A new 2006 330 passed me on the way home and I had a chance to get a decent view of the car. I was not impressed with the new exterior...way to busy with ridges that never seem to flow together. The rear of the car is just plain ugly. I think Infiniti and others will continue to chip away at BMW if they continue to release these strange designs.

 

At these even stranger prices..

Article in Automobile talks about the 325 being a better overall ride than the G. Funny - they are comparing a 215HP 6 to the G's 300, and they even say the G has better steering.

The 325 starts at about $32K.

I've said it a million times, BMWs are fantastic cars, but with their record of reliability I don't see the price being justified by the product. You're not getting an extra 10K of handling. No way.

 

Basic rule of thumb-never own a BMW that is out of warranty. I got a 1995 540i 6 spd (very rare car) in 98 with an additional 2 yrs CPO warranty which brought me to 01. After that I have put in over 6K in repairs. Never again.

 

As a recent BMW fanatic - I back you on every claim.

1. The G should be compared to the likes of 5/E/A6 not 3/C/A4.
2. I recently test-drove the new 3. If a Lexus type ride is better - then yes the 3 has a better overall ride.
3. No way extra $10K of handling in 3 (and I owned the highly acclaimed Performance Pkg 3).
3. Reliability - that's the price some pay (maybe that's why these cars Lease so well).

So here's a funny story:
Once there was this guy who owned his 3 outright. As a result of good consumer awareness and research, resulting in litigation settlement plus high trade in-value for the 3 - the G cost him <$200 instead of $Ks. Worked for him, since he thought the G was better than the 3 at MSRP+Dealer Mark-up. (I know above is cryptic, sorry).

 

I like the look of the new 325 I just saw yesterday on broad. Looking at it from front/side it appears much larger and very 5 like. I think it's appealing in black more than other colors. Loving my G for the next several years (unless the Mazda 3 demons take over from within my cheap side that wants a new house) but I would definetely consider a 325 with it's 3.0 litre motor. I'd buy it, own it for 3 years and sell it for 75% of what I paid. None of that steering wierdness BMW gets you to pay more for - just the basic car as light as I can get it with a 6 speed manual. BMW will sell a ton of these. That's the one bad side - they'll be more ubiqutious than the last but who cares, it doesn't matter when it's you the car and the open road.

 

What do you expect? The car is 10 yrs old. No car lasts forever. If you don't wanna deal with repairs, flip the car before the warranty is up. That's what I do.

 

He put in 6k since 2001. The car is -now- 10 years old. I'm sure he would feel differently if he had to put 6k into it in years 10-14.

The point you are missing is that there are other cars reliable up to 10 years, and BMWs simply are not - and they cost a whole lot less. I would only ever own one if I switched cars every 3-4 years, like you do. I like to get more out the money I spend on a car, but that's me.

 

i drove the new 325i a few weeks back.... it drive great. but the engine sucked.
the new Audi 2.0FSI had a much better power curve and useable torque then the new 325's 3.0L I6!!!

 

now forgive my ignorance, but isn't the 325 using a 2.5L I6 and thr 330 using the 3.0L I6, or did BMW fudge up their numbering system? I keep forgettin the coupes are going to be called 4 series now..which is gonna be real weird because I think M3 stays....

 

Hyde:

"the new Audi 2.0FSI had a much better power curve and useable torque then the new 325's 3.0L I6!!!"

Ditto!

I picked-up an A4 2.0 FSI CVT for my wife earlier this year.
The FSI CVT combination delivers phenomenal and effortless low-end torque compared to the two Bimmer I6s. Audi interior is also top-notch.

 

i tested the 2.0FSI with DSG.... now thats even better

that gear box makes BMW's SMG feel like a guy that cant drive manual

 

i happened to see one today too, as you said the back is so ugly, i didnt even know what to think. the front is good, though

 

i think the new 3 series look sweet.
no one really liked the new 5 when it came out but now, WOW they are soo hot!

just wait till someone hooks one up.

 

Not for 2006. The 325 has a 215 hp 3.0 litre. The 330 uses a 3.0 litre as well but pumps out 255 hp.

I saw a sedan the other day..not too impressed...looked kinda like a 5 series that was shortened. I still have yet to see a coupe...they've always looked better than the sedan. I agree with everyone...the extra $$$ for it is not worth it...especially with their reliability record.

 

Leave it to BMW to totally screw up their numbering scheme. The Coupe aka 4 series won't be out until late this year or next yr.