I love BMW's. I love driving and I especially love the connection I get from a BMW to the highway itself.
I know little about automobiles except what I feel good in. I'm a 4-time BMW owner (all 3-Series) and the overall reasons I have been attracted to BMW's are SAFETY foremost and CONFIDENCE followed. Actually both are pretty much the same but when I get into a BMW, I feel a certain elegance of 'confidence' like I get from no other automobile. In the worst possible situation, a BMW will usually get you out of it avoiding a potential crash or emergency with ample power to move you out and away from it. In sudden stops or extreme braking, you'll find a BMW exceptional with zero sway or lag and on-the-dime stopping ability.
So, along comes the 2006 redesigned BMW 3-Series. Of controversy is its radical new design. A clone of sorts from the redesigned 5-Series, I still struggle trying to distinguish the difference between a 3-Series 2006 and a 5-Series 2005 BMW when in a car lot or on the highway. You've got to look closely to see the difference.
I expected the 3-Series to retain its sports appeal and yet it became anything but a 3-Series in its new design for 2006 (in my opinion).
You either love it or hate its new design and in my case, I was very attracted. I like its new styling and looks. Thus I purchased a new 325i 2006 BMW in Sparkling Graphite with gray leather seats and I added the SPORTS package and the PREMIUM package. I also added the very valuable and essential safety Xenon headlights. Plus I took on what BMW calls i-DRIVE along with BMW's navigation system. I also couldn't imagine a BMW without a manual 6-speed gearbox so I maintained my sense of 'Ultimate Driving Machine' experience via a great 6-Speed manual transmission. Essentially, $40,000 of automobile. Purchased with little hesitation because in fact I was a previous BMW owner of three vehicles prior to the 2006 325i and of course, one learns all he/she needs to from a simple test drive, right?
So far, I have nearly 3500 miles on it as of this updated review in October 2005. I've taken it on a 500 mile highway road trip and up and into California's Napa/Sonoma regions as well as the California coast. A good mix of driving to date to at least evaluate this car in highway driving, heavy traffic and twist and turns.
There are so many positives about the BMW 2006 325i which is how I would prefer to write any sort of review. Much to my regret though, there are just as many negatives that accompany this BMW. Negatives that so remind me of what Ford did to its 'Thunderbird' or what Nissan/Datsun did to its 'Z' cars. Sports cars that became luxury sedans or mammoth metal touring vehicles.
BMW has crossed that same line and I wonder if it isn't a direct response to Infiniti's or Lexus lines of luxury vehicles in lieu of a true sports car experience. As we get older and our driving habits change, marketing executives re-direct design to accommodate an aging client base.
If it were not for that wonderful 6-speed gearbox that only BMW can produce, I may not realize I am driving a 3-series BMW. The cabin is BMW but it's a bit more sterile yet classy and luxurious. It's become so '5-Series' that it has so lost its sports car charm. The 3-Series was indeed the perfect blend of sports and luxury car but yet overall performance exceeded every other reason for owning one. The new 2006 BMW 325i is just luxury with a near zero thrill experience. I recently told my wife that I felt like I was in a rental car instead of a BMW.
So, I'm all over the place with this review trying to say the positive things about the new 325i BMW and having shared more of the negatives instead.
The positives in any BMW are its brakes. These are the best ever brakes I've ever felt or experienced. The 50/50 weight ratio on this car makes sure that along with the Sports suspension package, you'll get no lag, sway or hesitation ever from braking, no matter how hard or sudden it is. They are stunning in performance.
The finish/paint is remarkable. Perfection at seals, interior fits and seats are evident of quality.
While a small positive, I love the fact that BMW thought enough of MP3 players/iPODS to install a dedicated connection for your iPOD! 3-Cheers to BMW because the song data displays on your i-Drive screen and you get high quality all digital MP3 sound from the flat standard sound system BMW provides (you can upgrade the sound system and I wish I had).
Yet, back to the negatives. I totally dislike run-flat tires. In fact I fear them. I don't like the ride quality or the connection to the highway. They are standard on the new BMW 2006 and thus a spare tire or lug wrench are not included. In fact, try changing out to better tires and you'll have no storage for the spare. Get that flat out on the interstate and you'll have a long wait until BMW can get you a replacement tire (BMW claims you'll have a 100 mile range on the flat tire not exceeding 50MPH on the flat). Also, at higher speeds, steering becomes an effort for myself and I feel like I'm about to take-off for flight. Continued light turbulence is evident on any freeway/highway and it becomes moderate turbulence on roads that are not 100% concrete. Run-flats are noisey too... More important is how often your rim/wheel will make contact with the highway when you strike a road imperfection. The shock sent through the steering column is significant enought to scare you into feeling like you are on rims only and losing control of the vehicle. As Of October 2005, both ABC television (WWW.KGO.COM) and the Department Of Transportation are reviewing run-flat tires on other vehicles that have been using run-flat tires that have exploded or come off their rims.
With the 3-series 325i for 2006, BMW has chosen to use 16" rims and tires for the base entry 325i. That is the same tire size used by Honda for their compact 2006 Honda Civic. Far too small for the BMW's weight and performance and placing far too much dependence on the shocks and suspension to absorb the sub-standard ride quality on run-flat tires.
If you'll add BMW's SPORTS PACKAGE, you'll be upgraded to a 17" rim and tire but that's still too small for this vehicle. Only the 330i gets the proper size tire (18" rims and tires) for the very questionable and dangeruous run-flat tires.
Let's not discount the neat (okay, ridiculous) START push button for engine ignition. First, you'll insert a thick plastic card (size of say a Baby Ruth half bar) into a ignition bay. That will alert you that you need to AGREE to the terms and warnings of using i-DRIVE (if you have i-DRIVE). Pushing that button opens up i-DRIVE and you then push the START button. A regular old-fashioned key inserted into the steering column is a one-step procedure that I'd much prefer. This is a three-step procedure with the card-insert being way to thick and bulky for todays technology.
BMW claims that the engines in both the 325i and 330i are the same with minor differences in intake fuel distribution. No matter who I spoke with at many, many various BMW dealerships, everyone said the 325i was the better choice when considering the $6,000 difference between the 325i and the 330i. You'll lose 40 horsepower with the 325i. I simply don't feel like I have the power I did in my previous BMW 330CIC but in fairness, I paid for a 325i and not a 330i. In fact, being really candid here, the engine isn't anything what I expected in performance from a BMW as BMW claimed a much stronger engine for the 325i for 2006. What I was impressed with from this engine is that I ran it on regular fuel and managed nonstop Los Angeles to San Francisco with still a third of a tank of fuel left upon arrival. The 6th gear (manual transmission) relaxes the engine to approx; 2300 RPM's and produces an amazing 40 MPG when at 60 MPH and on open flat highway.
i-DRIVE (BMW's onboard computer) has long been a sore spot for BMW drivers in the 7-Series. I also have it included along with BMW's navigation system. It's HORRIBLE. It's distracting and it requires far too much of your attention. You should be driving and not playing with this near useless device. It's real benefit is it's ability to launch a SOS call to a BMW ASSIST center in case you've had an accident and the air bags have launched. It totally takes away the driving experience and feels more like the cockpit of an Airbus or a self-service elevator (same thing). Navigation was always in error and routings were never direct. Avoid i-DRIVE and NAVIGATION; especially at $2900 as an option.
Side mirrors have been reduced in size to 'cosmetic make-up' mirrors and are not effective at all. You will have to use all three mirrors and your head will often turn for assurance before making any lane changes. Also, they are self-diming and at night the cabin becomes so dark that seeing out of those mirrors is a challenge. Avoid this option also.
Gauges are gone (almost). The fuel gauge is now part of the speedometer. There's no dedicated temperature gauge or battery gauge. No oil guage either. In my case I can go to the NAVIGATION system via i-DRIVE and obtain the information needed but again on a sports car like vehicle, analog gauges are a essential requirement for always needed information. I want instant information on a dashboard display and not a baby laptop onboard.
I'm not impressed. In fact, I'm so bored.
This is a luxury touring/family sedan costing twice as much money as a family sedan should ever warrant. It's sluggish. It's uneventful and it's not a love affair as my other three BMW's have been.
On the other hand, I was in heaven and got so much pleasure from taking the hills and slopes of San Francisco with a 6-speed gearbox manual transmission and loving every minute of it. This 325i was in command at all times and never stressed out despite thick and intense traffic that is agressive in a big city. Standard on the 325i manual transmission is a hill-stop feature that holds the brakes (for a few seconds) when you release your foot off the brake pedal. While I didn't need it, it still was appreciated!
The 'SPORTS' in this car is almost gone... However, it still is a stunning automobile worth consideration over a Lexus (dba: Toyota) or Infiniti (dba: Nissan).
Order the SPORTS PACKAGE above all other options with the improved suspension and larger 17" wheels/tires and improved sports seats. Also well worth ordering are those wonderful Xenon headlights. Finally, consider ACTIVE STEERING as another option because it does connect you to the road so much more so than the driving the vehicle without it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 38,000
Condition: New Model and Options: 325i Sedan 4 Door
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.