BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

hpowders

Because my head is practically hitting the roof as is. A helmet is out of the question.

gogiants

Am concerned about BMW's tubular air bags. Can any experts out there advise? Are these as safe as curtain air bags for protecting my two small children sitting in the rear of the car from injury due to glass or side impact? thanks

kdshapiro

I would be concerned about what an Audi salesperson says about the competition. Look at the two major websites that have public information about crash results, NHSTA and IIHS and form your own opinion. If I remember both of these sites, give 5 stars for back-seat passengers, but I don't know about small kids in car seats.

 

Seems to me this would be a very difficult question to answer, except for the back and forth debating. But you should choose the vehicle that makes you feel it is safer.

robopop

I would agree about the safety of wearing helmets in the car - in fact maybe all the time? However, before my first BMW driving school I drove around our small city with my helmet on for about half an hour to check out the fit and position of me in the car with this huge hat on. The looks I received from almost everyone were hilarious although I think I almost caused several accidents among the onlookers. Needless to say, that was the only time I wore the helmet off the track.

brave1heart

riez said it very well. My 2-year old son always rides in the middle seat in the back. If you have 2 kids, they obviously cannot ride both in the middle and the airbag issue becomes more important. The short answer is that you will not get an answer here. I have been reading 3 or 4 3-series boards for 4+ years and have never seen that concern come up. It may mean that it's not an issue or that not enough owners are concerned about it. Do some research on bimmerfest and e46fanatics. Good luck and don't sweat it too much - you kids will be fine in either car. The ride is good in both of them.

ivan_99

What year 325? If it has LATCH...and you use seats with them, they should be offset from the sides where the airbags would not come into play.

erickpl

You may want to get diagrams or pictures of what the rear airbags look like deployed. If the BMW ones were just tubes that didn't come down to the window sill, I could see your concern. I have the rear airbags and honestly cannot remember what they look like deployed (never deployed for me thank goodness!).

 

-Paul

gordonwd

I owned a '98 1.8T before buying my '04 325i, so my comparisons are with an earlier generation. For ride quality, I think both cars are comparable, at least for the non-sport suspensions. The 325i definitely has considerably more pep than my A4 did, but the newer A4s have I think about 30hp more than mine did (the '98 was rated at 150 as I recall), so maybe that is not an issue.

 

I can't comment on the airbag issue, but I will say that IMHO the best way to not get injured in an accident is to not have the accident in the first place. From this standpoint, I think that the A4 might be a better bet due to its Quattro drive system. This is my first winter in the 325, and I can see already that I will miss that AWD on the slippery roads around here! Of course, a 325ix would be more comparable, but that was not my choice for other reasons.

 

One other thing. I generally keep my cars for 5 - 7 years and am sensitive about long-term maintenance and reliability. I have always considered turbos to be a potential maintenance issue since they add a good bit of complexity and expensive parts under the hood. Sure enough, the only major out-of-pocket repair that I had in 6 years on the A4 was a replacement of a bypass or waste-gate valve on the turbo system. Something to keep in mind if you'll have the car past the warranty period...

bing330i

Hi, I just moved from Calif to Virginia. The weather is much colder there. Now I am travelling out of the state. My wife called me earlier that our 02 330i SP constantly beeps with something like outside temperature is below 37 degree. I do not have manual with me and she does not read. Can anyone advise what she should do.

 

As we've never lived in a cold place, Besides getting a set of winter tires, is there anything else you'd recommend I pay attn in cold weather with the car?

 

TIA.

kyfdx

1) The beep.. programmed into the computer.. It beeps once every time the temperature drops to 37 degrees to warn you of possible icy roads.

 

2) Winter tires... thats it.. and a garage.

swassdaddy

Hi,

 

I am new to this board in posting, have lurked for awhile. Not sure if I should be posting this in the insurance or 3-series thread, but since it has something to do with my 3-series and my experiences and dealer negotiations, I figured I'd post here first.

On Nov 27th, in my 325i four door I was rear-ended by a VW Beetle. Her insurance is taking care of the tab, but there was extensive damage to the frame, rear suspension, and actually the rear floor pan of the passenger compartment was damaged (which I was told is not a replaceable item).

Looking at least 12-15K damage.

 

Now about the car, I just got it on August 30, 2004. It is a 2004 325i 4door with auto, xenon, metallic paint, leather, cold weather pkg, and premium package. I am leasing it for 36 months as a demo (got it with 11,300 miles, it now has ~15 K). The sticker on it was $37295, got it for $32795. I put 4 K down (including the usuals, 1st mo, they waived security deposit). I am paying about $445/month.

 

The other parties insurance wants to repair the car, BMW finance has been contacted and will most likely want it totaled since they cannot resell it as certified used. I am now concerned I will not get fair market value for this car since I got so many options on a 2004. The guy at BMW finance thinks it will be unlikely to get a similar 2004 with same equipment and I will not be able to get a 2005 with the same equipment at the same monthly payment. He mentioned something about substitution collateral but if I actually have equity, I should not pursue sub. collateral. I was hoping to get some feedback on what type of price I might expect to get from the insurance to pay off the current lease and to start over with a new lease (which stinks because I spent 4 long hours in negotiations on this car), what others would do in my situation, and any other feedback. Since we were luckily not injured, I hear getting an attorney involved might be more costly. Basically, since it was not my fault, I just want a car (2004 is fine) with the same equipment and keep paying the same price. Also, can I assume my downpayment is gone. I fear I might have finally found a negative about getting a demo.

 

Thanks for listening and let me know if anyone has some suggestions!

kyfdx

First..sorry to hear this.. now, some points..

 

1) This is the number one reason for not making a downpayment on a lease... If you hadn't, and they totaled the car, then the only thing you would be out is your monthly payments so far, for which you received the use of the car.

 

2) If BMWFS agrees to them fixing the car, you will at least get to use it for the term of the lease... and you have no liability for any diminished value claim.. So, no loss financially to you.. but, you have to drive a "rebuilt" car for the term of your lease. The reason BMW doesn't want this to happen, is they take a big hit at lease end.

 

3) Unless BMW negotiates an amount greater than the payoff on the lease (not very likely), you won't get anything back.. Even though you made a downpayment, you have no equity interest in the car.. If it is totaled, you could sue the other driver for your loss, assuming you could prove it, but that might not be cost effective as your loss would probably be restricted to a percentage of your downpayment.

 

4) I don't think anything is different because you leased a demo.. All of the same issues still apply.

 

Okay.. let's assume you lose your downpayment.. Now, the bad news is out of the way.. The good news? There are killer lease deals on '05 325i's right now... (IMO, your current deal wasn't so good).

 

If you found a reasonable dealer, you could lease an '05 325i with an MSRP of $38K for $429/mo. + tax, with about $1000 due at signing..

 

Good luck... Just remember... The other insurance company and BMWFS both have their own interests at heart here, and neither coincides with your interests..

 

regards,

kyfdx

swassdaddy

Thanks for the reply,

 

Let me clarify my deal. The $445/month (incl tax) is for 15K/year (not 10K) and they extended the 50K zero maintenance out until my lease termination, not at 50K. Plus they eliminated the security deposit. So I was getting a car that was in great shape at a used price (I thought) with all the new car lease benefits.

 

I am just wondering what my next steps should be, who to contact (whether I should contact my dealer at this time), whether an attorney should be notified at this time. I have never been involved in an accident in a leased vehicle before and there does not seem to be much info on the internet with my situation. Looking back on it, I should not have put that much down on the downpayment, thats for sure.

kyfdx

1) That price I gave you is achievable for 15K/yr.. that is what I figured the lease on.

 

2) I would contact your own insurance agent for some advice.. they might have some good info, since they don't really have a stake in this. It looks like you have already been in touch with BMWFS.

 

3) In any dealings you have with the other driver's insurance company, be sure to let them know of your loss, and ask them how they will compensate you.. You might get a greenhorn that will offer you something.. it sure can't hurt.

 

4) I'm not sure how an attorney is going to help.. since it is a small amount of money (relatively speaking).. If you have an attorney, he might fire off a threatening letter for free, though.

 

5) My best guess is that your downpayment is gone, unfortunately.

 

6) Your dealer really has nothing to do with your current car, the bank (BMWFS) owns it. But, don't give up on getting another good lease deal.

 

Hope this helps,

kyfdx

pjo1966

Some insurance companies go a long way to avoid litigation. If the car is indeed "totalled" I would definitely raise hell with the insurance company about the loss of your deposit. They may at least agree to reimburse you for half. Also, take into consideration what they will offer you for medical compensation as well. When I had my accident (which was minor) they started throwing money at me providing I would sign a document waiving any future compensation. That money (for medical and damage) went directly towards helping me get me out of a lease on an Infiniti FX35 and into my new 325i.

 

You said you spent 4 hours negotiating your deal. Put those negotiating skills to use. Talk with the insurance company. This accident was not your fault and you should not be out any money out of your pocket as a result of it. You have documentation of what went into your car and what you've lost.

 

When you're negotiating your new deal, come in here and run the numbers before signing anything. You will get some good advice in here (and in the general Leasing forum)

 

Good luck!

swassdaddy

I should find out something from BMWFS or the other parties insurance company soon. I will be getting the lease paperwork and amounts I have paid in monthly payments so far. Lots to work on once I get home!!

 

Thanks for the feedback.

pjo1966

Please keep us updated...

kdshapiro

Did you have gap insurance? That would at least cover your losses?

kyfdx

Standard on a BMW lease.. but, it won't pay back a downpayment.. It just insures that the payoff amount will be met, in case the value of the car is less..

johnwg

Did you test drive an '04 Acura TL. It is more car for the money than the 325 or the A4. I have driven all three and can not understand what people see in the 325 especially considering how much more it costs.

ivan_99

It all depends on how you define "more car" for the money, some may consider a suburban "more car for the money" because you get more metal, seats, windows etc. than a 325.

 

I think the 325 is a great car (especially when the new engines come out). Last one I drove was a couple years ago and it was a non-sport model. I was amazed at the ability of the car to perform lateral movements while soaking up all the bumps and pot holes.

 

The 325 has an excellent ride with a very smooth revving engine. The ride is tight and it has very nice styling on the exterior and interior. I personally like the styling of the A4 better, but the ride is not as sophisticated.

 

I’ve owned a G35 for a shot time, and I thought it was more car for the money too (than 330). It was very powerful and had many options (RWD too). I loved getting the back end out every chance I could. After a few months of "more car for the money" I began to notice where the cost saving took place; nothing overt or obscene stood out, it was just...everything.

 

The engine was not as smooth at higher rpm's, the handling into corners seemed sloppier (relatively speaking here), the interior had lower grade materials, the driver seat began to get uncomfortable (controls on side of seat), it was noisier at cruising speed…and a host of other small items; which diverts from this thread. Plus it wasn't German...

hpowders

Torque steer in the Acura when driven hard.

kdshapiro

ivan_99 your thoughts match mine exactly. What exactly is "more for the money"???

swassdaddy

Just so I can have some numbers in front of me, could you give me some more detailed information about how you got to the $429/mo + tax with $1 K down value. This in case they decide to total the car. Here is the equipment I currently have in my vehicle:

 

325i- ($29300 base, $26285 wholesale)

automatic ($1275, $1210)

Xenon ($700, $635)

Metallic ($475, $430)

Leather ($1450, $1320)

Cold Wthr ($1000, $910)

Premium ($2300, $2095)

Destination ($695)

Total: $37,195 retail, $33,425

 

Oh, I talked with my insurance co yesterday and they say I shouuld just hold tight, let BMW and the other party's insurance fight right now. They said a lawyer would do me no good, but they think I should be entitled to getting a pro-rated portion of my downpayment back if they total it and they will get into talks with the other insurance company if they try to give me the run-around. They also thought that BMW will not put me in a position where I will not want to lease another BMW and they should be able to work with the insurance company to get me the best price as possible. I am just going to stick with the idea that nothing will be coming out of my pocket and I expect a similarily equipped vehicle back to me if they have to total this one.

  

 

More updates to come.

kyfdx

Your insurance company gave you a lot of good advice, and it sounds like they are willing to get involved, if needed.. I'm not as sure as they are about BMW helping you out, but anything is possible.. Good deal..

 

Info on that lease to follow..

tslbmw

Man, I couldn't have said it better myself. As the owner of a G35 Coupe and the new owner of an 01 330i, the G just lacks in just about "everything," except, maybe straightline performance.

 

Well said Ivan. I agree 100%! My coupe is up for sale.

kyfdx

'05 325i lease

3yr/45K miles

MF .0008

Residual 60%

MSRP $37,195

Invoice $33,580

Sale price $35,080 (invoice + $1500)

Cap cost $35,605 (sale price + $525 acq.fee)

Cap cost reduction = $ZERO

Monthly payment = $416/mo + tax

Due at signing 1st pymt, security deposit, title and licensing fees only. (Approx. $1000)

 

Assume you can't negotiate that good of a deal.. Add $500 to the sale price and the payment goes up to $430 + tax.

 

Assume you want a differently priced 325i..

Change payment by $11.20/mo. for every $1000 difference in MSRP.

 

 
these numbers should be good until the end of the year.

 

regards,

kyfdx

swassdaddy

Thanks. Another update. Talked with the insurance guy at BMWFS this morning. They got the engineers at BMW looking at the car and talking with the body shop and soon BMW will be in contact with the other party's insurance. I should know more tomorrow.

 

Before talking with the insurance guy, a customer service guy told me that there was a note saying on the account (I was asking what my lease payoff was) that the car's status is "total loss" and the payoff they would give me would be the remaining balance ($29,475.56). Not sure if he was supposed to give me that info yet. My wife works in a bank and according to their book, the cars current wholesale value is $30,100 and retail $34,225.

 

Looking on autotrader for similar 2004s (none in Indy area), but there is one in Cincinnati for $33995 vin WBAEV33454KR26523. If the insurance only tries to payoff the lease, do you think showing them the almost identical car in Cincy will do any good? Saying, since it is not my fault, try to find me an equivalent vehicle for that price of $29475. This is when I should get my insurance involved. If I have to go out and renogotiate a new deal, I am going to be expected to pay retail, so they should give me retail for this car. (Wishful thinking!) If I got some of my $4000 downpayment back, that would be better.

kyfdx

Where you have little pull? It is a lease.. You don't own the car, and BMWFS is not going to stick their neck out to get more than the payoff...

 

I think you have the right idea, though.. Make sure that the other party's insurance company knows that you are going to pursue further damages for the loss of your "prepayment" on the lease (sounds better than downpayment, huh?). If that doesn't seem to work, then get your insurance company involved.

 

I really doubt that the true wholesale value of the car is over $29.5K, no matter what the books say.. If you owned the car, and it had to be replaced, that might work...

 

Really... good luck with this.. You won't get what you don't ask for.. I hope you can get some of that upfront money back.

 

regards,

kyfdx

jamesspot

In the future, you should never put down money on a lease, but just make sure that you have gap insurance. That way, if anything happens to the car, you are not responsible for the "value" of the car being less than what is owed on the lease. Most leases include this, but it is something to check.

Good luck,

Jim

m4d_cow

"Oh, I talked with my insurance co yesterday and they say I shouuld just hold tight, let BMW and the other party's insurance fight right now. They also thought that BMW will not put me in a position where I will not want to lease another BMW and they should be able to work with the insurance company to get me the best price as possible."

 

good one, thats pretty much what id suggest. similar thing happened to me, but sadly in my case the other party was uninsured so i have to cover everything myself...

tslbmw

Ok, now that we are on the right board, which winters tires do you have (and recommend) and how much can I expect to pay?

Thanks!

tslbmw

m4d_cow

if youre talking about value for money the TL is real tough to beat, but if you drive both the bmw and tl for a while youll soon notice the gap in performance, where TLs only victory over the bmw is straightline acceleration.

inside id say theyre almost tied, though yes the tl comes w/ loads of features bmw doesnt have + great sound system.

another example is the G, great performance, one step closer to bmw than the tl, downside: harsh ride, horrible seats and low grade materials.

kyfdx

I have Goodyear Eagle Ultra-Grip GW-3.. they are V-rated, and really handle well.. Can barely tell the difference between them and all-seasons.. In my experience, they are cheaper than the Bridgesone LM-22 or Pirellis, or Dunlops. Not available at Tirerack... you can see them at goodyear.com

 

I have 225/45-17 on 17 X 8 stock sport wheels.. style 96. This is my second season on them... no snow this year to speak of... they got through everything last year..

 

regards,

kyfdx

swassdaddy

Time for another update on my "situation". Thanks for the suggestion about using the term "prepayment" as opposed to downpayment. I created an excel spreadsheet to show my monthly payments, the prepayment (downpayment minus 1st months, tax, fees,etc) and spread that amount over 36 months. I came up with a number that I feel I should be compensated for (unused prepayment and monthly payments I am still paying to BMW while BMW, the other party's insurance and the body shop fight over whether or not the car is totaled (its been 3 weeks since the wreck and parts have not even been ordered!!). So I paying to use a car monthly that is unusable, which means I am lowering the amount BMWFS will want to get from the insurance company. Nice. Well, I talked with my dealer, letting him know that I really want to re-lease another BMW if they total this one, but I told him I was not going to let the money I have put in the car go to waste. He is now working on his end to make sure I stay happy.

  

Ironic thing, the Monday following the accident, my 4 new Blizzak WS-50's arrived. I have $400 worth of tires, but no car. If I lose this car, I am going to try to get reimbursed for the tires as well...

gordonwd

Ironic thing, the Monday following the accident, my 4 new Blizzak WS-50's arrived. I have $400 worth of tires, but no car. If I lose this car, I am going to try to get reimbursed for the tires as well...

 

I'll give you 200 bucks for them :-).

kyfdx

thanks for the update..

 

I would press them for a decision shortly.. The 3-series lease deals are fantastic right now.. I wouldn't want that to get away..

 

Those Blizzaks will work on the new one, also.

paule

You can go one of two ways. If you don't see a ton of snow, you can go the way that kyfdx did and pick up some snow traction without giving away too much dry handling traction.

 

Since I see a lot of snow in SW Colorado, I decided to put some Blizzak WS-50s on. From my research, these seem to be the ultimate in deep snow traction. You do give up some dry handling ability and I believe they are pretty soft so you probably will not get a ton of mileage out of them. I might add these were put on a 325xi so this thing should be a snowcat with these tires!

 

I just bought a set from the tire rack for $135 per tire (225/45QR17 for the xi sport wheels). It ran me $586 total with shipping + $24 for mounting and balancing ($6 per tire). Shipping was $46 for all 4 tires.

If you're looking at 16" wheels, it should be roughly $40-50 less than what I paid.

 

I'd shop around to see if you can get an equivalent deal at your local tire dealer. For me the tire rack offered the best deal and I had the tires within three days.

 

Your first decision is to decide whether you're looking for ultimate snow traction at the expense of mileage and dry handling or if you're more concerned with dry handling and want a little better snow traction.

 

I've only driven the car for a few miles with the Blizzaks on it and it still handles pretty well from the short drive I've done on these tires. Again, I was looking for the ultimate in snow traction and did not really care all that much that I was giving up some dry handling.

 

Good luck!

paule

Infiniti ranks 6th worst in terms of customer loyalty (customer retention) according to Automotive News (an industry trade magazine).

Worse than Infiniti is Oldsmobile, Isuzu, Mazda, Saab and Suzuki.

There's probably a reason for the poor showing.

ivan_99

heh...didn't realize that.

 

Guess I'm one.

kyfdx

paule gives good advice... You have to decide what kind of weather you have to get around in.. He is in Colorado.. I'm in the Cincinnati area... I need enough traction to get through the occasional snowstorm, but drive on dry roads much of the winter... He has to get through blizzards and probably has snow covered roads for extended periods..

webby1

How do you know if the Dynamic Stability Control is ON or OFF ?

Thanks,

Webby

kyfdx

When it is turned off, the amber light will be lit constantly on the dash..

 

When it is on, and is activated by loss of traction, etc.... the amber light will flash.

m4d_cow

thats good, just keep pressuring them to get things done ASAP, as current lease deals are pretty nice, dunno how long its gonna last

m4d_cow

someone already said that, didnt notice before

webby1

Thanks kyfx.

I guess in my case it is green light ( 330I...2004 ).

We had bad weather last night around Toronto - Mississauga area and could not make the light flash...perhaps it is the great grip with the new Pirelli's Winter Sport tires or I was not aggressive enough ?

By the way these tires are great...came as package from BMW with M73 wheels perfectly balanced !

kyfdx

Probably a combination... good grip and a light foot... I'm sure you can get the light to flash.. Just stomp on it!!

tslbmw

Thanks for the advice; it will surely help a lot. I will keep you posted as to my decision.

swassdaddy

Well I finally got an answer from BMWFS last night. As long as the cost of the repair does not go much higher than the 12K the body shop has quoted the insurance co (they still need to rip more of the car apart, they might find more damage), BMWFS is willing to have the car repaired and effectively take a loss that the car cannot be resold as certified. So, I think I am glad they are going to go ahead and repair it. I will have 2+ years to drive it and see if the car is ok so I will have some idea whether to try and reduce the residual value and get a good deal once the lease is over. If it does not drive enough to keep, I walk away with nothing out of my pocket. The residual is about $19,300 so not sure how good that will be for a 3 year old 325i.

 

I just need to keep the body shop records as proof that a BMW certified shop and parts (when possible ) were used. I will have no liability due to this wreck that was not my fault.

 

Seeing something positive, it will be in the garage through the worst part of the winter and I should get it back mid-late Feb (~45 working days). No point in putting the Blizzaks on for one month. Will just have to take my wife to work in her Pathfinder. Speaking of which, the lease on our 2002 Pathfinder expires in the spring so I need to turn my attention on to that situation (release a new Pathfinder, she also likes the BMW X3 or I can give her the repaired BMW 325i and go get myself a new 325i or 330i with a manual transmission with sports package (our current BMW is an automatic, yes I compromised, but I miss a stick!) That way we can have a "his and hers".

 

Thanks to everyone for their help and I will definitely check in when I am ready to get another BMW (either 3 series or X3)

 

TD...