2009 BMW 3 Series Review and Road Test

Pros: Styling, Handling balance, Quality

Cons: Harsh ride, Lacklustre engine, Expensive

By Karl Peskett | February 19th, 2009

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Price: $32,580 to $51,120

Our Rating:

Performance, Ride & Handling	4
Comfort and Interior	3.5
Quality & Design	4
Value & Features	3.5
Safety	5
Green	3.5

2009 BMW 320i Review and Road Test

320i has tough competition from within!

Model Tested:

2009 BMW 320i Executive auto – $54,500 RRP

Options:

Professional Navigation System including: TV and voice recognition with control display and 8.8” colour monitor – $6750
Electric Sunroof – Glass – $2920
Metallic Paint (Space Grey) – $1700
BMW light-alloy wheels star-spoke 283, 7 J x 16-inch, 225/50 R 16 run-flat safety tyres – $700
Interior Trim (Light Walnut) – No Cost Option

CarAdvice Rating:

So you’ve got about $55,000 to spend on a car. What do you plonk your hard-earned down on?

Some people are not parochial at all, and head straight for the Europeans. In which case you’re greeted with an array of choices. But what to do? You can opt for front-wheel-, all-wheel-, or rear-wheel-drive.

If it’s the latter you’re after, then your choices are two. Mercedes or BMW. In this case, we chose the entry level version of BMW’s mid-sized contender.

The 320i is the cheapest 3 Series available, and for your money you’ll get a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder with 115kW and 200Nm on tap. It doesn’t sound like a lot, and really, it isn’t. Both figures occur at over 3600rpm, which means you need to rev it to get anything to happen.

It’s not overly heavy though, at 1390kgs, so it’s geared for economy. Apparently, but with a combined cycle of 8.0-litres per 100 kilometres, it’s no more than average.

Also, if you’re after performance, then stop reading now. Zero to 100km/h is dispensed with in 9.8 seconds, and while it feels quicker than that while rolling, it’s not going to set anyone’s world on fire.

Thankfully, the driving dynamics more than make up for it. The handling is assured, with brilliant balance. The engine being mounted so far back probably helps here, making the 320i almost a mid-mounted car.

The steering is excellent, too, with good weight and feel, and no ‘fakeness’ throughout the lock, unlike some of BMW’s competitors. However, it is a tad heavy at lower speeds for the 320i’s main market segment.

The other thing that disappoints slightly is the ride itself. The short travel suspension, combined with the stiff sidewalls of the runflat tyres means that there is a jiggly ride that seems a tad harsh.

It needs to be more compliant to really fit the demographic that will buy this car. If it’s designed for driving enthusiasts, it needs to be stiffer. Then, it’s too slow to fit that bill. So soften it up, and it becomes a plush luxurious ride, and you don’t care about going quick. So why have such heavy steering, then? You can see the problem, I’m sure.

Even the M3, with its non-runflat tyres, won’t split your kidneys in the way that the standard 3 Series does. Fit a set of different tyres, and you’ll probably be okay.

Despite all this, the seating arrangement is quite comfy, and even though there’s not a lot in the way of side support, you can eat up long distances without fuss. Even the rear seats, in which you sit a little “knees up” tend to be comfortable, and space isn’t too bad – if the driver and passenger don’t sit too far back.

Standard equipment isn’t skimped on either, with safety taking in six airbags, stability and traction control, ABS, wheel-independent brake force distribution and active headrests. ANCAP has awarded the 3 Series five stars, in case you’re wondering.

Then there’s the parking sensors, rain sensing wipers, auto headlights, cruise control, dual zone climate control and leather as standard. In the eyes of this tester, as well, the freshen of the 3 Series crisps up the exterior to keep it from looking tired, with different bonnet creases, lights and front bumper.

Certainly the quality is there, too. The fit and finish of the interior is very good, with nice, glossy woodgrains, and a solidly built cabin. The new I-Drive optioned on our test car is light-years ahead of the last model, with simple intuitive functions, and quick select buttons falling easily to hand. Really, the whole cabin is presented well, and is nicely functional.

So it should be for $55,000, but the price is only part of the problem for this car. You see, the engine is both somewhat efficient, and vibration-free, but it’s not the smoothest four going around. Listening to it throughout the rev range, and you start to wonder what went on.

With BMW being touted as one of the best engine builders going around, it was a bit of a surprise to not hear the same sweetness for which BMW’s sixes, eights and tens are renowned. It’s not scratchy, but certainly a little gruff. There are more freely spinning 2.0-litre fours around for half this price.

The gearbox needs a little more torque to mask the changes, too, which comes back to the engine. It’s not that the changes aren’t smooth, but it’s that they’re almost DSG-like with a slight shunt to them. Not something you expect from a prestige car. You want it to flow, and be almost seamless.

So, it’s not that quick, not that economical, and yet you still end up paying for a low output motor. The 320i seems a little lacklustre, then. Never fear, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

In the 3 Series range, there is a car positioned at the bottom of the ladder that really fulfils the ideal role. Enter the 320d.

It makes 130kW and 350Nm from its 2.0-litre, turbocharged diesel. You can tell that it’s already better from the power and torque figures, and with a 0-100km/h time of 8.0 seconds, and a combined fuel cycle of just 6.0L/100km (admittedly with sometimes more expensive diesel), it still is hard to argue the case for the petrol four.

Knocking the 320i on the head, though, is the price differential. If you pay an extra $3000, you get the 320d. A car that’s 1.8-seconds quicker to 100km/h, and two-litres better in fuel efficiency.

Not really a tough choice, is it?

CarAdvice Overall Rating:
How does it Drive:
How does it Look:
How does it Go:

Specifications:

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 115kW @ 6400rpm
Torque: 200Nm @ 3600rpm
Induction: Naturally aspirated, multipoint injected
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Differential/Driven Wheels: Open centre/rear
Brakes: Single piston ventilated front and rear
Top Speed: 218km/h
0-100km/h: 9.8 seconds
0-400m: Not tested
CO2 Emissions: 191gm/km
Fuel Consumption: 8.0-litres/100km (ADR combined)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 63 litres
Fuel Type: 91RON petrol
ANCAP Rating: Five stars
Airbags: six
Safety: ABS, EBD, DSC
Spare Wheel: No
Tow Capacity: 1500kgs braked, 695kgs unbraked
Turning Circle: 11.0m
Warranty: 3 years/unlimited
Weight: 1390kg
Wheels: 16-inch alloy

Reader reviews of the BMW 3

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Tom

It’s nice, but i just couldn’t overlook a FPV F6 for that kind of money.
Tom

Oh and idrive with sat nat is $6500? Who would pay that?
HAL

very disappointing effort from BMW. The whole car just seems bland and boring, then with that performance critique on top, it’s just not enough to justify spending that much on a brand name alone.
HAL

^ even an XR6T with every option available gets you out of the car yard cheaper than one of these.
Mitch

would prefer a 125 for this money
Wheelnut

Im with Mitch……….
Stevo

I struggle to think of a car that is worse value for money than this. Slap a different badge on it and it would not sell at all.
pious

dont laugh, but the volvo s40T5 (same engine as focus XR5) is only a few $K more, AWD, 0 – 100 in around 7 secs (auto), safe as houses, looks pretty good, turns on a dime and sits flat as a tack (ride a little harsh), nice inside though the leather isnt top quality and there is plenty of plastic. I’d have one over the bimmer any day (OK, in fact my missus does have one, though the FWD not the AWD). Not many around, so your not like all the other mums in the carpark. Only problem is you have to put up with the “where’s the hat on the parcel shelf” joke, and pretend you’ve never heard it before. That, and depreciation…
Devil666

I’d take the soon to be released C250CDi: 5ish L/100km, 500+nm thank you very much.
Dan

“very disappointing effort from BMW. The whole car just seems bland and boring, then with that performance critique on top, it’s just not enough to justify spending that much on a brand name alone.”

Agreed! The fact is, most buyers fork out that much for this car simply for the badge alone, without realising they are getting ripped off. Spending 60K (incl taxes) you would at least expect a more powerful V6, not a 4 cylinder slug. Looks don’t help it either. It’s bland and ugly indeed.

“I struggle to think of a car that is worse value for money than this. Slap a different badge on it and it would not sell at all.”

Agreed also. You want a bmw, and enjoy it too, go for the models upwards of the 320i. Also, the level of basic equipment is quite poor for what is supposed to be a ‘luxury’ car.
Tony

A badly underpowered car, with run flat tyres that make a harsh and noisy ride. Those tyres costs $400 each to replace.
Alex

And yet somehow, I’d still buy one… just kidding.

The 320i makes absolutely no sense in Australia. So the LCT starts at about $57,000 and that would be easy to go way past if you even gave it slightly bigger wheels but if you go for the much better 320d (which is only $3,000 more), you are exempt from LCT because of it’s 6.0 litre per 100 kilometer economy and that means that you can option it up if you want. It’s also a much better engine and there are no power problems, it has 350nm of torque. It isn’t slow either, 0-100 in 7.9 seconds.
I think people buy the 320i because BMW petrol engines are so celebrated but they don’t realise that it’s only the straight sixes that people think are great. I think in times like this BMW should make a new range of smaller engines. There’s absolutely no reason why they couldn’t put some straight six magic into four cylinder engines.
It’s also time that BMW dropped the 23d engine into the 3 Series. Top Gear think it might be the best diesel in the world, even better than the 35d engine and I would probably agree. I have driven the Alpina D3 which has the 23d engine and it is in one word, fantastic.
Tony

When Merc eventually uses its new 250 CGI (turbo petrol four cylinder) in the C-Class, with 150 kW and 320 Nm, yet more fuel efficient than the 320i; this BMW will seem ancient.
JJ

320i – Dud.
320d – good machine

Things will change with the next model however…forced induction will be seen across the 3 series range, so even the lowly 320i will finally have some power under the bonnet (supposedly 150kw, 280nm or thereabouts) Word is the capacity of the engine may be 1.8L.

Forced induction and reduced capacity will incidentally also be seen in the next Porsche Boxster (late 2010), in an effort to deliver performance with economy. Even Ferrari are talking about doing this.

I’m curious about the Merc C250CDi mentioned above by satan. Is this confirmed for the aussie market? Is there a price being touted? Will it be available in a wagon? Apparently its a corker of an engine.

My final comment – The 125i coupe in manual is one of sweetest little cars anywhere. Some say its better than the 135i…all I know is, I want one!
B-Man

You have to remember that this engine (technicaly) is almost 10 years old. For wheat it is, it’s not the worst out there. That being said the base model 3 series has always been pretty weak and is realy only there to cater for the people that want the brand but don’t want to pay for it. The kind of people that bought that genuine $25 dollar Rolex in Thailand.
B///M3

BMW should have never released 4-cylinder engined car. And to use a good renowned badge like “320i” that use to come with amazing straight-6 engines is just dissapointing.

Straight-6′s for the win!
Dan

Yes, the 320i is a waste of time. Sadly, it one of the most sold 3 series models, so they are very common. I shake my head at every one I see, oh why did you buy one?? Ah, just for the badge, as there’s nothing else appealing in this car.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

quote “B///M3 Says:
February 19th, 2009 at 1:03 pm

BMW should have never released 4-cylinder engined car. And to use a good renowned badge like “320i” that use to come with amazing straight-6 engines is just disappointing.

Straight-6’s for the win!

You got that right “B///M3, I guess if you have worked hard and want a prestige badge to show it this is the model. Your not after the performance clearly,if you were you would do what do what Tom suggested for that money.
Alex

It’s not quite true that there is nothing else appealing about this car, as it says in the positives up the top, it is good quality and it does handle very well. If you get a straight six or a diesel it probably is still the most accomplished executive car, the best all rounder too.
Dan

No doubt the sedans higher than 320i are great (other than the ugly bangled look), but this model is a joke. Only a ‘poor’ badge snob would buy it, simply for the badge, but who cannot afford a nicer beamer with full luxury appointments.
Matty B

People buy different cars for different reasons, but the fact is a large percentage of people at some time or another have aspired to own a BMW. Majority of people aren’t after a car that does 0-100km/h in under 6 seconds, and a lot more people can spend between 50k-70k then will spend 70k-90k. The 320i ticks a hell of a lot of boxes and is a good car.
Yianni

Come on guys it’s not that bad.

It’s definitely underpowered but every other box gets ticked.

The 320d is definitely a better car overall if you want a BMW for a similar price.

For around the same price though the Audi A4 1.8T 8speed CVT is more fuel efficient and also faster to 100km/h. Also delivers 250Nm of torque at 1500rpm.
pious

I’m not being inflammatory, but I cant understand the mind set of people paying a lot of money to buy something that everyone else has. On the gold coast, where I live, 3 series BM’s are everywhere. Shopping centre car parks are full of them. I know that they might be engineered well, but they are the bottom of the BMW tree, and you’d think people would want something a little different, a little snazzy, a little fun. The coupes are another story, mind you – not so many of those around. For around $60K you can get a lot of australian car, some good volvos, audis, some brilliant japanese cars, and maybe even risk an alfa (well, they are beautiful to look at), and that is without the plethora (good word, eh?) of near new cars that you could get – maybe 1 – 2 year old euros which cost around $100K new. At that price I’d stick with new/near new volvo. They depreciate like a dead cat, so you’d get something really special for the dough.
Dan

Pious, I’d rather be a dull sheep badge snob bmw driver than a bloody volvo driver anyday I might be generalising, but the generalisation is justified lol! But agreed, you don’t get much value in this car, other than badge value itself.
pious

Dan, I broke the mould on volvo driving, when I had the R. Not only was I an atrocious driver, but I went everywhere at breakneck speed as well. That said, I tended to wear my “bloody volvo driver” hat, not indicate, and I’m hopeless with directions, so I ticked most of the volvo driver requirements.
RoFlmaTiC

I think the the lower spec A4′s are a better choice than this car.

You might well say, hang on… the A4 is FWD. Well I think RWD is wasted on a car like this anyway… if you’re happy driving a car that gets to 100 in just shy of 10 seconds surely you will be happy with the inferior driving dynamics of FWD.
Dan

“I think the the lower spec A4’s are a better choice than this car.

You might well say, hang on… the A4 is FWD. Well I think RWD is wasted on a car like this anyway… if you’re happy driving a car that gets to 100 in just shy of 10 seconds surely you will be happy with the inferior driving dynamics of FWD. ”

Or you can go for a more powerful RWD base model IS, with the most equipment, and better price.
Tony

I think these cars are made in South Africa. The previous Merc C-Class were made in South Africa and there were some quality problems. Merc ended that with the current C-Class by making them in Germany again.
Audi

Audi A4 trumps this big time.

Looks better externally & internally, is faster, is not as common as a falcon, it’s perfect!
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

hahaha thats soooo funny Dan, “if you’re happy driving a car that gets to 100 in just shy of 10 seconds surely you will be happy with the inferior driving dynamics of FWD. ” “Or you can go for a more powerful RWD base model IS, with the most equipment, and better price.

Some one remind me how fast the base Lexus IS250 V6 is ? Oh 8.4 ,hardly set your hair on fire mate! BMWs little 4 in this manages 0-100 in 9.0.Then again BMW are much better at power to weight arent they!

Tony yeah the 4 cylinders are made in SA but are built in BMW owned factories so quality control is up to standard .
Dan

“Then again BMW are much better at power to weight arent they!”

Given it packs a lot less equipment, it’s hardly a surprise haha.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

So whats your excuse on the ISF? Slow day at the accountancy firm Dan ,seems you havent stopped all day!
Dan

Huh? What accountancy firm? You?

Excuse? 30-40K price saving more than compensates for being a quarter of a second slower.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

“Excuse? 30-40K price saving more than compensates for being a quarter of a second slower. ”

What the ?????????????

Lets go back to the beginning ,fact is power to weight with BMWs little 4 cyl against your suggestion of the more powerful IS250 was a silly statement,.6 of a second is hardly a reason to bring a RWD and FWD argument in is it ?
Frontman

Dan Says:
February 19th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Or you can go for a more powerful RWD base model IS, with the most equipment, and better price.

Or you might not cause you still got class and don’t want to look like a mail order bride (no offense meant to all the brides out there ;p)
Dan

Bavaria, I totally understand your confusion, given you’re just a woman, but any real car enthusiast will tell you RWD or FWD is not just about acceleration itself (even though RWD is the choice for accelerating in straight line, judging by most drag cars). No. It also makes a difference in the handling department, no matter how quicl the car is. The point something of a second or whatever difference is irrelevant. Any true car enthusiast will know that. Having driven the FWD A4 and the RWD IS, I can tell you that there is a difference in handling, in the IS’s favour. RWD is always better than FWD in terms of handling and driver satisfaction. Isn’t that the reason why BMW only does RWD?

Persoanlly if I was to choose A4 and the 320i, even though the audi looks 100 times better than the ‘bangled’ abortion, I’d still choose the beemer, purely for the RWD.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

WTFAYO Dan…………….read what you wrote .
Dan

Yep, read it. That was a very well said comment.
pious

classic! I will say this, though, having had 3 performance FWD cars (one was AWD, but mainly FWD driven), and now with a performance RWD, all 0 -100 in less than 7, I dont really notice the difference except for the tendancy for understeer with the FWD under heavy acceleration around (say) a roundabout where they dig in a bit and give you a scare. they all had DTSC, though. These cars you are talking about have pretty ordinary acceleration, so I doubt you’d notice it.
Camski

Anti-spam word: Diesel.

320d, Diesel.

That’d be my choice.

You’d have to ask yourself why you wouldn’t buy the diesel even when you apply the same situation to the 5 Series (523i vs 520d).

I think i’ve discussed the IS250 vs 320i thing on here before, weighing up the pro’s and con’s on both. With the introduction of this facelifted model though, it is a little overpriced. I’m not saying it’s outrageous, but maybe BMW could have included the small iDrive into that price as to make GPS standard at least.

As for the whole IS250/320i thing, to be honest, it’s really what you’re in the market for. Coming from a E46 318i to the IS250, as a customer there were a few important factors. As these cars are being used as daily drivers, mainly in traffic might I add, clocking up somewhere around the 130K KM’s over 4 years mark, it was important that the car was easy to live with and that it came with a reasonably good feature package that fit the budget.

This is where the IS250 did it for me, value. At the end of the day, the 320i is a fantastic car, the driving dynamics of this and my previous 318i were excellent. Always used to think, if the 318i is this good, imagine how good a 6 cyl. would have been. But unfortunately, the 325i was a touch out of budget and the 320i just seemed too little for too much.

All isn’t lost though, the IS makes a helluva good noise, something along the lines of a mildly toned down 350Z, slightly faster in a straight line (realistically though, this doesn’t mean much), has a relatively good handling setup (although slightly sloppier than that of the 320i however I believe the run-flats really let the 320i down) and just the pricing was more appropriate for what I wanted (at the time, there wasn’t even the innovations pack so it would have been small iDrive and Logic 7 at a bare minimum of added features and that’s $$$).

Then finally, the aftersales service from Lexus is just that much better with free pickup/delivery of your car practically anywhere with a free courtesy car at your request as well (might I add, once the demand for IS F’s drops a bit, you might be lucky to get one of these as your courtesy cars =P)
Dan

Again, acceleration and handling are two seperate concepts. Understeer and oversteer have absolutely zero to do with acceleration. Geez… *facepalm*
Dan

“Then finally, the aftersales service from Lexus is just that much better with free pickup/delivery of your car practically anywhere with a free courtesy car at your request as well (might I add, once the demand for IS F’s drops a bit, you might be lucky to get one of these as your courtesy cars =P) ”

Yeah, you can pretty much ask for any car when you have yours serviced. The only ones they couldn’t give me were the LS and the IS-F, for obvious reasons. Comes with a full tank of fuel too, for you to use up all you like.
pious

Yep, and no problem with straight line acceleration, either, though I used to drive a cordia turbo that was shocking for torque steer. Agreed I’d rather RWD any day (which is one of the reason I got rid of the FWD/AWD) but in these things taking a week to get to 100kph, you’d be a better person than me to notice it.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

You twist things around to suit you dont you Dan,you even sound like your Dog mate.

quote “Well I think RWD is wasted on a car like this anyway… if you’re happy driving a car that gets to 100 in just shy of 10 seconds surely you will be happy with the inferior driving dynamics of FWD. ””Or you can go for a more powerful RWD base model IS,

Again my answer…………..’Some one remind me how fast the base Lexus IS250 V6 is ? Oh 8.4 ,hardly set your hair on fire mate! BMWs little 4 in this manages 0-100 in 9.0.”

Do you understand …….you say that RWD is wasted on this car yet you are driving and promoting something thats .6 of a second faster yet deserves to be RWD ? Have you got it yet!

And you wonder why we all hate Lexus and Toyota lovers on this site! Its not the cars as much as the crap their supporters spruk on about!
Dan

“Do you understand …….you say that RWD is wasted on this car yet you are driving and promoting something thats .6 of a second faster yet deserves to be RWD ? Have you got it yet!”

Bavaria. This is like the 10th time I have asked you to get some glasses already. Pay attention at the post, I was quoting someone else with the “RWD wasted” comment! Take a look. Read it again, S L O W L Y. Then get back to me. Having discussion with you is like talking to a drunk…

And have you got it yet, that acceleration and oversteer and understeer are two differnt things? No? Then read this paragraph again S L O W L Y, maybe you will get it. If not then sorry, can’t help you further.
Biggles

Bavarian Missle, the reviewer said it does 0-100 in 9.8 seconds, which compares pretty poorly with the IS 250s 8.4 seconds. The Lexus is also (slightly) faster than the auto-equipped 325i, a car which is $20k more expensive and more its equivalent in mechanical spec.

I’m not exactly your average rabid Toyota fanboy, but I know a good deal when I see one. My money’s with the Lexus.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Is that your attempt at a recovery…………fail!

Im not talking about oversteer understeer torque steer ect,I know what that is .You changed the subject again.

You changed tangents mate,Im talking about this comment you made,”“Well I think RWD is wasted on a car like this anyway… if you’re happy driving a car that gets to 100 in just shy of 10 seconds surely you will be happy with the inferior driving dynamics of FWD. ””Or you can go for a more powerful RWD base model IS,

Again my answer…………..’Some one remind me how fast the base Lexus IS250 V6 is ? Oh 8.4 ,hardly set your hair on fire mate! BMWs little 4 in this manages 0-100 in 9.0.”

If RWD is wasted on the 320 the IS250 should have stayed a Camry…………….now do you get it! Your car is .6 of a sec faster than the 320 ,farking boring!
Dan

“You changed tangents mate,Im talking about this comment you made”

For the n-th time… that was a QUOTE from someone else’s post! Are you having a slow brain day today?? My advice: stop posting, you only making yourself look more and more stupid!

“I’m not exactly your average rabid Toyota fanboy, but I know a good deal when I see one. My money’s with the Lexus.”

Yes, it definately better value.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Biggles my info tells me the base 320 is 9.0 seconds!

Oh that IS250is the poverty pac one too,Dans IS250 does it in 8.8,probably more comparible to the 325i I would say! But the 325i is 4k cheaper than the Lexus and does the time in 8.6 sec! I think that makes the BMW cheaper and faster then doesnt it!

Ill take the BMW 325I over the Dans IS250 sports luxury thanks!
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

I dont care who said it,your reply was “Or you can go for a more powerful RWD base model IS,” That was your reply wasnt it Dan!

.6 of a second faster……………thats so much faster,have I simplified it now for you to understand.
RoFlmaTiC

BM, I was the person who originally said FWD was wasted on this car… Dan quoted me afterwards.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Yeah I know RoFlmaTiC it was his reply after yours that got me !
RoFlmaTiC

The is250 is cheaper than the 325i by a good 20grand BM.

And as for comparing the 325i to the top of the range is250, to once you spec up the 325i to match the features of the is250 you’re back at 20k more expensive again.

I’d still choose the audi over both the lexus and bmw though.
Dan

“BM, I was the person who originally said FWD was wasted on this car… Dan quoted me afterwards.”

Thank you I just spent two hours trying to explain her that… unbelievalble!

IS250 does 0-100 in 8.4 seconds. Facts aren’t your forte are they Bavaria. And once you add up akll the options of the 325i to macth my IS with features it will be like 10K more expensive than mine. You fail bavaria!

“I dont care who said it,your reply was “Or you can go for a more powerful RWD base model IS,” That was your reply wasnt it Dan!”

That indeed was my reply. What’s your point? At first you were claiming that I was saying two differnt things in one post. You failed. Simple.
Dan

“And as for comparing the 325i to the top of the range is250, to once you spec up the 325i to match the features of the is250 you’re back at 20k more expensive again.”

She’s very ignorant, and twists stuff around to make it suit her way. Glad people out there see common sense and logic. I know which car I’d rather have… hang on, I got it, righto
RoFlmaTiC

Though as a post script to my posts above, the 325i is much faster than the is250… if that’s what you’re in it for.
Dan

Nah, the IS is a daily, I have other cars to have real fun in ;P

Having said that, give me the IS350 over that. Low 5 secs to 100 kays will kick its butt!
Simon

I agree with I think everyone? The 320D has it hands down. I was seriously looking to buy the 320D but it was almost 10G too steep. BMW options are also ridiculously overpriced.
I ended up buying a 125KW Passat TDI for much cheaper. It’s faster, handles well (albeit not as well as the 3) and certainly cheaper to keep on road. It’s also bigger which is handy. The other big difference is the Passat is FWD, which for a purist isn’t going to cut it, but any preference for RWD is lost in the 320I because of it’s lack of performance. It would be beaten by most small 4′s in acceleration terms.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

No RoFlmaTiC,my reply was to Biggles .

Dan drives a 80k IS250 the 325i is 75k and faster than it,that was my point.Dan twists things around to his own advantage when hes wrong,just as he is on the other Lexus thread. Getting his a r s e nailed over there as well!
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Where do I put my order in for one of those IS350s Dan ? Oh they dont bring them in do they!Whats it going to cost me landed in Australia,I think the 135 for $72,000 though would be my choice in the 70k mark. But I mentioned that earlier!
Dan

“Dan drives a 80k IS250 the 325i is 75k”

My IS is fully equipped. No options. All in there. The 325i RRP is 75,900. To bring the 325i out of the poverty level (like it is standard), up to my IS standard, you would need to fork out 4500 for Innovations pacakge, 1900 fro active cruise control, 2860 for active steering, 1700 for mettalic paint, 3K for sunroof, 1K for an alarm, 1400 for comfort access system, 750 for headlight washers, 2200 for bi-xenons, 920 for adaptive hedlights, 510 for foldable mirrors, 620 for rear parking sensors, 700 for electrochromatic mirrors, 2.5K for speaker upgrade, 7K for satnav package, and so on… and I am only half way down the options list, My car has all that standard! To get your 325i up to the standard of my IS, in terms of equipment, will costs you somewhwere around 30K+ worth of options. So you are paying well over 100K for a car, where mine costs a lot less. I can;t justify paying extra for the BMW badge, sorry.

Bavaria, you FAIL again
Dan

And the above are FACTS. You can’t argue with those, or twist them around, like you normally do, sorry, You got owned!
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

hahaha You sure your names not Shane ?

Dan no one mentioned gadgets or options,you did ! Fact :

BMW 325i is cheaper and faster,your a r s e is mine !

Gadgets are worth nothing on a car when you trade it in mate ,salesmen may sell them to you in the yard but you try selling them back to them.
RoFlmaTiC

There are a LOT of cars that are cheaper and faster than both BM. Which is why the gadgets and options do matter.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Totaly agree there RoFlmaTiC, but I personally couldnt give two hoots when it comes to gadgets or the options on cars.

Even nanny controls erk me!
Adam

Why would anyone buy this car? Unless you are a complete and utter lunatic who wants nothing more than to drive around looking ‘rich’.

No one will fall for it.

Get over the badge fixation and get a Euro or a Mazda 6, more power and significantly cheaper than this piece of junk.
Chucky

My mum was looking for a German brand car under $70k recently and the 3 series was the first thing that came to her mind. Good thing I steered her away from that idea. For that price she would have been looking at a 323i with a few options. The 323i only has an extra 25kW of power over the 320i yet costs $9,000 more. This is ridiculous when you can get a base C Class or Audi A4 2.0T with equivalent power for significantly less.

She ended up getting a Mercedes CLC200 coupe Evolution + with sat nav and voice control. I gotta say it was a great choice and it gets a lot of looks, especially since you don’t see so many of them on the road like the 320i.
Tim

BM, you are such a grumpy old lady. I laugh at each of your posts – stop starting Lexus flame wars on every bloody article.

Fact is, Lexus IS250 > 3 Series (Upto a certain configuration ofcourse)
zahmad

The Audi A4 1.8 trounces this!!…
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Tim you seem to come on this site once-twice a day and abuse me,this is the second time today Ive reported you!

That like your mate Dans is an opinion not factual!

Nothing else to add ? Thought not.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

If you looked you would see your MATE Dan brings the IS into the equation ! Not me !
Tim

BM, I’ll put it simply for you.

What you get in a standard 80K Lexus, is much more than you get in a 75K standard 325i. Understand….BABE?
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Tim Ill put it simply for you …that wasnt the argument !

Argument was how fast the 325i was against Dans 80k IS250,Get it!BABE!
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Oh and only my friends call me BM you are not one of them by any means! Timothy!
Tim

So what that he brought the IS into the equation? Its a bloody competitor to the 3 series. Others brought up the A4, C Class etc..

He just plainly said that for the money of this BMW, you could have a Lexus which is a direct competitor. Dunno what you are complaining about BM.

And your humorous reply to Dan was the beginning of this b*tching. What he said was a fact, and not opinion – for the same price you could have a RWD Lexus which has more features + faster. Oh, and your precious Wheels mag can back that up “May 2006 Issues” Lexus wins.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

You want to start bringing Lexus into the equation like your MATE has all arvo ,go ahead,Ive had that argument and won,Im sure Karl wont be interested in anymore Lexus posts on his BMW road test! But go ahead knock yourself out if you’ve got nothing to do,Im sure Dan is hiding in the corner somewhere waiting for some Lexus buddy to support him since he ran off earlier this afternoon. Getting pounded on three different threads at once touched him I think!

Your level are insults so go ahead ……………Ill watch and laugh as I report you!
Tim

Babe, quoted from Wheels Mag – May 2006 issue.

BMW 325i to 100km/h – 8.6 sec
Lexus IS250 to 100km/h – 8.8 sec

So you would pay more for a car which has less features, yet is 0.2sec quicker? PLEASE, have a valid argument! Although Im not on the bandwagon of ‘speed matters’ – I will just say that for the ‘real world’ the IS250 is a more refined and comfortable car than the BMW.
Tim

Why are you dodging my arguments? Where does it say that I cant talk about a rival car….even when I specifically refer back to the car which is reviewed? Where did I say Im a ‘Lexus buddy’? My insults go so far, atleast i can provide a valid argument and not dodge a bit of internetz bashing.

Report me right ahead! Oh noezz teh internetz ban hammer is cuminggg!1!!

PS: Stay on topic and dont go off talking about other users.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Tim do you know what you mate drives ? He drives the 80k version! Rear wheel drive Camry!

IS250 SPORTS LUXURY {THINGY}cost $79,000 0-100 8.8 seconds
BMW 325i {auto,slow and boring still}at $75,000 0-100 8.6

Thats faster mate and cheaper,if you go for the manual version in BMW cause you can its at 7.0 secs.

Mate understand I dont give a crap about the luxuries of Leuxs thats something that turns you guys on,me I like grunt not gadgets!I guess its Lexus enticement though to make up for the performance side of things.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Tim as I said Ive had this argument,you want answers to your next questions then read what Ive written,your boring me !
Alex

Tim, the IS may be more comfortable but the 3 Series isn’t uncomfortable and the Lexus can’t hold a candle to the BMWs driving dynamics. Who brought the stupid IS into this anyway? It’s not a bad car but I can’t think of any reason other than boring old reliability and value for money (and in this segment, that just makes you look cheap) to buy a Lexus. The Lexus doesn’t stand out in any way. It looks a bit dated and you can’t even argue that you would be buying for the badge. The Lexus badge is the same shape as a Toyota’s so they can switch them around for some markets! If you want a drivers sedan, get a 3 Series, if you want a relaxing executive sedan, buy a C Class. The A4 also has good credentials but the IS will either make you look stupid, or over 70.
Tim

Looks like the only person who cares about getting quicker to 100km/h is….you!

And why does it matter when an 80K RWD Camry (lol, you are so clueless) is better than a 80K BMW? Seems to me that you are very insecure to care about what other people think of your car. And why do you keep on dodging my specific questions which you haven’t answered in previous posts?

FACT: A 80K Lexus is a better buy than an 80K BMW, even if it is a tad slower. No one will be racing you in peak hour traffic, and in fact….I never mentioned which car is quicker anyway, so I don’t know why you keep bringing up 100km/h times when I was just talking about the whole package of the car.

Must admit though, the BMW interior is much nicer.
Tim

Alex, I admit – I wouldnt buy any of these sub $90K lux sedans. I just wanted to express my opinion/holes in BM’s argument.

For this money I would get something like a Passat CC and save 15 grand. And the Passat will look better, be faster, more sensible, better interior and I wont look like a nob driving one.

Gnight guys, BM – no hard feelings
http://honda holstein hore ).( ).(

Who gives shite , there both very average performance cars aimed at white collar dudes male or female who want a gadget laden cruiser and they dont give a monkeys uncle what the 0 to 100 km time is , they dont care , just give em wood leather and tricks .

Performnce drivers go elsewhere , not here .

Get over it ,is250 and bmw 320i are both non performance poser cars , so thats their market , so be it.
Wheelnut

Tim – the reason you get more features and gadgets etc in your Lexus [half of which I doubt you would probably never use] is because they have to do something to justify the premium prices they charge for what are nothing more than Toyota’s that have had a nip and tuck etc LX=Landcruiser IS=Camry]

Yes Iknow its the same thing with Holden and HSVs. However; I don’t claim that they are completely different cars

Whereas BMWs aren’t based on anything that your average pleb/bogan would be able to afford to drive.

And in relation to paying the extra and getting the extra features… how many people do you see that have paid the extra for a cabriolet yet still drive around in the middle of summer with the roof up? I mean that was money well spent wasn’t it?
Cupid Stunt

Totally agree with Camski – Most of BMW diesels out-do their similarly sized engined BMW petrols. Better in-gear acceleration, better fuel economy (by 20-30%), less servicing. 4cyl or not they are are better.
Evan

Bm you really piss me off. I am not a Lexus fan or Audi or Merc. But when you talked PLEASE USE straight fact. BMW 320i costs $55000. Lexus IS250 prestige costs $55000. In Lexus you are actually getting more gadgets and more power. 8.4 sec compared to 9.8 sec. That is 1.4 sec. 1.4 sec is an eternity in acceleration. Again please check out your fact before argue. But again if you want performance then XR6T or WRX or even a Lancer (Ralliart) will trash 320i easily. If luxury & performance is the thing then IS 250 / Audi A4 / C200k will trash 320i easily.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Evan if you read further back instead of butting in you will see what I was discussing.

“IS250 SPORTS LUXURY {THINGY}cost $79,000 0-100 8.8 seconds
BMW 325i {auto,slow and boring still}at $75,000 0-100 8.6

Thats faster mate and cheaper,if you go for the manual version in BMW cause you can its at 7.0 secs.”

Get your facts straight mate!
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Oh and Evan if you look further back you will see I wouldn’t own one,Im a performance driver,for that money Ill take a look at the F6 thanks!

Gadgets are for geeks ………….
The Realist

Most of the plebs on this board have never sat in or driven a 320i. It is certainly underpowered with four adults in the car, but for cruising around town it’s fine. It’s also RWD. Built nicely, and provided you can afford it the options list it provides some of the features found in the 335i. Sure, it makes it expensive for a four pot – but you do get some nice gizmos not found in Fords, Toyotas, Holdens, Mazdas, Subarus etc…

Strange how people keep relating performance with expense – most buyers of this car don’t care if their car goes quicker than anything else. Same with those buying Lexus.

Now I’d never purchase a Lexus – but can certainly appreciate that they build an extremely well built car, with a lot of features for the money, and the best customer service of any car this side of $300K.

That being said I’d never buy one. 335i is the minimum I’d stoop to in a 3 series / C Class / IS range.

Bavarian Missile (.)(.) Says:
February 20th, 2009 at 8:55 am
“Gadgets are for geeks ………….”

And performance is for peasants?

Perhaps MB and BMW should stop loading their S Class and 7 Series cars with features, and turn them into low tech tractors like the Holden Caprice?

Wheelnut Says:
February 19th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
“IS=Camry”

ES was the Camry… worst car along with the SC430 ($160K!) ever to be released by Lexus in Oz!!
HAL

Geez, focus your angry and critical comments on the cars people, not each other. There is so much vitriol spat out at each other on these blogs – you know, we are talking about inanimate objects here i.e. cars. Vent your frustration about one car or another, sure – but just because one of us likes a car that another doesn’t, isn’t necessarily justification for abusing them.

It’s Friday people, chill out.

PS. In saying all of that – I still think it’s entirely acceptable to abuse someone who drives a Holden Epica though…..there is no justification for such poor tatse and stupidity, and they need to be told
pious

Agreed, Hal. Although it’s not “abuse”. It is “education”, for the benefit of those poor souls who dont agree with moi.
Wombat

I can’t yet figure out why the styling is a plus in this BMW.As Jeremy Clarkson said about Porsche designers, the don’t know how to properly refresh a car.
It happens the same here.
Camski

Cupid Stunt – For $h*ts and giggles, you get a neat turbo whine too =P

The Realist – You’re right, the ES was the Camry, shared the same 3.3L V6 I believe.

With regards to the whole performance/gadgets thing, you need to realise that sometimes a cruiser like the IS250 just fits the bill better than the 320i for some buyers. As has been said, the IS250 is a bit of a mushy car (that is, in comparison to the 3 Series) but that’s exactly what I and many other buyers want in a daily driver, something to kick back in and just take it easy (gadgets help there, cooled seats and the Mark Levinson to keep the hairs in your ears happy — Pre-coll. is handy too for those days you almost fall asleep in traffic =P).

Weekends on the other hand, that’s what the W204 with M156 is for =)
Frontman

HAL Says:
February 20th, 2009 at 9:55 am
It’s Friday people, chill out.

PS. In saying all of that – I still think it’s entirely acceptable to abuse someone who drives a Holden Epica though…..there is no justification for such poor tatse and stupidity, and they need to be told

—————————–
Tha’s not nice, I once sold an elderly gentleman an ex rental Epica and considered I was doing him a favour!!!!!!!!!
I also managed to find a home for his one owner Lada Cervaro that he traded in
(is that anacceptible reason for buying a new shape Daewoo Leganza???)
Evan

Bm that is what I mean. Why the hell you compare IS 250 sport luxury with the “standard” 325i. Compare apple with apple mate. $55000 car with $55000 car. For about the same money you will get IS 250 prestige and 320i executive. Geez you are a woman.
john.a

the south africa build quality is not the same as german built cars,however it steers and handles nicely despite the run flats.pwr and performance is adaquate.it all gets down to what you want.
Wheelnut

Evan you a a typical bloke dont listen! Why dont you read from the top of the page and you MAY understand why they were compared,geez…………..
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Oh and reiterate what I said before I didnt bring the IS250 into it, DAN did,and I didnt bring the 325i into it Biggles did.

You seem to have anger problems mate,next time you want to try arguing with me try not to start the first sentence with abuse!Shows a lack of development!:)
weirluo

Lexus vs BMW? sorry guys, just give me a break, I would pick up a BMW over Lexus anytime, they are in different levels. Value for money? why don’t bring Kia into this? Badge prestige is not something can be valued up by options, although I won’t buy a car just for a badge. off topic…

320i is a fake BM, only for badge pursuers, but let down by itself. Get 325i/320d or just get a 125i. My favorite is X5 3.0d.

Almost all Lexus are too boring for people who wish to spend hours to argue here. mind u, people like defend cars they have. me too, i love my x5.
Evan

Wierluo, no offence but you own X5 therefore your opinion will be biased towards BMW. Again I have nothing against BMW. In fact I like the 1 series coupe and the Z4. But we are looking at 320i. 320i is the worst among C-Class, A4 and IS250.
I actually went to the BMW website and build a fully optioned 320i touring. It will cost $79800 ($80000). Before the on road cost and it will be slower than the C200k, A4 1.8T and IS250 (hear that BM).
Also I watched top gear yesterday season 6 episode 4 to be precise. Believe it or not there are more 3 series than Ford Mondeo. That tells me the badge is not that exclusive anymore.
Again I have to say, I have nothing against BMW. They made some good products. But NOT ALL their product are good especially not the 320i. A4 1.8T, C200k and IS250 are the better product and a better value for money.
Al Juraj

Anti-spam is BMWM3!!!

In this case, the 3-Series’ main rival is actually itself. Petrols are bought over diesels generally because they’re faster and smoother, but it’s obviously different here. The 320i is very hard to justify over its quicker, more efficient oil burning brother. Maybe if BMW employ their turbocharging wonders to this engine without a hefty price increase, then the car would make more sense.

For 55 grand, I’d buy the best Accord Euro and take a nice trip to, well, Europe. I am a fan of BMWs but this just doesn’t cut it. It’s quite mediocre in spite of the brand. It doesn’t ace anything.
Glenn

Hi

where abouts is the “made in South Africa’ tag or plate on these cars hiding?
ZWBEN

I am ex Zimbabwean and have owned several SA assembled BM’s. Their quality control is just the same as their German and US plants. I personally went to their plant in Rosslyn just outside Pretoria and witnesssed my 3 series being assembled Their QC proceedures are ISO 9001 certified and therefore are exactly the same as any other bmw plant. There is minimal human input to the assembly of the car and those that do are very well trained and educated as I gathered in conversation with various individuals.

I have now aquired an SA assembled 320d here in Australia which can be identified by the glass manufacturer being Pilkington.

My issue is these cars are horribly overpriced in this country and for the amount of money I paid for it I could have had a 330d which unfortunately is not sold here. BMW South Africa also offer virtually all models in manual together with 100 000km service maintenance contract as part of the purchase price which is now become the norm with most brands selling cars in SA and something manufacturers should consider in this country.
Glenn

Hi Zwben

So if you have owned several can you tell me where the label is then please, if there is indeed one.

thanks
http://www.lhuda.com/vb lhuda.com

i like Bmw this is my best car
James

Sir/Madam,

I am currently in the market for a BMW 320i and regularily use your website to read reviews. It seems that this review only partially contains the article. Could you please ensure that the full review is uploaded onto the site?

Thank you,

James
Carfanatic

James, buy the diesel, you won’t be disappointed
Wayne

I was very disappointed when, after years of hoping to buy a BMW, I took a 325i for a test drive – ordinary performance, ordinary handling, dreadful road feel through the steering, uncomfortable seats, bland interior. Then there are those tyres! (Let’s not go there). I got out of the 325i and went to drive a G6e turbo. What a huge difference! It leaves the BMW far behind. I really think we are being hoodwinked by MBW’s very good publicity machine that gives us an inflated notion of these now South African cars.
ABMPSV

Do not forget resale value!! After 3 years Ford/Holden loose around 50-55%!! Instead of 325i – which if I am correct is finished here – buy the 330d. It is an excellent car. 0-100 in 6.2 sec and fuel economy city 8L/100km less than half of FG G6E Turbo Sedan.
Luv it

I’ve recently purchased a pre-loved 2008 320i msport for my partner, and I’ve gotta admit………It’s FANFREAKINTASTIC.
She luvs it.
Not the quickest off the mark, but handles like it’s on rails.
Chuck the runflats off, and the ride is comfortably firm.
Room enough in the back seat for two teenagers and their gadgets.
Oh, and didn’t just buy it for the badge, as we’ve had two earlier models as well and just can’t fault the reliabilty of any of them.
Fuel economy is around 8l/100k with a combined hwy/city driving.
Only downside is the rip-off price the dealers try to charge for services, but it doesn’t take a lot of work to ask questions and shop around to find a local mechanic who’s more than capable of maintaining it.
Tim

I have just bought my wife a late 2006 320i so it is almost 5 years old. 79,000kms and $24,000 from a caryard. It is exactly what I expected after reading the reviews – sluggish and motor sounds a bit harsh. My wife loves it because of the badge and she only cruises around slowly. We will definitely get rid of the runflat tyres when they are worn out, to soften up the ride a bit. Typical prestige car, the first owner probably lost $40,000 in depreciation in 5 years!I would never buy one new, but second hand they are a great car. Cheap to run if you buy an American workshop manual, do your own servicing and get your parts online from the UK!
Malcolm

I have just bought a demonstrator (3,000klms) 2011 320i Tourer.It runs perfectly.I, like most people dont need a car that does 0-100 in 6 seconds or under.I’ve owned a brand new 2000 Jaguar S Type with its thumping great V8 engine;(been there and done that with enormous engine power.It’s simply not required.)
The 320i handles superbly and the ride is excellent.But more than anything, it is great value for money.So it’s the bottom of the range for the 3 series and doesnt have the power of others in the range?….so what? There are always cars faster than the one you have bought.
So many of the writers above seem to be little boy like in their banter about speed….and their ‘mine’s bigger than your’s” attitude.As for the comment that the 320i is a “fake BMW”;….Did the highly qualified engineers at BMW (who know far more about cars than “Weirluo” above )think the 320i is a “fake BMW” when they designed it?.Come on…some of you guys need to get out of the sand pit and stop playing with your Tonkla trucks and….cease comparing your dicks.Go and read a book;go to the theatre or the Opera.There ARE more important and rewarding things in life than comparing and being bombastic about the torque in cars.