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It's your call, for me it was not, here is what I (archive)
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Posted by think (More), David on March 19, 2001 at 11:06:44:

In Reply to: Is a 5 spd. 330i $6000 better than a 5 spd. 325i? posted by Pete on March 18, 2001 at 21:47:17:

First this is not a flame to 330 owners, I am just saying how I feel and why I did not think was worth the extra money for me.

OK, the 325 is pretty quick, like you said, plus handles great and looks great inside and out, plus has great braking, plus to me the type 44 wheels on the 325 Sport look a lot better than the M wheels on the 330 sport. The M wheels look smaller for some reason to me, I can't explain it. The type 44 wheels actually look like aftermarket wheels where the M wheels look like something from the factory.

So the 330 looks the same as the 325 inside and out (other than the fake Ti-trim on fogs and dash that I do not like), and handles the same as the 325. The braking is a tiny bit better on 330, but hell it is top-notch on the 325, so basically "big deal". The 330 is faster, there is no getting around it, it is faster.

I was not going to be racing this thing, neither the 325 or 330 is exactly fast. Try and play with a V8 Stang, Z28, or Vette and get your ass handed to you in either car. I play in a car, I like good passing power and handeling feel more than racing at street lights and the 325 has plenty of passing power for me. Sure it is always nice to have some more, but was I going to pay $6,000 for a tiny bit more passing power, no way in hell.

Also to me, a lightly equipped 325 is quite a deal, looks great inside and out, peppy, handles great, stops great, safe as can be in a crash, decent reliability, premium nameplate. Hell, all that for like $32,000, that is one heck of a deal. A loaded up 330 like some people have paying as much as $44,000 seems like a ripoff to me. Paying $12,000 for gadgets like NAV and BMWs poor quality leather seats and a tiny bit more power. Seems like the good deal just went away and Lexus and Acura and Audi and some MB start looking like a lot better deal.

Now this is just my opinion, it obviously was not a ripoff to the people who bought it and that is fine. I am just giving my opinion on the subject. I will probably still get flammed if enough people read my post though, oh well.



I thought the acceleration in the 325i was good but have not tried a manual 330i. Comments?




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