2001 vs. 2002 weight/acceleration

1490 Views 18 Replies 11 Participants Last post by bob wilson, May 10, 2002

330Guy

Discussion Starter · May 7, 2002

After looking up the stats, the 2001 3-series weigh, on average, 100+ pounds more than the 2002 models. Yet, BMW listed them at the same 0-60 time. I think they're just lazy.

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A hundred pounds isn't a whole lot of weight in the scheme of things (about 3%, or roughly the difference between a car with a full tank of gas and a car with an empty tank), but every little bit makes a difference I guess. It's pretty rare for a car to lose weight in this stage of the design's life; usually the weight creeps up as the design ages. Where did the weight go?

Based on your claims (roughly):

(2001 330Ci) 3385/225 = 15.0 lbs/HP
(2002 330Ci) 3285/225 = 14.6 lbs/HP

Not a huge difference there, but still measurable. Just a guess, but I think you would be able to feel a difference in the twisties more than anywhere else.

--SONET

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SONET

· #5 · May 7, 2002

I'm not very familiar with the xi to be honest. Is the gearing any different than the other cars you mentioned?

(Putting on flame-retardant suit) Also, isn't the drivetrain on an AWD vehicle less efficient in getting power to the wheels? I know they can launch better due to better traction if you put the clutch through hell, but I'm talking about the percentage of power that actually makes it from the engine to the wheels. Could this be another factor, or is the difference in efficiency negligible?

I know... I'm reaching, but being a cluebie I can't come up with any better ideas. I'm just looking for some other variables that might be out there other than the weight difference.

Another variable could be the marketing department. I would probably suspect that more than anything else!

What do 'independent' tests look like? Do they show the same discrepancy?

--SONET

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SONET

· #7 · May 7, 2002

Not that two ticks matter, but http://www.edmunds.com/new/2002/bmw/3series/330cirwd2drcoupe30l6cyl5m/specs.html?id=lin0018 has the 330ci doing 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. I have seen at least two other sources with the same claim... but of course testing conditions, testing methods (corrected?), the car itself, and the DRIVER are all variables that work against eachother.

I have never put much weight on 0-60 times myself... personally I have always found 1/4 mile times to be much more telling of straight-line acceleration. :dunno:

--SONET

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SONET

· #11 · May 7, 2002

RChoudry said:
What do you think?

I assumed that my car would come without the washers because I didn't order PP. However, I have read in more than one place that there is a law in the US that requires xenon headlights to have a self-cleaning mechanism. This law may be outdated, but it made me question whether or not my car will come equipped with the washers.

Personally I don't think I would ever use them anyway because of the mess they make. The water/solution has no planned escape route like the ones pointed at the windshield... the solution will end up on the hood, the bumper, and possibly even on the side of the car. What a mess! I'd rather get out and clean them myself.

I do think the washers make the car look a little better up front, but aesthetics played a secondary role in my decision to buy this car anyway.

--SONET

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