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BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier
30250 messages, Last post on Mar 24, 2013 at 11:51 AM
You are in the BMW 3-Series Forum.What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Sedan
#25611 of 30250 bmw3'98 - known issues? by tonybse3
Feb 04, 2004 (12:27 am)
Hello,I just would like to ask for an advice...
I am planning to buy used BMW 3 coupe, most probably 318i, 1997-1998, around 60-90k miles. Can get one of these for 10k or less. Would like to use the car in weekends - for fun drive only , as a second car. But still probably I will pass 25k miles per year.
Any experience about known issues with this particular model and estimated maintenance cost would be greatly appreciated.
And is there any driving difference between 318i and 323i? Should I look for another model? Thanks in advance.
#25612 of 30250 Transmission Slip and More Promblems!!!! by stacyandbrian
Feb 04, 2004 (8:56 am)
Our 2004 "whistling" 325xi has the transmission slip problem also. 4 out of 5 mornings when I back the car out of the garage and onto driveway, when I put the car in drive, there is no response to my pressing the gas. This happens for about 2 to 3 seconds. Our driveway is on a downslope and it's scary because the car keeps rolling backwards until it engages. I am so frustrated with this car, there is a clunking sound comimg from the rear passenger side strut everytime we make a right turn or hit a bump, the car "whistles" so loud it's embarrasing and the transmission slips. I really feel cheated by bmw. I have sent 4 emails via my account in bmw's owner circle bmwna, and no response yet. My dealer calls the "whistling" normal, see for yourself and tell me what you think, i posted a mpeg of it in action, here is the link:http://bmwwhistle.tripod.com/index.htm
It's a tripod account, so sometimes it runs over it's limit, but it restores within the hour. We would appreciate anyone's help on this situation!!!! Ahhhhhh!
#25613 of 30250 aldubya by tenet1
Feb 04, 2004 (9:20 am)
The Xenons are definately worth it. This is the first car where I always feel like the lights are on at night. The biggest impact of the Xenons is in conditions where visibilty is low and when it is raining. I can only imagine how good the swiveling Xenon's are.#25614 of 30250 stacyandbrian by tenet1
Feb 04, 2004 (9:24 am)
Your situation is not normal and you should do the following:1) Go to another dealer - Some dealers are just worse than others when it comes to service. Where are you located??
2) Call BMW NA directly - They could have a field Engineer come out in case the dealers are stumped
Good Luck
#25615 of 30250 Sedan vs Convertible by arielle
Feb 04, 2004 (9:36 am)
Have decided on a 325; test drove the convertible and the sedan. I think the convertible is far sharper looking than the sedan, but the practical issues of the convertible bother me (less visibility with the top up; interior noise, small back seat, moving front seat to get to back seat, small trunk space, higher price), so I'll probably go with the sedan which offers a lot more usefulness, but i don't find it as eye-catching as the convertible. in the long run if i got the convertible i think those practicality issues would drive me nuts.#25616 of 30250 When the top is up.. by kyfdx HOST
Feb 04, 2004 (9:46 am)
which is about 95% of the time, the sedan looks much better than the convertible. I love convertibles, but the trade-offs are exactly as you describe.#25617 of 30250 M# "auto-manual" by diver110
Feb 04, 2004 (11:21 am)
I have a 540i now and love it. Still, I wouldn't mind a bit more performance. The M5 is out of my league, so I am thinking about the M3. I spend a lot of time in traffic and so might perfer the "auto-manual" transmission. Does anyone know anything about it? Is it reliable? It came out in 2002. I generally find the 3 series seats a bit uncomfortable? Is the M series any better?#25618 of 30250 stacyandbrian by 325irav4
Feb 04, 2004 (3:46 pm)
Heard your MPEG. Very loud and bad. Mine is not such a whistle but a much quieter high pitched buzz. No comparison.#25619 of 30250 arielle, diver110 by nyccarguy
Feb 04, 2004 (9:47 pm)
Why not look at the coupe? The Coupes have the same lines as the convertible, just the top doesn't go down.diver110: You should go and test drive the car to see if it is comfortable for you. Are you talking about ride comfort or seat comfort? An M3 comes with a seriously track tuned (damn close to it) suspension which you may not like. It comes with sport seats which may be narrower than the average car seat.
I'm sure the SMG equipped M3 is fine, but a car like this begs to be driven by the 6-speed manual.
Have you checked out your local Mercedes-Benz dealership? They make a very good automatic transmission (with automanual controls) and MBs are generally comfortable cars.
#25620 of 30250 arielle by ksoman
Feb 05, 2004 (4:33 am)
wow, i've never heard anybody compare sedans and convertibles.... and in addition to other things, there's almost a $7-$10K spread, depending on how you option out...as a convertible owner, i can tell you, the space limitations are certainly "REAL", but so is the BIG WIDE GRIN on your face that nothing else will replace... for me, this car was not a people or luggage hauler and i'm not a SUV buyer, so the convertible made a great car #2
ksso
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