Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
-Chris
ps. thanks genie. this thread is beginning to degenerate into "how to accessorize my trophy"...
Obviously, colour doesn't make your car go faster or not, but it does kinda tell what kind of person you are.
They LOOK and FEEL the same to me but I'm not sure if they have the same part number.
ummm... if i started thinking that colour tells me something about the person who is driving the car, i think i need to re-assess how i judge people...
ummm (again)... the 3er isn't a sports car. it wants to be a gt (the m3 is a gt). the 3er is a real nice sedan that handles better than a buick. "sedan" and "sports" don't go together in the same sentence.
hey, if someone wants red, i have no problem with it. but it does get to me a bit when they obsess continually about it and worry about what others will think about it. buy what YOU want.
-Chris
i think you could fit 21's on that club sport if you really tried...
-Chris
And can you fit 21" rims on it?
I don't think I need to explain to THIS board why your statement is completely wrong. Suffice to say that BMW invented the sport sedan segment.
"sedan" and "sports" don't go in the same sentence. i'm sorry. they may call it "sports sedan" if they like (i believe oldsmobile made a "sports sedan" too).
sportscars are sportscars.
sedans are sedans. some are more fun to drive than others. but they aren't "sports" sedans. there is no such thing.
-Chris
As for coupes/sedans, lets be clear - coupes are ALWAYS cooler. But, unfortunately, most of us can't own them for practical reasons (I think the 325ci only has 4 seat belts in 2002?). I had only coupes before marriage. I'd buy a 325 coupe in a heartbeat if I didn't have (3) small kids. Ever try to get a car seat in and out of a small coupe - it's torture! Also, my wife would mutiny if I bought a coupe. I think the coupe looks exceptionally better in red because it doesn't have the black trim on the doors and bumpers. Not that the sedan looks bad, but I prefer the mono-chromatic look of the coupe. Interestingly, I think the black trim degrades the red slightly more than the silver - and of course, it's invisible on the black.
miles on it. The other day my oil light came on. I would not have thought that I would need
to add oil at 7,000 miles. I am not a hard driver. I usually drive it pretty easy. The dealer is
telling me that some of the cars burn oil. That does not sound right to me!!!
HELP!!!! HAS ANY ONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM?
have 7100
miles on it. The other day my oil light came on. I would not have thought that I
would need
to add oil at 7,000 miles. I am not a hard driver. I usually drive it pretty easy. The
dealer is
telling me that some of the cars burn oil. That does not sound right to me!!!
HELP!!!! HAS ANY ONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM?
My suggestion to you, keep track of the oil consumption, many folks find that the first few thousand miles on a new engine will consume a lot of oil (relatively speaking) and then after the Rings seat, the amount of oil used will drop. If you notice that your oil consumption gets worse (like 1 quart for every 1k to 2k miles), then it would be time to get concerned.
In summary, I suspect that all is well with you car, just keep an eye on things.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Why does a BMW have to be sooooo serious? A Mercedes Benz is serious. A Miata is fun. I think a BMW can be "serious fun".
I'm glad many of you guys are buying the other colors. Unlike 10 years ago, when red was king, my red one will be all the more distinguishable.
blackren:
"Mettalic, and dark" is not RED. "Crimson", "burgundy", "wine", maybe,...but not red. Recently C&D tested all of the current BMW M-cars, and photographed them all together. Incidently, they were all red.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Since the lion's share of fidelity is in the speakers, could that be the problem? Have any of you changed out, or tried to change out speakers in a post 1999 3-series? I upgraded speakers in two previous cars, and it transformed the system. But, in some cars it is virtually impossible to get at the factory speakers.
Best Regards,
Shipo
I also appreciate a good sounding stereo and I'm not going to spend $30,000 and have an average sounding system. I was concerned after reading some essentially negative reviews of the stereo system on the 3 series.
With that in mind, I grabbed my Sarah McLachlan CD (good bass, detail and highs) and headed down to the dealer. They had a 2002 330xi which comes with the HK upgrade. They let me listen to the CD for a good half-hour inside the dealership (no road noise).
I came away very impressed and with no reservations on spending the extra cash of the HK upgrade. I don't know if BMW improved the stereo or if I'm not as picky as I think I am. For comparison, I listened to the same CD in a 325i with the stock stereo on a test drive. The stock stereo was flatter and not as crisp. I will be buying the upgrade.
I had planned on visiting the local auto stereo shop to see what they could do with $700, but my "test drive" convinced me that wouldn't be necessary. I suggest you take a good listen yourself and, if you would, let me know how it compares to the Bose system.
Now, does anyone know how I could plug an iPod into the indash stereo? 50 hours of music in something the size of a deck of cards beats a CD changer in the trunk anyday!
-Murray
I'm happy with my base setup in 330i, and if I really want to listen to music, I've got my home system.
genie1: LOL! My mind is still scrambled from last night.
jpagan: many posters have stated that the best deals are usually Euro Delivery.
Regarding the HK sound system, I was pleasantly surprised after hearing some not too positive comments about bmw audio in general. I think it's a very good system and it is powerful as well.
And thanks to this board I was able to get my 3 programed to "acknowledge" locking and unlocking the doors via a blinking light. The technician told me that it couldn't be done without also having the optional alarm but I told him otherwise thanks to you very knowledgeable folks and what do you know- 10 minutes later it was done! Thanks.
If you have the in-dash CD, I've heard of a product that plugs into the headphone jack of a CD player/iPod and then transmits a signal on an unused FM radio frequency. Just tune your radio to that frequency and there you go. I can't think of the product's name, though, sorry.
There might even be L/R RCA jacks on the back of the deck or where the changer plugs in which could be run to the 1/8" headphone jack.
p.s.
right now the 5-gig iPod our IT dept has, is looking more towards 60+ hrs of music with a mixture of stuff ripped between 128-190 kbps
Radio Shack has the FM transmistter which is a small unit which plugs into the headphone jack of your walkman, etc. You then tune your radio to the appropriate frequency, and you can hear your stuff from the car stereo. While I don't think it works as well as the casette adapter, I tried it on my current car and a few house radios and it was fine.
I plan on using it when my 325iX shows up (mid-Jan.)
so, since my first tank will be in a week. . what should I get?? cheapie regular at 1.15$ here in Boston or Premium at 1.40$??
I am not cheap, but i do not care to waste money.
Thanks
As a general rule of thumb, the lower the Octane, the less detonation resistance and the hotter and more unstable the burn (in any given compressive environment). Conversely, the higher the Octane, the greater the detonation resistance and the cooler and more stable the burn (given the same compressive environment).
Low compression engines (and/or those with retarded timing) can deal with less stable Regular fuel by not causing the fuel to explode as early in the compression stroke as an engine designed for Premium fuel. Having said that, an engine can achieve its best efficiency by having high compression and advanced timing.
High compression engines typically have the ability to use Premium fuel to its fullest with a combination of its built-in mechanical compression ratio as well as dynamically advancing the ignition timing.
If you run a Low compression engine on Premium, you should expect a slight decrease in performance and mileage.
If you run a High compression engine on Regular, you should expect a noticeable decrease in performance and mileage.
A year or so ago I read about a test an individual performed with his 3-Series regarding fuel quality. I cannot remember if that individual was a member here at Edmunds or if I read about him elsewhere. Never the less, he performed a fairly controlled albiet un-scientific experiment with his E46 where he drove a significant distance round trip first with one fuel quality and then again with the other (if I remember, these were two business trips a few weeks apart with similar weather conditions). The results were that his mileage dropped enough when running on Regular that it actually cost him more in fuel per 1,000 miles than when he had been using Premium. While this test may be easy to discount for many reasons, this individual was actually expecting cost savings when running with Regular fuel, and was quite surprised at his findings.
Hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Shipo
"I am pretty frugal, but I also subscribe to the "don't be penny wise and pound foolish" philosophy.
"I have used nothing but 93 octane premium in my 1995 Maxima SE. According to my log book, I have used 4,834 gallons for 116,100 miles (24.02 mpg). Assuming I would have saved an average of 10 - 15 cents a gallon by going with regular, I theoretically would have saved $483 to $725 over the past 7+ years ($70 to $100 per year for 16.5k+ miles/yr). This assumes NO loss of milage. If it dropped by just 1 mpg, I would have used 213 more gallons of gas at an average of $1.25+. The added cost of $267 would wipe out 35-50%+ of the savings.
"My 1995 Maxima runs like new, with literally "no discernable engine wear" (according to my service manager). Whatever the reason - oil changes every 4k miles, premium gas, or just good fortune - I'm not changing a thing.
"My recommendation is to fill up with premium at Exxon on "thrifty Thursdays" when it's 6 cents cheaper. And, if you really need to save some more money, raise your collision insurance deductable from $250 to $500 or $1,000. I did that, drive a bit more carefully, and it's saved me $1,000+ over the past 7 years. At least it's a quantifiable risk and, IMHO, beats putting cheap gas in a good car."
With respect to BMW, change the last phrase to "beats putting cheap gas in a GREAT car". P.S. In addition to sticking with premium, I personally don't buy the "off-brands" as I have had experience with water in the gas in the past. I go with one of the majors.
I've been perfectly happy w/ the HK system in the MY01 330. Under normal driving conditions, the exhaust provides a pleasant base rumble. I use the surround sound at low volumes (like a loundness button) and take it off to crank the tunes. Granted, its not as nice as my home stereo (cantons w/sub woofer) but it compliments the cockpit experience well.
Over 5 weeks in the car and I think I'm finally learning to drive it. The car doesn't appear to need peddle mashing like my other cars. A subtle thrust to the accelerator and I've gained enough momentum to catch-up with traffic. Any more and I find myself pushing north of 80mph way to fast.