anyone consider the 330i?

I am trying to decide between spec b and 330i. i drove both and there are things i like about both cant decide. any opinions??

If you like both, save yourself some $$ and go with the spec b.

If you can afford both, I don't see anything wrong with splurging for the 330i

I drive the Legacy, not the Spec B and it is a good car. I sell BMW, and love the new 330i as well. Tough decission, just ask yourself if better handling and refinement are worth the extra money. Also if you plan on modding the car the BMW is much more expensive to mod.

If you want all wheel drive performance, I would look at the 330xi. Starting MSRP is around $38,000.

 

From what I hear, BMWs have a lot of issues with the gremlins in the electronics. Also, maintenance and serivce for the BMW is a lot more expensive than that of the Subaru. Once you are out of warranty... good luck to your pocket.

 

IMO...

If you are wanting to go faster than stock, go for the Spec.B. It's plently luxurious for me.

If you are into ultra luxry, and dont' care much to go faster, go for the 330xi.

The cheaper Spec.B, plus AWD, plus cheaper to mod, plus if you get the 330i you'll just look down your nose at us.

Lke it or not there is also a status symbol associated with any premium brand (for better or worse). If this is something that you are looking for then the Subaru will not fit the bill. With that said there is nothing really nothing wrong with either, just maybe the way you get treated by driving one and not the other.

 

For me the only bimmer I would love to own would be either a M3 or M5.

 

X

thanks for the replies... honestly i like the fact that the subaru doesnt have that status appeal.. that is something i dont care for... actually annoys me.. to be honest. but at the same time, it wouldnt stop me from buying a bmw.

IMO, the new 3 series styling is not timeless like the previous ones.

 

Its rearend is ........ugghghghghhh , barf.

10 years ago owning a BMW or a Mercedes meant that you are rich now anyone can buy one. I don't agree that the 330 has better handling. Buy the spec b.

10 years ago owning a BMW or a Mercedes meant that you are rich now anyone can buy one. I don't agree that the 330 has better handling. Buy the spec b.

^^

+1

 

I think the only fair comparision to the spec-b in the bmw line up is the 330xi. While the 330xi is a very nice car, I would go with the spec-b.

On the Canadian BMW website I just configured the 330i.

Once configured the MSRP was $58,0000 CDN.

 

Last year, I purchased my Legacy GT (non LTD) for $33,000 CDN.

That's a $25,000 CDN difference.

 

I would love to have a 330i but $25,000 is a lot of money.

I'm sure the service at BMW dealerships is much better than Subaru.

Also, the profit on each 330i is larger than a Legacy GT Spec-B.

 

I'd get the 330i if the extra money didn't matter.

I've been noticing the e46 330i ZHP's are getting real cheap. I think I'd prefer one of those.

i would stay away from a 3 car. we have a lot of even the 2006's with issues. We have a demo that has been in for service a lot.. 2 O2 sensors in a week, multiple other issues. BMW makes good cars, but I personally would only drive a 5 car if I had to have a BMW. I would choose the LGT Spec b over the BMW being that we carry/sell both types.

moved to 'pre-purchase'

So u mentioned u dont care for the brand image

 

BMW Pros

-Status symbol

-Nicer exterior/sound isolation/HID's

-Slightly better handling

-Better paint quality/built quality

 

BMW Cons

-Hefty Price

-Electrical issues

-Mod-unfriendly

-Expensive post warranty maintenance

-Too common on the road

-Legacy owners will race u and show u who's boss

 

 

Legacy Pros

-Cheaper (saved money goes to modding and making it faster/better handling)

-Better performance/modding capability/cheaper mods

-Proven Reliability

-Cheaper maintenance (post warranty)

-Spec B comes with Navi & better suspension and 5MT and MP3 (that is a plus)

Unique factor/sleeper factor

 

Legacy Spec B cons

-Paint will require care

-No HID (not a biggie)

-almost bmw like quality

-almost bmw like sound insulation

-those frameless windows (i know the whole safety thing)

-did i say "thin paint"

-curse of the legacy...as some of us call it (people havng mishaps with theri cars

-u will need to spend on new tires rightaway and Accessport after 1000 miles

-Ur family will never see u cuz u'll be out driving it all the time cuz its just so much fun

-u'll have to wait the 1000 break in period till u can have all that fun that is being promised by the members here.

-we'll be jealous of u for hving the Spec B (so will ur bmw owning neighbours once u invite them to a lap around the block after 3 inches of snow...any1 remember that old subaru commercial...ha ha ha)

Go with the Legacy. I wanted the 330xi bad because of the AWD, but it's AWD is not as sophisticated as the Subaru's IMO (plus they have a very heavy rear bias which makes them not a "true" AWD). When I looked at them and started researching, I found them to be problem prone and expensive to fix. They do have the bling appeal (which I could care less about). They do not have the same reliability as the Subaru (what's the point of having a nice car if it spends most of it's time in the shop or your garage). The Subaru is most mod friendly. HID's can be retrofitted for less than $300. An access port and downpipe, less than a thousand. It comes down to this. If you want status and have the $$$, go with the BMW. If you want something fast, nice, and rock solid reliability (not to mention cheaper insurance), go with the Legacy.

i prefer the 330i its a pretty nice car just need some minor mods like rims or the sport package and you'll be good to go

 

http://www.fivestarplatinumtrading.com/images/symboliclogo.jpg

Symbolic Sport

 

Oh noes.. a gif sig

i also compared these vehicles...best advice i could give is to drive both of them! see in person and get a feel of each car by driving it. all i had to do was test drive both and i knew the legacy fit the bill for me. better in all aspects imo. i now am hooked on subaru's and their AWD system cannot be beat...great vehicles...good luck w/ your decision...bye the way~subaru's navigation system is by far the best i've ever come across in the spec b!

Driven a 06 330i with the sport package MT, nice car but pricewise it is in a different class. Most spec B LGT are going for well under 35k. The 330i was not much quicker than my stock 5EAT when powerbraked;)

Get a Spec B for 34k put 4k into it & go M3 hunting:)

anyone consider the 330i???

 

no

The major pluses are the Beemers resale value and i would gander a guess that on stock tires a new 3 series would outhandle/corner a stock LGT.

 

The jist is this, if more money in your pocket and having a great car is more important to you, get the LGT, if what people think of you and brand recognition is more important then get the beeemer

Absolutely totally different feeling car. If you don't need or want AWD and have the money would go for the 330 with Sport Package.

For the price of a loaded 330I I'd get the S4 instead.

The major pluses are the Beemers resale value and i would gander a guess that on stock tires a new 3 series would outhandle/corner a stock LGT.

 

The jist is this, if more money in your pocket and having a great car is more important to you, get the LGT, if what people think of you and brand recognition is more important then get the beeemer

 

Ok help me out here. I don't understand this resale value thing as a plus. Are you saying that when comparing the percent depreciation of the original value, the BMW will depreciate less than the Subaru on a percent base?

Or are you saying that the BMW will be worth more $$ at the end of a time period.

 

If its the former, I don't know if it really is true. BMW has a higher price to begin with, so if the same or similar (within a couple grand) amount of depreciation happens within the first year, obviously the BMW will have the lower amount of depreciation (percentage wise) because of the higher starting price. And to be honest, it isn't going to be like the Subie loses 10G the first year, and the BMW 5G, that just doesn't make sense, its going to be a very close number (like I said before within a couple grand).

 

Now if it is the latter, of course the BMW will be worth more $$, it cost more to begin with. The question you have to ask yourself, in 3,4,5,6,7 or however many years you keep the car, will the difference between the BMW's value and the Subie's value, be greater than the difference in the price of the two vehicles today. If that is true, then yes, the BMW's resale value is a plus.

 

Sorry for the long post...I really need to stop doing this.

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.