BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

megrdh

Yes, you are right when you know you can get it cheaper. I don't know if they are trying to rip me off when I already ordered the car. Moreover, I feel uncomfortable to get at the price of $ 649 because they may think i am stupid (but may be it is true.)

shipo

I was just browsing around on the various BMW web sites and noticed that in Austrialia the 318i, 320i and 325i sedans were all available with a manual transmission, the 330i could only be had with an automatic! This seems rather unfair for our sporting friends down under who need a sedan.

In addition, the entire 5 Series is automatic only as well, only the M5 survives with the manual. I thought we had it bad here in the US regarding the lack of manual equipped cars, but this is ridiculous.

Best Regards,
Shipo

emilyk

I'm still in negotiation with my dealer for the alarm. I don't think they're going to bite. I may just buy one from CircleBMW and ask the dealer to install it, as part of my deal/package.

megrdh

Thank you for your info. If you don't mind please let me know how the deal goes. I don't think of getting the car alarm when I ordered because the car will be in the garage at night and I work in Danville (look very safe and there are a lot of expensive cars, I don't think thief will want my car?), but now just for a peace of mind. By the way, do yoy get a copy of credit approval? I asked them right after the deal, but still have not been sent. Sorry for so many questions to you and others. This is my first time with BMW. Thank you.

getz1

What's the big deal if oracle wants to buy his wife a car? I think you may have come down a little hard, as you used your response to 1)mock him and 2) pat you and your wife on the back for each making six figures... no one cares. I think the majority of people who own these vehicles make pretty decent flow and probably are the least bit interested in your combined income. I do, however, appreciate your E46 realated contributions.
-Getz

emilyk

I agree, I'm not sure if I need the alarm as I will be parking it in a garage by night, and at work in Fremont by day. There's a brand new 740iL and a Lexus 430 here at work so I fit low on the totum pole for theft (hopefully). I may just get the wheel locks because I'm a bit concerned about the M-double spoke rims. The car already has an engine immobilizer system so the chances of the entire car being stolen is small. I'll let you know how the deal goes, but it's not looking very good. I sent an email to them two days ago with no response : O.

hicaira

Alpine: Just curious, if all three accidents were not your fault then why were you paying ANY deductable? All three other drivers uninsured? Regardless, that's one bad luck streak. I've been in two accidents in 700,000 miles and I don't think that's unusual.

Cost of insurance is based on the following facotrs (in order of importance)

1. Where you live
2. Your driving record
3. Your age and gender (and marital status)
4. What you drive
5. Where you work (miles from home too)
6. Other factors (multi car, time with company, legal history, education level, options on car, other business with insurer)

bravehart: shop around some more. Here in CA it is not unusual to get quotes that are 100% different. Case in point: quotes on my 98 Landcruiser ranged from over $2000/yr (State farm) to under $1000 (Mercury). Went with AAA for the second lowest bid.

HiC

atonalcm

Has anyone else had this unfortunate experience? My car(2001 325i)is 2 weeks old with 1000 miles only. Smoke was pouring out of the front grill because the cooling fan overheated, melted and subsequently caught fire. Thanks

Karen_S

....but I'm here to announce the new BMW 3-Series Owners club now available on Edmunds.com Owner's Club board. Please stop by and introduce yourself in Meet the Members and let me know how I can help build your club.

I have linked this discussion into that folder, but it will always reside here in Sedans.

Looking forward to meeting everyone!

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

ceilidhbec

Megrdh - Just for your comparison's sake, the only dealer installed accessories I wanted were the floor mats, tinting, and garage door opener (aka universal transmitter). I'm being charged nothing for the mats, $99 for the tinting, and $225 for the installed garage door opener. I was told that was their cost for those items and they were selling them to me at cost as part of our deal.

Atonalcm - Don't know a lot about the fan situation by I think if you'll look over at the roadfly board you'll find out all you need to know. I know at least one person, maybe more, over there has had an overheating fan problem and someone's posted that there's a bad batch of fans recently installed in a whole group of cars. There's speculation about a recall, or the fact that perhaps there should be one. Apparently, BMW is just now becoming aware of the problem. Sounds like, particularly in lengthy stop and go traffic, new owners need to be aware that this might happen. The fan has to be replaced, of course. As far as I know, there's no way of knowing if your fan is bad until this happens to you. Anyway, BMW should be aware that a problem exists. Call BMWUSA and see if they know anything.

wailea

I took my 325i to detailing shop after I bought it for $300 - I couldn't see paying BMW the $1000 or whatever it was to have the permacoating done to the paint and the interior surfaces treated and scotchbrighted.

The guy said when it came to washing it, just use plain old Ivory dish soap - it is mild, and doesn't have waxes like most of the car soaps out on the market today.

Also, I had the dealer code the car to have the doors locks activate after, I think 5 mph, as well as the daytime running lights.

thedeepdarkblu

I just ordered my BMW 325Ci through BMW of Arlington? Has anyone had any bad experiences with them (sales or service)?

brave1heart

...I showed off with our combined income, whatever. I feel that sharing this anonymously with the rest of the cyber world has increased my happiness and well-being dramatically: I can keep feeding my thoughts of grandeur and immortality. If you are still not getting it after my 'Peace, please' post, you'll probably never get it anyhow. Too bad for you. I wish I could also say that I appreciate your E46 related contributions but I can't think of anything that sticks. Do you have anything BMW-related to say? At least I discussed at length the virtues of BMW vs. Audi in my "mocking" post. I am afraid that even Dave Barry wouldn't be able to help you, brother...

brave1heart

Do I understand this correctly: "The car already has an engine immobilizer system so the chances of the entire car being stolen is small." Could you expand on this, please? I'm guessing you need a key to start the car but there is no active alarm that monitor intrusion? As far as pricing, get this: my salesperson quoted $495 for the alarm; I hung up and called back the service dept. in the same dealership 2 min. later. The price they quoted was $405, or $90 less than my salesperson's quote from 2 min. ago?!?!? I called a couple of other dealerships just for additional opinions and they all said they'd gladly install a new BMW alarm for about $100-120 worth of labor. And no, they don't care where you buy it, as long as it's the same BMW alarm. Tell your dealer that you can buy the alarm yourself; ask them how much they'd charge you for the installation alone. You can shop around for the installation if the dealer is trying to rip you off. I wish my salesperson had told me about the alarm when I was negotiating the deal. I'll know better next time; I guess it's all part of the learning process.

I almost forgot to mention that having an active alarm that monitor intrusion and has motion sensors and all that might save you on insurance rates. Here in Mass, you get up to a 25% discount off the premium if you have a sophisticates alarm and/or Lo Jack.

ds2k1

Believe it or not, I was told that I actually receive an additional discount for being an attorney. Also, women get better rates than their male counterparts; presumably because women generally don't drive as aggressively and hence don't get as many tickets, nor cause as many accidents. Your rates also drop as you get older, presumably again for the same reason.

Insurance rates are based upon an unbelievable amount of profiling of every kind whatsoever. It's simply an odds game.

megrdh

The saleman told me that I need the key to acitvate the car. I guess what he wanted to explain was thieves don't have the keys, so it is difficult for them to steal a BMW. So as you say, I think I will wait until i get my car and try to install the alarm system. You are right, this is all the learning process, I will be smarter in negotiating my next new car. Thanks for the advise.

reubencahn

Using Ivory or any dishwashing detergent to wash a car is a bad idea. They are designed to dissolve grease and consequently do a wonderful job of stripping wax. In fact, Zaino recommends Dawn for stripping wax before you apply its products.

brave1heart

Who's singing this, it's not Donna Summer, is it? My 325i has arrived at the dealership today, as scheduled. I'm going to see it tomorrow; I can't wait. I'm probably gonna forget my head at home with all the excitement, do you guys and gals have any tips on what to look for? I am planning on picking it up a week from tomorrow, as the dealer needs a couple of business days to prep the car and I prefer to pick it up on a Saturday so I don't have to take a day off for that. So I'm just going to touch it and give it a name but I'm also hoping to see some previews. Another tip on the alarm: they would install an alarm if I wanted to bring my own but the service dept. needs to schedule this a week ahead of time. I will go with their pricing for this - as I mentioned, it's not worth the hassle for $80 diff. See, $300 diff in price as in megrdh's case is another story. BTW, has anyone been able to get the dealer to install different type of tires at no cost? For example, the 325i comes with either Bridgestone Turanzas or Michelin Pilots I think. The coupe comes with Dunlop 8080s or ContiSports. Ideally, I'd like to get the Dunlop 8080s and I'm trying to find out if anyone has been able to talk the dealer into swapping tires. Thanks.

zmantop

As Dalai Lama says, “it’s all about love”; and the reason we keep coming back here is due to our love for this masterpiece called BMW 3-series!!!
Throughout my message I emphasized on the fact that you should “only” focus on BMW and I believe you were the one getting too "personal" about Oracle’s wife and "off the mark" by bluntly bringing up nationalities. May be you should read my post again as well, the generic tone of my message could’ve not been more clear but you still took it personally – sensitivities associated with nationalities/ races are normally as intense as personal matters,if not more.
Also, it’s not the matter of confidence, it’s about awareness, (mis)conceptions, perception and above all RESPECT… and BTW in your message #2024 you just contradicted your own view, i.e., “…sharing this anonymously with the rest of the cyber world has increased my happiness and well-being dramatically…”:0)
Let's stop it right here, with peace...
Cheers!

getz1

You know you hit the nail right on the head, I just don't have anything to contribute. Everytime I sitdown to scribe into words one of my fabulous BMW epiphanies (I mean truly prophetic stuff) I develop a slight tremor in my right hand. At first I thought it was Parkinsons, but I lack the emotional masking, lead pipe rigidity, shuffling/festinating gate, and the usually pathomnemonic pill rolling tremor. So I turned my thoughts towards a possible cerebellar problem realizing that my basal ganglia were probably intact. Yet again I showed no dysdiadochokinesia, proprioception is fairly decent, and all cranial nerves appear grossly intact. My dorsal comlumn/medial lemniscal system along with my anterolateral system tested intact as well, you know good pain, touch vibratory sensation, abscence of clonus etc. My intention tremor is present only when trying to post on this BMW board. After minutes of excruciating brain flexion, I came to the conclusion that it is a simple case of performance anxiety. You see, I have a deep seated fear that everytime I post you are going to say "Getz you suck, and my wife who earns six figures would laugh in your face". It is horrible, I now have trouble sleeping, my appetite is next to nothing. I just have this reoccuring thought of you and your wife sitting at starbucks making fun of my lack of E46 knowledge, sipping grande caramel machiatos between bursts of shrill laughter, stopping only momentarily to push your trendy black framed fake eye-glasses (with the colored lenses) back onto the bridges of your upturned noses (the plural usage of nose may infact be be nosi, perhaps the harvard poster who went to latin school can correct me if i'm wrong). I'm now chewing benzodiazepenes by the handful, but it doesn't help. I've also noticed I have a compulsion to wash my hands 50 times aday, and to avoid stepping on cracks at all costs. I think your keen wit, wielded malicously and expertly, like well placed surgical steel has scored me to my very soul. You have changed me, in fact I am going to trade in my E46 for a south african manufactured razor scooter, as my lack of innovative comments make me much less deserving of a true driving machine. But maybe there is a gleam of hope, perhaps this Dave Barry you mention may be able to help me to overcome my lack of "getting it", whatever "it" implies; although this expression is commonly used by buzz word toting 20 somethings who are desperately trying to erect a barrier of pseudo wisdom to cover up the fact that they spent more time in college watching MTV's the real world than going to lecture. How many times did you use the word "proacctive" in a sentence today? I know you did, that word has a lot of "zazz" and could help you increase "outlying performance" in your work-place (hold on I'm gagging on my elbow right now). But back to Dave Barry, please provide me a hyperlink to his weekly column so that I can try and teach myself how to laugh again and to perhaps remedy my many other social inequities. Brave1heart, you have opened my eyes to the light, peeled away the mask of grey hanging over my being, and "brother" I can't thank you enough. Oh my God, my hand its...its..working, no unwanted uncontrolled movements, no more poking strangers in the eye due to my embarassing hemibalism. Your enlightening words have cured me, you truly are a great american hero. Oh, as far as the BMW insight, I really enjoy my car which has been trouble free and the hiperformance p225 yokohomas have really given it much better grip.
Sincerely,
-Getz

brave1heart

Getz, I got some good laughs out of your letter - thank you. I really enjoyed it and while my responses can sometimes be perceived as Macchiavelian and not always fair by everyone's standards, I can appreciate good, creative writing. I didn't know that medical books could be so funny. Send me a medical books link and I'll reveal to you the secret to Dave Barry's posts. Thanks for the Yokohamas tip BTW - that's good to know. Unfortunately, I think I can only get these aftermarket, so they won't be an option in my case. Not a free option at least. Would you go for the Turanzas or Dunlops if you could choose?

P.S. We don't go to Starbucks any more - we got our own Espresso machine at home. It's black so it can match our fake glass frames better. We liked Starbucks but we were laughing too loud and we kicked out and eventually banned from all of them.

P.S.S. I do believe that laughter is the best cure and Dave Barry is a great doctor. Right, Dr. Getz? "Dave Barry in Syberspace" may be a good start, although it is not as highly acclaimed as "Dave Barry's guide to sex and/or marriage".

ds2k1

Bloody priceless. Still laughing. Man, I hope you have a good weekend. You've really earned it.

goody4

"I'm So Excited" is sung by the The Pointer Sisters.

uge123

Getz! Great post! My wife and I got some great laughs out of your ramblings...which sound a bit like Sam Shem's diatribes in House of God mixed with a neurology text.

Now...what I don't get is why a $30,000+ car doesn't come with a front seat armrest unless one orders the premium package. The dealer installed version has been quoted at anywhere between $400 to $700 here in the greater Chicago area. I'm considering ordering and installing the sucker myself.

Anybody else try this yet?

lrawles2

I am waivering between a 330i and a 330cic. I go back and forth each day. I would appreciate any thoughts of people that may have gone through this same dilemna and whether you are happy with your choice.

Thanks in advance.

golfnut7

I just got my production date - May 18th. The dealer assured me my 325i is being built in Germany. Any ideas from experience how long it takes from production date to delivery to the dealer? He tells me late June. I don't know if I can wait that long!

pat

Are women treated differently in the car-buying process?.

What do you think? Follow that link, read Edmunds.com's editors Carmen Tellez and Phillip Reed's attempt to answer that question, and share your thoughts on the process and the article itself.

Pat
Host
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tabbiecat

tcn2k: Quick follow up to your post #1901. Service adviser said it was a short circuit. I believe it because the AC was running fine on Sunday, so the fan had to be engaged then. Parts are on back order from Germany and due in early next week.

getz1

Brave1heart,
I previously had the continental touring tires so all I can say is that any aggressive tread tire will add pretty significant traction gains, but it seems to also come at the slight expense of a stiffer ride. However, some of our lovely chicago roads bear a striking resemblance to the more mortar blasted areas of Beirut so unless you have a hover car, the rides going to be rough. I could seriously give you some good med-links, as I am entering my 3rd year of med school but I'm pretty sure anyone who isn't forced to look at such stuff would find it excruciatingly boring. Thanks for the Dave Barry tip, i'll have to give him a read. I've been re-reading my old Vonnegut novels for laughs lately, and agree whole heartedly that humor can be a great healing tool. ds2k1 and uge123 I am glad that my skewed rantings didn't entirely waste two minutes of your lives, hopefully I was able to trade a couple of laughs for my lack of BMW knowledge. uge123, wasn't House of God a great book? I recently read the sequel Mount Misery and was somewhat dissapointed. I guess it was geared more towards those with an ear cocked towards psychiatry. Well, I hope everyone continues to enjoy their 3ers.
-Getz

alpine325i

I ordered my car around the first week of December. My production date was January 10. I picked up the car on February 7. It did seem like forever, but now that the car is here, it was well worth the wait )

zmantop

Your writing has definitely helped me through a difficult and stressful phase as my dealer told me earlier today that my 330xi baby "may" not be available for pick-up until early June :-( I was initially given end of May date per my production number. Keeping my fingers crossed...
Congratulations brave1heart - you've really earned it!!!
Cheers

veekay1

What production week did you have?

add123

Golfnut7,
I ordered my 330i this past Monday and was told that it would be produced the last week of May, week 22. I was told that it would arrive the last week of July. According to alpine325, its just over a month. If it is, that would be great. I suppose ours will be produced right along side each other.

add123

adam68

Ordered my 325CI on 4/1 and have a production date of 5/4...currently at status 150. I expect to have the car by the first week of June. Car is being built in Germany. I don't have any quality issues with a SA build, but there does seem to be a 2 week delay over there.

I debated over the Sport Package and decided against it. My main concern was the firmer suspension and sport steering wheel, both come standard on the 325CI anyway. The seats and wheels were not as impt to me. Actually, the sport seats felt a little confining. With that
$1000 I was able to get the Xenons and alarm..
both of which are far more impt to me than the seats or wheels.

Just a note on Xenons: Once you get a car with them, they become a must have. I have a feeling you'll find them becoming standard equipment on more cars over the next 2 or years.

Audio system: I enjoy great music and at home I have top of the line NAD equipment along with NHT
speakers. After listening, I found both to be extremely horrible. I can't see spending $675
on the H/K system. Even something equal to the radio in a civic would be a major improvement over
these two choices.

getz1

Sorry you felt that way, I wasn't trying to show any writing prowess I was just hamming for a few laughs. I don't beleive anywhere in my post, or any posts I have ever made that I have implied that a car measures a mans integrity, honesty, work ethic or any of the other intangibles that we use to delegate an individual as deserving of respect. Again, I am very sorry for making you ill and you are 100% correct that BMW is only a car... well unless its a motorcycle.. but I digress.

pat

The Planet's Best Sedan Just Got Better!

Read Edmunds.com's Neil Dunlop's impressions of the newly introduced all-wheel drive BMW 330xi by following the link in the Additional Resources box on the left sidebar of this page.

Please share your thoughts on the article and the vehicle itself.

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

camnellum1

My 325xi was produced in Germany. Initially scheduled for a week 14 build, it went into production the first week in April.

It shipped last week and is scheduled to arrive at a New Jersey port this Tuesday May 1. The dealer says I should have it by the weekend.

I am patiently waiting to experience the feel of driving my first Bimmer.

alpine325i

Do NOT use dish soap to wash your car. It was designed to strip grease off of dishes. It will destroy your paint very quickly. Your paint needs the right type of emollients to protect it and extend the life of the paint. To get the whole scoop on this paint thing, go to "carcareonline.com" and read the "How-To Articles" section. Some of the popular waxes will cause "clouding" on the German finishes, so make sure you buy the right wax. One of the best car washes that I have found is "Production Wax Wash, #2 Extra Mild" this is a favorite among detailers and is only $11 a gallon. It dilutes 100 to 1, so that gallon will last a long time and save you alot of money )

mdbimmer

Thanks, pat, for alerting us to the new review.

As someone awaiting production of his 330xi, I was delighted to read the review. I should point out one major error, though -- the too-light steering, criticized by the reviewer, HAS ALREADY BEEN FIXED. The reviewer says one must wait for the 2002 model to get the fix, but in fact every sedan currently being has the "old" BMW steering. This has been much discussed on our sedans site.

Too bad the reviewer didn't get the sports package, and forego the automatic transmission!

pat

I'm glad you enjoyed the article. Please feel free to provide your feedback at Contact Edmunds.com.

By the way, that "Contact" page can be reached by clicking on Help at the top (or bottom) of this page, then following the link.

Pat
Host
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parump

Several new 3 series owners have reported problems with overheating due to a faulty radiator fan. For new car owners, what is the "normal" range for the temperature guage? Is there a way to identify a potential problem before the engine overheats other than the temperature guage (visual inspection for an axillary fan to operate)?

Parump

bavarian

The E46 armrest is available from Circle BMW:$176
for leather,$142 for vinyl. I wanted to have it already in place when I picked up my 325i so I had the dealer supply and install it for a total
of $260 (Indiana)
Laugh in the faces of those Chicago dealers and tell them I sent you.

larryintn

If your fan isn't working you'll notice fluctuations in temp relative to your speed. Go faster, car runs cooler; go slower, car runs hot; stop, car overheats.

If this happens you can still drive the car as long as you can keep the temp in the normal range by any combination of driving faster (40mph+ should work) and running the heater of full blast.

parump

Larryintn,

Thank you very much for the response. I will monitor the temperature guage carefully after receiving the car.

Parump

uge123

I'm in Chicago as well. I actually ended up ordering the sport package also mostly for the suspension and not the tires. I ordered the wagon because my wife and I decided that we needed the space. I was going to buy winter tires regardless of the car we bought...just so I could ALWAYS make it to work. I've driven AWD versus 2WD with snow tires...and the snow tires make the most difference. I can't wait! My car is silver blue metallic! Whew!

Getz1: I haven't read Shem's followup to House of God. But the original was true artwork. Heh. Hey, which med school are you attending? I thought your rant sounded too exact to be the work of a layperson. I'm an M4, soon PGY1 in Chicago.

madashell2

I picked up my '01 325i in Nov. 2000, today I went to the dealership to find the same model like mine only better! The 4 spoke steering wheel including cruise control came as a standard two weeks ago?!? WHY??? Someone please tell me, please?

mrpeltyn

Hi Everyone...I'm excited to say that I get my 325i on Friday if all goes as planned. What do you think of the following:

1. I bought a titanium silver 325i, leather, auto, premium & sport, and in-dash cd. Sticker is $35,145. I am paying $33,350 from a salesperson who I believe to be very fair. I'm also getting the mats for free and 5.9%. Am I right on that this is a very good deal?

2. How much is the 4th year of scheduled maintenance, and is the price negotiable? Is it worth it?

3. Same question on an extended warranty...how much is it, is the price negotiable, and is it worth it?

Thanks!!!!!!

raftaar

Need some help in color selection folks. This is mailnly because the color combos I'm trying to select are not physically available at the dealers. I've ordered the car, but have only this week to finalize the color selection.

Does any of you have or seen Topaz Blue exterior with Black Leathereete? I am not a big fan of Wood trim per se. Is the wood trim worth/suitable with black interior? It seem to blend in as opposed to stand out. I saw a blue exterior/black leather/dark chrome alumin trim in Lexus IS300, which looked darn good. But I dont have the option of the dark aluminum or chorme trim from the dealer. Is there any aftermarket option I should look at?

I looked at Topaz Blue with Gray interior and was not very pleased with the gray factor. I think a bit of darker shade in gray would have done a better justice. Thus, my inclination towards black.

The car will show up in NJ in June end. It is may end production.

Thanks ..

-Raftaar

adam68

I only like wood trim with the sand interior. Aluminum looks nice with the black trim.

adam68

I agree, I think the BMW shade of grey is too light...would prefer a slightly darker grey.