Here we go again... BMW 325Ci Coupe or G35 Coupe

[MsKadyB]

G35 has more standard options, but BMW is, well, BMW. The 325Ci is less powerful compared to the G35, however, being a daily driver, it's not intended to be raced on the streets. The amenities are about the same and so is pricing. Aesthetically, both cars are also good. Only thing I worry about are these horror stories I've been reading here on Prime about BMW customer service! Thoughts?

 

[Joel]

One should have a German car at least once in their lifetime. Just my opinion.

 

[PoohBEAR]

Creview is the best!!! if you need a car, i got a buddy at crevier too

G35 has more standard options, but BMW is, well, BMW. The 325Ci is less powerful compared to the G35, however, being a daily driver, it's not intended to be raced on the streets. The amenities are about the same and so is pricing. Aesthetically, both cars are also good. Only thing I worry about are these horror stories I've been reading here on Prime about BMW customer service! Thoughts?

 

[NetViper]

We had a 2002 325 before our TL and I much prefer the TL. It is much nicer inside and has a smoother ride. For the money a TL is WAY more car than the BMW.

The G35 was a little more expensive than our TL. It is also very nice, but the interior is not near as warm. The rear wheel drive is nice if you are REALLY driving it, but how often would that be.

Both are good cars.

 

[MJK]

One should have a German car at least once in their lifetime. Just my opinion.

Agreed, and as the owner of a 330Ci I can say unequivacally that I would buy the G35c (black or white with a six speed).

 

[digimanoc]

hi Kady,

I too agree with the others saying go G35 over a BMW.....I've owned BMW. I don't own BMW's anymore.

Their slogan" the ultimate driving machine" really should be more like "the ultimate shop queen" since both of mine spent as much time visiting the dealers as they did in my driveway.

Just my 2¢.

 

[MsKadyB]

What kind of problems are common with BMW?

 

[MJK]

Its always little stuff, at least with me.

Wood door handle cracking, TCS computer crapping out, trim peice on the seat coming loose (rear seat = ZERO use), etc, etc, etc.

I LOVE the car, when it is not in the shop. If you decide to go BMW, I would be SURE to get the sport pack, a manual tranny and HIDs. All the rest is just gravy.

 

[digimanoc]

I had computer and tranny problems on both....you'd think I would've learned on the first one. I learned on the second one though!

 

[Joel]

Those having problems with BMW's, aside from little [electronic] stuff, anything wrong with the engine or tranny? I am also thinking about getting a 1-2 year old 3 series.

 

[Joel]

Agreed, and as the owner of a 330Ci I can say unequivacally that I would buy the G35c (black or white with a six speed).

Explain please.

 

[MJK]

Let me put it this way:

I would rather DRIVE my 330Ci than just about anything it competes with. The brakes and tranny are great, the suspension is fantastic, the engine is smooth and torquey, the interior and exterior styling are gorgous and funtional, everything seems thought out and I just love driving it. (much like the NSX in that respect).

So why would I buy the G35c? It is nearly as good in every respect, a better value, and I doubt it would be anywhere near as flaky. I want a car I can own and enjoy for 200k. I do not want a car that owns me for 200k.

It gets REALLY old hauling the car in there every month or 2 for some stupid little thing, especially when my local dealer is an absolute ass. I can't even imagine how pissed I would be if I did not have a warranty. I drive the car VERY conservatively, it probably sees 4000rpm once a week.

I flogged a 93MX6 for 10 years and had virtually none of these issues with either the dealer or the car. Do I have the right to expect more of a $44k BMW than a $26K Mazda? Maybe, maybe not. What about when the Mazda is 10 years old and he BMW is 2?

Here is the reality of the situation. I have or had recently:
- a 93 Explorer with 140K + No problems
- a 93 MX6 with 170k + No problems
- an 01 330Ci that needs a visit to my exceptionally poor dealer at least once a season. Things NEVER get resolved the first time, and I am sick of it. I am forever wondering when I have to go down to see the damn dealer again. The car owns me.

Sooner or later, I just started looking at it and seeing a ski boat or a trailer for the NSX or just a plain old accord that I never have to mess with unless I WANT to.

Sorry for the rant, if this qualifies. If I had a better dealer, maybe my experience would be different.

 

[MsKadyB]

Regardless of the minor technical problems you've had with your BMW's, which vehicle is overall more reliable and a better deal for your money?

 

[MsKadyB]

I LOVE the car, when it is not in the shop. If you decide to go BMW, I would be SURE to get the sport pack, a manual tranny and HIDs. All the rest is just gravy.

Why the sport package? I do like the manual tranny on BMW's. I learned how to drive stick on a Bimmer and it was easier than I thought it would be.

 

[MJK]

Regardless of the minor technical problems you've had with your BMW's, which vehicle is overall more reliable and a better deal for your money?

I can't tell if you are asking me this. If so, I'll assume you mean new and around 30K for use as a 'grand tourer' car?

I can only say that I looked for the above with a manual and rwd and it came down to a G35c or a 330Ci in my book.

Which one do I like better? 330Ci.
Which one would I buy? G35c.

Why the sport package? I do like the manual tranny on BMW's. I learned how to drive stick on a Bimmer and it was easier than I thought it would be.

The suspension upgrade makes the car SO much more fun to drive. Drive a sport/non-sport back to back and you will see what I mean. The everyday tradeoffs well worth it. I have a fairly well loaded 330Ci, and here is what I think of the options I have:

Sport Pack - Worth it, no doubt. OEM tires stink though. Get some pilot sport 2s when they wear out.
Premium Pack - Nice, but not needed
HIDs - get them, no doubt.
Leather - kinda cheap IMO. I can't tell a difference between it and the vinyl aside from the fact the vinyl seems to wear better.
Reverse sensors - skip em. Its easy to tell where the back of the car is, and they look a little strange at best
H/K sound system - skip it if you can (I think it is now standard). The regular one sounds just as good or better.
Rain sensing wipers - Neat gadget, but I never use them.
Sunroof/Moonroof - nice, I'd probably get it again
Wood interior - DON'T get this. If the car gets hot and then cool, it cracks. This happens every day in the summer if you use the A/C. The titanium or aluminum trim looks better anyway.
Rubber floormats - I love em
There are others, but that is all I can remember.



HTH

 

[nsxchi-town]

G35 has more standard options, but BMW is, well, BMW. The 325Ci is less powerful compared to the G35, however, being a daily driver, it's not intended to be raced on the streets. The amenities are about the same and so is pricing. Aesthetically, both cars are also good. Only thing I worry about are these horror stories I've been reading here on Prime about BMW customer service! Thoughts?

I would get the g35 coupe.

 

[NSXDreamer2]

you could have any problem in any car...

and frankly, with a new car when you running into problems, you are most likely getting the small one, just like the other member mention, "little stupid thing". However I had 'heard' a lot of stories about the car dies on the road or whatever due to a little relay or module failure... Is that a little thing too? Yes, but you are still getting a car dying on the road, and sometime, it could happen at the worst time. (raining hard, dark road at night + no cellphone reception.. you get the idea)

Lets see, basically everyone here goes from a normal angle to look at the two cars and gave you some advises... I'll look into a different angle...

MsKadyB in a BMW... "oh, check out that chick in BMW....."
thoughts running thru the obserers' mind, just another chick in another 3 series...

MsKadyB in a G35... " Look at that "hot" chick in the G35 "
Thoughts: That car is nice, that girl is so hot in that nice ride...

Hopefully you not offened by the language "chick" but seriously there's something about a hot girl in a nice sport car.....

That brought me the question again and again, how come you never thought about getting an NSX .... Afterall you are in the Prime family already. Think about the response and help of this community, if you ever had any problem with your nsx, I'm guarantee someone's coming to help you faster than you calling an infinity / BMW dealer...

 

[LeftLane]

I would even choose a G35 coupe over a 7 series, that's how bad my experience with BMW was. It's not only the little stuff, it's the check engine light that comes on all the time, the gas gauge that decides to crap out, spark plugs that foul up and set the warning lights, display pixels that die, electronic gremlins that screw with the sunroof, batteries that up and die, and dealer service that would be embarassing for a Kia dealership. Great driver's car, horrible owner's car. Even if it is under warranty, it's a royal pain in the a** to have to go back to the dealer 10 times a year for anything, especially on a $70k car.

I owned a 740iL, and I'll probably never own BMW again. I also had a 2003 G35 coupe, 6MT, and I would absolutely return to Infiniti - products that are packed, great service, longer warranty, and good value. I'll be one of the first at the local Infiniti dealership when the new M45 comes out, and everything Bangle does with BMW is FUGLY.

Don't buy into the hype - as it was stated before, 1 more hot chick in a 3 series won't impress anyone anyway.

 

[MsKadyB]

Re: you could have any problem in any car...

Hopefully you not offened by the language "chick" but seriously there's something about a hot girl in a nice sport car.....

That brought me the question again and again, how come you never thought about getting an NSX .... Afterall you are in the Prime family already. Think about the response and help of this community, if you ever had any problem with your nsx, I'm guarantee someone's coming to help you faster than you calling an infinity / BMW dealer...

No offense taken.

The reason I am not looking at an NSX is because this car will be used as a daily driver and I don't see the NSX as one. Also, I believe insurance costs would be more on an NSX than any of the other vehicles I am considering. However, in the future, as a weekend car, I would love to add an NSX to my collection.

I am doing careful research on these vehicles because it will be the first that I will be financing under my name and I want to ensure that I am making the right decision as a consumer.

 

[JChoice]

My business partner, who now has a G35 coupe, had a 3 series previously. He had quite a few problems that were "minor" but numerous.

The issues I can recall were: His door molding started falling off after three months. The door panel had to be replaced for some reason at one point. The moon roof broke after six months.

BMWs are known to have electrically problems and European cars generally are not as well built as Japanese cars. To me, a new car means fewer headaches. Getting a car that tends to have problems defeats the purpose of buying a new car.

Not that Infinitis are 100% perfect. My FX45 developed a few creaks and rattles almost immediately. Luckily, my dealer was very good about it and fixed the rattles to my satisfaction.

The GPS disc doesn't read sometimes even though I've never removed it. This also happened to my business partner's G35 coupe.

Last week, my satellite radio went out for some unknown reason. I have confidence though that my dealer will take care of me.
-J

 

[NsSeX]

I think that chicks look much better in BMW's

 

[MJK]

The issues I can recall were: His door molding started falling off after three months. The door panel had to be replaced for some reason at one point...

Oh yea, I had that one too. I forgot.

 

[NsSeX]

Just to let you know that the G35 isn't problem free

http://g35driver.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=TSB