BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

kominsky · March 2002

I had the same problem the first time I applied Xymol. I thought it was the wax, but it turned out the the towel I was using, while the tag said 100% cotton, had some nylon (I'm assuming) content. I switched towels and the problem went away. I've also seen issues by not following genie's advice above.

sunnybrook · March 2002

What dealership did you use?

ubrsf · March 2002

http://www.e46fanatics.com/phorum/read.php?f=1&i=159856&t=159856

ubrsf · March 2002

sunnybrook: I used Cutter's in Santa Barbara. Best deals are out of town. I live 3 hours from Santa Barbara.

wacka · March 2002

I use to work in Korea, and I can tell you don't even bother buying a car to drive around in this country, there IS WAY TOO MUCH traffic, AND WAY TOO MANY accidents, and Koreans while I love them, are statisticaly the WORSE drivers in the world and you will at least get your car bashed up or at least dented or totaled. That countries road fatalities are astronomical. And yeah there is nowhere to park. The countries transportation system is great, the buses and trains RUN ON TIME and are comfortable. heck even the buses have their own designated lanes on the expressways... And the Seoul Subway is a cinch to get around in. Don't GET or BRING a car to Korea YOU Don't NEED IT.

And yeah, what gives with ED's TMV value on the 3 series? Can I at least try to get some negotiation if I walk into the office? I was hoping I could try to get 1500,1000 off of my purchase is this unreasonable??

I am a salesmans worst nightmare by the way

Later all happy drivin

hspark · March 2002

nycguy, sorry for late reply. I do not have exact number for now. I will post after I have a real number because I updated my options...

Any of you have a idea about rear passenger airbag as an option? I ordered now but my friends told me it is not proper for 4 1/2 yrs. old kids.

If you have any idea about it please advise me.

Thank you.

hspark · March 2002

nycguy, sorry for late reply. I do not have exact number for now. I will post after I have a real number because I updated my options...

Any of you have a idea about rear passenger airbag as an option? I ordered now but my friends told me it is not proper for 4 1/2 yrs. old kids.

If you have any idea about it please advise me.

Thank you.

hspark · March 2002

nycguy, sorry for late reply. I do not have exact number for now. I will post after I have a real number because I updated my options...

Any of you have a idea about rear passenger airbag as an option? I ordered now but my friends told me it is not proper for 4 1/2 yrs. old kids.

If you have any idea about it please advise me.

Thank you.

ds2k1 · March 2002

My experience with them has been very poor. They refused to deal at all with me on price when I bought my 330i. In fact, when I told him what the dealer I ultimately purchased from offered me, the salesman I was dealing with essentially called me a liar ("Nobody can offer a discount like that. Period."). Also, when I completed my test drive, he asked me what other cars I was interested in. When I told him, he scoffed at me and said, "On the Peninsula, everyone drives a BMW. Why would you even look at another car?" Needless to say, his snobbery didn't sit well with me and, in fact, highlighted one of the exact reasons why I was hesitant to buy a BMW in the first place - the snob appeal. Also, when my wife and I were looking around for an X5, they were extremely difficult to deal with and have an overall attitude that oozes "We don't need your business." Consequently, despite the fact that they are by far the closest dealership to my house, I never take my car there nor will I, nor will I ever consider purchasing from them in the future, unless they take drastic measures to improve their customer experience. The dealership I deal with in Los Angeles (for both the 330i and X5) is fabulous by comparison and has earned my repeat business.

Hope this helps. Sorry I couldn't give you the thumb's up, but maybe you've got a better salesman than I did.

shipo · March 2002

For those of y'all that are looking for a car via ED, with a little shopping, you can get about $1,500 over ED invoice. As a for instance, Passport BMW in Maryland has a salesperson named Joern Essen (sp?) who has a standing offer of $1,400 over ED invoice to all comers.

In my case, I called around to local Northern NJ dealerships, on my first call, I got a $1,500 over (plus $200 advertising fee) deal from Park Avenue, salesman Mike Weber. He too said the $1,500 over deal would apply to all comers.

As for rear airbags, both of the salespersons that I have bought cars from in the last three plus years have told me that, "BMW does NOT recommend rear airbags for a car when children are the primary occupants of said rear seats." Apparently, as with front airbags, children can be injured if not killed by the deployment of the airbags. As a result, neither of my BMWs have been ordered with said "Safety" devices.

Best Regards,
Shipo

brave1heart · March 2002

My 2-month old son loves the tight suspension of my 325i SP. It soothes him and he could ride in the car for hours without even complaining he's hungry. As far as room in the rear seat, I've sat there next to the rear-facing child seat and there is plenty of room for me (6'1) - a lot more than in the A4. Safety: I'd take a well-handling, braking, accelerating sedan over a lame, clumsy, and ugly TRUCK any day. A heavy truck will win over a lighter car in a frontal collision but the vast majority of fatalities occur in rollovers, especially in vehicles that leave the pavement. Guess which vehicle is more likely to leave the pavement in case of emergency?

postoak · March 2002

At least one of our number here got $1,000 over ED invoice. This deal was made since the 1st of the year. Also, Joern Esser (sp?) of Passport BMW has a standing $1400 over invoice offer. If you can't get to Maryland, he'll arrange to have it delivered to a dealer (somewhat) near you for about $300 more. So, it seems ANYBODY who really wants can get a 3series for $1700 over invoice, worse case.

brave1heart · March 2002

mjones6 · March 2002

I currently have a 3000GT/VR-4, and am trying to decide between a 330 convertible
and a 325 convertible.
I like the idea of the more engine power, and definitely want the
leather and power roof. Just not sure it is worth the extra money.Any advise?
Also would consider a new or used car (2001 or 2002).
Also would like to know what I can expect to pay in relation to MSRP. (Dallas, Tx)

brave1heart · March 2002

genie1 - I am one of those guys who refuse to fill up unless I am down to a gallon or at least I see some sort of warning light :0) So I know firsthand that coasting saves a lot of fuel. I can get high 30's if I do some coasting and over 40 in a hilly terrain - you just use gas to climb and then let it use its own energy and roll downhill. That said, I only get about 21-22 mpg in regular highway driving (function of speed, especially engine speed).

As far as the A4, it also feels sporty and a lot of fun to drive but there's nothing like the 3-series south of a 911. Period. The biggest difference between the A4 and the 325 is the brakes - as Shipo says, the 3-series pulls the skin out of your cheeks under hard braking

)

OT: Got a bottle of Speyside today - will be trying it out in a few minutes. I also found a sampler of the 6 classic malts and I will be doing a back-to-back comparo some time this weekend. Would have gotten the sport pack but that wasn't an option for the comparo

)

WOT: Just came back from a skiing trip with my wife and 2-month old son. I did everything (taking care of Jason really) BUT ski. What was I thinking?!?

mfeldman · March 2002

I ordered with them, but keep them deactivated because I have a 5 and 1 year old. So they were probably a waste. What is confusing is that MB has them standard on all sedans and they are all activated. An MB dealer told me that the force of a side bad is much less than a frontal one. So who knows what to believe.

I also wonder why bmw doesn't offer full side curtain protection, while many others do.

ds2k1 · March 2002

So, the ski trip was a bust, huh? I still bet you had a better time with your wife and newborn than I did when I went skiing two weeks ago and fractured my collarbone. Actually, it was an AWESOME day of skiing, up till the last run (always the way, isn't it?). Technically, I guess it would have been the last run in any event, but you get my point. Since I was in Tahoe, however, I did have the opportunity to visit the casinos after leaving the emergency room and taking a hefty dosage of pain pills. I guess I had a bit of karma coming my way as I took the Biltmore on state line for $500 large. All things being equal, I'd still take the intact clavicle, but the $500 helped soften the blow a bit.

Please, after sampling your 6-scotch sport pack, let us know how it turns out and please, don't drink and drive - you might spill your drink. (Just kidding, of course - not intending to make light of the seriousness of drunk driving or anything, just a joke. So no flaming messages, please.)

amkam96 · March 2002

hello people, long time lurker now getting ready to pull the trigger on new 3 series...need advice has anyone bought from tulley bmw in nashua NH, whom did you deal with, were they willing to deal?..looking for invoice plus $1400...is this duable or am I being greedy (msrp on car would be $34295 not a stripper but not fully loaded either) and how's their service dept. do they have loaners

I live in Salem NH, and work in Boston MA, other dealers in the area are peabody bmw(MA) or holloway bmw (Stratham NH) any experiences with either..want to find a balance between deal and service.

thank you
-tony

allano · March 2002

Hi Tony,
My experience with Tulley was a year ago so it might be dated. Kevin, the sales person, has since left but my wife and I had a cordial talk with Jim O'Brien, the sales manager, before he assigned Kevin. All conversation was low-key and aimed at making sure I was aware of options and got what I wanted in the car. No false claims or attitude. I had priced the car via the BMW site and learned though this forum that most deals were between $500 and $1000 below MSRP at the time. When it came to talk money, I asked for a dealer discount (worded as "an incentive to buy the car from Tulley rather than another dealer") and received $1500 below MSRP with all options. I believed that amount was somewhere around $1500 above invoice. Since this deal and trade-in met my expectations, I accepted the offer without further dealing.
Tulley's business group was first class. We live in Mass. and had to register the car ourselves. That group had all the paper work ready at the appointed time and made the registration process a no-brainer. They also let us use the trade-in car to reach the registry.
Tulley's service has been first class from day of delivery through two visits: one for the fan recall and one for replacement of the thermostat. They replaced the thermostat on the same day that they diagnosed the problem without an appointment. They have loaners and give preference to those who purchase from Tulley.

Alan

gurumike · March 2002

My ECIS Evolution air intake is for sale on eBay. The Edmunds message board software will not allow my to post a link as it exceeds the max # of characters allowed. From the eBay home page, type BMW CAI on the search line. You'll find it!

Only works on 3.0 engine, 2001 or 2002 MY cars, any body style.

mcnal01 · March 2002

Why are you selling your air intake?

visordoc · March 2002

Check out these DIY with pix.

http://www.bmw330ci.com/DIY_Alarm.htm

http://www.bmwnation.com/ARTICLES/diy/bmwut/bmwut.html

brave1heart · March 2002

Fractured collarbone?!? Ouch, I can't imagine the pain... How in the world did you do it? The only injury I've had skiing was a fractured thumb when I was about 12 - it never healed well and it remained a little thicker than the other one but that's nothing...Did you hit something? I hope you weren't throwing a baseball as you were skiing downhill

)

Here's the skiing plan that I had in mind: we go up to Killington Sunday morning, I hit the slopes around 10:30 AM and ski till closing. Wife and baby get sun and fresh air. Then get up early on Monday morning and squeeze in couple of more hours in the morning before checkout. Execution: we did not leave town till about 4 PM on Sunday and we got to the hotel at 7 PM. Woke up at 7:45 AM, could not roll out of bed till 9 AM but it was irrelevant because my wife could not roll out of bed till noon and then it was time to check out. It was the most comical skiing (sans the skiing) trip I can recall. I am planning a comeback next weekend with my cousin only, although this one would have to be a day trip. And I already figured it will cost me an arm in future fights with my wife but I have to hit the slopes at least once before the season is over... Hmmm, let's see if she'll hide the keys to the Audi in the usual place or I'll have to put in snow tires just before the winter is officially over

) Oh, and I'll have to make sure Jason still fits in the Babyborn just in case I need to take him downhill with me.

I tried the Speyside tonight - it is different, not sure how to explain the taste except that it is not smoky at all, it is a little too sweet for my taste and oddly enough, the finish hints of tequila (real good one like Don Julio). Go figure...Although Speyside bears the name of that classic malt, Gragganmore (in the same group) seems to be more popular.

brave1heart · March 2002

Keep in mind that you do NOT have to service the car where you bought it. Some dealerships will give preferential treatment to customers that bought their cars there but overall, sales and service are completely independent.

Wondering how long it takes you to commute to Boston from Salem. I've been looking at houses in Middlesex county but the prices are outrageous - you need at least half a mil for an average single family 4-bdrm...

butmywife · March 2002

I ordered my 325xi for $1250 over Ed invoice ($3500 under MSRP). Of course, I need to pay to go to Europe but I'd rather spend the difference between ED and Stateside delivery ($2000 in my case) on a trip than give it to a dealership.

Two dealers in my area were willing to take this deal. The dealer I decided to go with at first said he didn't discount on ED. When I showed him an email from the other dealer accepting the $1250 over invoice offer he said he didn't want to lose my business and matched it. Don't give up! A profit of $1250 is good considering the dealer just has to fill out some paperwork and doesn't lose an allocation. Remember, dealers can also make a profit on your trade-in or if they finance your purchase.

This site might help you: http://bariaur.com/e39/EDsavings.html

Good luck and good bargaining!

skobola · March 2002

I cannot believe that I was hit with $500 additional charge at the end of lease because the spoiler on my 1999 BMW 325i is scraped a little bit. I know a couple of people with BMWs as well as other cars who have spoilers scraped much worse than I do! So, what are my options in regard to this issue, i.e., can I complain and ask for a re-inspection, as the car still looks like new and it has been cared for much better than average (no dings, no spills, etc.). I am even thinking in getting out of my ordered 325i just to punish them and go with a MB! However, I would be punishing myself as well for 3 years, ouch! Please, let me know, any help is appreciated. Thanks.

nobee · March 2002

Couple days ago, I was hauling the mail to work expecting the electronic limiter to stop me around the 128mph mark; however, I was able to break and exceed that mark and cruised at 133-135mph for approx. 5-10 seconds. My question is does the electronic limiter actually limit you to a certain speed (regulating speed with a bit of brake-action) or does it just cut off your fuel (so if i was going downhill, it would let me coast up to a certain speed if I had enough momentum) or does it do something completely different?
Thanks all,
-nobee

john01 · March 2002

I have heard a few people mention the same. I think it is due to the fact that BMW calibrates their speedometer to be a bit optimistic, about 5%. When it does cut in, I think it uses the fuel cut off.

postoak · March 2002

When platypus was in Germany with his new 330i last year he was able to hit 134mph before the revlimiter kicked in.

vesuviusii · March 2002

Thanks for the great feedback, folks. Yes, I've used Bounce before. Yes, I use powdered detergent. Both practices will cease.

To answer Genie1's question...
Back when it was warmer out (Atlanta) I washed it almost every weekend, but now that it's cold, I wash it once every 2 weeks or so. There IS something I've tried that seems to work, however: now I "blot" my car dry by simply laying a towel over the hood or pressing the side body panels for a time then removing the towel without ever having "swiped" from left/right or up/down. This leaves small, cotton fibers, but afterwards I lightly go over the entire car with a soft, dry towel.

nyccarguy · March 2002

How bad is the scratch to the spoiler? I'm suprised they'd asses that charge to you being that you already have an order as a repeat customer. Did you lease through BMWFS? Maybe you can take your car to another dealership to drop it off. Maybe you can talk to the management of the dealership and see if they will make your problems go away (due to the fact that you are a repeat customer). When I turned in my 1998 Ford Explorer (No Comments Please;), it had a 6 or 7" long scratch down to the metal from when some creative hoodlum decided to scratch my truck with its own rear wiper blade, I was not charged a single penny. Do yourself a favor and don't go with a C-Class (I assume that's what you're looking at). They are beautiful cars, but the C has had its share of problems and will be more expensive than a comparably equipped 3 series. The worst that could happen is that you'd be out $500.

sunnybrook · March 2002

For the standing offer of $1400 over invoice that Mr. Esser honors, does that include floormats or does he get you for another $200 with that charge? I'm trying to decide if it's worth the hassle of buying out of state for a $400 savings.

nyccarguy · March 2002

Floormats are included in all ED BMWs (I'm pretty sure about this one).

nyccarguy · March 2002

Its getting worse. The lease is up on my Saab exactly 9 months from today (12/2/02). I think I can "build my own 325Ci" blind on the BMW website. I can't wait until I can start test driving. If I want to do ED and have the car sometime in December, I'd have to do Europe sometime in late September/Early October. I might be ordering as early as August! As for color (If I decide to go with the BMW), I'm probably going to go with the Electric Red. I don't see many of them 'round these here parts.

nyccarguy · March 2002

12/5/02

skimblz · March 2002

Well, when I was at the dealership, I saw their invoice of cars that they would be getting and could see that the original order was for a topaz blue 325i. It was modified with ours to be the oxford green 2 and natural brown leather interior. I checked status in early February and saw the codes for the packages being ordered. They were right.

Either way, I'm only gonna miss the computer system, power seats, autodim rear mirror, and sunroof. Those are some goodies I was hoping for. But thinking about it, the sunroof isn't all that big a deal. I live in the mountains where the sun is almost too intense to leave the SR open for too long (plus it gets cold quick). I work in the desert where it is too dang hot to have it beating down on you (even with window tint). Plus it gets really windy, and I won't miss the wind noise over my head.

The power seats were more of a convenience. I'm 5'11", my wife is 5'2". My daughter isn't driving it.

The only thing I might want to add at some point is the autodim mirror. Our Jeep has it and I love it.

Besides, with their screwup, I ended up getting it for under invoice by a good margin because they added the options they could easily (wood trim, arm rest thingie, window tint). I can't complain. The car is gorgeous! I just want it today, not tomorrow.

skimblz · March 2002

I read a post earlier about the prewiring.

How hard is it to add the HomeLink stuff or the alarm? I don't want to be one to be drilling holes or ripping things apart. My 325xi has the prewiring stuff in there, and I might want to add that stuff, including the CD player. Any advice would be appreciated.

You can also email me at skimblzbvs@yahoo.com.

seivwrig · March 2002

ED cars do come with floor mats, first aid kit and safety triangle. Take the first aid kit and safety triangle with your luggage upon your return to the states. The floor mats can stay in. I will be taking mine with me because I convinced my dealer to throw in rubber floor mats. I have too many trees around my house and I tend to track leaves. Can someone tell me how to attach TIF or BMP files to my email.

skimblz · March 2002

I read a post earlier about the prewiring.

How hard is it to add the HomeLink stuff or the alarm? I don't want to be one to be drilling holes or ripping things apart. My 325xi has the prewiring stuff in there, and I might want to add that stuff, including the CD player. Any advice would be appreciated.

You can also email me at skimblzbvs@yahoo.com.

dave330i · March 2002

When did BMW get sold to GM?

http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2002_geneva/bmw/cs1/1.htm

I hope Bangle doesn't do too much damage to BMW.

esq1 · March 2002

Is the order tracking feature on Owner's Circle a joke? It showed my car as "on order" until a day after it started production, at which point it switched to "scheduled for production." Now on March 5, it's still stuck on "produced not shipped," though a call to BMWNA confirmed that it set sail for the VPC on March 1. What gives? Is it even worth looking at?

brave1heart · March 2002

I have not driven one so I won't comment on its capabilities and driving dynamcis but every salesperson that I run into these days seems to be driving a C class. Status over joy of driving - that's MB owners seem to be saying. I was picking on my real estate broker who is really cool and down to earth for not driving an MB (she drives a Dodge Durango) and she said that in her business, if you buy a Mercedes, it MUST be a new one. The only acceptable older MB's would be those that the SAME owner bought brand-new

) The older ones seem to be popular with landlords - every landlord that I've had in the past had a big early 80's diesel MB.

shipo · March 2002

Skimblz,

The UGO (Universal Garage Opener) is real easy to install. The only "Drilling and Ripping" stuff you need to do is to finish cutting the pre-scored opening in the headliner plate. I took mine out, put it on a cutting board, used a new X-Acto knife and finished cutting the thin plastic in about 10 minutes. Most of the time is spent cutting real slow so that you don't slip and cut yourself. If you mess up the headliner plate, it is about $15.00 from the dealership to replace it, so, no worries.

Once the cut is done, the UGO snaps into the plate, the wires all snap together and the plate snaps into the headliner. Time for programming...

Esq1,

Last year, we noticed that the "Owners Circle" information suffered a two to four day latency before the current status was displayed.

Best Regards,
Shipo

hgeyer · March 2002

My vehicle still shows as being at the Final Processing Center. Yet, it's been at the dealer for a week and will be delivered tomorrow. The site seems to be about 1-3 weeks behind reality.

skimblz · March 2002

I read a post earlier about the prewiring.

How hard is it to add the HomeLink stuff or the alarm? I don't want to be one to be drilling holes or ripping things apart. My 325xi has the prewiring stuff in there, and I might want to add that stuff, including the CD player. Any advice would be appreciated.

You can also email me at skimblzbvs@yahoo.com.

motokichi · March 2002

while reading town hall boards, I've begun to lean toward a used M3 for my next car. I think a 4 door sedan was offered for one year, in 97 or 98. Do they give anything away to the coupe M3?

genie1 · March 2002

If you're wondering why your message keeps getting re-posted, it's probably because you are hitting the "refresh" button.

genie1 · March 2002

Are you trying to attach files to email or Edmunds messages?

nyccarguy · March 2002

Is definitely a cool site, but the things people do to their cars makes me wonder... Their car of the month (or whatever they call it) is this kid's Topaz Blue 323Ci (It happens to look cool, but I would never do that to a car of mine) that's all tricked out with suspension mods, intake, exhaust, wheels, spoiler, custom interior bits... If you're going to spend all that money on the car, why not just step up to a 328Ci (at the time) or an E36 M3?

skimblz · March 2002

I read a post earlier about the prewiring.

How hard is it to add the HomeLink stuff or the alarm? I don't want to be one to be drilling holes or ripping things apart. My 325xi has the prewiring stuff in there, and I might want to add that stuff, including the CD player. Any advice would be appreciated.

You can also email me at skimblzbvs@yahoo.com.

BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

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