BMW 3 Series 323 Ci Coupe Review

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BMW 3 Series 323 Ci Coupe
3.8 stars
Average rating for this product is: 3.8 out of 5

From 6 ratings and 11 reviews

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umhaquen.'s Review of BMW 3 Series 323 Ci Coupe

11th Sep 2002

Overall Rating

4 stars
  • Value for money
    4 stars
  • Practicality
    3.5 stars
  • Performance
    4 stars
  • Reliability
    3.5 stars
Good Points

-'timeless' design will never seem dull,
-powerful engine also capable of good fuel economy,
-excellent handling.


Bad Points

-car left at side of road 2x due to relatively minor problems with engine (throttle body),
-broken door spring and broken mechanism for reclining seat at 40K Km.


General Comments

The BMW 323 Ci Coupe has a relatively small engine by North American stds. at 2.5 litres, yet it can perform like a muscle car when pushed. The tail can be spun out on dry asphalt with the 225 series tires, and on wet it is advisable to always have the traction control on. Paradoxically, when driving in less spirited manner, the fuel economy is quite good and comparable to japanese economy sedans of similar engine displacement. After driving this car for more than 50K km, I am still pleasantly impressed by engine power and acceleration. The car will accelerate strongly and evenly to its computer limited 220 kph (so i have heard).

This particular car has had enough warranty work performed to be worth mentioning. Most notably the two occasions that left the car stranded at the side of the highway. The first was due to dirty/faulty throttle-body (I cannot recall the reason for the second stall). Also there has also been at least one factory recall to replace the thermostat. Finally, the spring in the driver's side door broke/dislodged at 40K km and the latch on the driver's seat broke preventing ingress to the rear seats.

Overall, fit and finish on the car is excellent and on par with Japanese made cars. Premium grade materials are used in the interior and the list of standard features is quite extensive (eg. carbon filter, speed sensitive wipers, trip computer etc.). Moreover, apart from the rubber floor mats, the interior has held up very well after three Canadian winters.

The 323Ci looks, feels and drives like a more expensive car. I have been conservative with my rating. Ignoring my experience with the breakdowns and I would rate overall value at 9 stars. Further, I don't see how I could rate any coupe above 7 for practicality, but the more proportionate design of the 2-door compensates.

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