bmw 3 series 325 ci coupe review

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Average Ratings

Performance	9/10
Practicality	7.9/10
Reliability	9/10
Value for Money	8.1/10
Reviewer Rating	9.1/10
Overall Rating	7.3/10

93% Recommended14 out of 15 Reviews

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By Paul F. on 10th Jan 2002

Paul F.'s Ratings

Performance	9/10
Practicality	9/10
Reliability	10/10
Value for money	10/10
Overall value	10/10
Paul F.'s recommendation

Good Points

Quiet and refined, but still enough "nice" noise when you use the right foot on the "LOUD" pedal. Always gets admiring looks and positive comments. UK dealer has been helpful even though I imported the car from Belgium. MPG's surprisingly good - averaged 30mpg over 29,500 miles in 15 months. Tank full gives approx 450 mile range. Quick (as quick as you'd need in the UK) off the mark and allows safe and sure overtaking. Xenon headlights give great visibility. Harmon Kardon system is good value for money BUT (see Bad points). Automatic windscreen wipers for £60 (imported price) are great - wouldn't have purchased if at UK pricing. Heated sport seats are very comfortable and the electric adjustment and memory is very useful if changing drivers/getting back from servicing/getting child seats in the back.
Climate control/aircon/heating is efficient and with the heated seats, it takes only a minute or two to be on your way in comfort.
Servicing costs (so far) have been remarkably low. £150 for 15000 miles and quoted £250 for the 30000 mile inspection 1.

Bad Points

Harman Kardon hi fi system has a number of rattles! I have looked through a number of on-line forums for solutions, and have fixed the rear shelf rattle at a cost of approximately £2.50 (using some foam plumbing pipe insulation and 30 minutes work) with a marked improvement in sound quality. This is not the best in car hi fi you can buy, but for the relatively small extra cost for the HK system over the standard system - very well worth it. I'd only bother looking elsewhere if I was in the market for a £2500+ after market hi-fi - and then you have to find one that doesn't ruin the sleek lines of the BMW kit if you choose a 3rd party head unit. Have just asked BMW dealer to address a rattle in one of the front door speakers (I do use about 80% bass setting).
Cleaning the car is a full time job.
Import warrantee only 1 year - have had to buy extended warrantee to take to 3 years (but still saving loads against UK price).

General Comments

My BMW 325 Ci Coupe was imported through Carbusters.com (now no longer with us) at a saving of over 19% against the UK price at that time (inclusive of extras - 17" type 44 Alloys/Metalic/Xenons/Headlamp washers/Sport Seats/heated seats/Leather & cloth trim/parking distance control/Dynamic stability control/rain sensor wipers/exterior mirror kit/Harmon Kardon hi fi/CD changer/Professional hi fi head unit with CD/Arm rest/chrome trim/chrome gear knob & handbrake/mats/cuddly toy/conveyor belt). The worst part of that was the VERY long wait of over 8 months. The car arrived with full UK specification, plus a few freebie extras - I think because the car came through Belgium.
The only quibble I had was that a side rubbing strip was not affixed correctly - and this was addressed FOC by a UK dealer within a couple of days who obtained, painted and fitted a new strip.
Since then, it's been virtually plain sailing.
The UK dealers I have visited for servicing have been 1st class and not as expensive as I had expected. I've been kept informed of what was going on and when my car was going to be ready. The main (but minor) annoyance is the rattles from the Harmon Kardon speakers. My car is just in for servicing again and I've had to repeat a request to stop the rattle from a front door speaker, which was replaced and re-fitted at the 1st service. I'd have thought BMW would have resolved the rattles by now. Apparently they appear mainly on Coupes.
Of course - I could have had the 330Ci, but the small improvement in performance seems a bit wasted in this country. I'm very happy with the power available and the way this car puts it down. The brakes are also more than capable! Wind noise is subdued. I have recently changed all four tyres (for a more sporty/grippy feel) going from Bridgestone RE30s to Bridgestone S03 pole Positions. These do produce more road noise on poor road surfaces, but TONS of feedback and grip in the dry and amazing levels of grip in the wet.
The only option I miss having is SatNav - because even the import price was a steep £1600! I'm thinking of getting the Garmin Streetpilot 3 instead - It's just £699 and because it is not fixed to the car - my girlfriend can use it if I let her.
As the car is a coupe, of course getting into the back is less easy - but who cares - I don't have to do that! Getting the child seat in is now quite routine, and the front seats do lift quite a way forward to assist. That and the fact that rear load space is slightly (by a few inches) impeded by the HK subwoofers have made me reduce the practicality rating to 9 (I must say though that with 2 passengers in the back - they do complement the comfort once they're in! - And you can do three adults in the back for not too long journeys!)
As for performance - It's got almost everything you'll ever need under that bonnet (unless you insist on every last ounce of power available - in which case spend more on the 330 or M3 - if you've got money to burn) so I feel it deserves 9.5 out of 10 but that's not an option so I put 9.
The decision to go with the 325Ci Coupe was made after testing the Lexus IS200 and refusing to ever go near an Alfa Romeo ever again (very pretty cars, but who can afford such awful reliability, high costs, rude dealers and basement residuals - yes - I've been there, but never ever again!) The Lexus was nice, but a little bit slow and the trim was nowhere near as refined as the BMW - still the IS300 may make up for some of that.
In summary of the BMW 325Ci Coupe, I would recommend not buying one - I want to keep them a bit exclusive!
PS. Topaz blue looks fantastic, but cleaning the car is getting to be a full time job! (I'd never subject my car to going through an automatic car wash). Get silver (my 2nd choice) as it looks good clean or dirty, black or gold look good on coupes as well, but they also show quite a lot of dirt. - But you're not going to buy one are you - so that doesn't matter.

Total Respect: +18