gangzoom

Don't worry about repair bills, find a good local garage and your be fine!! It's the mod costs you have to keep an eye on

I think I've gone on enough about 335i on here before But in short, the good bits: 1. Surprisingly quick. 2. Decent economy, and repairs aside cheap to run/tax given the performance. Realistic 25-30mpg in town, insurance cheaper than Z, road tax around £145/year on all post sep 07 models. 3. Looks a 320d so attracts next to no attention. 4. Lots of modding options, if you really wanted to you can tune it to GTR power levels with uprated turbos and stock internals. 5. NOT a M car out of the box, so if your after top level handling your need to mod it. 6: Standard auto box is good enough for me - DCT is meant to be even better. 7: No longer seem to be depreciating. Bad bits: 1. It's BMW - nothing wrong with that, but I'm a Honda/Nissan/Toyota owner at heart, so the whole 'premium' badge stuff is wasted on me. 2. It will break, some 'common things', coil packs (cheap), injectors (not so cheap), high pressure fuel pump + oil filter gasket (guaranteed to fail), electric water pump (guaranteed to fail), ABS/TC pump, steering wheel lock, and worst of all turbo waste gate rattle. Lots of people don't recommend owing one without warranty.....If your not going to modify one, than your be crazy not to take out BMWs extended warranty. For the official BMW extended warranty it needs to have full service history from at least VAT register garage using BMW OEM parts. Over 60k prices go up, normal cover is about £400-500 year I believe. 3. It looks like a 320d. 4. Lots of modding options. 5. Fold down rears seats is a cost option on the E90 saloon....I've never personally seen a E90 with fold down seats, you can retrofit but looking at £1k to get hold of all the hardware. Overall all though best car I've owned to date. Excluding mods mines cost £2-2.5k in repairs over 3.5 years of ownership, and depreciated about £10k in the same time period, which isn't too bad. Infact 335i values have been going up in the last 12 months!! Even my wife who hates wasting £££ on cars have conceded that it's a decent car, and when you put the foot down it just goes.....She has been using the 335i a lot the last 12 months, and now finds the Civic a bit cheap inside compared to the 335i and wants an auto. Hence we're now getting rid of the Civic, and funny enough her only compliant about the £32k Lexus we're about to buy is the fact it doesn't shift like the 335i when she puts her foot down

I would go for the light blue and ivory on the sport body kit....but that's really just making it look like the lemans blue and oyster interior of my 335i ....decision up to my wife, and at the best of times she's a abit indecisive at times about colour combinations!!

Just dropped the car off at the dealers, to be honest if it had a bit more shove I would be tempted to PX the 335 for one. Was already to order metallic black with cream interior, but now we really like the titanium on the demo car....it's a hard life been faced with such choices

Lol will do, I don't like the rear diffuser, already looking for alternatives from the US

So have just spent the last 24hrs driving the Lexus IS300H as a replacement for our diesel Civic, I thought I share my views on it, in particular the hybrid drivetrian. I have to say I had my doubts about a car that shares it's roots with something alike a Prius. IS300H vs our BMW 335i as a 'sports saloon': There is no contest. The IS300H with the hybrid engine/CVT gear box combination is just not designed for any kind of 'enthusiastic driving', and despite putting out 220bhp feels slow, laggy, and under full acceleration makes awful noise. The car also comes with 'active noise control' basically fake exhaust noise, it's worse than even the real noise at full load, lucky you can turn it off. When thrashed the hybrid drive train is also pretty un-economical. It's a shame because the actual car handles well. IS300H vs our Civic diesel as a 'family run around': The hybrid drive train/cvt box is so smooth and noise free at town traffic it makes the diesel engine in the civic feel like something from the industrial revolution. Over a day of driving covering some 70 miles, including my little bit of 'spirited' driving we averaged 50 mpg. In urban stand still traffic some of the mpg readings it was reporting was frankly astounding, it's the only car I've driven that's returns higher mpg numbers the worse the traffic!!! I know some diesels can achieve that, but not in the same smooth, rattle free style. The full EV mode where you can hit 30mph on battery alone is amazing, and a real head turner. Our car will also be doing mainly a daily 3-4 mile commute so that's a good recipe for DPF issues on any diesel. As a luxury family car it's a pretty compiling package, we were so impressed have ordered a brand new one So in summary the hybrid unit in the IS300H makes for a great luxury family car. You can really tell Toyota have spent nearly a decade perfecting the hybrid technology. But it's unlikely I'll be replacing the 335i with any kind of hybrid, however a full EV car like a Tesla is whole different matter, and am 100% sure full EV is the future of motoring. The crunch point for us was when we went to the Jag show room I was surprised to find another Lexus glide in under EV power, and when a £70k diesel XJ pulled in a few minutes later with its engine rattling away it made me realise just how much more refined and pleasant the hybrid/EV experience is compared to even the best diesels. At that point both me and my wife pretty much agreed there was no point in us even going to look at the Mer C class in the showroom down the road.

I’ve recent thought about swapping my £300 550D for a £1500 7D Mark II body…but after looking through some of the shots i’ve managed to get with the 450/550D, and some advice from people on the forum I really cannot justify the price difference. So actually I don't think you need to spend £££ to get some decent shots with the gear you have already. I will probably go for a 70D soon, mainly because my 550D is actually starting to finally show signs of wear. For Zoo/Motorsport stuff I love the 450/550D with 70-300 4.5-5.6 IS Lens, just wish the AF system had a more flexibility. Though I don’t do much static night photography so you might see more difference from better ISO body, but these nights shots are all hand held, using 450/550D, not good enough for pro level stuff, but more than good enough for the walls of our little house

So it looks like we're finally ready to sign on the dotted line for a replacement of our trusted Civic. Went to see the Lexus IS300H last weekend and really liked it....so much so we've booked a 24hr test drive this coming Saturday in view of doing the deal on a new one. My wife liked the idea of new car so much (who wouldn't ) we have raised the budget to £35k.....Than last night one of these past me whilst on my way to work, and I have to say it looked fab So got home today and had play on the Configurator and for the same price as the IS300H you actually get more kit and a decent petrol engine rather with autobox rather than the hybrid CVT set up. Now I love the technology of the hybrid drive in the Lexus, especially EV mode, but given the battery capacity is only 1.6kwh compared to 65-85kwh in a Tesla, I cannot help but feel the Lexus is more of a conventional petrol car rather a real EV machine.....and I was surprised spec for spec it costs more than the Merc, which in pictures anyways just look more classy. So plan now is to pick up the IS300H on Saturday for the test drive and take it straight to the Merc dealer for comparison So which one would you pick out of the two?? (No other suggestions please, yes I know a similar spec Jag XE is same price but she doesn't like the XE, and a petrol 3.0 SC XF is just overkill and as I keep reminding my self, it's a car for my wife not a toy for me )

First auto car I've owned and I personally don't want to go back to manual ever again. In full auto mode the shifts are so smooth most of the time I have no idea what gear the thing is in, and due to massive amount of toque regardless of what gear your in a blip on the throttle will make the thing pick up speed. In manual mode you pretty much have full control. But it wouldn't let you over rev the engine, so will shift up at the limiter, and wouldn't let you stall, so will shift down as required. So it's never truly 'manual' but why you would want to over rev the engine or strain it to the point of stalling am not sure. The new 8 speed ZF unit in the current 3 series though is suppose to be even better.

Sounds like they are trying to rush you into signing on the dotted line. Looking at the howmanyleft website Nissan sold roughly 50 370Z in the last 12 month, so I doubt very much a more expensive version of the 370Z is going to be flying out of the show rooms. £390/month + 8K deposit + I persume lump sum if on PCP is also hardly a 'bargin' finance deal. Not when you consider VW was offering the Golf R for £250/month on lease. I would sit tight and wait for a few months, and than go in with a cheeky offer when the cars have been sitting on the forecourts for a while unsold.

But its the 'real world' performance of something like a 335i thats so amazing, in gear acceleration response is immense, and theres no real turbo lag. Versus a E9X M3 it'll fly away unless the M3 drops a few cogs sharpish. As I've said before the best time I love about the 335i, is that my wife can potter round town in it, leave the gear box in auto, never take the revs above 2Kpm and is perfectly happy with the car. But when I feel like in the mood, I can switch the map on the engine for abit of extra bhp, stick the box in manual mode, and around the local back roads it's more fun than my Z use to be, and nearly as good as my old Integra Type R. For me cars like the 335i/S4 offer almost the perfect balance of performance/speed/fun/luxury/practicality in the 'real world'.....just don't count on it starting every time +1 Reliability is I would never use to described my BMW 335i, infact the Peugeot 106 I had years ago was more reliable...Infact the whole BMW ownership experience has pretty much put me and my wife off buying any German car again. Been looking at replacements for our Civic diesel and I think options from BMW/Audi/Merc were considered for a total of 30seconds before they were written off!! If it wasn't for the knowledge Mitz and Andy been able to fix the thing so efficiently I'm pretty sure I would have got rid of the thing quite a few months ago

Looks fab

Congrats on the purchase OP. How are you aiming to hit 420bhp? Meth or uprated turbos?? If not done already I really would recommend sorting out the handling of the thing before upping the BHP. Better suspension and a Quaife LSD in my view are essential mods...... Talking about mods, that's probably the biggest problem with the 335i, there's just so much on the market. Here's the latest for my car, new backboxes, but that is really it for me regarding mods I dismissed the 335i for a long time purely because it was a BMW and that was the last brand on earth I wanted to go to replace my Z, but if your after a quick, practical, luxury, small saloon, it really is only between the 335i or the S4. The engine output in the 335i is constrained by BMW so that it doesn't clash with the M3. The new M3/M4 putting out 400bhp is running essentially the same engine but with lots of additional cooling. The fact my car looks like a 320D to 95% of the public is one of the reasons I love it. You really cannot tell by looking at it, but when you put your foot down there's very little on the road that can keep up, certainly surprised the RS5 owner that I tailgated on the autobahn upto about 140 400bhp+ in a car that weighs under 1600kg is decent pace. Sorry but the Z may the looks but interms of what matters, the performance, a mildly tuned 335i is closer to a GTR than any Z (unless supercharged/turboed). Interms of exclusivity, 335i's are actually pretty rare. I see more Zs on the road than 335i's

So Tesco are now doing ClubCard boost for X-mas, I've got a whole load of un-used club card vouchers to use up, essentially means I can get either for just £100. So the age old questions...which is one is better PS4 or Xbox Currently have both PS3 and Xbox 360, the only game I've played at any length in the last 6 months is GTA V on the 360, and the next gen version looks jaw dropping. Also have a steering wheel for the 360, but I know there's no real backward compatibility with either. The PS3 is currently been used as a media streamer/blue ray player, I don't think I've actually played a game on it since completing Metal Gear Solid over 2 years ago , but the PS4 suppose to be the better machine this time round. Anyone go any experience of either??

You're not going to believe this, but we do in fact have this, the rarest of the rare (and about to be stopped for 15MY) 3.0 S/C XF with LOADS of kit.... http://www.harwoods.uk.com/jaguar/used-cars/14521/jaguar-xf/ Awesome piece of kit. Drove it home the other day... feels like a RWD Audi S4 (with lots more character) Yes seen this on Autotrader, it's just a tad over budget....£25-30k is limit, though am sure £5k is not an impossible budget gap to bridge with a bit of negotiation, it will be a but odd to have the family 'hack' been nearly as quick as the 335i .....and sadly as much as I love the thought of having 12 cylinder, 2 turbos and a supercharger on the drive way the realities of life means the Lexus IS 300H is currently the top runner to replace the Civic. Yes I know the CVT transmission is rubbish, and in real life driving it's not going to hit anywhere near the claimed 64mpg, but it is cheap to tax/run, decent number of toys, and unlikely to leave the wife stranded at the side of the road.....Have to TRY and remember the new car is for my wife and not for me

They are getting really cheap now!! It's madness most people see the 2.2 diesel as the more desirable version!! If you guys get a facelift SC 3.0 V6 let me know, have convinced my wife that the V6 is a more sensible option compared to the diesels.....Trying to persuade her a 5.0 XFR is not even worth trying

Any new car on the drive way yet? Any new car on the drive way yet? Just in case your still unsure about the 335i...mine has just visited good old CS this weekend to have a Bastuck back box fitted...So here it is….Doesn't sound half bad for a boring, old mans car

Only car I financed was the Z, bought right at the height of the financial bubble, virtually no checks, no need for documents/bill, all done and approved in a few minutes....From what I remember even the mortgage didn't take much longer to approve....ahh the good old days of irresponsible / carefree lending. Don't think it'll ever be that easy to borrow money again in my lifetime:)

Does it have to be new? I really wonder worry about having a warranty on a Civic. Ours is over 85k now, apart from new battery and servicing items nothing else has needed doing....and it's still worth £5.5k 6.5 years on (only paid £13.5k for it as an ex demo), total running costs including everything but fuel (deprecation, tax, insurance) £150/month

We go by the view all the money we earn is 'our' money, but we both have separate accounts. I'm awful at saving, and really good at spending on pointless stuff....as Mitz will tell you by the amount of un-nessary £££ parts I keep on buying for the BMW and asking him to stick on . So I made the decision even before we were married that I'll pretty much pay all the bills/mortgage etc, and any amount left at the end of the month I move to a 'savings account'. This means that she can save nearly her entire salary (which is basically the same as mine), and pay for the really big stuff...like lump sum mortgage overpayments, in a few months time a new car to replace the Civic , in a few years time a scary amount of deposit for the next 'final' family house, and may be one day a Tesla S....Sadly I fear my 'savings account' will not really contribute much to any of those things, not unless I can find a way to doge the 'car modification' tax ....

Looks like SA law is just as 'fair' as UK and US law....Big enough wallet and you can literally get away with murder....Next the lawyers will be arguing he shouldn't even be going to prison due to mental anguish/trauma his suffered.....oh wait Democracy, what a load of ###% at least in a dictatorship people are honest about their corruption/abuse of power/money

Actually I think your find thats quite a realistic mpg....if driven sensibly....but driven properly its a whole different story Two most essentials mods on any 335i, and its had the water pump + turbo actuators replaced.....those two mods + cost of repair for the water pump alone will run you close to £4K...Trust me I've been there and pay for it....add in cost for new turbo actuators and that's probably £5-6K worth of mods/repairs alone...so your essentially getting the rest of the car for £3K. For under £9K thats a total bargain .....If your after a fast/practical/fun car your not going to get anything that even comes close for that kind of money......Mitz I you know you've been wanting to get some thing more exciting than the Insignia

I find show hilarious, this years bunch have out done them selves interms of looking like fools My favourite line so far: “I give myself a nine out of 10 for attractiveness, but I’m not better at business because I’m good looking†Alan Sugar needs to be given an oscar (or a large pile of BBC cash) for been able to take any of them seriously. In any case what would you rather watch Apprentice or Bake off?

I would love to say I agree with you but unfortunately Ebola isn't something made up or a media 'fab'. SARS, Bird flu/Swine flu was not a virulent or severe as first predicted, but still put the intensive care service in the UK under strain, i remember doing one shift where we identified 2-3 young adults that needed ventilation support due to viral infection but the intensive care unit was already full, and we had open theatres recovery to make a temporary mini-intensive care unit. Ebola certainly isn't going to affect the UK like it had done in Western Africa, but this is a virus that has a 70% mortality rate (chance of you dying in hospital due to the infection) even with all best conventional care. I honest cannot think of any other disease/infection that has any where near that morality rate of Ebola. For comparison the much published MRSA 'superbug' has a mortality of 10%, necrotising fasciits 'flesh eating bacteria' (which I've only ever managed 2 cases directly) has a mortality rate of under 30%. So as you can see Ebola with it's 70% mortality is much much more serious than any 'conventional' infection we have here in the UK. But thankfully I think the big pharma companies will be able to produce an effective vaccine to the virus, and in large enough numbers by early 2015, so actually even if the current outbreak continues to spread it will be contained. The airport 'screening' is a joke and total waste of time, but it will help keep the general public happy, as government will appear to be doing something. The real sad news is for the western Africa countries that the disease is currently affecting, this virus is doesn't care what religion you are, how rich/poor you are, it simply infects people and kills them. Unfortunately the health care systems of the countries involved are totally over whelmed, and the rest of the world has been very slow to react...untill now, when there is a real prospect of the disease spreading to other countries. I have been impressed by the response of the WHO (though I'm still not a fan of their music ), I was always under the impressing the WHO really didn't have much power, but in this disease outbreak have actually been extremely effective at disseminating information, tracking the disease, and co-ordinating the research. I guess its a good sign, that when required/forced we (the world) do have the knowledge/technology/resources to fight/stop what would otherwise be a world changing disease .

£5k get something like a decent 2.2 Diesel Civic, which does everything on your list, and will cost you hardly anything to maintain. Amongst my friends who own BMWs ranging from 120d through to E90 M3s every single one has developed various faults. Don't get me wrong they are great cars, and I love my 335i, but they are not the kinda of cars you buy to run on a budget.