By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
If you need a lot of room, get a minivan. In addition to being more spacious, it also has better handling and ride, is safer, it is quieter and gets better gas mileage. A wagon would be a perfect compromise between a minivan and a sedan and that's what I would get if I needed more room than a sedan. The only reason to get an SUV IMO is if you need to go off-road often. The most offroading I do is going up to the ski slopes (getting there is all paved roads anyhow). If I need more room than a wagon, I'd get a minivan - I have no handicaps that it's uncool. To me, it's still a lot more cool than an SUV relatively speaking.
I found that the car seat worked fine in the Audi behind the passenger side. We used the Graco that also went directly into the stroller so that if the rugrat fell asleep, we didn't need to wake her. She is front facing now, and I found that it is often easier for the driver to hand her stuff (such as food and sippy cup) then the passenger. Always while already stopped, of course.
The 325 does have more back seat room, good for adults, not such a big deal for infants and toddlers. I am looking forward to the 325, but the Audi does have 3 more cubic ft of trunk space. That's at least a portable crib that will fit back there that maybe would not fit in the 3'er. That's why it is good to have both!
I also posted this on the A4 site, but I thought I would mention it here. I really love the way the 325 drives. It seems clear to me that if you know what you are doing, the rear wheel drive config is the superior way to go. However, the driver has to KNOW what he/she is doing. I think the average driver (me) can get more from a good four wheel drive sedan than a rear wheel drive vehicle. This is why I am really looking forward to the Performance Center Delivery, to learn some skills to drive a rear wheel drive car so that I can better appreciate it.
Ned
no, i wouldn't sweat it... you DO check your levels every week, right?
-Chris
Basically, there was a 2"x1/2" smudge on the drivers seat in our 330i. Yesterday I noticed it, tried to rub it out dry which didn't do anything, so I licked my thumb and gave it another rub which still didn't do anything--the area was still slightly lighter than the surrounding black 'ette. This morning I went out and took the McGuiars Armor-All equivalent cleaner/shiner stuff to it with a cloth. No dice. It's still there and actually seems more noticeable since my spit-shine. Can anyone recommend a good cleaner or has my apparently toxic saliva permanently bleached the 'ette?
jrct9454 - see above
div2 - I autoxed an X5 at the Ultimate Driving Experience but I don't remember if it was the 4.6i or the 6-cyl. engine. I was truly amazed by the handling and I have to admit that it comes close to a good sports sedan in that respect. The ride in the back seat was very uncomfortable, however - I am 200-210 lbs and I kept jumping up and down at 20-50 mph while seated in the back seat. Interior and cargo room are probably less than a 5-series, though, so I still don't get the concept of the X5 - good handler, fast, weak offroad, less room than a 5-series and more expensive I think...What's the point?
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
There's virtually no performance distinction between SUVs and station wagons when the vehicles in question all have identical, similar-functioning automatic AWD systems. The only difference is some variances in wheelbase and interior dimensions.
Just trying to make amends for my my previous lengthy off-topic SUV rant by attempting to tie SUVs in with 3-series BMWs...
There is the question of cg. Since SUVs have higher cg than most sedans, wagons, etc, it should perform worse than sedans, wagons, etc. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule.
I have not seen any statistics on SUV owner lifestyles if there is one. So if an SUV is suitable for your lifestyle, enjoy it. However, from my observation, more often than not, an SUV owner here does not use it to the extent of both keywords of an SUV --- Sports and Utilities. The bigger and higher natures of such vehicle are often linked to safety on highways, not safety in outdoor life, better view in traffic, not better view in mountain roads, towing of buddies, not a boat or yacht. When you see so many limited versions of SUVs with body colored bottom trim, you would wonder if the owners would take them off road? When you see a dress-up driver on a Safari King - Range Rover, you would wonder if he can tell you which part of Africa Kenya is. Too often, it is the "cool" or "you are big but I am bigger" mentality. IMHO, without the combination of both sports and utilities, an argument can easily lead to another type of vehicle.
Obviously it is everybody's own business and individualism is the theme of the country. But when you see everything in America tends to be bigger than elsewhere and the trend is getting bigger and bigger, besides the economic advantage, you would wonder why.
Peace.
Well, I took the brand new car into Schall Dealership in Bitburg and had them look over the grinding/rattling noise when I put the gear in reverse. Went in and right away they had someone look at the vehicle.
Since I had some time to spare I took my time sitting in almost every car they had in the showroom. From a Mini to a 745! The 745 is a beautiful car with an interior that would rival any home! I started to mess around with the controls and lo and behold, I found the key! The key is quite similar to the new MBs. It's a block approx 1x3" in size and you gently push it into a rectangular hole in the dash. Once it's clicked into place, the car comes alive! I dinked around with the i-dial? and it was actually pretty easy to navigate between the audio, t.v., navigation, etc.etc...too many to list. What I found interesting was that the i-dial (I'm not quite sure if this is the correct name for it) had force feedback. cool! Well, I guess I drained the battery because the car died on me while I was trying to mess around with the nav.
=(
anyway, the mechanic looked at my car and said my transmission had some screws loose and that was the reason why it was making the noise. He also said "Maybe tranmission damage.." What??!! Shiza-Monkey! Now, I'm confused and flustered. They said they'll order some new screws and double-check to see if the transmission is okay...they also said if the transmission is bad, they'll replace that too.
Now this is where you guys step in. PLEASE HELP! What do I do? Do I let them fix the transmission and hope nothing else happens to the car? Or do I simply try to walk away from the vehicle? My wife is quite worried about the whole thing and I don't know what to do. HELP!
Thanks in advance,
-nobee
I love my 3-series, but for people who own a home and want to transport dogs, furniture, etc., an SUV is a great choice. That's why my wife and I own a Grand Cherokee in addition to our 330.
All the folks on this board decrying SUVs obviously have a lifestyle that doesn't require the "utility" that these vehicles offer. For those of us who have a suburban lifestyle involving dogs and household chores, not to mention kids, an SUV is a fun alternative to a boring, lame minivan.
Of course, I would always rather drive my 330.
Once the Cherokee is gone, I'll probably just rent a U-Haul for $30 a day if we ever need to transport large quantities of inanimate "stuff". When the time comes and there are kids and/or pets to haul, maybe then I'll consider a Touring. But there will never, ever be another SUV in my driveway. Maybe a Turbo Mini Van but never an SUV ;-)
if there's tranny damage from this, it's GOING to show up within your warrantee period. let them fix it and move on.
the bottom line. don't get all worked up about it unless they tell you you DO have damage and they WON'T fix it.
-Chris
Some people do need an SUV. My father for instance. He owns his own business and is there open to close every day. He needs a vehicle that can get him to work no matter what. The reason he needs an SUV and not just a 4WD car is that he travels back and forth to work with our family pet/life guard...Great Dane.
Enough with my ramblings! SOrry Guys!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If the car doesn't feel right after the repair, ask them to replace the transmission.
My question is about extending the inclusive maintenance to 4/50k. One dealer says it is in the $400 range to do this and pays for itself because the 325i will need a brake job in that time frame for sure. He states the brake job costs about $600 since the brakes can't be turned so you need new rotors and hence that alone justifies the plan. So the question is: do the first set of brakes (with rotors) really only last the 30k miles he's guessing at or am I again being handed a line. Thanks for the input.
Case in point: "For those of us who have a suburban lifestyle involving dogs and household chores, not to mention kids, an SUV is a fun alternative to a boring, lame minivan." There was no mention of off-roading. 'Splain to me, besides the image, what makes a Cherokee less "lame" than a minivan? For the same money, the Jeep rides worse, gets the same gas mileage, and holds a lot less stuff, plus it ain't as safe a place to put your kids.
Why argue over this.
Brave - Sorry I suggested the X5. Look what it did
In the meantime,just enjoy your new car!
However, the sales guy did add that BMW factory dealers are quite generous with the warranty claim that depending on each cases, they may cover it, even after the 1 year date. I recommend that you check with your sales guy to make sure that you are covered, otherwise you may want to have them take it apart to verify that it is indeed ok.
ps: Have you been to the base in Heidelberg? Just wondering if they have Crystal Inn like Vilseck and Wurzburg. I am thinking of going down there when the car gets here.
Soon-to-be 1st time BMW owner. Would appreciate any feedback on experience in negotiating a better price on CPO models. I live in Southern California, so there are many dealers to choose from. I am just starting to look, so what expectations should I go in there with.
Would also like to hear about any CPO lease experiences/details.
Thank you in advance!
1) Is it better (less expensive) to purchase these accessories at a BMW dealer in Europe? If so, how much do you save?
2) Any other BMW accessories only available in Europe recommended???
My wife and I both recently bought CPOs. Our first BMWs! We finally took the plunge after years of lusting and half-hearted attempts to buy. Her's a '00 323iA and mine a '98 540iM. I did all my negotiating over the internet and telephone. Drove 590 miles to get mine. We got her's from the BMW dealer about 140 miles away. Did that one in person.
I really like her deal. Get a newish low mileage one still under full warranty. Her car had only 18,000 miles on it. (Mine had 53,000.) So she gets rest of original 4 yr/50K mile b-to-b warranty and free maintenance plan PLUS the additional 2 yr/50k miles of CPO protection. So her car has about 82,000 miles of warranty protecton. Ya can't hardly beat that! And see if BMW Finance has any deals. (We got 3.9 percent for 48 months plus they made first month's payment.)
On a related note, I read in an auto trade magazine that the average fuel economy for new vehicles it the lowest it's been in 20 years! I guess we should follow our Presidents advice and drill more wells, yeah, that will make us more energy independent alright.
-Murray
UGDO 82-11-1-470-125 $145.00 160.95
Alarm 65-73-9-416-520 $220.00 244.20
Trunk Net 51-47-9-410-805 $55.20 61.27
Valve Stem Cap 36-11-0-009-840 $11.50 12.77
Wheel Locks 36-13-1-180-882 $23.25 Euro25.81
12V Adapter 82-11-0-004-073 $8.25 9.16
Aluminum Pedals 35-00-0-006-949 $59.95 66.54
Worth of mention is at the time he tried to install clears at the nearby largest BMW dealership in the world. The side blinker clears were out of stock. The US spec back lights didn't fit the clears they had in stock because some socket connection didn't fit. I heard a bit later the dealer decline all American's clear purchase or install requests because they knew it did not fit. Not sure if this's changed since then.
Hope this helps.
"when it rains, it pours..." I'm anxious to see what they'll say if I ask for a new car. Don't you think it's only fair? If I decide to sell the car then I'll have to tell the prospective buyer about the tranny. Oh well, we'll see today.
john01, Yes, the diplomat and the military program is pretty much the same and I believe the 1-yr warranty in europe holds water as well, however, I have less than 7 months to go so I should be good. Heidelberg has pretty decent billeting. I believe the going rate was around 25-40 dollars. I can check around if you want. I also have a toll-free number for all AF billeting if you want that too. Just e-mail me.
-nobee
Has anyone else's 330i experienced problem with the trip computer's display?...
What I mean specifically is that the display is messed up with the numbers/symbols not fully lit and lit incorrectly. I have also experienced once my radio display not turning on at all, but returned when the car was restarted. The display problem on my trip computer has been constantly there for over a week.
Problem # 2
My headlight casing on my titanium silver 330i is black, and I read somewhere that its supposed to be silver. Anyone else get black casings?
Also, The trim along the upper/outside of the windows should be chrome, but on my drivers side its black, and on the passengers side its chrome. Anyone else with these problems?...
Will BMW fix these problems?...(i assume they will fix #1 but I was curious about what they will do about #2) Anyone with experiences like mine, I would appreciate the feedback.
Oh, I bought the Car in Southern California, and now live in N. California. Do I have to get service through the original dealer?
Thanks in advance for answering a newbies questions.
Breaker
re: rotors. yes, in all likelihood, you'll have to replace the rotors when you replace the pads on your bmw. bmw has long considered rotors to be disposable wear parts. no, the bmw dealer will NOT turn them, they get too thin and will warp easily. yes, i'm sure you can probably find some discount brake shop who will. i wouldn't do it though. they aren't that expensive and of the reasons we all bought our bmw's is because of it's braking ability. right?
-Chris
If they dont do it right away, then call BMWNA and yell, because the factory workers seem to have left in a hurry while assemblng your trim around the doors and headlights.
Your headlight trim should be silver (usually a 1/2 hr job to replace). I am not sure how long the trim around the doors takes, but I assume that it doesn't take that long to install.
The trim on the outside should be fixed, since it's an obvious mismatch. The trim around the headlights however is another story.
This was discussed while back (August maybe). It seems BMW ran out of the silver headlight trim, so they installed the black ones instead. Also, there was talk of depending on your options, you're suppose to get the black trim anyway (not sure about this one). I don't remember if anyone on this board ever got it replaced or not.
orkwis - both dealers said that the front pads and rotors last between 30 and 60K miles depending on your driving style. They would replace them under warranty and they don't necessarily need the worn-out light to come up to replace them. They said that if they determine visually that the pads are worn out in excess of normal tear and wear, they would replace them regardless. The way that I understand it, I can ask them to replace the pads and rotors right before the warranty expires and they would do it under the warranty. One dealer quoted $420 for the front rotors and pads and the other quoted $450.
P.S. Whoever asked about wipers before - those are covered under the warranty as well.
I ordered the 330i in steel blue with black leatherette, sports package, 5 speed manual, cold weather package, xenons, and wood trim. I was able to get $1465 below MSRP from VOB BMW in Rockville, MD. Is this a good deal, and is there anyone in the Wash DC/Baltimore area that has any experience with VOB or other area dealers (Passport, Russel, Fairfax, Tischer) ?
Seems as though you may have encountered the same. In this area it pays to see all of them since they are not so far apart.
A regular poster who worked for a BMW dealership at the time did mention that BMW decided to put in black headlight trim for 330i that has the Sports Package. I was not able to confirm that with BMWNA however.
Bottom line, I think you should have your dealer replace the headlight trim. And if you run into problem, call BMWNA.
VOB - Friendly guy, but wouldn't discount ED at all (gave me the usual line about "you're saving money already"). Best price on US delivery was about $2K over invoice.
Fairfax - I showed up in a suit, driving the SLK, with several salesmen standing around just chatting with each other. I hovered around an M3 in the showroom for 10 minutes. No one even approached me to talk. I left. My father later tried to deal with them on a 540i and they offered $750 off US list.
Arlington - Same experience as Fairfax. No one even seemed interested to talk to me, so I walked.
Passport - The salesman spent 2 hours with me driving a 3-series, 5-series and 7-series (just for fun) and answering numerous questions. He kept in touch over the next two months via voice mail and email just to find out if I had any other questions. When I finally got around to making my first offer ($1400 over ED invoice) he accepted without a struggle. I didn't even bother shopping the price around because based on my pre-purchase experiences I didn't think the other area dealers even deserved the chance to get my business.
All cars built between 8/00 and 5/31/01 qualify for the retrofit (as per BMWNA). I don't see why BMW would refuse the retrofit if the car qualifies, but it may be true.