New E83 3.0Si Owner

[derin100]

Hello

Just bought my first X.

It's a 2007 E83 3.0Si:

[Horizon]

Hi and welcome to the forum

[derin100]

Thanks!

(I've already posted a problem too!  )

[graemeX5]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Your X3 looks very tidy from the pic.

Graeme

[derin100]

Thanks Graeme

Yes, it's in pretty good nick.
A couple of early niggles that I've noticed...Parking sensors playing up and driver's heated seat keeps turning off spontaneously....but overall very happy with it so far.

[AW8]

Welcome 

[derin100]

Thanks AW8 !

Now need to sell some of my other BMWs...I've got far too many now!  )

[AW8]

By all means contact me if you want to swap the Alpina Roadster S  (wonderful cars) for my 2003 V70   ..... I can even throw in £500 and a red reflective safety triangle  to sweeten the deal 


In all seriousness though.....How are you finding the E83 3.0si to drive as an all rounder ?  I accept that relatively speaking it isn't a rocket ship but 3.0si is the most powerful mass production petrol E83 made afaik.

Been looking at a few E83 petrol models of late. Test drove a 2.5i  & 2.5si (both manuals) which were better than expected).

[derin100]

I haven't driven the X3 much yet as I only got it last Friday and also it's my first experience of owning a 4WD of any description but I've owned and driven BMWs for the last 35 years. You can see some of my past cars here (if you're interested) and also in the Gallery section of the same link (It was my hobby website but recent health issues mean I've had to give up my hobby): 

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/

So, impressions of the X3 so far...

It's very light and airy compared to other BMWs that I've known. The ride is a bit 'jiggly' but nowhere near as bad or harsh as some reviews I watched online lead me to expect. I suspect that this is possibly due to the fact that my E83 is only on 17" wheels and not on Bridgestone Runflats (it's on Pirelli Scorpions). The simple fact is it's also just higher than cars I'm used to.

It's also quite light and easy to drive...I don't notice too much torque steering or even pulling from the front wheels . It doesn't feel too different yet from a pure RWD car to me.

I haven't really tried to drive it fast...not why I bought it really but the N52 engine pulls it quite 'strongly'. I'm used to this engine as I have it in my Z4 3.0Si and it's a great engine! Loads of power and torque yet actually quite frugal for this amount of power. On the (slow) drive back from Harwich where I bought the X3 to Lincolnshire, it achieved 31 mpg. We had a bit of an afternoon out in it yesterday (mainly A-Roads) and I got 28 mpg. This seems about right to me as in the Z4 last summer on a trip to Switzerland we got low 30s mpg without hanging about on French motorways...but obviously the X3 is a heavier and less aerodynamic car.

For the past 4 years I've been driving an E38 728i Sport as my daily driver which is obviously a very different car to the X3. I'd have to say that obviously the X3 is a much less refined drive and also that despite its power advantage over the E38, it would be (in my hands at least) nowhere near as fast a car point-to-point. Once up and running the E38 Sport just handles so well and inspires more confidence at high speed. A shame that that's one of the cars that I now have to sell!

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/gallery/in ... 728i_Sport

Regarding the Z4s. I actually own three: the 3.0Si, a Z4M and an Alpina Roadster S.

In one sense the drive how one would expect from looking at the paper statistics. That is, in terms of speed the ranking is 3.0Si to Alpina to Z4M. However, my experience is that there are some unexpected anomalies:

Before I got the Alpina and Z4M (I bought them on consecutive days!) comparisons that I read and watched on YouTube put them as very close together despite their relative power differences (300 vs 343 bhp). I'm sure that on a public road, driven at full-tilt under those circumstances by a skilled driver, there is little to separate them. But, to the average Joe, when you get in the Z4M it feels instantly faster! You can really feel those extra 43 bhp straight away. Its steering etc. just feels more performance focused.

The Alpina is just so pretty though!  )

That said, actually the nicest to drive is the 3.0 Si. Despite 'only' 265 bhp its gearing is such that it is VERY fast of the mark and fast enough on normal A-Roads or twisty bits to make me think you'd have to be a very good/brave driver to get away from it in ether the Alpina or Z4M! I think its 0-60 is something like 5.6s!  It also feels the more comfortable and compliant (once I got rid of the Bridgestone RFTs). It's also bar far the cheapest to run! Shame I've probably got to sell that too now!

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/gallery/in ... i_Roadster

I don't have any decent photos of the Z4M (I've had a bit of a difficult year with health probs etc) but here's one of the Alpina. I believe it's one of only 5 ever made in this colour (Toledo Blue):

[gs223]

Nice! 

[AW8]

I have only just seen your last post as have been offline,  busy at work & got home late.

I am typing this on my mobile phone but have had a brief look at your site.

You own and have had some interesting metal pass through your ownership.

E83 1st impressions are intesting. I have driven a couple and although not quite as solid in feel to a good E53 I think they are interesting....in 6 cylinder petrol guise at least. LCI 2.5si with a manual box and lower VED would be tempting for right money....rare though.


Your appreciation on the E38 728i says a lot. So often a true appreciation of a car is about the whole package.

I note you also seem to appreciate the W124. Newer mercs do little for me but I confess to having a fondness of these cars...Arguably the last of the old money, durability engineered Benz models. Values on these all over the place a few interesting 230te estates around. A tidy 300TE estate does have a certain appeal. Also whilst talking mercs my mother owned a tear drop 280 SL Pagoda.

Alpina Z4 Roadster S a special thing. Never owned an Alpina but there is a sense that ones of that era are bolted together well. Z3 2.2i currently still here....different car to a Z4 but prior underrated IMO.

As for detailing...I have a random orbital which has allowed me to see some good albeit time consuming results.

I have come close to having a hobby such as yours. I enjoy detailing, have an eye for cars with potential & appreciate good examples of sorted modern classics. I adore proper modern classics but dislike some traders who sell them with greed in mind over care &/or true vehicular passion.

Thanks for sharing

[graemeX5]

Hi

The Zed's look good and are definitely growing on me.

I think having all three version is amazing. It is interesting to see how you rate each of the cars and how they compare to each other.

Looking at the Alpina it looks in. mint condition to me, and definitely worth keeping.

Graeme

[derin100]

Yes Graeme,

I think Z4s are pretty good buys at the moment. I used to own an E46 CSL and the Z4M (apart from lacking the same noise) is just as exciting a car to drive....and at an absolute fraction of the cost.

But I think the biggest bargains at the moment are really the 3.0Si.  They are so cheap relative to the performance they deliver. I reckon it would be a pretty skillful and brave driver to genuinely "run out of performance" in one of those cars on a public road.

[Sky Bear]

Hello and welcome,
Loving the colour it really suits the shape of the car.

I am sure you will soon be enjoying the comfort of the ride and the higher seating position simply means you will spot things over walls and hedges you have not seen before. We take friends out who own low sports cars and you get to hear “I never knew that was there” a lot.

SB

[derin100]

Thanks!

Yes, Sky Bear! That's already happened with us! Where we live is quite rural and normally we never see over hedge-rows. There's one nearby and I never new there was a massive solar farm on the other side of the hedges!  )

Despite initial trepidation and not really being a 'car person' my wife really seems to have taken to and be enjoying driving the X3!  Suddenly she's leaving her perfectly nice E39 525i Saloon behind and taking the X3 instead.