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By the way, nice picture of a steel grey 3-er coupe on Tire Rack's home page. What a beauty!
It's not this simple, but this should be good enough, until you run into a tire engineer.
sunny - top speed on the 325i is 133 mph and you are correct that it is electronically limited. Dinan sells a software download that would eliminate the governor (and more) for $500. I am guessing top speed of the 325 without the governor would be around 145 mph (redline-limited); the 330 should be around 150 or a little higher.
Have a great weekend everyone!!
Thanks.
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
Let us set a few things straight.
Fact: a RWD car with a near 50-50 weight balance (like the 3-Series) driven under normal road conditions should wear the tires out at about the same time (front vs. rear)
Fact: If you are racing a RWD car like the 3-Series, and are "Steering" the car in a slide with the throttle, you will wear out the rear tires before the fronts.
Fact: Any FWD car regardless of its weight distribution will wear out its front tires before its back tires, regardless of how it is driven.
If some individual brags about how a Nissan Maxima will have better rear tire life than a 3-Series, said individual is a tad naïve. Why? Because the front tire life on a Maxima will be dismal when compared to the rear tire life on a 3-Series. To illustrate this point I present the following:
Given: a Maxima and a 3-Series shod with the same performance tires and then driven aggressively (ie. Autocross).
-------------------------------------------Maxima--------------3-Series
Approx. Max. Front Tire Life:----8,000 miles--------22,000 miles
Approx. Max. Rear Tire Life:----32,000 miles--------18,000 miles
These figures are just a guess on my part; however, I would wager that they are fairly accurate.
The fact remains that tires only have so much grip to give. If you are driving a FWD car, and you are under heavy acceleration where the tires are pushed to 70% of their ability to stick to the road, you will have reduced the car's ability to turn by a similar 70% when compared to the car’s ability to turn when not under power. Step over a combined 100% of the tires ability to adhere to the road, and you start to scrub off rubber. This is very easy to do in a car equipped with FWD even in normal driving conditions. Consider this scenario; you are waiting at a left turn traffic light, beyond the turn is a short freeway ramp where better acceleration yields an easier merge. The light turns green, you stomp on the gas and turn the wheel to the left. Instant understeer, the car starts to plow (ie. not turn in the direction the wheels are pointed) and scrub off rubber.
With a RWD vehicle, under normal driving conditions (ie. not racing) it is rare that you will be able to push the car into an understeer condition simply because the only job the front tires have to do is turn. The rear tires are responsible for the acceleration so in theory, you are able to turn and accelerate to a much higher speed (all else being equal) given that the two forces are more evenly spread between the front and the rear. Another way of saying that is that the front tires are capable of being pushed to near 100% of their limit generating the turn and the rear tires are capable of being pushed to near 100% of their limit accelerating. Simple physics dictates that (once again, all else being equal) the FWD car cannot accelerate AND turn as fast as the RWD car.
Here is where it gets fun. When racing a FWD car, the driver is constantly trying to balance the forces of acceleration and cornering with the throttle. Anything beyond the limit slows the car down and scrubs off rubber from the front tires.
When racing a RWD car, a good driver can induce "Oversteer" where the back end hangs out toward the outside of the curve and the driver can then power the car around with more throttle. Like the FWD car, this scrubs off rubber (only this time from the rear tires), however, unlike the FWD car, not only does the car not lose speed in the turn, it picks up speed.
True, a Maxima will have longer rear tire life than a 3-Series, however, the 3-Series will have longer front tire life and be faster besides.
Best Regards,
Shipo
I'm leaving out the weight of each car, though... Being a midsize as opposed to a compact, it could be that the Nissan has more weight resting on all tires.
Thanks for the info.
Wow, Shipo. Just caught your post! I for one never mind long posts if they're informative, as yours always are. "Rant" is the last word that comes to mind. Thanks.
derprofi: yes, everything being equal, weight over the wheels, will determine the tire life.
brave1heart: tire spin occurs if F>cN. When F=cN, you have normal traction.
2001 325i
3241 pounds
50.3% front = 1630 pounds on rear wheels
49.7% rear = 1611 pounds on rear wheels
2000 Maxima
3199 pounds
62% front = 1983 pounds on front wheels
38% rear = 1216 pounds on rear wheels
What part of the country are you in, by the way? If on the east coast, I can point you to an excellent sales person that will likely get you a deal as good as any broker or service.
Orient Blue
Leatherette
Manual trans
SP
Xenon lights
4,000 miles
Colgan car bra
Wheel locks
Car care products from carcareonline
Previous owner of a series of 4-door Nissans and an Infiniti
Key start up option includes DRL
Next car: 5 series, MB coupe, or Porsche
Second thoughts: CiC instead of Ci
no pics
Exterior to interior critique of this car which I’ve owned over 30 days driving extensively on highway, urban areas, mountain roads, and two lane country roads. In purchasing this car I relied heavily on contributors to this site and others for the options and model I selected.
As often mentioned, the car looks better in person than any photo. The wheels and subtle curves of the body are striking. The blue appears black at night but with more character, and the blue shines well in the day. Topaz was the second color I pondered, and in retrospect I appreciate the less flashy but attractive character of the orient blue. The dark color encourages washing approximately weekly. The chrome trim is strongly accentuated against the dark blue.
The car bra I strongly recommend as an advance purchase for summer driving outside metro areas. It will save one an inordinate amount of time in detailing the front later! The Colgan model fits well but requires some break-in by leaving the bumper piece on overnight before placing the hood piece. Until I did this (and as advised by Colgan) the hood would not close with both pieces in place.
Likewise for the xenon lights Night driving with Xenons in rural areas, and especially supplemented with high beams, literally turns the night into day. So, I highly recommend xenons for anyone planning to do any rural area night driving. The white light is crisper and less distorting than halogen. Again, for night travel outside metro area I recommend xenons. Otherwise, save your money.
Fit and finish are good—no rattles. The trunk has plenty of room and folds down seats offer even more cargo carrying flexibility. One design flaw for the trunk: rain falls into the trunk interior when opened.
The key combined with the remote is ingenious—simplicity and convenience all in one.
Towards the interior, entry exit is decent. The long doors of this two door require opening the door carefully to avoid hitting adjacent cars. The sport seats hold you in position well but frankly took about a week for me to consider them comfortable. Originally, the seat seemed too narrow for my thighs, but I have eventually manipulated the seat settings to eliminate this discomfort.
On to driving: the clutch originally seemed too long but similarly to the seats, I have also grown accustomed to the factory settings. I considered a clutch stop, but was dissuaded by a friend who races competitively. He said the gap compensates well for the range of city driving and slower acceleration incurred in traffic. My recommendation: stick with the factory settings and adjust your clutch technique accordingly.
The turning radius is fantastic and the maneuverability and torque make the 330Ci quite handy in metro traffic. Freeway driving is an ease and restful, and with a stiff enough suspension to prevent one from taking the road surface imperfections too much for granted. But the 330 truly stands out on two lane country and mountain roads. 70 mph on these roads are easily cruised with seemingly no false sense of safety and remarkable control. The 330’s larger brakes are a great asset and peace of mind, as well.
I incurred the sticky gas pedal problem around the 3,000 mile mark. Frankly, I’m not sure I would have noticed the stickiness if I had not previously read of the problem here. I have not addressed the stickiness with service center for the occurrence is too sporadic and insubstantial to yet be an issue for me. I would appreciate hearing of any updates on that topic.
Specific recommendations: Get black floor mats if you opt for a light colored interior. Side rear passenger vents should have one touch close to complement their one touch opening, but do not. Seriously consider the convertible if you want a coupe, and of course can afford it. Convertibles may hold their value better (as I have been told) and are a great looking machine, besides the fun of a convertible.
Overall recommendations: I recommend the 330 and all the options I purchased for the span of city and countryside driving. The 325 likely is more than sufficient for the enthusiast sticking to the metro regions. Many people argue against the 330 in terms of dollars and horsepower especially given $4,000+ difference in price between the 325 and 330. Remember though, that the 330 has bigger brakes, as well! And in the countryside when you want to pass 3-5 cars in front of you and have limited passing area space, with the extra HP you can do it effortlessly. If such situations are not likely encountered then get the 325.
Thank you for the intelligent and well written review. Of all the postings I have read, this is among the best for identifying key points that assist readers in selecting specific options. For others who have already purchased cars, your review confirms the choices that we made.
The fan failed first at 1500 miles while I was on a trip from Baltimore to New York. The dealer in Brooklyn took pretty good care of me. They got me a rental car which I drove back home, and they delivered my car to me on a flatbed after they replaced the fan, and returned the rental on the flatbed. I did have to get a little bit testy with the service manager to get them to do all that, though.
Yesterday, driving home from work and stuck in traffic, I noticed the needle on the temp gauge creeping into the red zone again and my heart just sank. I thought, "Oh no...not again." Then as soon as I started moving again the needle returned to the normal position. I was hoping that perhaps because the car was sitting on a hill the coolant wasn't circulating enough, or something. But a little bit later the needle started creeping up again. I made it home with no more trouble and the car did not overheat.
I contacted my dealer and spoke with the service department. I was told that BMW has just issued a second recall on the fan, and that I should be receiving the notice in a couple days. OK, no problem. I understand that despite best efforts, things break sometimes.
However, when I suggested that I bring the car in and pick up a service loaner, the service advisor told me that there was no loaner available until October 14! He told me to bring in the car on Tuesday evening for a once over, and if they have the part they will fix it right away.
Maybe everything will work out smoothly, maybe not. I am pretty annoyed, though, that my dealer may not be able to provide me with a loaner if I need one. A loaner is pretty important to me and was a factor in my decision to get a BMW. But what good is it if a loaner is not available when I need one? Especially for a recurring problem on a brand new vehicle, I believe the dealer and/or BMWNA should make more of an effort to accomodate me.
Lewis
Claims that the IS is the winner, go figure!
I think that since the advent of the second (and more all encompassing) fan recall, that loaner cars have been in short supply. I called for a service appointment a week and a half ago and was told that “Non-Loaner” appointments were generally available, however, if I needed a loaner, I would have to wait about a month. This is the first time that my dealer has made a distinction between the two types of appointments. My take on it is this, because of the Seimens fan problem; BMW was forced to rush a fix as fast as possible without proper testing. Now that BMW has had a little more time, they were able to thoroughly debug the situation and come up with the ultimate fix, they want to make SURE every even remotely suspect car is fixed, hence the temporary shortage of loaner cars. Hang in there, given how reliable the rest of the 3-Series line has been, I suspect that you will have few if any problems from here on out.
Shawn,
I wouldn’t sweat the “New and Improved” IS300 vs. 3-Series board too much. Sooner or later v_tech will find it and it will get shut down, again. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
Lewparker, you're not whining at all. Sharing that kind of experience is valuable for both current owners and potential owners to know about.
Further comments like this will be removed. If anyone has anything to say about this, please drop me an email. We are not going to talk about it here.
Thanks.
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
Shipo, I'm glad BMW is fixing the fan problem right now. That definitely makes me feel better. Other than the fan problem, the car has been as solid as a rock. No rattles, shakes, or other problems. Thanks again,
Lewis
<http://www.bimmer.org/3series/messages/archive/msgsy2001w39/57406.html>
HTH,
Ken
Lewis
2001 3 4.90% 4.90% 4.90% 4.90% 10/31/01
2001 3 C 5.90% 5.90% 5.90% 5.90% 10/31/01
2001 5 5.90% 5.90% 5.90% 5.90% 10/31/01
2001 X5 6.25% 6.25% 6.25% 6.25% 10/31/01
2001 Z3 3.90% 3.90% 3.90% 3.90% 10/31/01
-Murray
I can't wait to upgrade to the 6 cyl. The 525 is too big for me personally, so I'll stick to the 3 series. But what an amazing car this is!!!
The Audi is not even close. We tested the A4 last weekend and we were not too impressed overall. I think the A4 is a great winter sedan, but definitely not as much fun. My 318 in comparison is a grin inducing, adrenaline pumping thrill ride.
This 6 cylinder engine is very impressive. The interior is extremely ergonomic. My brother and dad find the 3 series cramped and the 5 just right. But the 325 is perfect for me. (I will have to wait a couple of years to get it though).
Will be testing the MB next weekend for a comparo...but so far the 5 series is the obvious choice.
I have a question for board members who have had BMWs for some years, or for anyone else who has something to say regarding mileage -- am I crazy to think that I can keep this car for quite some time, put some serious mileage on it, and, with the proper [loving] care and maintenance, and expect to keep it for some years, say 5-plus? I mean, sheesh, I love this car! And, about the maintenance indicator on the car -- I know that someone had posted that the German engineers at BMW know what they are doing, but, getting an oil change at 15k just seemd unnatural, especially for those of us who grew up in the 3500 mile oil change era. Any thoughts?
Unfortunately, I already have a problem with the car. The service dept. has informed me that there is a problem with the control unit for the keys. The keys aren't programming properly. So, I will have to take my car in for service already.
We have over 400 miles on the car already and we are loving it!
Katkison
BTW, the ABC coverage was hilarious - "Well, with half the race now gone, we have another half to go..." "Well, something happened in the pits but I couldn't see and someone was not happy with something..."
When I started turning wrenches on cars back in the 1970s, 3000 miles was a good time to do an oil change. What with inefficient carburetors, leaded fuel and by today’s standards VERY low-tech dino-juice in the crankcase, a car of that era could easily expect to see the far side of 100K miles. In my case, my 1966 Valiant with the 225 Slant-Six went 211K on the original motor before I rebuilt it (it burned oil) and my 1970 Dodge Challenger with the venerable 340 made it to 187K when it was stolen.
Fast forward 25 years and we now have very clean burning fuel, electronic systems to manage the fuel injection and ignition timing to make the combustion process even cleaner (ie. less particulate matter to suspend in the oil) and even good old dino-juice has been beefed up to last longer and protect better.
Now consider the current crop of BMW six cylinder engines:
These engines are efficient enough to be certificated as Low Emission Vehicles (LEV), which substantially reduces the combustion byproducts and as a result reduces the particulate matter that the oil must hold in suspension, yielding a longer oil change interval.
BMW is using synthetic oil right from the factory; said oil is far more capable than even the best dino-juice at protecting the engine and particulate suspension. Once again, this yields a longer oil change interval.
BMW has seen fit to increase the size of the oil sump to almost double that of other engines of similar displacement, if I remember correctly it is at least 8 quarts if not 9. Twice the oil in means that each unit of oil circulates through the engine only half as much as a similar sized engine from another manufacturer. This also means twice the already prodigious capacity of synthetic oil to hold particulate matter in suspension.
Based upon the above items, I would not be surprised if the oil in our BMWs could last 30,000 miles under normal driving conditions. Having said that, I will not be the first to raise my hand to try and find out, 15,000 miles is just fine by me.
Best Regards,
Shipo
lock automatically at about 5 miles per hour. Ours lock sometimes and sometimes they don't.
They may lock for a day to two and then go up to four or five days without locking. Is this a
programming problem, or something else wrong in the electrical system? It seems to me that
a programming problem would result in the auto door lock system not working at all. All the
other gizmos programmed to the keys have worked just fine.
Overall a great race, I thought. I was actually happy to see Mika finish first after his recent performance although I was quietly hoping that the McLaren cars would score a DNF and Williams would finish in the points so that they'd pass McLaren in the constructors championship (that's 'ch' the normal way, not as in 'Barrichello'). Personally, I've always been in the Ferrari camp !
By the way, What type of deal are you getting from Passport? I dealt with them in the past but didn't purchase from them.
Thanks
Yes it was the same Jason Priestly that was on BH 90210. Apparently he did some amatuer racing and of course that and being a hollywood brat qualifies him to commentate on this the most elite form of auto racing.
BTW I'm a huge F1 and CART fan. As you can tell I am pretty shy about expressing my opinion on the subject!!
The only saving grace is that Speedvision will rebroadcast the race with their crew this Sunday.
Oh yea it's a shame I couldn't run my 325 as it didn't qualify to within 107% of the pole qualifiers time. See I know you guys were wondering how I would tie this all back to this forum without being totally off topic.
Best Regards,
Shipo