BMW 323i

Author's Car rating:

Safety	Excellent
Comfort	Good
Customer service	Satisfactory
Security	Excellent
Looks	Excellent

Advantages:	STYLING, IMAGE, BUILD QUALITY
Disadvantages:	LACK OF SPACE, EXPENSIVE SPARES/SERVICING

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full car review

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!

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