USED BMW 3 Series Coupe (05 - )

My car

I bought this car new to replace a 1995 Toyota Celica which was fun but ancient. I looked at and rejected the Audi A5 and the Mercedes CLK. I love this car. Wonderful to look at and to drive. I agree that the ride can be a bit harsh on less than perfect road surfaces, but it holds the road so well I do not care. Build quality is first rate and although I have only covered 800 miles there have been no teething troubles. I went for the auto and leather plus a few other extras but avoided the sat nav (my Garmin is probably better) and bluetooth (in car phones are a menace hands free or not). Performance is terrific from this engine and will get better once loosened up. A great car!

My car

Looking to replace my 645 I looked at Audi.First the TT, which was too small and then an A5 which was good except for the severe off-set pedals which were hopeless. So back to BMW and the 3 coupe. The Diesel was OK if you like the 4500 rev limit and smelly fuel but my soul craves revs. So the 335 auto was the best for me.As I don't have an image problem and I'm happy with my 'manhood' the auto is fine,in fact it's so good I would say it renders manuals almost obsolete in normal driving.If you want economy buy a 2ltr Diesel.If you want thrills and performance for much less than M3 money buy one of these. Downsides are the usual runflat issues and big wheels.On anything less than baby bum smooth roads, the ride is busy.Smaller wheels and 'real' tyres solve this but BMW should look at this & not expect owners to spend more money to have a decent ride.i-drive and favourite buttons are fine once it's set up.Fuel consumption is right foot sensitive.32 on a steady run 22 on a blast. It will never be as well built as previous BMW's (the E39 5 series was fantastic) but it's satisfactory.The engine at full tilt is worth the purchase price alone.

My car

It's out with my Porsche Boxster, to be replaced by this 330d M Sport Coupe.

After six months of ownership, I love it! This car is awesome. Performance, even after switching from the Boxster, is superb. Road holding is taut, and I just can’t find fault with the the driving experience - all that torque on tap is brilliant. You have to keep an eye on the speedo, though - 100mph feels more like 60mph.

There are minor rattle from low down on the dash occasionally, but other than that there have been no problems after 4000 miles.

This car looks great, in an understated way. Marks out of 10? I'd say 11.

My car

I had to hunt around for a late coupe with a manual gearbox, leather and prof. sat. nav. but the hunt was well worth it. They all seem to be autos. I am not quite an old man yet. Thanks Tim from Soper Lincoln. Quality great, looks great, I-Drive a bit fiddly .I cannot set the default screen. Why do I have to keep going through screens to get the perspective view every time I start the car? My 407 coupe was much better in this dept, drives me mad. Tried the auto but not as exciting. 500 n/m through direct cogs and rear wheel drive is as much as the M3. If a manual box is good enough on a mates DB9 its good enough for me in the 330d. At least 5mpg advantage over the auto. and lower CO2 band as well. People don’t seem tell you that. 335d only came as an auto so I discounted it. Really quick, 45mpg+, hard to fault. First service at 22,000 miles, just needed oil. Brakes don’t seem to have worn at all. tyres still ok despite every one telling me it would munch rears-(expensive 19 in run flats, I wish I had 18 in ones as 19in rubber bands hunt curbs out), Sounds fantastic. A modern marvel, much crisper than the A5 Coupe I tried. I love it.