2005 BMW 320i Reviews

The look of the E90, BMW's generational designation for the current model, is a little more distinctive and aggressive. Just the sort of thing to puff the chest of a new owner.However, it is the first tactile contact with the car that sets the ownership experience.The solidity of the doors, the snick of finely-machined components as you slide into the seats and close the door behind you.They've still got it.BMW knows how to present a car that demands attention and the new 3 Series is no exception.The car has grown and the increased interior space is noticeable. There is more shoulder room in the front and better head and shoulder room in the rear; not a huge amount but enough to elicit comment.The boot is considerably more spacious but comes at a cost many people would rather not pay - the loss of the spare wheel.Run-flat tyres are the standard for much of the BMW range now and while they offer some advantages there are trade-offs.They are harsher and noisy on the worst of Australia's course-chip roads and around twice as expensive to replace as a regular tyre - that is if you can find one.That aside, there is little else to dislike about the 3 Series.All three models, the 320i, 325i and 330i, have their attractions, although most features are based on affordability.At the entry level, the 110kW 2.0-litre 320i starts at $49,900 for the slick little six-speed manual, but most buyers will opt for the six-speed auto which adds $2600 to the base price.As a city car, the 320 is hard to fault. When there is no need to sprint away, the little engine is refined and more than capable of holding its own in traffic.The ride is firm and comfortable and the steering precise and nicely weighted.The test car was supplied with an optional reversing camera. An admirable idea from a safety viewpoint, the concept was somewhat let down by the installation, which has the screen sitting like a blister on the dashboard, covering a passenger air vent.There is no doubt that, money no object, the 330 is the Golden Child of the 3 Series range.Wrapped around the custard-smooth 3.0-litre straight six is one of the most complete packages available to the mainstream buyer.Coupled to the six-speed steptronic auto, the new 190kW engine is a cracker.Superb balance, suction-like grip and a refined poise when approaching the limit all instill huge confidence. The fact that this all happens as you are ensconced in a cabin made for comfort and luxury is a bonus.The brakes, while not huge, have a wonderfully solid and consistent feel.What a shame you are not going to get any change out of $100,000.It is almost redundant to talk about safety in relation to this car. BMW may have one of the most extensive option lists in the market but safety, active or passive, is not an add-on.Across the full range, which has recently been awarded a maximum five-star crash rating in European testing, ABS, dynamic and cornering brake control, automatic stability control and traction, dynamic stability control and six airbags are standard fare.

Sure, the over-starched creases along its flanks are audacious and there's a hint of Dr Frank N Furter in the angular front lights thick with mascara.But this is not something from the Rocky Horror Picture Show — or if it was, it would have more to do with the conservative, clean-cut character Brad than a "sweet" transvestite from the planet Transexual.As sales records for the car show, plenty of Brads (and Janets, too) are attracted to this fifth-generation 3 Series for reasons as varied as its looks, the blue-and-white badge on its bonnet and bum, and the driving satisfaction BMW has built into the small prestige sedan over the past three decades.The model most favoured is the $54,600 320i Executive tested here, which for an extra $4700 over the baseline 320i sees the car embellished with a nicer set of wheels, front fog lights and creature comforts such as leather trim and exterior doorhandle lighting.No matter how one looks at the sums involved, it seems like a lot of dollars when there's nothing more powerful than a 110kW 2.0-litre engine underneath that front propeller logo, as well as some startling shortcomings in terms of amenities and equipment.A thoroughfare between the cabin and boot, in the form of either split-fold rear seatbacks or a ski hole, is not fitted standard. There is no electric seat adjustment or the means to alter seat lumbar support.There is a dearth of storage throughout the cabin — a small glovebox, shallow front door bins and none of the following on the car we tested: centre console dishes, centre dash drawers, an overhead console, under-seat containers or seatback pockets.Somewhere to stow a drink bottle? Forget it. The cup-holders that surface from the dashboard look and feel cheap. The window and wing mirror switchgear are placed too far away in an awkward, downward-sloping position. Executing basic tasks such as scrolling across radio frequencies take more time than should ever be the case with the (optional) iDrive controller. The exterior doorhandle on our test car kept sticking.As is BMW's wont, there is also no spare wheel, just stiffer-sidewall run-flat Michelin Pilots on the rims that, in the event of a puncture, are claimed to be able to cover more than 250km while air leaks out of them.Having said all that, those who have faith in high-tech rubber and can live without some practical features should find the 320i fits the bill. Cruise control, climate control, auto headlights, auto wipers, half-a-dozen airbags, anti-lock brakes and some of the latest electronic handling gizmos are onboard. The steering wheel has height and telescopic adjustment, tactile wands and stereo and telephone controls.Even with the instant fuel consumption gauge still taking up valuable space (for nostalgic reasons, one presumes), the instruments are well laid out. And while the driver's seat is flat and lacks under-thigh support, the comfort it offers over a long-distance tour is impressive.Rear-seat room in all directions is better than in the old model, although tall adults will hit the roof. There's not a skerrick of stowage in the back seat, and the centre position is too hard for even the most tolerant child, but there are at least a couple of air vents, map lights and a centre armrest (containing two more cheap cup-holders). The boot is an excellent size and, without that spare wheel, has a useful hole under the floor.Above all else, the reason we continue to admire the 320i, now with the codename E90, is for the manner in which it conducts itself on the road. Matching the classiness of its E46 predecessor, this longer, lighter and stiffer version continues to impress with its high degree of body control, composure and cornering grip.The electronic handling devices onboard are pleasingly non-interventionist (unless things get hairy), the steering is accurate, communicative and weighted to perfection, and the brakes are quite outstanding in their resistance to fade.The ride is supple (and firm) and refinement levels are high, although the run-flat tyres do thrum across coarse bitumen and seem to be a contributing factor in the noise and vibration that can enter the cabin across cursed sections of road.Developing 110kW at 6200rpm and 200Nm at 3600rpm, the 2.0-litre engine doesn't come close to BMW's excellent in-line sixes — doesn't cost as much, either — and with a full load onboard it forces the driver to labour with the less-than-smooth, standard-issue six-speed manual gearbox.It isn't too much of a chore. Forcing the issue with the natural-breathing in-line four brings its inherent smoothness, sweet voice and reasonable strength to the fore. The 320i also averaged a wonderful 7.8 litres per 100km over our test.Live a little with the new 3 Series and it becomes clear that BMW hasn't done the Time Warp again. The most restrained, conservative member of the household has a radical tinge and a few flaws, but its wholesomeness soon shines through.

The new Three is a sweet drive, a little roomier and more comfortable and has more of the sporty spark that always set the early 3-Series apart from rivals and potential challengers.It is a better drive than the car it replaces and we have become more accepting of the styling from a design school that seemed confronting when BMW first went down the blockhouse line with the 7-Series.The latest Three has edged ahead of the Mercedes C-Class in our affections, is a little further ahead of the Audi A4 despite the best efforts of the other German prestige carmaker and is well clear of pretenders such as the Saab 9-3 and the Lexus IS, though the Japanese brand is promising something special with the IS250 it will reveal in Australia this year.But we still find the BMW's cabin a bit bland, the ride a touch firm, it could do with more height in the boot, and we are still frustrated by the iDrive system.The bottom of bottom lines is $54,600 for a new 320i manual, though there is the 330i if you have more cash to splash and even our automatic 320i was a $67,890 machine by the time it had been down the production line with a few ticks on the optional equipment list.If that's too tough, then there is always the all-new 1-Series BMW. It comes in for less than $40,000 if you want the badge and the basics of a 118i, but even the coming 130i six-pack is going to be a $60,000-something car in Australia.But the Three is the Three and that means it is still the No.1 prestige car in its class anywhere in the world.BMW has spent more than $500 million in revitalising the 3-Series, without changing any of the basics.Still, there is plenty of hi-tech alloy in the latest four and six-cylinder engines, the braking system and electronic stability controls are even better and the car even has run-flat tyres – though people are complaining about the absence of a spare.The car is claimed to have impressive acceleration and fuel economy to meet the latest European emission standards and returns very sweet fuel economy.We drove the 320i and 330i at the Australian press preview in far north Queensland and were keen to get one back on home territory for a thorough test.ON THE ROADThe 320i is the baby of the new line-up, which will eventually grow to include a V8-powered M3 master blaster.For now, it is expected to be the best seller and the basics are impressive.The new look sets it apart from showroom rivals and tells everyone, even from a distance, that this is the new Three, not just another of the older me-too cars.But then there is the price – $67,890 for our test car. A lot for a starter car.Then again, ours came with an automatic gearbox ($2600), electric glass sunroof ($2750), rear park radar ($920), iDrive display and satnav ($3600), metallic paint ($1600) and bi-xenon headlamps with washers ($1820).From that lot, we would have kept only the auto and the brilliant lights, but we understand why people would pick the other gear.We were interested in the basics and were quickly won over by the comfortable seats, excellent driving position, meaty sound system and quiet cruising.The basic chassis seems a little sharper than the outgoing Three and the ride is firmer, making the car feel more sporty, which we like.We tried a manual and automatic and preferred the six-speed self-shifter. It is easier going in stop-start traffic, and the latest touch-change manual mode is excellent. We spent most of our time in the automatic driving it as a manual.The engine has only 110kW, but it gets along nicely, though without much zest. It will rev happily and always seems to be pulling well enough, but there isn't much feedback from the engine room.Still, BMW says it will run to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds and we got an impressive 8.2 litres/100km in pump tests.BMW has joined other carmakers in fitting a system that kills the engine if you left-foot brake in corners, which is difficult for people who have learned to use both feet for their fun runs. Like us.We are still unhappy about the run-flat tyres, partly because there is no spare, they are expensive and cannot be repaired and because they hurt the ride.BMW says we are wrong.And the opening for the boot is not nearly as large as it could be. It has plenty of space inside, but can be hard to fit taller items.THE BOTTOM LINEBMW has done an impressive job in renewing its best seller. It has plenty to like and little to criticise. It is one of those rare machines that is truly enjoyable in stop-start city snarls as well as through tight and twisty roads.

The new South African-built BMW 3 Series is now smoother, faster and bigger than the previous E46 model.While the brawnier body style takes on the corporate look of the new 5 and 7 Series, it does not have the "taxi advertising hump" on the rear boot. It looks quite more muscular and significantly bigger when lined up against the previous body shapes.I drove the "base" 320i model in six-speed auto and was immediately seduced by its refinement and sophistication.Without recording lap times, I can only go by the manufacturer's power, torque and acceleration claims of improved speed because it doesn't feel faster.In fact, it feels slower because it does everything with such smoothness that you are unaware of the speeds you are achieving — better make good use of the handy cruise control.And around southeast Queensland's at-times atrocious road surfaces, it holds on so well you can be tempted into tackling the terrain at greater speeds than before thought possible.The driving experience is obviously a lot different from the early E30 models but it is also a quantum leap in safety and dynamics from the E46.But it is not as engaging. The driver almost feels isolated from the whole experience thanks to the intervention of traction and stability controls.Despite winding the 320i up through the Blackbutt Range the two teenagers in the now larger rear compartment didn't make any of their usual complaints about car sickness.Quite the contrary, they slumbered most of the way in the sumptuous leather seats that are like a pillow-top mattress — soft to the touch with a firm, supportive base.They had been lulled asleep listening to their favourite songs on one of their iPods which was plugged in through the supplied connection kit.It's a connector that plugs into the cigarette lighter to power the iPod through the base connection, then runs a wire to an auxiliary plug in the rear of the centre console.It's all a bit of a messy gimmick with wires running all over the centre console. And only the volume can be the controlled through the multi-function wheel or the volume knob on the stereo.The connector is standard in all new E90s and 1 Series. It is a $140 option suitable for E46 3 Series, E39 5 Series, E60 5 Series, E63 and E64 6 Series, X3, X5, Z4 and Mini.There is also a $230 fully integrated iPod interface option available that allows full control of all functions including track selection while at the wheel.It is not only available for the new 3 Series, but also the previous E46, Z4 Roadster, X3, X5 and Mini.The new E90 sits on steel wheels "with full wheel cover in aluminium look" and there is no spare wheel as BMW opts for run-flat tyres.Secondary safety features include front and side airbags, and head airbags for front and rear.