Not being much of a fan of the coupe body style in general, I was expecting not to be too impressed. WRONG! I'm afraid my task of deciding my next car has just gotten a whole lot harder because I absolutely love the look of the new 3-Series Coupe.
Hmmm, I'm thinking a 335i with a slick shifting 6-Speed and the obligatory sport suspension and seating that has typically come standard on the coupe. Almost too good to be true. ;-)
The 325/330 engines in the US are not all that different. If memory serves, the big change is the use of a three-stage variable intake manifold on the 330i. There has been some suggestion that the 215 HP in the 325i is underrated, but in any case, I would suspect that they can get 230 HP out of the engine with a normal manifold.
If they used a variable manifold, it would probably be trivial to uprate the engine to the 250 HP of the 330i by means of a computer chip.
Well, this seems to follow what i expected, the 325 and 330 are going away for the 328 and 335. Hopefully this will occur with the sedan too by 2008.
A turbo 335i would solve the power issue I have with the e90. Actually, given the 300-ft-lbs and BMW's notoriously grand gearing, I'm sure that coupe will devour the competition from Infiniti and Lexus.
Oh and turbo means chipping!!! And Dinan chips so the warranty is good.
Now let's hope they don't go wild with pricing.
BTW, 300 hp and 300 ft-lbs - this sucker will probably be a screamer.
Featuring two turbochargers each supplying compressed air to three cylinders, the new turbocharged engine offers a new standard of spontaneity and responsiveness. Peak torque of 300 lb-ft comes smoothly and without delay, extending over a wide speed range from 1,400 - 5,000 rpm.
Of course the next line is amusing:
On the road, this power and torque result in outstanding performance. The 335i Coupe accelerates from 0 - 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds
That kind of torque from 1400 rpm should result in 0-60 times lower than that! The M3 doesn't have those kind of numbers and it's listed as faster.
I suspect BMW is often conservative with their stated performance figures. Car and Driver got some pretty impressive 0-60 numbers in the E90--(going from memory) faster than BMW claimed the car was by about half a second on the 325i and 330i, both with ZSP and manual.
On the road, this power and torque result in outstanding performance. The 335i Coupe accelerates from 0 - 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds
That kind of torque from 1400 rpm should result in 0-60 times lower than that! The M3 doesn't have those kind of numbers and it's listed as faster.
Either way, it's pretty speedy for a sedan.
One thing that I particularly liked was "The response time of the automatic transmission on the new BMW 3 Series Coupe is down by approximately 40 per cent compared with a conventional automatic transmission."
Transmission shifts are so underrated when it comes to performance, IMO. If you have huge delays during shifts, then your acceleration will be significantly decreased. Looks like good news for the new 3 Coupe.
Beautiful Car! Hey Now! Looks like we'll be planning a European Vacation in the next 2-3 years. We'd definitely bring home the Ultimate Souvenier.
I absolutely love the way the new 3 coupe looks. I'm actually a fan of the Bangle designs. They don't photograph well IMHO (except for the new 3 coupe), but I love the way the sheetmetal looks in person.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
Otherwords, the same sliptronic thats in the current Sedan. No SMG,DSG whatever.
I see mention of new leather interior colors on the coupe. If they bring back Silver/Grey paint for the Coupe only Im seriously gonna hurt somebody... :mad:
yeah, the look is even more toned down (from the 5series)than the sedan. I like it. The headlights are more to my liking than the sedan's, which look slanty (especially with the yellow turn signals). The design of the rear lights gives the back a more broader (hunkered-down) look than the squarish (Civic-looking) one on the sedan. I hope all these changes will filter down to the sedan.
I still wonder why BMW doesn't just use the current M3 engine on the new coupe. I'm sure they can keep it the way it is now, or tone it down to 300 hp easily without the helps from a fancy turbo kit. It's just another thing waiting to fall apart.
It's a beautiful car. My only wishes would be a lower belt line (more glass) and a pillarless hard-top design (like the beautiful 1970s 3.0 CSi). Oh well -- safety regs and side impact stats, I guess.
I've now had my new 325i for about 3 weeks and love it. Alpine White, Black leatherette with Natural Poplar, 6-spd manual, Sport Package, Xenons, Sirius. My first BMW.
I got advice to the contrary -- get the Burled Walnut they said -- but I do like the poplar with the black interior. I am following the break-in requirements and haven't run the car hard yet, but I like the handling. It's very comfortable at 85 to 90, just coming into its element, and I have no doubt that it would be in its stride at a 130 cruise. However, I value my license.
I would describe the car as a very sweet drive -- likeable, not as hard as the 330i. That said, I am now made more aware than in the past of the poor road maintenance standards in the mid-Atlantic -- some gaping chasms and missing concrete between expansion joint assemblies and the surrounding roadways which I now consciously aim to miss, fearing for my wheels. The suspension is good, but more geared to European roads, almost marginal on interstates around here with an asphalt dressing where the old concrete roadbed has buckled underneath. You just don't see limited access highways in Europe in that condition. The run-flat Potenzas are fine so far.
One thing I've noticed about the Xenons on the BMW -- they are aimed lower and have a sharper low beam cutoff (typically European) than did the Acura's, which followed the US practice of throwing considerable light up to illuminate reflective road signs. I do like the adaptive nature of the lights. I'd ideally like a really powerful, sharply focused light with a longer throw to supplement the Xenon high beams. A xenon spot with all that light focused narrowly would light up the road for a mile ahead.
The teutonic cupholder design philosophy: if you insist on doing something so ill-considered as to drink hot beverages when you should be attending to driving the car, we will show you the kindness of educating you by tossing said scalding beverage into your lap.
By the way, great group with a lot of good discussion and advice.
Thanks for the comprehensive report. Other than the color & no leather, it sounds like your car is set up the same way I would want one.
Many people seem to feel that even the power of a 330 isn't adequate; glad to find at least one person who's satisfied with the 325. What kind of fuel mileage have you been getting?
are you describing the license plate holder (holds dealerplates, standard license plates etc. and is bolted to the front plastic piece which is attached to the bumper cover) or the part that is fixed to the bumpercover that is in the shape of the plate made by bmw. Europlates come in a variety of sizes (at least the german ones) due to the different lengths of plates available. These fit within the dimensions of the part that is bolted to the bumper
I like the exterior treatment but have a hard time justifying moving to the new car from my e46 coupe. I'm sure it's subjective but i do prefer the driver-centric look of the e46 as opposed to the newer interior. As for the engine improvements, i know the HP wars encourage sales but where but other than germany does it benefit to have a car with these (or similar high output) specs to run. I drove in tampa recently and couldn't comfortably get above 80 with all the lack of lane discipline. Not that it's legal there anyhow
Here's a pic from last summer on the A6 heading west.
Does anyone know specifically if this new car adheres to the GRAV 60 build tech?
I'm also happy with the power of the E90 325i. I also think that, given enough performance-reducing options (an Xi wagon with an automatic), the same engine would feel a little slow.
Hate to admit it, but the coupe is better looking than the sedan!
I still wonder why BMW doesn't just use the current M3 engine on the new coupe. I'm sure they can keep it the way it is now, or tone it down to 300 hp easily without the helps from a fancy turbo kit. It's just another thing waiting to fall apart.
The M3's 3.2 kepts slapped with a gas guzzler tax. while a fun engine, it's high strung, low on torque and really inefficient. A turbo is almost always a better option for more power, torque and fuel consumption in a smaller, lighter engine. BMW has been making turbo engines as long as the company has been in business. only americans think bmw doesn't do turbos and that's mostly rooted in misinformation.
the turbo also allowws for an easy upgrade path. a dinan chip will probably net 30-50 more hp easily. and 50-100 more ft-lbs of torque...all with a warranty.
to say i am anxious about this engine is a gross understatement. the M3's 3.2 doesn't make max torque until almost 5k rpm (and it's only 266). The 3.0T makes max torque (300 ft-lbs) at 1400-5000k rpm. That translates to instant, massive power at all points. A chip would probably net 350-400 ft-lbs over that range.
But they will probably price it like the 330i is today?
The 328 will be the low end car, just like the current 325ci. So, the pricing will probably bump given the added features but the 07 328 will NOT be priced like a 06 330ci. No way. BMW is not stuipd. They're not going to price the low end volume 3 series out of the market. the 335 will get the 06 330ci-ish price tag (again, higher but with more content).
What about coupes having less structural integrity or whatever? Thought I read that on the forum here?
It'snot a forum thing, it's truth. drive a coupe and a sedan hard and you will feel chassis flex. Is it massive? no. but just like fold down rear seats, it impacts the chassis.
It does look much nicer than the sedan but the utility of the 4 doors is hard to ignore.
Totally subjective. I think the coupes in pictures is the ugliest bangle design so far. the rear, side, a-pillar-view back, all look ungaingly and very mercedes-ish to me. absolute bust as far as aesthetics go. the sedan's not good looking either but it's not scary ugly to me. Replies to this message:
RE: "Thanks for the comprehensive report. Other than the color & no leather, it sounds like your car is set up the same way I would want one.
Many people seem to feel that even the power of a 330 isn't adequate; glad to find at least one person who's satisfied with the 325. What kind of fuel mileage have you been getting?"
Thanks for the response. I've been getting around 26.5 mpg in mixed driving; I'd expect that to improve by a couple over time.
I think that power is a relative asset, and that it has to be justified against the cost of the purchase. Adequate for what? I got the car I wanted (the right purchase for me) for $33,460. If I had gone with the 330i, I'd have added another $5K. That's a return plane ticket to Europe for two every year for four years. As to the color, I just couldn't justify another $500 for paint, and, to be honest, in the sales lot the metallics did not look as good to me as either the straight black or white. I'd have been happy with either. Also, the leatherette is worth a look, and on this one, too, I come back to the $1500 charge for the leather, and I didn't kill a cow (just a bit of one for the wheel). The salesperson said that leatherette would be his choice (durability), and I've read similar views in the posts. I'll see how it is in the summer, though. I really wish that a good cloth and manual single zone A/C were available in the US market. I forgot to mention that my car has heated seats also -- they could easily go away with a cloth option.
On the power issue, 215 HP is serious stuff in the European context. We're talking about a 149 mph top end with the sports package on the 325i, 19 mph faster than the 330i without ZSP. Interestingly, the most highly thought of 3 series cars in the UK magazine CAR appear to be the 320d and the 330d diesels; neither have massive power but both have colossal torque. But I think that CAR is a bit diesel-fanatical. One thing for sure, though; low sulfur high output diesels make much more sense than those wretched hybrids.
I've been interested in blueguydotcom's posts about the more visceral nature of the E46. For pure driving enjoyment, regardless of cost, the new VW GTi is really worth a look. I loved driving both the DSG and the traditional manual. I almost bought one, but that nagging reliability issue.... My last GTi was fun but an exercise in frustration.
victord: Using the current E46 M3's Engine wouldn't work. Besides the valid points that blueguydotcom makes, it can't be used because (I believe) it is still handbuilt and can't be matched to a slushbox (most Americans demand and automatic). The stratospheric power peaks would fry a torque converter within weeks.
nkeen: Glad to hear you like your car. Congratulations and lots of luck with it. Nice car.
blueguydotcom: Can you drop me a line and let me know if there are any good places to stay in San Diego? Thanks!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
i have a 06 330i with comfort access option.mine dosent work properly @ times. for example sometimes if i press my thumb on the door handle to lock the car,it also folds the mirror and closes any window or moonroof which is left open. i think it should only fold the mirror if i keep my thumb on the handle long.so i want to know all the features that can b performed by comfort access feature.
By "good places" what do you mean? Are you looking for quality and beach? Quality and downtown? And what time of year. May and June are the "ugly" months in San Diego as we have what locals call May Gray and June Gloom. The marine layer (dense fog) is thick in the mornings and often the day doesn't get nice and sunny until afternoon. It's often quite cold in May/June too - even colder than March and April quite often.
So let me know what sort of place you're after. If you have yahoo messenger, you can reach me at blueguydotcom.
Trust me, I like the cold (I enjoyed the snow in Munich earlier this month) but most people who come to San Diego expect it to be 70 degrees all day in June. It's not.
Just warning him. Vacationing in San Diego in May or June isn't the best option. It's rained more times on my b-day (mid-June) than it hasn't over the last 14 years.
We're actually planning our trip for the end of July. Flying to San Francisco, driving down PCH staying at a few different beach towns (Pacific Grove, Santa Barbara, Newport Beach) along the way (bypassing LA completely), and ending up in San Diego. I wanted to rent a 2006 BMW 3-series (staying on topic), but it would be too expensive We're still debating between beach & downtown. Is parking a hassle? If we stay downtown can we walk to most places?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
I don't know if Hertz will let you do a 1-way rental on their Prestige Collection, but they have Audis, Volvos and Infiniti along with Shelby Mustang. :shades:
We vacationed in SD a few years ago and as I recall the actual downtown area was nothing very special from a vacationers' viewpoint. We stayed at a resort-type hotel a couple of blocks from the beach, where we could enjoy walking down to the beach at sunset to watch the sun set into the ocean. Very nice.
We did this in Feb or Mar, flying from Michigan during the winter school break. We laughed when the weather people apologized for the "cold" weather in the 50s and low 60s. Coming from a Michigan winter, that was almost swimming weather for us (and I think that my boy and I took a couple of dips in the heated pool!).
Parking downtown is very easy. There are many places you can park without paying and even the garages are relatively cheap. If you're stating at a hotel, you can leave your car in their garages. And yes, most stuff downtown is within walking distance (the trolley's also an option).
Personally, that time of year you'd probably enjoy La Jolla, Del Mar or Coronado the most.
Coronado has the nicest beaches in San Diego - Del Mar second - and the island's small enough that you can stroll around and have a nice leisurely time eating, going to shops, seeing the Hotel Del. On the flip side, Coronado's quite expensive: still the island is pretty: lots of places to wander to and if you desire downtown, the zoo, sea world, balboa park, the ballpark, etc are all within super easy striking distance. Heck, Downtown's a simple ferry ride if you don't want to take a car over.
Del Mar's decent but a little uppity and it's fairly removed from everything. A good 15-20 minute drive to get to the city, Sea World, etc.
La Jolla's a madhouse in the summer. Good places to eat, okay beaches, tons of shops but it's really tough to get around that town at the height of summer. Access to freeways can be an absolute headache and even though it's geographically closer to Downtown than Del Mar, it's far harder to get to the city and sites.
If you're willing to spend the dough, Coronado gives you a more picturesque view of San Diego and I think a more pleasurable visit because all the major things to see are less than 10 minutes away from it.
San Diego is a beautiful city. The weather year round is gorgeous. I wish it was like that here (Texas). When I have to travel out to Riverside/Ontario, I always try to make a weekend trip down there...
I'm actually renting a Mustang Convertible from HERTZ. They were the only rental company that would guarantee a specific make, model, & body type. With some of the others, you could reserve a convertible and get to the pickup place and they're all out so you can have a minivan for the same price :mad: There's a company that rents exotics, but they are expensive ($1600 for a Mini Cooper S Convertible or $2400 for a Porsche Boxster for 7 days) and have mileage restrictions (100 miles per day, $.50 each additional).
Coronado is a little out of my price range, but I think I'll take your advice and stay outside downtown (by the beach somewhere). I can't wait to get back to that Brazilian Steak House in the gas light district :P
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
As comedian Steve Marmell pointed out, "I figured out why you have so many homeless. San Diego lacks nature's cleansing breath: winter."
No matter where you go in the city, the homeless are there in large numbers. A friend in college did a piece on all the places one could get free food in just La Jolla and Pacific Beach. When he finished he wondered why he even bothered paying rent or buying food.
On the otherhand, the e90 is so common around here 1 year after introduction that you'd swear that it's been out for years. My work's parking structure looks like a BMW showroom.
the reason is gas mileage - car mfgs can make any car go fast with a big enough engine - evidence chrylser's SRT8 models that are sitting on lots (especially these days at $60 a fillup). I am sure that BMW's thinking is that the biturbo approach provides the performance needed and is more fuel efficient.
Exactly. A turbo 3.0L six with direct injecion need not burn any more gas than a non-turbo 3.0L six, and isn't as heavy as a v8, at least according to BMW. Historically, turbo versions of the same engines have often gotten slightly better economy than the non-turbo versions becuase the company could use slightly taller gearing tue to all the low-end torque.
In day-to-day driving the 335 will move better than a small v8 because of the 300lb-ft and 1400 RPM. The 4.5L v8 made 330lb-ft and that wasn't at 1400RPM!
Here's an interesting piece on the new 6-speed automatic that will be in the 3-series coupe. Automatics may really be overtaking manuals in capability soon -- especially the part about kicking down from 6th to 2nd in 100 milliseconds!
----------------------------------------------------- BMW has released more information on its new six-speed automatic gearbox, which will show up in the 2007 3-Series Coupe. The gearbox uses a dedicated electronic control unit that permanently monitors the position of the gas pedal, registering the intensity of the pressure exerted by the driver on the gas pedal and determining whether and to what extent the driver wishes to accelerate. Retrieving data on the road speed of the car, engine speed and the steering angle, the control unit also detects current driving conditions at all times, considering furthermore whether the car is driving uphill or downhill. By taking all these criteria and many others into account the management unit is able to determine which gear is the most suitable. The harder and faster the driver depresses the accelerator, the lower the gear.
The system is designed to give the automatic transmission increased precision, without any time-consuming search for the right gear, which the driver would experience as an unwanted delay.
According to BMW, the new six-speed automatic transmission sets new standards for shift times. The new six-speed automatic transmission completes every gearshift process faster than the vast majority of sporting drivers experienced in shifting gears manually.
In a kick-down situation at a speed of 50 mph in sixth gear, the transmission can shift in just 100 milliseconds to second gear. While this is happening, the control unit sends a positive force pulse to the engine, which immediately increases its speed from approximately 1,400 to more than 5,000 rpm.
Comments
Hmmm, I'm thinking a 335i with a slick shifting 6-Speed and the obligatory sport suspension and seating that has typically come standard on the coupe. Almost too good to be true. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
I did notice under the 18" wheels there was no specific mention of runflats.. hmm
DL
DL
If they used a variable manifold, it would probably be trivial to uprate the engine to the 250 HP of the 330i by means of a computer chip.
BTW, the coupe is a beaut!
A turbo 335i would solve the power issue I have with the e90. Actually, given the 300-ft-lbs and BMW's notoriously grand gearing, I'm sure that coupe will devour the competition from Infiniti and Lexus.
Oh and turbo means chipping!!! And Dinan chips so the warranty is good.
Now let's hope they don't go wild with pricing.
BTW, 300 hp and 300 ft-lbs - this sucker will probably be a screamer.
Chris Bangle is a GOD
So at any cruising speed/gear you should have ample torque.
My only problem is the 3571 lbs but I supposed it’s on par with the this class (IS350 is 3527 or so)
http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/futurevehicles/new3coupe/press.htm
Featuring two turbochargers each supplying compressed air to three cylinders, the new turbocharged engine offers a new standard of spontaneity and responsiveness. Peak torque of 300 lb-ft comes smoothly and without delay, extending over a wide speed range from 1,400 - 5,000 rpm.
Of course the next line is amusing:
On the road, this power and torque result in outstanding performance. The 335i Coupe accelerates from 0 - 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds
That kind of torque from 1400 rpm should result in 0-60 times lower than that! The M3 doesn't have those kind of numbers and it's listed as faster.
They hit the nail on the head with the coupe.
That kind of torque from 1400 rpm should result in 0-60 times lower than that! The M3 doesn't have those kind of numbers and it's listed as faster.
Either way, it's pretty speedy for a sedan.
One thing that I particularly liked was "The response time of the automatic transmission on the new BMW 3 Series Coupe is down by approximately 40 per cent compared with a conventional automatic transmission."
Transmission shifts are so underrated when it comes to performance, IMO. If you have huge delays during shifts, then your acceleration will be significantly decreased. Looks like good news for the new 3 Coupe.
I absolutely love the way the new 3 coupe looks. I'm actually a fan of the Bangle designs. They don't photograph well IMHO (except for the new 3 coupe), but I love the way the sheetmetal looks in person.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
I see mention of new leather interior colors on the coupe. If they bring back Silver/Grey paint for the Coupe only Im seriously gonna hurt somebody... :mad:
DL
Think there are 8 images...here they are.
I still wonder why BMW doesn't just use the current M3 engine on the new coupe. I'm sure they can keep it the way it is now, or tone it down to 300 hp easily without the helps from a fancy turbo kit. It's just another thing waiting to fall apart.
New colors, more leather colors, more power, New wheels :sick:
That could be the problem - thanks for the pics!
But they will probably price it like the 330i is today?
What about coupes having less structural integrity or whatever? Thought I read that on the forum here?
It does look much nicer than the sedan but the utility of the 4 doors is hard to ignore.
I got advice to the contrary -- get the Burled Walnut they said -- but I do like the poplar with the black interior. I am following the break-in requirements and haven't run the car hard yet, but I like the handling. It's very comfortable at 85 to 90, just coming into its element, and I have no doubt that it would be in its stride at a 130 cruise. However, I value my license.
I would describe the car as a very sweet drive -- likeable, not as hard as the 330i. That said, I am now made more aware than in the past of the poor road maintenance standards in the mid-Atlantic -- some gaping chasms and missing concrete between expansion joint assemblies and the surrounding roadways which I now consciously aim to miss, fearing for my wheels. The suspension is good, but more geared to European roads, almost marginal on interstates around here with an asphalt dressing where the old concrete roadbed has buckled underneath. You just don't see limited access highways in Europe in that condition. The run-flat Potenzas are fine so far.
One thing I've noticed about the Xenons on the BMW -- they are aimed lower and have a sharper low beam cutoff (typically European) than did the Acura's, which followed the US practice of throwing considerable light up to illuminate reflective road signs. I do like the adaptive nature of the lights. I'd ideally like a really powerful, sharply focused light with a longer throw to supplement the Xenon high beams. A xenon spot with all that light focused narrowly would light up the road for a mile ahead.
The teutonic cupholder design philosophy: if you insist on doing something so ill-considered as to drink hot beverages when you should be attending to driving the car, we will show you the kindness of educating you by tossing said scalding beverage into your lap.
By the way, great group with a lot of good discussion and advice.
Many people seem to feel that even the power of a 330 isn't adequate; glad to find at least one person who's satisfied with the 325. What kind of fuel mileage have you been getting?
Here's a pic from last summer on the A6 heading west.
Does anyone know specifically if this new car adheres to the GRAV 60 build tech?
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Columns/articleId=109234
Hate to admit it, but the coupe is better looking than the sedan!
The M3's 3.2 kepts slapped with a gas guzzler tax. while a fun engine, it's high strung, low on torque and really inefficient. A turbo is almost always a better option for more power, torque and fuel consumption in a smaller, lighter engine. BMW has been making turbo engines as long as the company has been in business. only americans think bmw doesn't do turbos and that's mostly rooted in misinformation.
the turbo also allowws for an easy upgrade path. a dinan chip will probably net 30-50 more hp easily. and 50-100 more ft-lbs of torque...all with a warranty.
to say i am anxious about this engine is a gross understatement. the M3's 3.2 doesn't make max torque until almost 5k rpm (and it's only 266). The 3.0T makes max torque (300 ft-lbs) at 1400-5000k rpm. That translates to instant, massive power at all points. A chip would probably net 350-400 ft-lbs over that range.
But they will probably price it like the 330i is today?
The 328 will be the low end car, just like the current 325ci. So, the pricing will probably bump given the added features but the 07 328 will NOT be priced like a 06 330ci. No way. BMW is not stuipd. They're not going to price the low end volume 3 series out of the market. the 335 will get the 06 330ci-ish price tag (again, higher but with more content).
What about coupes having less structural integrity or whatever? Thought I read that on the forum here?
It'snot a forum thing, it's truth. drive a coupe and a sedan hard and you will feel chassis flex. Is it massive? no. but just like fold down rear seats, it impacts the chassis.
It does look much nicer than the sedan but the utility of the 4 doors is hard to ignore.
Totally subjective. I think the coupes in pictures is the ugliest bangle design so far. the rear, side, a-pillar-view back, all look ungaingly and very mercedes-ish to me. absolute bust as far as aesthetics go. the sedan's not good looking either but it's not scary ugly to me.
Replies to this message:
Many people seem to feel that even the power of a 330 isn't adequate; glad to find at least one person who's satisfied with the 325. What kind of fuel mileage have you been getting?"
Thanks for the response. I've been getting around 26.5 mpg in mixed driving; I'd expect that to improve by a couple over time.
I think that power is a relative asset, and that it has to be justified against the cost of the purchase. Adequate for what? I got the car I wanted (the right purchase for me) for $33,460. If I had gone with the 330i, I'd have added another $5K. That's a return plane ticket to Europe for two every year for four years. As to the color, I just couldn't justify another $500 for paint, and, to be honest, in the sales lot the metallics did not look as good to me as either the straight black or white. I'd have been happy with either. Also, the leatherette is worth a look, and on this one, too, I come back to the $1500 charge for the leather, and I didn't kill a cow (just a bit of one for the wheel). The salesperson said that leatherette would be his choice (durability), and I've read similar views in the posts. I'll see how it is in the summer, though. I really wish that a good cloth and manual single zone A/C were available in the US market. I forgot to mention that my car has heated seats also -- they could easily go away with a cloth option.
On the power issue, 215 HP is serious stuff in the European context. We're talking about a 149 mph top end with the sports package on the 325i, 19 mph faster than the 330i without ZSP. Interestingly, the most highly thought of 3 series cars in the UK magazine CAR appear to be the 320d and the 330d diesels; neither have massive power but both have colossal torque. But I think that CAR is a bit diesel-fanatical. One thing for sure, though; low sulfur high output diesels make much more sense than those wretched hybrids.
I've been interested in blueguydotcom's posts about the more visceral nature of the E46. For pure driving enjoyment, regardless of cost, the new VW GTi is really worth a look. I loved driving both the DSG and the traditional manual. I almost bought one, but that nagging reliability issue.... My last GTi was fun but an exercise in frustration.
nkeen: Glad to hear you like your car. Congratulations and lots of luck with it. Nice car.
blueguydotcom: Can you drop me a line and let me know if there are any good places to stay in San Diego? Thanks!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
By "good places" what do you mean? Are you looking for quality and beach? Quality and downtown? And what time of year. May and June are the "ugly" months in San Diego as we have what locals call May Gray and June Gloom. The marine layer (dense fog) is thick in the mornings and often the day doesn't get nice and sunny until afternoon. It's often quite cold in May/June too - even colder than March and April quite often.
So let me know what sort of place you're after. If you have yahoo messenger, you can reach me at blueguydotcom.
Nice interior shots including the rear seats.
Trust me, I like the cold (I enjoyed the snow in Munich earlier this month) but most people who come to San Diego expect it to be 70 degrees all day in June. It's not.
Just warning him. Vacationing in San Diego in May or June isn't the best option. It's rained more times on my b-day (mid-June) than it hasn't over the last 14 years.
http://www.carkeys.co.uk/road_test/bmw/7707.asp
http://fifthgear.five.tv/jsp/5gmain.jsp?lnk=211&featureid=145&description=BMW%20- - - - 330d
But look at those UK prices. And add in fuel at $8/gallon. Ouch.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
DL
We did this in Feb or Mar, flying from Michigan during the winter school break. We laughed when the weather people apologized for the "cold" weather in the 50s and low 60s. Coming from a Michigan winter, that was almost swimming weather for us (and I think that my boy and I took a couple of dips in the heated pool!).
http://www.localwally.com/first.html
Enjoy!
- Ray
The drive to Anza-Borrego is fun, if the weather in SD \ La Jolla is not quite perfect . . .
Personally, that time of year you'd probably enjoy La Jolla, Del Mar or Coronado the most.
Coronado has the nicest beaches in San Diego - Del Mar second - and the island's small enough that you can stroll around and have a nice leisurely time eating, going to shops, seeing the Hotel Del. On the flip side, Coronado's quite expensive: still the island is pretty: lots of places to wander to and if you desire downtown, the zoo, sea world, balboa park, the ballpark, etc are all within super easy striking distance. Heck, Downtown's a simple ferry ride if you don't want to take a car over.
Del Mar's decent but a little uppity and it's fairly removed from everything. A good 15-20 minute drive to get to the city, Sea World, etc.
La Jolla's a madhouse in the summer. Good places to eat, okay beaches, tons of shops but it's really tough to get around that town at the height of summer. Access to freeways can be an absolute headache and even though it's geographically closer to Downtown than Del Mar, it's far harder to get to the city and sites.
If you're willing to spend the dough, Coronado gives you a more picturesque view of San Diego and I think a more pleasurable visit because all the major things to see are less than 10 minutes away from it.
Stacy
Coronado is a little out of my price range, but I think I'll take your advice and stay outside downtown (by the beach somewhere). I can't wait to get back to that Brazilian Steak House in the gas light district :P
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD, 2025 Toyota Camry SE AWD
Even including the Homeless !
No matter where you go in the city, the homeless are there in large numbers. A friend in college did a piece on all the places one could get free food in just La Jolla and Pacific Beach. When he finished he wondered why he even bothered paying rent or buying food.
On the otherhand, the e90 is so common around here 1 year after introduction that you'd swear that it's been out for years. My work's parking structure looks like a BMW showroom.
In day-to-day driving the 335 will move better than a small v8 because of the 300lb-ft and 1400 RPM. The 4.5L v8 made 330lb-ft and that wasn't at 1400RPM!
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BMW has released more information on its new six-speed automatic gearbox, which will show up in the 2007 3-Series Coupe. The gearbox uses a dedicated electronic control unit that permanently monitors the position of the gas pedal, registering the intensity of the pressure exerted by the driver on the gas pedal and determining whether and to what extent the driver wishes to accelerate. Retrieving data on the road speed of the car, engine speed and the steering angle, the control unit also detects current driving conditions at all times, considering furthermore whether the car is driving uphill or downhill. By taking all these criteria and many others into account the management unit is able to determine which gear is the most suitable. The harder and faster the driver depresses the accelerator, the lower the gear.
The system is designed to give the automatic transmission increased precision, without any time-consuming search for the right gear, which the driver would experience as an unwanted delay.
According to BMW, the new six-speed automatic transmission sets new standards for shift times. The new six-speed automatic transmission completes every gearshift process faster than the vast majority of sporting drivers experienced in shifting gears manually.
In a kick-down situation at a speed of 50 mph in sixth gear, the transmission can shift in just 100 milliseconds to second gear. While this is happening, the control unit sends a positive force pulse to the engine, which immediately increases its speed from approximately 1,400 to more than 5,000 rpm.