Thinking of buying a 330xi...

[Kross]

Hi everyone!

I currently own a 2005 Jaguar S-Type VDP edition. I have been thinking of trading it in for something else for a while now and it looks like that time might be upon us.

One of my prime prospects is this immaculate 2006 BMW 330xi with 10K miles. It is BMW-Certified and carries that extended warranty. It has the Premium + Cold weather pkgs along with the Navi.

I am trying to get more research done on the car before I go for it. I am out of town for work currently, so I will have to wait about a week before I take the plunge anyway.

Are there any things I should look out for? Or anything I should be aware of on this particular model?

Also, I was trying to find a place online to buy the OEM BMW all-weather rubber floormats (beige) and the BMW Ipod adapter/integration unit (I have an iPod touch, which I am hoping will be compatible with the unit). I am probably going to get the above-mentioned from the dealership but I was trying to check and see if it would be cheaper for me to purchase them myself. Have any of you had any experience with the iPod adapter? Does it work well?

Lastly, this is a completely "noob" question...I noticed models being referred to by certain numbers everywhere (E90, E91, E92, etc.) What exactly do these numbers signify? Is there a central site that says which year/model is which number? Which one would the 330xi that I am looking at be?

Thanks everyone!

[techjunkie]

Each BMW body style is assigned a two digit number preceeded by "E". The "E" stands for "Entwicklung", the German word for development.
Not sure if the 330xi your looking at is an E46 (older) or an E90(newer), apparently both were made in 2006.

[MrOffshore]

I have the 335xi and love it. I don't know much about the car you are considering, but I can't imagine it's too different from mine as far as reliability, etc. I am also a bit uncertain as to whether or not it would have the same phenominal twin turbo engine...if it does, call now and get it before you lose your chance at this incredible car...either way I doubt you will be disappointed. Good luck and welcome to the forum if you join the club!

[aftp302]

For 1999-2005 all 3 series were E46. 2006 was a "year in flux" for the 3 series, and there were two different chassis designations. E46 (older style) for the coupe and convertible, and E90 (newer style) for the sedan and wagon. In 2007 the coupe/convertible were updated and the breakdown now looks like this:

E90=Sedan
E91=Wagon
E92=Coupe
E93=Vert

The iPod adapter is a mixed bag. You'll have to get the dealer installed option which will cost ~$500 installed. You can purchase it yourself, but you'll still have to have the dealer program the car for it once installed, so you might as well save the headache and just have them do the whole thing.

Search the forum for iPod Adapter related posts, there are a few (some started by me) relating to the performance of the Dealer installed adapter. My experience with it is mixed. If you have a "classic" iPod (20/30/40/60GB) and like to select by artist/album, etc then the interface is slow and can be very cumbersome. If you have a small iPod or only listen to Playlists or on Random, then most people seem fine with it.