Another Addition to the CS BMW Owners Club - 330 Content

[Bubbles]

So a year ago we sold our Liquid Yellow 182 as we were moving house and stretched our budget to get the ideal house. This meant compromises being made in a few areas and the Clio was an expensive toy that selling would contribute towards the 3% stamp duty the new house needed!

It was replaced with a Smart Fortwo Brabus but step forward almost a year and we've now upgraded to a 330Ci Coupe :approve:

Originally it was to be a Sparkling Graphite or Orient Blue 330, but a lot of the cars we were finding just didn't meet with our fussy requirements and in the end we settled on a well looked after car mechanically and compromised the colour.

330 Auto, with the seemingly rare option of Xenon's and Heated seats, plus power fold mirrors and then the usual auto lights/wipers, cruise control, memory seats etc. The last owner had owned it 6 years and has a pile of receipts for everything - regularly serviced and no matter what it needed it was dealt with at BMW! Big thanks to Mr BMW (Sir_Dave) for all of the advice

A few pictures taken earlier on now it's been sunny enough to wash it :

BMW 330 Ci by FunkyMunky16, on Flickr

BMW 330 Ci by FunkyMunky16, on Flickr

BMW 330 Ci by FunkyMunky16, on Flickr

BMW 330 Ci by FunkyMunky16, on Flickr

BMW 330 Ci by FunkyMunky16, on Flickr

BMW 330 Ci by FunkyMunky16, on Flickr

BMW 330 Ci by FunkyMunky16, on Flickr

BMW 330 Ci by FunkyMunky16, on Flickr

BMW 330 Ci by FunkyMunky16, on Flickr

And a sneaky picture of the new house with the new car

New House and 330 by FunkyMunky16, on Flickr

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Very nice all round !!

 

[Kane.]

Lovely.

 

[VeinAST]

Looks very nice

 

[Richyy182]

Looks awesome - I have to say the 182 was the best one on this site

Please someone post a pic

 

[Turkish]

Auto?! Unless you're missing an arm or living in central London I fail to see the point.

 

[jayxx83]

Auto?! Unless you're missing an arm or living in central London I fail to see the point.

Get one then find out. Not a fan of autos but when you do get use of one it is much better when you want to have a conversation, open a sandwich, drink a tea / coffee, lean over to get something from the back etc etc. A 3 ltr straight six makes so much sense with an auto box.

 

[Turkish]

I guess I put the task of driving over and above having a picnic in a moving vehicle that I'm in control of.

 

[Bubbles]

Auto?! Unless you're missing an arm or living in central London I fail to see the point.

Its a big comfy barge for wafting round, lazy auto suits the engine well. Sport mode for a bit more kickdown but tbh it cruises well enough in regular auto mode.

 

[Bluebeard]

Auto?! Unless you're missing an arm or living in central London I fail to see the point.

Six cylinders needs an auto. I am an auto faboy too. Sorry.

 

[Turkish]

Having driven all the E46 variants from my stint at BMW I disagree, each to their own but personally it would do my head in.

 

[Bluebeard]

I just want to waft when i'm in something that big and heavy.

 

[Gally]

Six cylinders needs an auto. I am an auto faboy too. Sorry.

Oh hi there!

Car looks superb. Very fresh looking!

 

[Bubbles]

My fav things are the heated seats, and the fact I have my own key that remembers my seat position, my mirror position, the temperature I had the climate set at and which radio station I was listening too.
Epic

 

[Gally]

That's what it's all about.

 

[SC03OTT]

Tidy bus. Heated seats are for winners.

 

[Cr33do]

Well specced 330 you have there. Mines akso an auto - an option I NEVER thought I would have on any car until I'm too old to care

I only got an auto after clocking 25k a year in my M3 and Id got stuck in one too many traffic jabs during my then 90 mile commute and thought the 330 would make the task a little more relaxing. It did just that and I think they really are a great all rounder and the prices are nice and low. Saying that, after 2.5 years I still miss the grunt and extra character of the M.

Ps. Normal auto mode will do your nut in when driving quickly on b roads. Sport or "manual" is the only way in that situation. You soon get used to working around the limitations and delay of the steptronic.

 

[Bubbles]

Weve had a few 'sport' spells f**ked off some tw*t in a Saxo VTS tonight, he deserved it. All he could do was flash his lights, alot. Lol

 

[philmots]

Nice. Looks just like my old one.

Auto is good too, really like mine. Only reason I'd not have another on an older car is its just another thing to go wrong.

 

[Sir_Dave]

Six cylinders needs an auto. I am an auto faboy too. Sorry.

Hai. I never thought i would like auto either until the auto coupe i had back in March.

Since then ive had the touring & now the R32. Auto daily FTMFW.

Big thanks to Mr BMW (Sir_Dave) for all of the advice

No problem whatsoever, im slowly turning cliosport into bmwsport.net

Car looks great btw, good spec as well!! Does it have Nav, or are you going to fit an Andrive/Dynavin?

 

[Bubbles]

Car looks great btw, good spec as well!! Does it have Nav, or are you going to fit an Andrive/Dynavin?

No we need to address the audio and do some form of upgrade - contemplating an Alpine iPod unit but then quite like the OEM look. But the dynavin et al are lots of money!

 

[Revels]

It looks nice.

It's still a massively bizarre choice for a weekend toy.

 

[Uncle_Gravy]

Such a beautiful car, I'm actually planning on upgrading from a 1.2 clio to a e46 320 Ci Convertible in 2/3 years, insurance will be reasonable for a 4/5 year license holder with 2/3 years NCB.

 

[_Tom]

I'd have a 330d auto but not petrol.

 

[Englebert]

Boring.

Show me pics of the Smart?

 

[Budgie]

Looks lovely.

I'm with Turkish on the Auto thing. Spoils the drive for me.

 

[MikeoftheQuays]

I understand going for an auto for your daily driver but did I read right that this car is a weekend toy?! Now that, I can't understand. Very strange.

Looks superb though!

 

[Bubbles]

Weekend 'toy' it isn't - if we were buying a weekend toy it'd have been a 2 seater or something like another 182 but ruled that out as its too samey. But there comes a point in time where you go for something different and this had been on the wish list since before we moved house.

Could've bought a number of things but took the chance to buy this and don't regret it one bit

 

[jimbo666]

I know what you mean by going for something different!

Nice choice, it looks smart. Is this Gaz's daily now then?

 

[BIFCAIDS]

Very nice, lovely colour

 

[Bubbles]

Just over 5 months later and car is much the same, made a few minor upgrades recently :

Replaced the retro tape deck with a business CD player from an 06 car which allows for aux mode and connection of an iPod cable :

And also replaced the old phone cradle in the centre console with a cup holder variant instead... Old one was a bit tatty and thought the cup holder and storage would be better :

Otherwise just been driving it and enjoying it, effortless to drive and the xenon's and heated seats have proven to be worth searching for now winter is here

 

[dutty_112]

Larvly!