Hey all

I've had my '06 R50 for four years. I've put a lot into it (see sig.) and it's a taut little DD that's pretty punchy in city driving and on back roads. However, the short wheelbase, rough ride, and road noise make it pretty unbearable for long highway driving. I find more and more of my driving is on the highway, and I'd like to take more road trips. I also really, really want more power, and RWD would be nice too.

I spent a couple of days with a 2007 335i. It fit the bill very nicely. I loved the power, the handling was great, and the ride was smooth and comfortable. However I don't have the stomach for owning a twin turbo BMW known for expensive problems out of warranty, so I'm considering tracking down a 330i (e46 or e90, not sure..) instead.

I know it would suit my needs nicely, and the NA i6 shouldn't give me too much trouble. My only worry is that I'll regret getting rid of the MINI. It's like a part of the family and has a lot of personality. It's also given me no serious maintenance or mechanical trouble.

Has anyone else been in my position? Has anyone ditched their MINI for a more practical car and regretted it?

Also, can anyone speak to the 330i e46 v. e90 debate? I know it's discussed ad nauseam on bimmer forums, but I'd love a MINI drivers perspective.

 

Why not have both?

 

If you're considering another car I suggest you give a look at the Scion FR-S. It's rear wheel drive, quicker and handles beautifully. I traded it for a base MINI for really just one reason; I'm at a point in my life where I wanted an automatic instead of a 6 speed manual. Were it not for that I would probably still be driving it. I am happy with my decision to buy the MINI.

 

My route was to "soften" my mini a bit....
Koni fsd's and a second set of rims, 15's did the trick!!
I can toss on the other rims when I want to carve twisties harder than with my "tall" sidewall 15' tires...but can make it kinda of fun...slightly less traction at low speeds can make it more fun since you are closer to the edge, but less in danger of a ticket....

 

drive a FOCUS ST or a FIESTA ST

many tests this year have rated these cars better handling than a MINI GP ... and I'm talking Road and Track .. Car and Driver .... not Better Homes and Gardens or Consumer Reports

IRT your comments/questions

- FOCUS has a longer wheelbase, a bit more weight and does not have runflat tires making the highway ride a bit more 'compliant'

- FOCUS ST (not a regular FOCUS) pumps 250 HP if you use 'premium fuel' and kick in the allowed "past the red line" ... and has a turbo

- reviews consistently comment that in handling the fwd FOCUS FEELS LIKE a rear wheel drive .... obviously it is not but are you looking for response or actual power in the back?

- I bought a fully loaded 2014 FOCUS ST for WAY under $30k ... leather Recaro, extra cost paint, SONY sub' stereo, NAV, XM ... recently saw a dealer displaying a '14 S with a sticker WAY over $30k .... no leather, no NAV . . .

I KNOW .... A FORD???? and the ST is even assembled in DETROIT .. but a GETRAG 6 spd (not the same one as MINI) full size spare, 5 year road assist

convinced me ... but I still have my 79

 

I drove both the ST versions at a ford track event. Although they are potent out of the box, and arguably as good as a gp2 for a fraction of the cash, my 02 MCs is far better for track/autox. Yes I understand I'm comparing a heavily modified MINI to a stock ST, but still.


For a fraction of what you can purchase a new ST for, you can make a 300hp MINI with allllll the good bits. To make it dominate on many levels. I've been sitting at 255 whp for about 2 years covering 30k miles. Track days, auto x under its belt and it loves it.

Do not overlook a properly sorted MINI.

For what its worth; I'm in love with the Recaro seats in the ST. I do believe that the ST would also be competitive with my R53 if some one invested some serious cash in it too. But then you would be way, way over the 30k threshold. And if I'm going to do that, I'll buy an aerial atom.

 

The R53 was my daily driver when it was new. After 18 months and 25k miles, I replaced it with a CPO 2006 330i 6 speed (E90.)
The reason I made the switch is I got really tired of the noise and bouncy ride - sounds like you've reached that point. The straw that broke this camel's back was an ungodly amount coffee spilling out of the little sip hole onto the radio and HVAC controls, then onto my hand as I picked up the cup to stop the carnage. It certainly was not the first occurrence, but that time I was driving to the airport for a business trip at 5am and I decided I was done with the car. I spent half the time on the trip looking for a 3 series, flew back to SFO and bought the 330i from BMW of SF right there and then. I had cooled off a bit so the MINI got a reprieve and became my partner's daily driver replacing his 97 Miata. I now drive the MINI only occasionally, mostly on backroads, and that's always a lot of fun. Glad it's still around.
I loved that 330i. Right size, right amount of power, great to drive on canyon roads and long trips. It did everything right, never broke. We still have an E46 convertible that I bought new 12 years ago. It's a garage queen, nice car, but the E90 felt a lot more current. A lot of people on the E46 side of the fence despise the E90 for not having a dipstick, no diff drain hole, and run flats. These stuck in their old ways types of people don't know what they're missing cuz the car is a fantastic daily driver.

So, if you don't mind thing a bit rustic, and having it easy to work on is a primary concern, an E46 is a great choice. I would recommend reading up on common maladies at Bimmerfest - look for the E46 wiki which has the good and the ugly about the E46.
If you're ready to come into this millennium and understand that vehicles keep evolving, then a 2006 330i (only year they made an E90 330i) is your ticket.

Cheers and good luck with the search.

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...to-08-sti.html

 

I can't afford it! I also live in an urban setting, so I have nowhere to keep a second car. I may be able to squeeze a motorcyce behind my car in the one spot I do have, though!



I actually did check out and sit in the BRZ, although I haven't had a chance to drive it. It's a nice looking car, but I wasn't sold on the interior, it felt a bit cramped to me. I can see it being a blast to DD and hit the twisties in, but I want something a bit more comfortable for the longer stretches of highway.









That's funny, I did recently make the switch to 15” stock wheels! It was a dramatic difference, and I'm actually enjoying the narrow tires, they're very easy to get to the limit! The coilovers don't help the ride comfort though, and the NVH is another issue altogether.



Funny you should bring up the ST! I had an extended test drive in one last year and I was blown away at what a great drive it was. The interior, the seats, the transmission, brakes, clutch... everything felt just great. Honestly if I was in the market for a brand new car it would be a top contender. I want RWD for the juvenile satisfaction of oversteer, to be honest. I just love the feeling of hooning around a bit and sliding out the tail. I could probably get over that, but the ST is out of my price range at the moment... the one I drove at the dealership was stickered at $37k. That's Canada for you. The average price of a 330i on the used market here is only a few thousand more than the average price of a clean low mile MINI so it wouldn't cost me much to trade up.



Thank you so much for chiming in on this! I'm very glad to hear a positive first hand review, from a MINI driver. I laughed out loud when you described your coffee spill, that happens to me constantly. On a hard corner last week it splashed coffee onto my passenger side window.
I've been browsing BMW forums and the E46 v. E90 debate seems to be a heated topic. The “raw, connected” former pitted against the refined, bland latter. Sounds a lot like the R50 v. R56 threads on here I suppose! I like the looks of the E46, and the no dipstick thing in the E90 is a little strange, but I thought the ride and handling in the '07 335i I drove were very nice for a sedan. Overall I'm leaning towards the newer car. I'm not very well versed in BMW chassis codes... an 07 335i is an E90 as well, right? And were the later few years of the 330i the E92?

Are there any must-have options I should try to find? Can you speak to the throttle response and power delivery for the i6?


Cheers!
Dan

 

Leave MINI & go Bimmer or Ford? Better wait for this....big,reliable, powerful, fun, AWD:


a BMWtech buddy swore he'd never get a bimmer....his daily? Whatelse but a Subi!

 

You're welcome.
Let's start with the chassis code. E46 was all body styles for the 3 series starting in 1999 to 2006 but the E9x chassis got more granular. E90 was all 3 series sedan from 2006 to 2011, E91 was the wagon, E92 coupe, E93 convertible. That means an 06 330i sedan and 07 335i sedan are both E90's, just different engine.


The BMW i6 is a reference for smoothness and power delivery and that reputation is well deserved. Throttle response and power delivery will depend on the last two numbers on the trunk as well as which transmission is attached. The automatic trans in the 335i seems to be the best, all other automatics I have driven spoiled the soup. A manual in any version of the E90 should be a delight to drive.


As far as must have options, mine had premium and sport packages, Bluetooth (may have been part of premium), Sirius radio, and maybe a couple of other things I can't recall right now. Xenons were standard on the 330i and 335i in the US, I see you are in Canada and option packages may vary. I would say the must have's are sport because of the seats and xenon headlights. Bluetooth is almost a must these days so highly recommended as well.


If you get a stick, you will want to do the clutch delay valve mod if not already done, and I put a short shift kit on mine as well. Money well spent. My other mods were 19 inch 3 piece BMW accessory wheels and front bumper carbon fiber extensions. I thought they made the car stand out given how popular the 3 series around here.


I only had that car three years but loved it. I bought it with 20k miles and sold it with 80k. The main reason I sold it is we bought a second home that requires driving through the Sierras where there can be a lot of snow. California requires two wheel drive cars to have chains regardless of the tires installed, AWD / 4WD do not need to chain up. Let's just say that a MINI coffee spill is nothing compared to dealing with chains in the middle of a snow storm. I did it about a dozen times and gave in to AWD so I would not have to wrestle the devilish things in the cold with trucks driving by splashing slush. If it had not been for that I would have kept it longer, the car itself gave me zero trouble.


Here are a couple of gratuitous shots:

 

I have a modded MCS R53 and stock E46 330i (about the same HP level but E46 having TQ advantage) and the MCS always put a smile in my face. Yes it is bouncy, raw, loud, more NVH but engaging! I have been lucky to have both reliable cars other than valve cover gasket for both cars after 10 years. The E90 was a mechanical improvement over the E46 but not as handsome as E46 (IMHO).

 

I've driven a few WRX's and really liked the AWD and power/acceleration... the only turn off was the god-awful interior. It felt like riding in a Kia. I am interested in seeing this new generation though, I think it looks very sharp (even if there won't be a wagon!) A brand new one is out of my price range though, it'll be a used purchase a few years down the road, if at all.

Ahh, thanks for the clarification on the chassis code stuff. I'll definitely be looking for a manual. I have Xenons on the MINI and I don't think I could go back to halogens, hopefully it won't be too hard to track one down with them. Your car was pretty sharp looking! I do like the CF on the bumper.

I'm glad to hear it was a reliable car, and that does seem to be the consensus. Pending a test drive I think I'm pretty much sold on one. By any chance have you driven a 335i? I'd love to hear a comparison on speed and power delivery.

I actually had a friendly red light race with a guy in an E90 330i yesterday. My girlfriend was in the car and I said, "this is the BMW I'm looking at getting, I wish this guy would race me so I could see how quick they are off the line!" The window was open so he must have heard, and he peeled away from the light.

Surprisingly I stayed pretty even with him. He pulled up next to me at the next light and asked, "how many horses in that little thing?" I told him and he laughed and said, "that's pretty good for 120hp!" I asked him how he liked the 330i since I was thinking about getting one.

"I don't know, I just bought it for my wife... i drive A porsche 911 turbo! This thing feels like a tank!"



No argument that the MINI is engaging! I think if I had a modded R53 I'd be more inclined to keep it and just soften the suspension a bit. However I really want more freeway power, and selling one MINI to buy a faster one seems like a missed opportunity to try something different for awhile.

 

You seemed to have made up your mind before your OP. Good Luck to your E46 or E90.

 

Don't get an e46 if you drive your cars hard, those subframes are prone to cracking.

 

To your question regarding if I have driven a 335i, the answer is yes, one of my colleagues had a 2008 335i. He had a tune on it, he helped Vishnu dial it in for the automatics, Vishnu had a manual. There is definitely a lot more power. With the tune it was pushing 400hp, it was a really fast car, much faster than the 330.


Between both cars and with everything else being equal, I would favor the 330i over the 335i, particularly if keeping the car a few more years. I think the N54 motor in the 335i has a lot more potential for problems. The HPFP from early cars were taken care of under warranty, but since the turbos run hot, that 15k miles oil change would keep me from buying a car without documented oil changes at a more reasonable interval (Hold your fire everyone: it's old school I know but I like 7,500 mile oil changes. Not trying to start another oil change interval debate, just providing info to OP on what I would look for in a used E90). It also requires spark plug changes every 45k miles and even the dealers did not know that and failed to replace spark plugs thinking they were 100k items. Maintenance records would be key, but that would be the case for any aging used car purchase.


The 330i is not as fast as the 335i, but it uses less gas (I got 25.5MPG over 60k miles). In every day driving, the power was more than adequate. I like driving briskly on twisty roads, but I don't engage or partake in traffic light racing, seen too many videos on You Tube for that.


One option I forgot to list was the active steering. My car had it and I was feeling kinda "meh" about it until I drove my friend's 335i which did not have it. It made me a believer. I was pulling into a parking spot after driving his car for the first time and almost hit the car in the adjacent spot cuz the steering response was so slow at low speed. It's a hard to find option because it was expensive and the value proposition was hard to quantify (no visual difference and it took some time behind the wheel to feel the difference). If you find a car that checks all the boxes and has that option, I would consider it a plus.

 

Thanks for the heads up! I do like to push the envelope a little, that's good to know.

Thank you, barring any horror stories (or last minute emotional trauma when trying to sell the R50...) I am mostly set on moving on.