detailinguy99

iTrader: (1)

I'm really torn guys. I'm making a purchase next week and it's either going to be a 04 BMW 330 or the 04-06 TL. I'm nervous with the reliabilty of the BMW but I'm getting a warranty through my job and they both the same price for each car. It just seems like the BMW (although a great drivers car) is not nearly as reliable as the Acura. I'm on a forum and well I don't know. What do you guys think?

subbuzz

IMO if your not getting a 335, or the M in front of the 3,I'd stick with the tl for reliability and other various reasons.......

Zobo26

JwongTLS

I would get the TL instead of the beamer because its more reliable and maintenance is cheaper for acura..my

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

There are going to be unbiased answers in this thread

TheChamp531

iTrader: (3)

I would go 335i if you want performance (very good performance with mods and tweaks, but lacks longevity in car and need high cash to maintain vehicle over time) or you can go with a semi-luxury sedan in the TL with decent performance and a better look on the outside with a body kit.

detailinguy99

iTrader: (1)

The 335 is a serious car and deserves all the respect in the world. But I think you guys are right, I go to school too so I need reliability. Kind of seems like a no brainer.

knavinusa

The 330i is a pretty fast car, but the interior on the 3-series can't compare to the TL's interior.

subbuzz

I am halfway unbiased. I originally wanted a 2g tl but after one j-series tranny from hell I decided against it and said no more Acura.. When I was in the market for a car I looked at Nissan/Infiniti,Lexus,BMW, Benz(c class).I actually hated the type-s rim's/red lighting and a few other things. After I weighed/exhausted ALL the options I found that the tl-s was the one for me and to this day I still get butterflies like the day I brought her home.The TL is the best bang for the buck IMO.......

greco9885

iTrader: (1)

You can not compare a 04 330 to a 07 335(year it came out)...thats like comparing a 1st gen tsx and a 3g type-s. Its different models, not to mention 1 is twin turbo'd and the other isnt.

He specifically said 04 330, meaning he doesnt want to spend 30k+ on a car.

Where in LI you from? What acura dealer are you looking at(if any)? Where do you work? Lol, sorry just alittle curious

cotmfk

Personally, I hate fwd. I am going to have to buy a different platform next time. For that reason, I would say 330. Good luck!

shooter

Go with the TL for sure ... 04 330 is no head turner ... but 3G still is ...

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Detailin, I've had both brands of cars. I had a 535i-pretty car, loved it a lot. But the damn thing nickeled and dimed me to death. I had to take it in for every....little....thing. I finally got tired of the car being in the dealership all the time. I've had my Type S for a year now. I know I won't have to worry about the reliability of this car...it's a Honda. They are known for how long they last.

greco9885

iTrader: (1)

almost in the same position. If i had a 335, i coulda spent an extra $500 on mods and gained 70whp, instead of ~30ish

Nova_GTS

Lexus!

BEAR-AvHistory

This is an old story but I have a '04 BMW 330 6MT & a '06 TL 6MT.

Reliability to date:

The '04 330 6MT convertible with almost 70K miles which has been in 0 times for unscheduled maintenance.

The '06 TL 6MT with 30K miles has been in for 3rd/reverse gear replacement TSB, power steering hose replacement recall, windshield wiper motor replacement recall, failed tail light assembly 3 weeks old & failed battery.

Based on the comments in the 3G thread never bothered about the rattles & the items I listed are not unique to my car.

Desirability to drive:

If they are sitting side by side at the end of the driveway the 330 will always get the nod.

Reason for the TL:

Needed a 4 door for running my grandkids around to school, sports etc & the TL was better looking then the Honda Accord EX 4 door

HaRDbODyTL

TL all da way

SpecTro

iTrader: (2)

Let me tell you that the BMW is not that bad when it comes to being reliable. I have had at least 17 friends with bimmers. from the 325 to the 7 series. One thing i can tell you is the dealers, they are nothing like the acura dealers. First off, they are nicer, and this is from about 2-3 years of accompanying many friends to either their basic service to burnt bulbs and a few bad sensors, all taken care of, never did i hear a "not covered" or "wear and tear" from them. always taking care of the problem. Even the window switches which are located by the arm rest in the center console which had failed because of spilled coffee. They just took care of it.

When the bulbs on my steering wheel went out, acura would NOT replace them, and it is understandable, they are wear and tear, but there is something call courtesy specially when they went out prematurely. $100 to 200 depending on the dealer (5 of them) to replace the bulbs.

The TL has a nicer interior hands down, they BMW drives perfect, TL is more powerful, around the same MPG, a little bigger inside and out, and FWD, not that bad but you'll get torque steer. The TL is known for transmission problems, the BMW for electrical problems.


Whatever you decide to choose will be a good choice, both cars are great and will run for years with the proper services done. Good luck.

Andy74

I miss my 2004 330i ZHP. 2004 330i all the way. Looks like a classic BMW, drives / handles like a million bucks. Consider ZHP (Performance package option) - this car with ZHP turns heads.

e2tials

Even though I am a TL owner, 330i is still better car for me

Cecilt

I had an '01 330i 5 speed sport/premium package, then an '06 TL 6 speed and now an '07 Type S auto. The 330i had the M package on it so it was very good looking. The Type S and this 330i look great exterior wise and both better than my '06 TL. The TL interior is by far better than the BMW was. I had over 80k miles on the 330 and it had a couple thermostats replaced under the 100k CPO warranty. Nothing else. My '06 TL had warrantly problems to. People who complain about BMW's reliability not being good probably never owned one and rely on hearsay. If BMW had a nicer interior/nav etc I would be back in one in a second.

pwr2panda

I don't know how long you guys planned on keeping your BMWs, but I know my E46 started having all kinds of issues after about 80K (right now I'm at 125K). Window regulators, power steering pump, Vanos, water pump, radiator expansion tank, thermostats, SES airbag light. Check out E46fanatics.com and look at their general forum...lot of troubleshooting going on...but the BMW definitely drives better and feels a lot more connected to the road than the TL. But I love the interior space of the TL and the newer looks. I'll be honest and say if you really want BMW I'd look at the E90 328i 06 and up...

Nova_GTS

If you haven't seen it already:

http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/new...df/2008115.pdf

In the class, Lexus was # 1, 3 series was # 2

I'd go on what you like the most and will want to keep for several years

pwr2panda

oh and also RTABs (rear trailing arm bushings), Control Arm Bushings, Auto trans not shifting into reverse and Subframe cracking issues...lol no joke

HigdonTL05

pwr2panda goddamn man it sounds like you cant even look at the car before something goes wrong, my 2 cents the only thing that i hate about the TL FWD..... damn FWD damn it to hell hahahaha

snake134

iTrader: (1)

asides from looks and MAYBE reliabilty, the bimmers got the TL beat

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

If it was a 2006 330I, I would think really hard, but since your looking at an older model I say TL

BEAR-AvHistory

Personally I am not a fan of used cars. There are too many ways you can get screwed with one. If I could not pay for a new TL/BMW whatever I would really look to buy something less expensive that is new & under warranty.

detailinguy99

iTrader: (1)

It's a really really hard decision to make. I had the 2002 TL Type S in the past and it was the best car I ever owned. I've owned about 6 cars so far and it was reliable, fast and amazing looking, WDP. I'm going to keep looking. I will let you know.

detailinguy99

iTrader: (1)

I'm from Holbrook.

Not looking at any dealers. I'm going to an aution even though it's risky to do that.

And...I work for Competition Infiniti of Smithtown.

TRIOD3SIGNS

Hah! I turned down a 525i for a TL. trust me. drive them both & you will see the difference. This is comming from a guy who had 3 european cars befre the TL. 94' C-Class / 03' LandRover / 04' A4

Still have the C-Class running strong at 346,000 miles with all original engine & trans... they dont make them like they use to.

Plus you wont mind the extra $700 after a brake job with the TL.
Thats how much I was quoted to get them done on the 525i $1K!!!!

pish180

hahaha..

Maybe I can help you decide... I was in the EXACT same spot as you are in. I was looking for 04 Tl and 330's (e46).

I'm not sure what your talking about as far as reliability goes on the 330...? Everything in my car is made with top quality.

If you didnt know already... the m54 engine won 2nd place in wards top 10 engines. and 2nd only to the s54 m3 engine. The only thing that seems to be a problem with the engines is the dual VANOS. They make kits to fix them though, call Dr Vanos, and it only like

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward%27s_10_Best_Engines
http://www.drvanos.com/

The 330 is kinda in a different class then the TL... the 330 is only 3200lbs. and the tl is 3600lbs. The TL is larger and had more room for back seat drivers and cargo.

PERFORMANCE:
Altho I have a 330xi (203hp/203tq) ... I can beat my buddies TL (237whp/228tq) up to 60-80 and then he's out. Im sure its the power bands and traction. My car is a tank though (xi is 3600lbs), which for obvious reasons 400lbs makes the car a lot slower. I'm not sure how a 330i would stack-up stock for stock vs a TL.. prolly a close race.

Both cars look Awesome! Both cars are reliable! Both are around the same price. Gas mileage around the same. I choose a BMW even though I still love the TL, I love my Bimmer more. Ooh yeah, if u get a BMW... join the BMWCCA. you get 10% off all parts and labor, and u get BMW club magazines (national and local chapter events).


BMW +
=====
Sound System (HK)
Engine (M54B30)
Leather is very durable
Seats & seat adjustments (sports package)
Steering wheel (sports package)
Supercharge kits
More mods and easier to mod
Different packages (sports, premium, HID, cold weather, NAVI, Performance (ZHP)


TL +
====
Layout and controls
Engine
Larger car
More Cargo room
More Rear leg space
Faster
Manual has Brembo's (front)


I would also like to mention this... Everything on my car is EASY TO change/mod!! An only change is EZ as cake if you have an oil extractor... u dont even have to lift the car... just open the hood. Oil filter is right there.

All my mods have been really easy! I know the TL... to change the tail lights u basically ahve to take the whole trunk apart! HAHAH, it kills me everytime i think about it. The BMW was like 3 large thumb screws, and wam... LED smoked tails. :-)


If you haven't already... check out e46fanatics.com also if you havn't looked yet... see if you can find and afford a ZHP. They are the best 330i's HANDS DOWN!! the steering wheel is SICK nice and comfy!! extra 10hp, different trim, body kit (mtech2), 6sp, differ rims. There is some more crap.. but you get the point.

My next BMW is going to be the 335i (e92 not e90; i dont like the tail lights on the sedans)... **druel** and get a stage 2 or 3 kit for it and ur over 400hp, and keeping up with the new m3.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/L...35i_155193.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gGzq4Pyv8Q


Happy hunting.

Maddizm

iTrader: (5)

^ sweeeet

BEAR-AvHistory

My '04 330 6MT ZHP (performance pack) - a little more power & rev range - is quicker then my '06 TL 6MT, head to head, no matter which one I am driving.

I think one of the reasons is much better clutch, throttle synchronization which makes the BMW much easier to launch at higher revs.

VillaWX3

That's for Damn sure!

dudechewy

yeah get the tl....especially while ur in school.....if ur going for the beemer go all wheel drive.

jimsta

iTrader: (1)

IF you comparing those years, i woudl get the TL, now if its the new 07 330i...then i would get the BMW... I think the 04 TL is bigger than then 04 330i no?

328is

Coming from two BMW's I would say get the TL for sure. I was so tired of all the problems my BMW gave me and the high cost of part. It is very obvious that RWD is more satisfying to drive then FWD. But other than handling and maybe the transmission, there nothing that a 330i does better than a TL.

(Cj)

DrMooCow

I traded in my 330i zhp for a 08 TL-S.

My main reason for going to the TL was because right after my car's warranty expired at 50k miles, I started to get problems here and there. The only Honda car that handles as well as a BMW is the S2000 and that's considered a sports car.

If you want a car that drives great with good handling, then go for the 330i. However, be warned that the car is nowhere as reliable as ANY Japanese car.

I have to admit though, I felt my BMW had better interior build quality then my current TL, meaning I had virtually no rattles and squeaks in my 3 series but there are a lot of squeaks here and there in the TL.

There are a lot of biased people in this forum. So you just need to go drive each one yourself and see which one you enjoy driving better. My 330i had about 235 HP. My TL-s has 287 HP. HP's don't mean anything. On a rainy day, I can floor my BMW and the car won't peel out. On the TL-S, I can floor my car and the car will just sit there and peel out for a looong time under full throttle. Why have all the power when you can't use it?

I recommend a Subaru legacy if you have interest in AWD cars... Not as popular but fun car to drive. At the end of the day, an Acura is still a Honda. BMW is a BMW.

But like I said, I chose to go with the Acura because of Honda's reliability and the fact that my 08 was a 4th year model car so I was fairly sure all of the common/major problems would have been fixed.