I own a BMW 323is and love it. I would love even more a new car and one with 4 doors. The BMW 325i is what I am looking at and hopefully will buy as soon as I sell my current car. I am reviewing what I test drove and the car I hope will be mine.

The car’s features

This new 2003 325i has automatic transmission as test driven. Unlike my current car, which allows me to put it in a manual mode, this one actually has a “clutchless” manual ability. As I was driving it, I could push a lever on the stick shift and move it from one gear to another. I have to say it is really a cool feature. However for those of you who really love the feel of driving a manual (and I owned a Honda manual so I know what it feels like) this clutchless feature is cute but you’ll want a manual transmission rather than this feature. There is no clutch in the automatic, I want to make that clear.

The car I drove had all the bells and whistles possible making it more expensive than a pared down 2004. I want the options, though, and am willing to pay for them. This is a 2.5-liter, 6 cylinder, rear wheel drive with a horsepower of 184. The automatic gets 20 miles to the gallon in the city and 29 on the highway. It is considered a compact sedan.

Standard (This isn’t a complete list but the ones you most likely will want to know.) is a manual transmission and has all season tires (My current car is a sports model which means I have to change the tires in the winter- I live in Massachusetts.) It has 3 headrests in the back. I note that because, unlike my current 2 door, which is supposed to seat 5, this compact sedan actually does. You’ll get bucket front seats and vinyl upholstery. You’ll get power windows and mirrors, heated mirrors, front cup holders and front door pockets. The front console has sufficient storage though not a huge amount. You will also get an AM/FM radio with a CD stereo and 10 speakers. The sound system is excellent.

The car I want has a couple of major optional packages. One is the Premium Package which gives me (not the entire list) a power glass moonroof, 8-way adjustable front power seats with 3-position memory for driver seat and exterior mirrors, on-board computer, rain sensing windshield wipers and automatic headlight control. The car I want and drove has leather upholstery, a Harmon Kardon sound system and one very important option is rear fold down seats. The trunk is not large and I have found that I use that feature often. I also opted for the Cold Weather Package, which includes a rear seat center armrest with a ski bag, front heated seats and retractable headlight washers.

To give you an idea of the pricing, the base price of this car on the sticker was a little more than $27,000. With the options it brought me up to a bit over $35,000 but it is on red tag which brought it down to $32,000. You can get a 2004 stripped for less than $30,000.

It comes in white, black sapphire, orient blue, mystic blue, gray green metallic, black, red, silver, steel blue, silver gray, oxford green. I drove the mystic blue. If you go to www.edmunds.com where some of the specs are coming from, you’ll see that we are told the colors may change. Although what I drove was called mystic blue it had a purple tint to it and was really pretty.

Additional specifications

Length: 176 in. Width: 68.5 in. Height: 55.7 in. Wheel Base: 107.3 in. Curb Weight: 3219 lbs. Interior Front Head Room: 38.4 in. Front Shoulder Room: 54.4 in. Rear Head Room: 37.5 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 54.2 in. Front Leg Room: 41.4 in. Rear Leg Room: 34.6 in. Luggage Capacity: 10.7 cu. ft. Maximum Cargo Capacity: 11 cu. ft. (This – as a point of comparison – is the size of the Subaru Impreza. For some reason though, the Subaru felt like the trunk space was larger but it must just be the configuration of it.)

Max Horsepower: 6000 rpm Torque: 175 ft-lbs. Max Torque: 3500 rpm Turning Circle: 34.4 ft.

The front of the BMW 325I is quite comfortable. It is roomy; the seats recline so I could sleep in them, and the seats are comfortable so I could sit in them for long drives. I didn’t feel cramped whatsoever even with a fairly large salesperson sitting in the passenger’s side. One of the reasons I got the 2 door in 1999 was because it is cuter (in my opinion- sportier looking) than the four door. This holds true in 2003 as well. I like the look of the car but probably because it is a BMW. Objectively it is not a drop-dead eye catcher.

Now we come to the back. My current car I call a 4 seater (well actually I call it a 2 seater because the back is so tight!) because fitting 3 adults in the back is almost impossible. You'll get more room in the 4 door 325i and be able to fit 3 adults in the back. However, if the person, let's say in the passenger or drivers' seats are tall and need to bring the seats back all the way, your passengers are going to be cramped. I do like the rear folding arm rest - that is something I don't have currently.

How the car handles:

Well if you have never driven a BMW, I would recommend that you at least test drive one so you’ll understand the commercials for the “ultimate driving machine.” Edmunds (and others I have read) says, “If you've got the bucks, this is unequivocally the best car in the entry-luxury category." I recently read an article in a magazine that called it second to the new Audi. I’ll take the BMW over the Audi any day. My stepson has one and although it is gorgeous he has had a lot of problems with it. My 1999 has been to the shop perhaps 2 times – most recently for an air-conditioning and steering wheel problem. I am rarely in the dealership except for regular maintenance, which by the way after the warranty expires is quite pricey- as in $500 for what they call an Inspection II.

The car handles like no other. I have written in other reviews that I didn’t understand what BMW mean when I was told that when the car turns a corner you don’t turn with it. But that is true. Making a U-turn is a pleasure and for me that means the long rides won’t make me carsick! It obviously accelerates superbly with a smoothness that you won’t feel in other cars. I have to share with you that during the test drive there was work being down on the highway. The police officer actually waved his hands in a downward motion to slow me down! This car will get you to 80 without you even knowing it.

The steering is fantastic, as I’ve said whether you are making a tight corner or just going from one lane to another. The brakes are amazing. It stops when you tell it to, not when it feels like stopping. In addition, although a small car, it is solid. There is no feeling of tin in this BMW I can assure you of that.

From www.edmunds.com “The 3 Series earned a "Good" rating (the highest) in offset crash testing, as well as four stars for the driver in frontal impacts and five stars for the front passenger.”

The standard warranty is basic: 4 years or 50,000 miles. The drivetrain and roadside assistance is the same.
The warranty for rust is 6 years.

In summary:

The 325I is a fantastic car. They really sell themselves. It is strong, stable and quiet. You won’t hear rattling or much outside noise in this one. If you can afford a BMW I truly can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t buy one. I’m not a salesperson, this is just my opinion and I can’t wait to own this car!

Other URLs you might want to look at for cars are http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/NCAP/

http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ratings.htm

If you have any questions about this car, feel free to e-mail me.

Other car reviews I have written include:

2000 Nissan Altima
2001 Chevy Malibu
2002 Chevy Prizm
1998 Dodge Ram Van
1996 Nissan Sentra
2001 Pontiac Sunfire
1999 Toyota Camry
2001 Hyundai Accent
1998 Chevy S-10 Pick
1999 BMW 323is
2002 Subaru Impreza
2000 Suzuki Swift
2001 Chevy Metro


Amount Paid (US$): 32,080