Anybody have any experience of these cars I'm currently looking at one on ebay with 73000 on the clock 03 plate...is the car economical? Actually more importantly whats the performance like and any known problems?

 

Its supposed to be chipped to 220bhp as well I've heard this is safe any opinions?

 

Thanks

Rob

I have an '02 330d which may be the same engine or yours may be a slightly later development. Economy is over 40mpg on the 30 mile return journey to work which is mainly country roads. Dunno what it is on the motorway yet, but I'm expecting similar.

 

Performance can be pretty good compared with most 'normal' cars - the torque is on par with a TT Z although it's obviously down on power. Reliability seems pretty good. It also has a cam chain not belt, so servicing costs are reasonable, but it will munch tyres.

 

Lots of them are chipped/remapped/messed with but as with all there good/bad solutions, so find out who did the tuning. Van Aaken are good for chip/tuning box, Pendle Performance have a good reputation for the remap of the standard ECU, which as far as I can tell is the best solution. There are bound to be dozens of others.

Thanks Andy useful info as ever. I was considering the 330d but they are so expensive even quite old ones with high mileage....having said that I've heard they go forever and have seen cars with 250000 miles going for good money so what is high mileage on a car like that!!!

 

Rob

BEWARE OF BMW DIESEL DIRECT INJECTION ENGINES if an injector goes (which they are supposed to be an easy replacement NOT!!!) they are very likely to be siezed into the head.!!! this means instead of 1 injector to be replaced it ends up all of them and a new head + an empty bank account.

 

 

my brother is out of pocket nearly 3k because of it. trust me read the forums for injector seizing and head replacement etc.

 

if you do go for one regularly use a good quality fuel additive to stop the build up of crud in the injectors.

Ouch sounds like a recipe for disaster!!! Knowing my luck I'll cop for some of that and everything else going just like with my zed!!!

 

Rob

My neighbour had one but it was 2001 I think.

 

Lovely car but a turbo went and cost £2K,

My neighbour had one but it was 2001 I think.

 

Lovely car but a turbo went and cost £2K,

Just like a Zed then

Thanks Andy useful info as ever. I was considering the 330d but they are so expensive even quite old ones with high mileage....having said that I've heard they go forever and have seen cars with 250000 miles going for good money so what is high mileage on a car like that!!!

 

Rob

 

I wanted a 530 but couldn't find one for a decent price. Mine has done 106k and seems fine. Full service history with very little having been done, considering the mileage. I knew someone who had an older 525d and it was only retired at 430k when the ECU expired.

430k!!!!! WOW.

Probably well different but my dad has a 06 330d and its great, think clarkson tested the same model on TG cpl of series ago.

 

0-62 7.0 sec you wouldnt know it was a diesel, gets over 45mpg out of it to

Yeah, quite a lot different and a heap more expensive too. Little more more powerful, little bit more economical and more gadgets.

someone I know has one. Test drove it, thought it went like stink and thought I'll have it. Little did he know it was mapped to within an inch of its life and melted an injector and as hellraiser mentioned above, that means many mulla!

Why do the people that drive them think they can out grunt a zed though, Ive lost count of the number of times Ive had to put them in their place.