BMW 3-Series 2006

wildcatjon · August 2005

I bought a cord for my aux jack in my new 330i at Circuit City - $14.95. BMW sells them for $39.99 at the dealer. Plus, this is a thicker cord than the headphones cord or the tape adapter I used in my TL. The sound is very good but you have to jack up the volume on the IPOD to the max (or close) and it still inputs at a lower volume than the CD, Sat radio, FM, etc.

jrct9454 · August 2005

Unless they want to stop marketing the car as 5-passenger capable, they have to put a headrest there - everyplace you think a passenger can be carried, they need to have a seatbelt and head restraint.

The run-flat tires are already a source of controversy among many E90 owners - there are a lot of reports out there of front-end shakes that I think are caused by flat-spotting induced by the extra-stiff carcasses of the RF tires. And, if you have a tire go down in Bumfingers, far from a big city and lots of tire dealers, you're just as out of luck as if you had no spare and conventional tires. There are lots of places with no ready source of RF tires, so you're stuck for as long as it takes to find one. And, if it happens after a significant amount of wear on the tires, you'll be replacing two of them at $160 apiece, not one. There is already talk of several E90 drivers going to conventional radials and carrying inflation kits. I think this was a short-sighted decision on the part of BMW, and is the one issue that is causing me to rethink the possiblity of getting an E91 wagon - I'm looking at everything in the market under $35k right now, and this car was a slam dunk except for this tire issue. Haven't decided what I'm going to do...

rick_reno · August 2005

My 330i is supposed be dropped off this week at the dealers. Anyone got any pointers on what look for before taking delivery? I'll confess that in the past when picking up my 540 and 740's I just got in drove them away - didn't look at a thing.
I've read here it should have nets on the back of the rear seat - and might not, and to ask about the Sept. SW release. What else?

rhmass · August 2005

The salesman for the BMW dealer told me that, contrary to what BMW says in the manual for what he described as liability reason, the tire manufacturers consider the leak patchable the same way as other tires. I have not checked it out with tire dealers. In an effort for reducing weight, BMW has gone this route which is quite controversial. I did read somewhere the new suspension is designed incorporating the RF tire's stiff sidewall in mind. If this is the case, it will be difficult for owner to change to traditional tires without affecting the handling characteristics. Shipo didn't think this would be the case. We need someone to test it our for us. May be Tirerack will do all of us a favor by doing that? I am sure they do a great deal of business with BMW owners. I have already bought two sets of winter and one set of regular tires in the past two years for our cars.

kyfdx · August 2005

A leak or a hole is patchable...

But... once you drive on the flat tire, it has to be replaced..

Without runflats, you stop and put on the spare.. then go and have your tire repaired.. With runflats, you drive to the tire store, and buy a new tire.

regards,
kyfdx

is3ooguy · August 2005

Hey guys,
I think I should change my name!

Ordered my 2006 330i July 25th and was told it would arrive in 8 weeks. I'm coming out of manual IS300 and with the changes to the new IS (no IS350 manual), I decided to make the jump. Really after test driving the 330i, it was a perfectly easy choice to make.
The new 3 has really grown on me and has ALL the features I wanted. It also seems to be cleaning house on the reviews it's getting.
My only concern really is with it being a first year car and not being a Lexus I might have some problems. However I'm willing to make friends with the service people in order to drive this car.
I ordered mine in electric red (I thought it looked very sporty), anyone else go with this red? Are you happy with it? How does it look in person?

rhmass · August 2005

I think the RF tire can sustain up to 150 miles before becoming flat. Since the tire monitoring mechanism will alert you immediately it one of the tires develops a leak, you can get to a tire place ASAP before the tire is flattened. So the question is really if you can patch a RF tire or not afterward.
With RF tires, carry a air compressor is a good idea, I think.

kyfdx · August 2005

Doesn't matter... Even though it is safe to drive on for that distance... Once you've done that, the tire is not safe for normal operation..

Maybe if you have less than a mile or two... Once the runflat tire loses air pressure, you are riding on the sidewall support.. Once you've done that, the tire has to be replaced...

So, if you stop as soon as the tire goes flat, it can be repaired... Once you drive on it, it has to be replaced..

regards,
kyfdx

bdr127 · August 2005

I've seen the new 330i in electric red. It definitely looks nice... and very sporty, as you pointed out. For people who like red cars, the new 3-series looks nice in this color.

timoth31 · August 2005

Just took delivery of my ED 330i in Electric Red (BMW calls it "Japanese Red" in Germany, interestingly enough). Wondered whether the color would be too flamboyant, but it looks remarkably handsome in person with the beige leather and the poplar.

Glad I chose it over the black - which looks great, but has an association with "NYC radio sedan" for me. Wish I could take credit, but the wife made the choice for us. I chose the car, she chose the colors. Now we are down to squabbling over whose college sticker goes in the rear window.

nyccarguy · August 2005

Someone pointed out that a major disadvantage of the run flat tires is the fact that if you get caught in the middle of nowhere you'll be stuck until they can find you a tire. The same scenario would be true if you have Z rated performance tires and get stuck in the middle of nowhere, runflat or not.

Electric Red is a great color for the E90.

chatkat · August 2005

Well, I just filled my tank for the 2nd fill. Mostly I've driven locally, from home to the office and about town for errands. Work is a 17 minute/mile drive. Gas consumption and use at 19.2 mpg - way less than my E46 but I am still in the breakin period. I really love this car. It does feel different on the drive comparing to the E46. It's faster (I caught myself going 90 on the freeway wihtout knowing it.)

What I did notice is that, loaded with all accessories, it's quite close in technogeek stuff to my husbands 2002 7 serirs - door handle lights, confirmation a door was locked by the lights, the cooler in the console, side mirrors that fold in at the press of a button.

This is the perfect car for me. Still waiting for OEM chrome wheels to arrive. And the Trunk drawer. Having a problem linking the phone wiht the bloothooth. A big problem between BMW, phone mangactureres and us, the satisfied customer!

How do you improve on PERFECT? - I think they did. I love my new car.

timny · August 2005

I'm looking at everything in the market under $35k right now, and this car was a slam dunk except for this tire issue.

Where are you getting a 330 for under $35K?? And with what (if any) options?

timny · August 2005

Bluetooth in the Acura seems to work seamlessly. Not so in the 330???

planoml · August 2005

Congrats! See if you can get the mpg to below 18. Love the sound of the engine, when pushed hard. The BT is supposed to work with four phones. I have two, but it's hit-and-miss. Sometimes the BT will recognize the phone, and at others I try to manually link with no success. I will be calling my service department soon.

jrct9454 · August 2005

This was a laugh-out-loud moment when you posted this question ! Not to offend you personally, but who said we were talking about a 330? My interest is in the most basic 325 that can be had - paint, automatic, that's it.

The reason that's funny is that I have been posting on the IS25/350 board on the topic of the inability and unwillingness of dealers to order basic cars without $4-6k worth of options. Already, I've had at least one BMW dealer imply I must be some sort of whacko to want to order a car without any "packages". OK, whatever....

The car I'd want has a US MSRP of about $33k [EU less than $31k] for a sedan, and though prices for the RWD wagon haven't been announced, the price difference in the past has been less than $2k for the wagon - I expect $35k in the US, and about $33k in the EU, before any negotiating on discounts.

Not everybody here thinks they need 250 hp.

chatkat · August 2005

With the Bluetooth, I had to upgrade the software for my phone (Motorola V710) It's working flawlessly on my friends car. When I take the car back next week to add a few dealer add ons they are going to pair it for me. There are some known issues but it's the phone and it's software - not the car!

timny · August 2005

Smart of you. The rest of us get suckered in by options and forget the fundamentals.

But hp ... after my first 200hp+ car, there's no going back for me ... only up, up, up ...fuel prices be damned!!! (kidding ... sort of).

bdr127 · August 2005

Here's something on BMWUSA.com about what phones they currently support.... Of course, others may work, as well, but these are the "officially tested for compatibility" phones.

http://byo.bmwusa.com/configurator/images/bluetooth_phones.pdf

and

http://www.bmwtransact.com/bluetooth/Compatible_Phones.htm

ncflyer · August 2005

Anyone know anything about this?

On the website http://www.safercar.gov, the 2005 bimmer does pretty lousy IMHO, especially for a luxury car. When would the 2006 be tested. I gotta tell you it's a deal breaker for me-- why spend $35 grand on a car with a safety warning.

mayberryguy · August 2005

Already, I've had at least one BMW dealer imply I must be some sort of whacko to want to order a car without any "packages". OK, whatever....

Actually, I totally understand your need. I had a very hard time locating the car I wanted. I have an 05 325xi with heated seats as the only option. I actually wanted the same car but with the sport package but none were available without a long list of options. The Sport Package would have been great but no with the Premium Package as most of the SP cars are packaged. It may take alot of searching but I think you can find one. Good Luck.

paule · August 2005

The 2000-2005 3 series is a "Best Pick" from the IIHS. Those are the guys that you see on Dateline all the time. I'd trust their results over anyone elses.
IIHS 3 Series

Your link was not working for me so I searched on that site and found this:
3 Series NHTSA
The HIC value for the driver is a little higher than I'd like to see but is still way below what is allowed (1000). The pelvic value is a bit high at 130. Side impacts are very severe and quite interesting to witness in person. The new test is much harder than the previous test.

It's also not uncommon to see very different results on the same model car.

ncflyer · August 2005

This is what the website said, it is published by the fed govt. The website doesn't have frames so I can only post a link to the general search page: The BMW is the only luxury car with a safety warning message and it says, with regard to side impact:

Safety Concern:Due to the intrusion of the left front door during the side impact test, the interior door panel struck the pelvis of the driver dummy, causing a high pelvic acceleration. High pelvic accelerations, in excess of 130 g's, have a higher likelihood of Pelvic fracture.

They tested a model with airbags.

ncflyer · August 2005

http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/head_restraints/head_bmw.htm

This one looks pretty poor too. IIHS gives BMW poor marks for rear collision safety. You only posted the frontal results. Gosh this is disappointing for such a well regarded car.

kdshapiro · August 2005

Just for the sake of comparison.

http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/head_restraints/head_infiniti.htm

http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/head_restraints/head_acura.htm

http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/head_restraints/head_audi.htm

http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/head_restraints/head_lexus.htm

I realize the other cars are off-topic to this forum, but it's an interesting picture.

davidd3 · August 2005

I asked my salesperson how the August lease program for the 2006 330i compares to the July lease program. My interest is that I ordered a car in mid-July by locking in the July lease program with an option to change to the lease program in effect at the time of delivery if it happens to be more favorable. He told me that the August lease program is worse than the July program. In particular, he said that the money factor went up, while the residual stayed the same.

Does anyone know what the new money factor is? (The July MF was .0025.)

bamaboy · August 2005

I finally got past my break in period and got on the autobahn to see what my 330i with sports package would do. Yes, I live in Germany. Anyway, the acceleration was steady in every gear. I wound every gear out to around 6000 rpm and was really impressed with how smooth it handled at speeds over 100mph. I reached 150 mph and I still had plenty of RPM left. The inhibitor didn't kick in of course since I didn't hit 155mph. I backed off only because I was coming up on a bridge known for it's cross winds.

Anyway, it handles like a dream at the higher speeds. I never felt like I was all over the road and it hugged the road well.

I LOVE THIS CAR!!!!

planoml · August 2005

155! That is so cool. I only got up to about 140 for about 2 minutes, as the car only had about 100 miles on the car. I heard the EU cars don't have a limiter? I bet a 330 ZSP could easly go over 175, & the limit has more to do with the tires.

Let us know if you find out how to take the limiter off, & how fast you get her up to.

planoml · August 2005

You're right. After reading your post, I started to play around with the BlackBerry, & it works great now. Now I have to figure out how to fix the Sony Erricsson. So many toys, so little time.

kyfdx · August 2005

175 mph? Not likely.. I'm guessing probably drag limited to about 161-162..

The amount of horsepower necessary to move higher from there is astronomical...

I think I'd about wet my pants at 155 mph.... I wouldn't mind finding out, though..

bamaboy · August 2005

Believe it or not, almost all cars, even European models have some type of inhibitors on them. The high end Mercedes and 7 series BMW of course seem to have theirs set pretty high though. You can be cruising at 100-110 mph and one of those bad boys blow by you so fast it shakes your car.

I don't know if I would go 140 mph before the break in was done. Of course, I'm still a little confused on why there is a break in period, but who am I to go against the car makers recommendations?

I'll let you guys know if I figure out how to get past the inhibitor. I'm sure someone out there knows. Of course it might void your warranty.

jb_shin · August 2005

The speed limiter is on pretty much all EU market cars, except "sports cars" Porsche, Ferrari, etc. Even the AMG and M cars all have the limiter set at 155 mph or 250 km/h. With Mercedes (perhaps only the AMG cars?) one can choose the option to remove the governor and it is not free. Audi cars are supposed to have variable limit where based on the wear and tear on the (don't know how, but tire wear andmaintenance conditions are used to calculate) car and can often go beyond 155 mph limit. With BMW, M3 CSL is the only model the factory will remove the limiter, provided that the customer has a racing license.

There is a talk of doing away with the limiter as many AMG and M owners are getting upset that lowly Boxster will pass them when they are bouncing off the limiter in mcu more expensive M6 or E55, etc.

The only way to remove the BMW speeed governor is to upload ECU program from tuners (AC Schnitzer, Dinan, Alpina, etc.)

I drove US spec 530i up to 130 or so and bounced off the limiter, and also tried EU spec M5 (E39) to 165 mph indicated, and did not bounce off the limiter. German cars are said to have "optimistic" speedo, and both 530 and M5 deviated somewhat when compared to OBC speed.

I sure do MISS the autobahn.

planoml · August 2005

After sitting on the Autobhan at 80 mph for a while, & having Smart cars (smaller than a mini) pass you by, it's hard to stay below 100. Besides, I only stayed at 140 for a few minutes.

Back down to 80, I got to pass one car. I looked everywhich way-behind, infront, maybe even up in the sky; to make sure the way was clear. Nothing in sight, so I pull over to the left to pass and out of nowhere appears a Porsche. Seeing my pathetic state, the guy I was passing slowed down to let me in. The Porsche vanishes, doing probably well over 175.

Don't get in the left lane of the Autobhan in anything other than a 7, S, 8, or 911.

kdshapiro · August 2005

"Don't get in the left lane of the Autobhan in anything other than a 7, S, 8, or 911."

Unfortunately those wise words can equally be applied on a number of highways in the US.

squirtdad · August 2005

I am not sure where you are located...but it seems that several San Jose/Bay area dealerships have basic 325s.....ie Auto, maybe satelite prep.......

ivan_99 · August 2005

Don't forget M.

Almost got ran over in an M5 in 99...

rs1157 · August 2005

Got in an accident with my 325. I am so @#$%^&*^%$##@#$. Luckily it was only a 5 mph bumper shot. But I got a scratch on the left fender (above the tire) No dents a scuff on the driver side door too. Ill get an estimate on Saturday.

The worst thing is the accident was with a motorcycle, and I got the ticket. Even though he banged into me. So angry!!!!!!!! Kept my cool because I dont want to be sued,.

On other news I put in 15.9 gallons into my car. I still had 25 miles left, I wonder how big the tank really is, DO you think I actually had 25 miles left?

Well Ill keep everyone informed about the repair estimate. I Will need to get the left fog lamp changed out cause it also broke loose.

Im in a bad luck slump, maybe it will end soon. It better. If anyone sees a biker keep your distance. I cant say what I want you guys to do casue this message would get bumped. But Im sure we all have seen Mel Gibson's Mad Max.

BMW in Pain!!!!!!!

jlbl · August 2005

"I heard the EU cars don't have a limiter?"

Oh, they have. It is only that some owners go to reprogram the engine chip to eliminate the limiter. May be this abbreviates the life either of the engine or the owner. :sick:

kruntal · August 2005

Sorry to hear that rs1157. I understand your situation, being a 5 day owner of the new 325. Last August we got the top of the line Accord for my wife. Some idiot reversed into its front bumper with a trailor hitch in the parking lot, and never left a note. We don't know who it is. I just say, you reap what you sow.....

Hang in there, and let me know what the estimate is.

planoml · August 2005

Sorry to hear that. Can't believe that you got the ticket. Hang in there mate.

planoml · August 2005

How could I forget. I was making note of all the cars I had seen. Funny thing is that I did not see one single M. They must be exclusive there.

0audilicious0 · August 2005

For those of you who have been waiting for more info on the wagon, bmwusa.com has added the wagon configurator and overview on their site.

bmwyaya · August 2005

BMW scores high on the rigid European standards:

http://www.euroncap.com/content/safety_ratings/details.php?id1=6&id2=225

kruntal · August 2005

25.13 mpg - 391m/15.558g

50% hwy, 50% cntry roads

I hope it gets better. at 2.50 $/g for 93 octane

ncflyer · August 2005

beautiful, thank you. What's notable is how much improved it is over the same scores for the e46; this is just what I wanted to see; that BMW is really trying hard to make improvements in the safety arena.

ivan_99 · August 2005

How much better are you hoping for?

A 200+ hp 6 cylinder getting over 25mpg in combined 50/50 driving sounds pretty good to me.

Auto or Manual?

kruntal · August 2005

Manual !

I was hoping for 26-29.

I get 26 in my more powerful (230 HP) 3.0 L Accord EX with 5 sp auto, inspite of being heavier. I get as much as 33 on the Hwy.

May be my 325 will gain a few mpg after the break-in period !

nyccarguy · August 2005

So on Saturday afternoon I took a ride to a BMW dealership and wanted to take a test drive of a new E90 325i with Sports Package and 6spd manual. Most of the Sport Package equipped 325is (plural) had slushboxes. Most of the manual tranmission cars on the lot were 330is (plural). There was one 325i with no Sport Package and Manual Transmission. It was out for a test drive, so I took out the manager's 325iA with Sport Package. I figured if I like the way the slushbox car drove, then I'd love the stick.

I came away pretty impressed with the car. The car felt so neutral and well balanced. I love RWD! I took a short test drive (riding solo). I took a long, sweeping on ramp to the highway at good speed, merged into traffic with no problem and got the speedo needle up to the 90 mark before I pulled it down (the car had over 2600 miles on it and past the break-in period). Body roll taking the off ramp was virtually non-existent. Accelereration seemed on par with my stick shift Prelude, so I can only imagine the 6spd stick BMW will feel a little faster (via the butt-dyno -- copyright shipo). Outward visibility was good. I didn't think the ride was rough at all. Actually, it was almost a little too quiet and smooth for my tastes. The seating position was a little higher than I'm used to. Driving my Prelude, I feel as I'm almost sitting on the floor.

Now comes my dilema. I've got a perfectly good 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH that I love driving and paid for upon taking delivery of it in late April 2002 with only 51,000 miles. Am I a complete idiot for wanting to take on a $499 per month lease payment (3yr/15K per year $0 cap cost reduction, 7.375% sales tax rolled into the payment)?

EDIT: The car I'd order is a 325i with Sport Package, Manual Transmission, & Sirius Radio.

Alpine White
Black Leatherette
6-Speed Manual Transmission

blueguydotcom · August 2005

If you're not in a rush...wait. That price for a lightly equipped 325i is pretty high. you've got an awesome car, so i'd say hang onto it for another 10-12 months. you'll get a sensational deal by then.

michaeln1 · August 2005

this might be stupid but what are angel eyes. i ordered the e90 330i and i know that it has these angel eyes but i have no idea what they are....

michael.

BMW 3-Series 2006

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