yet another 2,000 mile report (long)
...i've had my new 330i for a little over a month now. no mods yet, other than installing the alarm and taking off the airbag warning stickers.
here's the report so far:
good stuff
here's the report so far:
good stuff
- it's a beatiful car on the outside; I think it's probably the best looking sedan in production today, though the Passat is close. I'm also really happy with my color combination; steel blue, black, and titanium trim.
- xenons xenons xenons! I love how they start blue, and then as they get going, shift to a warmer hue... I also love how much light they put out; they saved me when I was doing 80 and saw some deer crossing the road just in time.
- It's surprisingly quiet in the cabin, even at high speeds over bare concrete roads.
- The handling is phenomenal; precise steering, total accuracy in hard turns, and great brakes (see the deer incident above)
- the raw power of the 330i engine; if you time it right, it throws you back in your seat. coming from a 1.8L honda accord, it's a revelation.
- i really like the look of the instrument gauges, with the titanium trim, clean layout, and orange night lighting. it's just the right amount of information. i even like the MPG gauge.
- all the nice little convenience features; the one touch power windows and sunroof, how the side mirror tilts down in reverse, the on-board computer, the powered and heated 8-way seats, etc., etc.
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not-so-good stuff
- my right shin is too tight against to the transmission hump. it's not intolerable, but i'm always aware of the car pressing against me. i wish i had a little more space to sprawl out.
- i wish the seats went a little lower... i'd like to see more of the sky when i drive.
- the build quality, at least in the interior, wasn't so great. the center trim was mis-installed at the factory, and the radio was missing the screws to keep it in place over bumps. on the driver's side dash trim, there were more screws missing, as well as the clips that they screwed into. there's still a rattle that seems to be coming from the steering column; i'm going to try to figure that out next week.
- no indication of time remaining on the CD player. i'd never noticed how much i look at that when records are playing until it wasn't there. i miss it.
- sometimes i feel a little ostentatious riding around in this car. there's a part of me that would like to be more under-the-radar, and worry less about people making judgments or assumptions about me because of what i drive. i suppose people do that no matter what you drive, but i'd like to stick out less. my girlfriend thinks this is all in my head, though.
- when the windows are open, the passenger side seat belt bangs around. easy to fix; just wrap it around the passenger side head-rest; but it would be nice if the problem didn't come up in the first place.
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so that's the breakdown. all in all, I'm pretty happy with it.
has anybody else run into any of the things above? how did you deal with it/learn to live with it?
thanks in advance.
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I was wondering if I was the only one... I'm worried about the same thing and I don't even have my car yet (Saturday hopefully!). Only a couple of my closest friends even know I'm getting it, and that was by accident. I am hating the feeling already... I hope it doesn't get too much worse when I have the car.
Anyhow, nice write-up - you made some insightful comments! :thumb:
--SONET
Anyhow, nice write-up - you made some insightful comments! :thumb:
--SONET
alanra said:
oh god that bugs the hell out of me. sometimes i like the windows open on the highway or during spirited driving, but that seatbelt flap... argh
alanra said:
Did you ever locate/identify the steering column rattle? I have something similair.
I also have something rattlig in the steering column. Mine happens on highway speeds over rough road (rough highway pavement, that is 
).
Didn't find a cure (didn't look into it hard enough) yet, but I can tell you that punching the bottom of the steering column doesn't help
alanra - keep on drivin'!
).Didn't find a cure (didn't look into it hard enough) yet, but I can tell you that punching the bottom of the steering column doesn't help
alanra - keep on drivin'!
Re: Re: yet another 2,000 mile report (long)
geez, where do u guys live...? around me, 3-series are a dime-a-dozen, hardly worth any more attention than a honda accord. it's not quite like it was $35,000 was actually a lot to pay for a car...now even SUV's are that much, and you see plenty of those, right?SONET said:
Re: Re: Re: yet another 2,000 mile report (long)
On the other hand, I was in San Clemente/Pasadena/Santa Barbara this past week, and let me tell you, it was BMW heaven. I was rollin' in the rented Kia Optima... shudder.
I'm in Seattle, land of the beat-up Subaru station wagon with a "Magick Happens!" bumper sticker___lk___ said:
On the other hand, I was in San Clemente/Pasadena/Santa Barbara this past week, and let me tell you, it was BMW heaven. I was rollin' in the rented Kia Optima... shudder.
Just to follow up, it turned out the steering column was a red herring. It sounded like it was coming from there, but after a lot of time with the technicians (I even let one of them drive it home overnight), they figured out it was actually a loose cable on the parking brake. Who knew? They tightened up the cable, and I haven't heard any rattles since. :thumbup:
Since I originally posted this, a couple of the bad things have gone away... I figured out how to adapt my clutch style to put my seat back more, which helped with the right leg problem. And, that whole ostentatiousness worry seems to have gone out the window the more I've driven it. I love my car.
Since I originally posted this, a couple of the bad things have gone away... I figured out how to adapt my clutch style to put my seat back more, which helped with the right leg problem. And, that whole ostentatiousness worry seems to have gone out the window the more I've driven it. I love my car.
JK said:
Thanks for the post, I'm looking to order one up pretty soon here and appreciate the info.
I felt the same way when I got my twin turbo z, lots of stares and questions from friends and clients. But then after a short while, it goes away. Maybe I didn't notice as much or maybe it was just the pure fun of driving it that eclipsed everything else. Besides, who cares what they all think, you are the one that has to live with it!
I felt the same way when I got my twin turbo z, lots of stares and questions from friends and clients. But then after a short while, it goes away. Maybe I didn't notice as much or maybe it was just the pure fun of driving it that eclipsed everything else. Besides, who cares what they all think, you are the one that has to live with it!
steering column rattle
I have noticed that over bumpy roads, my keys will bang into the steering column. at first I thought it was something loose and almost lost my mind, then figured out what it was. is this a possiblity with any of you?
I have noticed that over bumpy roads, my keys will bang into the steering column. at first I thought it was something loose and almost lost my mind, then figured out what it was. is this a possiblity with any of you?
great write up, im rather suprised you found so many missing screws though, but im glad your starting to love it. i know i love mine, and i had only 1 problem (bass rattle in back) but its fixed now. so good luck in the future.. mine is in the shop right now getting a new windshield
Thats what window tint is for. Never be ashamed of your ability to own what you want, or your successfulness for that matter, and don't ever let certain political parties make you feel guilty either!
Re: Re: Re: yet another 2,000 mile report (long)
I was also concerned about the pretentiousness of driving a BMW, then I started counting how many Expeditions, Navigators, and even Land Rovers are in my neighborhood and I quit caring about what other people think. My neighbors spent as much or more money as I did, so any snobish stigma attached to a BMW I think is just silly.___lk___ said:
geez, where do u guys live...? around me, 3-series are a dime-a-dozen, hardly worth any more attention than a honda accord. it's not quite like it was $35,000 was actually a lot to pay for a car...now even SUV's are that much, and you see plenty of those, right?
I have had my 330i for just under three months and just over 4,000 miles...
The Mods I did were:
1. Cut off the ORANGE tags on the Seat Belts.
2. Added Sheekskin Seat Vests (custom made locally).
3. BMW Alarm
4. Home Link
5. Clear Floor mats to go over my BMW floor mats (I know, I know.. don't say it...)
6. Added a piece of black plastic over the (gray) Dead Foot Pedal, so it won't get so dirty (w/my Steptronic).
here's the MY report so far:
I. The Good Stuff
1. It's a beautiful car on the outside; I just love looking at it. I'm also really happy with my color combination; steel gray, gray (int.), and wood trim.
2. No xenons for me, the regular headlights work fine. Wish I had Demon eyes though...
3. It's surprisingly quiet in the cabin, even at high speeds over bare concrete roads. AGREE, Drove it to Vegas (600 miles) and averaged 29.4mpg! Awesome, going again next month!
4. The handling is phenomenal; precise steering, total accuracy in hard turns, and great brakes and I did NOT get the Sport Package!
5. The power of the 330i engine; if you time it right, it throws you back in your seat. coming from a 2.2L honda accord, it's a revelation. Getting on the freeway, I launch myself into Fast Lane speeds in 9.3 seconds (well that's an est.)
6. I really like the look of the instrument gauges, with the titanium trim, clean layout, and orange night lighting. I was tired of Honda "Green" lights after 15 years (and 3 cars). I especially like the MPG gauge, I leave it on "Mileage Remaining".
II. The Not-so-good stuff
1. My left-hand rear door is harder to close than the other three, no-biggie, but will get it looked at when I go to the Dealer (at the 15k oil change).
2. My interior is perfect, no rattles but when the Driver side Visor is flipped down and to the side it hits my (average-size) head! I have to lean to the center of the car when using it.
3. No Time indicator on the CD player. I play songs that are 10 - 20 minutes long and it would be nice to known where I am in the song. This is one of the few MAJOR flaws, to me.
4. Ostentatious? No not me I actually find LESS people cutting me off, perhaps they have more RESPECT for a BMW than a 94 Accord (!?!).
I love it so far and would reccommend it to anyone wanting the Best Sport Sedan available (if money is no object) according to Road & Track July 2002 issue...
The Mods I did were:
1. Cut off the ORANGE tags on the Seat Belts.
2. Added Sheekskin Seat Vests (custom made locally).
3. BMW Alarm
4. Home Link
5. Clear Floor mats to go over my BMW floor mats (I know, I know.. don't say it...)
6. Added a piece of black plastic over the (gray) Dead Foot Pedal, so it won't get so dirty (w/my Steptronic).
here's the MY report so far:
I. The Good Stuff
1. It's a beautiful car on the outside; I just love looking at it. I'm also really happy with my color combination; steel gray, gray (int.), and wood trim.
2. No xenons for me, the regular headlights work fine. Wish I had Demon eyes though...
3. It's surprisingly quiet in the cabin, even at high speeds over bare concrete roads. AGREE, Drove it to Vegas (600 miles) and averaged 29.4mpg! Awesome, going again next month!
4. The handling is phenomenal; precise steering, total accuracy in hard turns, and great brakes and I did NOT get the Sport Package!
5. The power of the 330i engine; if you time it right, it throws you back in your seat. coming from a 2.2L honda accord, it's a revelation. Getting on the freeway, I launch myself into Fast Lane speeds in 9.3 seconds (well that's an est.)
6. I really like the look of the instrument gauges, with the titanium trim, clean layout, and orange night lighting. I was tired of Honda "Green" lights after 15 years (and 3 cars). I especially like the MPG gauge, I leave it on "Mileage Remaining".
II. The Not-so-good stuff
1. My left-hand rear door is harder to close than the other three, no-biggie, but will get it looked at when I go to the Dealer (at the 15k oil change).
2. My interior is perfect, no rattles but when the Driver side Visor is flipped down and to the side it hits my (average-size) head! I have to lean to the center of the car when using it.
3. No Time indicator on the CD player. I play songs that are 10 - 20 minutes long and it would be nice to known where I am in the song. This is one of the few MAJOR flaws, to me.
4. Ostentatious? No not me I actually find LESS people cutting me off, perhaps they have more RESPECT for a BMW than a 94 Accord (!?!).
I love it so far and would reccommend it to anyone wanting the Best Sport Sedan available (if money is no object) according to Road & Track July 2002 issue...
Means that their aware that the repair for the BMW will be twice that of an accord, and their rates would skyrocket if they were at fault of an accident hitting you!? :dunno:
Ah- what the hell-- its Friday afternoon, so here's my 10,000 mile report on a 2001 325i black/black sp
The Good:
-Great looks-- I still turn around to look at the car after I park it
-The feel of the shifter action
-the feel of the steering on twisty roads (post retrofit)
-The way the car clings to the road
-Nice dash-- clean, simple uncluttered with high quality plastic
-sound and smoothness of engine
-surprising room and practicality for a car of this size. Passengers are actually always pleasantly surprised by the rear seat room.
-Sport seats comfort (when i'm in exactly the right position)
-no real mechanical or electrical problems (just assorted noises--see below).
-european delivery-- by far one of the best aspects about BMW.
The bad:
-Wandering/tramlining on highways (ever since the retrofit)
-Assorted rattles and squeaks (b pillar, other mysterious untraceable ones)
-Some poor quality materials and construction in the rear seat shelf and C pillar coverings-- all of these pieces bend and squeak like very cheap pices of plastic. Pressing on the inner side of the rear window makes horrible squeaking noises. All of the decorative trim strips (on the doors and dash), squeak when pressed (and contribute to the general interior noise symphony), B pillar rattles (which i did finally resolve using lots of felt)
-Differential squeal (but had this fixed)
-Sport seats comfort (when i'm in anything other than the exact right position my lower back will start hurting)
-Clutch feel and modulation (goes without saying I guess)
The Good:
-Great looks-- I still turn around to look at the car after I park it
-The feel of the shifter action
-the feel of the steering on twisty roads (post retrofit)
-The way the car clings to the road
-Nice dash-- clean, simple uncluttered with high quality plastic
-sound and smoothness of engine
-surprising room and practicality for a car of this size. Passengers are actually always pleasantly surprised by the rear seat room.
-Sport seats comfort (when i'm in exactly the right position)
-no real mechanical or electrical problems (just assorted noises--see below).
-european delivery-- by far one of the best aspects about BMW.
The bad:
-Wandering/tramlining on highways (ever since the retrofit)
-Assorted rattles and squeaks (b pillar, other mysterious untraceable ones)
-Some poor quality materials and construction in the rear seat shelf and C pillar coverings-- all of these pieces bend and squeak like very cheap pices of plastic. Pressing on the inner side of the rear window makes horrible squeaking noises. All of the decorative trim strips (on the doors and dash), squeak when pressed (and contribute to the general interior noise symphony), B pillar rattles (which i did finally resolve using lots of felt)
-Differential squeal (but had this fixed)
-Sport seats comfort (when i'm in anything other than the exact right position my lower back will start hurting)
-Clutch feel and modulation (goes without saying I guess)
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