glockyman
06-25-2006, 06:53 PM
While my dad's '02 540 was in the shop getting its alternator replaced, he was given one of the new 325's to drive (and shoulda, given how much his car costs, *gah*) After driving it around for a while, and testing it out, he handed it over to me to see what I thought. And so here it is, a BMW review in a Pontiac forum, ha.
Exterior: I know everyone has seen the new 3 series out on the road, it being pretty popular, especially in the NC/VA area. you can decide for yourself what you think about the styling. What you may not see is the up close and personal though. The fitment of outer panels is well done, and the paint job, at least on this car, was good and solid, with no drip evident, and a good shine with no swirls. The trunk is operated by button under the lid, and rises on hydraulics automatically after lifting just a bit. However, the risers are slow, and being the impatient person that I am, I helped them along a little. Trunk space is about average, befitting the 3 series, but I wouldnt give it either a way-thumbs up or a thumbs down. The halogen lighting is a blessing, I love it, and I plan on getting a car with it after my GA craps out. The stock tires are runflat allseasons, not killer great, but above par for most entry sedans.
Interior: This is where the 3 wins its points with me, and probably with the car-buying public. The inside is right in line with the rest of the BMW lineup, in that it is not quite as plush as its MB rival, but still a head above most American and Japanese cars. The center console is burled walnut, surrounding a comfortable leather shifter. There are plenty of buttons arround the console, of which I've only had the time to try a few. The radio is nondescript; just a simple-looking black plastic box, but it doesn't seem out of place in the car, and functions well. What I do find a bit odd though is that the tuner knob can either control regular tuning, or flip through the preset stations. I couldn't figure out how to change this function back and forth, but my dad found out somehow. The most important radio controls are also found on the steering wheel, like volume, tuning, and CD-eject. To put all this sound out is a 10 speaker system with 2 subs, which is pretty impressive when the volume gets up there. The gauge cluster is still analog in the basics, but the center of it is taken up by screen that does plenty of exciting gimmicky things, like telling that lights are out, the gear when the Steptronic semi-auto is engaged, and all sorts of stuff that I can't remember now. There are cupholders in this car, 3 in the front, and more in that back ( but I cant remember how many). One of the cup holders in the front is in the console box, and has an AC vent running straight to it to help drinks stay hot or cold. Speaking of which, the AC/heating controls are well-designed, easy to understand, and they, along with seat position, are automatic, so if the wife gets in and messes it up, the minute you start the car it resets to where you like it. The leather seats are comfortable, more so than many cars I've driven in, but they sure aren't true sport sedan seats. They're pretty obviously made for riding in comfort at the usual speeds, and not for maneuvering and hard driving. The back is a bit cramped for me (I'm, 6'1'') and so if you're a big guy/girl and have to ride in the back, and/or have a family, maybe a bit bigger is the way to go.
The Ride (Engine/Suspension): This is what I was really looking forward to, being spoiled on a 540 and all that (that car burns a** when the pedal goes down). And I was let down. The 325, even with a 3 liter DOHC with VVT, takes around a second or two to register the pedal being put down hard. It runs along at regular speed for another second or so, and then drops gear and finally goes. And when I say it goes, it doesn't go hard either. My GA pulls harder than this car. The redeeming quality here is the 6-speed automatic. The shifts are smooth, almost seamless, and the shift points are obviously placed more for efficiency than speed (which is what I would expect). The handling of the car is great for just a starter Beamer, with very limited body roll, a tight steer, and I even managed a slight understeer, hard to do safely on regular roads. I was a bit miffed at the power, but the steering somewhat made up for the deficiency.
The final Word: The 325 is a fine car for a single or a small family, and it makes a fine luxury car, but dont expect it to be a slightly toned-down M3.
Exterior: I know everyone has seen the new 3 series out on the road, it being pretty popular, especially in the NC/VA area. you can decide for yourself what you think about the styling. What you may not see is the up close and personal though. The fitment of outer panels is well done, and the paint job, at least on this car, was good and solid, with no drip evident, and a good shine with no swirls. The trunk is operated by button under the lid, and rises on hydraulics automatically after lifting just a bit. However, the risers are slow, and being the impatient person that I am, I helped them along a little. Trunk space is about average, befitting the 3 series, but I wouldnt give it either a way-thumbs up or a thumbs down. The halogen lighting is a blessing, I love it, and I plan on getting a car with it after my GA craps out. The stock tires are runflat allseasons, not killer great, but above par for most entry sedans.
Interior: This is where the 3 wins its points with me, and probably with the car-buying public. The inside is right in line with the rest of the BMW lineup, in that it is not quite as plush as its MB rival, but still a head above most American and Japanese cars. The center console is burled walnut, surrounding a comfortable leather shifter. There are plenty of buttons arround the console, of which I've only had the time to try a few. The radio is nondescript; just a simple-looking black plastic box, but it doesn't seem out of place in the car, and functions well. What I do find a bit odd though is that the tuner knob can either control regular tuning, or flip through the preset stations. I couldn't figure out how to change this function back and forth, but my dad found out somehow. The most important radio controls are also found on the steering wheel, like volume, tuning, and CD-eject. To put all this sound out is a 10 speaker system with 2 subs, which is pretty impressive when the volume gets up there. The gauge cluster is still analog in the basics, but the center of it is taken up by screen that does plenty of exciting gimmicky things, like telling that lights are out, the gear when the Steptronic semi-auto is engaged, and all sorts of stuff that I can't remember now. There are cupholders in this car, 3 in the front, and more in that back ( but I cant remember how many). One of the cup holders in the front is in the console box, and has an AC vent running straight to it to help drinks stay hot or cold. Speaking of which, the AC/heating controls are well-designed, easy to understand, and they, along with seat position, are automatic, so if the wife gets in and messes it up, the minute you start the car it resets to where you like it. The leather seats are comfortable, more so than many cars I've driven in, but they sure aren't true sport sedan seats. They're pretty obviously made for riding in comfort at the usual speeds, and not for maneuvering and hard driving. The back is a bit cramped for me (I'm, 6'1'') and so if you're a big guy/girl and have to ride in the back, and/or have a family, maybe a bit bigger is the way to go.
The Ride (Engine/Suspension): This is what I was really looking forward to, being spoiled on a 540 and all that (that car burns a** when the pedal goes down). And I was let down. The 325, even with a 3 liter DOHC with VVT, takes around a second or two to register the pedal being put down hard. It runs along at regular speed for another second or so, and then drops gear and finally goes. And when I say it goes, it doesn't go hard either. My GA pulls harder than this car. The redeeming quality here is the 6-speed automatic. The shifts are smooth, almost seamless, and the shift points are obviously placed more for efficiency than speed (which is what I would expect). The handling of the car is great for just a starter Beamer, with very limited body roll, a tight steer, and I even managed a slight understeer, hard to do safely on regular roads. I was a bit miffed at the power, but the steering somewhat made up for the deficiency.
The final Word: The 325 is a fine car for a single or a small family, and it makes a fine luxury car, but dont expect it to be a slightly toned-down M3.