BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

mg330ci

Wait till you drive a 330

(nothing against the 325, an excellent, well tune car, it is just that I have become addicted to the extra power, and I am glad I have never driven an M3, otherwise .....

postoak

Well, tomorrow is the big day -- I fly off to Munich! I'm taking a break from packing now to post.

Shipo - thanks for the answer. Maybe something new will be in place when I get back.

Claywaterfill - I didn't see anyone answer your question -- SP without PP are manual seats, I believe.

Brave1heart - I missed it when you got new tires. How many miles did you get out of the Contis?

Thanks to Platypus, Orkwis, seivwrig, derprofi, shipo and all the others who helped me get ready for my ED.

I'll probably check in one more time tomorrow morning and then I'll be offline for 23 days. I return late on July 14.

dl7265

Thanks you guys are lifesavers,literally.
Moritz came and towed said "deathtrap" away and put me in another loaner. this is the 2nd time i had service and the vehicle was returned with more problems than went in for. Dealer has allways been great , however i think i have a vo-tech class doing the repairs ;(

DL

ultrarunner

Thanks for the update and send back a post if you get a chance after you take delivery.

I am scheduled for Munich delivery in September (325iT)and would like to know what to expect.

seivwrig

If you don't get PP, then the Sport seats are manual. This is more fuel for the BMW Individual program in the U.S. The down side to having to get options a la carte is higher price BMWs.

erickpl

Well, I got my XM Installation done. Here's the deal:

2002 325xi SP, CWP, wood/brown leather
No HK upgrade

I went with the Alpine systems. The dealer installed the XM tuner itself under my passenger seat. The RF kit to give me a display was installed behind the dash, though they had a heck of a time finding space for it. Apparently it is VERY tight behind the dash for space, but it did fit. The actual display unit was installed next to the cigarette lighter in front of the gear shift. It didn't quite fit, but they fashioned a very nice plastic frame to take up the remaining space. The tracks for closing the lid are still visible, but that was a compromise I made so I could close and hide the display. When closed, all factory look. The plastic started out black, but they shaped it and buffed it to match the color of the trim in 3. VERY nice. My only nitnoid is that I wish the display was tilted just a bit so the display was a bit easier to read. The remote stores nicely in the armrest.

I opted for the Pioneer antenna over the Terks for 2 reasons: The glass mounts I hear are not very good (and I wasn't willing to cut my tint up to get a clear line), and they are adhesive mounts. The Pioneer is mounted on the trunk and is magnetic. When I go through a car wash or want to hide my system, the magnetic mount comes right off and lies in my trunk. With my green paint, it looks fine. In fact, the Pioneer antenna rather follows the lines of my 3er.

I'll post some pictures once I wash my car and borrow my friend's digital camera.

As for reception and sound, one word - AWESOME! Even on the preview channels, the sounds was crystal clear, the reception was incredible, even through the mountains of soCal. My only problem is that my xm tuner won't activate. Some Alpines have had this problem. My dealer is replacing the unit for me and working the activation issues with my account at XM.

My highly untrained ears seemed to notice a clearer sound than I've heard before from the stereo. The CD sound is okay/good, and this XM easily sounds as good to me as the CD itself. I was considering some MB Quart's to replace my factory speakers because my radio sounded so lousy. But the XM gives it a clear sound. I may still replace them, but I'm good for now. Something to consider...

I chose the Alpine mainly because my wife bought it for me. Seriously, I liked the rotary knob for tuning, it still has 12 presets (6 each for me and my wife) and I prefer the greenish light to the Pioneer's coloring, which would be even harder to read, especially during the day.

Possible mounting spots for the display also included the pocket just below the climate controls. But since the 3 has such limited storage space, I couldn't give that one up, since I put sunglasses and misc little things in there, like gum. We don't smoke, so the ashtray was perfect.

If you are considering XM, consider this:
1. Do you want to keep the stock stereo? If you do, you need the RF unit also.
1b. If you opt for a new head unit, it will probably install much easier, but you will lose some of the factory look.
2. Do you want to cut up your dash? If no, then ashtray and little cubby are best options.
3. If you spend much time in your car (traffic, long commutes, etc), it is worth it.
4. An antenna adapter will be needed to fit the RF in to the head unit, but it can be spliced and soldered easily (easily reversible also) with no degradation of signal of either XM or regular signals.
5. If you want a clean install, be prepared to pay a bit extra for a custom installation. The trim piece for the display took a while to make (and have it look nice).
6. Don't look at the car while they do it. It'll almost make you cry.
My installation took quite a while, about 7 hours. They did an INCREDIBLE job hiding all cables to and from the head unit, the XM tuner, and to the antenna. They uses existing cable runs from the trunk area for the antenna, and all you see is the 1" of cable wrapping up into the trunk lid (by the toolbox). All else is hidden. With the BMW being such a tight car, it was some work running the cables.

If you do it, it CAN be done without creating rattles or loose stuff in the car. Expect and demand it. I demanded NO rattles be introduced and that I see NO cables/wires in the car AT ALL. Only the bit in the trunk shows.

Hope this helps.

-Paul

vkwheels

Where did your wife purchase the Alpine system & who did the installation? I might be interested in changing over to XM sometime. Although Eva is too new to mess with, your write-up is encouraging. Cheers!

claywaterfill

Thanks for the info on the seats. I also found out. It does seem weird to me that the seats would be manual--after all, how many people order SP without PP so that BMW would need both manual and power sport seats?

As for the color, I think I got us over to Steel Blue--should be a better color over the long haul.

It looks as though they are starting to take orders on 2003 models. I went ahead and got with a salesman and he said I could order right now for a 2002 model to come in around Sept. 1, or I could wait and order a 2003 to deliver in October. Since I'm not ready to buy now, a 2003 is what we're after, anyway.

erickpl

I had my stuff bought and installation done up in Bakersfield, High Voltage Audio 661-283-8383. Ask for Kevin. Say I referred you.

They are the ONLY dealer in Bakersfield that will have their work warrantied by BMW. In other words, if I have problems with the car later, BMW will not be able to say that the stereo shop broke it, ergo no warranty work. VERY nice to have.

I would have really liked an XM ready head unit, but my wife wanted to keep the stock look. I have to admit, I like knowing I have XM, but nothing will show if I don't want it to. The only issue is the antenna, but with the magnet mount, I can remove it too.

-Paul

brave1heart

The aux fan problem is well-documented on any BMW-related web site. BMWNA issued a recall over a year ago and you should have received a recall letter last year. it's a good thing you noticed the problem early and were able to pull over. When it happened to me, I was only a mile away from home and once the car cooled off in ~ 45 min, I drove home. In the morning, I drove about 25 miles to the dealer - it should be OK as long as you don't run the AC. Your car will be all set on Monday.

brave1heart

You'd be surprised how many people order the SP without the PP/power seats (most people on this board including). SP is for sport. Power seats are for luxury. Most people option their cars either for sport or for luxury. The manual sport seats offer more adjustments than the SP power seats (at least they used to in 2001). I personally prefer manual seats because you can slide/adjust them faster, they weigh less, are less likely to need repairs in the future, and because I am too young to be sitting in an electric wheelchair.

Take this fwiw but I think that of all 3-series colors, the steel blue (I also call it lavender) is the most fashionable and least likely to hold its appeal in the longER haul.

abcnyc

Has anybody had any experience with Discount Tire Direct ? I know most people seem to use Tire Rack. The prices at Discount Tire Direct are a little more than Tire Rack, but that may be offset by the free shipping. I believe Tire Rack charges about $70 for shipping.

dl7265

i concur on the seat evaluation, i like my manual Sport seats.And ive been driving a premium loaner for a week.

Abcnyc: i just take the prices to my local Discount tire dealer and they match them plus like $5.00 for shipping .

DL

purchasingsoon

2002 325xi, leatherette, SP, PP, Xenons. Handles like a dream and the hp is good enough for me (330 was out of my $ range). This car is beautiful. Thanks for all of the answers to my questions in the past. I can't wait to hit the road again!
One problem: my AM radio reception is poor (crackles) no matter where i'm at, or which station i'm listening to. I'll have to take it in and get that checked out. What did everyone pay for the acquisition fee? mine was $700+ i think; seemed way too high. Thanks.

wayde

Have not owned a BMW - wondering about mainenance, what to look for in the particular year/make. I know this was the first year of production for the coupe - anything to be aware of?
It's white with red leather - sport package, sunroof, heated seats, premium and only 16,xxx miles.
Does the factory maint (3/36) transfer?
How about the 4/50?
It looks like it recently had an oil change at 16, 300 miles. What else should be done at this time?
The price is 28.9K - according to edmunds, about 400 higher than tmv.
ANY thoughts/comments you guys have would be great.
BTW - I drove a G35, an IS300 -both new, and then the 2000 323Ci - this was the only car to make me say "wow". (Yes, the G and IS are very nice, but the BMW was just " ").
Thanks!
Wayde

riez

purchasingsoon... The AM reception in my '98 540i6 is mediocre. The AM reception in my wife's '00 323iA is downright terrible. She can get in only one station in the entire metro area, out of about 15 AM stations, and it is the strongest one. And even that station sounds terrible. Had dealer work on it once to no avail. My wife doesn't listen to much AM. I listen to a ton of AM while driving on business trips.

Remember reading that BMW and some other marques are signed up for the Sirius satellite radio system, the competitor to XM. Too bad Sirius seems to keep having delays. Not sure when they will go fully operational. Anyone know when the BMW in-dash Sirius units will be out on new BMWs?

What was the MSRP of your '02 325xi? Seems like you added some decent options (SP, PP, Xenons). Surprised you then said you couldn't afford a 330i. Isn't the MSRP of your car above the base MSRP on a 330i?

brave1heart

I paid only $34-and-change for a second day FedEx delivery when I bought my tires through the Tirerack last week. You can obtain exact shipping estimates on their web site.

purchasingsoon

the sticker for my 325xi was around 35700. i got it for around 1,000 less than sticker (i know, i probably could have done better). i just went to bmwusa and priced a 330xi w/step and leatherette, no other options. priced out at 37,660. plus i would have had to order it to get it spec'd that way and i couldn't wait because i had a lease that was about to expire.
i don't understand why poor AM reception can't be fixed in a car at this price range. i hope the dealer can fix it for me.

seivwrig

I don't quite understand what people mean by poor AM reception. I do not have the problem even though the Nav is more complex to operate. I have tinted windows and have no problems manually tuning to most AM stations in the Houston metropolitan area. I guess my first questions would be, are there a lot of tall bldgs or mountains in your area? Did you have dealer check that the radio was connected to the intetgrated antenna?

riez

seivwrig... I've owned over 15 cars from all sorts of marques (American, European, Japanese, and Korean). All but my two current BMWs had decent AM radio reception. I live in rural area only about 25 miles from downtown of major metropolitan area. We're talking a lot of powerful AM stations that have always come in clear on all my other cars.

In my BMWs the stations come in weak, with lots of distortion and, esp. in wife's 323iA, are nearly unlistenable due to interference. In my 540i6 seems due to inherently poor antenna system. My wife's 323iA seems to be part antenna but possibly more ground issue. Tremendous amount of electrical interference while the engine is on. Is patently obvious the moment you turn on AM radio with car running. Now why the dealer can't fix my wife's reception issue when brought to their attention is another matter.

I think it is due to the non-aerial, built-into-the glass antenna. These worked poorly on GM cars back in the '60s and '70s (friend of mine used to have a Chevelle from that era).

stgreen

I live in New England - 2 hours due west of Boston. In wifes 2001 Passat, 640, 660 am (ny york mets radion station; "mike and mad dog, etc..) and other popular radio stations come in very, very clear.

in my 2002 330xi, 640 comes in nice, but 660 is nonexistant... also in '94 saab those same stations came in just fine... also fm is better than my bimmer as well..

i agree that in a $32,000 + car poor am radio reception is just wrong - regardless of how nice the engine sounds...

leenelsonmd

I have never owned a car that got great AM reception. I can't even get decent AM reception on my Home Theater system.

I agree that BMW should probably have better reception than it does, but I would rather have an internal antenna and poor reception than an external antenna. They could take the radio out of the car as long as they left a slot for a CD player.

Do the 7 series have better reception? Is it possible to have an internal antenna and good reception?

purchasingsoon

For $70,000+ and all of the techno-wiz hype, i hope the 7 series has exceptional radio reception and more.
I wonder if the HK upgrade on the 3-series has better reception? Considering that the A4 has the 6 CD in-dash as standard, you would think BMW could at least pull a decent stock radio out of the hat. man am i pissed that i have to take this thing in to the shop already.

riez

Had an Infiniti a while back. It had two antennas. Think they called it a "diversity antenna system". An internal one (in the glass) that would only be used when you turned the radio on. And an external one that kicked in once the metal antenna was fully extended. The reception using just the diversity antenna was poor but you could get the station in while the antenna extended. But once extended, the metal external antenna took over. The difference in reception was clear, convincing, and noticeable. The external antenna was far, far superior, both AM and FM.

jean7of9

Beemers this will not let you feel better, but may share your dismay. Since MB moved the E-Class radio antenna to the rear window the radio reception became as poor as it could be. Despite the repeated complaints of new owners MB kept delivering that defective system for many years. Some E-Class owners replaced the OEM antenna with a Radio-Shack system installed under the car. Reception improved drastically. But doing so may jeopardize the warranty.

bg1981

I have a ´97 318ti (E36, I think). I believe the instrument cluster is the same as on the current Z3s. I was wondering if anyone knows if I can find the chrome gauge accents that come on some of the coupes and convertibles. I have not seen any at the after market sites, but was wondering if BMW carried them direct. Thanks

erickpl

Riez, the 325xi spec'd with SP, PP, xenons will still be lower than the 330xi with SP, PP and xenons. When I bought my 325xi, I wanted (insisted) on the things I got, regardless of whether I got a 325 or 330. By doing so, I priced myself out of the 330. So I ended up getting what I wanted, except the bigger engine and a few of the niceties that the 330 offers. Do I regret it? Not really. I always want a bigger engine. But my wife and I decided our priority was a safe, comfortable, sporty car. We didn't need the power, just wanted.

As for radio reception, I live nowhere near a major radio station (LA's KLOS is the strongest I get). Add to that - mountains. I didn't want to wait any longer for Sirius. Actually I hadn't heard of it until after I got my XM system.

I have my XM system now working (finally activated). I can drive anywhere right now and have had absolutely NO problems with ANY reception. The sound is great. It looks like a factory installation and you can't even tell it is in there. Check out my post at 17705 for information.

-Paul

abcnyc

brave1heart - Thanks for the info. Did that shipment also include wheels or just the tires ?

riez

erickpl... Thought purchasingsoon's original note had talked about not being able to afford a 330i. Don't believe he had said 330xi. I'd have to look at his original note. All I was pointing out is that the price of a loaded 325xi can be more than a no- or low-option 330i.

brave1heart

Just the tires. If you go to their web site and add the products that you are planning on buying to your cart, you can then get the shipping charges for your particular order. You'd know how much the shipping charges are before you hit the submit button.

claywaterfill

I know the well told story of the 330i vs the G35. I also know it will play on for a while as BMW makes changes and Infiniti adds a manual transmission.

I, however, would be looking at a 325i, not a 330i. The big thing about the 330i vs the G35 is the big price difference. Well, the 325i is about the same price as the G35. My question is, how many of you BMW owners would have bought the G35 for the price of a 325i? How many would have stayed with the 325i anyway and why? I know this is hypothetical, but I don't doubt the G35 would have any problem taking on a 325i, so should potential 325i buyers look that way instead? Thanks.

seivwrig

I've tried the 7-series radio and I cannot work that doggone I-drive. I guess I need to be 10 years and video game junkie to figure it out.

tenet1

What is this acquisition fee that you refered to in a prior post? Are you refering to the destination charge that is on the sticker, or something in addition to that?

ccotenj

if (when?) the g35 gets a stick, then i'd go drive one and see what it feels like... why not, i drove a j30 for awhile and i liked it (until it got stolen!)...

as far as "taking on"... a lot of that comes down to driver skill... keep in mind that one of the things that gives a 3er a certain "je ne sais quois" is that an average joe like ccotenj can approach it's limits without having to pay dry cleaner bills...

-Chris

seivwrig

There is a forum for this and if I speak too much, Pat will point out the forum. I'll keep it brief. I wanted a German car (VW, M-B, Audi or BMW). I considered the I35, G35, TL Type-S and ES300, but I did not want to test drive any car that shared the parts bin with their lower price counterpart. VW and Audi do share parts but both are quite refined. I looked at HP initially but it was irrevelent once I test drive the A4 1.8T. When you drive a car with 150HP for a while, 186HP seems superb. The 3er is fun to drive. I enjoy the car and would never turn back. I've drive BMWs with the 3.0L engine and I don't need the power. If I was a better driver, then I could make use of the 3.0L. As an average driver with average skills (good enough to drive a left and right handed car on narrow British roads). The G35 is a great value and I would not knock it but I don't want the interior plastic. I am on the inside of my car more than the outside. I just don't stare at my car much.

pat

vkwheels

Could've tested a G35 prior to buying, but didn't. Didn't care for the look of the G35's big butt & it was a longer car than I wanted to have. I like the neat compactness of the 3 series. HP was not a deciding factor for me, totally agree with Seivwrig. Also, comments about the interior on this board weren't inspiring (but I didn't check it out for myself).

vkwheels

(caught red-handed)

kdshapiro

I bought the 330i, should I have opted to step down it would have been to the 325i, not the G35. Yes, I do feel the G35 is a step down. HP has little to do with it.

nyccarguy

Have we mentioned how great that shirt looks that you have on today?

claywaterfill

However, I was not really referring to the horsepower difference. There are many on this board who value the "sport" driving ability of their cars. I was wondering if anyone here thinks the G35 could possibly deliver a more fun and spirited drive than the 325i? Yes, I know, drive both and get what I like--but I'm curious to see if there would be any here who would jump ship for the Infiniti if they had to go with the 325i themselves.

mr323

I've been driving my 325i for a few weeks (1600 miles) and never really considered the G35. Partly it was the German car thing that seivwrig points out (I've had a couple of Mazdas, a couple of Toyotas, and a Subaru--all fine cars that worked well, the finest being a 1978 mazda 626) and decided that this time I wanted a Euro car. (My brother-in-law loves Saabs and has been involved in racing, so I thought about them a bit. Ever notice how every Saab review, however full of praise, always also calls the car "quirky"? At 50 I'm not sure I can start doing quirky: Dick is a bit older, but has been through several quirky Saabs, so it has probably rubbed off on him, making the Saab seem normal and, say, the BMW seem quirky.)

Past the Euro car fetish, I also was not interested in a car that sells on horsepower (e.g., 260 thoroughbreds). For that I could buy the Subaru WRX (rex? wrecks??) and save even more money.

Finally, I read Consumer Reports reviews, this board, drove the 325 and recalled the lesson of March and Simon: in decision making we often satisfice rather than optimize, and teh 325 satisfices me just fine!

Best wishes,

Ed

hgeyer

For father's day, I got a 1500psi Karcher electric pressure washer ($150 at Costco). While playing with it yesterday (washing the siding on my garage) I looked at the brake dust on the wheels of my 330i and thought "what the heck?"

I hit the wheels with medium/medium high pressure (not full pressure as recommended for concrete cleaning) and guess what - the washer cut through the brake grime like a hot knife through butter. I had the wheels clean within 5 minutes.

Now my question/concern - is anyone aware of any potential damage or other reason why this would be a bad idea (other than avoiding the brake mechanism)? It just seems too easy.

Thanks

butmywife

Love the car (325xi, greygreen metallic w/PP). It survived the trip across the pond, through the Canal and up the Left Coast w/o a scratch. I bought the rubber mats for the front and trunk to collect golf detritus and had the windows tinted today.

The 3er has enough umph for me---really accelerates well and corners unbelievably. I've had no problems with the radio reception with either AM or FM and the cassette player works well. I had the shop program the Clown Nose to blink when the car is locked to simulate a car alarm. (Yes, I'm too cheap to buy the alarm).

Questions: I'd like to put a CD changer in the trunk but the dealer wants about $700 and I can get a better component (Pioneer, 12 changer) for $400 installed. Any input regarding the warranties if I put in a "non" BMW item? I'd also like the get the clear coat nose mask to keep it from getting chipped up. Anybody have it? Are you satisfied with it?

My only regret is that the car didn't come with lumbar support. I couldn't afford the extra $5K for the 330 so I did without. Perhaps the '03s will have lumbar support and I can talk the dealer into getting me a new seat . . . . . .

I love having this car!

ButMyWife

bmw323is

Radio reception. Here is what I did. Take a wire coat hangar and bend it in a couple of angles and duct tape it to the back window. Not sure if the reception is much better, but I know people like the classy look because I now see a lot of 'em point'n at my car.

The latest Motor Trend tested 330i against G35 (both auto's and the 3 was non-sport). The G won in every category, especially price. And it was about 4mph faster on the skidpad. I would still take the 3 series personally, but I'm very happy some manufacturer is taking on BMW. All the better for us when it's time to buy the next one.

nyccarguy - next time write "Pat, have you lost weight?"

tiag325

As expected, it was the aux fan problem. As the tech wrote up the ticket this morning he told me that they suspected this to be the problem and would have me on the road by the afternoon. I received a call late in the day to confirm the problem and to tell me that they do not have the part. It is being emergency shipped and will arrive on Wednesday. Doesn't sound like much of an emergency to me. Hasn't BMW heard of overnight shipping?

A few other notes:

1. The loaner I received on Friday was a 2000 323iT. It gave me an opportunity to make some interesting comparisons. This was my first chance to try the old steering and it was definitely better. This car had the SP, but didn't seem to offer the improvement in handling that I've heard so much about. Maybe that's because it is the touring?? This car was also an automatic and didn't have anywhere near the acceleration that mine does. Other than the steering the only thing that impressed me was the sport seats.

All that aside, I can't wait until Wednesday. Is it ok to miss a car? : )

loubct

Longtime lurker on this board finally going thru process on which BMW 3 series to purchase. At this time decision is the 330i. I believe I will always regret not getting extra horse if I went the 315 route. A couple of questions on options packages. Definitely getting Sport package, however wondering on grade of tires. I live in Northeast with snowy winters. Will sport tires handle wintry weather and how are the sports seats. Trying to avoid premium package as it is quite costly. Would probably go sports,xenon,leather,heated seats. Any opions

ambull

Hgeyer, do you have the gray Karcher pressure washer? Did you use any detergent on your wheels? I'm thinking about getting one for car, deck, etc. How do you like it?

kdshapiro

If the G35 won if every category, why are you taking the BMW?

ccotenj

lol, pat, i can relate to that...

*will not get sucked into the tire discussion*...
*will not get sucked into the tire discussion*...

-Chris