Has anyone here gone from a 2 door 3series to a 4 door 3 series or vica versa

Hey Alan,

How's it going bud? Haven't "seen" you around lately. Hope all is well.

I have...

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ALEX325i said:

Hey Alan,

How's it going bud? Haven't "seen" you around lately. Hope all is well.

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Hey Alex,

Good to hear from you !!
I haven't been hanging out on the board as much lately . . . I forgot you had the Ci. Can you tell me how you feel as far as driving one over the other.

Alan F said:

Sean, can you Elaborate ?

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I guess Sean is referring to the whole body rigidity thing...

Honestly, I can't tell the difference between my former 00 323Ci and my current 01 325i...

To be quite honest, my former 323Ci felt better (haven't gotten the steering retrofit yet)...

Alan, I feel the same way about my Ci. Me and a friend often trade bimmers - he owns a 323i. It definitely feels different in that car. My biggest complaint is the visibility of the front door windows. Since the front windows are shorter, your peripheral vision is reduced. And the whole cabin just seems smaller because of it. Exterior looks wise, the sedan looks good only in steel gray to me for some reason (my friend's is orient blue). I just don't feel as "cool" in his car (i know i'm lame sometimes). But as i've learned more about bmw's, i've been admiring the e36's more. and the e46 sedan definitely seems to have more of the "classic bmw look" to it.

Alan F said:

I was just wondering because one day in the future when I trade in my 330Ci I was thinking of possibly getting a 330i (or some other 4 door) and wanted some peoples experiences.

Whenever I drive my 2 door I feel like I am driving a sports car but I can't imagine the 4 door feeling the same way. I know the cars are almost the exact same but does the 4 door feel like your in a sports car.

Don't knock me for saying this but the Ci is a really 'cool' looking car. Whenever I look at mine I can't help but think that I wouldn't have the same feeling looking at a 4 door.

Then I will see a nice 3 series 4 door on the road and think to myself how good it looks . . .

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Two and half weeks ago I took delivery of my new 330i which replaced my '00 328Ci.

The 328 did NOT have the SP (foolish decision based on two month delay in availability of SP on early '00 coupes). While this only restricted me to 16" wheels and standard seats it definitely made the car feel less 'sporty' to me. The seats are a nice touch and I'm really enjoying them in the twisty bits. In the 328 my left leg would get tired bracing against the door handle when the driving turned spirited.

Things I like better about the 330i:

1. 4 doors are WAY more practical with 3 small children and a job that requires some level of sales responsibilities (read, need to use the backseat once in a while).

2. 3.0 engine - much more 'pep' than the 328.

3. 17" wheels/tires - MUCH better at hard cornering

4. Sport seats - big improvement (love the tilt)

5. Door frames around the windows - just a rigidity preference and nervousness about that little 'seal' move the coupe windows do at close/open.

6. Exhaust note - 328 was SO quiet that the first few days I had it I would either stall it when moving from a full stop or forget to shift out of 3rd since in my 15+ years of driving standard trans I got used to driving by 'sound'. The 3.0 has a nice rumble at idle and a much more pleasing sound a cruising speeds and during acceleration.

Things I liked better in the 328Ci:

1. Sportier 'look' of the car - no matter how beautiful the sedan is, the coupe is just plain sexier.

2. Better peripheral vision - the B pillar is sometimes annoyingly in the way of my vision.

Bottom line: I think both are awesome. Had I been driving a 330Ci w/ SP, I probably would NOT have traded for the 330i. However, I really wanted the SP and the 3.0 engine and if I'm going that far, might as well get the extra doors and the color I really wanted (1 week after delivery of the '00 Topaz 328 in early 9/00, the dealer has a Steel Grey 328Ci in the showroom - always have loved metallic grey cars). It made some kind of wacky financial sense to me (blinded by car lust) since I plan to have this car for 8+ years if practical.

At 46k miles, the 328Ci still drove as nice as the first day I slipped behind the wheel.

For the record:

2000 328Ci - Topaz/Grey, PP, HK, Xe
2002 330i - Steel Grey/Grey, SP, PP, CWP, Bi-Xe

Johnm 330Ci . . . I feel just as lame as you when I say the ci is 'cooler' but I can't help but feel it is
Also, you make a good point about driving the 323i . . . whenever I get a loaner it's usually a 323 4 door and for some reason I just don't feel like I am driving a cool car . . . There I go again with that word. It has nothing to do with it being a 323, I think it might be because it doesn't have the same 17 inch wheelsor maybe because its a 4 door but I will say that when I drive my 330 around with my non-sport wheels I don't feel as cool !!
BTW I have the sport package but bought the non sports for winter use

Yipper . . .

Awesome write up . . . so overall do you get the same feeling driving the 4 door over the 2 door or do you feel like an old man now ??


I have 2 little ones and I agree, the 2 door is a pain in the a** when I have to put one of them in the back and buckle them into thier car seat !!

Alan F said:

Johnm 330Ci . . . I feel just as lame as you when I say the ci is 'cooler' but I can't help but feel it is
Also, you make a good point about driving the 323i . . . whenever I get a loaner it's usually a 323 4 door and for some reason I just don't feel like I am driving a cool car . . . There I go again with that word. It has nothing to do with it being a 323, I think it might be because it doesn't have the same 17 inch wheelsor maybe because its a 4 door but I will say that when I drive my 330 around with my non-sport wheels I don't feel as cool !!
BTW I have the sport package but bought the non sports for winter use

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Same here. Whenever I would get service loaners when taking the 328Ci in, they were mostly 323i units w/o SP. I really did NOT like the non-sport steering wheels, step (no offense anyone) or the 'softer' suspension.

However, the 330i is faster and handles much better than my 328Ci so it's a bad comparison. As I said before, if I had been driving a 330Ci w/ SP, I would most likely NOT have traded the 328Ci.

I did

Alan

I had a 94 E36 325i, at the same time my now ex had a E36 325is. I always thought her car was sportier and felt more aggressive. Although my sedan did have four doors both cars could carry four in equal comfort.

This time I did not even pause, a ci for me. Much of it was looks, I really think the coupe looks better and I rarely carry more than one other person. The frameless doors worry me but BMW has been doing that for years. As far as rigidity goes I doubt that I ever push the car that hard where it makes a difference. I have driven a E46 325i without SP and it is nice but there is a big difference. Just my .02.

Alan F said:

Yipper . . .

Awesome write up . . . so overall do you get the same feeling driving the 4 door over the 2 door or do you feel like an old man now ??

I have 2 little ones and I agree, the 2 door is a pain in the a** when I have to put one of them in the back and buckle them into thier car seat !!

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Oh yeah, two and half years ago when I chose the 328Ci, the children all went in the same car - minivan w/ either the wife or me. Now, the older two are always at this birthday party or that soccer game and we often go separate directions w/ children. Car seats are a MAJOR PITA in the coupe.

Also, my older ones cannot easily lift the coupe seats to get in the back of the car. Once in the back, they can't reach out and pull the door closed (due to angle and weight of the coupe door).

They're loving the sedan. Both older ones have squealed in delight about having their 'own' doors and windows and now ask to go place in 'Daddy's car' instead of the boring minivan! (new bimmer freaks in the making I hope)

I guess my answer is - I haven't noticed the 'cool' factor change. At 38 w/ three children, a mortgage and a minivan I lost 'cool' a long time ago.

From a driving perspective the 330i kicks ass over the 328Ci. I'm at 1300+ miles now and boy is it fun to finally wind this baby up! The torque and 17" wheels are really a blast compared to the 328.

my two E46s

2000 328Ci...

Re: my two E46s

2002 330i...

Re: Re: my two E46s

Yipper said:

2002 330i...

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Alan,

To me the Ci feels heavier (which it is). The sedan is more rigid, especailly without fold-down seats (less creaks and rattles) it maybe has a little firmer ride with SP vs. a coupe (rigidity?) The steering to me appears to be sharper and it also feels like it handles the S curves better than a coupe. I've spent sometime in a 01 330i and I can tell enough of a difference between it and my 330Ci.

Sean said:

Alan,

To me the Ci feels heavier (which it is). The sedan is more rigid, especailly without fold-down seats (less creaks and rattles) it maybe has a little firmer ride with SP vs. a coupe (rigidity?) The steering to me appears to be sharper and it also feels like it handles the S curves better than a coupe. I've spent sometime in a 01 330i and I can tell enough of a difference between it and my 330Ci.

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I concur, the '02 330i feels firmer than my '00 328Ci (17" vs 16" wheels?) and the steering is definitely sharper (again, 17" wheels or tighter steering)?

Vexed . . . I know exactly what you mean, I just love the look of the coupe but Yipper's 330 looks damn good in those pics and if you compare the pics of his 328Ci vs the 330i, his 330 looks much more aggressive looking . . . the sport package wheels make such a difference :thumb: :thumb:


Yipper . . . thanks again for the great response . . . I'm not far off from you in age . . . at 33, I've got 2 kids, am on my 2nd (and hopefully final) home and have the minivan as well.

In fact I really want to trade in the minivan (A Honda Odyssey) for a sedan but my wife loves it and it has no payments so I guess we'll keep it for another year. Also it fits so much stuff in it, a sedan will probably feel tiny compared to it.

At the least, I'm going to check out the Honda Pilot when it comes out (an SUV similiar to the Acura SUV)

Also your points about the 4 door convenience really hit home . . . when I go to lunch with my partners, I wish I had a 4 door . . . it's such a hassle letting them in & out of the back when we take my car.

The other car was a Volvo 760 turbo wagon until the 3rd child joined us (somewhere near exit 12 on the New Jersey Turnpike) :dunno:

Three children don't fit well in a Volvo wagon. The minivan is a great concept if you don't want an SUV but need maximum flexibility in configuration (cargo -AND- people).

We do lots of long family journeys and I have a small boat that I trailer with the van.

At work, I found the coupe would prevent me from taking the bimmer to lunch with colleagues or customers due to the inconvenience of the back seat access. I was stuck riding in really boring cars (wouldn't have minded a bimmer or a mb but NOOOOO, nothing but Camrys and SUVs ).

Now, we go in the bimmer! :thumb: