3 Series & A4

Rolli

Out of the two, which would be a better car ? I do about 27K miles a year so I want something reliable, and reliable. Also, out of the two what would hold its value more ? Both 2009, with a good spec; S-Line and M-Sport

Thanks

Mr.David

3 Series is miles better.

A4 is very average.....

Frankie Lee

Rolli wrote: »

Out of the two, which would be a better car ? I do about 27K miles a year so I want something reliable, and reliable. Also, out of the two what would hold its value more ? Both 2009, with a good spec; S-Line and M-Sport

Thanks

If you want something reliable then a 3 series would not be a good choice. The A4 is overrated though too.

Leonard Hofstadter

Frankie Lee wrote: »

If you want something reliable then a 3 series would not be a good choice. The A4 is overrated though too.

+1, BMW's four cylinder diesel is as weak as water. Turbos, swirl flaps, crankcase breathers etc. They say the newer ones are better, but the latest version of their 2.0 diesel is only four years old so even by BMW standards it's a bit early to be developing those kind of problems.

Something like a Mondeo or (perish the thought!) an Avensis would be a far better proposition if you need a reliable diesel. Even if these cars go wrong, they'll still be much cheaper to repair than a premium badge car, and you can get a much higher spec car with a more powerful engine too for less money than an A4 or 3 series. And before someone says that you'll be missing out on driving pleasure by going for the non-premium product, the Mondeo is renowned for its driving dynamics and the A4 is renowned for being stodgy.

Also consider the Honda Accord and Skoda Superb.

FreudianSlippers

I missed where he said it must be a diesel? The 3 series diesel isn't the most fantastic BMW engine, but it is not unreliable IMO.

In any event 3 > A4. Petrol 3s are fantastic cars.

R.O.R

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Petrol 3s are fantastic cars.

Well, unless they are ED models, in which case they are crap and keep breaking down, as they all do.

FreudianSlippers

R.O.R wrote: »

Well, unless they are ED models, in which case they are crap and keep breaking down, as they all do.

No ED in 2009 though. IIRC there is no petrol ED models anyway, only on the N47D20 engine.

unkel

R.O.R wrote: »

Well, unless they are ED models, in which case they are crap and keep breaking down, as they all do.

Serves all those eejits right with their 4-pot petrol entry level 3 series

bazz26

This really boils down the what the OP wants from the car. The 3 Series is rwd and is designed to be a much more driver focused car than the A4.

A cousin of mine has a current model A4 TDi 170bhp S Line and I drove it, its a nice car, well built and the engine is pacy enough but the feed back from the steering wheel is vague and it is not as tight in the corners as my E90. I have owned my 2008 318d ED M Sport for just over a year now and I have had no problems with it. I had it remapped about 6 months ago too and the power is delivered alot better than my cousins A4. Fuel economy is very good on the 3 Series too, I'm averaging 54mpg made up of mostly long runs. I'd say the A4 will probably return similar figures.

bazz26

unkel wrote: »

Serves all those eejits right with their 4-pot petrol entry level 3 series

It's all those idots that pay for the development and production of their larger engines though.

4 cylinder engines are here to stay, the current F30 328i is a 2.0 litre turbo 4 pot unit.

unkel

bazz26 wrote: »

It's all those idots that pay for the development and production of their larger engines though.

That's why I usually keep shtum about it

FreudianSlippers

bazz26 wrote: »

It's all those idots that pay for the development and production of their larger engines though.

4 cylinder engines are here to stay, the current F30 328i is a 2.0 litre turbo 4 pot unit.

I'm pretty sure it's just the same N47 from the current E9x models.

pajo1981

FN50 companies have a combined fleet of more than 1.2million vehicles, and the reliability survey is the UK’s largest.

Most reliable cars:

BMW 3 Series (#1)
Honda Accord
Volkswagen Golf
Audi A3
Toyota Avensis
Nissan Qashqai
Volkswagen Passat
Audi A4
Mazda6
BMW 5 Series

http://www.contracthireandleasing.com/car-leasing-news/survey-names-bmw-3-series-as-most-reliable-model/

I'd avoid m-sport suspension if I was doing big miles.

Leonard Hofstadter

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

No ED in 2009 though. IIRC there is no petrol ED models anyway, only on the N47D20 engine.

They've all had Efficient Dynamics since the end of 2007, petrol and diesel for both four and six cylinders. Only model not to have it is the M3. There was a special '320d Efficient Dynamcs' as well which has less power than the regular 320d but lower emissions.

A four cylinder petrol BMW is for people who want a badge above all else, although the new F30 328i is supposed to be a good motor, not that anyone will buy it here or anything because it will be too much to tax:rolleyes:.

According to the Irish Times, no less than 75% of 3 series sold in Ireland are the poverty spec 316d with a whopping 114 bhp, which means most of these cars are sold on badge and nothing else.

The F30 in Sport spec anyway is supposed to be a brilliant car to drive, a proper 'Ultimate Driving Machine', well with the right engine anyway.

It's supposed to be quite an improvement on the E90 (hardly a car known for its sloppy driving dynamics), which is a welcome change by BMW after the slating the F10 and F20 got for being far too soft and nothing like what a BMW should be like.

Anan1

captainspeed wrote: »

According to the Irish Times, no less than 75% of 3 series sold in Ireland are the poverty spec 316d with a whopping 114 bhp, which means most of these cars are sold on badge and nothing else.

With respect, this is standard-issue petrolhead nonsense. I've driven a few 316ds, and they're actually a very good car for what they are. They're far better to drive than the 'non-prestige' competition, and quite quick enough for the average driver. For a lot of people, the 316d is simply the right car.

pajo1981

captainspeed wrote: »

...after the slating the F10 and F20 got for being far too soft and nothing like what a BMW should be like.

Come on now cap, the F10's handling was hardly slated.

heate

While a 4 banger BMW wouldn't really be my cup of tea I wouldn't look down my nose at anyone buying one, have driven a few while they are not thundering power houses like my own car they do still have that BMW feel.
A lot of people for out about these car from their not so high towers - do you think the guy who buys a 530d or 750i laughs at other drivers of lesser models - the odd one may but people who are successful enough to buy and run large engines didn't get whir by being outwardly petty about such trivial things .
OP I think the a4 might be a better bet - though people complain about the TDI engine on here there have been examples of engines not packing up!

The 3 is being replaced I don't know if you were thinking of buying new but from what I've heard it sounds like a stonker!

R.O.R

unkel wrote: »

Serves all those eejits right with their 4-pot petrol entry level 3 series

Wasn't only the 4 pots though.

Ever driven a 5 Cylinder BMW? I have (on a few occasions), and it's not such a pleasant experienence.

Back to the OP's question.

Smart money at the moment would go in to the A4. Resale value of the A4 (and therefore your overall ownership costs) is quite a bit better than the 3 Series at the moment.