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Comments
Does anyone know why we currently do not have any 4 cylinder or diesel versions of the 3 in the states?
Cheers, Daniel
I did not get leather in my 2001 325i. I dont regret a bit.
Good luck!
Dan
For 4-bangers, a brief look at the sales history of the late 318-ti will tell you all you need to know.
master: I'm one of the first to accept that you get what you pay for. But I'm from a culture where the sticker price is just a suggestion. So I've had no qualms about offering $5000 for a car the dealer says is going for $8995. (My 93 Dodge Shadow which I drove for 2 1/2 years before I sold it for just under half that [would have got more but had a minor ding or two])
I also knew exactly what I wanted to spend on my car this time around. I'll admit I exceeded my limit by $1500-2000, but got a great interest rate that balances it out perfectly. (I asked for 14% off, got 10, which is ok in my books)
Maybe you should take me along to negotiate your next deal.
Personally, I've always believed that dealers start high and expect you to negotiate. I don't like the process but I work too hard for my $$ to just give it away without a token resistance
silver: Glad to help. Hope you find your thrill like the rest of us.
Bon weekend!
A warning to all of you: be careful what you clean your windshield with at gas stations. I was rubbing some spots hard to get rid of the dead bugs and bird droppings before I noticed that the blade was worn out and some of the scratches it left are not going away. Ahhh, well...I rarely go 3 or 4 months without having some flying rock hit it anyhow.
The faster you drive the 3-series, the more composed it feels. You can definitely tell that this car has been engineered to perform best at high speed. It seems to me that the sweet spot is between 90 and 120 - you can switch multiple lanes at a time instanteniously, or brake fast if you have to, or both. The car feels as solid and stable in that speed range as it does at 50 - it is truly amazing!!
wagons: The more I hear how some posters think that wagons are uncool, the more I think I'd like to have one, probably in a few years when we have two kids. A BMW wagon performs 98% as well as the sedan/coupe and I think it looks very appealing, IMO. Also, the key thing for my driving style is that it looks like a responsible vehicle. See, if you get pulled over going twice the speed limit in the ramp driving a coupe, the cop will be like "This yuppie guy is dangerous and must be stopped". You do the same in a wagon and the cop will be like "Well, this mature, responsible parent got a little carried away but I'm sure he'll slow down as soon as he picks up his daughter from the dance lesson. I guess I'll let it slip". If that's the image wagon drivers portray, I could care less if twenty-somethings think the wagon looks uncool. It's a Bimmer in every way and I like the looks of it a lot. I wish they sold the 330T, though - I suspect the 325T may be a little slow for my taste with that added weight.
The Shtroumpf is fast approaching 5K miles. Wondering if I'd be able to fit in a 5K write-up the size it deserves on this board
Silverprincess, my car has the exact same options as the one you are looking at (even the same colors) except no sunroof, but mine has leather. I have a 2000 with 8,000 miles. If the car you are looking at is in great shape, $26,990 sounds fair. You might offer $1,000 less and see what the response is - it can't hurt. I suspect my car is worth about $29,000. Make sure you let us know what you decide and if you get any additional discount.
Also, I know that some tires include a one year road hazard protection, even as OEM equipment. You should check with Continental (I believe you have the ContiSports)to see if it is offered on your tire. It is typically pro-rated but may mitigate some of the costs.
One of the very few things I found lacking in the BMW Owner's Documentation was the tire warranty information, which in my case was non-existant. Every car I have Owned previously included that information in a pamphlet included in the Owner's Manual case. (and believe me, none were close to BMW's league)
How's your new car working out for you? I hope it's breaking it nicely. BTW, another owner who bought his 3-series at BMW Peabody sent me an e-mail advising me that Kay is the most helpful customer service rep. I hope you won't have to deal with them any time soon but just in case...
Thanks for the info on the service rep. I'll need it sooner or later.
Just wanted to report that I had a not so good experience today at a BMW dealership in Winter Park FL. All the 2001 325s they had were pretty well loaded and were in the 32-33K range. During a test drive the salesman told me they don't deal much,'cause if I don't buy the car, someone else will. When I asked about his CPOs, he informed me that he had some 1998 and 1999s and the least expensive started at $27,995.
I have an internet guy looking for a 2001 without all the packages, we'll see what he finds. If nothing, I'm going to take your advice and start shopping some CPOs around the southeast area. Ther were a few interesting cars in the list i shared with you.
I'm in a position where I don't "need" a car, I "want" one, but I can walk from any deal. I'm a contract negotiator by trade, so after spending 20 hours at a negotiating table with labor unions, I don't have any problem acting insulted and walking away.
I need to find a nice Bimmer soon though, my wife wants an IS 300 or an Acura TL!
I'll keep you posted, thanx for the help.
jbreez1
The wagon concept is coming back in America. Mazda has come out with a sporty Protege wagon. Lexus is coming out with a "sport wagon" version of it's IS300. I think that in time America will lose the image of the wagon as a large, cumbersome, boring vehicle that our parents drove. Gone are the Cutlass Cruisers and Buick Roadmasters. I just hope that people start to understand that they do not really need those huge gas guzzling monstrosities just so they can have cargo carrying ability.
Oh, by the way...what kind of milege are you getting? I'm usually seeing about 21-23mpg. I have yet to break 25mpg except once. Much of my driving is uninterrupted highway driving (although this month has been uninterrupted stop and go rush hour. the price for commuting at a sane hour.)
brave: I'm sorry about your tire. I agree with daswolf. Replace the tire. If not for warranty purposes but for safety.
Rev limiter: Well...even in the prior generation 3 series I believe they had a rev limiter. However...you can still ruin your engine by shifting into 2nd while at 80mph, and popping the clutch. One of my friends did this. He thought that he was shifting into 4th, but blew his engine instead. It was a pretty penny to fix. I knew he actually broke the timing chain, messed up the valves, and blew a few gaskets. He still has his 328i and has gotten 100k more miles out of the engine since the blowout.
I pulled over and the only thing that was left on the rear right wheel were the 2 sidewalls of the ContiSports Contact. Nothing else! The whole tube was gone!!!
So I tried to call the BMW roadside assistant, their response was that they couldn't find anyone who was "willing to take the job", because they had only a handful of towing companies in my area...
So I changed it myself, and went to the dealership, after inspecting the "remains", they tried to tel me it was becase the tire was running flat for a while, and the side wall was touching the road, so the whole thing broke off. I found it a little odd, I didn't even feel/hear anything irregular until just before the incident.
I'll have to bring it up again next monday when their service dept opens, and have somebody look at it.
streetracer - all cars that I know of have rev limiters. This is the engine speed we're talking about, not a top speed electronic governor. BTW, I have the 325, not the 330, and as I specified, the rev limiter kicks in at 6,700 RPM's in second gear. Yes, I have the manual and yes, the car is exceptionally stable and nimble in the low 100's. It was, afterall, enginnered to have a sweet spot in that speed range. I think 107+ inches is sufficiently long for a wheelbase - anything longer than that may be even more stable but at the expense of weight increase.
I have ordered the Zaino prodcuts, but have not yet used them. Does anyone have any ideas of what this could be? Could it perhaps be some corrosion under the clear coat? Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.
When I first heard of the wagon,I was very exicted,but I must say the stressing of "sport" is dissapointing.Being a BMW,sport is a given.Its design could have been more subtle.
I was disappointed in the Z3 acceleration with automatic, including using manual and sport mode. I thought the handling was nice and tight but a little lite in terms of steering.
The brakes seem strong but the peddle has very little travel, which may be giving a false sense of stopping power. You think you can press down more and stop even harder, but there is not much more to go. The car cornered nicely at slow and medium speeds, but not at the level of my exceptations. I will have to take it out for a higher speed run, if they will let me.
I thought the 330ci cabin had the best driver and front passenger room. The rear passenger room on the 330ci was far too small. The 330i sedan had more balanced cabin, but it seem cramp for both the driver and passengers. I usually drive alone or with one other person, so the coupe or roadster is a better fit.
I think the fit and finish of the interior and exterior were best on the 330i/330ci. The roadster seemed a little bit less posh, which is fitting with its nature. The roadster might make the most sense for me near turn. I am in the market for a second car right now, and won't be replacing my daily driver for at least another year. I like the 330i and 330ci exterior surfaces, the use of actual metal and deep paint. I think a lot of the look of beemers comes from the use of metal, as oppose to composites. The cockpit in the 330 was very low and ecapsulating, suprizingly similar to my car. I know many beemer owners who have complained about the "bathtub" cockpit of Pontiac GTP and Trans AM.
I think the best thing about the 330 interior was the smell and feel, especially the smell (type of leather???). The feel of everything was soft yet firm, and very heavy. I think this also has to do with the use of metal, leather, and wood.
I know the Z3 3.0 is quicker than the 330ci (same engine/trans with 500 to 6000lbs less weight), so it seems the 330 might not satisfy my acceleration jones. However, I want to see if the extra weight actually improves the car's stability, so will drive it anyway. I also felt in the Z3, that a SUV could roll over me and not notice. They would have to catch me fist of course, but there are some fast ones out there like X5 4.4, not to mention those old turbo GMC Typhoons.
I want to drive the 540i too, and sample its V8. However, both BMW and the mags usually get better times for the Z3 3.0. I know the BMW numbers for the automatic are 6.0 on the Z3 3.0 and 6.1/6.2 on the 540iA. However, the Z3 3.0 did not appear to be in that performance range. The dealer insists the 540 sport package is faster, not sure if he was considering auto vs auto.
One nice thing about the wagon, though...the more upright doors make loading cargo and installing things like baby seats much easier than in the sedan, where the wedge shaped doors hamper rear seat entry/exit.
My friend took some pictures of the rim, and I'll try to post it here later... : )
streetracer - That's a rather diverse range of cars to be looking at. Are you really looking seriously at all of them or just "taking them for a spin" to see how they feel? Just wondered.
daswolf - I think the one touch feature WON'T work if the roof is in the tilt position. MY salesperson especially reminded me to push the button forward until I hear the roof closes.
I would consider the 330, 330ci or 540 to be possible daily drivers. I like the size of the 540 and its raw power. However, I am partial to two doors. I also think the 3 series offers of more the "bmw" thing, relative to my current cars. The Z3 3.0 would be a possible weekend car. I will be getting the weekend car first, possibly within the next few weeks. The daily driver is at least 12 months out.
The quote on the Z3 3.0 lease was 575 a month, including tax, for 10,000 miles a year and 36 months. The purchase price was 38,000 on a list of 42,000, with 57 percent residual. A new RAM AIR Trans AM by comparison, will actually lease out at 600+ a month for 36 months.
The residual does you in on the muscle cars, it prices out for 32,000 but is probably only worth 15K after three years. I guess I could just buy one cash now. I am not sure if the model years with the new Corvette based LS1 engine are in that price range yet.
However, in terms of pure performance numbers, you are getting an M3/M5 level car. A 5.0 0-60 and 13.4 1/4 at 104 mile with the automatic (4.9 and 13.1 with 6 speed), and .90G of grip. Now, before you get stared, I know the Ms have those numbers and are also luxury sedans. I also now have zero belief in third party performance data in terms of both applicability and validity, from recent test drives.
The M cars actually all had at least a two year wait, including M3, M5, M Roadster, and M Coupe.They had a M3 convertible on display. I sat in it is was very nice. I got politely yelled at for playing with the shifter/clutch with the car off, is this bad for it ? I thought it felt very smooth, but seemed like it was easy to pop into R when going for first or third.
Thank god the wait is almost over, but the wait has been less painful since I have been driving around in a 2001 320i for the last month.
-The sidewall of a radial has to be able to flex, [it is what distinguishes any radial tire from its cross-ply counterpart], and thus is subject to heat and stress from the flexing. NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, DRIVE ON A RADIAL TIRE WITH SIDEWALL DAMAGE.....PERIOD. Moreover, because the ability of the sidewall to flex is central to the performance of any radial, any damage to the sidewall should be considered terminal. Do not use it as a spare, do not drive on it...good for backyard swinging or a road hazard warranty claim, but never for driving. Ignore this rule at your peril, particularly on any "performance" car like the 3er.
-Tread separations, tread / carcass adhesion irregularities, vertical runout [out-of-round], horizontal runout [wobble]...all of these occur even with the best manufacturers in the world. The primary reason is that making any radial tire is forcing disparate pieces of differing materials with differing expansion/contraction rates together in ways that Ma Nature never intended. This is exacerbated by the fact that virtually all radial manufacturing still involves enormous amounts of handwork, which is inherently error-prone. Thus, EVEN THE BEST TIRE MAKERS will produce and release some small number of tires that are going to fail. Frankly, there is no fool-proof defense, except to check pressures weekly and be on the alert for any sudden increase in vibrations. [On a sidenote, all of the Big 5 worldwide tire manufacturers are working feverishly at getting more automation, and thus both lower costs and better quality control into the factory process...each is taking their own run at the problem, but all are aiming at the same goals.]
Those of you here are, by definition, car and driving enthusiasts. That said, there is no area of automotive lore that is as full of falsehoods and campfire legends than the tire business, with some of the so-called "techs" in the dealer body being the worst offenders. Check your pressures at least once a week; IMMEDIATELY investigate any vibrations. These cars should not shake, just as they should not leak oil or drop parts on the pavement. And shaking [these days, on any relatively new car] is almost NEVER due to wheel balance...it is almost always a sign that the total wheel/tire package has some dimensional irregularity that needs attention. Tires are expensive, but they are cheap compared with the damage that can be done if things go suddenly wrong...if in doubt, replace, do not repair.
The reason I am saying all that is that Contis seem not to be perfect, yet they probably are better than Firestones that Ford mounted on their trucks.
I do not share the enthusiasm of some on this board for Continental and their products. Generally, I have gone out of my way to avoid them on my German cars, after having to replace the OEM Continentals on two of my Mercedes [with Michelins that both times completely solved the problem] because of two or more tires of the original set of 5 being seriously out of round. Now, I would be very demanding of any new car with Contis as OEM - a long test drive under varying temp conditions, and even then, I would immediately budget for replacements.
My experience puts Michelin first, followed by the Japanese [Dunlop, Yokohama, Bridgestone, probably in that order]...
Daswolf - I'm pretty certain that the tilt function is not one-touch close. I thought the same thing when I tried it. I'm too damn lazy to check the manual or pop in the tape sometimes. However, I notice that when you slide the button to close the tilt position, it doesn't seem to have a "closed" reference and attempts to "reclose" the tilt operation.
Streetracer - Well, it sounds like you're in a nice position to be in! For a daily ride, I would think that the 540i would be a preferrable choice (size, V8 acceleration, luxury), however, it seems that your taste in 2-door species would probably land in something like 330ci if not an M3. Either way, like I said, it's always fun during that search for the right vehicle for you...good luck!
Otherwise, I don't have too much to expand on with my 15-day old 325i. It has yet to give me any concern whatsoever. Well, maybe except this...sometimes from 3rd to 4th and 4th to 3rd, I feel the clutch giving me a slight pulsating resistance when I disengage it (step into it). Is this normal during breakin? BTW, it has 1150 miles as I speak. It didn't occur to me until recently (maybe the last 400 or so miles). Anyways, before I call and ask the service guy, I was wondering if anyone had this experience or if anyone even understands my explanation...otherwise, it is breathtaking everytime I ignite this driving machine! Sometimes, I don't want to get out of the car! It IS addicting! BTW, I'll post some pics soon...