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BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • eve123eve123 Member Posts: 12
    I can get a great deal on a new 2003 325i , about $4,000 below MSRP (I made a deal at $500 over invoice and got the $2000 dealer incentive deducted). My question is whether it's worth getting the 2004 model, which is the same as the 2003, and pay about $3,000 more. I plan to keep the car for more than 5 years. I realize that the 2003 is considered almost a year old, but will it really matter in the long run when I sell it?
    Also, I didn't get the premium package, but opted for the winter package (heated seats, fold down seats), automatic and sunroof. It's silver grey with a black leatherette, which I understand wears better than leather. The interior silver finish seems to look sportier and better with the black interior than the wood. I didn't see the reason to spend extra for the premium for the power seats and wood.
    Any opinions or advice? I need to know ASAP.
    Thanks.
  • mkcomkco Member Posts: 65
    My 325ci is currently scheduled for production and should get here by December. In the meantime, I've been reading the car's manual. It says that you shouldn't exceed 4500 RPM for the first 1250 miles.

    Is this for real? Is this what you guys did? It seems awfully conservative to me.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    Sounds like you are getting a good deal. I see no reason to pay more for a 2004, if you like the one you are buying. Especially, if you will keep it long term. Not having a premium package may turn off future buyers of your car, but its more important to get what YOU want.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    mkco - follow the instructions in the owners manual.
  • CrevelsCrevels Member Posts: 37
    Thanks for the feedback. I have Michelin Pilot Sports on the car currently (225 fronts/245 rears) and they are great tires, although kind of pricey. I'm looking for a complete winter setup (tires & rims) and was just checking for feedback regarding the narrower tire. Seems like we're on the same page. Now if I could just find a nice set of 68 rims for a decent price.
  • sjmurray2sjmurray2 Member Posts: 65
    "I can get a great deal on a new 2003 325i, about $4,000 below MSRP (I made a deal at $500 over invoice and got the $2000 dealer incentive deducted)."

    Please restate your deal to me because I plan to offer soon! Did you get the car below invoice? Was the $2000 deducted afterwards? Confused here!
    Scott
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    I have a 2002 325xi. I have had no additional issues with brakes or handling.

    It handles quite well, but keep in mind the xi sport package is NOT the same as the regular sport package on the i models. It has different wheels, but they are narrower than the 325i SP. The ride height is about .75" higher ( I guess to have higher clearance for the nasty weather).

    In my 48,000 miles since 3/02, maintenance has been no problem (except for a cluster controller computer - replaced in < 1 day under warranty and a broken windshield (under warranty)).

    Handling is good, but keep in mind you are on narrower rubber and riding a bit higher. Brakes are incredible. The AWD complexity comes into play for your transmission. Everything else is pretty much the same.

    I just put on new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires as I didn't want dedicated snows for the few days a year we get the snow (soCal). If it gets THAT bad, I stay home or take one of my Jeeps. There was no additional costing just because I have AWD.

    -Paul
  • chile96chile96 Member Posts: 330
    Hi all.......I am thinking about adding some silver trim to my gauges of my '03 325ia that are behind the clear plastic(speedometer, tach, etc). Does anyone know how to remove the clear plastic covering or if doing so will the warranty be affected in any way?

    thanks
    fo
  • sopecreeksopecreek Member Posts: 203
    Interesing statement, that's what X3 first drive on edmunds homepage says. If only the pricing is right...
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    All I want is the stereo system. :)
  • eve123eve123 Member Posts: 12
    sjmurray2
    the price was invoice plus $500. Then the $2000 was deducted, so it worked out to $1,500 below invoice. Now I am reconsidering
    getting one with a premium and leather since I don't feel comfortable with the manual seat adjustment. Also the leatherette didn't feel as nice as the leather. I 'm not leasing...paying cash. and when I add up all the a la carte charges of the BMW I'm wondering whether the "fun drive" is really worth $35,000 when you cat get an Infiniti g35 or Acura TSX much better equipped with a comparable ride and for $5,000-7,000 less. I like the exterior look of the BMW the best, but the interior of the 325 is very standard for an entry level luxury car.
    Please help me decide. The $2000 incentive expires in a couple of days.
  • wrjoycewrjoyce Member Posts: 51
    If price is determinative, dont get the bmw. YOU have to get the BMW because you drove it and drove the other cars you are considering, and in your opinion, the drive is so superior. Think of a coat, 500 dollar wool coat will keep you warm but the cashmere is just perfect, fit feel, warmth. but for 400 more. If you have the cash, you go cashmere. If performance is paramount and road feel is critical, then BMW is the choice. If value is your goal, BMW is not the car for you.
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    I too am torn between the Acura TL for approx. 33K! My dealer came right out and offered Invoice minus $400, on a 325i, so he has $1100 more to go for me to buy the BMW over the Acura TL. It's sooo hard to not consider the TL with all those standard options. What a la carte charges are you talking about besides dealer fees, etc?
  • eve123eve123 Member Posts: 12
    You get a basic car and then add for automatic, leather, heated seats, power seats, sunroof, wood trim, etc.... all standars in other luxury vehicles. By the time you get through it's about $35 to $36,000 plus tax , minus the 2003 incentives, only because you're buying a one year old vehicle.
    There are over 100 2003 325's in my area and they want them off the lots before they begin bringing the 2004's. Maybe that's why the deals are better in NJ.
    The TL is beautiful and classy. I sat in one today. They're competing with the 330's though for about $10,000 less and selling here at or above MSRP. I can see why you're having a tough time deciding. That's how I feel. I also like the G35 and can get it fully equipped for less than the 325. But i'm not fond of all the plastic in the interior.
  • kennynmdkennynmd Member Posts: 424
    I was wondering if the car can be programmed in a way that whenever the car is started and put into gear, the doors will automatically lock? Also vice versa, from gear to park the doors will unlock. Thanks!
  • andergtrandergtr Member Posts: 101
    to automatically lock the doors after i start driving off. this is programmed by the dealer, and it was one of the many questions he asked me when they were prepping my car for me for delivery.

    however, i do not think it is possible to have the doors automatically UNLOCK when you shift back into park.
  • andergtrandergtr Member Posts: 101
    and i had major tranny problems with the CL. my boss, who has a TL, also had the same problems. basically, the trannys (the manumatics) got stuck in a gear and failed. i ended up getting stuck in third gear and had to drive back from simi valley to calabasas in third gear in stop-and-go traffic on a friday when my tranny died.

    the dealer informed me that, unfortunately, this was not the first time they had seen this, and the tranny was replaced under warranty. to acura's credit, they also extended the warranty from 50K to 75K miles after i moaned about this happening, but i dumped the car soon after the tranny replacement.

    i picked up the 325ci and took a huge loss on the CL, but there is no comparison. the acura is a more powerful car, and it's a great value, but no matter what specs you put down on paper, the acura doesn't handle and drive like the BMW--not even close.

    i haven't tried the infiniti G35, but i've been very impressed with what infiniti has done with their cars since coming up with the I35--a friend picked one of those up when they first came out. infiniti seems very hungry, and that shows in their cars. acura seems to be behind the eight ball again.

    my two cents (if it's even worth that)...
  • andergtrandergtr Member Posts: 101
    honestly, i'm not impressed with it at all. i think it's a passable system at best. you don't get good top end crispness, and the bass is spongy and undefined.

    the stock unit in my $14K scion xB (my second car) trounces the BMW unit. i plan to rectify that situation soon, though. :)
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    andergtr... Your incident is a good reminder that manual transmissions usually outlast automatics and are less prone to catastrophic failure. As Roundel (BMW CCA) and Bimmer magazines have pointed out, BMW's automatics fail with some probability in the 80-120K range. Automatics are complex. Hard use wrecks their useable lives. Not to mention that manuals are just plain more fun to drive and bring out the best in a car. You wouldn't have had this issue with the CL Type S 6-speed manual.
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    thanks for the feedback... so $2000 below invoice would not be unreasonable with a 2003 325i sitting on the lot since June? Dealer is telling me $2000 incentive is gone after 31 October? I have also heard the incentive may be $2,500?
  • sjmurray3sjmurray3 Member Posts: 90
    see above!
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    andygtr - I hear you. I recently heard both a Mark Levinson and a custom system almost back to back. The custom system IMO blew away the Mark Levinson. You can always design a better custom system for less than a factory optioned system. The question to ask yourself is, "Is it worth the hassle?".
  • rpadillarpadilla Member Posts: 53
    go to www.bimmian.com -- they not only sell the silver rings for the gauge cluster, they also have a set of installation instructions on how to remove the cluster and install the rings. Post some pics when you get it completed!

    I am not sure if changing the rings will affect the warranty's coverage -- you might want to write BMW NA with that question.
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    specially since my house has a denon top end set up that pumps out approximately 2800 watts through 7 definitive speaker boxes, i think the HK sound system sucks super duper...
    honestly though i hate it... even honda accord LX come with better sound systems.
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    ksso - it doesn't matter how much your house system pumps out, it ain't in your car. The Honda system, which I've heard is not better than the HK. The HK is very flat and not overboosted. BTW the 2800 watts your denon puts out is nothing, that's what my neighboors kid has in his car.
  • eve123eve123 Member Posts: 12
    I signed the deal with the $2,000 incentive, plus $500 dealer profit. Where have you heard that it might go up to $2500?
  • kennynmdkennynmd Member Posts: 424
    I have the stock system in my 325ci and it was terrible so I had to do something! The only thing I did was changing the tweeters to MB Quarts. I then added a 10"JL Audio sub powered my a 500 watt JL Audio amp. It finally sounds decent!
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    the 2800 watts is not about power, its about the fidelity, the 2800 watts mean nothing had it not being pumped by speakers like definitives... i dont think any of my neighbors even know my system can blow mine and their roof off, it isn't played for power, its played for the fidelity and s/n...

    but honestly, with two sub woofers and all that 600 bucks can buy, the HK in my wife's car completely sucks minus the fact that it changes volume based on speed of car, but then again, the road noise is higher in a convertible and so it might matter more that the HK is a lackluster system...
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    so now, hmmm, when can i test drive?
  • emcmanusemcmanus Member Posts: 5
    I recently purchased a 2003 325i and am very happy with the car and the dealer. One problem I have is having to go to the dealer to have these little options "programmed". I recently had to have my second key reprogrammed and now my mirror doesn't tilt. It seems most of this programming is done with clicks on the key in a specific combination. Are these settings documented anywhere?
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    mirror tilt. If you are referring to the downward tilt of the mirror when the car is put into reverse, that has nothing to do with the key. That tilt is controlled by the mirror selector switch. Setting the selector to the left mirror disables the reverse tilt, setting the selector to the right mirror enables it.
  • andergtrandergtr Member Posts: 101
    at the time, the CL was available only with the manumatic--i got the first year of the car.

    it was a cool car, but the tranny should not have failed. the dealer said that they had a defective run of trannys, and i got one of them. of course, the silver lining is that i sold it and got the bimmer.
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    Yes, but when I am sitting in traffic and it takes 1.5 hours to go 20 miles, I thank heaven I do not have to do, clutch in, shift, clutch out, shift, clutch in, shift, clutch out...yawn....
  • sjmurray2sjmurray2 Member Posts: 65
    I heard this through a dealer in NC via phone. Not too reliable, but he did mention $2500. Maybe he was confused. My dealer is telling me that the $2000 incentive ends Friday, Halloween night? I would guess it would be carried into the next month just like the 5 series incentives? Anyone hear different?
  • andergtrandergtr Member Posts: 101
    and adding amps to the BMW stock system. the head unit itself isn't bad, but the speakers are terrible, and the system is underpowered, so you get a muddy sound.

    you don't have to go all-out and put in the nakamichi head unit and the ADS speakers and amps to get good sound.

    i still might, though! :)
  • emcmanusemcmanus Member Posts: 5
    I understand that the mirror tilt is controlled bu the mirror switch, however it no longer works regardless of where the switch is positioned. since I noticed it after I had the key fixed, I assume is was reset. The bigger issue is that all these little settings require a trip to the dealer....
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    when Samsung takes over the world, you could just fire up your Internet Explorer (since MS would also have taken over the world), log onto a site that will beam your personal choice of setting for the day directly to the OnStar like apparatus in the car that will reset the car to your day's liking.

    I can't wait to wake up and say, I wanna spank my car at 150mph today for my 12 minute drive to work... get to a browser and set up my car to lower its suspension, tightens its guts...

    ok, this ketosis is getting to my brains.
    ksso
  • gordonwdgordonwd Member Posts: 337
    If you set the doors to lock when you "drive off", exactly what does that mean? As soon as you put it in "D", or after you are actually getting up to speed? The reason I ask is that my wife's Olds locks as soon as you put it into a gear other than "P" or "N", and it really annoys me to have the doors lock whenever I'm just backing the car out into the driveway. Some systems lock at 15mph or something -- how does the Bimmer work?
  • mrl11777mrl11777 Member Posts: 154
    BMW locks when you hit 5mph.
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    BMW locks when you hit 15, if you have opted to have your key settings programmed to do so.
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    my service adviser told me 3 mph, since its close to 5 kmh, the german default... (3 * 1.67 = 5.01 )
    but you get the picture, the car has to more than just roll to get the locks to sink in.
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    buried in the payment estimator... there is no direct way to get this info, but anyways:
    2004 2.5 X3 without options $30,995
    2004 3.0 X3 without options $36,995

    same ball park as the 3.

    compare that to 2004 3.0 X5 without options at $40,995... the 2003 X5 to 2004 X5 spread is $800

    ksso
  • rustyrrustyr Member Posts: 10
    I had the key set so the doors lock when the car gets to 5 mph. But I thought the driver's door would unlock automatically when the key is removed from the ignition (my Passat worked that way). Instead, I have to pull the door lever twice to unlock the door so I can get out. The service person just told me he didn't think it could be set the way I want it, but he wasn't positive either. Anyone have it set so the driver's door unlocks automatically as I suggest? Thanks.
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    Maybe there are two thresholds for the car door lock, 5 and 15mph. For me I would like to be able to move the car 10 feet without the doors locking.
  • parnolaparnola Member Posts: 141
    My 325i 5-speed has developed a harsh vibration that appears to come from the exhaust. When I let off the gas at about 50mph in 4th gear I get a loud vibration noise and you can feel it on the under/back-side of the car. I'm going to make an appt to take it in, but has anyone experienced this?

    In addition, while accelerating, I get a rattling sound coming from the transmission. When I shift gears it goes away, then as the RPMs go higher it comes back. Has anyone had this happen to them?
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    I'm not an expert... but this sounds like it could be a loose heat shield. Thats a piece of metal that protects the underside of the car from the heat generated by the catalytic converter. When it becomes loose, it vibrates against other metal parts. The sound is coming from the right place, and is also consistent with being louder at higher RPMs. I would hope this is it. Cheap to fix.

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • bavarianbavarian Member Posts: 63
    I dropped off my ED 325Ci in Munich Sept 19th and since then have had to make-do with drooling over photos of it in scenic Bavarian locales. It left Bremerhaven on October 6th aboard the Jingu Maru
    and bobbed around on the Atlantic until Oct 16th when the ship unloaded in New Jersey. Unexpectedly two other ships unloaded that day( and each ship can carry up to 6,000 cars) and the result was my car was in the VPC for a lonnnnnng time. BMW Owner's Circle thinks it is still there but the fact is that I picked it up from my dealership in Indiana yesterday soon after it rolled off the BMT truck. It was going to take an extra day to prep it but I took it anyway and will wash the German bugs off the hood myself.

    Suffice to say I have been driving the car a lot in the past 24 hours and my face is aching from all this grinning.

    The 5 speed is the main reason but I mustn't forget the Sports Package and those awesome seats.
    They are heated so driving around with moonroof open in 48 deg temperatures is no problem. The Gipsy Kings are banging away on the HK (admittedly not as good as my B&W/Rotel set up but it fits in the car better and costs a fraction of).

    The Adaptive Xenons are peeking around the corners looking for deer out here in the Michigan woods and the DVD Nav is guiding me home.

    Interestingly my old car, the Fern Green 2001 325i is now a CPO in the dealer's showroom-the only CPO in there and is marked up alomost $5K over my buy-out price.

    At some point I will be putting together my ED story with photos on a web site but first I have some driving and some gardening to catch up on.

    A few things are clear to me now....

    1 ED is the way to go (For me at least) regardless
    of whether I saved money or not (I paid $3800 under MSRP) The driving experience in Germany was priceless.

    2 A manual gearbox raises the fun quotient quite a few notches and makes me feel like I am helping the car show off his stuff.

    3 Sports Package is a no-brainer. The car lives for cornering.

    Norris, eyeing the keys once again
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    I'm sorry I did not mean to challenge your completely customized bullet proof built 100% unique car's pedigree.

    All I meant to point out was the car has to more than just roll to get the locks to set in.

    ksso
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    I didn't realize/forgot when I posted. Almost every setting is customizable in a number of different ways.
  • kanadian45kanadian45 Member Posts: 3
    Hi fellow BMW owners. This week we're trading our 328IS coupe in for a '03 Honda Pilot. I feel kinda weird. I'll miss the Beamer a lot but we've had it for 2 years without any mechanical problems and are afraid of the costs of repair. Sooner or later something is going to breakdown...it's a '98 model. I would recommmend owning a BMW to anyone who can afford it. It's a fantastic car to drive. Too bad the police always give you those funny looks and pull out their radar guns when they see you coming towards them on the highway. Not all BMW drivers are speeders! Insurance is also a cost. Too bad. Am looking forward to all the extra room in the SUV. Happy driving,

    G
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