My first taste of the BMW experience was behind the wheel of a 1999 BMW 323iSE. I immediately became addicted! The car was bought second hand from a franchise dealer, as a replacement for my tired Peugeot 405. The BMW had previously been used as a company car, and as such, had a high mileage ... Read review
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My first taste of the BMW experience was behind the wheel of a 1999 BMW 323iSE. I immediately became addicted! The car was bought second hand from a franchise dealer, as a replacement for my tired Peugeot 405. The BMW had previously been used as a company car, and as such, had a high mileage (it was less than 3 years old, but had covered 67,000 miles). However, the BMW service history was complete, and as it had just received a major service, it ... ...was fitted with a genuine BMW styling package, which meant sports bumpers front and rear, and side skirts. The interior, though bereft of leather, had been treated to wood trim, and in the boot nestled a 6 disc CD player. These items were additions to an already generous spec - air conditioning with climate control, six airbags, cruise control, electric (one touch) windows and mirrors, on board computer, remote central locking, PAS, ABS - the list ... more
My first taste of the BMW experience was behind the wheel of a 1999 BMW 323iSE. I immediately became addicted! The car was bought second hand from a franchise dealer, as a replacement for my tired Peugeot 405. The BMW had previously been used as a company car, and as such, had a high mileage (it was less than 3 years old, but had covered 67,000 miles). However, the BMW service history was complete, and as it had just received a major service, it would not need to visit the garage again for 15,000 miles.
The specification on the car was good, though it did lack some desirable items - instead of leather (a 'must have' on a BMW) there was Anthracite cloth and the car had a manual transmission, rather than the sought after automatic. However, the original owner did opt for some non-standard items. The car was fitted with a genuine BMW styling package, which meant sports bumpers front and rear, and side skirts. The interior, though bereft of leather, had been treated to wood trim, and in the boot nestled a 6 disc CD player. These items were additions to an already generous spec - air conditioning with climate control, six airbags, cruise control, electric (one touch) windows and mirrors, on board computer, remote central locking, PAS, ABS - the list is endless.
The car benefited from a standard traction control system which generally lay dormant - however, when things got a bit icy, it would kick in. The interior was very well built - even after 80,000 miles, it was still free of rattles. Safety items include a reach/rake adjustable steering column, an auto dimming rear view mirror, height adjustable seatbelts (with pretensioners), and six airbags - there is even a comprehensive first aid kit stowed under the passenger seat. Controls for the stereo and cruise control are conveniently located on the steering wheel. On this particular model, the stereo also compensated for road noise - the faster you went, the louder the hifi became. Ironically, due to the general quietness of the car, the system actually over compensated! One of the features that impressed me most was the ability to open and close all the windows from the remote key fob. You can pop the boot too...
Now, what about performance? Well, first, it needs to be noted that the model designation is a bit misleading. Once upon a time, a 316 had a 1.6 litre engine; a 323 had a 2.3 litre engine and so on. However, this is no longer the case. When the previous generation 3 Series (E36) was face lifted, the 320 was replaced by the 323, and the 325 was replaced by the 328. The engine in the 323 was actually a detuned version of the 2.5 litre unit, pushing out 170bhp instead of the 325's original 192bhp. This is the same engine that is found in the E46 3 Series. So, a 2.5 litre, straight 6 cylinder engine, developing 170bhp. The engine itself is smooth, quiet, and delivers punchy performance. The car was also surprisingly economical - the onboard computer showing an average fuel consumption of 31mpg.
One criticism I would make is that the gearing is short - it was necessary to shift to third gear before 60mph was reached. It is theoretically possible to reach this speed in 8 seconds, but real life progress was hampered by the need to make two gear changes. Top speed is 146mph, but such figures can only (legally) be attained in the car's homeland of Germany. The ride quality was very good, but the trade off came in cornering performance - though more than up to the task, it was not overtly sporting.
Standard 3 Series shortfalls apply - there is a distinct lack of space in the rear as a result of the intruding transmission tunnel. Therefore, the 3 Series is only comfortable as a four seater. Though a central lap belt is provided, the car should only occasionally be used to transport five passengers. BMWs must have a full BMW service history, which obviously comes at a price. For example, an oil change costs about £200. Having said that, service intervals are long - a factor which needs to be taken into account. While I had the car, the windscreen wipers failed, the auto dimming mirror packed up, the air recirculation valve was replaced and the exhaust sensor malfunctioned. To give you an idea of the cost of replacement parts, the wipers cost £300 to fix, the mirror was £120 (both jobs carried out by BMW). The car also failed its second MOT - new ball joints were fitted at a cost of £800. So, when buying a second hand 3 Series, it is always a good idea to seek out one with a warranty! Though they seldom go wrong, they are costly to fix!
However, these problems did not sour my ownership experience - last year I replaced the '99 323iSE with an '02 325i Sport (this time with the all important leather and auto gearbox). Once you've had a BMW, it's difficult to contemplate anything else!
Advantages: comfortable refined , safe , reliable , well placed controls Disadvantages: expensive to maintain and repair once out of warranty
...miles but i got a BMW replacement and got it fitted. The engine management light came on BMW had one look and suggested i replace the ECU at £750 i asked for a second opinion. Got that
and reset the code and cleaned a sensor and never had any problems since. Apart from the dealer cost being high , the car is reliable and comfortable to drive. Town driving is ok but after a prolonged period in traffic your leg may get tired so if you'll be spending ... ...auto.
I also found the seats a little hard , after driving for a couple of hours you may find your bottom has gone a little numb , however
this may vary from person to person dependin on age and weight
i guess. Also the leather trim is hot and sticky in the summer and
cold in the winter , so its not really the most practical but this is the same for all leather trimmed cars. If you can live with the high main dealer servicing costs and you can ...
tester30 24.12.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW 323i
Advantages: Fast, Stylish, Spacious Disadvantages: Small boot hatches make loading large items difficult.
...it yet.
With the usual BMW quality the petrol engines in this saloon (16V, 6cylinder, 2.5 litre) are made to last. So you needn't worry about buying one with over 100k on the clock. I get about 30mpg average, driving about 3miles to work and back every day and the odd 300mile trip up to yorkshire every month or so. I think 30mpg is great economy considering the weight of this car. Tank holds something like 60litres (costs me about 50 pounds to fill ... ...in all a great car, comfortable and sleek with plenty of room for upgrades (if it takes your fancy PiperX now develop an induction kit for this model).
Aha, i've just found out how to edit ;)
An unmodified 323i outputs i think 192BHP, a new 325 is said to break 218bhp, and a new 330 outing @ 258BHP if my memory serves me.
Stated price for the new 325 is £25160 and the 330 £28460. (Taken from www.bmw.co.uk on 09/06/05 - THESE PRICES MAY CHANGE) ...
Oridan 09.06.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW 323i
Value for Money
Road Handling
Comfort
Features
Fuel consumption
Looks
Quick review of BMW 323i
I have one and it is an excellent car, very smooth and reliable. It has 112k miles and still drives like a new car. ...
nighttrucker 01.07.2007 (30.06.2007)
Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW 323i
Advantages: BMW quality, power, features Disadvantages: Probably some rough examples around now
i had a E36 323i coupe for 2 years and it was bullet proof. i fitted 18" wheels, cat back exhaust and a K and N 2 induction kit. this car replaced my subaru and was a relief on my pocket, after the modifications it sounded amazing and went really well. I covered about 30000 miles in the car 50000-80000 and enjoyed every minute of it. The interior was a light grey leather which looked nice but did show signs of wear when i come to get rid of the car. ... ...when i got rid of the car jan 2007, it was a 98 on a R. The main thing to check with pre 99 cars is if it has a NIKASIL engine block. i only found this out after purchasing it but i was lucky, i believe the problem occurs when bad fuel was used (something to do with sulphur content i think) and if it occurs is new engine time. if you check this out and its fine then i still recomend this car, or any BMW, in 10 years of driving, ive owned 14 cars, ...
stepdavi 03.03.2008
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW 323i
Advantages: great design Disadvantages: servicing cost
...hand bear this in mind - parts are not cheap and will end up costing more than you think.
One tip, if its second hand, don't always go to BMW dealer to get it fixed up, most garages are perfectly good at the basic stuff and will probably charge less. ...
Simon_Davis 04.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW 323i
Advantages: Spacious, good pull away speed, cool in summer Disadvantages: 2 Doors
The BMW323i Convertible is a sleek and stylish car which has power and room together with a convertible roof for those hot summer days when you like to feel the wind in your hair. The interior has sleek rounded corners no flashy cheap trims just pure elegance. As you watch and listen to the car move it speaks volumes for its looks, sounds and speed. The BMW323i Convertible looks its best in the sleek black metalic paint with the beige leather interior. Pure elegance. Fitted with a premier sound system to complement the looks on those summer drives through the country side with the top down and wind blowing through your hair, sheer unadulterated pleasure and elegance or what! ...
Advantages: Cheap, Reliable, Fun Disadvantages: Lack of toys
Having spent the last 15 years running around in new vehicles and some nice ones at that, 528i, Cherokee, etc, I figured it was time to ditch the depreciation for once. Forking out 1700 smackers for a mint condition 323i dating back to August 1985 was a calculated gamble. With a full service history and an engine that sounds as sweet as a very sweet thing, my logic is simply that if my lack of mechanical knowledge gets me into a real lemon, then even taking it to the scrapyard in twelve months will still have cost less than running a very average new car for the same period.
It goes like stink, and the handling offers far more entertainment than anything I've driven since my first proper car a 205GTI when I was younger and dafter.
The lack of toys like aircon and e/w takes a bit of adjusting to, but in the end it's turned me into ...
jonty 24.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of BMW 320i
Advantages: power, economy, ride, headroom (no sunroof) Disadvantages: Limited boot space, tyre wear
drivers cars, so enjoy them more with a manual gearbox, which for me has returned 42.1 mpg over the 25,000 miles.
My previous car was a BMW323 petrol and I find the 330D more refined, relaxed, economical and powerful. How many cars do you know are only doing 2,500 revs at 80mph?
The downside to the car? Very little except perhaps for the tyre wear and limited boot space. The boot space issue is generic to the 3 series, the tyre wear, I think, specific to the 330D. I am looking now for a new set of rear tyres after 25,000 miles. My previous 323i only required new tyres after about 40,000 and the 318i before that , 45,000 miles.
The faults? My PDC (park distance control) has just failed, but I expect to have it fixed under warranty. Other than that (which is very minor), nothing - touch wood.
Most useless feature ...
rnichols 27.03.2003
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of BMW 330d
