropping the fuel tank a couple of inches without removing the driveshaft, but it’s an absolute utter pig of a job.

32k on before needing rear tyres? I’m going to guess you don’t use much of the performance much of the time 😉

(think i managed <6k once, 330d are supremely nice to oversteer because you can do it in 4th gear at about 1500rpm, so it’s subtle 😉

We’ve been running a 330d Msport touring for the last 3 years (55 plate) and it’s been a pleasure to own. Reasonable mpg, bags of torque. Heavy steering and gear change can take a while to get used to, but a great car overall.

Only issue we’ve had is a headlight self levelling motor failed and a loose heat shield on the exhaust.

If you buy one that’s already levelled out depreciation wise, you get a hell of a lot of car for the money.

FunkyDunc – Member
Why do you need a 330d ? A 320d is way fast enough, and much more mpg
POSTED 59 MINUTES AGO #

I don’t ‘need’ a 330d but I’d like a straight 6. Whilst a 320D is nice it’s quite a different car.

32k does seem like a lot.

I managed to eek 18 out of my E46 and they were properly nailed when they went in for replacement. Down to the wear indicators and in the cold weather the car couldn’t make it onto the ramp….oops.

Definitely get the six pot. It’s a much nicer engine, even in derv format. Sadly the six pot is mostly dead due to emissions regulations etc. I’ve seen a few 328’s not not one 335 petrol since the F3x came out. Sad times if you’re a fan of the BMW six.

Second what mind map says re: 320 d. I have one and wouldn’t buy another, but I would get a more powerful 330d 6 cyl. Just google n47 engine issues.

Our car has had engine out twice, luckily still under warranty. I am extending the warranty when it runs out next month, simply because I don’t want to take a risk on it going wrong again before we sell it. Friend has just spent £8k on theirs, which was outside of warranty. Timing chain went pop, then ecu, then electronics got damaged in the rain at the garage.

32K in total, 18K on summer tyres that are now ‘a bit thin’.

Just for reference, I drive our e46 330i 20 miles a day for my commute, mixed country rodas, and over a few thousand miles am averaging 32.4mpg, so wouldn’t rule out a petrol at your mileage, and you will get more car for your money compared to the 330d which in my opinion are overpriced considering real world mpg is about 42 on a good day from what I have read.
I was considering buyong a mates 335d, until he told me he was gettign 37mpg average, and then t really didn’t seem owrth it!

Threads like this make me very sad that I have to own a car that I can afford to insure teenagers on 🙁

If the father in law works for BMW, get him to look out for one on trade-in?

I looked at a 530d, 535dM and ended up saving a pile of money and bought a Mercedes Benz C350 AMG sport+ instead, beautifully smooth V6 with a VGT turbo. Huge amounts of torque and power.
Both premium German marques but both marmite to most.
It’s worth a look though.

Oh and I drive 400 miles a week and get an average of 43mpg with a heavy foot.
Service cost are fixed my 15000 ml first service cost around 300 sheets.

johndoh – Member
If the father in law works for BMW, get him to look out for one on trade-in?
POSTED 48 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Hi John he is, my OP was more about owners experience/running costs rather than one for sale 🙂 surprisingly there’s few about at the moment and typically the cars he has traded in are ex-lease or CC 320’s so he’s looking in the wider network. He’s a huge BMW fan so getting an honest opinion can be quite hard.

Going to view another one later 🙂

I looked at a 530d, 535dM and ended up saving a pile of money and bought a Mercedes Benz C350 AMG sport+ instead, beautifully smooth V6 with a VGT turbo. Huge amounts of torque and power.
Both premium German marques but both marmite to most.
It’s worth a look though.
Oh and I drive 400 miles a week and get an average of 43mpg with a heavy foot.
Service cost are fixed my 15000 ml first service cost around 300 sheets.

I’m drawn towards BMW as i can get parts/labour cheap. Thanks though 🙂

oldnpastit – Member
Threads like this make me very sad that I have to own a car that I can afford to insure teenagers on
POSTED 1 HOUR AGO # REPORT-POST

Selling a MK3 MR2 that’s a lot of fun for £1700 full toyota history never missed a beat 😉 doesn’t need a big engine to be fun

‘Selling a MK3 MR2 that’s a lot of fun for £1700 full toyota history never missed a beat doesn’t need a big engine to be fun’

itll be about 3000 to insure kids on though 😉

I bought a 325d M Sport Convertible (2010) back in April and it is the best car I have ever owned.

Around town it does 34mpg and on a run mid 40’s.

I wouldn’t touch one outside of a main BMW dealer though. Ours has been in 3 times to solve a problem with the rear passenger window dislodging the external trim when you put it back up.

Apparently trims are not covered under BMW warranty but they still did it without any charge.

As for the folding roof it is a work or art.

If you have never had a 6 cylinder BMW engine you really should try one, oh and also get the auto box with paddle shift. They really are both practical and fun cars to own.

The autobox on the E90 is pretty old tech. It suits the dervs more than the petrols.

Ours is auto and I quite like it, but it can frustrate from time to time.

The paddle shifters only came with the LCI (facelift cars). These cars are a it more powerful, bit more fuel efficient and cheaper to tax but are generally considered a bit more unreliable. BMW moved to direct injection engines and it seems to be the high pressure fuel pumps and coil packs that give issues. Not cheap to sort either.

trail_rat – Member
‘Selling a MK3 MR2 that’s a lot of fun for £1700 full toyota history never missed a beat doesn’t need a big engine to be fun’
itll be about 3000 to insure kids on though
POSTED 47 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Sod the kids, I ment as a second car/toy. 🙂

Cheers for more replies! I’ve never had an auto before (driven a few) very very few manuals about anyway. The one I drove yesterday was a manual i didn’t dislike the shift it’s less harsh than my current cars but I can see if your coming from a different car it could be annoying.

gribble – Member
Second what mind map says re: 320 d. I have one and wouldn’t buy another, but I would get a more powerful 330d 6 cyl. Just google n47 engine issues.

Our car has had engine out twice, luckily still under warranty. I am extending the warranty when it runs out next month, simply because I don’t want to take a risk on it going wrong again before we sell it. Friend has just spent £8k on theirs, which was outside of warranty. Timing chain went pop, then ecu, then electronics got damaged in the rain at the garage

eh? The 6 cylinder engine is pretty much the 4 cyl one with 2 extra pots nailed on the back. Same components, same systems etc. The reason you hear of more 4cyl failures is just because there are a lot more of them out there doing many more miles. For every 330d i see, i must see 100 320d’s……

Just sold my E90 330d waiting for my F31 330d. Wouldn’t have anything else.
The 320d engine is a bit unrefined, especially with the start/stop!

Gone for an auto this time though…errr as that’s all they do 🙂

Only major downside are the DPF problems, particularly if it’s only ever done short journeys. Can be expensive to put right. And there is the ABS pump issue which can be majorly expensive to put right. Mine went and it’s cost me £350 to send for repair, not bad if you’re prepared to remove and put it back yourself. BMW would charge up to £2k!

maxtorque – further to your post above, I may well be wrong on the failures not affecting 6 cyl engines, but previous (very limited) research has not shown any 6 cyl issues.

Having said that, take your point that the 320d is a very common engine and therefore failures are likely to have been more common, due to sheer weight of numbers.

Does anyone know how the 320 petrol compares to the 320 diesel?

I don’t think it’s as simple as two extra cylinders. Both the E9x and E6 cars sold pretty well with the six pots and timing chain issues are virtually none existent. When the EML light came on in our car, the specialist said that the fault code was VANOS actuators or the timing chain…but the latter was hugely unlikely on a six pot. He had four of five four pits in with timing chain issues. The replacement VANOS actuators have solved the problem.

I don’t know why it is so prevalent in the four pots, but it’s more than volume sold.

The 2.0 petrol suffers with timing chain issues. It doesn’t sound great or feel that quick and the fuel economy isn’t that much better than the sixes.

6 pot engine will have significantly lower peak cam torque, so it might be just that!