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Comments
You are going to thoroughly enjoy this !! DanF
Also, has anyone been able to get a discount off of MSRP in the Chicago area on the XI? I'm willing to wait a few months but would like to order soon.
Thanks for your help.
Pocahontas,
Edmunds.com/Roving Host
Regards, DL
It was helpful and saved me a ,ot of shopping and $$ too!
Anyway, I picked up my 325i (2001) 10 days ago. Love the car. Got a great deal (by Floirida standards) about $1300 over invoice. Would definitely buy from them again (Ft Walton Beach)
salesman was Bill Brock---bought car over phone and picked it up.
Thanks again for sharing!
This site is great for the diligence part of the buying process, but maybe not a help in buying a bimmer.
Lot of problems interspersed with people boasting how little they paid over invoice!
BMW has definitely got the demand psyhcology on their side.
Yesterday, my neighbour's son pulled up in a new 325i in white. Looked very nice.
I was able to sit in it and look it over in an entirely different environment than the dealer, and make objective judgements as opposed to the subjective ones when surrounded by a lot of new cars.
First thought was they had improved the interior materials and the instrument pod looked much nicer. The contrasting black and beige plastic however, looks like it will get old quicly.
Sitting in the passeger seat, I could see a lot of white metal on the inside of the drivers door.
Overall sense was of a decent car, but the details didn't make it far past the current Impala.
Not really comparable to Lexus. The overiding sense I got about this car is that the price value relationship is out of whack.
They have a tremendous brand identity and a pronounced upmarket cachet, but the product looks like it's high volume.
On the outside, the black rubber strips on the body colored bumper look out of place (imho) and won't look good without constant attention.
By all accounts, the driving experience is terrific, but I didn't have the opportunity.
I'm not a died in the wool fan of Japanese cars and in fact, I've been drawn to the Bimmer for a long time. It's just that sitting in it for 20 minutes didn't reinforce my desire.
Reading the various quibbles people have along with service visits is the biggest put off.
If the Japanese have succeeeded in one area, it's been to minimize that sort of stuff.
Having owned 2 Mercedes cars in the past, I know what it's like to have to cultivate Helmut und Vito at der service department!
Quality and reliability go hand in hand. Anything other than routine service visits should be unusual. Unfortunately, it seems BMW ownership requires extensive interaction with people who work on cars.
I don't understand what you mean regarding the black and beige plastic. We have the Sand interior and nothing about it has gotten old in the year we've had the car.
Regarding reliability, have you looked at any other car boards? The average car has about 1.5 defects in the first 90 days. JD Powers found the 3-series to rank in the top five for initial quality with something less than 1 defect per car. Ours has had zero in the first year.
The really appreciate the build quality you need to do some work on the car. I've installed the factory CD changer, alarm, and homelink transmitter as well as installing a Motorola cell-phone kit. http://how.to/startac The way this car's put together is very impressive. Nothing at all like any US/JA car I've every owned. It's very solid and well designed.
After 6 weeks and 2800 delicious miles, including a few days in the snows of Wisconsin, I find myself smiling at my car, patting him on the roof and saying "thank you" to the people who put him together, each time I park him for the night.
No problems to report as yet: everything works as advertised-DSC keeps me straight on snow and ice,
the headlights could guide ships out on the sea,the heater could roast a turkey on a long drive,the A/C could make ice cubes, the brakes could launch you through the windshield if you wanted to make the trip and it is a quick responsive mover while being comfortable to ride in.
I think it is well worth the money paid and don't share your views on the interior and find the Impala reference a stretch.
Now....ask your friend for a drive-I think you will enjoy it!
I also noticed that the transmission had a glitch when you went from coast to hitting the gas. Many people complained about this too, only to be told it was normal.
In short, Japanese cars have many problems too. I sold mine and bought a BMW. So far, no problems and I now have a driver's car and not a good driving car! Take you neighbors car for a ride and then compare it with an Impala!
Good Luck
My neighbour didn't offer to let me drive his car, and I didn't want to ask.
Bimmer has a truly potent brand and the car mags rarely utter a discouraging word.
I like the way it looks and the basic spec of an in-line 6 with RWD holds great promise.
Perhaps one of the few advantages of getting older and fatter is that I'm a little more diligent about something like this, and less impulsive.
The pashion to own it is still there, but the chorus of complaints and the refrain of "well, how little over list did you get yours for?", leave me a little jaundiced.
If the selling price for this vehicle is MSRP + several thousand, that pushes it into competition with another class of vehicle in additiona to distancing itself from the nominal competition.
I guess my perception is that the adrenalin rush that sent me out for the 2002ii and the original 530, might not be rewarded in the current vehicles.
What brought BMW down to earth for me, was having to deal with the uber technicians at the BMW dealer.
I'm willing to pay over the odds for something I really like, but my expectations are changed from the early bimmer ownership experience.
3 Years and 50,000 miles in a 92 Q45 only required oil changes. Nothing in the thing failed.
For all that it may have been a non descript box, it was a reliable rocket.
The current 325 is my my opinion, the best looking car BMW has ever made. It just perturbs me that signs of the old ownership experience are still there, except now you can add character building overpayment to it.
But that kidney shaped grill and logo...........
Again, regarding the quality, I've never seen a car as well built as our 323i. After a year and 18,700 miles it's still flawless. Everytime I thought there was something wrong with the car it turned out that the car was actually just smarter than me.
My dealer's service department is the best I've seen at a dealer. I had them replace my auto-dimming mirror under warentee because I thought it wasn't working right but it turned out that I was expecting it to work like my dad's Mercury and it's even better. I thought the lack of the greenish tint indicated that the mirror hadn't dimmed but it turned out that it dims quite a bit before the tint starts to change. Once again, the car was smarter that me. The dealer happily replaced the mirror under warentee even though, as I later figured out, there wasn't anything wrong.
The car's been in for service three times, once to program the BMW alarm which I installed myself, once for the mirror, and once for the first scheduled service which ended up being at about 16,400 miles. In each case I was offered a loaner (took them up on it twice) and my car was returned freshly washed. I'm sure that not all dealers are as good as mine but that's true of any brand.
Please go to your friend's house and ask him to let you drive the car and then come back and give us your opinion.
I used to drive a TwinTurbo 300zx with 340hp and that car was only fast. My new 2k 323 coupe with only 170hp gives me more pleasure to drive than my old TwinTurbo 300zx.
I think the Series 3 BMW is an awesome car. The more I push the car the more feed back I get from it.
If I'd asked he would have agreed, but under a duress he would have felt compelled to try and hide.
Strangely, this afternoon while I was driving up the hill to my house, another new, white 328 turned ahead of me in the same direction.
As we approached a stop sign, his brake lights weren't working on the right side.
If I'm him, I hope it's a bulb and not a short that needs to be traced at der uber service dept.
This can happen with any car, but I'm starting to think the Bavarian karma has gone sour for me.
Thanks for all the comments.
Where would I have to live for your dealer to be local for me?
Perhaps you could tell us about your previous, apparently financially painful, experiences with your 2001 and 530, listing model years,mileages, repairs needed and their cost?
I did a great deal of research, mainly on the Web,
before I bought my 325i. This included visits to sites where 3 series owners rate their experiences
with maintenance and repair. The fact that I went ahead and got a 3 should tell you that I read nothing to steer me away from BMW.
Edmunds in fact test drove a 328 for two years which is documented on this very site. Have you read that (glowing) report?
This is not to say that EVERY BMW will be maintenance free for as long as you drive it-only a dreamer would expect that of any manufacturer's products.
The driver of the white 328 with the defective brake light only has to drop his car off at the service department where it will be fixed at no charge under the 4 year, 50,000 mile warrantee.
While he is there he will be given a loaner so that he can continue driving one of these exhilarating cars.
I notice you occasionally slip into speaking German when talking about BMW service departments...was ist der deal mitt das??
The only reason I would consider BMW is because I believe a number of things have improved. For this, BMW owners can thank Acura, Lexus and Infinity.
They raised the collective bar in terms of reliability and the service experience. Even with that, it took BMW a long time to catch up.
The decision for me is lease or buy. If I lease, the duration would be within the warranty and "free" maintenance period.
I have a friend who purchased a certified 740I (1998). Same guy has a 1995 LS 400.
While purely anecdotal, his comments would deter me from the 740.
It's all subjective, I appreciate your opinions.
As Wayne Newton might profer to der uber gruppen service dept.
Danke Schoen (dankershone?)
For some reason BMW is selling more cars than Infinity !!
http://townhall.edmunds.com/cgi-bin/townhall?c=Maintenance&t=401
The Q45 link you provided contains 2 discussions about old vehicles with high miles.
Another post (#608) from the the 3 series research comments here in Edmonds, contains comments very reflective of my past experience and lingering prejudices.
When I pick my son up at school, I usually see a lady in a 750IL with pristine bodywork. I'm presuming this car is late 80's.
I'd also bet that the cost of maintaining it is up there with salvaging a Bertrand that's been in a Nicaraguan port for too long.
The exterior look of the 3 series has me sold, even though the interior falls short for me.
I just believe that expensive performance cars should also be reliable daily drivers.
I think the model for preformance and drivability is the Acura NSX.
If I have to pay list or above for a 3 series, a used one of those looks attractive.
While I would like a new one (and have always had new cars), the high cost of a new BMW (and the refusal by BMW to offer attractive lease offers) had made me think about a used one. It's not that I CAN'T afford it, it just that paying close to $700 for a car a month isn't what I want to do. $550 for a lease isn't that great either, especially when you can lease a $28000 Chevy Blazer (different car, I know, but similar MSRP) for $299 a month.
Does anybody have any experiences with getting a used 3 series?
Will it be the same car as a new BMW? Do you know what I mean? I know it's not going to have that "new car smell", but is purchasing a Certified Pre-Owned one of these guys safe/worth it?
Thanks in advance!
My mirror doesn't seem to dim much. It does a little, but not enough to prevent the glare from headlights being a bother. I still find myself pushing the mirror up toward the ceiling and wishing for the old flip-flop day/night mirror.
Before I run to the dealer and find out that my mirror is smarter than me, is the mirror supposed to darken considerably or like mine, just supposed to give everything a minty look?
Thanks.
I wish I had gotten xenons. Does anybody know if these can be added at the dealer? (My hunch is probably not, but I can wish...)
This car is a little honey! She may be a sedan but she sure packs a punch. My recommendation: if you have the opportunity to drive a in a sponsored autocross, do not pass it up. Do it. Go play and learn what sets your BMW apart from the pack!
I never got uncomfortable glare, I just didn't think the mirror was working all the time because I didn't see the color change. What I figured out is that the mirror dims significantly BEFORE you see any color change. To test it out have your passenger shine the flashlight at the forward-facing sensor (perhaps cupper their hands so that you don't see the flashlight's light) when there are cars behind you that don't seem to be dimmed. If you're mirror is working correctly the bright lights behind you will suddenly become much brighter.
What you're actually doing here is fooling the mirror into thinking that it's daytime. The forward facing sensor determines night vs. day and the rear-facing sensor determines have much to dim the mirror *IF* the forward-facing sensor thinks it's night time.
Ya think I should start an E46 system's class?
Pulled a couple more good scheduling scams since we last spoke. I'll have to tell you about them sometime...
I've seen the red only in white and silver cars. It went well with both.
is this something an avg person can do or should it best be left to the dealer?
what kind of money did you save doing it yourself???
thanks
See the FAQ on the E46 board at www.bimmer.org. It should have links to the instructions for installing the Homelink, alarm, and CD changer.
I bought them from www.eurobuyers.com but there are several sources online for parts.
Thanks,
Save the money on the leather and add the sport package. with the SP You get a nicer looking car and better handling and more comfortable seats.
Do 323i owners find the seats comfortable? I can't believe BMW is so cheap when it comes to the seating. I love everything else about the car but I'm afraid I won't be comfortable. Comments?
Re: the system class, send me a copy of your index cards.
re the rumors, they're once again alive due to the current stock price. (Here we go again.)
Rumors? Haven't heard any lately. Not suprising as they always come from your guys, not ours.
Seat comfort is a very personal thing, though, so it really doesn't matter if the seat is comfortable to all of us, just if it's comfortable to you. Perhaps your dealer can arrange a longer test drive for you. Often times it takes a while to figure out how you want things adjusted.
Last Friday I had a 3 hour drive from Wisconsin to Chicago in the snow: this was my longest sit behind the wheel. Unlike most cars I have driven, I didn't feel fatigued nor in need of a stretch, so I think the seats are superbly engineered. I sit as low and far away from the steering wheel as I can get without actually being in the trunk.
The car is a gem and the sooner you buy one the sooner you can start grinning and clocking up the miles.
I took it to the dealer and I was told that there was a defect with the Thermostat, so they order one for me. I was told that they will contact me when the part arrives and to just keep an eye on the temperature gauge in the meantime. Though I've been very satisfied with the service at the dealership, they always take good care of me, I was not pleased with that answer. It takes the fun out of driving if I have to keep an eye on the check engine indicator or the temperature gauge. To make things worst, a few days later, my left low beam bulb went out, of course, the dealer took care of it. I guess that's why the 36k 3-year warranty is for, but I expected things to go more smoothly. I owned a 525 in the mid-80s, I didn't have much interaction with the dealer back then,(talk about reliability), I was sold on beamer. So, when it comes to BMW, I expect nothing but 'fun of driving and piece of mind'. I haven't had any problems for a week now, the computer system seems to be running fine but I'm still checking my mail to see if the parts has arrived. I want to have this problem under control.
I know that this car is equipped with a complex computer system. Has anybody experienced similar problems? Let me add this, last year, I was in the market for a new car. I was looking into the Chrysler 300M, the Audi A4, the Acura TL, and the Lexus ES300. I test drove these cars several times. Nice cars...you get plenty for your money but something was missing. I thought the 328 was a bit too expensive so it was not even on my list. One day, I decided to take it for a test drive, and that was the end of my car buying experience. I have no regrets, I still think I made the right choice.
John
However, I won't be driving in the snow - but it rains in Florida....
Thanks - I feel better.
Liz