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Mfox99 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: E46 comfort
    Posted: 19-September-2005 at 17:34
I used to own a 99 323i SE, after a few years of driving sports cars I found it to be wonderfully comfortable. Last year i replaced the 323 with a 330i SE touring. I am so disapointed, the car has sports suspension fitted and the ride is just too taught. I bought the car as a comfortable family cruiser. What can I do to the car to get back to the fantastic ride i got used to on my old 232?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 03:28
go and buy a 323 or a 5 series i would guess
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 04:13
you're not kidding.  I was a passenger in a 320d Touring Sport (courtesy ride) and i could not believe how choppy the ride was; to me it makes the sport pack a joke, it really turned my stomach.  I've read many references to it in auto journals and its not just bmw.  Sport packages look good and therefore shift motors quicker, you know -  the big wheels, tasty trims.  Diesel and sport are two words that shouldn't be used together.  I know, i've got an m3 and and audi diesel SE (very comfy, slow and RELAXING).  Changing your car will be easier and financially more effective than changing ht e suspension components.  And it should be easy to sell with that sport package (lol).
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 05:00
BMW should be able to put the suspension back to standard, I would guess it would be well under a grand for the standard kit.  Check the spec list before you buy in future!

For a good middle ground you could have the Alpina suspension upgrade, which comes in at about a grand, and is sporty but comfortable. 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 06:37
From what I have heard your not the first owner to be less than happy with the ride on the sport models. If it was me I'd go to the dealer and get a price for changing the sport springs and dampers for standard items.
Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 06:50
Peter, I have to admit that I've made a bit of a U-turn since my last comments on BMWs sport suspension.  I've recently bought a Ci Sport and must say that I'm quite happy with the ride, hard, but not as bad as I was expecting with 18s.  However, I don't think I'd enjoy being a passenger in it!  But I never am so who cares

Maybe there's a difference between a car designed as a Sport and an SE with Sport suspension.  I don't think I'll spend the money getting this one Alpina'd.  
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 12:39
I agree with Scarface. I purchased a Sport because I wanted the firmer suspension (after also owning a 323SE previously) and I just love the way it bounces around and gives much taughter, firmer handling. I think the mistake is to buy an SE with sport suspension if you are expecting a smooth and comfy ride.
E46 325 Sport Saloon
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 16:06
Mmm... ive got a 328i se tourer with 17"s and the ride is a bit firm but not hard , i test drove a 330d sport the other day and as much as it was fast it wasnt that uncomfortable, i think 18"s are more the problem on most cars with ride and hardness, what do you do sacrifice style or comfort?
Just Touring....
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 16:32
Tyre pressures contribute a lot to comfort, if I ran mine on the recommended pressures it'd certainly be a boneshaker. 
The comfort and handling improved a lot on my 328 as soon as I reduced the tyre pressures, only took me 3 years and a suspension upgrade!  
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 16:33
Thanks all for the replies. I have spoken to the dealers today, whilst initially reluctant I can have the SE specsprings and dampers fitted for £1250. It was also suggested I change wheels and tyres. It would appear that all 330 petrol touring models are fitted with sports suspension, even SE models!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 17:08
Seems a bit steep to me for standard suspension.  My Alpina suspension was special order from Germany and cost less than that fitted!  I'd get another quote.  I use Woods in Odiham, bit far from you though. 

I'm not sure if they're being 100% truthful, sport suspension appears to be an option on the 330i SE touring. 

http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/pricesandspecifications_detail/
?seriesID=3&bodyID=TO&modelTypeKey=EN52


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-September-2005 at 17:17

I actually got it from another source, it may well be incorrect. The dealer who quoted was Wood in Salisbury, I assume they are part of the same chain as Wood in Odiham. I will try them, I work that way sometimes.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-September-2005 at 08:11

Well here we go again....

The idiot at the dealer who told you all 330i's have sports suspension should have been sacked or told to go and work for Suzuki or something.  Complete rubbish.

The coupe's have different suspension to the saloons, so a coupe will be marginally more sporting that an SE saloon.  Both saloon / touring and coupe /cabrio have the Mtech suspension fitted as part of the 'Sports' package. This does improve the handling but destroys the ride completely.  The improvement to the handling you will benefit from for about 5 minutes a week, and for the rest of the time you will be constantly jostled by the restless overdamped rear suspension of the sports model.  The sad thing is - people buy the sports model because it looks so much better especially the Coupe which they really loused up with the 2001 facelift. It would be better if Mtech remained an option and that the dealers were rather better informed. Many BMW sales people haven't a clue about the cars and think there can't possibly be any thing about the car that they should change... yeah right !.

The Alpina suspension is much better - more sporting - but without be bouncy and takes out the small road imperfections which the Mtech doesn't.  Mtech is design for german roads and not British ones with all their lateral ridges which cause most of the problems. I tried to get it fitted to my 330d Sport and it was all going ahead and then the dealer rings me to say that BMW UK advise me against having it fitted.  Its a real shame as the motoring press have done this to BMW.  The original E46 suspension was relativley soft but the car still handled - sure if the road was really rocky it could wallow a bit but I miss my old car so much at times.  Everything else about the car is great.  Yet to drive an E90 but again,  you will want the sports version to make that car look half decent and yet you will probably have to have the sports suspension - lets hope they tune it for British roads first.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-September-2005 at 08:30
Originally posted by simnew simnew wrote:

...Its a real shame as the motoring press have done this to BMW. 

Please explain?

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-September-2005 at 09:51

Hi Peter,

What I was referring to was that when the E46 was launched, the motoring press rightly hailed it as by far the best car in its class and for most puposes it still was when it was discontinued earlier this year. But they also said that it had gone soft by comparison to the E36 and that it was more of a smaller 5 series - which is true. But what they also forgot was that the E46 was a substantial upgrade from the E36 in terms of space comfort and refinement. And part of the refinement upgrade was to make the suspension even better. The problem was that they made the steering less direct so the feeling was that the E46 was less sporting that the E36. They also offered sports suspension on the pre Oct '01 E46 which was very good.  Improved damping and control but still with good ride comfort. But still the press hailed back to the good ol days.  So when the 2001 facelift came along, they made the standard suspension much like the old sports suspension - better control and good ride comfort but then offered the Mtech setup on the 'Sports' models.  This is significantly different to the old sports suspension and in truth is quite close to the way the M3 feels. At the same time they also finally sorted out the steering after making a mess of it after the launch of the E46 compact. The increased the weighting and reduced the lock to lock number of turns. This makes it feel much more responsive. 

So if you look in the motoring press where they compare final generation E46 with all their competitors - its wipes the floor with them.  Read the ones with Sports suspension and you will read about great handling but fidgety ride... and sometimes harking back to older road tests where they gave BMW stick over 'going soft' and perhaps they got it wrong. 

I think that the original coupes - non sport but with the 'subtle' standard sports suspension was very good and the 2001 SE saloons have got it just right.  If you want really good sports suspension and a firmer feel then Alpina wipes the floor with Mtech as it also has ride comfort and the Hartge kit is also much better.

In truth most of the people who buy BMW's these days are company car drivers and well heeled wives or young guys wanting to look flash. Many of these buyers just want 'the look', so the sports model is great in this respect. Hence its improved residual values. And then you look at what BMW did to the 2001 coupe and what a mess they made of that and you understand why hardly any coupes are sold without sports kits - its to make the car look good again just like the original did !!.

I hope BMW take a lesson from the likes of Alpina and Hartge and get some E90's over here before releasing the Sports version of the E90. They need to tune in some initial compliance to take out the ripples and lateral ridges that mar British roads then the suspension will be doing its job.  Any fool can make a car appear to handle well by sticking stiff springs and dampers in but it takes a lot more skill to achieve excellent handling and body control with good ride comfort. It can be done and BMW used to achieve this just not with the Mtech Sports suspension.  Sigh..... bigcry

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