The 3-series BMW has been enormously popular throughout the years, especially on the East and West coasts, and not without reason. It has been the quintessial sports-sedan, and not only has consistantly outsold its competition but, in the opinion of many people and organizations, has been the benchmark and has set the standards for this class of vehicles. while, of course, many people lust after the M3, the 325i, 328i, and 330i are really the bread-and-butter cars, not only for the 3-series line but for BMW as a whole, especially in the American market. While these cars, in some ways, are best appreciated with manual transmissions, the increasing congestion on today's roads almost everywhere.......especially in my D.C. area and in SoCal..... dictates that the majority, if not most, of these cars are now sold with sport-shift automatics....so that is the way I checked this one out, although some high-performance BMW's get the clutchless SMT (Sequential Manual Transmission) . In addition, I wanted to see if the latest version of I-Drive in the new 3-Series is any better than the infamous ones in the 5 and 7-series versions that have brought so much criticism ( it isn't , as you'll see in a minute ) so I deliberately picked a model with I-Drive and NAV ( it comes together as a package ). I also wanted to just see in general how much this car compares with the earlier, superlative 3-Series, especially since BMW has publically stated that this new 3-series would not be as radically altered as the previous Chris Bangle cars.

So....here are my impressions of the car...both good and bad.

Model Tested: 2006 BMW 325i, automatic, I-Drive-NAV package.

MSRP: $41,975

PLUSSES

STILL the Ultimate Driving Machine.....Best-in-Class power steering and chassis dynamics.

The least-objectionable Chris Bangle product yet in the American market.

Remarkable ride-handling combination; firm, well-controlled ride without being harsh despite the low-profile tires.

Responsive automatic transmission in both full-automatic and auto-shift modes without being harsh.

Plenty of room inside and good driving position even for tall drivers and a sunroof.

Well-designed, supportive seats.

Lots of little luxury touches....such as the power-folding outside mirrors.

Gas struts for hood....no cheap prop rods.

Firm, well-designed, effective brakes....even without Brembos.

Clear, round, simple, easy-to-read primary gauges directly in front of the driver.

Well-applied paint.

Starter-button eliminates fumbling around with keys.

Fat, small-diameter, meaty, well-padded steering wheel a delight to hold and use.



MINUSES


I-Drive STILL the Ultimate Frustration Machine.

NAV system difficult to program.

No underhood oil dipstick...you must rely on electronics for even the oil level.

Questionable value at nearly 42K.....although there are cheaper versions without the I-Drive / NAV package.

So-so overall build quality.

$475 extra for Titanium Silver paint? An insult to ones's intelligence.

Interior hardware not up to a car of this price range.

Poorly-designed and possibly hazardous cup-holders.

Flimsy, cheaply-designed stalks on the steering column.

Snooty dealerships.



Once you get past the traditionally rather snooty and so-so greeting you usually get at BMW shops ( although the guy I dealt with was fairly nice, it still is a long way from Lexus and Saturn shops ) my first impression of this car was that it was built, first and foremost, for the twisties and for steering feel, and relatively little attention given to much else except electronic gizmos. . So, yes, in that sense, it is still the Ultimate Driving Machine. But, boy, WHAT a steering system. BMW engineers just seem to have a magic touch for designing power-steering and chassis dynamics that no one else in the industry seems to have. You can practically drive this car blindfolded just by feel alone. And the suspension, despite low-profile tires, does not beat you up either while transmitting this magical road-feel and response.

Unfortunately, the rest of the interior, despite the well-designed, clear, gauges and seats, leaves a lot to be desired. I-Drive?......STILL a mess and STILL just as frustrating as the versions in big-brother 5 and 7-series cars, despite reports in the auto press to the contrary....at least that was my impression. I would never have this POS of an electronic system in any car I owned ( sorry, genearch....I know you like it but I strongly disagree ). Even the salesperson......who sells these cars for a living.....had problems figuring it out. The NAV system was not quite so bad but still was more complex than necessary. The sound system was better-than-average for a German-designed car but still not up to Lexus sound levels.
The interior hardware, except for the steering wheel, which was superb, IMO was disappointing for a car in the 35-to-40K and up price range...though I have seen worse, especially in the Ford Mustang. The steering column-mounted stalks were especially flimsy-feeling.
The two front cupholders are recessed into the right-side dash just above the glovebox...you press on them and the left one comes popping back out at an angle and the right one straight back out. Though they have a curved-side designs, the sharp, blunt corners could possibly hurt or bruise you if you went forward into them while they were extended and the airbag or belt didn't cushion you.

On the road.....I have already described and praised the steering system and the chassis / suspension ...no need to add anything on that here. Noise levels were pleasantly low at cruise, and the dual exhausts were noticeable but not too much so. Brakes, even for non-Brembos, in the BMW tradition were superb. Power level in the engine was adequate, but this car is not a drag-racer....about equivalent to the Lexus IS250 , perhaps its closest competition, with almost identical HP and torque figures.

So, in a nutshell......if you want the best ( and I mean the BEST ) in sedan driving dynamics, a sedan you can practically wear like a glove, and don't mind so-so build quality, snooty dealerships, and the possibility of serious problems and expenses after the warranty is gone.....here's your ride, whether it is the 325i or stronger-engine versions of the 3-Series.
Just avoid the I-Drive ( which, fortunately you can do in this car and save money to boot ) if you want to keep your sanity. Avoiding the I-Drive in this car means avoiding the NAV also.....fine... avoid them both. This car is not cheap either, for its size...although it comes with a lot of nice little touches, I don't consider it a particularly good value, even in the cheaper versions that don't list for almost $42,000 like this one did. The archrival Lexus IS250, for example, not only substantially undercuts this car's price, even with AWD, but blows it away as well with its build quality and refinement....but the IS cannot equal this car's driving dynamics, which, yes, STILL set the standard for compact sports sedans.................Chris Bangle or not.

 

Great review as always

 

Excellent review Mmarshal!

I thought your review was very fair and objective. Excellent read!

Now just imagine if Lexus lured away the BMW steering/suspension/chassis engineers and incorporated those dynamic driving qualities in Lexus cars...............

Lexus would appeal to both the "reliable-built-like-a-tank" crowd (like me) and the "driving purists" crowd. Lexus would rule the world!

Enough day dreaming for today!

 

Very nice write-up, you're objective as usual. We'll have to agree to disagree on iDrive (I know, I know), I actually like it, but I do admit the learning curve can be a tad steep. I guess I just picked it up naturally or something.

I am a little worried about the long term reliabilty of the e90's. The last gen have been surprisingly solid for BMW standards, but I think reliabilty concerns might bite them in the butt again on this generation. I don't have any statistics of science to back that up, just my impression from driving them and looking at the mechanics.

And of course there is the drive. A lot of folks try to dismiss it but they really do fit you like a glove. We're going to be getting rid of our BMW soon, but I am sure I'll miss the ride.

 

Great review.

I'm glad you reviewed the 325i which is the sales leader and the most common model instead of the more performance oriented 330i that every damn magazine tests. People will enjoy this review more.

Never driven it, but I like the seats and way it feels.m Great car.

 

Thank you for the very nice & objective review

 

Yes, the M3 is the glory car...the 330i to a lesser extent, and a lot of people lust after them, but most of the time it is either a 325 or 328 that actually goes out the door. For instance, my next-door neighbor has two pre-Bangle 325's....a sedan and a coupe. M3's have even better steering than the base cars.....but IMO they ride too harsh and cost too much.

 

Yes...I-Drive is not universally hated. It does have some fans...even here on CL. I just am not one of them. I have some computer skills, but I am far from being a whiz in that area....and when I am driving I want a simple, easy-to-use system that lets me keep my eyes on the road as much as possible...especially in this awful D.C. - area traffic.

 

great and fair review, marshall, i really enjoyed it!

 

One thing I forgot to mention in my review was that these cars have become so popular worldwide that BMW has recently built a new plant in South Africa for them and is in the process of opening one in China. ( No surprise there....a lot of manufacturers are going to China). The car that I checked out was built in Germany...but several other cars right next to it had stickers on them that indicated South African assembly.

 

In the process ? I think I' ve heard a while ago that the 3 & 5 series BMW's for the Chinese market are being built in China for some time already in a joint venture with Chinese auto manufacturer . . .

 

Most of the BMW dealers in this area can be painted with more-or-less the same brush. Like SoCal, this area has LOTS of money, LOTS of rich people, and BMW's, often quite expensive ones, sell very handily. People in the BMW network in this area tend to look down upon other customers and makes of vehicles. They seem to consider themselves as elite members of a clique-type atmosphere...even at the big D.C Auto Show, but to a lesser extent. Individual BMW salespeople....and show reps....sometimes differ a little from this mold, but as a whole it is quite noticeable. In some ways, as I've noted, they DO have a superior product to brag and be snooty about. In other ways, they don't....especially in the last few years.
And....BMW shops are not alone either in aristocratic attitudes and behavior. Go to a Porsche dealer and you will see it left and right....even more so than a BMW shop. M-B shops USED to be like that ( again with a few exceptions ) but they have changed noticeably in the last several years....I first started noticing it in the late 1990's....as they have had to deal with more irate customers ( mjr's thread on his CL is a perfect example) and the poor quality of their recent products. They've gotten their heads out the clouds and come back down to earth.

 

You may be right, Amethy. Perhaps you know more about it than I do..........I haven't followed that story closely and really wasn't that aware of the Chinese plant until the salesman mentioned it. The South African plant, though, was obvious.....it was printed right on the stickers of several cars there.

 

From my own experience, i find the G35's handling is better than the 3series, and at the same time it's not as rough on the road. IMO, if you dont mind the so-so interior quality, the G35 is a much better choice.

I've never driven the IS250/350, or even the IS300, but I would assume that it's handling isnt far off. At these prices I believe the quality should be the most important factor, and this is why the IS would be the best choice, even if it doesn't handle as well as the other two. The G35 and 3 series only have a minimal advantage over IS in handling, but IS has a serious advantage in power and quality.

 

The G35's handling, IMO, ( I have driven it ) is in the 3-series' league, mostly due to the wide tires and near 50 / 50 weight distribution, but not the steering feel. Conventional BMW power steering units have a unique, tactile, firm, contact-the-road feel that IMO is unequalled in any other line of cars....although Porsche and Mazda come closest. They simply make power assist feel like no power assist. I have not tried the Active Electronic Steering on the new 5-series yet, but so many other NON-steering-related things about even the conventional-5-series model disgusted me that I avoid it ( and the 7-series ) and don't plan to test the Active Steering model unless requested by someone to do so.


I had an IS300 and felt it was superior to the 5-series in every way ( especially the build quality and workmanship ) except steering feel and chassis dynamics. It handled well, considering its all-season tire option, but compared to the 3-series' superb power steering the IS felt like a kiddy car.
I liked the IS, though for its quality....I would not have traded it myself for a 3-series.