BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

div2

You're absolutely correct; I enjoy mega-hp cars too but a small nimble ride like my 318ti Club Sport is just as much fun on road and track as my old 300+hp M6. Point of fact, the M6 made me a lazy track driver, as hp can cover up a load of driving sins. That said, the M6 was a load of fun in the early '90s; I victimized a ton of Mustang GTs, Z28s, and Trans Ams.

lyouts

I've had my new 2002 330i for about six days, and the reception on the radio is awful. There's tremendous buzzing when listening to AM stations, less so but still a problem for FM stations. However, CD's sound fine. Any ideas?

Other than the radio problem and the driver-side seat belt fastener clicking in my ear, the car has been very, very exciting to drive....even during the break-in period.

nyccarguy

What are the visual differences between a 318Ti say with a Sport package and a 318Ti Club Sport?

luftig1

I have had my 330i about two weeks and have had excellent radio reception. Much better than in my prior two cars, I can even get some stations that I could only get rarely on my prior radios.

Possible cause :
Antenna is not hooked up
Just a defective radio

I suggest going to the dealer and trying the radio on another 3 series and see if it is better. This is probably an easy fix.

Good Luck !

vkwheels

I've been shopping & reading online stuff since around Feb. Dropped the Matrix XRS off the list because noone has it to test-drive. The IS300 failed to get my own internal engine revved, go figure. WRX was/is a hot car & I was all set to go with it, but realistically I knew I didn't need that much HP & since I keep a car a long time, I was a bit concerned about it lasting 7 yrs or longer. The Merc C230coupe/240 sedan weren't exciting. Acc. to the boards, the Volvo S40, VW Jettas seemed to have reliability issues. Like Goldilocks, for me everything was too big, too small, too dowdy, too boy-racer. I liked the 325. I think I've exhausted this research thing. Where're I at now? Well, I might extend feelers to see if a better price can be found, but basically I'm ready to order a steel blue 325 with tan interior, AT, PP, & the fold-down rear seats/ski bag option. Me in a BMW? Never thought to see the day.... :-)

mb595

I recently bought my fist BMW, 325ia. As a one car family using it mostly for pleasure it was an easy decision except for swallowing the price to features ration versus Acura and Infiniti. The BMW is fast and smooth off the line as well as a terrific highway passer. When you get on a curvy road the superior handling lets you pull away from many faster cars. It is a gas to drive but that is only one reason I bought it.

The car feels solid and the safety features are top notch. Crash survivability should the fantastic manuverability fail was a crucial factor for protecting wife and kids. The braking on the car has already avoided an accident with a blowndown tree waiting around a blind curve.

There are a number of luxury features on the car and the feel of the cabin with the wood trim feels like you are in a luxury as opposed to family car. Many of the luxury features that the Japanese add fall into the near useless bells and whistle category. The only thing lacking is the clever storage spaces that are everywhere in Honda products. But a sunglass holder and better map pockets aren't what is important on a sport sedan.

With the exception of handling the BMW can be beat in any one area by at least one car in its class or even a lower class like Subaru WRX. But the combination of Speed, Handling, Safety, Reliability, Prestige and Fun factor make this an ultimate compromise car. Everytime I take it out I like it better and better, whether it is effortless highway cruising or mashing through moutain roads. It is amazing how stable and quite the car is at 85 which is the fastest I will consider cruising in Jersey.

ddblue

Sounds like you've made an exhaustive assessment of the "competition." There were a number of factors on your list that I had considered, as well. My decision took about three months, in all. Contenders at that time (1 year ago) were: Audi A4 2.8 Quattro, Passat GLX VR6 and of course the 325Ci. Yes, money was a factor as it is for most of us on this board. I was hesitant to plunk down $35K on a car, but one thought kept popping into my head--you're single. You may not get this chance to own a car you really want for another 30 years (at which time, we may all be in hovercrafts for all I know). The Audi was impressive and very posh, but it just didn't push the right buttons with me in the area of performance and handling. The Passat was very practical and very solid, but I was concerned about reliability (the whole "feel" aspect just didn't come into play here). I completely agree with mb595 about all the prime aspects of driving coming together in the 3 (though I wouldn't use the term "compromise"--this exactly what you're not doing when you get a 3). I couldn't see myself owning a BMW, but I looked past all the yuppie image slinging and knew that this was the right car. I took the plunge. You will NOT regret it. It will, at once, transform your experience with cars. I've had mine for almost a year now, and it gets sweeter by the day. Rather than getting used to it, I love it even more as I continue to drive it. One more thing---you MUST get the Sports Package.

postoak

Well, I'm at the stage in my ED where I signed and returned the power-of-attorney. When my salesman, Jef Sims, called to let me know he had received it, he also thanked me for the "internet referrals". Apparently a couple of you have contacted him based on what I posted here. I know he'll do $1200 over invoice on a 3-er ED, as a matter of course, but post here if he was able to help you on non-ED or 5-er ED deals. Thanks, postoak.

ddblue

Sounds like you've made an exhaustive assessment of the "competition." There were a number of factors on your list that I had considered, as well. My decision took about three months, in all. Contenders at that time (1 year ago) were: Audi A4 2.8 Quattro, Passat GLX VR6 and of course the 325Ci. Yes, money was a factor as it is for most of us on this board. I was hesitant to plunk down $35K on a car, but one thought kept popping into my head--you're single. You may not get this chance to own a car you really want for another 30 years (at which time, we may all be in hovercrafts for all I know). The Audi was impressive and very posh, but it just didn't push the right buttons with me in the area of performance and handling. The Passat was very practical and very solid, but I was concerned about reliability (the whole "feel" aspect just didn't come into play here). I completely agree with mb595 about all the prime aspects of driving coming together in the 3 (though I wouldn't use the term "compromise"--this exactly what you're not doing when you get a 3). I couldn't see myself owning a BMW, but I looked past all the yuppie image slinging and knew that this was the right car. I took the plunge. You will NOT regret it. It will, at once, transform your experience with cars. I've had mine for almost a year now, and it gets sweeter by the day. Rather than getting used to it, I love it even more as I continue to drive it. One more thing---you MUST get the Sports Package.

kdshapiro

There is a buzzing in the speakers located in the door posts. I have had the speakers replaced and the buzzing still persists. It's not the radio reception, and the buzzing mostly occurs with talk am radio. It sounds like a loose gasket or speaker housing. The reception on this car is better than cars I've had in the past. I understand BMW knows how to fix it if they could correctly analyze the problem. I'll keep you posted. BTW I have an '02 330i.

stgreen

I too have experienced the same two problems: 1) basically poor radio reception and 2) seatbelt clicking. the radio reception is simply not as good as previous car (94 saab 900se and wifes passat) QUESTION: I know you upgrade a stero but can you 'boost' radio reception???

-seat belt clicking has been dealer fixed once but had no real effect... time for a replacement part...

stg

vkwheels

Yeah, I think I'm ready to take the plunge. I think I will really love it, too. I also thought, heck, I'm single & still young (ish), if not now then when, what am i waiting for? Aside from all this analysis, I feel an excited squeak of delight at the whole idea. Eeeeek! Beg to differ on the Sports pkg. 4 reasons: other women in the office have regretted it; from some other peep's postings on this board, it might not be the most comfy thing on road trips; if I run into snowy conditions on those trips, the regular tires would be better; finally lower cost of maintenance. I think the std set will be fine.
p.s. why do your posts show up twice each time?

riez

The AM radio reception is absolutely atrocious on my wife's '00 323iA. She can only get a couple of the most powerful AM stations. Rest suffer from terrible interference and clutter. Like something isn't grounded. She has had it worked on once to no avail. We'll give 'em another crack. Her FM reception is much better.

The AM reception on my '98 540i6 is also pretty bad, but better than her's. FM reception is much better than AM. And I have the premium sound system with DSP, etc.

Has me wondering if Germans don't care about medium wave (AM)?

ddblue

Yes, there are practical considerations regarding SP vs. non-SP. The only major concern would be the tire/weather issue--performance tires can make it more difficult to drive in snow. I would say that this is really only an issue in places like Chicago, Minnesota, Buffalo or anywhere north. I live in DC, and I can give up driving during the two or three days it MIGHT snow heavily here for the pleasures of performance on the dry days. I have driven in 1-2 inches of snow here, and it was fine, especially with the DSC activated (Being from Chicago does help, I have to admit). As far as the jarring ride is concerned, that's just not true, IMHO. I take regular road trips to NY, and I've never once felt that the car was anything less than smooth. Sure, the non-SP 3 will absorb the bumps a little better, but the SP 3 is by no means harsh. But we all buy for our own reasons, of course. Whatever you choose, you will be in heaven. Be excited. Be VERY excited. Plus, the combo you chose is beautiful. I've seen it a few times, and it looks very chic.
p.s.--Apparently, I'm not writing with enough OOMPH! Townhall feels that I have to repeat myself. Actually, I think every time I refresh the screen, my entry reposts. Bizarre.

firstbmw_wi

I'm new to this group and am looking to purchase my first BMW. I'm looking at a 325i with Auto transmission, Premium package, heated seats, and Xenon headlights.

What can I expect to pay? Is $1100 below MSRP a good price? Would appreciate if recent buyers would share their experience. You can also contact me at webjump2001@yahoo.com

Regards,
Mark

brislance1

I am probably, at age 71, the oldest 3er owner on the board. I have owned and driven more cars than I care to relate most of which have been 5 speeds. In April of 2000 I decided I would like a car that was small, but fun to drive, and I ordered my alpine white 323 to be delivered in June to a dealership in Minnesota where I have my summer home. I have driven it round trip from Minnesota to Arizona twice and love the car. I was not acquainted with this board when I ordered the car or I would have ordered a 5 speed with the SP. I got the step and premium package along with some other goodies. I'm sure I paid too much, but what the hell!

Yesterday I was driving in the outskirts of Tucson when I passed a young lady in a new Volvo C70. Half a mile up the road I was stopped at a light when she pulled up along side me and gave me the "I can take that Bimmer" look. The light turned and we both hit the gas. She left me in the dust! I passed her again up the line and gave her the thumbs up and she smiled and hit the gas again.

When I got home I looked up her car in "Consumer Reports" and found that it was turbo charged and rated as having a fast take-off. I think this girl cruises the highway looking for old dudes in Bimmers who she can leave eating her exhaust. If I ever meet her in person I will sic her up to Boston to take on Braveheart and his 5 speed 325! It was a fun day!

orkwis

nyccarguy: I wanted to give up something meaningful!

I too spent a great deal of time coming to my decision to buy a 325i ED. I test drove a lot of the competition and just thought the BMW was the best optimized of the lot. I agree with ddblue compromise is not the right word. I think one dealer or previous post summarized it nicely, it's a sport-luxury car, not a luxury-sport car (like the MB C240). It's a car for people who love driving not simply a car for people who want others to see them driving an expensive car.

My comments on the competition: MB C240 feels like a luxury car on the inside, best of the bunch by far. But it really seems to be meant more for grandpa or someone who just wanted people to notice what car they're driving. No excitement. Drove the Saab 9/3, fastest of the lot, a little rocket. But the steering was a little loose and the ignition on the floor (plus previous Saab bodies) made me think it too weird. I then tested the Volve S40 and S60. Really liked the S60 in the corners, seats were awesome, but felt it a little under powered. Same but worse for the S40. I then read up on Volvo/Saab reliability and asked others about their experiences (5 days stuck in Erie, PA waiting for a transmission from Sweden) and was scared away. BTW both also have very attractive ED options with Volvo being the best (10% off MSRP). Tested next the Audi A4. A really nice car, but the interior was a little bit cheap looking, something just didn't look right for a car with such an asking price. No ED option, so the price became more of a factor. Then looked at the low cost option, the VW Passat, and just couldn't get past the VW symbols everywhere. Again, no ED option, and my 325i ED priced out less than a nearly comparable car. My thinking here being that I would want everything if it was a VW. Looked at the Lexus IS300 and was floored by how weird the dashboard looked, too much money for a clear tailight type car. Never checked out any Infiniti seriously because I was not impressed by some of the reliability info here at Edmunds. The Japanese cars just didn't seem to have a soul (does that make sense?)

In the final analysis the 325i did it for me on several fronts: great car to drive, I really enjoyed it even before reading this thread; status symbol badge, although I really wasn't looking for that when I started; apparent reliability; and cost via the ED option, I had a European trip planned for business at exactly the right time. But like most folks here seem to be saying, it just fit.

Seven weeks to go, can't wait!

bmw323is

Brislance - lol... You just gave all of us the wonderful mental image of where we will be, and what we will be doing when we are 71. Thanks, it made my day. By the way, get an M3 and go track her down!

Seat belt noise - Apparently this has been a problem for at least two years (or more since I think shipo said he took his '99 in for this fix too). I think we should push for a recall! I had mine fixed under the TSB but still have intermittent noise.

Skidpad - Last year when I had my car on the skidpad I had a heck of a time getting it to oversteer. The front just kept sliding and the throttle (in 2nd) didn't have quite enough umph to get the back end to come around. I finally got it to oversteer by making some very abrupt stabs on and off the accelerator. Dave (330), I think you just had your car on a skidpad - did you have the same problem? By the way my throttle response was great - mine is a 2000, before the throttle-by-wire.

div2

Depends on the year; a 1995 MY Sport has 15" wheels and no //M trim. It does have a sport suspension as well as sport seats. 1996-1999 Sports look identical to the Club Sport except that they have standard side mirrors while the Club Sport has M3 mirrors. All 1999 tis were Sports, BTW. Club Sports were only available in Bright Red or Jet Black and the only available interior was Black Montana Leather with Red Millpoint cloth inserts in the seats and door panels. The ONLY options were LSD, sunroof, and Premium Sound. For me, the two main advantages of the Club Sport are that it has LSD instead of DSC and the OBDI M42 engine is a bit more receptive to chip and intake/exhaust mods. A Conforti chipped Club Sport can knock off 0-60 in the mid sevens.

butmywife

You are the first person I've heard of that also had an Opel Manta. Mine was a '73 (yellow with black cloth roof that peeled in the Florida summer heat). I bought it for $2,300 and ran the hell out of it. The floorboard rusted out and I could see the highway (and smell the exhaust). I moved out west and stored it at my mother's house for a year. When I returned a small but persistent tree had managed to grow up through the engine and out of the hood! No problem. I cut down the tree, charged the battery and it started right up. Sold it for $500 and made a Tallahassee teenager a happy camper. Ah, the Manta. It's amazing I didn't die in it. Now middle age has me 10 days away from driving my first Bimmer in Europe. The symmetry from Opel to Honda to Suburu to BMW is something I would not have predicted. Germany has me back in its fold.

Cheers, ButMyWife

ddblue

Hope I'm as cool as you are when I'm 71. May it comfort you to know that the C70, though a very good car, placed 3rd in Edmund's 2001 Luxury Coupe Comparo. The BMW 330Ci placed first. 0-60 time for the C70 (High Pressure Turbo) was a respectable 6.8. I'm sure you weren't exactly "left in the dust." Send both your cars into the twisties, and she would've been toast, for certain. Your car will easily outhandle hers any day of the week. Edmunds says of the C70, "...suspension isn't tuned for sporty handling, prone to torque steer during hard acceleration." You'll never hear that about the 3. I used a G-tech Pro in my 325Ci (SP, 5-spd) to measure 0-60, and I pulled off a 6.3 on two occasions, so I think me and brave would be able to beat Ms. Pompous in her C70. Her car has 236 hp and 243 lb ft. of torque. The 325Ci has 184 hp and 175 lb ft. Do the math, and it does not compute. Her's may have been an auto-tranny, though. Regardless, it's about so much more than just acceleration. I'll take the 325 any day over the C70, regardless of the price (her's is about $10K more!).

jfedor1

I still have the seat belt clicking on both side after the TSB. My radio reception is great and I have the standard radio. Do any of the people with reception problems have tinted windows I heard that effects the reception because the antenna is in the rear window.

Josh

nyccarguy

Cool, A 71 year old 3 series driver! Good story! I remember reading somewhere back in 1997 in a magazine about a guy who did an engine swap & put the 3.2L I-6 from the E36 M3 in his 318ti. He created the M Coupe without even knowing it. I forget what his 0-60MPH times were though.

brave1heart

You sound happy and it seems that you're enjoying life. I hope I will have the wisdom to enjoy life as much as you do when I am 71 some day.

The C70 manual should be faster than the 325i manual at any speed - although it is 200 lbs heavier, it has a lot of low-end torque and a lot more horsepower, so it would be tough to beat it in any speed range. But that's on paper ONLY!!! In reality, I am willing to bet 20:1 that the C70 owner at the light next to me has chosen the auto tranny which will be no match for a 325i manual. There are a lot of cars out there that are faster 0-60 and 0-100 but very few of them would beat the 325 manual if they were equipped with an auto tranny.

dave330i

At stock tire pressure, the car tends to understeer. You need to increase the front pressure to get a more neutral feeling. I didn't have any problems getting the car to oversteer, but I did have issues with fuel starvation.

brave1heart

What do you mean?

ocjerry

I had a silver opel manta with a manual. I loved driving that car even though it was unreliable. I went from a 67 buick skylark that I learned to drive on to a manta during college. I finally sold it for $1,000, got married and bought 5 toyotas before getting my 330i, which is the best handling car I have ever driven. But the Manta is #2.

huntzinger

Nice story.

Here's one you'll hopefully enjoy. Its a Porsche story "unfortunately" :-), but it rings true for all enthusiasts. It was told to me by a local tire store owner who supports the local BMW and Porsche clubs.

== == == == ==
A Prelude:

If you're not familiar with the players, here's a quick rundown:

911 - the traditional 6cyl rear engine aircooled Porsche everyone's familiar with. 200HP and up.

930 - the turbocharged version of the above. 300-400HP, depending on year. The current versions costs over $100K.

914 - the 1970's "entry level" Porsche that was actually sold as a VW in Europe. Looks boxy and has a mid-engine aircooled 1.7-2L 4cyl that puts out a whopping 80-100HP. Discontinued production 25 years ago; you can find a decent 914 for $5K.

914-6 A hotter 6cyl (200HP) version of the above. Not a player in this story, but if you see one for sale cheap, please let me know!

== == == == ==
The story:

There's a fine old gentleman in our PCA club who's had a 914 since it was new. That's over 20 years now. He doesn't attend too many events, but he usually takes it up to Pocono Raceway when the club "tracks" up there. He's really fun to watch on the track.

Why? Because he really, really knows his car, and he knows how to maintain his momentum through the turns.

What's fun about it is watching him embarrass the new guys with their 930's. They'll come screaming down the straight at 120+ and blow his little car's doors off, but then in the infield course, he'll drive right past them.

Next time they're on the straightway, they'll pass him again. Next time in the twists, he gets it back.

It drives the new guys absolutely up the wall. Here they are, with 3, sometimes 4 times the horsepower and they simply cannot lose this guy tooling around in a 25 year old car that's often maligned as not being a "REAL" Porsche!

And the really funny part is to hear these guys come back in, talking about chipping their car and doing other Mods for more performance. What they really need to do is to simply become better drivers with what they have.

Afterall, that's the gentleman's secret.

== == == == ==

-hh

dave330i

With the high g's you're pulling in skidpad, if you're low in fuel (i.e. quarter tank), you'll have fuel starvation problems going clockwise.

dave330i

Isn't the 914 about 700 lbs. lighter than a 993/996?

nyccarguy

Another great story. That's the advice someone on this board (I don't remember if it was you or someone else) gave to someone who was looking to modify his 325i with a Cold Air Intake and an Exhaust. They told the guy to go and take driving lessons. It is really great advice. If you learn how to drive the car better and have more control over its behavior, it will go faster & corner better.

rshaw11

I am just about ready to take the plunge and order my 325i, but am a little concerned about the reported problems with the seat belts and radio reception. Is this a small minority of owners, or a larger problem? I am the kind of a person that wants everything to work correctly. A "clicking" noise from the seat belts might drive me up the wall; just curious about how many people have it. And I'm also concerned about radio reception that is less than good in a $35k automobile. I live in a large metro area with strong signals, can I expect good AM reception?

merckx

I learned to drive a stick in the late 70's on my sister's 72 Opel 1900(same as Manta,less trim). It was a great car-the sports car mags back then loved it. I've got a new Opel now-a 2001 Cadillac Catera-I'm really enjoying it so far.

brave1heart

Glad you told me. I'll have a lot to learn in my atocrossing sessions. How much fuel do you recommend that I use - 1/2 tank? I am planning on using 37/36 F/R. I was also thinking of taking the spare tire out - that should make the car about 50 lbs lighter.

huntzinger

I don't recall the numbers, but a 914 is definitely quite a bit lighter. But the 911/930 still has the edge on Power:Weight ratio's, and 0-60 times, if that's all you're going to look at.

Driver skill usually checkmates the hardware. And it probably was me who advised someone to go take driving lessons - they really are the biggest bang for the buck for virtually everyone.

-hh

lyouts

I've heard about the seat belt clicking on the driver side door from a number of Town Hall folks. There's a technical service bulletin on the 2001 330i about it. I read hear about one guy's solution, which involved applying felt material inside the clicking mechanism.

Regarding the radio, i'd like to know myself. I'm making great progress thru my break-in period, and will take the car in for an oil change at 1,200 miles, and have the service dept. look at the radio and seat belt clicking.

dave330i

For autox, 1/4 is fine. You won't find skidpad conditions in autox. When I ran last year, I was at 42/45 F/R. My tire sizes are 225/45 ZR17 for front & 245/40 ZR 17 rear.

Here are couple of tips. Chalk your front tire in couple places. If too much rubs off after your run, increase the pressure.

Work on being smooth. If you're smooth, speed will come.

Walk the course, and in your practice run, drive slowly. It's easy to get lost in the sea of cones. doing both will help you get familar with the course.

Before your run, try to get a ride with one of the experienced drivers. You learn a lot, and most are happy to help.

huntzinger: I wasn't trying to say driver skills aren't important. I was just trying to point out that weight is just as important as Hp.

abcnyc

I also live in the DC area and I'm considering getting winter tires for my 330i with SP. We don't get a lot of snow, so I'm kind of wavering on the winter tires. Spending about $1300 for tires and wheels, and changing them every season is not appealing. However, getting stuck or having an accident is worse. You indicated you have driven in 1-2 inches of snow without any problems. Would recommend keeping the stock tires and staying home for blizzards ?

brislance1

Thanks for the great story about the older gentleman and his 914. I have been driving since I was 12 years old when many kids my age went out on farms to fill in for those drafted into the service during WW2. The first car I ever drove was a 36 Chevy that had been made into a pick-up. In those days, when one turned 15 in Minnesota, he-she would go to the drivers license office, plop down 35 cents and in a couple of weeks the State would mail you a license. Unfortunately there are still some of those people driving who never really learned the rules of the road! I would favor some sort of behind the road driving test for senior people who are ticketed for various offenses that indicate they just don't know the rules of the road or exhibit inadequate driving skills. If they can't pass the test, perhaps they should be given time to get some behind the wheel training at their expense and then retake the test.

I walk and run four miles every morning and am in good physical and, I hope, mental shape. I spend my winters here in Arizona and each morning on my run, I am horrified by the driving I observe from both young and old! One rule I see violated daily is not making a full stop at a light or sign when making a right turn. Many people only look to their left and if nothing is coming, gun out a right turn. As a runner, I am coming toward them from the right in the bike lane where they do not look. Needless to say I am a defensive runner!

One last thing that upsets me greatly is the stereotyping of all old people as lousy drivers. When I look in my rear view mirror I can almost read the minds of some of the younger drivers behind me. They see gray hair and immediately categorize me as a bad driver because I am old! Truth is I can probably drive rings around most of them. I have driven in most large European cities, spent six years driving in Spain
during the late 50's when defensive driving there was a must to stay alive and have always taken great pride in being a good driver. I have had only one accident in my life and that was in Spain when an inexperienced driver rounded a wide curve on the wrong side of the road and forced me and my beatle into the ditch where he still sideswiped me. The Spanish police complimented me on keeping the car upright.

I saw a bumper sticker here in AZ the other day that read, "When I get old I'm going to go up North and drive slow". By the way, there are many of us old 3 series drivers living here. Not all of us want the 5 or 7.

Have a good day.

modendahl

I also have noticed poor AM reception in my 02' 325i. The FM is perfect but for some reason the AM sounds horrible. I am prob. the only person under 50 that still listens mostly to AM so this drives me nuts while my wife could care less. I know that there is a problem since I'm only about 10 miles from the antennae for my usual station (50,000 watt AM) and all of the rest sound like crap as well.

It's got 1000 miles on it so I will address when it goes in soon. To echo above, you would think a $35K car would not have this problem.

derprofi

Well, fortunately the "snowy" season is over for those of us in the DC area and you've got another 9 months to make your decision. For what it's worth, I've lived in Fairfax and Arlington for the past 30+ years and I've never needed snow tires.

ddblue

I'd have to agree with derprofi. I've been here for seven years, and only the winter of '95 was truly bad. But heck, everything was closed anyway, so it didn't even matter. Save yourself some $$ and just sit it out when it gets ugly. If anything, just look at more well-rounded tires when you replace your Contis.

luftig1

Every car has warts and the seatbelt and poor AM reception are something that I have not experienced on my two week old 330i. I have loved this car and know you will love the 325.

nyccarguy

On the G35 vs. 330i board. Those G35 owners are getting down right nasty;)

vkwheels

is the lesson from brislance1. To take care of the bod & mind & learn to drive better is what I took away from the great story! Besides right turns at stop signs I notice that people barely touch their brakes & look around in big parking lots. Yikes. On a different subject my sister's Manta was driven by her, me, and my mom. Even my mom loved that car. It got sold to a neighber for several hundred bucks. Fond memories of younger foolish days driving on Mulholland at night trying to make it fishtail out hee hee!

nyccarguy

Going up or down muholland?

vkwheels

I think up? don't really remember...those gray matter cells drowned long time ago.

asinger1

What do you guys use to protect the wood trim (2002 325i). Thanks.

chazann

The reason I am asking is last week I did, my drivers side door was hit along with the front quarter panel and my airbags did not deploy, the other car was doing 40 about mph. Has anyone else had a simular situation. BMW is researching this but I would like to hear from other BMW drivers. Thank you for your imput.

millerro3

really sorry to hear about your accident:-(

Were you hurt or injured at all? or did you walk away?

reason I ask is we had a customer a couple years ago come in and she was very upset that in her accident the airbags did not deploy. We asked her if she was injured, and she said she was fine, she walked away from the crash. If the airbags had deployed, in her case, she might not have walked away or been unharmed. Sometimes the airbags do more harm than good is what I'm saying.

Rob