330 vs G35 vs A4

[sly]

Great article in the September issue of Motor Trend regarding these three cars. Although I have a G35 coupe and the 330 was the winner, I thought MT did a great job reviewing the cars. It turns out that the 330 and G35 are similar in performance but the 330 gets the nod with respect to the quality of materials used. I do have to say that after reading the article I'm impressed with all of the engineering that went into the 330.

As I posted earlier, it all comes down to whether you are willing to pay the premium that BMWs command.

 

[bmw046series]

"quality of materials" - Naturally.

"pay the premium that BMWs command"

This reafirms the fact that you get what you pay for, and considering it will hold its value better than pretty much anything out their, seals the deal.

 

[Tom]

Sly, when did you end up getting a G35, what happened to your old car?

The article seems to be on the money this time, I remember a few years ago the 330i came in second because it was docked for overall value.

 

[MrElussive]

I think in these comparisons, the 330i should always come out on top. It handles amazingly well, it stops amazingly, and the engine is really solid, along with typical BMW luxury, features, and design. The A4 does not seem to be much of a competitor to the new 3-Series anymore, but I wish BMW gave the 330i more power. The 3-Series is the sportiest sedan/coupe in BMW's lineup (excluding the M cars), so it should not be slower than the 545i and 750i just because you pay less.

 

[Unit74]

To compare the BMW to the Audi, you would have to use the 325i v. A4.......

To use a 330i against the Audi is like comparing a hand grenade against a Bazooka.......It's obvious which one will win before the fight is even going.

 

[sly]

Sly, when did you end up getting a G35, what happened to your old car?

The article seems to be on the money this time, I remember a few years ago the 330i came in second because it was docked for overall value.

Tom: I sold my Audi TT in mid-June, and bought my G35 at the end of June. I usually keep my cars around three years, so it was around the right time for me. Also, it turned out that I occassionally needed a rear seat which of course my roadster didn't have.

 

[sly]

"quality of materials" - Naturally.

"pay the premium that BMWs command"

This reafirms the fact that you get what you pay for, and considering it will hold its value better than pretty much anything out their, seals the deal.

Yes, the materials are better quality but $10K better? Each car buyer will have to make that decision. The answer for me was of course, no.

 

[sly]

I think in these comparisons, the 330i should always come out on top. It handles amazingly well, it stops amazingly, and the engine is really solid, along with typical BMW luxury, features, and design. The A4 does not seem to be much of a competitor to the new 3-Series anymore, but I wish BMW gave the 330i more power. The 3-Series is the sportiest sedan/coupe in BMW's lineup (excluding the M cars), so it should not be slower than the 545i and 750i just because you pay less.

Here's the performance data from MT:
------- Audi A4 - BMW 330 - Infiniti G35
0-60 -- -- 7.1 ---- 6.6 ------- 6.5
0-100 --- 18.3 -- 17.4 ----- 17.5
1/4 mile -- 15.1 -- 14.7----- 14.7
braking 60-0 - 126 -- 112 -- - 112
600' slalom - 62.2 mph 67.8mph 65.3mph
Lat accel -- .80 g - .88 g --- .88 g

As you can see the 330 and G35 sedans are close in performance. I have the G35 6sp coupe which is a lot faster than the G35 sedan with the auto tranny.

 

[Unit74]

Sly-

How did you like the TT? We are looking at the A4 right now, but I like the looks of the TT. Neither of us will do a Infinity or Lexus.....we just don't like the looks. We won't do BMW again becuase we are driving a lemon car and are sueing them over it..... Mercedes is out because my wife said only old farts drive a benz.......So it kinda narrows down our options.

 

[MrElussive]

sly, a G35 Sedan 6MT would be faster than a 330i 6MT (298hp vs 255hp). Remember that with 2005 models, any G35 with auto gets 280hp and any G35 with manual gets 298hp.

 

[sly]

Sly-

How did you like the TT? We are looking at the A4 right now, but I like the looks of the TT. Neither of us will do a Infinity or Lexus.....we just don't like the looks. We won't do BMW again becuase we are driving a lemon car and are sueing them over it..... Mercedes is out because my wife said only old farts drive a benz.......So it kinda narrows down our options.

I really loved it. I only had one minor electrical issue which was quickly repaired. Other than that it was perfect. If you buy one, get at least the 225HP version. Also, make sure the car you buy is certified. It shouldn't be that hard to buy a low mileage '02 TT with 225HP in the low to mid $20s. Also, I never drove the 6 cyl TT with DSG that came out in '04, but I understand that it has decent power, and handles well.

 

[sly]

sly, a G35 Sedan 6MT would be faster than a 330i 6MT (298hp vs 255hp). Remember that with 2005 models, any G35 with auto gets 280hp and any G35 with manual gets 298hp.

MrElussive, Do you know the curb weight of the 330? The G35C is a tad over 3500 lbs. which is probably about what the 330 weighs. So I guess the G35 may be a little faster, but it would be close enough where the driver would be the differance.

I'm still in the break-in mode with only 600 miles, so I haven't pushed my car hard yet, but the magazines quote 0-60 times for the G35C in the 5.7 - 5.8 range, and low to mid 14 secs for the 1/4.

 

[MrElussive]

You are going to like whipping the G once you're broken-in. There is a good amount of low-end torque and when you are in the high revs, the engine tone is very deep and loud, and brute-like. After almost 22,000 miles on my G, I believe the engine is the heart and soul of this car. It handles well and it stops well, but god damn it pulls hard.

 

[sly]

You are going to like whipping the G once you're broken-in. There is a good amount of low-end torque and when you are in the high revs, the engine tone is very deep and loud, and brute-like. After almost 22,000 miles on my G, I believe the engine is the heart and soul of this car. It handles well and it stops well, but god damn it pulls hard.

MrElussive: Congratulations. That's a gorgeous car. Mine is black and it has the 19" wheels which look super to me anyway. I can't wait to get past the brake-in period.

 

[tazza0712]

Regarding more power going into the 330, I heard/read somewhere that there was the possibility of BMW creating a 335i to suite that little niche that crave more power. This would also answer the challenge from the Mercedes-Benz C350 (however much of a challenge that is =P)