The BMW 325- A Great Car With One Huge Problem

I have owned a BMW 325 for the past six years and have come to love the model. The 325 is relatively affordable and sporty, yet practical when it comes to most purposes. However, after six years with mine I began to notice a few things happening that told me it was perhaps time to look at a newer model. Hence, the trade- in for the 2003 BMW 325.

I have always said that I would never purchase a new car. My thought has always been that the depreciation is just too quick and the benefits gained are just not worth it in the end. While I still think I am right, I could not help myself. I wanted a truly new car once in my life and simply fell in love with the new 325.

THE SPECIFICS:

* 185 horsepower 2.5 liter 6 cylinder engine
* 5 speed transmission
* 4 wheel disc brakes
* 16 inch alloy wheels
* Front and side airbags
* Dynamic Stability Control for all weather driving
* Leather wrapped steering wheel
* Built in CD player
* 20 MPG/ City 29 MPG/ Highway
* Vehicle and key memory

So, what does all of this mean? Well, I can assure you that I am not one to get too technical when it comes to automobiles. What I can tell you is this all adds up to a fairly quick, sporty, safe, and comfortable car.

WHAT I LIKED:

* The 2003 BMW 325 has the same feel as my 1996 325. One thing that I really like about the 325's in general is that they have a solid feel to them. Are they significantly heavier than any other similar size car- no. However, they give you the feeling that they are. For instance, when you close the doors, there is a nice thump rather than a clink. The difference is akin to an oak door and a screen door closing.

* The car also handles very well. The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system works well in making sure the car is stable. In other words, the DSC helps you hug the road while going around bends and changing lanes. The All Season Traction (AST) control is a part of this. The function of the AST control is to make driving in hazardous conditions (Rain or snow) a safer experience. Both of these functions are automatic- you do not have to activate them. The AST control can be manually activated if you so chose.

But beyond all of the fancy abbreviations, the car handles well. The famous German engineering means you take the curves a little faster than in other cars. You can feel yourself hugging the road as if you were driving a high performance sports car.

* The exterior. Plain and simple, I find the exterior to be sexy, but not "loud" as so many of the newer model cars are. In other words, the 2003 BMW 325 in not going to turn all heads when driving down a busy street like a Porsche tends to. However, your date will never get up and leave when you pull up in a 325.

A lot of this comes down to personal feelings. Some people may find a Porsche distugusting (I do. Most of the owners are too young to be driving a car that costs more than a college education. They look like they are trying too hard to be "the man".) and others may feel the same way about the 325. I find the exterior styling to be minimalist, but also sexy.

* The interior. The interior is classic BMW- leather upholstery, comfortable seats, plenty of room. The upholstery looks wonderful and, if my old 325 is any indication, wears well if you take of it. The interior provides enough room for a 6"5 250 lbs man to sit comfortably. Now I would not try this with the backseat, but in the front seats there is not a problem. The leg room can be a little tight in the back, but find me a mid- sized car where that is not the case.

When I purchased my original 325 I learned one thing; I will never again purchase a car that does not have heated seats. The 2003 BMW 325 has heated seats and I must say they warm up so quickly that you do not even have time to get cold. There are three levels (Warm, hot, and hotter) and the heat will warm you from the knees to the top 1/3 of your back.

* From a safety perspective, the newer model is much safer than my original. The changes include side airbags and dual roll bars. Hopefully, the side air bags are never needed, but along with the front air bags, I feel fairly safe if I am involved in a collision.

* The cockpit. Over the past few years BMW has moved more and more toward placing as many of the normal controls (Stereo controls, air conditioning and heating controls, etc.) on the steering wheel and column. I like the moves from an ease of use and safety perspective. The 325 allows you to control the stereo, the BMW phone (Optional), and cruise control from the steering wheel. As one who fidgets with the stereo every couple of seconds, I love the new controls.

All of the gauges and critical readings are easy to find and read within the cockpit. As with my previous 325, the computer system provides a lot of feedback on various levels (Temperature, miles travel, average MPG, etc.). However, I often wonder how much of this is really needed.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:

* The trunk is not exactly the best constructed. While the 325 trunk is plenty deep for my needs, the problem comes with the depth. I typically have a set of golf clubs in the back of the trunk (The end at the back of the trunk.) and still have difficulty getting various things into the trunk due to the lack of depth. For instance, getting full grocery bags in can require a little creativity. Another problem is that the trunk is narrower about a 1/3 of the way back. What this means is that if you want to get three golf bags in the trunk, you have a very tight fit.

One problem that I had with my original 325 and my parents have also had (2002 BMW Wagon) involves the trunk lock. For whatever reason, I suddenly found myself unable to unlock the trunk via the key chain. You could hear the lock sounding as if it wanted to open, but it would not make it. My parents had the same problem with their wagon. With the 325 you can still get in with the key or the manual release. However, I would like to think that BMW has figured out the problem.

* The brake dust problem. I am not sure why, but BMW has always had the problem of brake dust collecting in the front rims. I know that this is not a big problem, but it is an annoying one. The problems arises when you get the car washed and then three days later have a clean car- with the exception of the rims. The rims look like they need cleaning despite the rest of the car being spotless.

* Extras that annoy: The BMW glove compartment flashlight is nor worth much. Ok, so you break down and need a light. The glove compartment flashlight provides as much light as a cigarette lighter and that is not much help. In my original 325, the light broke apart after a couple of years and no use.

The BMW phone system. In this day and age just about who can afford a BMW can also afford- and has- a cell phone. I do not see the need to have one that is based on your car. I am sure it is a good phone, but who needs it?

I really wish BMW would not offer the bi- xenon headlights. I think we all have experienced times when the extra bright blue tinted headlights have slightly blinded us. BMW offers these lights and the reason is two- fold: One, they are the "in" thing right now and, two, they add a few hundred dollars of cost to the vehicle. The lights are optional.

* A caution. Although the steering wheel controls are wonderful, I would suggest caution the first few times you use them. Eventually you will become comfortable and know where your fingers are in relation to the various controls. Until you are comfortable with the controls, you may find that you have a tendency to look down at the steering wheel to operate the controls. As you may imagine, this is not a good idea.

* The BMW idea of service. I have been annoyed since the first time I took my original 325 to get an oil change. I pulled into the neighborhood "Quik Lube" and was told that they could not reset the computer.

Ok, I did know what that meant. I found out that BMW does not suggest you get your oil changed every 3,000 miles, rather every 10,000 or so (A good thing from a cost perspective). I also found out that the computer on the dash will tell you when you are due for an oil change. Furthermore, I found out that to get the computer reset, you need to have the service performed at BMW.

While the service is great, I do not care for the way BMW basically forces you to bring the car to them regardless of what service is being performed.
THE FINAL CALL:

So, what is the huge problem that my heading refers to? Well, the trunk problem. In other words, this is a great car. If the worst problem that I can find with the 2003 BMW 325 is the trunk, well, that is a good thing.

Would I purchase it again? Yes, I would. I would not think twice about it. I intend to ammend my thought on never purchasing a new car to something along the lines of everyone should own a new car once in their life.

I figure that at this point BMW has me. The BMW marketing strategy revolves around getting the younger buyer into the 325 model and then getting you hooked on their product. The hope is that as you age, you will move toward the 5 or 7 Series models and, hence, spend more and more money. I am far from upgrading another step and feel no need to; the 2003 BMW 325 is as a good a car as I feel I need.