BMW 3-Series 2006

saigonboi21 · August 2005

I was in the exact same situation you are now. I wanted the 325 at first. Then decided I wanted the xenons, Logic7 and those doodas. The price difference is about $3,000 for a 325i wid all the stand options on the 330. With the $3000 you get 17" instead of 16's. I think if you're gonna b carrying heavy loads, the 330 will suit you better- more torque and hp. I also looked at the resale value of 325 vs 330 - after 3years and 51000 miles. 330i wid just Premium and Auto sells for more than $2100 compared to a 325i with Premium, Sport, Auto, AND navigation. So if you're looking to sell that car after a few years, I would go with the 330i. Have you considered European Delivery?? That will bring the 330i close to your budget( you also get the trip). I calculated the ED price for a 325 with all the above mentioned options (including the doodas that are standard on 330i), it actually costs me more if I did ED for it. So i thought might as well go with a 330. Hope this helps.

thr61 · August 2005

These are excellent points.

I was primarily interested in the cold weather package for the heated seats and the premium package for the leather and the Bluetooth.

I really had no interest in the sports package other than the fact that most 6 speeds come with it and my dealer can't seem to locate a 6 speed without the sports package.

I am really not trying to build a 330 without the HP -- what are your thoughts on trying a piece-meal approach and going with the leatherette, heated seats, bluetooth, and sat radio? I assume these can all be dealer add-ons to any base vehicle.

Am I missing out on something of real value by not going for the cold weather or premium package?

Thanks.

davidd3 · August 2005

The way that you would equip the cars, the price difference between the 325i and the 330i is less than $2,000. I think that's worth it for (1) the acceleration rush, (2) the larger wheels/tires, (3) the larger brakes, and (4) the chrome accents.

The 330i is not for everyone. I dare say that many people would consider it to be over the top. But if you feel as though you would be "settling" by getting the 325i, then I say go for the 330i since you're so close. That's what I'm doing. You're monthly payment will be a bit higher, but you'll have a grin on your face and no regrets.

blueguydotcom · August 2005

The chrome is one of the reasons I dislike the 330i. lol

I'm hoping by the time i decide if I'll get another 330i, BMW will have some shadowline option available. I couldn't stomach owning a car with chrome on it.

saigonboi21 · August 2005

if i install a DVD-player in my car, will that void the warranty??

davidd3 · August 2005

It sure would be easier if they made only one model with a ton of options. No 325 and 330. Just a 330. Since both models now have a 3.0 liter engine, the 325 is really a misnomer for the new 3 anyway. The base car would come with 215hp. If you want an extra 40hp, that would be an option. If you want chrome trim, that would be an option. If you want the extra hp but don't want chrome trim (zenon lights, upgraded stereo, power seat, etc.), you could get it that way. Wouldn't that be nice?

planoml · August 2005

OR....you could wait for the 335, with the twin-turbo. Just kidding. Why don't you test drive the two cars, specked the way you want. The only reason I bought the 325 was that the wife had to have a step, & I plan to change cars soon.

At the end of the day, you can't go wrong with either choice. Best of luck, mate!

jimbres · August 2005

I disagree, John, but not too strenuously. I bought an SP-equipped 330i new in 2001 & have found that the car so equipped has been hugely entertaining. With the sport package, the 3-series comes remarkably close to being a 4-door sports car, & I'm glad that I bought it this way. But I've read enough of your posts to know that you're looking for a touring car - not a sports car - & I agree that an E90 without the SP would be a better fit for you.

Two personal factors influenced my decision: (1) I use public transportation to get to & from work, so my 330i is exclusively for weekend pleasure, & (2) when ride comfort really matters, I can use my wife's Lexus ES 300. Would I have chosen the sport package if I had to commute an hour or more each way by car? I honestly don't know.

Earlier this year, an aging parent's illness forced my wife & me to travel frequently between Long Island & NJ over rough, pothole-infested old highways. After a couple of punishing trips in my car, we switched to the Lexus. I'm 56, & I know that some day I'll come to value a more pliant ride over raw cornering power. (I thoroughly enjoyed test-driving a Lexus LS 430 a couple of weeks ago.) But I've had a wonderful time with my 330i, & I don't regret choosing the sport package.

dl7265 · August 2005

Do i smell at ED M3 comming next Spring ?

DL

kyfdx · August 2005

No ED discount on the M cars....

amir · August 2005

hi does anyone know when will the coupe version of the new 3 series will become available. and is there a big difference in 3 series sedans and coupes. to me coupes look better but other than that is there a big difference? please help

bdr127 · August 2005

The 2006 3-series coupe will be available in late October but will still be the same old body style. The new body style is expected for the coupe at the same time next year.

shipo · August 2005

kyfdx HOST

Errr, wait a minute... Did I miss something??? HOST? How cool is that? Congratulations!

Best Regards,
Shipo

kyfdx · August 2005

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain...

Thanks!!

kyfdx

kdshapiro · August 2005

Woot! Da man got a promotion. Glad to see, you've been extremely helpful in these forums.

amir · August 2005

i want to buy the 3 series in silver color and beige interior. but the dealer said that with silver color he only has black or gray interior. so please tell me that do i have an odd combination or the dealer just wants me to buy what he has in stock..and is silver with beige interior a popular combination?

nyccarguy · August 2005

congrats man!

dl7265 · August 2005

Not so fast ... Lee Corso, there is no special pricing on the M , but i though it was available for the adventure ? Has that changed also ?

HOST how cool is that :shades:

DL

saigonboi21 · September 2005

i was considering Beige interior for my white 3series. Then i decided to go with black for the following reasons: beige floor gets dirty easily. Beige leather - might show dirt and if you spill something and you will see a lot of creases (wrinkles). When it fades- it looks nasty. My salesman showed me his BMW wit beige, man was that interior nasty looking. BEige looks elegant while black looks luxurious. I simply dont like gray in bmws so i have no opinion on that. Talk about odd combo, my salesman was shocked when i told him i wanted white wit black int. Whatever tho, i think the car looks nice inside and out. Why dont you sit inside one with beige and one with black and one wit gray to see which u like better. Since its leather, it's gonna get hot no matter what. So colors dont make much of a diff. ^_^

shipo · September 2005

Titanium Silver Metallic is available with the Beige Dakota Leather or the Beige Leatherette. That said I cannot say that I've ever seen that combo so you might could well have to order it from the factory if you really want it.

Best Regards,
Shipo

planoml · September 2005

dl7265-I would love to do an ED on the MY08 M3. As most of you know, you can do ED on the M3, just no discount. They should be available sometime in '07. Only problem is the wait. I also hope BMW doesn't price this too far from the current model. If that happens I may have to look at the P car. The Cayman looks very inticing.

Kydfx-congrats man! I've been a fan of your's for years.

corvette · September 2005

You can always get a beige interior and order black floormats--some people like the way this looks, others don't.

kyfdx,
Congratulations!

kyfdx · September 2005

Thanks all...

It just goes to show that a little butt-kissing still goes a long way in this world..

And.. just because it says "HOST" next to my name.. doesn't mean I know what I'm talking about..

regards,
kyfdx

erickpl · September 2005

I'm still trying to figure out the meaning of the user name.

hehehe

Congrats. Your posts here are usually very informative and level-headed.

-Paul

blueguydotcom · September 2005

I have gray leather and black floormats. personally, I think that's the best combo as the gray is light enough to avoid making the car gloomy, while the black mates hide dirt far better than gray would have. nice two tone too.

minarets1 · September 2005

alpine white with black leather interior is my favorite. i havent decided if i want aluminum or burl wood for the interior yet

saigonboi21 · September 2005

i went with burl walnut wood for mine. It matches with the black leather and makes the interior look very luxurious.

dl7265 · September 2005

The old "Dove Grey" was allmost White! I would have got Grey again but alas there is no Grey ette..

DL

rbmw60 · September 2005

Yes, I agree, the Dakota Gray in the new 3 series is great. But the interior is not all gray, since the dash is black and adds a nice contrast with the gray. The floor mats are gray and the window shades (highly recommended) are black mesh.

rbmw60 · September 2005

Just an observation here about the power bands in the 330i. The power surge at 2700 rpm is obvious but the surge at 4300 rpm is quite a surprise in 2nd gear. The car literally leaps forward and is quite startling, I've learned to back off on the gas pedal near 4300 rpm. But boy, is it ever fun!

planoml · September 2005

what about 7,600....can you try that & let us know

blingnbags23 · September 2005

Hello,

I'm a 27 year old pharmacist from the Indianapolis area and I've been reading this forum for the last several weeks and love reading about your experiences with the new 3. I have an '06 titanium silver metallic 330i with black leather, auto, poplar wood trim, sport package (oh yes....style 162 rims), premium package, and pretty much every option less the navigation (figured I'd already put enough cash into the car and probably wouldn't use it that often anyway!) Anyway, I absolutely love the new car and have 2600 wide-smiled miles on it. I recently got the windows tinted at 35% and it creates an awesome dark contrast against the titanium paint, I would strongly recommend having this done.

I've had the car for three months now and couldn't be happier. I would, however, like to get the comfort access option added to it once it becomes available. While the key fob is a smooth-looking gadget, it does take multiple steps to actually start the car. My wife has a '05 G35 coupe, and while it is a nice car, there's really no comparison to the german product in my opinion.

Does anyone know if it's possible to have BMW factory rims professionally chromed, or if it's possible to get at least polished aluminum ones in the factory styles? I love the design of my rims, the 18" size looks awesome on the car, but I wish they had a bit more *POP* to them in terms of shininess. I don't know if any of you have had any experience with this or feel the same way about the somewhat 'dull' looking factory finish of the rims.

I hope all is well for you guys and look forward to future posts!

dl7265 · September 2005

Welcome , im sorry there is no adding the CA :sick: . You would have had to order it. Personally the access part is no big deal, cutting out the putting in the dash would be more convent. As for the chrome wheels :X.

I have the same color combo.
DL

blingnbags23 · September 2005

DL,

Yeah, I kind of figured I'd be out of luck getting the CA after the fact... As for the rims, I can tell you're not a fan of chrome! haha I wouldn't want anything TOO overwhelmingly flashy, but I must say I really like the look of the polished aluminum rims on my wife's car, they look really nice at rest and in motion. But again, her car is a bit more sporty whereas the 3 is more classy. But still, if you had a bit more shine to the rims, similar to like an M3, I think it would look really nice with the chrome trim and exhaust tips and so forth.

Any info on how many miles I can expect to get with the tires on my car? It's my secondary car, I never drive it to work and only anticipate putting about 9-10K on it a year.

- jb -

bdr127 · September 2005

Any info on how many miles I can expect to get with the tires on my car? It's my secondary car, I never drive it to work and only anticipate putting about 9-10K on it a year.

They say the performance tires on the sport package are good for 10k-15k miles, depending on your driving (and # of burnouts :P )

dl7265 · September 2005

I went with the 225/45/17 all around just for that purpose. Even though the BMW manual states to DO NOT rotate the tires. I think i will. As for the treadwear my former 323i Sport came with Turanza's with a rating of only 140.I managed to get about 28k on those, with rotating. (burnouts) are better suited for a mustang imo

DL

kyfdx · September 2005

I think we have about 20K-22K miles on our Michelin Pilot Sports... and still have decent tread on the rear (which are the most worn)...

A lot of it depends on your driving style, and which model of summer tires you have.... Some people can trash their rears in 10K....

My guess is the average is about 18K-20K for the rears.... and 22K-25K for the fronts.... YMMV--literally.

regards,
kyfdx

thr61 · September 2005

I just ordered a 325i (my first BMW: 6 speed, titanium silver metallic, grey leather, premium, cold weather, and sat radio) and will be picking it up late next week. Since it will have the RF tires, I wonder how many folks here paid the extra to "insure" the tires? Like all insurance, it will certainly pay off if you need to replace 2 and it is close to break-even at 1.

What are everyone's thoughts on this?

saigonboi21 · September 2005

I had a flat tire just yesterday. I was about 100 miles from home. Towing guy couldnt hook it up right so i drove it to the dealer closest to my house. I was very thankful and glad that I bought the Tire&WHeel protection. They cover everything- even gave me a rental car (Chevy Cavalier- just gonna sit on my driveway). I think they also cover the towing too (that's also covered by BMW assist). IMHO, Im very thankful that my salesman told me about it. It's a very nice piece of mind. BUY IT!! Worths every penny.

blingnbags23 · September 2005

Yeah, I got the wheel & tire protection package as well, without question it's a very good idea. Any tips on dealing with brake dust on the rims? I clean mine off with Maquire's Quick Detailer about every 5-6 days, only takes about a minute per wheel, but I didn't know if you guys have any input on this. It's amazing how quickly the black powder accumulates with normal driving/braking.

- jb -

chatkat · September 2005

I have chrome factory wheels (the Sport Package kind) on my Sparkling Graphite 330i and I have to say that it really finishes the car - all dressed up!

blingnbags23 · September 2005

how'd you get them in chrome?

chatkat · September 2005

The dealer has a chromer - they were a dealer add on.

webby1 · September 2005

Congratts kyfdx !!!
Can we now say what we really want to say ?!
Best Regards,
Webby

kyfdx · September 2005

You go ahead and say whatever you want..

Of course.. keep in mind.. I'm not the host of this forum....

Maybe you better watch your p's and q's.... :surprise:

Thanks, though... I appreciate it..

regards,
kyfdx
Host--Prices Paid Forums

dl7265 · September 2005

For the $799.00 I was offered a could buy a whole set of wheels/tire on ebay. I passed. If it was 1/2 that i might have considered it.

DL

saigonboi21 · September 2005

i was wondering what i can do to fix up my 3. personalize it...

bmwyaya · September 2005

I've always wondered why BMW's brakes (currently driving the E90) produces a minor rumbling noise when coming to a near complete stop. I am pretty sure it's normal because the BMW that I've owned years ago also have the same phenomenon. Anyone have the answer to this as I've not seen this phenomena in Japanese cars for example.

odessit · September 2005

Personalization... hmm order custom plate number on it

I ordered one with my name on it, looks pretty personal

saigonboi21 · September 2005

i already have a plate from DMV. can i still order one??

BMW 3-Series 2006

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