BMW 3-Series 2006

chris823 · February 2003

Time for a 3-series remodel! The lights are gonna look like the ones on the 7-series right now, and will look like the xActivity vehicle. Here's a pic: http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid51/pbde1d3f5f57c60920d36- e3c7078625c5/fca4fc4e.jpg

tomwannabmw · February 2003

That is a GUESS of what the vehicle MIGHT look like. Believe me, if we don't know what the new 5er that will be released in a few months will look like yet, we really have no idea what the E90 will be. Neither does BMW. That pic was pure speculation.

I just ordered a 330i ZHP silver gray for April/May delivery on a three year lease. I will be anticipating the E90 greatly as its release will roughly coincide with the end of my lease.

I am all for a discussion thread on the E90 though, that was a good idea!

bgt1 · February 2003

I am anticipating what the new 3series will look like too. But I would think the new e90 will be out in Sedan form in 2006 (7 year run right?), then followed by 2007 coupe and so on just like when the '99 came out.

I would assume to take some cues from the current 7-series and z-series to get an idea of what the exterior might resemble.

The great thing about bmw is that even the older body styles look good so I wont feel like I HAVE to get the new one when it comes out.

I would not be suprised if they try to bump up the pricing point and marketing point with the 3 series. Wthe the introduction of the 1 series and a couple other lower priced bmws, the 3 series might become more a luxury car now. I kind of envision how Nissan "moved up" the Maxima over the years and introduced the Altima as a lower priced point car. Make sense?

djocks · February 2003

The dealer that sold me my 330i told me that BMW intends to release the new 3-series in the spring of 2005. I am leasing because of several reasons, one being the option to buy at the end.
I also agree that I am extremely interested to see what BMW does in its next generation 3 series. I do think the 7-series is too complicated and the 5 might be going down the same path. The bigger problem is that the present 3 series is nearly perfect! And how do you improve perfection? My guess is that BMW, who has always been on top, will see the consumers wants and release a 3 series that shares the look of the 7 and 5 (which I think look good from the exterior) and go with a more simplified interior offering things like i-drive as an option. I also have a feeling that horse power will be increased. The 3.0 liter engine is base on the new X3's coming in November and I think will be base on the next generation 3er's.
BMW has been on top by knowing exactly what the consumer is looking for in a car. Lexus did not figure this out by producing a great driving automobile like the IS and matting it with a mikeymouse interior. I have faith BMW will not make the same mistake. And if they do, well I will buy my 330i. A car I consider as close to perfect as you can get!

tomwannabmw · February 2003

Djocks, I leased my new330i as well mostly because I wouldn't have to worry about the e90 lowering my residual. I just couldn't see plunkin' down $43K plus with tax on something that would no longer be produced when I am ready to sell in three years.

I have read the new 3(sedan)/4(coupe) will get bigger and stronger, moving upmarket from the 1/2 series.

I personally hope they follow some of the styling cues from the Z4. I think the Z4 is bold and stunning. Change that is so marked is slow to be accepted, I remember people fussing about the e46 when it was released!

kennrs · February 2003

I just got my copy of the Feb. 12 issue of Autocar, the British car magazine. The picture linked to in the first post is from its cover. Some more info from the article:

Since this will no longer be the entry-level model (with the 1-series coming), the car will get bigger, closer to the A4 and C-class in size: 80mm longer, 30mm wider, 35mm longer wheelbase. Interior space will be close to the current 5-series.

All-new aluminum-intensive chassis. Steering extensively reworked to incorporate BMW's new Active Front Steering system for a more agile feel. Advanced electro-hydraulic brake setup. Electronic parking brake with dash switch. Adaptive headlights that swivel with the front wheels.

6's reengineered with Valvetronic throttle system and a 3rd generation version of Vanos and direct-injection system from the 760i. Possible 3.6 V8 from the 735i, but this is not sure.

Standard 6-speed manual with optional 6-speed auto. Manual available with SMG.

The Compact will likely give way to an MPV variant in 2007. Coupe and convertible versions will likely be designated 4-series and have more distinctive styling to set them apart from the 3. Next M3 will likely be an M4. Still undecided if it will stick with a 6 or go with a V8, but the latter seems more likely.

The article also notes how important the 3 is to BMW, accounting for 61% of total production in 2001.

motokichi · February 2003

Please dont Bangle the 3.

chile96 · March 2003

Anybody heard when the 2004 325i will be available for delivery? I thought I heard this summer but the dealer said not till November. I can't tell if he's telling the truth or just wants me to buy now so he can rack up another quick sell.

thomcin · March 2003

Ordered my 2004 325 Convertible on March 13. The base price is up $595 over 2003 model, options are the same price as 2003. Am paying MSRP -$1700
for vehicle with prem. pkg, sport pkg, heated seats, leather. Front & rear are lightly restyled. They start making the 2004 3 series on April 1 and will start delivery at the end of May.

chile96 · March 2003

Is that date true for just the convertible and coupe or hold true for the regular 325i sedan as well?

omi8998 · May 2003

Hey everyone,
I want the 325i 2004.
Pass me any info you all have on additional changes. I dislike new 7 and Z4 styling. The new 5 looks Okay, so-so. If I hold out any longer for A BMW, which in my mind is the most awesome car company on the planet, I may never buy one!
Especially if the new 2005+ 3series is styled like the recent launched 7, Z4. The recent designs have been horrible in my opinion. Definitely, their technology is still unmatched. Anyway, I am currently driving an old 3rd hand accord. So, give me any useful info you can. Also, their cars are so overpriced, dealers frown on discounts, and the features are few. I looked at Audi A4-poor reliability, Acura TSX--nice, but I want the BMW...even if I have to get base car w/only XENONS and Sports pkg. Let me know what you all think.-Thanks. O.

bgt1 · May 2003

The 3 series shouldnt be totally redesigned till the 2006 model and that will be just the sedan, then followed by the coupe more than likely the 2007 year. Assuming the way they introduced the 99 model year.

biggeststick · May 2003

Hello all,

Quick question for all of you guys....Do I pony up 24 or 25 K for a 2000 323 CI coupe, PP, SP, Xenons, 5 speed,29,000 miles, or should I stretch the budget and get a 2002 325 CI, comparably equipped for 28 or 29K. I am on a budget, but am thinking that I would be better off in the 02 than the 00, even if the 00 is cheaper. Is this logic stupid, or do you agree. What do you guys think? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks

Biggest

omi8998 · May 2003

The 323Ci is a good choice at a fair price. Add a chip and you can get past 184hp even close to 200hp. My friend bought a 94 325iS in 1998 ($22k)with 40,000 mi on it, after a cold air intake and chip, hp was up from 190 to 210hp. He drove it all over usa w/out any problems. Turned around and sold it for $8500 and it had 150k on it! Point being, these are solid cars. So, unless you can afford a new 325ci, don't get it. By the time u pay int and taxes on that 325ci, it will be close to 33k! Save yourself $8k. Find a reliable autoshop and save money you'd spend on dealer maintainence as well. If you can find a clean used 323ci, its a better value.

randomguy11111 · May 2003

and try to get a preowned with bigger engine. One advantage of preowned is getting the loaded car instead of the the stripper, where the engine and options have already depreciated somewhat and the price diff between 325 and 300 is not so great....

idletask · May 2003

- that it be lighter than the current model,

- that its prices remain stable,

- that there be a 325d along with the 330d.

I especially want 1. 1600 kgs for the 330d is really heavy. That this car manages 35mpg in real life is a testimonial for the greatness of the engine, but were the car lighter I'm sure it could get in the 40s...

paper_tiger · July 2003

My main concern is this picture of the 2005 3-Series:

2005 3-Series.

Can this website be trusted?
Anyone else know any information on the upcoming 2005 3-Series?
I'd hate to buy one now, if they'll change their entire model the following year...

sandyboy · July 2003

Does anyone know if the 2006 BMW sedan will be available in AWD like the 325/330xi?

kuseler · July 2003

Take a look at www.auto.t-online.de, under the Auto section.

There are good photos of the new 330i and the 7 series face lift.

Looks like BMW is listening, both designs are less radical than the current 7 and new 5.

BMW, thanks.

adgrant · August 2003

Wait until the official photos. In any case, I think the new BMW interior designs are even worse than the exteriors.

kennynmd · August 2003

First the 7,then the 5, and now the 3 if the pic is correct. They all don't look as good as they were!

semaj23 · August 2003

I'm just starting to look at the BMW 330, owned a BMW many years ago. What is the e90? Any information on how the 330 Convertible will change in 2006?

sunilb · August 2003

When will we first see this car in production form? Will it be at next month's show in Frankfurt?

Will this hit our shores in the Fall of 2004?
I'm rather adverse to the amount of technology that BMW is adding to their cars (read: "iDrive"), and would like to time it so that I can pick up a 2004 330 just before this new one comes out.

brendaowens4 · November 2003

Kirstie_H · November 2003

There will, but we don't know much about it. This link is the only official info we've got!

polyester1970 · November 2003

I found some more pics and predictions about the new 3 series from Autospies. It seems like this info is as good as any.

http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_article000127415.cfm

It looks hot (click on Photo 1)

bmwccc · November 2003

Hi everyone, I am a first time chatter here but need your help. I was going to buy the 2004 330ci in late December of this year. I have been reading a lot of your conversations recently on the new changes that seem extensive to the engine, interior and exterior.

Does anyone know with any certainty when the new 3 Series will be released to the U.S.? Will it be only on the Sedans first with the Coupe to follow or release all at once.

I have been waiting to buy a BMW for ever and was ready to pull the trigger on a fully loaded 330ci. Now I am very confused and am considering waiting.

Please Help Me!

polyester1970 · December 2003

I'm waiting for the new 3 series which I'm pretty sure is coming out in 2005.

I like the front end design of the current 3's but I think the rest of the car is pretty outdated looking in comparison to the new cars coming from Acura, BMW, etc... Also, it's rumored the new 3 will have close to 300 HP with a 3.5 litre engine. I think that alone is worth waiting for.

ddblue · December 2003

My understanding is that the next generation 3 series will be out in the spring of '05. 3s will only be released in the sedan form as the coupe will be dubbed the 4 series.

s852 · December 2003

Maybe this board should be renamed 2006 BMW 3-series since it appears the new sedan will be a 2006.
The 2005s will be about the same as they are now.
Sounds like the price is going up a lot if they are really adding so much standard equipment and bigger engines.
People waiting for 2005s thinking they will be an all-new design might as well just lease a 2004 now, drive it for 3 years and get a new 2007 at the end of the lease after the bugs are worked out and price gouging starts to wane.

bretaa · December 2003

My plan is to wait for '07 or '08 as well. My guess is that the price will go up considerably, given the new 1 series coming on the bottom end and the price increases for the 5 series give BMW some room to play with.

Bret

jmcmusic · January 2004

I did sign a confidentiality agreement however, I just want to note that after 3 hours of evaluation (no driving), I decided that I like my current 2001 330i better and will either keep it for another 10 years (and buy another car for daily driving) or get a 2004 330i before they are gone. Nothing wrong with the new one, it will be very successful I am sure, I just prefer the current design.

wstevec · January 2004

Has anyone found any other pictures of the 2005 325/ 3 Series. Thanks

s852 · January 2004

Isn't the restyled, new design actually going to be considered a 2006 model that will be released late in calendar year 2005? If so, it will be many months before anyone will have pics to post.
In that case, a 2005 3-sereies will look just like a 2004.

josrulz · February 2004

Everything I've read with any credibility puts the e90 (new 3-series) release as a model year 2006, released sometime IN 2005, not fall of 2004 as a 2005 model. Another poster put it this way: Think of the e60 (new 5-series). It came out this past fall as a 2004, and at this time last year, we already knew exactly what it was going to look like. Right now, we only have photoshopped pics of the e90, and some camo-ed pics from road testing. No way that car's coming out this fall. Plus, the 1-series is coming out this fall--they will most likely want to stagger that. Seems the soonest we'd see a new 3-series is March/April 2005 as a 2006 model, and possibly as late as fall 2005.

Granted, I do not know any of this for sure. Just saying the signs point to a 2006 model.

horace · February 2004

Just found these photos on line. Might be of interest to some of you. They look pretty genuine too, not just artist impressions.

New 4 Series

http://www.autofiend.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&a- mp;sid=88

New 3 Series
http://www.geocities.com/futurecars1/FutureCars-06_BMW_3er.html

blueguydotcom · February 2004

Huh. Mugly ugly wheels on the i. Bad color too as black doesn't reveal curves on sheetmetal well. I'll be interested in seeing it with a silver color (which accents lines the best).

Still leaning toward the highest output 1 or a TL in 2006.

V8 in the M4? So wrong. A heavy V8 seems to fly in the face of the concept of a 3 but they just keep making it more and more corpulent. sigh...

hman709 · February 2004

Anyone know when the 2005 model comes out?

Also, do we know anything yet about the MSRP ?

307web · February 2004

2005 should come out at the normal time in fall and have a minor price increase because it is the same body style.
I have heard the "NEW" 3 series is actually supposed to be a 2006 model for the US anyway, so is well over a year away.

gordonwd · March 2004

Autoweek has some photos of the new 4-series, which is what they're going to call the coupe version of the 3-series, although they say there will be some "significant styling differences" from the sedan. Whatever, it looks really sharp and not Bangle-ized.

307web · March 2004

Considering the sedan is supposed to come out first, it's bizarre the 4 series photos are available before the sedan photos.

bmw120 · March 2004

To clear it up the new BMW 3 series will be available in the US this year so if you want the new body style it will be available in october-november of this year for 2005 not in 2006 as many claim. This will also be the last yesr for the BMW X5 sport utility as it will be replaced next year with the 2006 E70 not sure if its still going to be called a X5 but it looks awesome. Someone in another post said why are the spy photos of the 05 3 series black with ugly wheels. One reason so you don't know what it is pictures of it can be valuable and don't need to be leaked!

kyfdx · March 2004

Everything I read in BMW specific forums elsewhere suggests you are wrong. There may be some E90 cars available late this year, but they will be the first cars for the home market. All indications are that the earliest the U.S. will see the new E90 is September of '05, as an '06 model.

I guess we will see...

regards,
kyfdx

bmw120 · March 2004

Sorry but it will be available this year its nothing I read I work for BMW and not the dealership BMW motor corp, and I have drove a E90 already.

kyfdx · March 2004

On that note, I have an acquaintance whose company is a BMW supplier.. By coincidence, he is leaving for Munich tomorrow for meetings with them. I've asked him to report back on any info he might receive.

I understand that you've driven the E90, but in the past, BMW has always released new models in Europe well ahead of the North America introduction. I'll be surprised to see it here in six months or less.

Just my $.02 against your $.02... I'm a big gambler..LOL.

regards,
kyfdx

blueguydotcom · March 2004

I'd put my money with you. It's March and we haven't seen anything at the auto shows regarding the 3 series. There's really no way BMW will replace its bread and butter within the next 6 months when they haven't been showing it off.

307web · March 2004

More likely it might be released in Europe this year, not the US.

bmw120 · March 2004

Yea I am really surprised the 05' E90 was not at the Geneva auto show myself. I personally helped build the new Z4 for Geneva it was a M version of the Z4 but I work for the company and our release date for the US on the E90 is planned for this year. We supplied Europe with the Z4 in just 3 months after its release date in the US and the E90 is produced at two plants so they can produce five times as many E90's as we can the Z4. So I would still expect it in the dealers by Sep-Oct this year.

blueguydotcom · March 2004

to produce 5 times more E90s than Z4s considering what a total failure the Z4 is. BMW can't give them away. I've heard of people buying the Z4 for thousands below invoice. Ouch.

And the current gen 3 is produced at several plants too. What's the big deal?

Wait a second the Z4 is made in the USA. God I hope the e90 isn't made here. I like BMWs but buying American made cars is asking a bit too much...

gordonwd · March 2004

First off, a local auto commentator mentioned today that the European manufacturers are very concerned about the strength of the Euro and their rapidly eroding profits from the USA. One way they are planning to combat it is to buy more parts from the US and assemble _more_ cars in the USA, possibly even building them for export to other countries. The same goes for the Japanese, as the Yen is also increasing. Building the 3-series here would make a lot of sense to them since they sell so many of them here.

Another prediction I would make for when the E90 is finally released:

1) The base price will go up. Inevitable for several reasons such as Euro strength, new equipment and features, price of steel, etc.

2) There will be a long waiting list to order one for a while as a lot of current E46 owners will want to get the latest & greatest, etc.

3) Based on #1 and #2, you won't be seeing discounts from MSRP for a long time and might even pay above MSRP for the first batch.

blueguydotcom · March 2004

Based on #1 and #2, you won't be seeing discounts from MSRP for a long time and might even pay above MSRP for the first batch.

A fool and his money...

BMW 3-Series 2006

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