2004 BMW 3 Series 320i 2.2L inline 6
Summary:
Exciting, nimble, and dependable
Faults:
Very little has gone wrong with this vehicle:
-The shifting boot and the e-brake skirt had some small cracks in the leather when I bought the car. BMW replaced both items free under warranty. It was only an aesthetic issue and only noticeable to someone a bit too in love with their car.
-I managed to suck some leaves in the HVAC system. Just had to have it flushed out. This clearly wasn't the fault of the car or BMW.
General Comments:
This has been a fantastic vehicle. I look forward to my commute to and from work every day. The sport package makes for amazing handling and the manual transmission is extremely smooth. I have taken corners quicker in this car than I ever have before and still haven't managed to squeal the tires. The vehicle has a very solid, but comfortable feel on the road.
The sport seats are extremely ergonomic and do a great job of keeping one from sliding sideways during hard cornering. Other vehicles used to give me a sore back on long road trips, but such things are a thing of the past now.
What really surprised me was the winter handling. This was my first rear wheel drive and manual vehicle, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But the car is great in winter conditions. I feel more in control than I did in all of the 4x4's my familly has owned in the past. The traction control is effective and smooth at all speeds, although sometimes needs to be turned off if you want to have some fun, or get off the line faster in snow.
I have wanted to own one of these vehicles since my dad brought a 93' 320i home and more than a decade ago. The vehicle has lived up to and exceeded all of my expectations. It never fails to turn heads and has a lot of love to give!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 15th January, 2008
7th Aug 2007, 03:31
I have a 2006 325I 6 speed manual, was great for the first 10,000km, sounds awesome at red-line, then I had to replace the diff under warranty along with the clutch which was slipping, noticed that it doesn't have a spare wheel, instead it has run flats, yeah that's great when you have to drive another 200km in the dark on the highway. The factory mobile phone car kit is broken and the car squeaks and rattles over every speed bump. I also think they are far to common, there are now five silver current model 3 series BMW's in my street. I had a C240 with 180,000km with no squeaks or rattles at all. I think I have had my stint with BMW it's time to order the new shape C-Class.