Hurdy, RedRobin, Rob-MK5, other hard-core tuners, I have a question for you.

[Peskarik]

Im 22 and think the ED30 suits me over the 335 anyday as I tend to see more mature people driving them. Hope that doesnt insult anyone 

I totally agree, 335i is for a more mature public.
Another thing about E30 is that owning it comes with almost belonging to a club. Just the other day another white E30 came from opposite directions and the guys were waiving their hands thru open windows when I passed by.   I doubt that happens to 335 owners.
I love E30 for what it is. I had experience with E90 M5, but although it is a monster of a car and after driving it I had a silly smile for 2 hours and couldn't work the whole day (you should have seen my boss laughing at me) I am cold to it. I have this emotional bond to 335i Coupe, just like to E30, but stronger.

[vRStu]

What it boils down to is do you like the urgency of the FWD ED30 or would you prefer to more sedate feeling RWD luxury Beemer?

YOu mean there is no urgency in stock 335i, not to mention souped up one?  400Nm 1400-5500 and 5sek to 60 is pretty urgent, wouldn't you agree? 

I was meaning the way that a 300hp FWD drive car will 'feel' when compared to a RWD Beemer, the FWD car will feel more frantic even if it is slower, the Beemer will just do it and probably sound better at the same time.

[Peskarik]

I would go with the 335i coupe! It look the shizzel and goes like it too... just a bonus that it can be remapped to give great gains. If I could get one... there would be one on my drive right now

I would then have to buy a MK1/2 just to stay in the VW club

 
I think I'll never be a great car collector, as I tend to stay faithful to only one. I wouldn't be able to have two cars, how would I choose which one to drive?  
335 is incredible, but it has to have M package (for the front bumper), suitable color (I think it looks the best in dark gray), and really nice wheels (my favourite is the 5-spoke 18" variety BMW offers, but it is not possible to get those with M package).

[MAT ed30]

i think modding is a very personal thing and its about making your car your own  . i know guys with over 100k in modding cars and its all done for the love of making a car a little better  

[RedRobin]

I'm not really a 'hard core tuner'

....Er, have you not read your signature recently?
 

The ED30 will never match the BMW, whatever you spend or however you look at it.

What it boils down to is do you like the urgency of the FWD ED30 or would you prefer to more sedate feeling RWD luxury Beemer?

Do you want to drive and insure a modded car or would you prefer a better car out of the box?

....Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. "Better" is a very subjective term - What suits one driver doesn't suit another. Horses for courses. There's loads of irrational factors too in choosing a ride.

[candy turbo]

i looked at getting an m3 before i got my ed30 but bmw s are every where and they all look pretty much the same now, as some one said driving the ed 30 makes you part of a club , and my ed30 will turn more heads than any bm on the road  

[RedRobin]

i think modding is a very personal thing and its about making your car your own  . i know guys with over 100k in modding cars and its all done for the love of making a car a little better  

....Like an 03 plate Audi RS6 Avant which cost about £50k and then had about £40k spent on full Sportec everything and so cost the owner £90k but is now for sale at £30k with 75,000 miles on the clock. Totally superb car which gave the owner huge joy. The latest RS6 Avant is on order.

Don't ask what I've spent on my car which cost about £25k - It's simply nothing to do with it and I don't have a clue.

[Peskarik]

What it boils down to is do you like the urgency of the FWD ED30 or would you prefer to more sedate feeling RWD luxury Beemer?

YOu mean there is no urgency in stock 335i, not to mention souped up one?  400Nm 1400-5500 and 5sek to 60 is pretty urgent, wouldn't you agree? 

I was meaning the way that a 300hp FWD drive car will 'feel' when compared to a RWD Beemer, the FWD car will feel more frantic even if it is slower, the Beemer will just do it and probably sound better at the same time.

frantic is good way to put it. You have all this power on the front axle, and you floor it, and unload the axle, and that power is wasted until you get to 30-40 MPH. There is no doubting the performance of tuned E30 on the go, but 335 has similar performance in the broader speed range...

Sorry guys for this prolly stupid post. I do appreciate your comments (especially RR's, and hopefully Hurdy's, since they are the gurus of this forum). I am a little bit at crossroads here, that's all. Of course I make my own decisions, but consulting fellow GTI owners - that I consider a privelege and honour.

[DanGB]

Ive got a high performance car for a fraction of the price of a high performance car. Insurace, tax, petrol and buying cost wise. Tailored to my needs. What other cars of this power can acheive upto 45mpg. 

[RedRobin]

Btw, the Ed30 suspension is not 15mm lower than the GTI - Don't believe everything you read in sales brochures. 

I wrote "Golf", RedRobin, simple plain Golf, not GTI. GTI/E30 has 15mm lower suspension than Golf.

....I know.

As we are a GTI forum, I'm afraid I assumed that you meant the GTI when you used the term "Golf". Volkswagen Golf GTI.