A great car, but I still have trouble getting excited about it
Written: Nov 17 '03 (Updated Jun 20 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great engine, handling, ride, materials
Cons: Marginal cargo room, driving position, lacks thrills in normal driving, PRICE
The Bottom Line: The best all-around compact. But I'd like more excitement in normal driving. A lower price wouldn't hurt, either.
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| mkaresh's Full Review: 2004 BMW 325 |
Since the current-generation 3-Series appeared in 1999 I’ve had trouble getting excited about it despite many opportunities to drive the car. Even after the driver-oriented engine and suspension tweaks a couple years ago, it always seemed smoother and less visceral than I felt a BMW should be. I wanted to have fun, but the car was pursuing technical excellence. Fun and technical excellence are not the same thing.
I’ve written quite a bit about my mixed emotions towards the 3-Series before. For this review I’ll concentrate on my recent impressions driving a manual 325 coupe at one recent BMW event and an automatic 325 wagon at another. I also describe my experience driving an automatic 330 sedan at a BMW-sponsored driving course here. That review also discusses a couple of new performance-oriented options for 2004, the SMG transmission and 330-only “Performance Package.” In its sixth model year, this is now the oldest car in the class. How’s it holding up?
BMW 325i Reliability
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Styling and Accommodations
I’ve never found the current 3-Series sedan and wagon strikingly attractive. (The coupe and convertible benefit from more rakish proportions.) They’re certainly well-proportioned and handsome in a very conventional manner, but rely on large wheels to convey the “driving machine” message. A bit more edge would be nice. Just don’t do anything crazy, Mr. Bangle. If the improvement of the 2004 5-Series over the 2002 7-Series is any indication, BMW’s chief designer will manage to produce a design that is both striking and attractive for the next 3, due in two years. Whether the result will age as well as the current car is more dubious.
Inside the 3 is also very conventional. With the center stack canted much less towards the driver than earlier BMWs, very little about the interior says “driver’s car” to me. Luxury receives much more emphasis than sport. This is clearly an interior conceived before all of the recent trends towards novel textures and shapes. Again, if the improvement of the new 5’s interior over those in the old one and the 7 is any indication, the next 3 will do just fine here. At present, however, the Audi A4 offers a higher class interior while those in the Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G35, Lexus IS 300, and even the Saab 9-3 have more character, if decidedly inferior materials. The new Acura TL’s interior is styled somewhat like the BMW’s, but manages to feel more up-to-date and sportier. When I think about it, none of the cars in this segment offers a striking, high-quality, interior designed expressly for the enthusiast. So the path is wide open for the next 3.
I remain less than happy with the 3’s driving position. The instrument panel and steering column are simply too high. Even after raising the seat an inch or so, something I don’t do in most cars, the window sills still feel too high around me, especially in the area where the door meets the dash. The new 5 does much better in this area. Again hopefully the new 3 will follow. For now I prefer the airier cockpits of the Japanese competition.
I have always felt that the 3-Series’ back seat is roomier than most people seem to realize. The old 5 actually provided a fraction of an inch less rear leg room. The new 5 has a roomier rear seat, making the more expensive car easier to justify. That said, the 3 in sedan and wagon forms provides adequate room and comfort for a pair of adults in back. The coupe and convertible contain more marginal rear seats, but I still wouldn’t mind spending an hour or two in either.
The trunk is the 3 is a bit tight but usefully shaped. Folding rear seats remain an option on sedans (they are standard on coupes and wagons). Let me again wonder why they cost almost $500 here but are standard in the cheapest Hyundai. The cargo area in the wagon is also among the tightest in this class—a VW Jetta wagon offers almost twice as much cargo volume. But how much cargo do you plan to haul, anyway? For even large hauls from the grocery store the 3 wagon is easily up to the task. I should know since my new car, a Mazda Protege5, has an even smaller cargo area yet it has proven adequate even for some good-sized hauls from CostCo.
On the Road
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: When paired with the manual the 184-horsepower 2.5-liter inline six provides plenty of power for this car. My personal philosophy with a manual transmission is you want to have enough power that the car never feels slow, but not so much that charging hard through the gears readily launches you into license-threatening territory. The 2.5 fits the bill. The 3.0 has a torquier feel and is significantly quicker, but I personally would not spend the extra $5,000-plus to get it with the manual. If you want the wagon, then the 3.0 isn’t offered anyway.
For 2004 the 3.0-liter manual gains a sixth ratio. I have not sampled this transmission, so I cannot comment on it. The 2.5 retains the old five-speed. It shifts easily enough, with low effort and a pleasantly mechanical feel. That said, throws could be shorter, and I personally wouldn’t mind a little more effort.
With a five-speed automatic transmission you must rely on sheer thrust for thrills, so with this option the 3.0-liter makes more sense. Still, even with the automatic (and in wagon form no less, which adds a couple hundred pounds) the 2.5 does not feel lethargic. It doesn’t provide the grins the 3.0 does, but I found it more than acceptably quick. BMW knows how to gear a transmission to get the most out of a relatively small engine.
I have not driven the SMG yet. Since it’s more manual than automatic, the 2.5 may be more than sufficient with it as well.
Either engine is very smooth—inline sixes are inherently smoother than V6s—and since the revisions a couple of years ago they both sound very nice—especially the 3.0 I must admit.
Somehow I have yet to drive an all-wheel-drive 3-Series. All-wheel-drive is a $1,750 option on the sedans and wagons. If you drive often in the rain or snow it is likely the way to go. BMW has tuned the system to send most torque in normal conditions to the rear, so I would not expect it to substantially change the car’s driving feel.
In years past I’ve criticized the 3’s steering for feeling to slow and light. I wanted a system more like that in the Z3. The reasons for the difference likely include designing the 3 for driving on Germany’s autobahn. At high speeds you want slow steering lest a momentary twitch send you into the next lane. Problem is, here in the States we can’t legally drive such speeds.
Apparently I’m not the only one who has been asking for quicker steering at low speeds. The Sport Package of the 2004 5-Series includes what BMW calls “Active Steering,” which uses a planetary gearset in the steering column to vary the steering ratio based on vehicle speed. I have not driven a 5 with this system yet, but it sounds like exactly what I’ve been asking for. I suspect it will also be offered in the next-generation 3-Series, due in a couple of years.
Getting back to the current system, satisfaction with it could be dependent on one’s reference point. During earlier test drives I’ve often compared it to the steering in the Z3 or other such cars. This time around I drove a 325Ci coupe immediately after driving a 745i. Suddenly the steering in the 3 felt much tighter and direct than I recalled. Maybe they revised it, but I suspect it was simply the contrast with the 7’s softer, more relaxed steering feel. Whatever the reason, I liked this 3’s steering better than any of the current generation I’ve driven to date.
The chassis is extremely well balanced, and can be precisely placed with both the steering and throttle. (The Infiniti G35 needs to study this car on the latter.) After driving the 7, the 3 felt especially agile. The wagon feels a bit less inclined to change directions, but the difference is not substantial. Even with the sport package, the ride is composed on just about any surface. BMW is the master at tuning a suspension to excel at both ride and handling. Noise levels are not as low as in the larger, more expensive 5-series, but are still quite low for this size car.
For 2004 the $800 xenon lamps swivel to point the way when the car turns. I did not drive the 3 at night, so I cannot comment on the usefulness of this feature. Judging from the limited visibility when turning in my new Protege5, I’m going to have to say it’s probably pretty useful. On the other hand, the “cornering lamps” in my wife’s Olds Intrigue do a fairly good job in this regard, and they’re a much less expensive solution. Cornering lamps, which light up the area to the side of the car in turns, used to be a common feature in American cars, but never seemed to have caught on overseas.
Pricing
For quick, up-to-date pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created: www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in one swift pass.
The 3-Series ranks with the Mercedes C-Class as the most expensive car in its class. (The baby Jag is priced about as high, but heavy discounting and incentives take it out of the running for this “prize.”) If you want technical excellence, you have to pay for it—in the mid-to-high 30s for a decently-equipped 325. (Fully loaded even the 325 clears 40.) An Audi A4 is a bit less expensive, but I found it an even more antiseptic driving experience under normal conditions. Maybe it also comes alive on the track? I wouldn’t count so much on it. The Audi has a nicer interior but is slower and, with sport suspension, rides more harshly while still not handling as well.
For a much more powerful yet less expensive car check out the Infiniti G35. The G35 is in some ways a more entertaining if less technically excellent car. Its interior is significantly lower in quality. The new Acura TL, priced like the G35 in the low 30s, has a better driving position and design (to my eye), and a sweet V6, but cannot touch the above cars in handling. A better match for the 325 is the Acura TSX. Based on the European Accord, it has a 200-horsepower 2.4-liter four. The TSX’s handling ability and feel are much closer than the TL’s to the 3-Series. At $27,000, it is much less expensive than the other cars mentioned here. The all-but-forgotten Lexus IS 300 is the opposite of the TL: it pairs agile handling with a tight, cheap-looking, even tacky interior. A Saab 9-3 Aero is priced like the Japanese (after rebates), but offers more precise handling together with good ride quality. Its interior quality is below the Germans, a touch below the Acuras, and above the G35.
All in all, the 325's price reflects every bit of its excellence, and then some. I would personally have trouble paying such a high price for a compact car, even though the 3 depreciates at a lower than average rate. But if you must have the best all-around compact, then cash in those mutual funds and pay up.
Update: Kenikov points out in a comment that one can get a 325i for under $30,000. This is true if you get little beyond the basic car, which isn't such a bad idea. Get the sedan; skip the sunroof; skip the leather (the standard vinyl feels almost like medium-grade leather, requires less maintenance, and lasts longer; German engineers feel every car should come with the stuff); skip the power seats; get white, black, or red paint; and you'll end up around 28 after what Edmunds suggests is the typical, not very large dealer discount. Add the Sport and Cold Weather Packages and the total should just barely clear thirty. For an enthusiast who is very clear about his or her priorities (i.e. puts a great chassis before such amenities) this might not be a bad way to go. The hard part is that a G35 with these things costs the same amount.
Update March 2004: Volvo's new 2004.5 S40 will no doubt be considered by some as a much less expensive alternative to the 325. Sadly, I found the car unsatisfying from an enthusiast's point of view. For the details see the link to my review below.
Last Words
In the end there are no perfect cars in this class. The best car depends on your priorities in performance, handling, ride, refinement, interior room, interior quality, and styling. The BMW comes closer than any of the others to excelling on all fronts, but I cannot help wishing it were fitted with a more driver-oriented, more interesting interior, quicker steering, and a more entertaining suspension. Maybe with the next generation.
To learn more about my reliability research and sign up to participate in it, visit www.truedelta.com.
My reviews of related vehicles:
Acura TL
Acura TSX
Audi A4 1.8T CVT
Audi A4 3.0
BMW 325 (2002)
BMW 330 (2002)
BMW 330 (2004, driving course)
BMW 5-Series (2004)
Cadillac CTS
Infiniti G35
Jaguar X-Type
Lexus IS 300
Mercedes C-Class
Saab 9-3
Volvo S40
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 38,745
Model and Options: Coupe with sport and premium packages, leather
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