[Sheel]

I do not drive these fancy low slung cars and am more of a SUV person, but I will any day prefer a RWD fun over anything else and wish the options were in MT with a C pedal.

[aviral2122]

While talking about out a 3 series I think XE needs a mention, it has gathered lots of interest amongst the enthusiastic petrol heads world wide with most stating it to be a better drivers car than the BMW. I think you can take a td of the portfolio variant petrol which comes with higher tuned petrol engine and maybe short list it for your final decision.
It comes with 5 year service package @ 50%.
Plus you can extend the standard 3 year warranty to 5 years at around 90k or 1 lack too.
This should help your cause.

[iliketurtles]

Hullo there. I’m a bit late to the party, but let me weigh in with my two cents.

From what little I know of you, you’re a rational man. You like to weigh things up fully before diving in head first. So yes, as you said, you have to drive both the Octavia and 330i back-to-back to get a really solid opinion.

That said, you seem to have your heart set on a BMW. So go down that road. However, let me play the devil’s advocate for a moment here. You really, really have to consider pre-owned cars to get knowledge is the best deals, but the best cars well.

Just yesterday, I was chatting with a friend about the next upgrade after the Jetta, and I boiled down to roughly the same conclusion as you, except I’d rather have the 530D over the 330i. The reasons for this are many, but it boils down to the extra two cylinders. There simply isn’t a replacement for displacement. And at about 40 lakhs on road in Mumbai for a low-mileage example, would you really have a 330i over the 5?

I know you said no diesel cars. But I really, really have to emphasise that you must try the 530D. It is one hell of a special car.

Many moons ago, the thread that led you down the road to the Jetta was a hugely enjoyable one. This one seems no less so. Looking forward to seeing how it shapes up, keep us posted buddy.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

...The fact is we don't even know when it is exactly launching in India, or whether it will come in the 330i guise.

...

The fact is, the new G20 may be more dynamically sorted, but the questions above still remain. Also the B48 engine in the 330i is not going to be replaced anytime soon, it will continue in the G20. Things like the idrive too are totally up to date and I doubt there will be much of a difference in the G20.

Now on the current 330i sportline, there were discounts of 10l on the ex showroom which brought it to 32l ex showroom in Mumbai. At that price its a no brainer over the vRS for me. The M sport would be my pick if you can stretch that much, though I don't think there are such big discounts on the M sport. The extra goodies of the M sport, the HUD, the steering wheel (makes a huge difference to driving pleasure), and the staggered wheels with 225 rears, will be worth it in the long run.

...

If you wait till March, the discounts will be almost as good as December.

Lastly, I have also heard things about 330i production stopping, so don't hesitate too much or it may be gone.

Why would I take it over the vRS? RWD period. The 8 speed gearbox, and the rear wheel drive are a great combination and with a powerful petrol it is extremely fun to drive. The vRS is also great, and it has a more sporty suspension set up but the FWD with its lesser traction and understeer (though very well controlled) cannot match the total fun to drive factor. Also if you get the itch to mod, the 330i will handle the extra power better with the rear wheel drive.

Thanks a lot for the inputs, Akshay!

One of my concerns is also the non-availability of 330i. BMW has been very inconsistent with it's petrol cars in India. They had the 328i which they stopped and brought the 320i, which they stopped and brought the 330i. The BMW dealer here was telling me that there are no more 2017 stocks for the 330i, and the 2018 batch will be produced only in April. I hope they don't stop the 330i all of a sudden.

I was thinking about the March discounts as well. But per the dealer, as the next batch of production itself is going to happen only in April, there is very less hope for that. Interestingly, I talked to the Kerala dealer, but they outright refused to sell a car to a customer in Coimbatore as they now have some understanding with the Tamilnadu dealers that they will not compete with them. Now if my dealer here does not support me well, I will have to look at other states like Bangalore, or Mumbai etc.

I am also inclided towards taking the M Sport for the staggered setup which should give better handling. The only downside would be the cost of tires, which would be more than 2x the 17" tires. But I think that is the cost to pay for the fun factor and I am fine with that.

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

...
From what little I know of you, you’re a rational man. You like to weigh things up fully before diving in head first. So yes, as you said, you have to drive both the Octavia and 338i back-to-back to get a really solid opinion.

...However, let me play the devil’s advocate for a moment here. You really, really have to consider pre-owned cars to get knowledge is the best deals, but the best cars well.

...And at about 40 lakhs on road in Mumbai for a low-mileage example, would you really have a 330i over the 5?

I know you said no diesel cars. But I really, really have to emphasise that you must try the 530D. It is one hell of a special car.

Many moons ago, the thread that led you down the road to the Jetta was a hugely enjoyable one. This one seems no less so. Looking forward to seeing how it shapes up, keep us posted buddy.

Thanks a lot for the kind words buddy

I am plumb out of luck as far as test driving both the 330i and the VRS. The BMW dealer only has the diesel car for TD, as petrol car has absolutely no demand! Same with the VRS as well. So I will have to just do a TD of the 320D to understand the dynamics and then imagine how a 330i would be.

Regarding 530D, though I would like to go for a petrol car this time, there is another important reason. In a city like Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore, it may be easy to get hold of a low run 530D. But in my city, it is going to be very difficult to see that many 530Ds coming up for sale. Even that rare one that comes up for sale would be more than 5 years old with lot of mileage. I have been monitoring the used car market here for the past few months. Chennai may have options. But I do not have the time to check the deals in Chennai which is some 400km from my city.

That is why I have decided it is better to go for a new car, get 6 years extended warranty and have a peaceful ownership for the first 6 years, and then keep the car for an additional year so that I can buffer the depreciation hit.

Originally Posted by aviral2122

While talking about out a 3 series I think XE needs a mention, it has gathered lots of interest amongst the enthusiastic petrol heads world wide with most stating it to be a better drivers car than the BMW. I think you can take a td of the portfolio variant petrol which comes with higher tuned petrol engine and maybe short list it for your final decision.
It comes with 5 year service package @ 50%.
Plus you can extend the standard 3 year warranty to 5 years at around 90k or 1 lack too.
This should help your cause.

I was talking to a friend who has a friend with an XF. Quoting him:

"Jag has a really nice feature, called "non availablility of spares". It helps to use the other car at home without bias! Sometimes, for months, coz Jag service won't get the parts. And soon because the battery will die due to non usage, you will need a new battery for the xe, that also won’t be in stock."

However good a car is, I really can't take this amount of risk.

Originally Posted by Prathiiik

I would suggest the 330i GT.Here, in Bangalore, BMW dealers are offering good discounts on the GT which brings it to the 330i territory in terms of pricing.
Do check with your dealer for discounts on the GT. Since the car does not sell as well as the 3 or 5 series, discounts are most likely to be offered.

Yesterday, did a test drive of the 3 GT. The biggest plus of the GT is the space. It has lots of boot space, notchback opening like the Octavia VRS, fully folding rear seats which provide a flat extended boot. The GT looks awesome as well. But for all the positives with space and look, the ride is really bad. There is too much body roll and at a speed of 120kph, on the highway, I had the feeling that the car was floating. Also, there was too much roll while switching lanes. It did not feel like a BMW at all. In fact, I feel my Jetta handles much sharper than the GT. Because of this, I have to rule it out even if there are good deals.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by graaja

Questions on the 330i:

Sport Line vs. M Sport:

RFT vs. Tubeless:

BSI and Extended Warranty:

Pricing:

I'm glad you found my review helpful, buying a used luxury car can be daunting and scary. But as long as you have or can purchase factory warranty on them you're good. That's why only buy from Premium Selection, but inventories can be scarce especially for enthusiasts like us.

PRICE:

After going through your thread and recent conversations with a friend who is deciding between the GT and 330i (both with 30i engine). He was able to knock 10-12 lakhs off the price. The dealer can give you the discount on factory inventory as-well depending on what benefits BMW is passing along. Currently, on 330i/GT it's in the 10-12 range, if your dealer is not giving you this offer, contact the next closest dealer and see. Don't tell them what city you are from. Once you get a quote you make the original dealer fight for the sale or say you'll shop elsewhere.

VARIANT:

I would definitely recommend M-Sport for the steering, wheels and HUD. Those options are quite expensive to be configured and I'm sure you will enjoy them.

RFT vs TUBELESS:

Ride quality is quite good even with 18' run-flats, its just the tires themselves are hard and heavy. So the end up feeling like the tires are made of stone or something. Once you change to tubeless it will be a day and night difference in handling and a much quieter (lesser thuds) over undulations. Ride quality is fine on 18's with RTF and I've had people fall asleep in back seat easily.

BSI & WARRANTY:

BSI only makes sense if you have high running or you drive aggressively/do track days. A single 30-minute track session puts 15k worth of wear and tear on the car, this coupled with BMW CBS system which asks for service as required means more frequent changing of disk/rotors. But under normal road driving conditions and ~10-15k a year running it doesn't make sense. With the running you've mentioned BSI Plus doesn't make sense. Just get a standard warranty and you're good. Your SA is correct that the front brake pad/rotor set at 40k is the most expensive wear and tear item you will change. But the F30 has great OEM brakes with minimal wear. Only issues are warped rotors and the stone stuck in disc problem that many other cars face. Post 5 years the warranty/BSI costs get astronomically high. So recommend to get it only for the duration you plan to own the car.

Originally Posted by Mission_PGPX

I would suggest before you come to any conclusion, think this:
1) Do i still wanna continue driving routine 2 ltrs? remember there is no replacement for displacement, irrespective of how many turbos BMW provides in a 2 ltrs, 3 ltr is a 3 ltr.

2) After driving the torque for 4 years, would you really want to continue driving the same(almost) torque?

3) Is putting a 5 million Rupee worth for a twinturbo 2 ltrs?

If the answer to all above questions is YES, then i suggest atleast test drive the Jaguar XE portfolio. Jaguar is a very special feeling and XE matches 3 series in performance department. Looks are to die for, imho. Meet the sales team and service centre personnel before ruling them out from consideration based on some horror stories. Remember, even SKODA has equal horror stories. people change man!!

If the answer to most questions is NO, then go for a pre-owned 530d or XF-S. You get power of petrol, torque and efficiency of diesel and feeling of a special upgrade.

Unfortunately, there are almost no good straight 6 or even 5 cylinder options for us people. I know it's depressing, but the car is more than just the powerplant. The 330 is very quick for its power rating with a 0-100 time of 5.5 seconds. The big engine feeling is missing, but it's still a great engine and fun to drive. I also agree that graaja should test drive a 530i/530d in this price range, even if he isn't considering that model. Also for a first-time luxury car buyer, a dealer network and company size play a big part in the decision-making process.

I actually agree with you like Jag/Volvo should be given a chance, because of lower volume there is a chance you might even get better service. And most European cars are good for the first 5 years and only start showing issues once they cross that threshold. The only worry is spare availability, thanks to BMW Groups' size I have never had to wait more than 5-7 days for any spares (even when imported from Germany). In the end, your experience of a brand comes down to the dealer. If your dealer is good and strives for quality and ethics you will have a great ownership experience. If not you're screwed even if you bought a Ferrari

[AirWind]

@Graaja - You are sold on the Bimmer, but my recommendation for a proper upgrade over the Jetta would be the 530i as nothing less would satisfy you over the next 6 yrs or else you would be in the market within 3~4 yrs.

[imp!]

Hi Graaja,

I own a pre-owned Jetta TDI DSG that is coming up on 7 years of age now. Ive put on over 90% of its kms on it and the itch to replace the car is cropping up. After looking all over the market, I realised a few things:

1) The Octavia VRS is the only low profile car that could satisfy my desire from a new car

2) Even though low profile doesn't really matter any more. I still can't drive anything higher profile than a Jetta to work.

3) If I had my way, I would buy a BMW 530D. The 330i is really nice and awfully quick, it's also a lot of fun in terms of handling, but, it is small and low on practical usable space and it's a generation old. When you can get a 530i at a justifiable premium, it just doesn't make sense.

If I can't have the 530D, I simply don't care enough to shell out such a large sum of money to replace my Jetta. A re-map of the Jetta and perhaps one of my stock Laura 1.8TSI MT (which after ten years is in almost new condition) will be more than enough for me, for now. I'm completely open to pre-owned and a new VRS will run me as much as a barely used pre-owned 520D or a small discount over a 530D. I'm just not willing to sped that much for a VRS.

I sincerely urge you, if you are stepping up to a higher segment, go the whole hog and get a 530i or a 530D. Makes no sense shelling out for a 3xx at this point. If you want someone to help with inspections and what not at a Bangalore dealer, let me know. Happy to help.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

...

After going through your thread and recent conversations with a friend who is deciding between the GT and 330i (both with 30i engine). He was able to knock 10-12 lakhs off the price.
...
VARIANT:
I would definitely recommend M-Sport for the steering, wheels and HUD. Those options are quite expensive to be configured and I'm sure you will enjoy them.

RFT vs TUBELESS:
...
BSI & WARRANTY:
...

Thanks a lot for the inputs. Regarding price, as of now, there are no stock of 2017 330i in the factory. 2018 manufacturing will start only in April, my dealer says. So, I have to wait for the next offer cycle. I have made enquiries with some dealers out of state as well. Waiting for news.

Regarding variant, I am also inclined towards the M Sport purely for the staggered wheel set and and the handling it can offer. There are a few practical downsides like cost of tires and a little more harsher ride than the 17" wheels, but I am thinking that the added handling should be worth it.

Regarding BSI, I have decided to get the 6 year warranty and pay for the regular services.

Originally Posted by AirWind

@Graaja - You are sold on the Bimmer, but my recommendation for a proper upgrade over the Jetta would be the 530i as nothing less would satisfy you over the next 6 yrs or else you would be in the market within 3~4 yrs.

Originally Posted by imp!

I sincerely urge you, if you are stepping up to a higher segment, go the whole hog and get a 530i or a 530D. Makes no sense shelling out for a 3xx at this point. If you want someone to help with inspections and what not at a Bangalore dealer, let me know. Happy to help.

Last time I had booked the Octavia (and ended up with the Jetta), there were some good deals for the outgoing Superb, and I had created a thread to get opinions on Octavia vs. Superb. And the decision was to stick to Octavia for it being a better driver's car. Below is the link to that thread.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/luxury...ia-superb.html

This 330i vs. 530i is very similar situation. The 530i has the same engine as the 330i, but is a longer and heavier car. The 0-100 time is 5.8 seconds for the 330i which becomes 7.2 seconds for the 530i. The main reason I am upgrading is to experience the RWD and the handling of a BMW. Though the 530i would provide a higher luxury quotient in terms of space and equipment, it would not have the same fun to drive factor as the 330i. Agreed, it is very much possible that 3 years into the ownership of the 330i, I may start feeling the restricted space of the 330i. I am very hesitant to take a decision today based on this possibility.

Also, the 530i is 64L on road. Even with a 10L discount, it would be 54L which is still way beyond my budget.

A 530D with the 6 cylinder engine and 5.8 seconds to 100 would more than compensate for the length, but the pre-owned route is a problem.

[suhaas307]

I understand your conundrum, but if I were you, I'd put myself out of this misery and just get the 330i.

I saw one on the roads today, and couldn't believe how fresh and relevant it looks, even during the fag end of its life-span. The front-end's headlight-grille treatment still makes it look mean!

And look at it this way, the 330i is about as spacious as the previous generation F10 5-Series. It's really not that bad, unless your requirement is to ferry 6-footers around on a regular basis. It's certainly better than the XE, that's for sure!

[GT3]

I would suggest you to go with a pre-owned F10 530d. Get a car which is still within the warrant period or one which has its warranty extended. You could use it for 4-5 years and then go with the G20 330i. I feel your upgrade itch also would be satisfied and you get a well sorted car from its later period.

If you need any help regarding used vehicles in Chennai kindly PM me. I know a consultant there with whom I am co-ordinating for a used E90 320d.

[Tanveer_2558]

Coming from a guy who sold his remapped Jetta and bought a preworshipped F10 530d, You should really consider the 530d, Provided you can wait for a hardly used one to come by, No matter how fast the VRS is, I don't believe it can give you the driving pleasure of a RWD + ZF, 330i isn't selling and you would be able to fetch some good discounts on it, But i'd still buy a 530d over the 330i too, Just the other day i was thinking how much would i have spend on petrol if i had not bought a 530d, I have run around 20000 kms in 9 odd months and Normal regular diesal is just fine along with a super tank range, Sweet 6 cylinder engine with that ZF, And all the goodies that come in the LCI model makes the whole deal even sweeter.

If you can't find a hardly used 530d, Go for the 330i, VRS doesn't get my vote.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Tanveer_2558

But i'd still buy a 530d over the 330i too, Just the other day i was thinking how much would i have spend on petrol if i had not bought a 530d, I have run around 20000 kms in 9 odd months and Normal regular diesal is just fine along with a super tank range, Sweet 6 cylinder engine with that ZF, And all the goodies that come in the LCI model makes the whole deal even sweeter.

If you can't find a hardly used 530d, Go for the 330i, VRS doesn't get my vote.

Honestly, our 328i is definitely pinching when it comes to fuel costs, but the pleasure of driving a high revving petrol engine after spending years with diesels is something else.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

I understand your conundrum, but if I were you, I'd put myself out of this misery and just get the 330i.

If some of the other options I am exploring (to make the search a complete one) don't pan out, that is what I will definitely end up with.

Originally Posted by GT3

I would suggest you to go with a pre-owned F10 530d...

Originally Posted by Tanveer_2558

...You should really consider the 530d, Provided you can wait for a hardly used one to come by...
If you can't find a hardly used 530d, Go for the 330i, VRS doesn't get my vote.

As many have mentioned about finding a 530D, as I have updated below, I am going to put some effort into this.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Honestly, our 328i is definitely pinching when it comes to fuel costs, but the pleasure of driving a high revving petrol engine after spending years with diesels is something else.

That smooth high revving petrol feel is what is getting me fixated on the 330i


Update:

Though majority of the votes are to wait for the G20 330i, I feel it is too far in the future (2nd half of 2019 at the best) to postpone joy.

There have been many suggestions to consider a used 530D. Even though I am averse to going the pre-owned way due to the amount of patience, time and risks involved, I decided to spend some time and effort to pursue this as well.

I was able to find three 530D's (2 in Chennai and 1 in Coimbatore). All of them are from 2015 or 2014 and with mileage between 21000 to 50000 kilometers. They are all with a negotiable price which should be well within my budget. However, the biggest let down is that none of them have an active warranty or active extended warranty which I can then extend to the maximum limit of 6 years. I think getting a 530D without warranty (and also no possibility of buying the warranty) is a huge risk. So, I am going to keep looking for other options to come up in the market.

So, I have summarized what I am going to do in the order of preference:

#1 Try to find a 2 to 3 year old low mileage 530D with either an active extended warranty or at least with the warranty in force where I can buy the extra warranty. Do a thorough check on service records, insurance claims, warranty claims etc. and go ahead if everything is satisfactory.
#2 In parallel to #1, contact dealers from other parts of India and find out if they have the 2017 F30 330i in stock with a good deal (like 8 lakh off on the ex showroom).

Go for #1 or #2 whichever occurs earlier.

#3 If #1 or #2 does not materialize in the next two months, increase the budget and get the 2018 model 330i M Sport. I guess even for a 2018 model, there should be about 3 to 4 lakhs off OTR that should be possible, using which get the 6 years extended warranty. Then just enjoy the car for the next 7 years.
#4 Octavia VRS as a fall back option if something or other goes wrong with #1, #2 and #3
#5 Continue using the Jetta and be happy if something or other goes wrong with #1, #2, #3 and #4.

Hope it never comes to #5

[swami69]

Good sequence of "how to go about it". All the very best for you to get a 530D i.e., #1. Hope you need not look beyond that. till then enjoy JETTA.

Swami

[zulfi hansi]

Man, you need a third car. Keep the Jetta for practicality and later replace it with a non-performance family car.

Now for you, you need to go the used car way. You should be looking at 300+ bhps in your next car. I am around your age as well and also in the same well.

My daily drive is a E280 CDI simply because on our Bangalore roads it is half an SUV, the other one is a C250 CDI, AMG kit version, low GC, 40 profile rear wheels and 45 profile front, what do you expect, it scrapes a lot, so that car my Dad drives now, it is really good on the highways though. Though my E is 10 years old now I still don't want to change it, it feels right for now.

What I am and you too should be looking at are the performance cars which are not practical but reward you every time you drive, and for practicality you still have a family car. Frankly we cannot afford to postpone joy? heck no, joy is already past its prime, cannot postpone nirvana.

To start with look at any of the small AMGs, if you are lucky a 3-5 years old C63 or S4. If you are very lucky a M3 or S5. If you have done some very very good deeds, may be a classic 911. And if God is kind may be a year old Mushtang for 50 lakhs!

Its a waiting game, and keep your options open to get it from anywhere in India. This is what I want to do when I get enough money and it seems to be coming when I turn 45, talk about planning it