I’m driving a Nissan 370z at the moment which I love in a lot of aspects but hate also in a lot of aspects.
Of course it’s a sports car. V6, great road feeling, power etc.
But I’m getting old and want something more comfortable that doesn’t take up a third of my salary every month.
I’ve been looking at a lot of different cars over the last few months and I’m now on the verge of buying an G20 320i Limousine sports line.
I really like the modern aesthetics, it’s very comfy and I like the fuel consumption. Of course it’s a lot slower than my Nissan and the emotions while driving are low because of the R4 but i want to spend less money on my car and still drive something nice.
I already looked up fuel costs, insurance, tax.
Something I can’t get costs of is the reliability of the car.
In my opinion a lot more electronic systems in new cars always have a higher chance to fail which kinda scares me. The B engine should be good, I read online the N engines did have quite some problems.
Are there any problems you know of I should watch out for?
2020 model, 80k km, 320i sports line for 28k € Plan is to put all weather tires on and daily it, 20k km/year
Stock photo btw.
My dad drives a bmw 330e g20. Such a nice driving car. The interior is also very nice. Last version without the stupid ipad screen
I got my 2020 330i xDrive back in August. Haven’t regretted in once, i’m absolutely in love with the car. Everyone went crazy telling me to get the m340i but the used ones by me just weren’t at the price point I needed. The speed, power, and comfort has been great for me and I daily it in Brooklyn. Within a few years the goal is to upgrade to a newer m340i though. Highly recommend the 330 if you can find one for a price that works for you.
edit - forgot to add i bought mine CPO.
Get a 2019 m340i 😊 , looks better , and stock exhaust is leaps and bounds better then the facelift
Have not seen anything too crazy go wrong with these cars working in the dealer
i have this exact model, in portimao blue if you have any questions?
My dad has a 320i and its a great daily, only issue is the trunk space, with is very small for a sedan. It has great low down power and you can easily cruise at 180km/h in a very quiet cabin.
IMHO go with the 340i you wont regret it
You can just remap 320i and get similar performance to 330i remapped . Same engine
No it’s not lol… smaller turbo, weaker pistons, smaller rods, smaller injectors and small HPFP. Meanwhile, 330i gets pistons and rods from m340i and new supra, bigger turbo, HPFP from m340i and new supra, as well as its basically a b58 with two less cylinders… so super tunable with a downpipe and turbo upgrade.
Not as quick as rhe Z sure. At speed however, the G20s chassis would shine through and with a bit of work, be glued to the Z’s rear end.
The hit you take in performance will be vastly exceeded by your gains in comfort and refinement.
I believe you will also find the G20 being true to its nimble AF compact sport sedan roots.
Why not a touring? A sedan is so impractical. Touring also looks better IMHO.
A 320i is fine as a daily. Don’t listen too much to the Americans on where who don’t pay our high fuel prices/taxes/insurance :)
Touring looks like a grandpa’s car. Sedan has more style.
But that’s only my opinion tho
A sedan is not really impractical. A coupé on the other hand is something you can call impractical. Plus a sedan is waaaaaaay more beautiful to look at than a touring. I really don’t understand the hype about touring cars. If you look around 20 years back the touring cars were not really popular and was considered only a family car for people who could absolutely not do with a sedan and most people would agree that a sedan looks better. The car brands have really done some incredible PR for the touring models just like they have with the SUV over the past two decades.
California walks in the room…
I’d have pounced on the touring/wagen if it was available in the US. Love the looks and it’s practical af.
Quick question.
Do you pay higher taxes on the 330 over the 320? Both are 2 liter turbo.TIA
Wow is your 320i engine 2 liters. In my country (Türkiye) its 1.6liters 170hp.
If you get 330i yes, if you get the 330e no
In practice very little difference but, yes. As it’s CO2 based. 330 has a higher CO2. Note this is only for where I live. Every country has its own rules…
Maybe look into getting an extended warranty, they can be pricey but can also quickly pay for themselves + the peace of mind is almost pricess itself
B58 pls
The weakest link on the floaty suspension. If you buy a entry level 3 series and put on coilovers and performance tires it drives like a car several classes above.
What makes you go 320i and not 320d or 330i ?
I don’t like the sound, smell and performance of a diesel. 330i to expensive for me
How many miles do you do per year OP?
320i is a great car, but if you’re doing lots of miles/km per year, then a 320d would likely be the better option.
If not, then 320i all the way, but if budget can stretch, then a 330i could also be nice.
It depends what you want from the car:
If you’re happier with the power difference from your Nissan but want more options on the car, 320i.
If the step up on a lesser spec car is still enough from the Nissan, but you feel you’d miss a bit of the power, then a lower spec 330i could be the answer.
330e with Sportline is also possible. I seen some great ones under 28k Euro on mobile.de so its possible. Are you planning on doing some test drives?