[porsche959]

Which one is best?

[porsche959]

No butt hurt feelings. Let’s just find out which one is best.

[Carlman3]

The Porsche 959 was my teenage heart throb. I wanted that car so badly. I would say it's still relevant today. You caught me in a chatty mood so here's an answer to your nonsensical question with no information.

The answer will be "the one I chose" of course.

Mine is a 328i. I wanted lower maintenance, longevity, and didn't need the power for a convertible sport-cruiser... my family is in the car a lot too... young kids and such. So, no need for a wild beast. Gas mileage is a nice bonus.
My mechanic scared me off the 335's.
I briefly considered a 128i.

I test drove an m240i and that really solidified that I wanted an E46 or E90.
Finding the color, engine, transmission and options I wanted.. locally took about 2 years of active looking.
Basically, I knew what I wanted. This was a 2nd car for me, the first being a 2010 X3. I had an '05 325i for 97,k trouble free miles. I just have good luck with them.

Digression/old man rambling alert!
I'm worried about the new stuff, though... Beautiful to look at.. but with all the mandates/legislation, it's taking its toll on what a car actually is, and how it works.
Doors are taller on everything, everything you do is questioned by the car... are you sure you want to change lanes without signalling? Let me wiggle the wheel for you to remind you... don't put your arm on the top of the door... because it's now above your shoulder... beeps and tones and menus everywhere. It's no longer about driving and more about complying with the demands... and 'interacting' with your car through what feels like a laptop or tablet. The gauges aren't even real. The cars are 1 step away from being a video game. Not just BMW, Acura, MB, etc. are all going this way... likely because they have to. So, I'm buying cars that had a little of that but not much... On my old X3, you can open the doors when in drive! We can't be trusted to keep our foot on the brake anymore.

But what's worse is that the new cars aren't as strong. The door handles wiggle, the metal deflects if you breathe on it (thinner/lighter), stuff scratches easily, it's hard to clean and looks bad quickly... They're just not made to wear... it's all made to look good to sell, not last. And I think the new stuff DOES look good, especially in photos.
Going to see the M240i in person was a bit of a let down. Going to see my 09 328i in person was great, it looked even better. I haven't seen many photos of an e90 that looked better than in person. I will say my X3 looks goofy equally in photos or in person. but whatever.. it's purely a utility vehicle for me.

In any case, I have 2 10 year old cars that I hope last me another 10 or 20. Because the next one will likely drive me to bingo or whatever I'm allowed to do as I approach retirement.

[oVeRdOsE.]

how much a car cost?

there's too much to consider.

1- Cheap ass who want to look rich : base 325
2- Average person : 330
3- A car enthusiast : 6mt N55
4- A car lover ; 6mt N54

[siloansa]

325/328/330i (n52) all motor

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

ＴＵＲＢＯ　ＢＯＩＳ

[Efthreeoh]

If it's broke, fit it.

[Canadiesel]

No love for us turbo diesels?

[porsche959]

Originally Posted by Canadiesel

No love for us turbo diesels?

Yo we all know that doesn’t even make this list.


This is ur list:

• 330 wagon automatic
• Turbo diesel? 335d?
• M5 “manual” SMG lol
• M3 DCT cause it’s like totally better performance wise and doesn’t kill the soul of the car. It was DeSiGnEd for this platform. Shift so fast and so smooth. Have you driven one? Why would you want to shift your own gears. Technology man.

[porsche959]

Originally Posted by oVeRdOsE.

how much a car cost?

there's too much to consider.

1- Cheap ass who want to look rich : base 325
2- Average person : 330
3- A car enthusiast : 6mt N55
4- A car lover ; 6mt N54

You’re over thinking it. Just pick the best one.

[TunafishE93]

330I for non turbo... N55 for the win.

[fastboatster]

I’ll go with n54 because it’s almost a legend. But otherwise a tossup, both n52 and n54/n55 have pros and cons

[tcphoto]

My first BMW was an E46 325Cic that I owned for nearly seven years. I'll admit that I lusted after a ZHP Coupe and when I started looking for a replacement, I found my E92 N54 6MT. After three years, it's cost me a mere $90 a month to keep it running so I feel like it's been a good purchase. In hindsight, an N52 328 6MT Coupe would have been nearly as fun to drive. Everyone has to figure out their own budget and buy accordingly.

[CTinline-six]

Which one is best? Depends what you want to do.

Reliable daily driver that's still fun? N52 powered car
Fast car you can modify for more power? N54/N55

[porsche959]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Which one is best? Depends what you want to do.

Reliable daily driver that's still fun? N52 powered car
Fast car you can modify for more power? N54/N55

But which one is best overall?

[Biginboca]

I accidentally voted turbo cause my finger slipped when I went to hit vote, so as of my posting this the vote would have correctly read a tie at 8 for each. This is a surprise to me.

10 years ago the turbo car would have been way ahead at this point.

10 years from now the N/A would be way ahead cause there won’t be any running turbo cars left

I have a feeling this will become a mostly N/A discussion forum in 10 years

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by porsche959

But which one is best overall?

There is no best. They are completely different at this point. It's like saying what is best chocolate or vanilla?

If I wanted a sedan I could build to 500hp for weekend fun I'd get a 335i. Since I drive 90 miles a day and need something reliable I have a 328i.

[slowcar]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

There is no best. They are completely different at this point. It's like saying what is best chocolate or vanilla?

If I wanted a sedan I could build to 500hp for weekend fun I'd get a 335i. Since I drive 90 miles a day and need something reliable I have a 328i.

chocolate is better than vanilla.

https://thegreyhoundnews.com/1645/op...-than-vanilla/

[TunafishE93]

No it is vanilla all the way...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.the...-chocolate.amp

[Bimmer_Engineer]

Originally Posted by Carlman3

The Porsche 959 was my teenage heart throb. I wanted that car so badly. I would say it's still relevant today. You caught me in a chatty mood so here's an answer to your nonsensical question with no information.

The answer will be "the one I chose" of course.

Mine is a 328i. I wanted lower maintenance, longevity, and didn't need the power for a convertible sport-cruiser... my family is in the car a lot too... young kids and such. So, no need for a wild beast. Gas mileage is a nice bonus.
My mechanic scared me off the 335's.
I briefly considered a 128i.

I test drove an m240i and that really solidified that I wanted an E46 or E90.
Finding the color, engine, transmission and options I wanted.. locally took about 2 years of active looking.
Basically, I knew what I wanted. This was a 2nd car for me, the first being a 2010 X3. I had an '05 325i for 97,k trouble free miles. I just have good luck with them.

Digression/old man rambling alert!
I'm worried about the new stuff, though... Beautiful to look at.. but with all the mandates/legislation, it's taking its toll on what a car actually is, and how it works.
Doors are taller on everything, everything you do is questioned by the car... are you sure you want to change lanes without signalling? Let me wiggle the wheel for you to remind you... don't put your arm on the top of the door... because it's now above your shoulder... beeps and tones and menus everywhere. It's no longer about driving and more about complying with the demands... and 'interacting' with your car through what feels like a laptop or tablet. The gauges aren't even real. The cars are 1 step away from being a video game. Not just BMW, Acura, MB, etc. are all going this way... likely because they have to. So, I'm buying cars that had a little of that but not much... On my old X3, you can open the doors when in drive! We can't be trusted to keep our foot on the brake anymore.

But what's worse is that the new cars aren't as strong. The door handles wiggle, the metal deflects if you breathe on it (thinner/lighter), stuff scratches easily, it's hard to clean and looks bad quickly... They're just not made to wear... it's all made to look good to sell, not last. And I think the new stuff DOES look good, especially in photos.
Going to see the M240i in person was a bit of a let down. Going to see my 09 328i in person was great, it looked even better. I haven't seen many photos of an e90 that looked better than in person. I will say my X3 looks goofy equally in photos or in person. but whatever.. it's purely a utility vehicle for me.

In any case, I have 2 10 year old cars that I hope last me another 10 or 20. Because the next one will likely drive me to bingo or whatever I'm allowed to do as I approach retirement.

I disagree with the assessment of new cars here...you just have to find the right new car. I have a 2018 GTI and I love it. The build quality is great...the car doesn’t feel cheap. I love that I can wind the car out to the redline on a normal road.

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by porsche959

Which one is best?

No such thing - far too situationally dependent.

For me, 328i/N52 - it was the only motor offered in the e91 in the US in 2011 when I ordered one. But even if I had a choice, the N52 would be best for me.

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by Bimmer_Engineer

I disagree with the assessment of new cars here...you just have to find the right new car. I have a 2018 GTI and I love it. The build quality is great...the car doesn’t feel cheap. I love that I can wind the car out to the redline on a normal road.

I have to agree - of course, I have a '17 GTI Sport and a Fiata in addition to my e91. Both are pretty perfect in their own way, and neither needs to be any faster.

BMW is pretty dead to me at this point, sadly. Which sucks as objectively, the new 3-series is pretty fantastic. But no wagon, and no stick, means no sale to me.