e36 m3 vs e46 330 vs Audi Allroad. Gaah!

NYSpeed Automotive
1

It’s daily-driver buying time. I can not decide between:

330i/330xi w/sport package
-has to have sport package. e46’s without sport package are just like e39’s without sport package: poo poo.
-awd is nice to have in winter.
-are fucking everywhere
-would catch mod bug hard, zhp bumpers needed

e36 m3 sedan
-way harder to find (must be 4 door)
-often don’t have fold-down rear seats for no reason
-lose awd option
-way harder to find
-would need black, not big on any other e36 colors

audi allroad 2.7t
-adjustable air suspension. vag-com 402 mod, slam it for free and raise it in seconds when needed. Great for winter.
-timing belt, but I don’t mind changing it
-MPG is terrible, though my buddy claims he got 28mpg hwy with full exhaust/intake/chip

I’m probably looking towards an automatic for my next daily. I’ve dd’ed a few manual cars lately, to be honest I think I’m turning to autotragic for my daily.
I have an e36m3 auto in stock currently, the auto doesn’t really do it for me. What auto did the e46 330 get?

I really like the air suspension on the Allroad. and I really like the luxury of it. But I like the efficiency of the 330 or m3, and I like the simplicity of them as well (inline 6 with timing chain vs belt, cam seal probs, etc).

I really have no idea what to do

allroad I’ve been driving (4.2, so bad on fuel).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/Coldaccord/05%20Allroad/SDC12317.jpg
SDC12317.jpg800×600

330 example:

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/6374/doperoller.jpg

m3 example:

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt325/DamienDamienDevil/fc8c314a.jpg
fc8c314a.jpg1024×764

2

I doubt highly anything north of 25mpg in a allroad unless driving it in 6th at 30 without stopping down a hill with wind to your back. best i ever got with full exhaust was 23mpg driving at 55 for 5 hours. my city average was 14mpg

I would suggest All-road to anyone, but you. You need a M3.

3

e46 with ///m3 subframe/diff and zhp bumpers.

4

Mike you were also a auto with stock intake, exhaust, and stock tune. There might be something to gain but I doubt too much more.

5

I’ve been looking for a new daily too.

Wanna sell me the all road?

6

I average 19mpg in my 6 speed allroad around town, with just a tune. Does like 23 on the highway.

7

I’m unsure about that auto trans in the e36. is it the gm?

8

This. I’ve been telling this to frost1280 the last few days as far as his next daily goes. Finish it off with some suspension and nice wheels and its a nice fun DD that gets good mpg and can do donuts.

I would love this but I really need the room of a wagon for work for my next car and I don’t like e46 wagons. Probably going wrx since I have an audi now and want something different. Love allroads but don’t feel like dealing with them and getting the mileage.

9

wrd.

I think I’d go awd auto with the 330, incase we actually have a winter next year

10

Get out of here with that shit talk.

RWD, manual. Don’t be a “robftw”.

Srsly.

11

The 330xi is also very good at not getting stuck in 4-6 inches of mud in a big open field, while trying to get your friends honda out of it.

Tow hook strikes again.

12

auto is nice to have when stuck in traffic. bigger cities have more traffic, hoping to take more trips to nearby big cities in the future.

this is just a daily/winter car, I’ve got a manual rwd car for the summer (240z with built L28 and 5 sp, trying to save for an e30m3 some day).

13

You aren’t pallnet on the z forums are you?

14

“floorless240z” on hybridz, what others are there

15

It is truly the best all-around car ever made, IMO, as long as you can keep up with the maintenance/failures. Mine is absolutely my forever car.
However…28mpg? No. Never. I’d put up any amount of money that this is not possible, unless the driver is trying some sort of 55mph hypermiling experiment. Before I went to K04 turbos, the best highway mileage I got, with software and exhaust, was 23 mpg.

16

yeah, that’s about what I got in my e30 which was 286hp

17

Perhaps the guy in question had a tune that did not properly calibrate the mpg counter on the dash. Or he lied.

18

Could be. I haven’t calibrated my S4 cluster, so it shows 26-28 mpg regularly.

19

I figured it would do better (the LOLroad). My passat with the 2.8 which I understand is mechanically similar would do high 20s on the highway… I guess the brick like aero and the added weight kills it.

X…

20

I had all the exact same criteria and ended up with the A3. love it for a daily. Don’t settle for an auto when you can have DSG. 270hp, 320tq with just a downpipe and chip didn’t hurt also. I can fit most things in it and also get close to 30mpg highway.

so with your criteria I would search for a GTI / A3 w/ DSG.