BMW 3-Series 2006

dl7265

Umm it was dark lol. I bet if I check tire rack it will list all OEM treads.
I know my 99 Sport had the Bridgestone ER30,replacement cost was $210.00 each with a wear rating of 120 OUCH! Why i went back with Yoko's,

DL

dl7265

OK i got the list:

Goodyear rs-a $80.00
pirelli P6 $92.00
Conti ch95 $74.00
Michelin MXV4 plus $115.00

If you value the ratings on tire-rack, non of them had consistant reviews.The MXV4 "Looked " to have the highest of the group.

DL

shipo

I had MXV4 Energy Plus tires on my 1999 328i, and they gave good service and lasted well past the 40,000 miles I put on the car (I didn't rotate them and as such, I figure the fronts had an easy 70K to 80K tread life potential while the rears were probably good for 50K to 55K). Having said that, they didn't have the greatest traction in the world, and with the tallish sidewall, their turn-in was not very crisp either.

Best Regards,
Shipo

dl7265

Thanks, I got caught by the midnite(cst) edmunds bug .. I think I got 29k on those ER30's with the Sports pac,and when removed I was told "wow lots of miles on those,you must have rotated a lot"

Funny even tho I didn't really agree I followed BMW own recommendations and did NOT rotate mine either.

DL

selm

I am going through a very similar issue although I am comparing the 325i 05 to 06. With the incentives and the ability to get the 05 so close to invoice, my payment to purchase will be probably equal to a lease payment on the E90. The financial side of me says take the incentive and who cares if the car is the "old" body style. While the other part of me wonders if I will feel like I settled when I start seeing the E90s on the road. Any thoughts?

wstevec

Before putting my deposit down on a 2006 325xi, I was facing the same delimina. What changed my mind was the extra room, especially in the trunk, the 2005 3 Series looked too small to fit my golf clubs in comfortably, so the extra space in the 2006 is essential. Also, I like the styling of the 2006 better as well. Finally, and this was the deal maker in my mind is that within a few months, every time I see the 2006 3 Series on the road, I would have regretted not waiting and getting one. Just my $.02. Good Luck with your decision.

callmedrfill

Does anyone here consider the new Lexus IS competition for the new 3?

Would you cross shop a G35 6-speed or the new IS350 with a new 3? Would you give them the chance to show you what they've got?

DrFill

kyfdx

Well... all of those tires are all-season, so you won't get the "performance" reviews on most of them...

If I were to avoid any of them, it would be the Continental.. Most versions of Continentals seem to get noise complaints as they wear..

My personal choice would be the Michelins or the Pirellis... but, I wouldn't worry about any of them...

shipo

"Does anyone here consider the new Lexus IS competition for the new 3?"

Hmmm, well sort of. The problem is that the IS350 will be available with an automatic transmission only, and as such, many here, including me, won't even bother to give it the time of day, regardless of its many other fine attributes.

"Would you cross shop a G35 6-speed or the new IS350 with a new 3?"

Regarding the IS, see response #1. Regarding the G35, while its interior is vastly improved from the G35 that I drove back in 2002, it is still not to my liking. As for the engine, while certainly more powerful than the current BMW I6 3.0 liter, it is nowhere as smooth and refined feeling. In relation to the new 3.0 liter mill from BMW, in spite of what the specs say on paper, I'm betting that the E90 330i will have very similar acceleration numbers and considerably better numbers on a track. I didn't like the way the car felt during tight maneuvers either, just not as securely attached to the road as my 530i feels. Then there is the suspension compliance. To me at least, it seems that Infiniti engineered in the decent handling at the expense of compliance by screwing the suspension down. Given all of the "Frost Heaves" (very bumpy roads) here in New Hampshire, maybe that's why you see extremely few G35s running around. They just ride too hard.

So; "Would you give them the chance to show you what they've got?"

I won't even look at an automatic car (except maybe the 300C SRT-8) so scratch the IS, I've already looked at the G (twice), and I'm not overly impressed.

Best Regards,
Shipo

blueguydotcom

Tested the 05 G35 MT - not my kinda car. Too rough, too big, too wobbly. Good price and fast car but not nearly the car I'd want to drive daily.

I look forward to the IS350. IF it has a 6 speed. Without a 6 speed, the car is useless to me.

giovanni1

I crossed shopped the G35 6mt and test drove the current 330 and 05 G35 back to back. In a nutshell the g35 is a nice car and handles well but it isn't on par with the BMW at least in my opinion. The 6mt was fun and quick but judging by the seat of the pants feel the bmw was just as fast but much more refined. I found the G35 to be a bit noisy. Actually my Gf's TL is the quietist of the 3 but it has no soul.

Oh speaking of test driving, I'm headed to auto show in motion today in which I'll get to drive all the models that fall under the GM brand (vette, gto, cts-v) should be fun.

potemkin

I pass on any car without a stick.

Before buying my 05 325i I also looked at the G35 and the IS300 (as well as the C230K). The Infiniti dealer informed me that the 05 G35 6MT wouldn't be available until February (this was in December) and the Lexus dealer told me that their just wasn't any demand for manuals in the area, so they didn't bother to stock any -- same for every other Lexus dealer around. I test drove an auto. IS (I had some time to kill), but I just took a pass on the G35 without sitting in one.

Even if they had a 5-speed available, they would've had to come way of the sticker for me to take one with that hideous instrument cluster.

Wound up being a close call between the C230 and the 325i. The C230 had a 6-speed on par with the 3's 5-speed, but the 3 had a better engine.

dl7265

The answer to your question is in any other boards the competition talks more about the 3er that their own vehicle.Theres a reason.Until your post there was no mention of a lexus,MB ect on BMW thread.

DL

tman54

AutoWeek has an interesting lead article this week on the new Lexus IS. According to the article, the new IS 350 will have a 3.5 V6 producing upward of 300 hp and 0-60 in the low-five second range--nearly a second faster than the new 330i. It will also offer a six-speed manual. With respect to the new styling of the IS the author describes it as more visually dynamic than the BMW. The article estimates the IS 250 to be priced just below $30,000 with the 350 commanding a moderate increase. If all of this is true, I certainly would be willing to look at it before making my deposit on the new 330i.

kdshapiro

The new 3 series was clocked at 5.6 by C&D. You saying the new IS will get to 60 in 4.6? Whew that's fast.

sunilb

I think he said low 5second-range (which is 1 second less than what BMW is touting for the 330i ~ 6.1sec)... though, BMW has been known to be conservative in their published numbers (as C&D has proven).

Regardless, Lexus could beat them this time with better stats, nicer interior/exterior and lower price. However, I think it will come down to "feel"... so far, no one has been able to match BMW's balance (of sport, handling, psuedo-lux).

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

shipo

In a recent post in a different discussion, the poster stated that he (or she, I don't remember which) was told by a Lexus dealer, who was considered a normally reliable source of information, that the next generation IS would only be available with a manual transmission in the smaller engined IS250 model. The IS350 would be exclusively available as an automatic.

How will this play out? I certainly have no clue. That said, if the IS350 is offered for sale with only a slush box, it will be a nonentity (as in it doesn't exist) as far as I'm concerned.

Best Regards,
Shipo

bmwccc

Fishtook, Shipo, KYFDK, dl7265 & Others........

According to the March Car & Driver, the 2006 330i they tested had the Pirelli Eufori's on the car and they liked them.

You guys have any feedback on this tire, I believe there will be no rotation options as the sizes vary from front to back. For me in California, there is no need for a all season tire so performance is key!

Any thoughts?

shipo

I'm thinking that the car that Car & Driver was testing was not equipped with the Sport Package. Why? Well, according the the BMW Ordering Guide, the standard issue tires are 225/45 R17 mounted on 17x8.0 inch wheels. The SP tires are 225/40 R18 with 18x8.0 wheels (Front) and 255/35 R18 with 18x8.5 wheels (Rear).

According to the Pirelli web site, the Eufori tires are in fact available in the 225/45 R17 size, however, the do not currently make any Eufori tires in the 18 inch size. As such, it seems to me that the Eufori tires are more of an All-Season compromise tire with Run-Flat capabilities.

Best Regards,
Shipo

kdshapiro

Lexus isn't beating them. It's the old story. The competition turbo-charges or beefs up the engine size to get performance marginally better than BMW. I would like to see real-world (not EPA) gas mileage between the two vehicles. I mean BMW already has a 3.2L engine that cranks out 333hp.

tman54

shipo, I'm with you. If the new LexusIS 300 doesn't have a manual, I wouldn't walk across the street to look at it. Putting an automatic in a fine performance car to me is like wallpapering the Sistene chapel. Fortunately, BMW still understands this.

callmedrfill

The IS (non-AWD models) will have manuals. ALL non-AWD models will have manuals, because Lexus fell down that flight of stairs before in 2001, and is still paying for it.

I drive a stick, and I will ONLY drive a stick, so it's good to find other DRIVERS here!

Plus the obvious sales success of the G35, which has been quickly accepted as a BMW-alternative, and cheered by R&T, C&D, and MT as being as good, if not better than a 3.

Interesting that these well-driven journalist see the G as an equal to the 3 in their Road Test.

Lest anyone forget the 11 Sport Sedans comparison from 2002, where the G won outright (and an Auto IS300 came in third, I think the 3 came in second). And MT gave it the nod in a direct comparison vs. CTS and the 3. It's been a couple of years since I bought those issues, but that's what I remember, probably because it was so unexpected.

I like the 3, old and new, but if Lexus makes a 300+HP IS for less than $35k, with it's new threads, BMW is in for some long nights, heretofore unseen.

More details in NY next week!

Competition is a wonderful ting, isn't it?

DrFill

wco81

Thanks kyfdx.

So in California, it would be $426 plus 8.25% sales tax.

Does the security deposit vary from locale?

What kind of money factor and residual are you assuming on $31,125 cap cost, 3/36k lease?

So at the end of the lease, I should be able to just walk away if I so choose, right?

kdshapiro

"Lest anyone forget the 11 Sport Sedans comparison from 2002, where the G won outright"

Ah this is a BMW board so I can add to the quote. I believe the G won outright in value, but the 330i beat it an almost every other category. The G won a couple of the performance measurements, but it need 60 more hp to get marginally better performance.

sedmund

I recently test drove a G35 and 2004 325i on the same day. The G felt much more powerful, and handling was pretty good too. But 325i was much more fun to drive and felt much more connected to the driver. I used to drive an E36 and I loved that car. After many years I recently test drove the newer cars (I also test drove the TL and it was a big let down for me) and I was thinking the competition would have caught up with the 3, going by all those reviews and talk. But I came back with the feeling that the 3 is simply the purest and finest form of a comfortable sport sedan in it class. Yes the competition has definitely come closer if you consider the overall package, but the 3 is still the one for me for sheer driving pleasure. I'm now waiting for the 2006 to come out ...

callmedrfill

BMW (and Mercedes) are putting into "sports sedans". These "improvements" may euthanize the "Ultimate Driving Experience" into full Simulation!

According to C&D, it already has in the 5!

And didn't they call the 645 "The Ultimate Driving Simulator"?

These guys LOVE BMW!

Here's hoping the legend doesn't befall the same fate.

DrFill

kdshapiro

"These guys LOVE BMW!"

Yes, but these same guys hate change. These guys still want the BMW of 1985. Well it aint happening. BMW is in a no-win position. Without the doodads potential customers will look elsewhere. With the doodads the press talks about "the dilution of the driving experience".

But it's interesting it's okay on a Japanese vehicle to have the doodads, because on those cars the driving experience matters not.

shipo

...is that you can have it either way, full of doodads or fairly spartan. You choose. Me, I'll take a 330i 6-Speed (three pedal type), with the SP and probably the PP, and that should about do it. No HUD, no parking aid, no active steering or dynamic cruise control or NAV or iKnobby Thingy. Just a car with power, class and comfort... and of course a stick. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

dl7265

Thats the best point. try in any other make to walk in and say umm id like a stick with say Nav and ette seats and see it happen. The ease of an order and flexibility just add's to the experience

DL

ivan_99

giovanni1

what body kit is that? IMHO it looks horrible.

jrock65

Looks like the IS350 will have more than enough power, but the key will be weight balance. No one does 50/50 weight balance like BMW.

The bulk of the sales will come from the 325i and IS250 for both companies anyway. It'll be interesting to see how those compare.

blueguydotcom

egardless, Lexus could beat them this time with better stats, nicer interior/exterior and lower price. However, I think it will come down to "feel"... so far, no one has been able to match BMW's balance (of sport, handling, psuedo-lux).</I.

Guess it's me but both cars look mighty lame. I'll buy the one that's most fun, looks be damned.

kdshapiro

Part of BMW is the looks and unless I'm buying a utility vehicle I don't pretend looks don't matter. Just like I didn't pretend looks didn't matter when I met my beautiful wife.

Driving an ugly performance vehicle is well.... But beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

blueguydotcom

Kd, I couldn't disagree more. I was going to buy an 03 BMW even though I found the car pretty darn ugly after the facelift. Lucky for me I happened upon the performance package and found a face I liked a little more (still totally hate the tacky looking chrome rings on my car's snout).

Before that I was pretty happy with the G and TSX even though both are as plain looking as the day is long. You're also talking to someone who came -><- this close to buying a WRX in 01.

Interior does make a difference to me. It must be pleasant. The interior was and is one of the big drawbacks of the subaru line - cheap, economy, ford-y materials. G35, TSX and BMW were all decent enough. not VW/Audi levels but then again, unlike my VW nothing inside the BMW has broken. And the BMW has one thing I love from years growing up with convertibles and sports cars - a driver centric cockpit.

The e90 does not have a driver focused interior. The Lexus has a banal, toyota stamped interior.

Styling on those two, to me, is downright bad. The Lexus blends in like a Taurus inside and out. The e90 is just as slab-sided and boring to look at as the CTS ad G35. Nothing in either design makes a statement or cuts a path - they're all about conformity and appealing to the dead-tastemeter inside middle america. "Oh helen, it's positively...um...there. wow, if you didn't point it out, I might just pass it."

victord1

Totally agree with you about the slabside look of the E90. I'm not a designer or anything, but ,imo, the E90's exterior has too many angles and intersecting lines. That photograph is not appealing to me at all. ( I think the car look worse in light colors.) But I dig those wheels though. I just have to see it in person---got an invitation from a local dealer to get a closer look on April 1st.

IMO, the current 3series (E36?) has a lot smoother exterior and looks great in light colors. Too bad I haven't been that successful in getting one for invoice-$4200+$500.

The TSX and the E36 have the most balanced, conservative, and pleasing looks of all the current offerings. IMO.

ivan_99

heh...it is a AC Schnitzer.

I thought it looked kinda "cool"...although I prefer the elegent look for BMW's.

giovanni1

To me, something about that front lip makes it look like it's trying to be Japanese. I've seen some kits on the current 3 and previous 3's that looked quite good and didn't take away from the classy/elegant that I too prefer.

kyfdx

Residual 57%
Money factor .00225

Security deposit is always rounded up to the next $50 increment, so probably a deposit of $500, and that doesn't vary by location.

Yes, at the end of the lease, you walk away, assuming you have met all of the terms of the contract..(mileage, etc.).. There may be a disposition fee on BMW leases, but I'm not sure... If so, probably a $350 fee if you just turn the vehicle in.

regards,
kyfdx

bmwfan2

I'm thinking about getting Nav for E90 but found little info on it. Anybody knows extensive review on Nav. I tested the 05 330i, not impressed with the nav at all. it had no touch screen. Anyone knows if the new one is much better? I heard Acura has the best Nav.

Thanks. Anyway, can you install an after market dvd player to the nav monitor?

novice

Folks,

I raised this issue several days ago--it didn't get traction. But here's the direct quote from the 12 page 'in-depth' article from a website posted in this thread about a week ago. But note it cites the kind of window tinting common in SUV's for the rear door and back windows. It is different than sunshades--though they are available as well. I hope this is a U.S. option but no one seems to know about it. Anyone have any insights?

**Keep the sunshine out &#150; sundim glazing and sunblinds.**

"Direct sunglare sometimes has a dazzling effect and is quite generally unpleasant. So sundim glass available as an option on the rear side windows as well as the rear window itself is able to prevent any such unpleasant effects, filtering out more than 50 per cent of the light and heat irradation while at the same time naturally fulfilling all safety and security requirements.
A further advantage appreciated by many customers is that sundim glass ensures much greater privacy inside the car.
The same effect is provided by the optional sunblinds on both sections of the rear side windows opening and closing by hand. The sunblind on the rear window, in turn, opening and closing electrically, helps to keep high temperatures outside of the car. The BMW 3 Series is incidentally the only car in its class to currently offer sunblinds on the side windows."

nyccarguy

or did the Roundel article on the E90 say there will be no iT (touring) version imported into the US?

sedmund

I think the Japanese superiority in consumer electronics in general is making the difference here (though my friend has a G35 that's not touchscreen). My friend has an ML class with Nav and my 2001 Odyssey has much better Nav (it's touchscreen) than his. His was in fact not even DVD based, it was CD based. Hello?! And yes touch screen makes a big difference in the Nav usage.
But it doesn't bother me because Nav is not on my checklist for the E90.
One thing you can consider is the aftermarket Nav systems - the latest ones claim some kind of motorized touch screen which apparently give you some button like feel to touch!

dewey

"think the Japanese superiority in consumer electronics in general is making the difference here"

Japanese consumer electronics are completely irrelevent in the case of vehicles!

Most marques like MB and BMW are multinational firms that will seek the best electronic technology in the globe. Just because they are German marques does not mean that all their gizmos are sourced from Stuttgart or Munich.

In fact most of the electronic gremlins in the fancier BMWs and MBs are related to software not the electronic hardare.

Regarding software, USA is number one and not Japan.

Regarding consumer electronics hardware, Japanese superiority is taking a backseat role whicle Korea(Samsung) is emerging as a power in itself. Oh and let us not forget the emerging strength of the USA(ipod, xbox) in consumer electronics. In fact Kodak is number one in growth in terms of digital cameras.

shipo

... the last American car that I have had that actually had any problems was a 1988 Chrysler. I drove it about 80,000 miles in four years and it had exactly two component failures.

1) The alternator ate itself. This was a total and complete melt down (as in finding a puddle of molten aluminum under the car). The manufacturer was Nippondenso.
2) I was on a trip from Cleveland to Chicago, and as I was tooling along the Ohio Turnpike the fuel pump, which was going, "wrrrrrrrrr...", went "Click!" I coasted to a stop a few hundred yards down the road. :-/ I don't remember the manufacturer of that fuel pump, but you guessed it, it was Japanese too.

Best Regards,
Shipo

kyfdx

Just guessing.. but, those were probably Mitsubishi components..

blueguydotcom

No doubt they were mitsu. LOL

fishtook

Hey bmwccc,

According to tireack.com, top 5 Max Performance Summer tires are:

1) Michelin: Pilot Sport PS2
2) Goodyear: Eagle F1 GS-D3
3) Bridgestone: Potenza S-03 Pole Position
4) Pirelli: PZero Nero
5) Dunlop: SP Sport 9090

bmwccc

Shipo, Fishtook, KYFDX, dl7265 & others...

Shipo, that makes sense, soooooooo..........

If the sport package tires are not the Pirelli Eufori's, then what tire do you think is on the Sp package?

Thanks

dl7265

I could'nt say til April 11th I see your also shopping A4. I called the insurance to get a quote for comparison .The A4 was high as a 5er and the 3er was considerably less.Not sure if thats based more on parts cost, theft rates ect...

DL