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

3918 Views 46 Replies 21 Participants Last post by AF, Mar 28, 2002

AF

Discussion Starter · Mar 22, 2002

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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Yipper

· #8 · Mar 22, 2002

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 . . .

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

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Yipper

· #11 · Mar 22, 2002

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

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.

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Yipper

· #13 · Mar 22, 2002

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 !!

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.

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Yipper

· #14 · Mar 22, 2002

my two E46s

2000 328Ci...

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Yipper

· #15 · Mar 22, 2002

Re: my two E46s

2002 330i...

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Yipper

· #16 · Mar 22, 2002

Re: Re: my two E46s

Yipper said:
2002 330i...

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Yipper

· #18 · Mar 22, 2002

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.

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)?

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Yipper

· #20 · Mar 22, 2002

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:

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Yipper

· #25 · Mar 22, 2002

doubletee said:
Yipper, your car is drop-dead gorgeous! What color is that? :thumb:

The 328Ci is Topaz Blue and the 330i is Steel Grey. The SG is an awesome color IMO. I've only ever seen about 3 of them here in NJ/NY/PA area - and it really is good so far at hiding dirt.

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Yipper

· #26 · Mar 22, 2002

Dan said:
Two things I do not like about the coupe: 1) the seatbelt is hard for me to reach (I'm 5'9) from the front seat and 2) compared to the sedan, it is much more difficult for adults to get in and out of the back seat, and there is more room in the back seat of the sedan. [/B]

I forgot that point - you are definitely right about the seatbelts in the coupe being difficult to grab easily - whenever my wife used the car she would complain about it. I just got used to it but with the sedan, it's MUCH easier but you have the visibility trade-off.

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Yipper

· #34 · Mar 22, 2002

robg said:
Yipper your 02 car's steering feels tighter and sharper then the 00 because they changed the steering for 02 to give it a quicker ratio (2.8 turns L to L vs 3.2). That's mostly what you're feeling vs any body rigidity. I doubt that most people could detect the differences in body rigidity unless they tracked a coupe and sedan back to back for some period of time.

Agreed! I didn't mean to imply that there was any 'body' rigidity difference being felt, my normal highway driving isn't nearly spirited enough to detect that IMO.

I'm fully aware of the quicker steering too.

My point was purely mechanical in that I think the door/window assembly itself is more structurally 'sound' with the window frame. I never really liked the frameless windows of the coupe with the exception being when opening and closing the doors with the window down - which was VERY rare.

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Yipper

· #35 · Mar 23, 2002

Plaz 330i said:
The advantage of the shorter doors on the sedan are immediately apparent to anyone who:

1) has to deal with child car seats (and the associated children) in the rear passenger seats, or

2) regularly parks in Los Angeles parking lots/garages, where the clearance between cars is best measured in millimeters.

I whole heartedly agree on both points Plaz. I do consulting work and am in two or three different parking lots each week. Some have large spaces, some small. The coupe doors were a pain in the small spots for sure.

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Yipper

· #43 · Mar 25, 2002

Alan F said:
Yipper . . . I was thinking about you today since I spent the afternoon with my son (almost 4 yrs old) and my Ci.

First we leave the house (into the backseat), then we go to the park to play (out of the back seat, then back into it), then we go to the toy store (out of the back seat, then back into it), then we go to dunkin donuts for a treat (out of the back seat, then back into it) , then we go home (out of the backseat)

My back is hurting from just telling you about it !!!

By the time I was done I was already for the 4 door !!!

My experience exactly! Today I took my 8 and 9 year olds to a movie and it was SO much simpler in the sedan. Highly recommended for those that transport children frequently.

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

AF

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