All Change!

[baddabang]

Clean install on the double din.

[jediali]

car sold. Now got E90 330i for those interested.

[Kitdy]

Originally Posted by jediali

car sold. Now got E90 330i for those interested.

Been a long time jed. Nice ride! I will be in your fine country soon!

[Ferrer]

Wow, quite an upgrade.

One of the best contemporary sports saloons.

Good choice!

[jediali]

Originally Posted by Kitdy

Been a long time jed. Nice ride! I will be in your fine country soon!

give me a shout

Originally Posted by Ferrer

One of the best contemporary sports saloons.

not regretting it one bit so far.

[angelawright328]

looks so great nice work!

[Clivey]

We need pictures / details!

[jediali]

Hi all

It’s a 2006 car. I picked it up last November just north of Manchester. It had 31k miles when I bought it and was pretty much perfect condition. Feels like new in many aspects. Very slight scratches to couple of wheels and one bumper but no fuss really. Since this car was discontinued I put more emphasis on getting one. Most of the cars for sale are automatic so that what I have which has its pros and cons but overall I am not regretting that choice.

Is it practical?

Its a four door saloon so a bit handier than the coupe, perhaps not as much as the estate but that’s not my cup of tea,. Pretty smooth, quiet, well equipped so very easy to live with. Smaller boot than others i guess though.

Is it economical?

Yes and no, depends on your mood.

Is it fun to drive?

Yes it is, fun enough when the mood takes you and in every day driving but it can be refined and quiet so it does not grate you to a point of annoyance. The engine being a large part of that.

Will it break down all the time?

Hopefully not, this car seems to fair well in this area and its a looked after car.

Is it easy to park?

Yes. Parking sensors and it’s not a huge car.

What if I go to a Shopping Centre and get chased by baddies in a Corvette?

I will probably crash into the shop too, or forever be slowed down by stability control.

Is it green?

Yes and no. See 2nd question. Wait a minute, no it’s silver.

Can I afford it?

Yes, less CO2 (road tax), better overall mpg and reliability make it less painful than my last car. Insurance is reasonable too now that I am growing up (I am 27).

What If I'm asked to take part in a beach assault with the Royal Marines?

Er....probably not. It’s pretty low to the ground and the engine would just suck up all that water through the grill. No sunroof for a gunner either.

sorry for crap pictures, perhaps if Aberdeen gets some sun and a break from the icy rain I will take some better ones.

[jcp123]

Nice. I feel you on the insurance...it sure was nice to see my motorcycle rates drop from $125/mo to $34. Just turned 27 myself

[NSXType-R]

Nice to see your ride!

Those wheels were probably the best looking set for that generation of 3 series.

Good purchase.

[thebrochureman]

Nice ride.

[Clivey]

That's a definite step up from the Audi terms of the driving experience. I'd love a manual coupé in black or red. Congrats!

[jediali]

Hi everyone, haven't been around much, I see Ferrer has attacked the hideout again.

Update - I have had this car for about 8 months now and overall very happy with it.

The pros:

- I have been averaging about 30mpg through mixed uses
- Engine seems to be very healthy with zero noticeable oil consumption
- Engine character, linear, flexible, smooth, good sound etc
- Tyre wear, still loads of tread left, will probably fall away now I have said that
- steering wheel and steering feel, in an era of electric power steering this is worth a few mpg
- Overall chassis balance and feedback, can seem soft but on windy B roads the front and rear ends work together really well to make things fun.
- No reliability issues whatsoever minor or major with the car. Dont mean to sound surprised but my last car was a bit different.
- Auto box not hindering fun of car anymore than it needs to.
- Relaxing motorway car due to driving aids, refinement and gearing
- comfortable and nicely proportioned rear seats, important as I like to have comfy passengers
- traction control levels allow some fun without crashing
- leather sports seats, difficult to adjust but hug you well
- Looks like a 320d if you like subtle

The cons:

- Looks like a 320d, At some junctions I am surrounded by E90s and its not a special feeling
- shape and size of boot, pretty poor relatively speaking
- traction in very wet/winter conditions. I have winter wheels which unfortunately have to be 18" to fit over the brakes.
- brakes these are plenty strong and pleasingly true to the pedal feel but are hard work and can be hard to judge at low speed for smooth changes in speed.
- perceived quality - OK its a well built car with nice materials but the sound of the door shutting, some plastics and some fitment clearances disappointing after my last car
- low speed ride, can break your neck. worse than equivalent Audi IMO. I dont really care though.
- Would not choose a lip spoiler and M badge on boot but they are there...
- one annoying minor dash rattle
- No xenon's, retrofit not that simple
- basic audio setup limited, planning alpine BMW OEM upgrade

[Ferrer]

I have... And will continue to do so!

By the way, why an auto?

[jediali]

Too answer your question mainly because they are so rare for the overall car I wanted, partly because I am not a huge fan of the manual gearbox in this car and its just a phase I am in. I got a software update (factory) and it has paddle shift - not to replace the idea of a manual but to give me more options.

I think my next car will be a small manual hatchback with a snappy manual dont worry. I cant insure my fiancee on this car economically so I may have to compromise in a year or so.