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2007 BMW 325i Sports Review Test Drive |
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Written by Rzd
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Saturday, 01 March 2008 |
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2007 BMW 325i
Sports |
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If you have been
following the BMW 3 series model from the start, you will agree that there
has never even been one generation that looks ugly. Inspired by the
classic 'BMW 2002' look that came out in 1966 followed by the first
generation in 1975 right up to the current fifth generation today (E90),
it would appear that the 3-series will never retire (considering how the
2nd generation or the famous E30 lasted for 11 years ! ). I have been
quite a follower from the days of the 3rd generation (E36) circa 1995 when
my dad purchased the 318 as an upgrade for the old 929 Mazda. It was an
automatic and we still remember what we all called the famous 'Superman'
button located at the gear console. "You only need to use this button when
in a difficult situation when you want to overtake a car son," said my
dad. Yeah right dad, we used it all the time!
Then, in late 2003 he traded the 318 E36 for the new 325 E46 after the
mileage clocked almost close to 100k. The gearbox started to rattle and
switching to 'S' mode wouldnt help the car go any faster. I still remember
Jimmy the salesman trying to convince us that the E46 was the car worth
upgrading to. The E46 comes with a Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG), Jimmy
said. He also pointed that there is a method to fix the SMG if it were to
face any problems after the warranty voids (sorry, I cant remember what he
told us). But in the E46 there was no 'S' button on the gear console. You
either had to move the automatic shifter to your left, put it on 'S' and
fiddle with the throttle, or downshift and upshift the gearlevel to play
around with the SMG. Then comes the fifth generation courtesy of BMW
Malaysia, and all hell broke loose.
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You ve been 'M'ed
The front part of the car which was infused with the M sport DNA made a
bold statement - orang kampung kata 'jantan dia sudah nampak'. Although
some might have issues with what some may say the Bangle-ism of BMW's
design, the family loved it noting how much better it looks compared to
the previous generation. With its RM20,000 premium compared to the normal
325i, you get some tiny 'M' logos on the 18" M wheels. We would really
love it if the small 'M' logo were also on the back of the trunk (stuck
besides the 325i) so people will notice that we are driving a small scaled
M version of the 3-series.
Our test unit comes in a sparkling graphite metallic color that we don’t
find stimulating - we prefer one in white (ahh been looking too much at
the new M3 again). Rummaging through the trunk you will find that it is
flat with no designated well for the spare tire, so dont panic when you
are driving through potholes. Our test unit was equipped with run-flat
tires by Bridgestone .The Bridgestone Potenza RE050 RFT is a run-flat tire
that continues to function safely up to a designated speed and distance
after losing pressure. Owners may complain about having the RFT on their
car due to their pricey nature (each tire will cost you from RM 1,500) and
the supposedly harsher ride compared to non-RFT tires but it should also
be noted that this is the only tire chosen by Ferrari for its ENZO.
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the 325i Sports comes with
satellite navigation system bundled with the iDrive ; we love playing with
the iDrive controller/knob located at the center console. |
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Interior
Since this is the sporty version of 325i, the interior features the
very sporty side of the 3-series (minus the M3, of course), a compact
dashboard with LCD display housing the onboard satellite navigation
system display, entertainment (and anything else you can think of
except the kitchen sink), a sleek and compact steering wheel with
control buttons and metal/aluminium brush trimmings for the extra
sporty look. M touches were everywhere - steering wheels, even the
door sills (as a reminder every time you enter and exit the car that
this car has been graced with BMW's M presence).The compact dashboard
was smaller than the e46’s, it complements the bigger legroom for rear
passengers (more cabin space legroom for the rear in instant benefit
from an extra 2 inches). The BMW still hasnt forgotten that the 3
series is meant to be a driver's car which is evident through the
well-positioned control buttons and the tons of other buttons on the
steering wheel. What we liked the best however was how the window
control buttons were moved from the gear console to the driver's door,
proudly announcing to the world that the 3 is not a car just for young
hot shot executives but also fitted for a Dato’ with a driver. In
short, it has a split personality – from a sports sedan to Dato’-carrying
saloon.
Driving Experience
Under the hood is a six-cylinder 2.5 liter that generates 218hp at
6500 rpm, and the maximum torque is 250 Nm @ 2750 rpm, more linear and
provides smoother power delivery compared to our daddy's E46. Although
its modest horsepower left us longing for a livelier performance, the
car performs effortlessly at high revs and stay all the way up to its
7500 rpm working well with its 6-speed steptronic transmission.
Learning the iDrive was very simple - we managed to setup the route to
KLCC in the car within the first few minutes of playing with the car.
Engaging the gear level to S would not be that enjoyable to me but
having fun with 6-speed tranny via the '+' and '-' is a must in
everyday life. Here’s a tip: do not call it a day until you have
finished playing with it. Enjoy the rev till the 7500rpm mark in every
gear, then only you can park the car. Take our words for it. You won’t
regret it.
It's like a ....
The 325i sport suspension package is a bit firm compared to the 325
E46 .So firm the car remains planted during sharp corners with the
added assistance of the DSC and DTC on the car. However, if losing a
little bit of control is your definition of fun, you can just choose
to either switch off the DSC via the DTC button by pressing it once or
totally kill off the electronics by holding the DTC for a few seconds.
When we first got the car we thought the exhaust note was not as
aggressive as the 325i e46 but a quick sprint race between the two
proves that although you get sweeter exhaust note on the e46, it wasnt
enough to get close to the e90. Plus, if you decide to break the speed
limit the reduced NVH would assist you to reach up to 220 kmh
effortlessly which was clearly quite a struggle in the e46.
Conclusion
With the premium price it is asking, we would really love it if it
came with a paddle shift. Priced at RM309,800, we recommend the E90 to
anyone who can afford one because it is only RM18K more than the base
model 325 series. If you have an E46 325i and currently reading this
review, we personally feel this car is better than the one that you
have right now. On the day we returned the E90 to BMW Malaysia, we had
to send the family's e46 to Auto Bavaria Sg Besi to replace its
ignition coils - a result of its vehement struggle against the e90.
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picture together with the 2004
BMW 325 ( E46) |
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this 325i Sports is fully equipped with M aerodynamics
; looks more muscular and convincing than e46 |
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to some people the rear end is
a turn off but whatever it is ,the 3 series still remains as the bread and
butter for BMW |
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Dakota leather upholstery for
the 325i ; center armrest in rear with cupholders. |
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powered with inline 6 ;
producing 218 bhp @ 6500 rpm with the maximum torque of 250 Nm @
2750 rpm |
with a displacement of 2497 cc
and mated to the 6-speed automatic transmission with Steptronic |
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you need 3-word to describe
the car -
curvy ,muscular and mean. |
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more pictures
and details click here |
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ends |
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