Needs a Z3 injection
Written: Jun 23 '02 (Updated Jul 21 '05)
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Pros: Great engine and chassis, composed quiet ride, decent room
Cons: Could feel more connected to the car
The Bottom Line: The 3 might be good enough to win all the comparison tests, yet I would prefer an edgier, more engaging car.
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| mkaresh's Full Review: 2002 BMW 325 |
I should love this car. It’s the size I like, with a soulful engine and a wonderfully balanced chassis. So why, in my third test drive of the current 3-series, do I still find it hard to bond with? In brief, it remains too perfect.
BMW 3-Series Reliability
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Styling and Accommodations
This time I drove the coupe. With subtly different proportions than the sedan, owing to a cabin shifted a bit to the rear, it largely avoids the slight pudginess of the four-door. (Unless you get the ultra-high-performance M3, the voluptuously flared fenders of which make it look too cutesy in a cherubic sort of way.) Still, I prefer the edgier styling of the previous generation 3.
Inside the current 3 is decidedly more luxurious than the old, with significantly richer materials and less hard plastic. It is also roomier. Even in the coupe, which has less rear seat room than the sedan, I had sufficient knee and foot room with the front seat set where I like it. (I’m 5ֽ”, but like to sit with my arms and legs outstretched.) Strangely, the 3 has about as much rear legroom as the larger 5. (The only major difference in interior dimensions between the two cars is in shoulder room.) I would like a higher rear seat in either car, for thigh support, but that’s an issue with most sedans.
The narrower width and slightly lower beltline of the 3 make it feel decidedly sportier than the 5. That said, I continue to have quibbles with its driving position. Even with the front seat raised an inch or so, the steering column and instrument binnacle feel as if they’re mounted at least an inch higher than they should be. (Tilting the wheel down is not a solution, for then the column angle feels strange.) Also puzzling: With such a large instrument binnacle, why are the gauges so small?
The 325Ci I drove was equipped with the optional sport package, which includes larger wheels, a stiffer suspension, and more heavily bolstered front seats. The last are quite nice, both comfortable on the highway and supportive in aggressive driving. The standard seats offer far less lateral support.
Alas, the styling of the rest of the interior is not up to these seats. It’s very pleasantly styled, and nothing (except maybe those small gauges) is going to offend anyone’s aesthetic sense. But the added luxury of the current car’s interior seems to have come at the expense of sportiness. Like the exterior, some edginess would be welcome here. Despite its faults, I prefer the feeling I get sitting in the Cadillac CTS interior. Infiniti with the G35 also does a nicer job here.
Trunk space is limited, but at least its usefully square in shape. For an additional $495 you can get rear seats that fold down. I have often used this feature in my own cars, and highly recommend it. But why does it cost so much here when it’s free in just about every cheapo Korean sedan?
On the Road
A couple years ago I drove the 323i equipped with a 170 horsepower 2.5 liter six. I felt that it had enough power to be fun with the manual transmission, but was a bit on the silent side. Then, for the 2001 model year, this engine was redesigned and the car renamed 325. Horsepower went up by 14, at the expense of some mid-range torque. The new engine, still 2.5 liters, feels about equally quick. The important thing is that it gained a serious dose of soul in the process. Though the 3.0 makes yet nicer sounds, at least the engine how has a voice, and a pleasantly throaty one at that. It will no longer be mistaken for a Lexus powerplant, and I for one feel this is a good thing.
With a stick, I feel the 2.5 makes sufficient power. It may even be more fun at legal speeds since you are forced to work the stick more. The 3.0 is much torquier, and lends the car a more forceful, more substantial character, but saving money by going with the 2.5 is defensible for reasons other than the thousands of dollars thus saved.
The stick attached to this engine 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.
The same goes for the steering. Supposedly steering effort was firmed up for 2002 in response to criticism that it was previously also a bit much like that of a Lexus. Maybe it has been. I didn’t drive the old and new car back-to-back, so I honestly can’t say whether the changes make a difference. What I can say is that it needs to be firmer still. The steering is precise, and does feel better the harder the car is pushed. But I’d like to feel more connected to what the car is doing in normal driving. As it was, I received more informative communication of what was going on where the rubber meets the road through the seat of my pants than through my fingertips.
I drove a Z3 the same day, and vastly preferred the quicker, firmer, simply more alive steering, shifting, and braking of that car. Perhaps BMW feels the 3 must compete with the Japanese, or must be relaxed enough for long distances at high speed on the autobahn. But I look to BMW for excitement, not relaxation, and I don’t drive on the autobahn. Sportier tuning of the major controls should at least be an option, perhaps part of a true sport package. Maybe this is what the M3 is for? I haven’t driven one, so I cannot say whether its controls better suit my tastes. But I honestly see little need for more power than the base engine offers. With properly engaging controls, less power can actually be more fun in typical driving conditions (i.e. at legal speeds).
At least the basics are here. 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.) Even with the sport package, the ride is composed on just about any surface. Noise levels are not as low as in the larger, more expensive 5-series, but are still quite low for this size car.
Last Words
Despite the high prices, a great car for the average buyer. But BMW should not forget that its reputation was not built by appealing to the average buyer. It made its name by appealing to people who seriously love driving. The current 3 continues to win just about every magazine comparison test it takes part in. Yet I was somewhat disappointed. I do not want to imply I disliked the 3. I liked a lot about. I even liked it better than the more expensive, more powerful 530i, as the latter has even softer controls. The problem is, I see so much additional potential here. Give this car edgier styling in and out, and the sportier feel of the Z3 (at least as an option), and it would be ideal.
To learn more about my reliability research and sign up to participate in it, or to perform thorough, up-to-date new car price comparisons, visit www.truedelta.com. A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 37,000
Model and Options: 325Ci, manual, sport package
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