BMW 330i MSport - Lowering my Standards from a Q3 to a mere 3

iliketurtles · 4th May 2025, 11:24

Congrats on the 3’er Ajmat! I’m sure she’ll serve you very well in the years to come, with a different kind of joy perhaps to that which Lucy delivered.

Reading your account of your trysts with dealerships in BLR struck a serious chord with me. Here too most dealers are out to pull the wool over your eyes (to put it very nicely). Going over the car and its history with a fine tooth comb is vital, even more so with a wingman at your side. Some of the prices you quoted were outrageous, dealers in that part of India are putting the car in cartel!

Hope you enjoy her for a long, long time. Many congrats once again.

lancer_rit · 4th May 2025, 12:41

Congrats Ajith, wishing you many, many miles of spirited, trouble-free and safe motoring in the 330i Msport

Will lookout for your updates on the living with the Bimmer!

BTW, you stay in Whitefield these days?

itwasntme · 4th May 2025, 18:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat

Itwasntme!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat

Itwasme!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat

Itwasme, itwasntme, itgoesweee

Harrumph!

Congratulations on bagging a great specimen though!

Kelly66 · 4th May 2025, 19:49

Congrats on your 3, Ajmat! It was interesting to read your post with punchy headlines and a lovely tabulation. Yes, only some were lucky to get the HUD. Blame the chip shortage!

ajmat · 4th May 2025, 20:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by d3mon

Congratulations Ajmat! Lovely read.

I always wondered why you got the "wrong 3" a few years back, but great to see that you've finally got the right one!!

Also, did you ever think of getting a 530i or a 530d? The former especially would not have been significantly more expensive than the 330i MSport, I believe.

Used 530i's were around Rs 15 Lakh more. Also, I felt they were a little wide for my normal driving. The dealer had a nice 630i which sold for around Rs 60 L

Quote:

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Reading your account of your trysts with dealerships in BLR struck a serious chord with me. Here too most dealers are out to pull the wool over your eyes (to put it very nicely). Going over the car and its history with a fine tooth comb is vital, even more so with a wingman at your side. Some of the prices you quoted were outrageous, dealers in that part of India are putting the car in cartel!

Thanks, I hope your AMG brings you joy. One thing I notice is that no matter how much wool is pulled over ones eyes, bad cars never sell. The same lemons are still with the dealers!

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

BTW, you stay in Whitefield these days?

I work near there

Quote:

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Harrumph!

Congratulations on bagging a great specimen though!

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelly66

Congrats on your 3, Ajmat! It was interesting to read your post with punchy headlines and a lovely tabulation. Yes, only some were lucky to get the HUD. Blame the chip shortage!

I like the HUD but I dont feel shortchanged though

Foxbat · 5th May 2025, 01:25

Congratulations @ajmat on your new Ride! I have a 5 series but I believe 3 series is the quintessential BMW sedan

Looking forward to some fancy M alloy wheels soon!

ssjr0498 · 5th May 2025, 11:25

Congratulations on upgrading to the right "3"! With your years of driving experience, I'm sure you're going to have lot of fun.

suhaas307 · 5th May 2025, 11:37

Fantastic report on a fantastic car, Ajmat!

Congratulations to you and the family!

Finding the right variant is paramount, in my opinion, and you've managed to snag the perfect one with the //M treatment.

Gotta love the chocolate brown upholstery - lends it an air of luxury while managing to retain its 'Sport' credentials.

The only thing it's missing is the M Performance Exhaust, which I trust is already on your shopping list for this year. You will not regret it!

Wishing you many happy miles with the car, and hopefully some shared driving experiences along with my 328.

GTO · 5th May 2025, 11:39

Ajmat, that was a fun & informative read - thanks for sharing it with us. Your explorations in the used car market just show the sheer number of models & options available when you have a healthy budget.

Heartfelt congrats on your 330i M-Sport. This generation is indisputably the best 3-Series ever made. That engine & fast gearbox will have you grinning from ear to ear on the open road.

You look great with the BMW, but to me personally, you have always come across as a "Mercedes" guy. I hope you buy a Benz someday.

The Moderator Team is full of BMW owners

ajmat · 5th May 2025, 12:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by suhaas307

The only thing it's missing is the M Performance Exhaust, which I trust is already on your shopping list for this year. You will not regret it!

Wishing you many happy miles with the car, and hopefully some shared driving experiences along with my 328.

That on the cards but some travel stuff might delay it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

You look great with the BMW, but to me personally, you have always come across as a "Mercedes" guy. I hope you buy a Benz someday.

The Moderator Team is full of BMW owners

The C Class would have been compelling but wheezy petrol engine - forget it. So much so, in Gulmarg, the driver was forced to switch the C200 to Sport mode to climb a slope

capnemo · 5th May 2025, 14:29

What an interesting read, congrats on the new car - it looks beautiful !

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat

Drove up in my humble Elevate and looked at the 15000km example and test drove it.

Off-topic, Just went through your Elevate post. Any chance that you take the wind-tunnel road early mornings in namma Bengaluru to work ?

ajmat · 5th May 2025, 15:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnemo

What an interesting read, congrats on the new car - it looks beautiful !

Off-topic, Just went through your Elevate post. Any chance that you take the wind-tunnel road early mornings in namma Bengaluru to work ?

I take the HAL Airport Road upto Marathahalli most mornings

Axe77 · 5th May 2025, 20:46

Brilliant car with an absolutely entertaining write up to boot Ajmat. Loved reading this cover to cover and congratulations on a fantastic purchase. Between this thread and iliketurtle’s one on his AMG, I’m definitely warming up to the idea of buying high value used beauties like these.

The 330i is one of the few properly purist performance sedans still attainable at an honest to goodness (relatively speaking) value price when bought used. Wish you thousands of happy miles with it. Between the Mini and this one here, you’ve got quite the garage!

4th May 2025, 11:24	#16
iliketurtles Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Titwala Posts: 1,562 Thanked: 5,512 Times View My Garage	Re: BMW 330i MSport - Lowering my Standards from a Q3 to a mere 3 Congrats on the 3’er Ajmat! I’m sure she’ll serve you very well in the years to come, with a different kind of joy perhaps to that which Lucy delivered. Reading your account of your trysts with dealerships in BLR struck a serious chord with me. Here too most dealers are out to pull the wool over your eyes (to put it very nicely). Going over the car and its history with a fine tooth comb is vital, even more so with a wingman at your side. Some of the prices you quoted were outrageous, dealers in that part of India are putting the car in cartel! Hope you enjoy her for a long, long time. Many congrats once again.
	(3) Thanks

4th May 2025, 12:41	#17
lancer_rit Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 1,294 Thanked: 328 Times	Re: BMW 330i MSport - Lowering my Standards from a Q3 to a mere 3 Congrats Ajith, wishing you many, many miles of spirited, trouble-free and safe motoring in the 330i Msport Will lookout for your updates on the living with the Bimmer! BTW, you stay in Whitefield these days?
	(2) Thanks

4th May 2025, 19:49	#19
Kelly66 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Bangalore Posts: 214 Thanked: 709 Times View My Garage	Re: BMW 330i MSport - Lowering my Standards from a Q3 to a mere 3 Congrats on your 3, Ajmat! It was interesting to read your post with punchy headlines and a lovely tabulation. Yes, only some were lucky to get the HUD. Blame the chip shortage!
	(3) Thanks

5th May 2025, 01:25	#21
Foxbat BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: NYC / Lucknow Posts: 705 Thanked: 4,132 Times	Re: BMW 330i MSport - Lowering my Standards from a Q3 to a mere 3 Congratulations @ajmat on your new Ride! I have a 5 series but I believe 3 series is the quintessential BMW sedan Looking forward to some fancy M alloy wheels soon!
	() Thanks

5th May 2025, 11:25	#22
ssjr0498 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Blr-Ccu Posts: 961 Thanked: 694 Times View My Garage	Re: BMW 330i MSport - Lowering my Standards from a Q3 to a mere 3 Congratulations on upgrading to the right "3"! With your years of driving experience, I'm sure you're going to have lot of fun.
	() Thanks

5th May 2025, 11:37	#23
suhaas307 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 9,153 Thanked: 14,528 Times	Re: BMW 330i MSport - Lowering my Standards from a Q3 to a mere 3 Fantastic report on a fantastic car, Ajmat! Congratulations to you and the family! Finding the right variant is paramount, in my opinion, and you've managed to snag the perfect one with the //M treatment. Gotta love the chocolate brown upholstery - lends it an air of luxury while managing to retain its 'Sport' credentials. The only thing it's missing is the M Performance Exhaust, which I trust is already on your shopping list for this year. You will not regret it! Wishing you many happy miles with the car, and hopefully some shared driving experiences along with my 328.
	(2) Thanks

5th May 2025, 11:39	#24
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 71,903 Thanked: 321,989 Times View My Garage	Re: BMW 330i MSport - Lowering my Standards from a Q3 to a mere 3 Ajmat, that was a fun & informative read - thanks for sharing it with us. Your explorations in the used car market just show the sheer number of models & options available when you have a healthy budget. Heartfelt congrats on your 330i M-Sport. This generation is indisputably the best 3-Series ever made. That engine & fast gearbox will have you grinning from ear to ear on the open road. You look great with the BMW, but to me personally, you have always come across as a "Mercedes" guy. I hope you buy a Benz someday. The Moderator Team is full of BMW owners
	(6) Thanks

5th May 2025, 20:46	#28
Axe77 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 8,878 Thanked: 27,921 Times	Re: BMW 330i MSport - Lowering my Standards from a Q3 to a mere 3 Brilliant car with an absolutely entertaining write up to boot Ajmat. Loved reading this cover to cover and congratulations on a fantastic purchase. Between this thread and iliketurtle’s one on his AMG, I’m definitely warming up to the idea of buying high value used beauties like these. The 330i is one of the few properly purist performance sedans still attainable at an honest to goodness (relatively speaking) value price when bought used. Wish you thousands of happy miles with it. Between the Mini and this one here, you’ve got quite the garage!
	() Thanks