BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

suv16

Any opinion on the upgraded sound system? I remember someone here was trashing-talking about it, and some other people said it was OK. Could someone recommend a better after-market system? Thanks.

suv16

larryintn, thank you. It seems to me you've got a navigation system in your car. How much are the map database discs? Is it fun to play with? Is it really necessary to have one since we can find out driving directions from Yahoo!? thanks.

traumamc

I have a 330ci with nav. The discs are about $140 each. The system is pretty good but definitely not the best out there. It is a lot of fun to play with and people who are passengers (they never get to drive!) seem to love it. The system is pretty accurate. I have a 6 disc CD changer in the trunk. As far as I know that is the only way to get a CD player with the nav. If you drive to a lot of unknown locations go for the nav, but if you are just going to use it 2 or 3 times a month save your 2 grand.

suv16

Thank you all! I just found the nav only comes with the Premium Package which includes some options I don't want. So decide not to buy the nav, althoug I think I'd love it if I could have one.

suv16

It's going to be my FIRST NEW car. So more questions:

1) It is shown on Edmund that rear side airbags are options. Are they important safety features?
2) What's on-board computer? Is it just a trip computer? Is it useful? I've never used one before.
3) Is it necessary to purchase extended warranties for new BMWs?

thanks in advance for your help.

kchanus

1) The rear side air bags are only available when you order a car from a dealer.
2) The on board computer includes trip computer, outside temperature, clock, range on remaining fuel, mpg during the trip, and average speed of the trip.
3) You can purchase the extended warranties all the way up to 7yrs/100,000 miles and the maintance service warranties up to 4yrs/50,000 miles.
Hope these infos helps.

larryintn

If children will be riding in the car then do NOT get the rear side airbags. They are for adults and can seriously injury children below a certain weight. I'm thinking that the cutoff would be around the 12 year old's typical weight but you'd want to get the specifics if your children are close.

eugeman

Any help in located a good dealer in Texas and its surrounding area, and your experience with them would be very helpful.

Cheers

footprints

Received both the call and the email from my sales rep. yesterday. The 325i is here!!!!! The dealership is a distance from my home and job so I will need to wait until this Friday to pick it up. My brother is very willing to go with me and test drive the 325i before I sign.
Is there anything I should check or look for before signing the dotted lines???
I am still in shock that I will be purchasing this vehicle. Not to be rude but I always felt that this would be a purchase my preppy friends would make and here I am "getting one". The old adage "with age comes change"!

wlposton

Does the 325 sedan come with AST or just the Coupe? Is AST different from All Season Traction?

stokdgs

Good morning !! I have an '01 325I, bought the BMW bra because I had to take a trip and there was no other one available. It does not fit very well, they want you to adjust your hood when you have it on, so that the hood will close, it didnt fit the same on the hood part one end to the other, overall a not so good design and cut finished product.
There is another bra maker, Colgan, that Ive used for years on all my cars and their product is first rate and fit is perfect. Last time I checked, they still had not made the pattern for the E-46 325/330. I would wait if you really want a good bra, and get the Colgan made one, you will not be disappointed. There are alot of BMW places in the Roundel or Bimmer mags that advertise this product, let me know if you cant find one, ok?
Ive looked at the spoiler for the deck lid, not sure I want to put one on, it comes unpainted from BMW, so you have to get it painted, and Im sure they can do that. Its sits on the deck lid near the edge, and Im not sure about how much I like that, and Ive had spoilers on all my cars for years, so this is not new to me.. Im thinking going to wait to see if someone makes a little lip spoiler that hopefully goes on the edge of the deck lid and follows the beautiful body lines closer than the M3 design, then of course, you get into aerodynamics discussion regarding the spoiler and is it really of any use, or only needed at autobahn speeds, or is this strictly asthetics??

DanF

kkramer25

I live in Houston. I have only been working with Momentum BOW on South west Fry (US59S). Talk to John ham he is very helpful. I haven't talked numbers with him yet but the interned sales guy told me they usually only discount 500-700 of MSRP. This seems quite high and I am looking to pay 1500-1800 over invoice which brings it to 2000 off MSRP. There are about 5 dealers in Houston area. 2-3 Momentum N,I and SW, 1 Advantage BMW (downtown) and a BMW dealership in Beaumont.

wlposton

I'm thinking of adding the Aerodynamic Kit to my
325i sedan. I will take your advice on the bra
for now. It comes with a front and rear spoiler
as well side trim. What do you think? What did
you pay for your 325? Did you consider the coupe?
Does the bra come off and on or does the dealer
have to install it? What about the garage door opener?

stokdgs

The BMW aerodynamic kit for the 325I looks great !! It all has to be painted, so keep that in mind. I paid believe out the door around 38,900 or so, optioned as SP, PP, Xenon, Leather,
HK upgrade, 5 Spd. Would have had to wait extra long for a coupe, the 325I sedan in black looks great especially since that trim they put on all the cars is also black.. I also got free mats, chrome tips, and free install of alarm and cd changer in trunk..
The bra took me over an hour to install myself, its very big and bulky, and it covers the entire front end and part of the front of the hood. Only exposed parts are headlights and foglights, and the hole for the license plate frame. I went back to dealer and got the trim piece and I removed that big license plate holder ( I know its illegal in Calif) and this trim piece matches the rest of the trim just fine. I carry the plate in the trunk so if I get caught, I can put it on the dash temporarily, if need be. I never worry about this and Ive lived here for about 32 years now.. If you need to have the bra, say because you want to take a trip like I did, then get the dealer version, or if you have the same car, heck I will sell you mine, I only used it once for a trip and took it off when I got back.. You should be able to put it on yourself, but it takes time and then you have to adjust the two spring loaded pins on the inside of the hood so it will close with all this extra material in the channel where the hood closes on. I dont think the Colgan will be this difficult to install, so Im going to get one when they finish making them and put them out for sale.
I dont have the garage opener but there are posts on bimmer.com believe that have instructions and it can also be done by most people at home.. or the dealer can do it too..
DanF

wlposton

You mean to tell me that this carm does not come
with an alarm. I thought it did. Does it come with an alarm?

stokdgs

No the car does not come with an alarm, it does have certain features that disable the ignition with a rolling code key, but there is no audible alarm that comes with it. You have to order their alarm from them, or you can buy it cheaper at a number of aftemarket sellers, or even some BMW dealers, and then get it installed either by an independent, yourself or the dealer. If you use any of the choices except the dealer, you will still need to go to them to have it alarm initialized to the in car computer. The car comes stock with remote access off the key , etc., but not the alarm...
DanF

lovebmw

I just got a 2000 323i with sports package. The ride seems very bumpy and acceleration not as smooth as the sedan with the premium pkg. Is it the suspension or is this just break in period? I read a post here that it takes 10k miles for the car to break in and drive smoothly. Mine had 7,500 because it was a BOW company car.

I can feel EVERY small bump on the road! Any suggestions on how to improve the ride with this car would be sincerely appreciated!!!

rerdo

I am planning on purchasing a 325i in the next month with all wheel drive. Does anyone know where and what the best deals are in this area? Can I get a car for $1000 over invoice?

suv16

Just curious. If the factory-installed sound system breaks down after the warranty expires, is it easy to replace it with a different one? Thanks.

suv16

kchanus: thank you for your response #661. Is it worth to purchase extended warranties? Do most folks here do it? Thanks.

broomet

I've got around $30-$32k to spend on a sports sedan and am looking at the used car market. I've got it narrowed down to a 1999 328i or a 1998 Lexus GS400. I'm sure neither would disappoint but I keep going back and forth. Any objective input to the decision would be great. Thanks!

pmcgeosr

I am considering buying either a 325xi or 330xi for my wife.
The specifications list the 325xi at 8.8sec, 0 to 60mph and the 330xi at 7.6 cc. I am concerned that the 325xi may be a little too slow and I should go for the 330xi. The dealer, however, told me some of his customers feel the 330xi is too quick.
My wife is a pretty conservative driver, but I will be driving her car once in a while.
Any advice on the 325xi vs. the 330xi will be appreciated.

braun3

Is the 325xi considerably slower than the 325i? Does the 325i get adequate traction in snow? Is the technology used in the 325xi proven and known to hold up well over the long haul? I do not plan on driving the car real aggresively around turns, but don't want to end up having traction control problems in the winter. What are your thoughts on this dilemna? Thanks.

pmcgeosr

bmnwusa.com lists the technical specifications for all 2001 model BMW's.
0 to 60mph
325i manual/automatic: 7.1 sec/ 8.1 sec
325xi: 7.6 sec/ 8.8 sec
330i : 6.4 sec/ 7.0 sec
330xi: 6.9 sec/ 7.5 sec

hanhth

I bought 325i in GA for $33663 including dealers fees , out of the door

Options

Leather Upholstery
Premium Package
Radio: BMW Business CD
Fog Lights
Paint: Metallic Paint
Alarm, mats
destination fees

Your price seem to be really good, I wish I can get that, u might want to march production touch, rumors have it some options are going to be standard. Hope this inofrmation will help you.
Tomas

bmwvadriver

Gal3,

I've spent a long time trying to find a decent BMW dealer in Northern Virgina and the DC area, and there aren't any in my opinion. Many won't budge off the MSRP, and others play games. I ended up dealing with Northwest BMW in Owings Mills, Maryland. They have so far been very accommodating, professional, and very pleasant to deal with. They were able to locate a car for me at another dealership, and only charge me $100.00 to transport, whereas another dealership was going to charge me $500.00 and would not negotiate the charge at all. I agreed to pay $1800 over invoice (plus the $100 transport cost). I pick the car up on Saturday (they had it in 2 days for me...it came from the NJ/NY area), and hopefully all will go smoothly when I pick it up. I'm excited and looking forward to it! Write back and let me know where you end up buying.

bmwvadriver

Regarding the postings comparing the C Class to the 3-Series, I agonized between the two cars for months. I like the C's styling a lot, but in the end was greatly concerned about the fact that the C is in its first model year, and, if you judge from the postings on Edmunds regarding the C, the car has had a number of recurring problems reported by consumers. I also have noted that the 3-Series is (by just about all accounts) the standard by which all other cars in this class are judged. Reluctantly, I therefore am buying the 3-Series and will pick the car up this Saturday. I just hope I don't continually wonder whether I did the right thing!

gal3

bmwvadriver,
Thank you.

I've tried several dealers just in the last few days.
Did you try VOB or Tischer?
I went to Northwest and found them pleasant to work with.
I was hoping to get 1200 over invoice. Is this possible?
I found that if you wanted AWD most would take 2000 over
but VOB, Tischer and Northwest would go lower. However, I
didn't push the issue since I am not ready to buy.
I am hoping for next month.

What kind of BMW did you get and with what options?

bmwvadriver

Gal3,

I have dealt with Tischer and VOB. My experience with Tischer was not pleasant at all...if you would like to e-mail me, I'll tell you about the experience (bobnmd@yahoo.com). As of Feb 1, however, Tischer was taken over by Herb Gordon I believe, and Herb Gordon is a great dealership so maybe they will greatly improve over time. I also spoke to VOB, but their lowest price was $2,000 over invoice, and they didn't offer to locate a car at another dealership for me. Passport wanted $500 to transport a car from another dealership plus $1800 over invoice, and informed me that I could not get the 5.9% financing unless the car was in the U.S. by February 28th (thereby precluding ordering a car with the lower financing and encouraging me to pay the $500 to have the car transported from another dealership). This was inaccurate because the 5.9% applies to individuals who submitted their credit applications by the 28th and took delivery within 60 days. Fairfax BMW would not come off the MSRP at all. Northwest, however, matched Passport's price, plus through in free car mats (worth $100), plus got me the car within 2 days for $100 fee. I may have been able to get a better deal from them, but didn't ask for more off than $1800 over invoice.

bmwvadriver

gal3,

I missed your last question. I'm getting a 325i, Jet Black, Sand leather, Harmon-Kardon, in-dash CD, Premium and Sport Packages. I also would have ordered the Cold Weather Package, but I need a car quickly and this was the closest I could get.

beetlebug62

<<#673 of 688  Bumpy sports ride by lovebmw  Feb 07, 2001 (06:20 pm)
I just got a 2000 323i with sports package. The ride seems very bumpy and acceleration not as smooth as the sedan with the premium pkg. Is it the suspension or is this just break in period? I read a post here that it takes 10k miles for the car to break in and drive smoothly. Mine had 7,500 because it was a BOW company car.

I can feel EVERY small bump on the road! Any suggestions on how to improve the ride with this car would be sincerely appreciated!>>

...questions here. One concerning engine smoothness, and one concerning a hard ride.

Regarding engine smoothness, there should be no discernible difference between the coupe and sedan. Though, some people believe that it can take up to 10k miles for the engine to be completely broken in, I doubt very many drivers could tell.

Regarding the hard ride, you did say you got the sport package, didn't you? A sport suspension will give you a firmer ride. Driving enthusiasts typically, prefer a firmer ride; however, non-enthusiasts, may find it to be too bumpy. There shouldn't be a break-in period for suspension, so don't expect it to change much. The only thing I could say regarding softening the suspension, would be to go to a higher profile touring tire. I presume you have a lower profile sport tire. Additionally, you could consider going to a smaller rim, allowing for an even more forgiving higher profile sport tire.

hanhth

Hi:
I just bought my first BMW. 325i with Premium, FOG Light, CD and I am wondering I should get a Aero Kit from BMW, can u put it on if it is not installed from factory? and aslo thinking about getting a CD changer and cost like 600+ labor for trunk and 800+labor for glove compartment, I wonder I can get outside dealership installed w/o voiding the warranty. Is there anything like toyota racing development with BMW? If u have a toyota you can super charged it directly from Toyota. What do u all think? Thanks a lot.
Thomas

braun3

How does the 325i handle in the snow?

hanhth

according to Motor Trend or Car and Driver (I read it at Barnes and Noble, don't remember) u have to turn off Dynamic Stability Control, and best suggesting from them is get really good snow tires and perform good. Check out Jan or Feb issues magazines,
Thomas

div2

First, join BMW CCA- www.bmwcca.org . The monthly magazine Roundel has tons of ads for various tuners. BMW does have a semi-official relationship with Dinan Engineering where Dinan warrants any modifications to the vehicle which affect the BMW warranty. Many dealers offer Dinan engine and suspension upgrades. With your CCA discount you can get the trunk CD changer for much less and it's a snap to install yourself. I would avoid the glovebox changer; they seem to be quite failure prone.

shiko4755

It had happened to me, it could happen to you, too.

I had my 1997 BOW 328is with 39,000 miles on it. On January 26, 2001. I was driving the car at the speed of 55 miles, heading East at the Highway 91, just passed Highway 710, near the Exit of Atlantic Bled. in Southern California. The driver's side rear tire tread separated instantly. a large piece of tire was flying away damaged the suspension links, muffler, and left-hand side rear bumper.
Tire Manufacturer: Continental
Tire Model: ContiTouring Contact
I am seeking a professional help! Once again, If it could happen to me, it will happen to you, too!

larryintn

Why would you turn off DSC in the snow? That doesn't seem to make any sense.

goody4

If your car is stuck in snow, you will need to disable the DSC. You need a little spin to get out. DSC will prevent any useful tire rotation and "kill" the motor, just when you want these two the most.

larryintn

OK, but that's only if you're stuck. Most of the time you're not stuck and would want DSC on, right?

lovebmw

Thank you for your suggestions beetlebug62. Even I thought that the ride with the coupe and sport sedan should be very similar since the coupe came standard with the sport pkg. Unfortunately, I bought this car with only a 10 min. test drive. Bad decision since I didn't get to try it under various road conditions. Since I had driven the coupe before, I assumed that this would ride the same way.

Other than getting a larger tire and smaller rim, is there anything else that the dealer can do to improve acceleration and reduce engine noise when accelerating?

And do the tires have to calibrated with some other part to smoothen the ride? I am enjoying the ride after 35 mph speed is achieved but the strain to get there is making me wonder if the engine is performing to its full potential.

Are touring tires all season tires? Can you recommend a brand and if I can get them through BCCA? Thanks much.....

wlposton

How much is the Alarm on the 325 sedan?

kominsky

lovebmw,
Most (all?) touring tires are considered all-season. I've had several different brands/models on my current car. For true all-season capability, my current Goodrich Touring T/A's are pretty good. In dry and wet (not snow or ice) Dunlop D60A2's were the best. In general, these tires are a compromise... acceptable in both performance situations and in foul weather grip, but not great at either.

To smooth things out a little, you could probably have non-sport suspension installed, but I would guess that would be very expensive.

All,
I recently found out my car's currently on the Maersk Wind and is scheduled to dock in New York on the 14th... I just converted from counting the days to counting the hours :-)

lovebmw

Heeeelp! Just got a 2000 323i sport package with 7,500 miles on it. I am trying to decide whether I should get winter tires or just get the ultra high performance all season tires. I don't like the bumpy ride of the Dunlop Sport 2000 tires that are OEM on the car.

Choices seem to be:
All season:Dunlop SP 5000 or Michelin Pilot XGT Z4

Winter Tires:Dunlop Sport M2 or Michelin Pilot Alpins (I am not considering the Blizzax becoz of Firestone recall, not comfortable with brand)

Replacement for high performance summer: Dunlop SP 9000

If you have any suggestions other than the ones in consideration here, please feel free to add your preferences.

Since this car is rear wheel drive should Winter tires be better for traction vs all season? I live in the metro Detroit area.

Thanks for help.

hanhth

I paid 250 becuase I was negotiating the price and dealer says he will split the price. Original is 500, he says BMW Oem part.
Thomas

pat

Are you paraphrasing or quoting? It sounds like you may be quoting and I'm sorry, but you cannot copy and post copyrighted material like that. If that article is on the web somewhere, it would be great if you could post a link to it.

Your post has to be deleted one way or the other. See if you can find and post a link, and then delete your post - or we'll have to delete it shortly.

Thanks.

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

chaotic1

i'm finding it difficult to choose between cars. because i currently live and will probably continue to live in a place with snow several times a year, i'm looking for a car with 4wd or awd. and given my price range ($35k), surprisingly, i'm limited in terms of choices. i've been looking at the passat 4 motion versus the acura mdx versus the 325 ix. personally, the 325 ix is ideal, but i have heard reliability problems concerning the bmw 3 series and that has been a very big concern. i don't have time in my work to be messing with reliability problems. in addition, the bmw is less of a value compared to the other two cars since there are certain options i expect in a car that expensive (moonroof, premium stereo). i don't think i could go wrong with any of the cars. but i am single and 26 years old, so the passat and the mdx, being family cars, really don't fit my needs. any ideas are appreciated regarding which car to get.

also, the new audi a4 is a consideration, but i'm going to need the car my this may or june.

dcwong1

I paid $300 for my alarm when I bought my '99. The dealer quoted between $400-500 but if you look in the accessory book, the alarm is only $300. I've seen dealers sell it for around $225, but that does not include labor or activation. I'm guessing the dealer wanted to make extra money.

justdavela

I am trying to decide between the 325i and the 325xi. Living in L.A., I don't have to deal with snow, but do have to deal with occasional rain.

Can someone please offer some insight -- would the AWD feature be something that would make sense for me? Safer?? Thanks.

bavarian

I drive my 325i in the balmy Midwest where torrential rain, heavy snowfall and erupting volcanoes are an everyday occurence. The 325i laughs at the rain and zooms along I94 at a steady 80mph, past lines of trucks and through their bow-waves. In snow,deep snow-unploughed highways and dirt track side roads, he grits his teeth (visible through the twin kidney grills) and with the help of DSC keeps on moving. I haven't have to deal with steep hills during the past 10 weeks of snow (20inches at it's peak)but if I did have to then and only then would I think the Xi would be necessary.
Meantime in deep snow I drive carefully and keep the car safe.
In LA-my advice is to stick with RWD and grin like a maniac!

ô¿ô

Bavarian (recent photo)

kagy

I am considering European delivery of a 330ci. Has anyone had experience with this? Are you required to drive the car in Europe or can you just take delivery and immediately drop it off for shipment?