2000-2005 BMW 325i

[zachcrosen]

I currently have a '90 Miata as my DD and am wanting to get something slightly bigger. I really like my Miata but its just too low to the ground and doesn't have a lot of room. I really like the look of the 2000-2005 4 door 325i. Does anyone on here have one or have had one? I have been to the BMW forums and there is a lot of general info but I would like to see first hand experiences from prior/current owners. What is a good mileage? I think I would want the Manual with a sunroof.

Any experiences are welcome!

 

[KingJacobo]

A coworker just got his 2nd 03 325i last week. First one blew off the timing belt and trashed the motor at 140k since it had never been done. In general with BMWs, avoid higher mileage. They are packed with all kinds of fancy features, but with age things break. And the maintenance cost is very high. As in, dealer oil changes alone are $100 ish. Tread carefully, have a friend thar knows BMW look it over first. A nightmare luxury car will absolutely drain your wallet.

 

[Gravik]

The M54 is a solid motor. Definitely make sure the PO kept up on maintenance. And the M54 has a timing chain, not a belt.

 

[shurur]

Had a 330xi..2002....E46 auto....we paid $13k for it. It had 86k...and was orient blue metallic with black and tan interior. It was a sought after combo.
Plenty of leg room..available in manual and auto. Never any problems.

Only thing I didn't like was the seats...they truly are just sedan seats..it's a small thing maybe..but the fun to drive sucks when you're struggling to stay in the seat.....the 325 has a 2.5.. And the 330 has a 3.0 inline....back when the model numbers still made sense.

You might want to look at a 540....545....4.4l v8... Just change out the valve cover gaskets...

I wrecked our BMW and wife got a 2003 Infiniti g35 coupe.....its a better car...plenty of articles to prove it.

 

[zachcrosen]

Shurur, I had an '04 350z and hung around a lot of G35 guys back in the day so I know they are nice cars. I want something that's around $5-7000. Not concerned with the seats as I drive a miata. Seats in those suck!

 

[SHOdown220]

All the older bmw/mercedes/German luxury cars I see come in the shop are usually so ragged out and tired. I mean I see Ford escorts and hyundai elantras with more miles and more age than most of the German cars but they are in better shape. Don't get me wrong German stuff is nice but holy hell after a few years everything quits working and the dash lights up like a Christmas tree with warnings. I would be much more inclined to buy a Japanese or American luxury car of the same year/mileage

 

[tallfreak]

The M54 is a solid motor. Definitely make sure the PO kept up on maintenance. And the M54 has a timing chain, not a belt.

This is true. The M54 is a great engine. I have customers with over 300K and still running strong. Just be prepared for the higher maintenance costs. They are fairly simple to work on as far as replacing gaskets and cooling system parts, but the parts are more expensive. Stay away from cheap replacement parts, especially in the cooling system. They rarely fit well. An E46 325 or 330 with a manual transmission is a great DD that will run forever if treated well.

Have the car checked out by a reputable BMW or at least German repair shop before you buy. They will know what to look for. If you're in the Memphis area looking at cars, the shop I work for does free inspections.

 

[sc95cobra]

I had a 2003 330 convert a few years ago. Excellent car, typical BMW maint items like lower ball joints (aluminum control arms). There are a lot of ragged out ones for sale and some E46 cars like to use excess oil. Check it out closely, less than 80k miles would be preferred but not an issue if it has been properly maintained. Maint is not too bad if you can do most of it yourself.

 

[boostownsme]

I currently have a '90 Miata as my DD and am wanting to get something slightly bigger. I really like my Miata but its just too low to the ground and doesn't have a lot of room. I really like the look of the 2000-2005 4 door 325i. Does anyone on here have one or have had one? I have been to the BMW forums and there is a lot of general info but I would like to see first hand experiences from prior/current owners. What is a good mileage? I think I would want the Manual with a sunroof.

Any experiences are welcome!

Have you thought about E30's? More room than your Miata and the last BMW to really have a fun factor that is still reliable. In your price range you could find a very nice one. And to the guy who mentioned BMW v8's ; run as fast as you can.