BMW 3-Series 2006

abfisch · November 2005

bdr127:

Another question please. How long do the Sport Suspension struts/dampers last??? Which type of Bilstein shocks, HD or Sport model are most like the OEM sport shocks on the car. What is the difference in price since the free maintenance will be over by that time??

Thanks.

abfisch

kevin111 · November 2005

I am trying to help a friend buy a sedan, and she has her heart set for a 3series. Performance seems to be close between the two ( Car and Driver 0-60 6.0 sec- 330i and 6.1 sec - 325i) and the 330i has a variety of features for the extra $5k. If price is an issue, is there any reason to go with the 330i over the 325i?

Thank you.

erickpl · November 2005

Keep in mind, there are several passes between the Bay and Tahoe that will close when snow fall is heavy and/or deep. Those grades can be pretty steep, so keep that in mind.

CHP will often require chains in these situations. In my drives to Mammoth, even our Grand Cherokee 4x4 had to have chains, but we never used them, just had to have em. While you may have the potential to make it there, you may not make it if the CHP wants to see your chains, snow tires, etc.

-Paul

saigonboi21 · November 2005

it's actually 6.1 for 330 and 6.7 for 325i. For the 330 you get the chrome twin-grilles, larger wheels, larger brakes, Adaptive Xenons, Premium sounds, and obviously more power. If she's going to get want everything the 330 has for her 325, then by all means go wit the 330. Oh and resale value is obviously more.

bdr127 · November 2005

If she's going to get want everything the 330 has for her 325, then by all means go wit the 330. Oh and resale value is obviously more.

If I understand you correctly, you're indicating that price on resale will be higher for a 330i than a 325i... Assuming the 330i costs more to begin with, then of course it will have a high resale value, since the two cars depreciate at about the same rate. The resale percentage of original price is approximately the same for 325i and 330i, if not slightly higher for the 325i.

drtravel · November 2005

The resale percentage of original price is approximately the same for 325i and 330i, if not slightly higher for the 325i.

Here are BMW's leasing residuals - for 36mo/45K miles

325i sedan is 62%
325xi sedan is 61%
330i sedan is 62%
330xi sedan is 61%

drtravel · November 2005

The main MT editor was on CNBC earlier.

Winner - Honda Civic
2nd - Mazda MX-5
3rd - BMW 3-series

Print article will be available in a few weeks.

kevin111 · November 2005

saigonboi21 - I completely understand what you are saying. If the car is going to be loaded, get the 330i. My feeling is that most likely, it will just contain a couple of options, such as navigation, an auto, and the sports suspension. Thank you for the input

In terms of the performance numbers I quoted -

The articles I was quoting
For the 325i -
Per Car and Driver Nov. '05 - http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=16&article_id=10106
"The added power and more aggressive gearing give straight-line performance a swift kick to 6.1 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and 14.7 seconds at 94 mph through the quarter-mile. This 325i blows away the last-generation car and is also quicker than the previous 330i model."

The articles I was quoting
For the 325i -
Per Car and Driver Oct. '05 -
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=15&article_id=9993&page_number=10
Unfortunately, they did not add the 0-60 number, which is 6.0 seconds.

saigonboi21 · November 2005

Assuming the 330i costs more to begin with, then of course it will have a high resale value,

yeah that's why i said "obviously"

I know this may sound weird but a few months ago i went to KBB.com and checked the resale price of both the 330 and 325. First i configured them with Premium, Nav, and auto. Well of course the 330 will sell for more. However, i took out the Nav on the 330 and it's still selling for more than the 325. The difference was the almost exactly the same ( maybe $50-60). Just wanted to share with u guys...

selm · November 2005

I know C&D say they get 6.1 sec in the 325i, but I cannot duplicate that in mine which is configured the exact same way (ZSP as the only option). Granted I am not a professional, nor do I like pushing my car that hard. While the 325 has good off the line capabilities, that is not where I feel it earns its keep. Where I love the 325i is in its handling and the pull you get from 2nd and 3rd gear when making your way up to higher speeds. I have not found a more fun car in the 30 - 80 mph range. Not to mention 80 mph is still less than 3k rpms in 6th gear.

When I was purchasing this car, I did drive a 330 and found the car to be a little faster and more fun than the 325i. If performance is your ultimate goal, go with the 330. But when it came down to it, I didn't want power seats, xenons, or logic7. All I wanted was the sport package. So the 325i sticker I wanted was $32,595 and the 330 was $38,295. I decided to save my money for run flat tires! And I don't regret it, the 325i is a blast!

gotrojan · November 2005

you mean 330i doesnt have run-flat tires?

corvette · November 2005

you mean 330i doesnt have run-flat tires?

I think he means saving money for replacing them when they're worn out. All E90 3-series include run-flat tires.

gotrojan · November 2005

hi, can anyone tell me what discount should I expect on the invoice price?

Also, is it worth waiting for a few more days before buying it? I heard that since the 3 series is hot right now, the dealers are not giving much discount?
Is that true?

dom1 · November 2005

I have not heard on anyone getting a discount from invoice. You can either negotiate up from invoice or down from MSRP. Pricing depends on many factors. For example, you will probably get a better price on a car that has been a while in the lot. I ordered my 330 and got 2K below MSRP which turned out to be 2K above invoice. I recall someone getting 1.5K above invoice. It all depends on your ability to negotiate.

One recommendation (which I didn't do) is to find out the invoice and MSRP of your BMW. Then contact one dealer and find out what's the best price that he can give you. Then contact another dealer and ask him if he can beat the 1st dealer offer, so on...

Edmunds had a pretty good article which had an undercover writer working as a salesman in two dealers for three months. It's quite long but I found it both entertaining and informative. I couldn't find it now but I'm sure it's available somewhere.

Good luck!

gotrojan · November 2005

Thanks a lot dom1.

Do send the link if you get it!

qali · November 2005

Here you go...

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html?tid=edmunds.a.landing.fea- ture..3.*

jaj · November 2005

I've test driven the new 3 series sedan and have looked through the brochure, and I haven't seen any sign of a temperature gauge. Am I just missing it or is that info displayed some other way?

div2 · November 2005

Nope, there's no temp gauge. It's no great loss, since the water temperature gauge has been nothing more than a glorified idiot light ever since the introduction of the E34.

aphall · November 2005

I'd check the prices paid discussion board here on Edmunds. Lots of information.

sander1 · November 2005

After you wear out the run flats - can you put non-run flats on this tire..
Tirerack says yes and that it will only slightly downgrade the performance of the suspension.. I'm wondering because the long-term maintennce on these tires is costly.

blawless3 · November 2005

I paid $1400 over invoice for my 06 325xiT in the Washington DC area.

corvette · November 2005

Yes, you can, with the obvious disadvantages should you experience a flat tire.

saigonboi21 · November 2005

im planning to fly to Munich to pick up an E90 there. Does anyone have any idea how much airfares are?? i got an email from Travelocity stating "international flights starting at $185". From LAX- MUC is about $600. BUt i looked up the flight and it's about $3k. It says all i have to do is book before Nov 28th, 05. Please let me know ASAP so i can ED order the car. THanks

laurasdada · November 2005

Isn't airfare and a night's lodging included in ED? I think it is with other mfg. ED programs...?

davidd3 · November 2005

It actually snowed here in NY on Thanksgiving. Woke up to a total white-out. Really freaked me out, and got me thinking about finally doing something with that stack of winter tires/wheels in the garage.

This morning I was on my way to the local auto parts store to purchase the necessary tools, when my wife stopped me. "Oh my God. You can't be serious. No way. You've never done this before. I'd be worried a wheel will fall off or something." Nothing like a good vote of confidence.

For her peace of mind, I ended up having the changeover done by our local independent repair shop rather than doing it myself as a first-timer. And now that's it done, I'm glad I did. They only charged me $40. That'll come to just $80 per year. I dropped off and picked up an hour later. Not bad. Saved me time and anxiety. And in terms of cost, it's probably a wash for the first year, since I would have paid $80 or more for decent do-it-yourself tire changing tools.

Any other chickens out there?

calif65gm · November 2005

It depends on when you're going.

Also Lufthansa will probably still have the 2 for 1 tickets too.

stephend · November 2005

If I am correct both cars are similiar in price. Looking for other people's opinions on which is the better car.

saigonboi21 · November 2005

im planning to go Dec 28- Jan 2. WHere can i find the 2 for 1 deal?? I couldnt find it on their website. THanks

kyfdx · November 2005

My independent tire guy does the changeover for $16.. And, he only charges that when he puts the summer tires on, because I didn't buy them from him.. When the winter tires go on, no charge...

The only pain is loading up the tires in my CR-V to take them down there, but, it is only 2 miles away...

regards,
kyfdx

blueguydotcom · November 2005

No airfare and logging are not included.

davidd3 · November 2005

"My independent tire guy does the changeover for $16.. And, he only charges that when he puts the summer tires on, because I didn't buy them from him.. When the winter tires go on, no charge..."

Now that's a sweet deal!

"The only pain is loading up the tires in my CR-V to take them down there, but, it is only 2 miles away..."

In my case, it's an Odyssey and less than 1 mile. Got a bit dirty (both my hands and the storage area behind the 3rd row), but nothing that won't come clean. It would have been much more of a pain for me to actually have done the tire changes by myself.

Today's project, if you can call this a "project," is to empty out the windshield washer fluid and fill up the reservoir with the winter version. I'm more than up to doing this task by myself! And my wife seems to have no particular concern about it.

div2 · November 2005

I perform the changeover myself in less than 45 minutes. That way I know for certain that a thin coat of anti-sieze was applied to the hubs and the lug bolts were tightened to the correct torque value in the proper sequence. It also gives me an opportunity to inspect the brakes and suspension. My wife actually prefers that I do the work because we save a few dollars and she KNOWS that the job was done properly. About the only thing that really used to scare my wife was the thought of me riding a motorcycle(her parents were the type of people who thought your head would explode if you even sat on a bike). It took a few years but I finally wore her down. In the end I think she was just relieved that my mid-life crisis led me into an affair with something with two wheels instead of two legs...

heartone · November 2005

I have an MP3 player. However it picks self-recored CD. It plays back well for first couple of songs. If you shuffle list, it skips and jumps (can't complete from time to time). Is this just the player picky or player malfunction? Have anyone experienced this issue? Would you share the solution such as software or else? :confuse:

Note: I used Window Media Player to rip CDs and convert to MP3 files. Then I used Sonic RecordNow! to put MP3 files into a CD.

heartone · November 2005

The MP3 player was originally installed in my 2006 330xi. Not external plug-in.

calif65gm · November 2005

Not going to work. The Delivery Center is closed from Dec 23 to Jan. 9, 2006. Also if you haven't ordered the car for ED by now, it's too late. You need to give them about 60-days lead time.

davidd3 · November 2005

"I perform the changeover myself in less than 45 minutes. That way I know for certain that a thin coat of anti-sieze was applied to the hubs and the lug bolts were tightened to the correct torque value in the proper sequence. It also gives me an opportunity to inspect the brakes and suspension. My wife actually prefers that I do the work because we save a few dollars and she KNOWS that the job was done properly."

Your situation is the flip side of the coin - "if you want a job done right, do it yourself." But that only applies when you know exactly what you're doing. In my case, it would have been my first time as a do-it-yourselfer. I did some research, but never felt totally comfortable that I knew what I was doing. Case in point, I didn't know about applying anti-seize.

Now you've got me a little nervous that my local independent repair shop may not have performed my changeover the right way. Looks like my wife is not the only one putting her faith in them. I am too.

div2 · November 2005

In my case, it would have been my first time as a do-it-yourselfer. I did some research, but never felt totally comfortable that I knew what I was doing.

Well, we are ALL beginners at one point or another. That's what these groups are for. The next time you want to try something,I'll shoot you my public e-mail address and I will coach you through it.

davidd3 · November 2005

"Well, we are ALL beginners at one point or another. That's what these groups are for. The next time you want to try something,I'll shoot you my public e-mail address and I will coach you through it."

Thanks, div2, for your kind offer, which I will keep in mind for the future.

dhanley · November 2005

Airfarew is not included, but as part of euro delivery, lufthansa will give you 2 for 1 airafre. Volvo will give you 2 free tickets, but their deal is not quite as good. Saab gives to $2000 traveling money. Not sure what merc does.

dave

cdnpinhead · November 2005

The way I put this is that "no one was born knowing how to . . ." Everyone has to learn sometime.

I once did a wheel rotation (to equalize tire wear) in a church parking lot on a road trip, but it was with a car that actually packs a spare tire, jack & wrench. At home I have a floor jack, cross wrench & other amenities.

The 3-series is on the short list for my next car, but the run-flat tires (expensive to replace & impossible to repair) are putting me off, in a major way. I'm going to have to take some time to consider whether I really need a spare of any type, let alone full-size (my choice to date), in my next car. I have had a couple of tire deflations over the past 10 years that were fixed quickly with the spare. Without one. . .

It's a pity that you have to depend on anonymous messages on the internet to buck up your confidence regarding something so (relatively) simple as changing a tire. In theory at least, that's what wives are for.

YMMV.

johnny420 · November 2005

Runflats are not impossible to repair. As I understand it, liability issues are the primary driver behind the policy of replacing and not repairing punctured runflats.

Of course, a RF that has been driven for ~100 miles or so probably has damaged sidewalls, but some punctures are repairable. People have done it.

fedlawman · November 2005

that's what wives are for.

Your wife changes tires? That's so cool!

cdnpinhead · November 2005

I normally mean to write prose that can be understood.

Sorry, this time I blew it.

My point was that the person one shares space with often builds up one's confidence, rather that the contrary.

In the future, I will try to be more clear.

gotrojan · November 2005

Thanks blawless3 for your input!

I have a question. When you say *invoice price* it doesnt include the sales tax (over 8% in california

).

So when you got the car for $1400 over your invoice, did this include the taxes and handling charges?

For e.g. is the car's invoice on Edmunds (is there any other site other than Edmunds to get the invoice price for my config?) is $35000 and you got it for $36400. So did you pay $36400 in all or you had to pay some tax on $36400 + handling charges?

Thanks

blueguydotcom · November 2005

No it doesn't include TTL. If it included TTL then he got the car for several thousand below invoice.

BTW, in CA just figure TTL as 10% of the cost of the car.

davidd3 · November 2005

"It's a pity that you have to depend on anonymous messages on the internet to buck up your confidence regarding something so (relatively) simple as changing a tire. In theory at least, that's what wives are for."

I can't blame my otherwise supportive wife for talking me out of doing tire changes by myself for the first time on our new BMW.

Suppose for example that my wife suddenly showed an interest in sewing and wanted to get started by doing an alteration on her most expensive dress. I'd be pleading with her to take it to a tailor instead.

My wife and I are not from the do-it-yourselfers.

nyccarguy · November 2005

I have my changeover done by the Dominican guy down the street from where I work in The Bronx. He charges me $15 twice a year.

gotrojan · November 2005

what does TTL stand for?

And, yes its 10% of the cost of the car in Cali

gordonwd · November 2005

No offense, but it's interesting that today's tires are so good that having to change a tire can seem like a big deal. In my early driving days, driving 50s-era beaters with bias-ply, tube tires, changing two or three flats a year was not unusual. Now, I can't even remember the last time I had to change a tire on the road!

In fact, I was quite impressed when my totally non mechanically-inclined son managed to change a flat tire on his Saturn -- at night, yet, by the light of his cell phone screen.

The only problems he had were that he didn't tighten the lug nuts nearly enough (lucky I checked them), and of course it took both of us a while to get the spare and jack parts re-stowed.

Once run-flats become common, tire-changing will become yet another lost art (like carburetor and ignition tuning, etc.).

aphall · November 2005

TTL stands for Tax, Title, and License.

BMW 3-Series 2006

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