E46 vs. E90 and other questions

The US 325i has a detuned 3 liter engine. The current 328i has a not so far detuned 3 liter engine. The 2.5L engine is no longer available in the US.

AFAIK, the automatics have two modes; full automatic and steptronic.

Jim

It has an automatic that you operate by selecting R or D, depending on which way you want to go, or P if you don't want to go anywhere.

Additionally, once you select D, you have the option of moving your attention to mashing pedals to further refine your choice and let the transmission make all of your gear selections for you, OR you can move the lever to the left and then pull it back or push it forward to force the transmission into a gear range you think is well suited to the conditions you create by how enthusiastically you are mashing the pedals, all while yanking the steering wheel from side to side.

If I remember right, the 2.5L and the 2.8L are really the same motor that are tuned differently. I'm not certain, but the E46 cars get the M52 motor which is a 2.8L displacement. The E90 gets a 3L displacement that is detuned to a 328, left alone for the 330, and given a pair of turbo chargers for the

335.

The way I remember it from when I was young and in high school, with girls you put it in P if you wanted to get somewhere.

So it's the same block with a different head or different crank?

--scott

Thanks.

My understanding from reading is that for 4dr sedans up through 2005 it went

325i 2.5 L 2.5L 184 hp I6 Std. Horsepower (@rpm) 184 @ 6000 Torque (@rpm) 175 @ 3500 Displacement (cc) 2494 Bore X Stroke 3.31 X 2.95 Compression Ratio 10.5:1 5-Speed Automatic Overdrive: Opt. - City/Highway (mpg) 19 / 27 - 0-60 (sec) N/A 5-Speed Manual: Std. - City/Highway (mpg) 20 / 29 - 0-60 (sec) N/A 330i 3.0L

- 2,979 cc 3 liters in-line 6 front engine with 84 mm bore, 89.6 mm stroke, 10.2 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder

- Premium unleaded fuel 91

- Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 30 and EPA city (mpg): 20

- Multi-point injection fuel system

- 16.6 gallon main premium unleaded fuel tank

- Power: 168 kW , 225 HP SAE @ 5,900 rpm; 214 ft lb , 290 Nm @ 3,500 rpm

Then in 2006 they changed the sedan LOOK, and I guess engine too. The

325i is now 3.0L and the 330i is STILL 3.0 L but it looks like different specs... 325i 3.0L 215hp 185 ft lb tourque 2,996 cc 3 liters in-line 6 front engine with 85 mm bore, 88 mm stroke, 10.7 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder

- Premium unleaded fuel 91

- Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 30 and EPA city (mpg): 20

- Multi-point injection fuel system

- 15.9 gallon main premium unleaded fuel tank

- Power: 160 kW , 215 HP SAE @ 6,250 rpm; 185 ft lb , 251 Nm @ 2,750 rpm

330i 3.0L 255 hp 220 ft lb tourque 2,996 cc 3 liters in-line 6 front engine with 85 mm bore, 88 mm stroke, 10.7 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder

- Premium unleaded fuel 91

- Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 30 and EPA city (mpg): 20

- Multi-point injection fuel system

- 15.9 gallon main premium unleaded fuel tank

- Power: 190 kW , 255 HP SAE @ 6,600 rpm; 220 ft lb , 298 Nm @ 2,750 rpm

Now in 2007 then came out with the 328i and 335i. The 328i is

3.0L...so is it the same as the 2006 325i or 2006 330i or neither? 3.0L 230 hp I6 Std. Horsepower (@rpm) 230 @ 6500 Torque (@rpm) 200 @ 2750 Displacement (cc) 2996 Bore X Stroke 3.35 X 3.46 Compression Ratio 10.7:1 6-Speed Automatic Overdrive: Opt. - City/Highway (mpg) 21 / 30 - 0-60 (sec) N/A 6-Speed Manual Overdrive: Std. - City/Highway (mpg) 20 / 29 - 0-60 (sec) N/A

So it seems the 2006 years ushered in a new engine which continued onto 2007 although the hp and torque is different.

I lied earlier, the M52 can be had as a 2.8L (328) and a 2.5L (323) in the E36 car. I assume the displacement is altered by the crank and rods (lengthen the pitch of the crank and shorten the connecting rods to increase displacement), but I'm not certain this is actually the case. In any event, I do not know if the E46 and the E90 get the same motor or not.

Motors are designated M50, M52 (the inline sixes used in the E36 and E46 cars) and M42 and M44 (the 4 cyl motors used in the E36). The E90 cars also get a motor designation that I would assume would be the M52, but could be different. The E90 comes as a 335, which is the same engine as the 330, but with a twin turbo. Since the engine can support a twin turbo, and I do not know if the M52 motor can support twin turbos, then I assume the E90 might get an entirely new motor. Any model, 325, 328, 330, 335, etc. that gets the same motor (M54, for example) will have variatiions in configuration of crank, connecting rods, pistons, etc. to change things like compression ratio and displacement. I suppose the head (combustion chamber) could be changed to affect compression ratio, but that ought not change the displacement. (I'll need to give this some more thought ... )

In any case, the differences are such that you should be buying the actual vehicle you want, weighing considerations like ergonomics and options. The engines are all the same, within reason, and the data you provide does not give one an edge from the perspective of MPG or that sort of thing.

Personally, I like the 330 in an E46 convertible with a manual transmission. I like the tire package this car gets ...

"Jeff Strickland" wrote

Jeff, you need to get things straight. The M54 debuted in 2000. The E90 cars have the N52 engine and N54 turbocharged engine. Wikipedia has good articles on both. Some BMW fanatic has more time on their hands than I do.

FloydR

Thanks for all your help.

I test drove some BMWs yesterday, both 3.0L and 2.5L, 2006 325 and

2004 330 and 2004 325i. A lot of fun. They seem to accelerate smoothly with power from low rpm on up. In my old ratty car it just isn't like that...doesn't get a lot of power unless it's really winding up. But it does cruise on the highway at 80mph at maybe 3500 rpm. Wish I had a tachometer. Sounds really whiny and like i'm pushing it if it's up to 95 or so. So I'm not sure how many rpms that is.

I did notice the 325i (2004) was at about 2500 rpm at 75 mph. I READ somewhere that the 330i was 2000 rpm at 80 mph.

It was a great experience driving these cars. Powerful but not in an obnoxious hard to control way. Now I just have to figure out where to buy, how much (dealer is more, but I'm not sure how low they go) and how much their CPO warranty is worth.

That would seem to be the case - it is still the "detuned" 330i motor with hp and torque each increased by 15 units. Unfortunately we in the US don't have the option of the 330 anymore, nor do we get the 4 cyl, small 6 or diesels.

Tom K.

That would seem to be the case - it is still the "detuned" 330i motor with hp and torque each increased by 15 units. Unfortunately we in the US don't have the option of the 330 anymore, nor do we get the 4 cyl, small 6 or diesels.

Tom K.

What size are they Jeff? Assume 225/45R17 all round?

I'm pretty sure the E46 330 convertibles get 18s, with 255s on the back and

235s on the front. My E36 convertible has 17s from a "95 M3, with 225/45s on all 4 corners, the E46 330 convertible has a staggered set up. I like the spoked rims they have. It's nice to live where loads of footprint on a relatively light car is not a problem, and even nicer to have a Plan B to fall back on when the weather turns bad.

Well, what do you expect, from the Strickland idiot? He once divided

328 by 325, concluding that it was "less than 1% difference", as if that had something to do with the torque of the engines!

Seriously!