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I'm betting I'm in the minority here, but if my car is still under warranty, I prefer to have the work done by the dealer. In this case because it is also prudent to have a 4-wheel alignment done at 18,000 miles. I'm not a fan of replacing tires without an alignment, and there is no point in doing just 2-wheel alignment. (And it is a hassle to bring the car back in so soon to replace the other 2 tires.)
You might just contact the dealer to see their price. You might be surprised how close they can come. Besides the 4-wheel alignment, tell the service writer to have the mechanic look at the brakes, etc. Never hurts to have 'em take a look at things while the tires are off. Peace of mind and they might see something.
I like the Continental ContiSportContact 2s. I recently put a set on my 540i6. Did all 4 and with a 4-wheel alignment. Did it thru my local BMW dealer. I did check some other places in town. Dealer's prices wasn't too much higher. (Did same thru BMW dealer with my wife's 323ia, but only put back on all-season OEM Continental ContiTouringContacts.)
There are a ton of great high performance tires out there. Get what fits your price range and your car.
Despite all the odds of FWD being stacked against it, TSX is still a fairly sharp shooter... as one of the earlier reviewers on Edmunds pointed out, it really goes where you point it.
My personal favorite shifter has been the honda s2000, specially the revised one they put on the 2002's and later.
ksso
Here's also why sometimes it is worth going with a brand like BMW (and similar)... but individual experiences may vary.... he introduced me to a friend of his who sells Plasma screen and Screen Projection TV's upto 30% cheaper than regular market prices... that's about 3000 bux in saving for being a friendly customer.
ksso
My car is still under warranty. Does that cover getting the wheel alignment ?
The stock ContiSport Contacts got pretty bad reviews (performance, treadwear, etc.) from Tirerack. Now I'm comparing summer performance tires vs. the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S (all-season performance). The Michelins are very expensive, but if they last longer it may balance out the costs. I already a set of winter tires and wheels, so I really don't care about the all-season traction of the Michelins, but they should last longer than the summer tires (20% to 80% more according to Tirerack/UTQG ratings).
I've heard good things about the Bridgestone RE750s. I was considering the Brudgestone S-03s at one point when I looked at YR-rated shoes.
By the way, I think I made a mistake on Michelin SP pricing - I was thinking of SPs for the M3, which are like $270 front, $300 rear for 18s and like $350 front, $400 rear for 19s. The 17s are considerably less pricey.
During this very happy n(and hectic) time in my life I can still think about cars:)
Wheels: The type 44 wheels on the 325Ci Sp equipped cars (and the 328i/Ci before them) are some of my favorite wheels on the road. When I first saw BMW was replacing them on the '04 model coupes I wasn't so thrilled. The other day I got a look at a gleaming new 325Ci SP with the new 5 spoke wheels! They're beautiful!
Speaking of beautiful, that same 325Ci I saw was Sapphire Black Metallic... A great color for the 3! It is truly magnificent.
For those of you in the Boston area (brave1heart & shipo), I found a marvelous exit ramp! If anybody gets a chance, check out the ramp from I-290 that takes you onto I-495. It is a doozy, but none-the-less lots of fun!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
does anyone knows when pricing for 2004 325I becomes available ? I only see pricing for the coupes.
thanks in advance
At the Hotel Uhland we paid E127 per night for 4 people (2 adults and 2 kids), taxes and breakfast included. I expect it will be significantly higher during Oktoberfest, because the hotel is quite convenient to the fairgrounds (or whatever one would call the place).
Best wishes,
Ed
-Paul
Paul
Ordinarily, maintenance goes Oil Service (approx 15K), Schedule 1 (approx 30K), Oil Serive (approx 45K), and Schedule 2 (approx 60k). Repeat. If you don't drive enough, you should change the oil at least annually.
You also have to change brake fluid every two years. Believe E46 recommends coolant every 4 years (versus 3 years for E39 5 Series). And O2 sensor every 1ooK.
I also beleive SMG would be a nice alternative to the step. However, my bet would be that it will reduce sales of the manual transmissioned cars more than it will reduce sales of the step (assuming the SMG option is still priced similar to that of the SMG in the M3). For me, give me a clutch (at no extra cost) and please don't ever take it away.
-Paul
All 3 Series Models
* 6-Speed SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox) Transmission will be available on most
rear-wheel-drive 3 Series, when combined with the Sport Package as of 10/03 production. It will
not be available with all-wheel-drive or the 330i Performance Package.
* Rain-sensing windshield wipers and automatic headlight control will become standard features
on the Sedan and Sports Wagon - no longer part of the Premium Package (already standard on
Coupes and Convertibles).
* Sirius Satellite Radio is available as an accessory.
325i and 325i Sports Wagon
* 5-spoke alloy wheel (Style 119) replaces 7-spoke alloy wheel (Style 96) in the Sport Package
* Bluetooth wireless hands-free cellular phone system will be available as an accessory, but not
in combination with BMW Assist.
325xi and 325xi Sports Wagon
* 5-spoke alloy wheel (Style 137) replaces 20-spoke alloy wheel (Style 73) in Sport Package
* Bluetooth wireless hands-free cellular phone system will be available as an accessory, but not
in combination with BMW Assist.
330i and 330xi
* Black headlight surrounds and grill will replace titan silver.
* Lower grill will be a combination of body color and black.
* 5-spoke alloy wheel (Style 137) replaces 20-spoke alloy wheel (Style 73) in Sport Package
* 330i Performance Package will be available with the optional 5-speed STEPTRONIC automatic
transmission including Sport and Manual shift modes (does not include 330xi).
* Bluetooth wireless hands-free cellular phone system will be available as an accessory, but not
in combination with BMW Assist.
325i and 330i - Coupe and Convertible (Available since March, 2003)
* Automatic headlight control standard (formerly optional with Premium Package)
* Revised front-end design
* Revised front and rear bumper contours
* Xenon headlights (low and high beams) now offered in combination with new Adaptive
feature, which "steers" the headlights into roadway curves
* Revised taillight technology, incorporating BMW's innovative Adaptive Brakelights
* Revised wheel designs, both standard and optional
* Revised exterior colors
* Revised configuration climate-control panel
If they don't offer a LSD on a performance package, why in the blazes would the sports package have one?
This is horrible. LSD is a fantastic performance enhancer. TC and SC are no substitute for LSD. In the tuner marker, tons of people swap out their non-LSD BMW differentials for LSD differentials. Quaife and others build great LSDs!
I've kept the mundane A/S ContiTouringContacts on my wife's 323ia. She got 38,000 miles on the original set that came with the car. She has put on 12,000 miles since then. No complaints. They were dirt cheap but some of the best A/S in this el cheapo price range. Think I paid about $60/tire.
"Follow-Up Test: 2003 BMW 330i Performance Package
The Best Gets Better
By Ed Hellwig
Date posted: 08-07-2003"
"It's firm in a way that enthusiasts will savor, but poseurs will grow tired of quickly. There's no bottoming out of any kind, but freeway expansion joints that previously contributed nothing more than a few audible thumps suddenly become annoyingly uncomfortable. Still, it's a small price to pay considering the rewards."
We set both the fronts and the rears to full stiff. Handling is absolutely amazing - I hit a couple of my favorite ramps on my way back home at the max speed that I know they can take and the car was rock solid - it felt like I could tuck on another 3-5 miles at least. The ride is noticeably stiffer and that little wobble that you get at high speed is completely gone. It feels a lot like the E36 M3s that I've driven - buttoned down and very tight. The biggest surprise, however, was the steering feel. It's hard to quantify how much heavier it really is but I'd venture to say that it feels 20-40% heavier than my retro'ed '01 steering and that the tires tramline like crazy now. You get more feedback through the steering wheel, which is great when you're pushing the car hard but even on relatively smooth pavement, you absolutely have to have both hands on the wheel as one hand may not be enough when the car starts following the grooves in the pavement. To be fair, my rears are almost bald and they were tramlining too before we put in the sways, except not nearly as bad. Going over bumps makes you a lot more aware of how much stiffer the car is now. I was going through a parking lot with speed bumps yesterday and I had to slow down almost completely or otherwise the bumps throw you around the car, esp. if you go over them with one tire only. At any rate, it's a small price to pay for a noticeably better handling car. I will probably keep the setting to full stiff both front and rear during the autoX/track season and then set it to full soft off-season. It's the best of both worlds!
I had a 28 mm sway on my last car and while it created neutral handling things like speed bumps made the whole car rock. Still wouldn't trade it for the driving characteristics of the pre-sway car...
Is 71 miles reasonable for an initial odometer reading on a new bmw on the lot? I put a deposit on a new 2003 325xi today. I asked the sales woman about the odometer reading but she said that was normal for unloading and fueling. I noticed that many new owners mentioned their odometers are < 10. Am I getting hoodwinked?
-cheers
That's not necessarily a bad thing. The car has probably had a few full-throttle take offs and a little brisk driving, but most likely not driven hard enough to cause problems.
If it bugs you, look for a different car on the lot, or order one and wait a few months.
Thanks, Richard
-cheers
A sales guy told me the '04's would go up 6000 for the 3 series. I checked with another dealer and then told him to stop playing games. He also said the '04's 3 series will not be available till November. Be wary of this dealer. Bunch of liars.