Looking @ a BMW 3 series opinions?

Looking at getting a 3 series compact.

At the minute I'm looking at a 2001 325ti @ 16 grand.

Anyone got any opinions on these?

frankdrebin

These cars are aimed at older chicks that want the BM badge and know nothing about cars.

Do you meet these critria? Is so, then buy it.

Wouldnt touch one myself. A 325 coupe or M3 coupe (maybe if I won the lotto) are the way forward.

Anan1

frankdrebin wrote:

These cars are aimed at older chicks that want the BM badge and know nothing about cars.

Do you meet these critria? Is so, then buy it.

Wouldnt touch one myself. A 325 coupe or M3 coupe (maybe if I won the lotto) are the way forward.

Are you sure this is true of the 01 3 series compact? I know it was true of the old one, which retained the E30 rear suspension, but I thought the 01 model was pretty close to the saloon?

frankdrebin

frankdrebin wrote:

These cars are aimed at older chicks that want the BM badge and know nothing about cars.

Do you meet these critria? Is so, then buy it.

Wouldnt touch one myself. A 325 coupe or M3 coupe (maybe if I won the lotto) are the way forward.

Well an M3 or 325 coupe is out of my price range!

I'm neither old nor a chick.. I don't let stereotypes a car for me.

frankdrebin

Well if your not old or a chick, you must be a young male. Should a young male buy anything that's "compact"? Bigger is better.

frankdrebin

frankdrebin wrote:

Well if your not old or a chick, you must be a young male. Should a young male buy anything that's "compact"? Bigger is better.

Yes, yes and no.

But thank you for your wise motoring advice.

Eoin

Anan1 wrote:

Are you sure this is true of the 01 3 series compact? I know it was true of the old one, which retained the E30 rear suspension, but I thought the 01 model was pretty close to the saloon?

The newer one is supposed to be a great car to drive if you can get over the looks of it. Personally I don't like the looks at all, and would rather go for a coupe.

eoin_s

eoin_s wrote:

The newer one is supposed to be a great car to drive if you can get over the looks of it. Personally I don't like the looks at all, and would rather go for a coupe.

Yes this is primarily the reason I'm looking at it.. Just enough poke in it with the 2.5L 6 cylinder. And RWD handling..

bazz26

323i Coupe:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=538353

JHMEG

IMO, the compact =

Eoin

bazz26 wrote:

323i Coupe:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=538353

That coupe is such a nicer looking car than the compact. I doubt it's any less practical either.

Thanks for the input guys.

The looks of it are not the most important thing to me. I kind of like it myself.

Eoin

ronoc wrote:

Thanks for the input guys.

The looks of it are not the most important thing to me. I kind of like it myself.

Then it could be a great buy. check out www.bmw-driver.net/forum as well, some very helpful guys there.

Anan1

ronoc wrote:

Thanks for the input guys.

The looks of it are not the most important thing to me. I kind of like it myself.

It really depends on what you want from the car. If your ego's a little fragile then a 'cool' car might help. If you're confident enough not to feel the need to impress anonymous bystanders then buy the Compact.:)

Anan1

Anan1 wrote:

It really depends on what you want from the car. If your ego's a little fragile then a 'cool' car might help. If you're confident enough not to feel the need to impress anonymous bystanders then buy the Compact.:)

Thanks.. I think

Lainey

you like the car then buy it.. nothin to do with ego.. i drive a 316 saloon (yes old (30) chick ha) and its a lovely car to drive

unkel

There's nothing wrong with an E46 Compact

Andrewf20

Seems a rare car in Ireland. Ive yet to see a 325ti here! A Q car I think. From the front & side view, I reckon few will expect it will hit 60 in the low 7secs.

Andrewf20

Its the e46 I'm looking at. The old one is terrible looking.

Andrewf20 wrote:

Seems a rare car in Ireland. Ive yet to see a 325ti here! A Q car I think. From the front & side view, I reckon few will expect it will hit 60 in the low 7secs.

Yes they are rare as hens teeth with that engine. 7 -7.2 seconds to 60.

Top speed of 144, which is nice to have but It would be a rare occasion that it would ever see aything near that.

I'd probably remove the 325 badge.

RobAMerc

Are you bringing that in from the UK ? Surely its a rare find on these shores.

Anyhow I can say the engine is a gem, if a little thirsty, and reviews tell me the handling is excellent, and if its like the rest of the 3 series it will be.

Only down side I have with my (much heavier) 320 is lack of low end torque and a clunky drive train, which makes it impossible to drive smoothly in traffic.(Huge flywheel me thinks)

A cool alternative to a golf.
Never mind the taunts about it, to some people driving anything but a Toyota Carina Diesel is grounds for calling you a fag.

RobAMerc

RobAMerc wrote:

Are you bringing that in from the UK ? Surely its a rare find on these shores.

Anyhow I can say the engine is a gem, if a little thirsty, and reviews tell me the handling is excellent, and if its like the rest of the 3 series it will be.

Only down side I have with my (much heavier) 320 is lack of low end torque and a clunky drive train, which makes it impossible to drive smoothly in traffic.(Huge flywheel me thinks)

A cool alternative to a golf.
Never mind the taunts about it, to some people driving anything but a Toyota Carina Diesel is grounds for calling you a fag.

Yep very rare.

There she is:
http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=329779

bf

IMO whether it is a good buy depends on how long you are going to hold on to it for.
Its undoubtedly a great drivers car but the resale market for a 2.5l compact is very limited - however if you intend to hold on to it for a long enough period this isn't as much of an issue

Anan1

ronoc wrote:

Yep very rare.

There she is:
http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=329779

That looks to be fairly well priced. I had a quick look on eBay, and the cheapest comparable one in the UK is STG£8,500 + VRT.

prospect

I don't think that even Junkyard would be keen on the 3 series compact....
And he is Mr. BMW Blinkered Vision of the century....

prospect

Why not try (for similar money and age):

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=210017

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=521557

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=424343

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=574863

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=546200

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=566178

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=560731

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=446207

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=570248

P

CarLover

frankdrebin wrote:

These cars are aimed at older chicks that want the BM badge and know nothing about cars.

Do you meet these critria? Is so, then buy it.

Wouldnt touch one myself. A 325 coupe or M3 coupe (maybe if I won the lotto) are the way forward.

I'd have to agree with Frank. As a guy you also look extremely silly driving these compacts. I'd rather buy a 1 series than these horrible looking compacts.

I've got a 325 Coupe myself...and I'd definitely recommend it. Yes...you do look like a bit of a w***er in it. There's no escaping that one. The performance and handling is immense though.

However if it's out of your price range and you're not bothered about the compact image then go for it. I try to ignore all the evil glances I get in my motor all the time

Cyrus

i considered that car myself but i ended up going for a 323ci instead.

Its well priced but has been for sale a good 4 mths now and gone from 18500 to 16k, itll be a tough one to sell one.

I would have considered it but the interior colouring put me right off on that particular one

Interesting.. Can't see myself driving a Jag though lol

Most of them are slightly out of my price range or older and with more millage than I like. But food for thought anyways.

Anan1

CarLover wrote:

I'd have to agree with Frank. As a guy you also look extremely silly driving these compacts. I'd rather buy a 1 series than these horrible looking compacts.

I've got a 325 Coupe myself...and I'd definitely recommend it. Yes...you do look like a bit of a w***er in it. There's no escaping that one. The performance and handling is immense though.

If I cared about such things then i'd sooner look silly than look like a wanker any day.:)

CarLover

CarLover wrote:

I'd have to agree with Frank. As a guy you also look extremely silly driving these compacts. I'd rather buy a 1 series than these horrible looking compacts.

I've got a 325 Coupe myself...and I'd definitely recommend it. Yes...you do look like a bit of a w***er in it. There's no escaping that one. The performance and handling is immense though.

However if it's out of your price range and you're not bothered about the compact image then go for it. I try to ignore all the evil glances I get in my motor all the time

Did you sign up a new account just to say that... Frankdrebin

CarLover

ronoc wrote:

Did you sign up a new account just to say that... Frankdrebin

No. For the record I am NOT Frankdrebin...I swear

Elessar

I am also interested in the 3 series. Can we get some more opinions. Apart from the badge, what sets it apart from say, a similar spec A4 or Passat (which are generally cheaper at the same level)?

Eoin

Elessar wrote:

I am also interested in the 3 series. Can we get some more opinions. Apart from the badge, what sets it apart from say, a similar spec A4 or Passat (which are generally cheaper at the same level)?

Apart from the fact that it's RWD, the compact is also a hatchback - not a saloon like the two cars you mentioned.

CarLover

Elessar wrote:

I am also interested in the 3 series. Can we get some more opinions. Apart from the badge, what sets it apart from say, a similar spec A4 or Passat (which are generally cheaper at the same level)?

Good question. I can only speak for the coupe.

RWD makes a big difference. That's how cars are supposed to be made (or 4WD). It gives the car balance...and far superior handling.

The A4 is a nice car. It handles well (for a front wheel drive car). To compare like with like though you need to be comparing class with class. So BMW coupe you'd compare to Audi TT....with similar engine size. Unless you're in the market for a 3 series saloon?

A Passat is a family saloon...and not even a luxury family saloon. I don't think you can comapre that to a BMW to be honest. Best of the bunch though if you're looking at one is the 130BHP TDI. Great performance.

Besides the badge snobbery that follows BMW there's fantastic build quality, great handling and performance (if you go for a straight six), well thought out internal design, practicality and finish. So it's about luxury as well as handling.

Biro

CarLover wrote:

Good question. I can only speak for the coupe.

RWD makes a big difference. That's how cars are supposed to be made (or 4WD). It gives the car balance...and far superior handling.

The A4 is a nice car. It handles well (for a front wheel drive car). To compare like with like though you need to be comparing class with class. So BMW coupe you'd compare to Audi TT....with similar engine size. Unless you're in the market for a 3 series saloon?

A Passat is a family saloon...and not even a luxury family saloon. I don't think you can comapre that to a BMW to be honest. Best of the bunch though if you're looking at one is the 130BHP TDI. Great performance.

Besides the badge snobbery that follows BMW there's fantastic build quality, great handling and performance (if you go for a straight six), well thought out internal design, practicality and finish. So it's about luxury as well as handling.

To be honest, the 3-series handling characteristics are a little over-rated. It is good, and the steering is nice in them, but they're not exceptional. RWD isn't necessarily equal to better handling either. Compare for example an integra type R to a peugeot 505!! It does help for sure, and for two cars with a well configured chassis and a sporty orientation, the RWD will give a sharper drive no question.
For the normal driver though I can't think of a reason to push them towards a 3-series over, say, an A4. Each have pro's and cons, and most new 3-series buyers I reckon wouldn't know which wheels were driven anyway, let alone be fussy about their steering inputs.

BnA

I would strongly advise against buying that car for 2 reasons. 1 practical, 1 not so.

1) When the time comes for you to more on, you will find it almost completely impossible to sell. I don't mean difficult or it may be a bit of a pain in the butt to sell, I mean it will be nigh on impossible to sell.

I know it doesn't matter to you and fair play to you but generally Compacts are only ever bought by people who want to get a bare fingernail into the BMW badge. They cannot pay the Tax\Insurance and MPG's on a 2.5 litre car. They will only want 1.6 or maybe the 1.8 at a stretch. But, 2.5 not a hope.

On the other hand, larger engined BMW's are bought by people who are more into their cars and into their BMW's in particular and are not afraid to spend a few quid on Tax and Juice to drive a nice car. And (as the reply's in this thread will have shown you) to the vast vast majority of those people, the Compact is quite simply embarassing. The Coupe is cool, the Saloon isn't bad, but the Compact is awful.

So basically, people who buy Compacts want small engines. People who want power, don't want compacts.

2) My second point is the same as everyone else here. It is utterly utterly awful.

How about something like this (And you'll save yourself a grand):
http://www.cbg.ie/Car_detail.asp?CBGID=589667&ID=874619&NumPics=3&Make=BMW&Model=325i%20SE&frmFilter=#

Or you have any number of E36 or 46 coupes to choose from. Can you honestly tell me that you think this

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=329779

looks better than this :

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=496211

P.S. If anyone's on the lookout for a early Ci Coupe bargin I just came accross this on Carzone.....
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=572988

CarLover

BnA wrote:

I would strongly advise against buying that car for 2 reasons. 1 practical, 1 not so.

1) When the time comes for you to more on, you will find it almost completely impossible to sell. I don't mean difficult or it may be a bit of a pain in the butt to sell, I mean it will be nigh on impossible to sell.

I know it doesn't matter to you and fair play to you but generally Compacts are only ever bought by people who want to get a bare fingernail into the BMW badge. They cannot pay the Tax\Insurance and MPG's on a 2.5 litre car. They will only want 1.6 or maybe the 1.8 at a stretch. But, 2.5 not a hope.

On the other hand, larger engined BMW's are bought by people who are more into their cars and into their BMW's in particular and are not afraid to spend a few quid on Tax and Juice to drive a nice car. And (as the reply's in this thread will have shown you) to the vast vast majority of those people, the Compact is quite simply embarassing. The Coupe is cool, the Saloon isn't bad, but the Compact is awful.

So basically, people who buy Compacts want small engines. People who want power, don't want compacts.

2) My second point is the same as everyone else here. It is utterly utterly awful.

How about something like this (And you'll save yourself a grand):
http://www.cbg.ie/Car_detail.asp?CBGID=589667&ID=874619&NumPics=3&Make=BMW&Model=325i%20SE&frmFilter=#

Or you have any number of E36 or 46 coupes to choose from. Can you honestly tell me that you think this

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=329779

looks better than this :

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=496211

P.S. If anyone's on the lookout for a early Ci Coupe bargin I just came accross this on Carzone.....
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=572988

Absolutely spot on post!!

CarLover

Biro wrote:

To be honest, the 3-series handling characteristics are a little over-rated. It is good, and the steering is nice in them, but they're not exceptional. RWD isn't necessarily equal to better handling either. Compare for example an integra type R to a peugeot 505!! It does help for sure, and for two cars with a well configured chassis and a sporty orientation, the RWD will give a sharper drive no question.
For the normal driver though I can't think of a reason to push them towards a 3-series over, say, an A4. Each have pro's and cons, and most new 3-series buyers I reckon wouldn't know which wheels were driven anyway, let alone be fussy about their steering inputs.

The coupe has far better handling to the saloon. And it's RWD steering/ handling characteristics are pretty obvious if you step into an A4 afterwards. But again I'm not comparing like for like. I've driven a 1.8T before and various 3 series. There's no comparison in my opinion.
The overall experience is quite different. I suppose it depends on how into cars you are. I'm not necessarily a badge snob...love lots of cars as long as they're good. But I would definitely notice the difference.

I'd agree though that if you're driving a 316 or 318i you may not see what all the fuss is about!

prospect

Elessar wrote:

I am also interested in the 3 series. Can we get some more opinions. Apart from the badge, what sets it apart from say, a similar spec A4 or Passat (which are generally cheaper at the same level)?

First of all, I assume you are interested in the 3 series saloon, if you are comparing to an A4 or Passat.

Personally, and this is only personal opinion (as nearly everything else you hear on boards), I think very little sets it apart.

The BMW is a fine car. They are nicely built and reliable. But are they worth the premium price tag, NO. The only main differences between the 3 series and the other cars you mentioned are the price, the standard equipment and the BMW is RWD.

Is the BMW more reliable, NO. It is reliable, but it is far from the most reliable brand on the market.
Is it the ultimate in performance, unless you go for an M car, NO. Some models performe better than rivals, but similarly the opposite is also true.
Do you get more standard equipment for your money, NO.
Do you get better re-sale, sometimes, but not always. You really need to get a high spec'd one to guarantee good resale as there are so many 3-Series BMWs on the market. You will pay a premium for a top spec machine, and this kinda negates the resale argument.

Everything else is subjective, looks, interior design. I find the looks to be, meh. I find the interior to be harsh and bland. But others love that.

So, I would say drive them all, and decide on which one you think you would WANT to drive, as opposed to which car you HAVE to use to go to work in the morning.

Elessar

prospect wrote:

First of all, I assume you are interested in the 3 series saloon, if you are comparing to an A4 or Passat.

Personally, and this is only personal opinion (as nearly everything else you hear on boards), I think very little sets it apart.

The BMW is a fine car. They are nicely built and reliable. But are they worth the premium price tag, NO. The only main differences between the 3 series and the other cars you mentioned are the price, the standard equipment and the BMW is RWD.

Is the BMW more reliable, NO. It is reliable, but it is far from the most reliable brand on the market.
Is it the ultimate in performance, unless you go for an M car, NO. Some models performe better than rivals, but similarly the opposite is also true.
Do you get more standard equipment for your money, NO.
Do you get better re-sale, sometimes, but not always. You really need to get a high spec'd one to guarantee good resale as there are so many 3-Series BMWs on the market. You will pay a premium for a top spec machine, and this kinda negates the resale argument.

Everything else is subjective, looks, interior design. I find the looks to be, meh. I find the interior to be harsh and bland. But others love that.

So, I would say drive them all, and decide on which one you think you would WANT to drive, as opposed to which car you HAVE to use to go to work in the morning.

You know, in essence I would agree with you. BMWs are expensive cars. I was looking at the coupe or the saloon (wouldn't go for a hatchback like that), but it's like anything, you're paying for a premium brand and supposedly good driving. Like people who buy Sony tvs or expensive alienware PCs knowing there are other models that are similar for much cheaper.

The only way to find out is to drive the cars, which I will do once I get my full licence.

How is the coupe (318i/320D) compared to the saloon models?

Mc-BigE

OP. any pics of the car your looking at? I’ve seen a couple of nice ones around with wider wheels and a nice body kit (BMW kit i think) which improves the looks .
325 engine is going to be expensive to tax and insure if your young.

you should also look at the Audi A3 (newer 3 door model) as an alternative

Eoin

Elessar wrote:

How is the coupe (318i/320D) compared to the saloon models?

You should probably start a new thread for this?

I don't think the e46 coupe came in a diesel model (320CD) over here - I certainly have yet to see one on Irish plates. The e46 coupes are named with a "c" after the number - e.g. 318ci, where as the saloon will be 318i or 318SE etc (I think this denotes the trim level).

Mc-BigE

Interesting info. Thanks to everyone that put loads of effort in to their posts!

My views.
Looks wise its subjective and I'm not too pushed on what people think it looks like to be honest. I quite like it.. Lets face it if everyone had the same taste in cars it would be quite a boring world.

Tax, insurance and running costs have been priced and look managable.

BnA: Interesting point about selling on, I don't agree 100% with you but it is something I want to look into further.

So Far for me:
For:
Good Performance
RWD / handling
Looks (no sniggering down the back!)


Against:
Possible lack of resale value
Fuel /Tax

Mc-BigE wrote:

OP. any pics of the car your looking at? I’ve seen a couple of nice ones around with wider wheels and a nice body kit (BMW kit i think) which improves the looks .
325 engine is going to be expensive to tax and insure if your young.

you should also look at the Audi A3 (newer 3 door model) as an alternative

http://carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=329779

Edit: fixed url

RobAMerc

eoin_s wrote:

You should probably start a new thread for this?

I don't think the e46 coupe came in a diesel model (320CD) over here - I certainly have yet to see one on Irish plates.

Yes there is - 320cd is the coupe diesel you can even get a convertible diesel too.

Eoin

RobAMerc wrote:

Yes there is - 320cd is the coupe diesel you can even get a convertible diesel too.

I know there is one available, I have just seen feck all of them over here. I have seen a few on carzone alright, at least one of them on UK plates. If it was available over here, I would have thought it would be a much more common sight.

Fey!

OP - whilst I don't personally like the looks of the compacts, the best of luck with it if you choose it.

I am inclined to agree with posters who have mentioned the difficulty of resale - consider that the main dealer is finding it difficult to shift, and they'll be warrantying it. The 2.5 version will probably not appeal to many, as I feel the compact is more for the badge snobs (I feel the same about the 1 series).

Having only driven an e36 compact (the older one), I found it to be more cramped to drive than it's coupe counterpart (that said, I'm big and fat!). This may not be the same with the e46, though.

Best of luck with it.

Stky10

As the owner of a compact, there's nothing wrong with them. I like the look of them, whereas I don't like the look of most of the saloons (although I like the coupe's, I'll probably trade up to one next time I'm in the market). That doesn't mean I was looking for a "bare fingernail into the BMW badge" when I bought it. I couldn't really give a monkeys for the BMW badge or for those that think it important either. I'll drive what I like, and not what someone who wonders if people think him silly or a w***er by what he drives thinks. I've got quite a few compliments from friends/acquaintances since I've got it about how well it looks (it being in black helps probably).

While most compacts in Ireland are the 1.8L 316ti petrol, if you search around enough you'll find a 2.0L 318ti petrol or a 2.0 diesel 320td. They'll be much easier to sell on than the 2.5L version and yet should give you the performance you're looking for without the high(er) cost of tax and fuel.

kdevitt

The compact is a smashing car to drive - will be picking up one for the missus in a few months. Thought about the 325 - but as said above, theres a limited market for it so will be going for the 320d instead.

That said - I'd avoid the one you listed. The interior is definitely an acquired taste and I'd imagine you would have issues trying to sell it on.

unkel

RobAMerc wrote:

Yes there is - 320cd is the coupe diesel you can even get a convertible diesel too.

I don't think either was ever sold in this country

kdevitt

unkel wrote:

I don't think either was ever sold in this country

They were - Joe Duffys had a 320cd for sale a while back. Lovely car too.

unkel

kdevitt wrote:

They were - Joe Duffys had a 320cd for sale a while back. Lovely car too.

There are a few other S/H ones on carzone at the moment:

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=574899

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=535033

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=568614

I thought they weren't originally sold here though?