Has anyone here gone from a 2 door 3series to a 4 door 3 series or vica versa

3922 Views 46 Replies 21 Participants Last post by AF, Mar 28, 2002

AF

Discussion Starter · Mar 22, 2002

I was just wondering because one day in the future when I trade in my 330Ci I was thinking of possibly getting a 330i (or some other 4 door) and wanted some peoples experiences.

Whenever I drive my 2 door I feel like I am driving a sports car but I can't imagine the 4 door feeling the same way. I know the cars are almost the exact same but does the 4 door feel like your in a sports car.

Don't knock me for saying this but the Ci is a really 'cool' looking car. Whenever I look at mine I can't help but think that I wouldn't have the same feeling looking at a 4 door.

Then I will see a nice 3 series 4 door on the road and think to myself how good it looks . . .

21 - 40 of 47 Posts

JohnMcKee

· #21 · Mar 22, 2002

I am 19, so there was little reason not to get the coupe, but I had two problems with it:

1. I like to throw my junk in the backseat (bad habit)
2. The Ci to me looks like a sedan car missing two doors, not a coupe. Kind of hard to explain, but the body looks like it should have 4 doors.

Overall, I am very happy with my 2002 325i. Its so nice to get in a car after moving from a Jeep Grand Cherkee. I really thought the move would be harder, but I am really enjoying having a car again.

-john

doubletee

· #22 · Mar 22, 2002

Yipper, your car is drop-dead gorgeous! What color is that? :thumb:

nate

· #23 · Mar 22, 2002

Sean said:
Alan,

To me the Ci feels heavier (which it is). The sedan is more rigid, especailly without fold-down seats (less creaks and rattles) it maybe has a little firmer ride with SP vs. a coupe (rigidity?) The steering to me appears to be sharper and it also feels like it handles the S curves better than a coupe. I've spent sometime in a 01 330i and I can tell enough of a difference between it and my 330Ci.

Remember, the coupe is also a whole inch lower. The driving position is also 1/2" lower than the sedan.

Dan

· #24 · Mar 22, 2002

I've driven a number of E46 coupes and sedans, and as long as they are comparably-equipped (eg. 330ci sport package v. 330i sport package), I can not detect any difference in the way they drive on the street. Personally, I prefer the looks of the sedan over the coupe, but that is my subjective opinion (my teenage son disagrees with me - he thinks the coupe is better looking than the sedan).

Two things I do not like about the coupe: 1) the seatbelt is hard for me to reach (I'm 5'9) from the front seat and 2) compared to the sedan, it is much more difficult for adults to get in and out of the back seat, and there is more room in the back seat of the sedan.

Yipper

· #25 · Mar 22, 2002

doubletee said:
Yipper, your car is drop-dead gorgeous! What color is that? :thumb:

The 328Ci is Topaz Blue and the 330i is Steel Grey. The SG is an awesome color IMO. I've only ever seen about 3 of them here in NJ/NY/PA area - and it really is good so far at hiding dirt.

Yipper

· #26 · Mar 22, 2002

Dan said:
Two things I do not like about the coupe: 1) the seatbelt is hard for me to reach (I'm 5'9) from the front seat and 2) compared to the sedan, it is much more difficult for adults to get in and out of the back seat, and there is more room in the back seat of the sedan. [/B]

I forgot that point - you are definitely right about the seatbelts in the coupe being difficult to grab easily - whenever my wife used the car she would complain about it. I just got used to it but with the sedan, it's MUCH easier but you have the visibility trade-off.

JPinTO

· #27 · Mar 22, 2002

Tears are rolling down my eyes as I read the adjectives used to describe my 2000 323i: uncool, boring, un-sexy, un-sporty.

I gotta get a coupe now.

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Wingboot

· #28 · Mar 22, 2002 (Edited)

I agree with Dan having driven many different E36s and E46s. If they are comparatively equipped I can’t tell much of a difference in street driving dynamics. I’ve never driven one on the track so I can’t comment on one being better than the other. On the subject of coolness it’s subjective. I lived in Europe for many years and also enjoy watching all the European racing series. Sporty sedans are prevalent on the street and in racing so to me a nice sedan with a sporty stance and nice wheels looks every bit as cool as a similar coupe. In my late twenty’s I always preferred the E36 sedans over the coupes and now that I’m in my early thirty’s I still prefer the look of the sedan. It comes down to small styling bits on the current 3 series as well. I never liked the amber reflectors on the front bumper and the red reflectors on the rear of the coupe. I also don’t like the coupe’s front end. I dislike the “added on” look of the fog lights and the busy look of the lower grill in general. Of course the M3 is nearly perfect, just lose the amber reflectors on the front bumper and it’s a beautiful coupe. If I was going to purchase an M3 and was able to choose from a coupe or a sedan I would get a sedan version. I don’t have kids and I drive by myself or with only one other person in my car 95% of the time but I love the practicality of the sedan. I don’t like the frameless window on the coupe or the difficult to reach safety belt and a few styling bits. Please realize I am not bashing the coupe I’m just saying it’s a matter of preference. All you coupe owners have nice cars

. All E46s are sweet as is the rest of the BMW lineup.

P.S. How does one attach more than one image?

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doubletee

· #29 · Mar 22, 2002 (Edited)

Yipper said:
The 328Ci is Topaz Blue and the 330i is Steel Grey. The SG is an awesome color IMO. I've only ever seen about 3 of them here in NJ/NY/PA area - and it really is good so far at hiding dirt.

Duh! I just looked at your sig. I feel like an idiot for asking. It's been a looonnnngggg week.

It's the Steel Grey on the 330i that I really like.

bmw325

· #30 · Mar 22, 2002

Yipper your 02 car's steering feels tighter and sharper then the 00 because they changed the steering for 02 to give it a quicker ratio (2.8 turns L to L vs 3.2). That's mostly what you're feeling vs any body rigidity. I doubt that most people could detect the differences in body rigidity unless they tracked a coupe and sedan back to back for some period of time.

webguy330i

· #31 · Mar 22, 2002

Yipper, a fine write-up indeed. I can offer my comparison based on the test drive I took in the 330ci (2 test drives, actually) and the fact that I never drove a 330i before I took delivery of mine.

I found that the back seat (which I frequently use as I'm the guy who "always drives") was much too small for me (5'10", 180lbs) to stay comfortable for more than 20-30 minutes. I really really enjoyed the lower stance of the car though, so that was a trade-off I made for the sedan. But let me emphasize something...

I'm 20 and I drive a sedan, by choice!

There's nothing uncool about the sedan. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I think the car looks more "normal" with 4 doors. It's got a long wheelbase and lots of sheetmetal in between those wheels, and the coupe just looks kinda goofy to me. Don't get me wrong, it's still a sexy mofo for sure, I just think it would be really hard getting in/out of it with those long, heavy doors. My 330i's doors are already heavy enough!

Aside from that, I really dig the sedan's front bumper more than the coupe. It's cleaner, neater, less extravagant. I know some folks like extravagant, but myself I prefer the smoothness of simple and clean. Once again, advantage sedan for me.

Other than that I really didn't have any other considerations for NOT getting the coupe. I've always owned coupes (from my '87 Scooby to my '90 Accord to my '00 Civic) and while I did get used to folding the seats forward everytime I got in the car (since someone was almost always riding ***** in the back) I was constantly annoyed by it. Hence my 330i. =)

I will concur with a previous statement though about the B-pillar. It blinds a good 30% of my peripheral vision and can be annoying at times, but you get used to it.

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vexed

· #32 · Mar 22, 2002

Re: Hot and Cool!

jag3er said:
This 323i is great, however, I'm going for a coupe next. My sister said "If you're not married, why are you driving a 'married-looking' car?"

I got those comments too when I had sedans although a E46 sedan is not to me a "fuddy duddy" car. I thought my E36 sedan was not a married looking car--although I was married when I had it.

Plaz

· #33 · Mar 22, 2002

The advantage of the shorter doors on the sedan are immediately apparent to anyone who:

1) has to deal with child car seats (and the associated children) in the rear passenger seats, or

2) regularly parks in Los Angeles parking lots/garages, where the clearance between cars is best measured in millimeters.

Yipper

· #34 · Mar 22, 2002

robg said:
Yipper your 02 car's steering feels tighter and sharper then the 00 because they changed the steering for 02 to give it a quicker ratio (2.8 turns L to L vs 3.2). That's mostly what you're feeling vs any body rigidity. I doubt that most people could detect the differences in body rigidity unless they tracked a coupe and sedan back to back for some period of time.

Agreed! I didn't mean to imply that there was any 'body' rigidity difference being felt, my normal highway driving isn't nearly spirited enough to detect that IMO.

I'm fully aware of the quicker steering too.

My point was purely mechanical in that I think the door/window assembly itself is more structurally 'sound' with the window frame. I never really liked the frameless windows of the coupe with the exception being when opening and closing the doors with the window down - which was VERY rare.

Yipper

· #35 · Mar 23, 2002

Plaz 330i said:
The advantage of the shorter doors on the sedan are immediately apparent to anyone who:

1) has to deal with child car seats (and the associated children) in the rear passenger seats, or

2) regularly parks in Los Angeles parking lots/garages, where the clearance between cars is best measured in millimeters.

I whole heartedly agree on both points Plaz. I do consulting work and am in two or three different parking lots each week. Some have large spaces, some small. The coupe doors were a pain in the small spots for sure.

bmw325

· #36 · Mar 23, 2002

i'm also in my twenties and prefer the sedan. I guess our generation values practicality over perceived "sportiness". Of course, the sedan is every bit (if not more) sporty than the coupe. The coupe is almost too "baroque" for me-- I agree w/ Webguy's assessment-- the sedan is somehow cleaner looking. I admire the coupe from afar but wouldn't actually want to live w/ one. I also like the solid thud that comes w/ the framed vs frameless windows.

wfu3enigma

· #37 · Mar 23, 2002

Okay everyone has talked about the exterior and handling. I have gone from a 99 323i w/sp to a 2002 325ci w/sp and I have to say that I do LOVE the exterior of the coupe but I am kinda disappointed with the interior of the coupe. More rattle and does not sound as air tight as the sedan. I do have a specific question for those who had HK in the 99 and up cars who made the switch from sedan to coupe or viceversa. Doesn't the HK sound way better in the sedans? It is horrible in my 02 coupe but in my 99 sedan it was perfect! What do you all think???

JerryL

· #38 · Mar 23, 2002

I guess I am in a select few who are in their 40's and down sizing from a sedan (A6) to a coupe. I was looking for a sports car feel and look without giving up the idea of having some space in the back seat. I was torn between the sedan or the coupe, the feel was the same, but I like the looks of the coupe better. This will just be my car and it will not be used for trips with the family. We have other vehicles that will serve that purpose.

wfu3enigma:What kind of rattles do you hear in your coupe. That worries me to hear that. (Maybe Baby's rattle?) Also the HK sound system in the BMW has to sound better than the Bose unit in our MDX. That is downright terrible and I have a tin ear to boot. Remember..."If there are no highs or lows it must be Bose".

Jerry

jmonier

· #39 · Mar 23, 2002

Well, I'm in my 60's and have owned all kinds of cars in my life incl. 2 Alfa Romeo's (coupe and roadster), Lotus Elan, Mazda RX-7 and 626, Dodge Challenger 340 (muscle car) and Ford Ranger pickup.

I think that the Ci looks better overall than the sedan (although I go back and forth on liking the '02 sedan front end better). I finaly went just a little towards practicallity with the sedan. The shorter doors (for tight parking lots) was an important factor. Also having the rear doors makes it easier to put things (and the occasional passenger) into the rear seat. I also like the extra rigidity (especially the window frames).

We're really lucky in being able to get a sedan that looks almost as sporty as the coupe. I looked at the Acura TL and CL and even though there is a TL Type S I could never get enthusiastic about it like I could about the CL coupe. Of course once my girlfriend got me to look at the BMW there was no turning back.

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bing330i

· #40 · Mar 23, 2002

I think the reason why e46 coupes give impression to some that they should have 4 doors is because the coupe and the sedan have almost same body length and FRONT HOOD length. Most sports coupes, either have proportionally longer hoods (like MBZ SL, Jag XK, etc.), or they are small (like Boxster).

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