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BMW 3-Series 2006

18788909293135

Comments

  • bmwyayabmwyaya Member Posts: 11
    It's been rainy in our area lately. When accelerating more aggressively than normal from standstill, I hear some wheel noise from the rear. Is that DSC in work trying to prevent wheel slippage from the difference in traction between the two wheels? I know that there should be an icon on the dashboard displaying a DSC warning if it is in action but I wasn't looking at it then.
  • bmwyayabmwyaya Member Posts: 11
    But why wouldn't they ship the 06 325i with the real 2.5L engine as in Europe? Shouldn't that lower the production cost of the engine?
  • dom1dom1 Member Posts: 22
    Hello all,

    Thanks for all the great discussions on this forum. I've found them very exciting and informative. After many meetings with my calculator, I finally placed my order for my 1st BMW ever :) . I'm pretty excited about it since it has been something that I always wanted to do. Anyway, I ordered it from a dealer located in southern NH with the following options
    Black saphire w/terra leather and burl walnut wood
    Premium and Sport Package w/18in 162 style wheels
    Heated Seats
    Auto trans.
    Nav. system

    I first offered 3K under MSRP but the dealer would not accept :mad: . So we agreed on 2K under MSRP. I hope this was a good price since I am not used to pay more than $300 over invoice for any car.

    Anyway, I visited tirerack to order some snow tires, and found out that wheels and tire packages are offered in 17in and 18in for this car. Is there any difference on snow driving performance between these sizes? Anybody worried about damaging the 18in rims in the snow? Also, I have read in this forum that it is not recommended to swap the tires and use the same wheel rims all year long. Is this mostly because the tires may be damaged changing them so often?

    Last question, I tracked my order in bmwusa with the production number given by the dealer and the wrong color comes up with none of the options I ordered. Should I be worried about this and contact the dealership? The last thing that I want is to have to wait 10 weeks for delivery and then get the wrong car.

    Thanks in advance for any replies,
    Dom
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    I first offered 3K under MSRP but the dealer would not accept . So we agreed on 2K under MSRP. I hope this was a good price since I am not used to pay more than $300 over invoice for any car.


    It's a good price if you're comfortable paying it.
  • calif65gmcalif65gm Member Posts: 75
    I can't answer your snow tires question, but I can answer your tracking.

    Don't worry about it for now, what the dealer did is probably found a car slated soon for production and is switching the color on the order. The options will typically never show-up on bmwusa. The correct color should appear in a few weeks.
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,236
    According to Car and Driver, the 6-speed manual 2006 330i ZSP will do 0-60 in 5.6 seconds (April 2005). The manual 325i ZSP will do it in 6.1 (November 2005). IMO, either number is plenty fast and perfectly worthy of the moniker "sports sedan."
  • sitsit Member Posts: 16
    I own 325i (AT).During test drive and break in period I noticed sluggish response atleast in the first gear.

    I have noticed significnat improvment in car initial pick up and response of first gear after break in period.I have 4000 miles on my 325 i and it appears that with time it is getting better.

    I travel about 130 miles a day and gas consumption on average is 29 MPG 30 % city and 70% high way). It is amazing how this car performs over 100 miles per hour. I have gone upto 135 MPH with no problems and the car has been very stable and responsive.

    Just wondering what is up with automatic climate control. AC stays on even when the out side temeperature is lower that inside temperature. Guys what a difference in acceleration when you turn off the AC.

    Does anyone else share similar experience.

    SIT
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    1st I want to congratulate you on purchasing your 1st BMW. I assume (you didn't mention) it is a 330i due to the fact that you got the Sport Package with the 18" wheels & tires. You're very smart in opting for a good 'ole rear wheel drive BMW and not feeling the "I gotta have All Wheel Drive" vibe that many consumers here in the Northeast have. As far as winter wheels & tires go, you're better off buying a separate set of wheels with the snow tires mounted on them for a few reasons.

    You don't have to worry about your beautiful 18" SPort Package wheels getting ruined by the salt from the roads nor do you have to worry about damaging them if you can't avoid the craters in the road that the DOT refers to as potholes.

    It will also be cheaper for you in the long run. In stead of getting the wheels and tires mounted and balanced every winter & spring, you can just have the tires & wheels swapped (or you can do it yourself if you are adventurous).

    You might also want to check with tire rack to see if they offer a 17" wheels & tires package for the 330i. There are a few advantages to going with a minus 1 wheel & tire package during the winter. 17" snow tires are cheaper than 18" snow tires. You'll have a slightly taller sidewall and narrower contact patch. The taller sidewall will have more air in it and give you a better cushion if you can't avoid the pot-holes I mentioned above. The narrower contact patch will put more of the tires surface area on the road (due to the more concentrated weight) and give you better traction.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,497
    for those of you who buy from Tire Rack, who mounts and balances your tires after they are shipped to you?
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    they mount and balance the tires for you.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    "for those of you who buy from Tire Rack, who mounts and balances your tires after they are shipped to you?"

    I assume that you are asking about snow tires, since this is a forum for a car that just came out in May. Most folks on this forum are buying winter tire/wheel packages from tirerack. The winter wheels come mounted and balanced on a dedicated set of winter wheels. You could get winter tires only and use the wheels that came with the car. However, it is supposedly difficult, risky and costly to dismount and remount low profile run flat performance tires. I do not know of anyone who is going that way.
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    It seems that our options for winter tire/wheel packages are quite limited as of now. I went to tirerack.com, inputted my car's info (330i base model), and reviewed the options that came up. A bunch of tires are listed, but only 2 of them are available in run flats. They are the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22 @ $178 per tire, and the Dunlap Winter Sport M3 @ $157 per tire. And for wheels, there are only 3 to choose from, at price points of $88, $129 and $169. I confirmed over the phone yesterday that this is all there is, and once they run out that's it, there aint no more. I'm ordering tomorrow. This is heads up not to procrastinate on this one and to get your orders in before it may be too late or before you have even less to choose from.

    Based on the reviews submitted by tirerack customers, the Dunlap Winter Sport M3 is more highly regarded than the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22. And guess what? It happens to be the less expensive of the 2 tires. So I'm going with the Dunlap.

    I'm not sure what to do about the wheels. I figured that this is the place where I would try to keep down the cost of the package, especially since I like the looks of even the least expensive wheel. I was of a mind to select the $88 one and come in just a bit under a grand for the package. But when I called tirerack yesterday, some guy told me that the $129 one is the most popular and it comes with BMW center caps whereas the $88 one does not. I like those caps. Now I'm thinking about getting the $129 one, though $164 is a lot of money just for caps (I like the looks of the two wheels about the same). Maybe I could buy the $88 wheels and swap out the center caps for BMW caps that I could presumably buy from BMW as parts or accessories. I haven't looked into that yet.

    Has anyone taken the winter plunge yet? If so, let us know what you got.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    you can have them shipped to any of their recommended installers that's most convenient for you.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,236
    I got the discontinued Mille Miglia (sp.?) Spider 17" wheels with the Dunlop run-flats. They would look factory if they had BMW center caps, but I haven't looked into whether that is possible on those wheels.
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    "I got the discontinued Mille Miglia (sp.?) Spider 17" wheels with the Dunlop run-flats."

    Looks like tirerack is already out of those wheels, since they don't come up as one of the options. How much were they going for?
  • tturedraidertturedraider Member Posts: 159
    Don't forget Discount Tires. www.tires.com They're offering free shipping right now.
  • barry626barry626 Member Posts: 78
    Back in July I bought the 129 wheels with Blizzak WS-50 Snows.
    Also bought one unmounted Snow + Bridgestone Re050A RunFlat.
    This way if I get a flat with summer or winter tires I'm covered!
  • rats13rats13 Member Posts: 42
    does anyone know if comfort access available currently on the 330i?

    My brochure says it will be available later in the year

    Thanks
  • dhanleydhanley Member Posts: 1,531
    "Does anybody know what are our Bavarian friends did to "decoffeenate" 06 330i engine for 06 325i. The torque and HP must be better. "

    It's partially a software charge, and partially an intake modification. It's debatable how much is attributable to each. Personally, i think the evidence indicates strongly that the majority of the lost torque, at least, is due to software.
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,236
    How much were they going for?

    $139, I think.
  • lehrer1lehrer1 Member Posts: 54
    dhanly,
    the "Tecnical advisor" at BMW dealership told me that he was told by BMW that 06 325 engine has the camshafts different from those in 06 330. Sounds strange.
    All available information does not add up. I am just curious.
    I bought 06 326i with stick-shift and I am very happy with the car and the engine,
    so I can compensate for the torque just downshifting.
    Best regards,
    Lehrer1
  • cesivcesiv Member Posts: 1
    I am considering a 2006 330 with sport package. Great car, but I can't decide on whether to go with the i or xi version. Obvious Pro of the xi "rolling power" x-drive system would help in inclement weather conditions and I get about 3 months of snow in this part of the country. Con is the extra $2,000. Is it worth it? What about the snow tire alternative? Any thoughts out there??
  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    "I am considering a 2006 330 with sport package. Great car, but I can't decide on whether to go with the i or xi version. Obvious Pro of the xi "rolling power" x-drive system would help in inclement weather conditions and I get about 3 months of snow in this part of the country. Con is the extra $2,000. Is it worth it? What about the snow tire alternative? Any thoughts out there??"

    Unless you get seriously dumped on, xi isn't worth it, and if you do get seriously dumped on, xi probably won't have the ground clearance you need, so it's still not worth it.

    Many on this board have done fine with i and snow tires.
  • mr_anton89mr_anton89 Member Posts: 72
    In pursuit of the best MPG with the steptronic...do I go with the 330, 325 or XI? And what kind of MPG should I expect with the XI?
    Thanks,
    mr_anton89
  • bdr127bdr127 Member Posts: 950
    The 325i and 330i are rated at the same mpg.... You'll get about 1-2 mpg less in the xi.
  • dl7265dl7265 Member Posts: 1,381
    But,I dropped off my 325I to have the hi beam bulb replaced. I was given a E90 325I loaner for the day which was nice. My SA just called and told me the wiring harness has a problem ,it was NOT a bulb. Don't want to cause any alarm. My E46 323i Sport was a model of reliability. If the part has to be ordered from Germany ill be racking up miles on my loaner for a week....

    DL
  • lovemyclklovemyclk Member Posts: 351
    Excellent advice!
  • calif65gmcalif65gm Member Posts: 75
    Yes BMW began US production of CA cars in Sept. Just make sure that you order or get a car off the lot produced after Sept. 1.
  • dom1dom1 Member Posts: 22
    Thanks for the information. The right color showed today (with no options as you mentioned).
    Dom
  • dom1dom1 Member Posts: 22
    Nyccarguy, thanks for the information. Your reply was exactly the same as what the expert at tirerack said. BTW, I ordered the 17in snow tire & wheel package today since he mentioned that they may run out of winter run-flats by December timeframe which is the date that I should receive my bimmer.
    Thanks,
    Dom
  • saigonboi21saigonboi21 Member Posts: 150
    almost every post i read mentioned that they give you a BMW as a loaner when you take your car in for service. My E90 has been there twice. THe first time they sent me to their Enterprise office and gave me a TAURUS. Second time i didnt even bother to go witha rental. I was wondering if this differs fomr dealer to dealer?? I bought mine from BMW of Fremont. Thanks
  • ventureventure Member Posts: 2,860
    When I took my 325i in for an oil change last week they gave me an X3 3.0i to drive for the day.

    My dealer will also pick mine up and leave "no more than 2 or 3 year old BMW" for me to drive while they are working on mine. I live 30 miles away.

    They told me that while I was negotiating the deal. I guess it varies from dealer to dealer, but both dealers I talked to said the same thing.

    2020 Ascent Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport

  • tturedraidertturedraider Member Posts: 159
    The BMW website credits the 3-stage induction, software and differing exhaust for the increased power of the 330.

    I noticed something the other night while I was trolling on my local BMW lot. The right exhaust pipe on the 330 has a moveable vane in it that can shut that pipe. The 325 doesn't have it. I'm guessing this creates some additional pressure that boosts hp/torque at some point. Maybe at the low end? Thoughts?

    Also, I think there's something new on BMW's website. At least I hadn't noticed before tonight. There is a link to "Driver's Guide" that has videos to explain various features of the car. It seems to be quite extensive. So, for those of you too lazy to read your owner's manual.....(no one on this forum, I'm sure) ;)
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    My father-in-law lives in Long Island and uses Hassel BMW. He was once given an Enterprise rental car for a loaner, and he screamed bloody murder. "I'm giving you a BMW and I expect a BMW in return." The next time he was careful not only to reserve a loaner car, but also to confirm that it would be a BMW. Guess what? The next time they gave him a new 540i in return for his '04 325ci. Incredibly, he even complained about that, just a bit though. He hates having to learn new controls for a day. He forced the SA to take 15 minutes to go over the features of the 540i with him.

    I use BMW of Greenwich for my 330i. It's a brand new service facility with ample BMW loaner cars. Although my car is barely more than a month old, I've already been in for service twice. Both times I got new Bimmers for loaners. An X3 for a day, and a 330i for a whole week.

    Maybe try another dealer for service, or keep using the same dealer but schedule your appointments well in advance and specifically request and confirm a BMW loaner car.
  • bdr127bdr127 Member Posts: 950
    Not all BMW dealers do loaner cars.... Many do since they try to provide a little something extra for their customers. Many dealers that do have loaners will only loan them to customers who bought their car there, as well.
  • untrueuntrue Member Posts: 18
    Just like when Intel sold some of their cpus with some of the cache intentionally disabled. I had never heard of such a business practice before. Basically the premise is as such: Build one product and then disable "WORKING" features to price differentiate. As the consumer, I am used to paying more $$$ for more content, hp, etc. I am not used to paying more for the favour of not having my car detuned on purpose.

    CZ
  • macallan1macallan1 Member Posts: 2
    Most BMW dealers offer loaner cars. BMW NA highly encourges it. But there is a limited number of loaner cars available. Thus, the appointment system. If it is an emergency, someone comes in w/o an appointment and we are out of loaner cars, we may rent one from enterprise, or whoever, to help the customer out.

    Too many people expect perfection in everything, it's hard to deliever in the real world.
  • macallan1macallan1 Member Posts: 2
    it dosn't increase back pressure. It's function, like that on the 645i, is to allow quiet opperation during normal driving, but allow a freeer flowing exhaust when you rev it up.
  • planomlplanoml Member Posts: 244
    Comfort access is available now.
  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    Why??

    "Basically the premise is as such: Build one product and then disable "WORKING" features to price differentiate."

    That's not what BMW did. They used differing induction & exhaust for 325 & 330. When you change hardwares on an engine, you generally need to change software as well. Nothing disabled.
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    After all that research, it looks as though I'm going to brave the NY winters with RWD and the all-season tires that came with my 330i.

    Yesterday I finally had a chat with my wife about winter wheel/tire packages. "You're spending how much money on this?" "Are you out of your mind?" "More than $1,000?" "Why can't we buy only tires?" "Why do tires cost that much?" "Why do we have to buy wheels too?" "Why doesn't our car come with a spare tire?" "Where are you going to store the off-season tires?" "I'm not driving the car if you are going to do those tire changes by yourself." "And if you are going to have it done by BMW or the local garage, how are we going to manage bringing a set of wheels/tires to them and taking a set of tires/wheels home?" "What will we do with the extra set of wheels/tires when our lease is up?"

    My answer: "Uh, well, I'm doing this for you so that you can feel safer in winter. We've had problems with RWD in past winters. So I checked and found that this is what people do to overcome those problems."

    Botton line, rather than spend all that money on a winter wheel/tire package and incur the associated inconveniences, she'd rather just stay home the few times it snows (or use our FWD minivan if she really has to go somewhere). She can basically get away with that because she is a teacher and usually doesn't have to go to work when it snows.
  • dhanleydhanley Member Posts: 1,531
    Actully, the valve in the dual exhaust is to increase low-end torque via backpressure.
  • amiramir Member Posts: 115
    does anyone know if the up coming coupe of the e90 sedan will be the same styling as the sedan,i mean the front and rear lights and the body lines. in previous generation 3 series coupes and sedans were pretty much the same in lights and body structure except the 2 doors and the lower roof line of the coupe.
  • dvand17dvand17 Member Posts: 10
    So I got my car back and apparently I had a crack in my steering rack (something like that, so the BMW service guy said). It appears to have fixed my problem. When I was turning the wheel, I would hear a slight grinding, but only at low speeds and only when I took a sharp turn. If I were you I'd go get it checked out...woudnl't hurt. Plus you can get your software updates :)
  • planomlplanoml Member Posts: 244
    Upgrades should be available now. Don't know if we have a list, but here's a start:

    daylight running lights
    blinking clownnose
    auto-lock doors
    all windows & sunroof open with remote

    Please, add your items.
  • asleepyasleepy Member Posts: 70
    saigonboi21,

    I'm from the Bay Area as well and I bought my 325i E46 from Stevens Creek BMW. I've been back to them several times in the past 2 years for various services (ignition coil, lights, temp sensor, etc.) as well as Service I. If I make an appointment, I get a 3 series loaner. If I go there unscheduled, they are usually out of BMW loaners and sends me to a local car rental, which they pay for. At my recent Service I appointment (which I was given an X3), I asked my SA whether you can get a loaner even if you did not buy the car from them and he claimed that it did not matter where you bought the car. I have not taken my car to any other BMW dealer so I cannot test his theory. Some users here say they only provide loaners to their own customers; some say it depends on the dealer.
  • dl7265dl7265 Member Posts: 1,381
    Well , I was given a 2006 E90 Artic/Beige loaner, for what was to be a light bulb replacement. Still waiting word if the wiring harness is going to be comming from Germany....

    Oh one thing. this loaner has Premium leather , non sport. The seats are way to slippery for my taste I prefer my "ette".

    Also, I received my Ultimate Ownership experience Package today,

    DL
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    "Also, I received my Ultimate Ownership experience Package today",

    What's that?
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    After a long dry spell, it's raining cats and dogs in NY. First time for me to use the automatic wipers. My first impression is that while they work well for light rain, they don't seem to move quite fast enough for heavier rain. Anyone else feel the same way? I don't recall seeing any posts on this subject. Maybe my new car came with another problem (defective rain sensor?) that needs to be serviced. My wife is so annoyed with the automatic wipers not clearing the windshield at the right pace that she has resorted to using the wipers the old-fashioned way - low speed or high speed. I'm going to re-read the relevant section of the owner's manual tonight, just in case we may not be using the feature properly. This is our first car that has this feature.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    My understanding is that the automatic wipers are specifically for light rain, hence the two constant speed settings. Where they absolutely pay for themselves is when driving in light rain/no rain situations where the roads are wet and where there is traffic that intermittently spray your windscreen with road water. In a car without rain sensing wipers, you are constantly fiddling with the setting in those conditions; however, with the new rain sensing system, you just set the sensitivity and drive.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
This discussion has been closed.