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BMW Z3 1.9
by me
Read all the reviews before buying this car and repeatedly saw the 138hp 1.9 described as under powered. Quite how anyone thinks a small 2 seater sports car is underpowerd with almost 140 hp on tap seems a mystery.
I've owned a 1.6 MX5 before, with a lot less power, and found it great fun, as long as you kept to A or B back roads ... and drove hard, so I didn't take a great deal of notice.
Turned out the 1.9 is plenty pokey enough for us. The wife drives the car in the week and I get the odd blast in it when I can. Engine is smooth and reasonably torquey. Let it rev out and it starts to fly along. Sure a 6 cylinder Beemer is alway going to be that bit sweeter and more powerful - but you will pay for it at the pumps.
The reality today is that using the power properly in so many 'performance' cars is nigh on impossible. I've owned or had access to some serious cars in the past including the Saphire Cosworth, Nissan Skyline, M3 evo and more recently a 911 carrera. All these cars can rocket off the line but I know from experience that if you don't want to throw your licence away, the only advantage is a few seconds away from the lights. You can not use that all that power on todays roads effectively. (Remember a typical car needs about 40HP to maintain 70 mph on a motorway - so think how your going to use that 140Hp to the maximum and not get nicked!)
Another consideration is that the Z3 is a convertible. Convertibles with the top down aren't much fun at anything over 60-70mph. The whole point of the Z3 is top down, spirited driving - not trying to keep up with EVO's and the like and I'd say the 1.9 isn't bad at all in achieving that point. Get a good B road on a dry summer morning, top down and don't change up till you see the red line and a 1.9 driver on a 'mission' won't be far behind the Z3 M3 driver though I'd accept the M3 will be less work!
And thats what a small 2 seater sports car is all about - fun.
Which leads to another BIG Z3 point - handling. The Z3 is pretty good but never instills total confidence. Suspension, ball joints, bushes can all contribute to a slight vaguness and 'white lining'. I replaced the awful BMW front wishbone bushes with Poly bushes as soon as I bought ours, which probably improved matters two fold. But its still not brilliant when on anything except a perfect surface.
I suspect its little more than a feeling and the car will actually handle very well when pushed - it just doesn't FEEL as if it will. Having owned over 6 bemmers in the past - I can honestly say this is the worst beemer I've ever driven. Though I'm not comparing back to back , one of the over riding memories of MX5 ownership was just how brilliant the handling was at all times. I'd even suggest the MX is in a seperate league when it comes to handling.
Which brings me in a circle here. The 1.9 is capable of pushing the Z3 hard through the bends, but the handling never inspires. I find it hard to belive a much more powerful version could feel much better having the basically same suspension and handling set up. Doubt it or think I'm biased? Read the new owners postings on the Z3 forums.
No - driven hard, the 1.9 can easily keep up with most cars under most conditions. More importantly it can be fun. If you want a fun sports car then the Z3 will likely fit the bill. If you want a fast car, there much better out there.
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BMW 320Ci Coupe
by Anonymous
Engine: Firstly,i have to say that the model i refer to is the pre facelift generation,so engine performance is not 170bhp,it is 150.Yet,i find the engine awesome.When you hear 6 cylinder and 2 litre you expect more power and torque,but it doesn't really matter.The engine feels really nice.It sounds beautifully,there is torque everywhere ... and power is enough to move swiftly,not to mention how smooth the engine is and how reliable it has been.It isn't an engine for a sportscar,but it is almost ideal for cruising and covering long distances comfortably.9/10
Transmission: 5 speed gearbox here.I won't moan about only 5 gears,because remember it was designed back in 1997.The engine feels firm,and always ready for some snap gear changes.Gear knob traveling distances are short,and that means you can't possibly hear that awful grinding sound frequently.The clutch is a bit heavy,but not too much and you can operate it with ease. 9/10
Ride & Chassis: Like all BMWs,RWD is present here,and it works in a great manner.The car feels really sporty and steady.Oversteer isn't easy to occur,like older 3 series models.In fact,you have to try to oversteer.Most of the time,the car stays neutral and never understeers.However,be aware that when driving in wet roads,you should attempt driving fast.Traction control works,but it is nowhere near contemporary systems,and if you ask for it,you may get into trouble,like snap oversteer-which is difficult to control.I can't say the car is really comfortable.I've traveled in a 316i E90 and is way better in terms of comfort.At least,noise isn't annoying. 8/10
Practically: Errr...not really.Space at the back is not enough for tall or heavy passengers.A 3d passenger isn't welcome to say the leasy.There are places to put some stuff into,but not lots of them.Still,boot space is enough.6/10
Quality: Great.Interior plastics are really good and the way all pecies are put together can't be criticized.Not much else to say 10/10
Running costs: Fuel economy with modern standards is average,but 37 mpg isn't so bad.Service costs and labours are exorbitant and for this reason 5/10.
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BMW 520i SE Saloon
by fathamp
Yes the hype is true, BMW is really the ultimate driving machine. Behind the wheel the car is a cracker with everything just to hand, intuitive as the brochure would say, and the performance in terms of acceleration, torque and MPG is astoundingly good bearing in mid this is only 2.0L engine in such a big car. Every last ounce has been ... wrung out of the engine and it makes me wonder just why you would need a bigger beast...yes i too subscribe to the "if your gonna have one have a big un" philosophy but thats just not necessary here.
My previous car was a MB E220CDI Avantgarde which was sound, solid and classy with the ring of "old money" about it, so to swap to this Beemer felt like a move over to the brashness of new money, but I needn't have worried. The drivers experience in the BMW is much better except in the snow when you simply get stuck even with the faintest dusting on the road the handling becomes very twitchy. That hair triggeresque back end swing really can catch you out.
Go get one but dont use it in the snow!
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