BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

brave1heart · June 2001

I think the Mini Cooper is a very intriguing car and will do great in the States. It looks great on the pictures I've seen, and I've read that it handles like a champ. I think it should be as successful as the Beetle - it doesn't have that hippie image from the 60's that a lot of people are nostalgic about but the good thing about is that it is not the girlie car the Beetle has turned out to be and it should be the most fun for the money.

eddie2224 · June 2001

I hope you don't mind, I removed my 6k post so you could take my place. I just accidently noticed it was almost 6k... you deserve the honor.

Enjoy!

jnscheong · June 2001

You can go to http://www.wlna.com to check shipping information. The vessel schedule page has been down lately though. But from what I remember, there is a ship leaving every Monday for Oxnard. So the next ship should be leaving on 6/25.

jnscheong

aaron330i · June 2001

brave1heart · June 2001

You totally deserved it, man. Just 'cause I post like a crazed maniac doesn't give me the right to claim 6K - you should've kept your message there, you totally deserved it. It would be a little too cute for me to delete one of my older msgs so I could give you back the honor. With that lame excuse: thank you, you're much too kind to me.

kominsky · June 2001

I agree with your milage assessment. When I started looking at BMW's I contacted Steve from EuroBuyers.com. He seemed like a good, straight-forward guy intially, but when I declined on a car he found for me because of 100+ miles on the odometer (for the very reasons you stated above), he told me I was being unreasonable and declined to offer me any more assistance... WTF???

dunde · June 2001

while u folks are all cruising with your puppy, mine is already for a repair before it could hit the road. after series of phone calls to BMWNA/Newark Port/BMW Dealer I figured out why my car has been at the VPC for the last 8 days. it turns out that the Vehicle Check Engine Light is not turning off after the car is turned on and they (VPC) are waiting for a part to fix it. According to the Dealer its not a serious problem and is very common ... which he will say anyways even if the vehicle didnt have the engine ...

). I m wondering is it a lemon car i m gonna get ... is the Check Engine Light not working a biggy ? Could someone enlighten me on this ?

thanx

PS : thanx veekay1 for the info u gave me to track down the car.

eddie2224 · June 2001

to the nice - Frank Burns *M*A*S*H*

I wonder if the Mini will have AWD. Maybe I will hold off on my 330xi purchase. I think my stinking Lexus can last the Chicago winter.

brave1heart · June 2001

I'd love to take one out for a spin when they come out but I vaguely remember that the ones with the more powerful engines will be introduced later. I may be wrong on this but it would be typical for BMW the way they do rolling introductions. Have not heard anything about an AWD, though.

allano · June 2001

I had a check engine light go on in two (old) cars that were not BMWs. I was told that indication has to do with emission controls and/or setting the combustion mixture.
In one case, the oxygen sensor was replaced and in the other, the engine computer was replaced. However, I'm surprised it left the factory that way.

thedeepdarkblu · June 2001

I noticed that, as well. The tires look huge, and they seem to fit like hand-in-glove in the wheel wells. The wheels combined with the low front overhang make the 325 look very aggressive. I think style 44 is the perfect combination of muscle and class. I am worried, though, about the scratching. I may never parallel park again.

Regarding the wait, it's always been tough but now that it's just around the corner, I have to really bite the bullet and bear the pain. I'm sure Lena just wants to be loved and driven as she was designed to be driven. Two more weeks, and she should be in my hand. How long did it take you to get yours from the the time it reached the VPC?

munchen · June 2001

can anyone tell me how long it typically takes a car to get through the VPC in New York? Also, is the expected date that BMWNA says it will leave the VPC accurate or just a safe estimate? Thanks!

reubencahn · June 2001

this occurred in my car and was caused by a bad thermostat

dunde · June 2001

i live in NY too. According to the dealer, ideally it takes 2-4 days after its at VPC i.e., where I live .. which is Albany NY. Trucks leaves VPC and reaches the Dealership same day. but if u have bad luck like i have ... u will be reading everyones postings and still wait for yours to come ... :-)

brave1heart · June 2001

I too love the way the tires fill in the wheel wells - it looks so sporty, especially with the lowered suspension.

"I think style 44 is the perfect combination of muscle and class." - could not have said it better.

Scratching is unavoidable. Having parked in tight spots on city streets for years has allowed me to perfect my parking skill but I've still managed to put a couple of scratches on the wheels. The wheels are VERY easy to scratch. I'm sure there's a way to polish them back and I'd like to find out how you do that - please let me know if you find out sth.

VPC to delivery: I never tracked my shipment very closely but I think it was shipped from Germany on 4/11, got to the VPC on 4/21, dealer lot on 4/27 (Friday, I think) and I could have picked it up on Monday. So in short, about 10 days from the VPC to your house. You're almost there - hang in tight.

zmantop · June 2001

I'm back after a long time. Believe it or not, I had placed my order on April 7th but thanks to my dealership screw up (long story) - still waiting!!!
Latest is that my 330xi has been on the boat since 6/13 and due to arrive sometime next week. As y'all can imagine I'm pretty upset and frustrated due to all that dealership BS. Seriously considering to cancel my order for two reasons:
1. 2002 around the corner
2. Don't feel like dealing with those guys anymore

What do you guys think? Any help/pointers will be extremely helpful and appreciated.
ALSO, WHAT'S THE LATEST ON 2002. ANY FACE LIFT, NOTICEABLE CHANGES, ETC. (Feel like a loser - haven't been following this board for last few weeks or so)
BTW, as most of you may already know, Audi is running pretty agressive lease program on A6 2.7Ts and 2.8s (2.8s are all already sold and booked pretty much for rest of the model year. 2.7Ts are still in stock...). Am I in trouble by even considering this option ???

)
Thx!

brave1heart · June 2001

I was hoping that other posters that are less biased than me would give you feedback but since no-one responded I'll give you my 2c. Here are the options that I chose for my 325i manual, in order of importance:
SP
moonroof
xenons
heated seats
trip computer
H-K

I was also planning on getting the leather seats till the night before I finalized the order and then I got a guilt trip that I was spending so much money on a car and started looking for ways to cut down. Leather was a very easy option to get rid of and in retrospect I'm glad I went with 'ette.

The stock handling is great already; the SP is just out of this world IMO. It still is a very big improvement in handling, looks, comfort (seats), and especially car personality. I have, however, driven in the NYC area and the ride can get a little harsh on some of those WWII roads. It would be very difficult to get through the winter with the SP summer tires if you are planning on driving the car in snow a lot.

The HK is really that much better IMO and it is by far the best stereo upgrade that you can get for $700. It does lack midrange but it is fine for everyday driving. The only reason not to get it would be if you are an audiophile and don't mind spending North of $1,000 for a better system. You need to decide for yourself.

As far as heavy steering, all cars produced after 5/1 should have that and some produced between 4/1 and 5/1 would too. So stay with cars produced after 5/1.

Loaners: this will vary by dealer. You need to check with your local dealer. One more thing: if you are buying from out-of-state, make sure you understand how the state tax is handled.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

silverprincess · June 2001

Hi All,

I'm not sure if this has been answered already, but I couldn't find anything on-line regarding the paint. What is the difference between the metallic and non-metallic paint? Is it worth the additional $475?

Thanks.

allano · June 2001

My understanding is that a metallic paint has extremely small flakes of metal in the pigment/solvent base. The idea is to have these flakes reflect more light than a non-metallic surface; thereby making it look more glossy.
However, what will really drive your choice will be whether you can get the color you like in a non-metallic color. Also, the real colors are darker than those portrayed on the web site -- you need to view them in person.
For me, the leather/'ette interior choice was also forced by the same availability issue. As much as I wanted to like the Black or Sand interior color, I just could not warm up to either when I saw them with the silver. The gray leather is awesome with either Steel Blue or Silver.

emilyk · June 2001

All but three of the colors offered are metallic. The non-metallic colors are Jet Black, Alpine White, and Bright Red. If you opt for any of the other colors, you have to pay the $475. There is no option of unselecting "metallic" from colors like silver, steel blue, topaz blue, etc. So it's basically your matter of color preference. If you like silver, then you're stuck paying the $475. Hope this helps.

brave1heart · June 2001

From

http://www.edmunds.com/news/innovations/articles/43036/article.html

<<< By now you may be asking yourself, "If CVTs are so great, why doesn't every car use them?" Like most technological advancements, CVTs aren't a realistic option for every situation. As mentioned above, Nissan just developed a CVT that can handle 2.0-liter engine performance. With the inherent weakness of belt-and-pulley designs when compared to steel gears, don't expect any CVT Top Fuel Dragsters, or even V8 performance cars, in the near future. >>>

I remember your comments that the new A4 would offer auto performance comparable to the manual's. Maybe they've figured out sth that the author of the article didn't know back when it was written.

eddie2224 · June 2001

Guys,

I am also curious about the questions posted in #6017. Could someone please take a shot at responding?

But I thought the deals on the A6 lease ran out. I really don't particularly like the looks of the the A6, but it is nice inside and runs great.

Eddie.

brave1heart · June 2001

I always felt that I had a lot more headroom in the sedan compared to the coupe. I just read that the windshield angle in the coupe leans 2 degrees further back than in the sedan. It may not sound like a lot of difference but it was easily noticeable for me at least.

brave1heart · June 2001

Differences are only cosmetic (minor facelift like narrower headlights) but I have not heard anything about the pricing yet. It is doubtful that the '02 model pricing will be a lot more competitive than that found on '01 MY models. What is likely is that it will be more difficult to negotiate a good deal on the new year models. I would not wait - the car is great just the way it is.

brave1heart · June 2001

C'mon, help me out with the answers here. It's like I have two full-time jobs. What are you going to do when I go on vacation for two weeks this weekend? I'm not taking my laptop - all I plan on doing is lie on the beach, swim, drink mai tais all day long, play some golf and eat like a pig. Oh, and "hold hands" with my wife ;O)

mrpeltyn · June 2001

Help! Coming out of a shopping center with my 325i w/sport package wheels today I accidentally hit the curb with my passenger side front wheel rim. It put 2 separate one inch scrapes in the wheel. Does anyone know if this can be fixed, and if so, how much it would be to do so?? Or is the only option to replace the rim completely? Any answers would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

bmwagonmaster · June 2001

It's not that we don't want to help, but as we noted before, alot of the questions could be referred to our new (old?)FAQ section BECAUSE they're FAQs! You, I, and other regulars could probably copy many, many of our previous and future comprehensive answers intact to the FAQ Board (Posts #6018 and 6021 for example). Then ANYBODY could see an ABA (already been answered)post and refer the poster to the FAQ section. What do you think?

bmwagonmaster · June 2001

I read in the new BMW CCA Roundel that there's an official Service Bulletin 72 01 01 (March 2001) about the B-pillar seat belt mount "click" noticed by some regular posters. The cause is a plastic spacer ring and the replacement part is 72 11 1 978 983, to be covered under warranty.

alpine325i · June 2001

Thanks for the kind words, I don't know everything about these cars, but with help from all of the great people on this board I'm learning ALOT at warp speed!

)

bmwagonmaster · June 2001

I always wondered about those buttons the F1 drivers were pushing on their steering wheels. Probably safer that they don't have to take their hands off to control the CD player! (;>

shipo · June 2001

Marc,

I never got the impression that you were in the ozones all summer, just that it was a great summer for you, kinda like "Life is GOOD!" ;-)

Shawn33,

"My 325i comes with xenon, headlight washers, fog lights and a single cd as standard equipment, is that not the case in the States???" Nope!

Brave1heart,

I just got out my manual for MY 1999 and looked up the weights. The first thing I noticed is that "Curb Weight" is defined as "with one person, ready for operation, full tank of fuel, options not included". The weights are as follows:

1999 323i 3,153 (5-Speed) 3,218 (Automatic)
1999 328i 3,196 (5-Speed) 3,262 (Automatic)

Given that the 328i has more standard content along with larger (heavier) brakes and a different transmission, I suspect that is what accounts for the extra 43 pounds in 5-Speed trim. If the engine weighs as much as 5 pounds more, I would be surprised given that the 2.8L is just a stroked 2.5L. When an engine is "Stroked", the stroke is increased by lengthening the throw on the crankshaft (slightly heavier crank) and shortening the length of the connecting rods (slightly lighter rods). The net is virtually no weight change at all.

Best Regards,
Shipo

holeinone · June 2001

Hi Board. I ordered my 325Xi 7 weeks ago (1st week of May) but my order status on the Owner's Circle still says "On Order", not even "Scheduled for Production". Is this ridiculous or what!? Can anyone enlighten me on my situation, because I'm bugging out big time. Is it possible to be screwed by a dealer in terms of where in the queue my order gets placed? Can I cancel my order at this stage? Has any of you done that? Any penalties (e.g. losing the $500 deposit)? Is this part of the initiation hazing for becoming a member of the bimmer club?! Thanks.

ajvdh · June 2001

A few quick notes: 1 - No, drive by wire doesn't learn.

2 - In the new M3, the "sport" button makes the throttle response linear. The "normal" mode "softens" response at the low end. Having driven one, I can see how it'd be easier to deal with in traffic that way.

3 - BMW is selling a series of 4 cylinder "Valvetronic" engines in Europe that have *no* throttle. The amount of air entering the engines is controlled by varying the valve timing and lift, reducing pumping losses. Check BMW's international web site (www.bmw.com) for detailed techno-geekery.

4 - I wouldn't worry about folding back seats reducing structural integrity. The E46 M3s come with folding seats as a standard feature, as did the E36 coupes.

brave1heart · June 2001

I will go back through my posts and see if there is anything worthy enough of the FAQ.

jnscheong · June 2001

Sorry to hear about your wait. I ordered my car on 5/11. It is on a ship now heading towards California.

Did your dealer ever give you an estimated production date? Since you already have the production number, you might want to contact BMWNA. They might be able to give you the production date information.

Good luck.

jnscheong

brave1heart · June 2001

I can see the 40 lbs difference between the 323 and 328 - as you said, it's probably the bigger brakes and added standard equipment. But how is it that the 325 (3,241 lbs) is 45 lbs heavier than the 328? You said the engine should weigh the same and we once concluded that the brakes are the same size. I would have thought that the 328 has more standard equipment than the 325?!?

BTW, is unladen the same as curb weight?!?

shipo · June 2001

Holeinone,

Check the last couple of hundred posts, you will find an unconfirmed (as yet) reference that BMW has cancelled production of the 325xi for a while due to parts shortages (if I remember correctly). I really do not think the dealer is trying to pull a fast one on you, I suspect they are going to be as surprised by this turn of events (if it turns out to be true) as you will be disappointed. On the other hand, you have several options; 1) get you deposit back (you should have absolutely no problem with this) 2) ante up for a 330xi or 3) get an optioned up 325i. I suspect that the advice on this board would be either of the last two options.

Ajvdh,

I checked the bmw.com web site and can find no reference to a completely dynamic valve train, can you provide the link, I would love to have a look.

Best Regards,
Shipo

brave1heart · June 2001

Someone had mentioned that the 325xi is in very high demand that is exceeding BMW's AWD production capabilities and they may be giving production advantage to the 330xi. You can definitely cancel w/o a penalty. When ordering a car in general, it is better to get a production/VIN# from the dealer at the time you order to make sure that they have an allocation for the car that you are ordering. I did that and got my car in 7 weeks from the date I ordered.

Easier to do a hole in one than to get the 325xi, uh?

shipo · June 2001

This is a rough call, given that the 325i now has similar standard options to the 328i and that it still uses the transmission of the 323i the only explanation I can come up with is that the Getrag unit used in the 323i/325i is actually heavier than the ZF unit in the 328i/330i. Another possibility is that maybe BMW has put in a little extra sound deadening material. Wait, wait! I've got it! That new steering rack must weigh more than the original. See if you can weigh your car just before and after you retrofit to see if the weight changed.

Best Regards,
Shipo

brave1heart · June 2001

postoak · June 2001

Orient Blue is another rare color on 3-series (at least down here). I haven't seen one so far, but I think I've seen this color on a 5-series. It would look good with a black interior alright. My reason for eschewing the black interior isn't esthetics. It's because I think it might be too hot, especially in leatherette.

Has anyone ordered a red leather interior with a grey exterior? Is the "red" really red, or more of a burgundy? My wife would like me to go with this, but I have my doubts.

jimbres · June 2001

I'll take delivery of my steel grey / tanin red 330i next Thursday afternoon, & I'll tell you then how it looks. Although I placed my order without ever seeing this color combo "in the metal", I'm confident that it'll look smashing.

platypus · June 2001

I've just been to a revival, bavarian style, and must confess - I am converted!!

Six and a half weeks after dropping off my car in Munich, I made the sixty mile trek to Temple to pick it up! All I can say is - Wow!

The car feels even better than when I had it in Europe. I never really got a chance to wind it out in Germany since I dropped it off just after the break-in point with 1245 miles. Yesterday was a different story. Why anyone would want (or need) a car that has more kick than the 330i is beyond me. The power awaiting to be unleashed with the ever so slight forward motion of your right foot is unbelievable. I couldn't wipe the SAG off my face for the whole drive back. The car just begs to be DRIVEN. The first time I dove hard into a corner and accelerated while exiting, I felt a slight twitch and noticed that the DSC indicator was lit. Lotsa fun!! I think I may have engaged the ASC in my Z3 1.9 only once or twice during four years of ownership; here I was only one day into US ownership, and DSC was being utilized. Power at the rear wheels is alive and kicking!! I am certainly headed for a BMW driver's school so I can explore the full potential of this car. It is without a doubt the finest autombile I have owned. The perfect balance of sportiness, practicality, and panache that I could ask for at this stage in my life. Don't get me wrong - I loved my Z3 - but the E46 330i is just so much more.

Did I mention that the steering even feels tighter? Wonder if they took care of the retrofit for me at the VPC... (The delivery rep. told me that the aux. fan was replaced at VPC.)

After yesterday, I truly believe that another gem of the Euro Delivery experience is being able to take delivery of your car twice. They say the best things come to those who wait, and the level of my anticipation in getting the car yesterday was on par with that in Europe.

To all those out there awaiting their cars, remember this - delivery is wonderful, but break-in is even better. ;-)

bmwagonmaster · June 2001

Ajvdh is right. There's a story about the engine in the June "Roundel". It's in the 316ti. The article has a great diagram of the system. I'll quote one part:" Under the hood of the 316ti the slightly long-stroke (81x84 mm) New Generation (NG) Valvetronic four-cylinder signifies the start of a totally new BMW motor generation...BMW have already confirmed that they will be adopting Valvetronic technology--in which the throttle butterly is eliminated--to their V-8s, where they expect the quoted ten percent bonus fuel consumption to be equally appreciated."

bmwagonmaster · June 2001

Try this link for the engine:

http://www.bmw.com/e46_2/e/2_technologie/2_1_motor316.html

Hope it works!

parump · June 2001

I am interested in learning about your fan and steering information. We have similar cars with the same manufacture date - Siemens fan and possibly overboosted steering. Was yours a Munich build?

Thanks,

brave1heart · June 2001

I was going peacefully home from work tonight as I saw a car way behind me gaining fast on me. I immediately downshifted to reduce my speed thinking it might be a cop. The guy caught up with me and passed me in a minute. To my enjoyment, I found out it was an M-B SLK230. Oooh yeah, this will be interesting, I thought to myself. We both took off from around 70 mph after the traffic cleared up and ran high RPM's in long gears. We ran neck-to-neck for a while - it was unbelievable. I was keeping a very safe distance behind him and all the time while accelerating, we only changed the distance between us by a few feet only to a complete wash by the time we slowed down for traffic. We did the same exercise a few times over a span of about 12-15 miles and the result was always the same. Once we had to take a ramp and get on a different highway and the SLK looked very solid while cornering. Traffic was dense on the next highway so we didn't start accelerating at the same time. However, I saw that M-B take off and I think he would have been faster than me accelerating at low speed b/c of the weight advantage. I caught up with him a little later and I gave him a big thumb up. He smiled and waved at me/us to slow down b/c the traffic ahead was picking up. Smart and safe, I thought, so I did that. As soon as traffic cleared up, though, he took off. I could tell he was a very experienced driver by the safe and confident way that he was switching lanes, signaling, taking calculated risks, and his general awareness of the rest of the traffic. Some small modified Honda tried to jump in a couple of times making a lot of noise but we lost him pretty fast. This was the most gentleman-like motoring fun I've had in years and I drove the rest of the trip home with a smile on my face even though he whipped my beeper. I am going to go and check the SLK's numbers - I'm dying to find out the car's weight, HP, torque and type of tranny it is available in for comparison.

zmantop · June 2001

Re my post #6017 I'd appreciate input from other folks as well.
Eddie2224 - I'm not so crazy about A6 either but with these lease rates it's at least worth taking it out for a test drive, especially 'cause Car & Driver few months back ranked A6 2.7T second best to 330i. It was actually slightly quicker than the 330...
Gurumike, what do you suggest as far as my situation with the dealership is concerned.

Thanks again Brave1heart!

jpcbearden · June 2001

Congratulations!

Did you need to setup your key(s) again? or did you have everything set in Munich already?

I'm still waiting for my production #. Joern said he'll give me the # in a week or two. Hmmm...
Did you get your production # right away? or did you need to wait too?

Thanks!

roc50mg · June 2001

Ever since I went into a BMW showroom and saw that they sold mountain bikes too, I was wondering if they were just a gimmick or are they actually solid BMW perfomance bikes? I've never had a mountain bike before, but I would consider getting one in the future. They have one for $ 5000 and another for $800. I'm not sure about blowing 5 large on a mountain bike, but I would consider getting the other one. Anyone like to comment?
Gurumike, have you ever sold one of these? What's your take on the quality of the bikes? Gimmick? Or am I better of with a Cannondale? Brave? Shipo? Platypus? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles