Introduction
While I am very satisfied with my current car (2001 Acura TL), an offer arrived in the mail that was too good to pass up. Test drive a BMW and receive a 2 lb. box of Godiva chocolates. What an offer! -- chocolate plus an ultimate driving experience! I had never driven a BMW before, and probably never would have without this kind of incentive.

Model Overview
So off to the BMW dealer I went. The model that I test drove was the 2004 BMW 325xi, a 4-door sedan with an automatic transmission. The car has an optional clutchless manual/automatic transmission, which is the kind I drove.

Interior
In terms of amenities, the model that I test drove was pretty loaded. One feature that the 2004 BMW 325xi has that my TL does not is the tilt and telescoping wheel. This feature is good if for a customized fit, and it's nice to be able to adjust the car for different drivers. The car also has a button on the center console for all wheel drive. The dealer salesperson made sure to point this button out, as our climate makes all wheel drive a big selling advantage

The radio controls for volume and station changes are on steering wheel. (I love this feature and use it all the time on my TL.) The seats are 8-way adjustable, and there's an option of having memory in the driver seat for multiple drivers. Heated seats are optional as part of the cold weather package. The seats have lumbar support, a nice feature, but I didn't play with that control. The headrests were noticeably comfortable, and I don't usually notice headrests.

Both the driver and passenger side visors have lighted vanity mirrors, another creature comfort detail that should be noticed. The rearview mirror automatically adjusts to dim at night, which is good, but on the test model that I drove, there was a red dome protruding from the bottom of the rearview mirror. This appears to be for the BMW emergency assistance service. I felt the red dome was ugly and distracting.

I prefer the look of my Acura TL dashboard to the BMW 325xi. The 325xi dash is a little more crowded with control features, and is less intuitive than the Acura. During my test drive, I would have loved to listen to the radio and experience the sound system, but I tried several buttons and couldn't figure out how to turn it on. Bummer.

The interior has a sleek, even somewhat spartan look with flat surfaces. Visibility on this car is not as good as TL -- the beams on the sides of windshield make it feel like there is less glass that the windshield is narrower. My Acura TL has exceptional visibility, but if you're coming from another brand, you may or may not notice this.

Looking back from the driver's seat, the back seat looks a little small. Make sure you sit in it to see if there's enough room for your passengers.

The 2004 BMW 325xi has some neat techie features, including rain sensing windshield wipers. This sounds like a nice feature that I wish my car were equipped with.

The 325xi interior upholstery comes in black or tan leatherette, or black, gray, brown, or sand leather. The interior trim is brushed aluminum. The model I drove had a black interior and it looked nice with the silver trim. I couldn't tell if the car was leather or leatherette, but it felt nice. Brand new, the black interior looks perfect, but I'm skeptical that a black interior would continue to look so good over time, unless one is the ultra-clean freak type.

Safety
In addition to all wheel drive, I noticed in the brochure that the BMW 3-series was rated by brain surgeons as being the best car for avoiding brain injury. Kind of a strange award, but I'll take their word for it.
Another neat techie feature is the adaptive brake lights, which signal the intensity of braking. The 325xi also has airbags and antilock brakes.

Driving the Ultimate Driving Machine
I was concerned that the 2004 BMW 325xi was going to be too sporty for me, as in rough ride. Since I prefer a cushy smooth ride over feeling the road, the sporty cars don't always appeal to me. However, I found that the 325xi's ride was pleasantly comfortable. The steering wheel was tight, a lot tighter than my car, especially at slow speeds in the parking lot. Braking was equally tight, which is a good thing, because the inline 6 engine on this car delivers A WHOLE LOT OF POWER. Wow. Saying this car is peppy is an understatement. Pressing on the gas gives a big response, which is a large part of why this car is so fun to drive.

Since I was only driving the car in order to receive the Godiva promotion, I considered only driving it on local streets; but after feeling the power of the engine, I just had to take it on the highway. But, in fear of a ticket, I drove the speed limit and had a nice ride. This is a car that would be fun to drive VERY FAST.

Driving the 325xi was so fun that I was a little worried that after experiencing the "ultimate driving machine," I wouldn't like my TL anymore. But, 10 minutes back into the TL, I was still enjoying my ride. Whew.

Exterior
I'll admit, I had always thought of BMWs as "snob cars," especially here in the Midwest where very few people drive luxury cars. In fact, if I owned one, I might feel a little self-conscious about driving it. But I'm sure that feeling would wear off, as it is a very fun car to drive. That BMW logo sure does get a lot of attention though.

The exterior is rather sleek looking. I like the front grille; it feels slightly British and old-fashioned to me, which is a good thing. The back of the car is very sleek. However from the outside, the BMW 325xi looks a little small. It is a smallish car.

Colors
The BMW 325xi comes in 3 standard colors (off white, bright red, jet black) and 8 optional colors (light silver metallic, royal blue metallic, dark blue metallic, midnight blue metallic, steel blue metallic, darker gray-blue metallic, soft green-gray metallic, and dark green metallic). BMW has creative names for all these colors, but I've described them in terms of real color rather than using the fancy names.

The BMW model catalog includes nice tear-out color chips so you can play mix-and-match to your heart's content.

Dealer Experience
The dealer salesperson was very nice, especially knowing that I was only there for the chocolate. Having interacted with many not so great dealer salespeople, this was a pleasant experience. Of course, any retailer of $30k and up cars should know how to treat its potential customers right. No pressure, gave a nice overview of the controls before the test drive, offered a brochure and sent a thank you letter.

Price
The BMW 325xi starts with an MSRP of $31,820 which includes a manual transmission, ABS, cruise control, power windows, climate control system, AM/FM/CD radio, leatherette interior and the destination/handling fee. Adding a Steptronic automatic/clutchless manual transmission adds $1,275 to the MSRP. The cold weather package, which includes headlight wipers, split-fold down rear seats with center armrest and ski bag, and my beloved heated front seats, adds another $1,000 to the MSRP. Knowing I couldn't live without those two features would bring my personal base price up. But wait, I'm sure I'd want a niftier optional color, and leather seats. It starts to add up quickly. But if you're already buying the BMW, I think you should indulge yourself and get the features you truly want in it. My new car strategy is to buy a sweet car that you love (and can afford) and then drive it forever and ever and ever. But, back to the BMW 325xi.

Overall
The BMW 325xi lives up to its brand promise of being an "ultimate driving machine." It's a very fun car to drive, and next time I'm in the market for a sedan or sports car, I just might check out BMW along with other brands. The only things that deter me from falling in love with a BMW are the hefty price tag, the small car feeling, and the slightly sterile, slightly confusing interior design. But don't get me wrong, this is a great car. Be sure to drive several brands before making a commitment, and see how each fits your individual needs and tastes.

For more information on the 325xi, visit your local BMW dealer for a test drive, or go to www.bmwusa.com


Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: xi