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BMW 323i
by SoadFan
During the time we had our BMW 323i we had a comfortable car that looked both sleek and very stylish. In fact with its twin exhausts and gorgeous cinnamon metallic paint effect it was a real stunner.
The iconic BMW badges which were on both the front and back of our car were removed by an unknown admirer one evening, which ... much to our annoyance were rather expensive to replace. Luckily after being quoted a ridiculous amount by the main dealer to replace them we managed to get them at a local BMW scrap specialist.
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The car was both responsive and smooth to drive, when behind the wheel you really felt like the car had plenty of power. It cruised along motorways without breaking into a sweat and the suspension was firm but not so firm as to be a problem.
The car had a nice smoked glass sunroof and matching smoked glass windows, I guess the smoked glass was the fore runner of todays deep black privacy glass that is fitted on many cars. The smoked glass looked great against the paint work of the car and was set of by some nice chrome touches.
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The seats were very sporty feeling yet comfortable too. This was a bonus as we hadn't associated sports seats as ever being very comfy, but these really were. One thing that did suffer was the material of the drivers seat which started to fray a little.
The overall colour of the seats was a classy pale creamy beige, with a woven textured effect to them. The front seats had firm yet comfy headrests. The rear bench seating did not have the benefit of these though.
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Leg room was good and the over all finish inside the cabin of the car gave it a quality feel. The car had good steering with a nice sturdy feeling steering wheel.
The gears slipped in and out of place as and when required with a nice smooth gear change and we had no problems with them at all. The twin exhaust did prove very pricey when they needed replacing, but as BMW parts are sold widely we did manage to locate cheaper sources than buying through the main dealer.
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One thing that really does need to be checked on this model seems to be the timing belt. We had issues which caused the belt to snap and meant an eye watering bill for fixing the car.
Even though it had been fixed afterwards, it was never the same and suffered with over heating problems. Since then we have always tried to look for cars with timing chains rather than belts, as this can reduce the risk of similar incidents.
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Aside from the issues mentioned above, we really liked the car. It was stylish and spacious and always drew admiring glances whenever it was on the road. It was rather thirsty when it came to fuel consumption, but then you cannot really expect to buy a car like this and get high mpg from it.
On the whole the car had many benefits, the ride was good, it was easy to steer and park. Parts could be found cheaper than buying from the main dealer by shopping around and the boot size was very good indeed.
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In terms of rating the 323i its hard to put a star rating on it without taking into consideration the issues we faced. These may have been specific to this car alone.
Because the car was such a beauty I almost feel it still ought to get a 4 star rating, but due to the timing belt issue, it does really need to be thought about. So due to that the 323i gets a mid range 3 star rating instead, which is a reasonable rating, for a very stylish looking car that did let us down towards the end.
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BMW 5-series (1988-96)
by DJPOKI
I've had many Beamers in my time (3,5 and 7) and lets face it, if money was no object I'd have a 730 any day. But money is a big object and the 3 is too wee (for me) so I would happily compromise (lol) for a 5 Series and the 88-96 model would well fit the bill. Having owned a 520, 525 and 530 versions and and older 'shark' style 1980 ... 528I I have developed an affinity with the model.
One is immediately struck (or stricken even) by the quality of the thing. It has lovely lines and oozes an understated but bullet proof aire. My 525SE (a 94) was as fresh today as it might have been new, resplendent in light blue metallic paint. The standard BBS alloys set it off beautifully.
Inside the quality shines thru again. Materials are all high grade and the textures fit and finish present a most pleasant space in which to drive from one end of the country to the other. Equipment on Beamers is nearly all optional so buy carefully and get a fully loaded one for very reasonable money. No air-con on mine but thats not an issue for me. Everything reeks of quality. Even operating the electric windows or the lecky mirrors feeds back BMW's uncompromising attention to quality and detail. And we haven't even started it yet...
Firing up the engine it is clear that this quality and attention to detail applies equally to the mechanics. Smooth as silk, loads of kick and a lovely exhaust note to boot. Up thru the slick gears it flawlessly eats the road and has plenty poke in reserve to get you out of trouble.
The handling and ride of the 5 series is legendary and it must be the best in it's class. A total pleasure to drive, you'll want to stay in it and keep driving. With pretty decent MPG you can afford to use this as your main car but it's still smart and cool enough to use as your 'Sunday Car'.
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BMW Mini One
by debbieluvsdonuts
I Love my mini, so Ive had 'Graham' for a couple of months, this year mini is 50 years old, same age as me (bold admission there). My first car was a mini, it was old, and resprayed by my dad and a 'C' reg, but I loved it, even though it broke down all the time. So why all these years later do I go backwards and 're-buy my 1st car, well ... first off it looks extremely sexy. Its a special edition Graphite (hence the name Graham), he's metallic grey, he turns heads all the time, people always comment on him.
But why did I get him? I had a 6 year old Mondeo, had it from new, it was a family car, it was reliable but huge, manly, and blinking hard to park!!, so family got older, I wanted something for me, test drove everything (FORD :/) and hated them all.
Then I thought this is for me, so headed for the Mini showroom, hubby said that he knew as soon as I walked in that showroom I had made up my mind, the test drive sealed the deal.
Im not technical, and I dont really care, all I know is Graham is very economical currently 49 to the gallon, and thats with the air con going. I love the interior, the huge dial gives me a giggle everytime I see it, it reminds me of the old days and the first mini. So many parts of this mini are 'original' with a modern twist, the air con vents for example, and the door storage.
When chosing my mini, I added a pepper pack, which gave me a package of extras, and gives you a discount on others, and I'm not telling you what they are...coz I cant remember ahaha. This adds value to the resale value as no 2 minis are ever the same.
Take a look at the cost of second hand minis on the forecourt and they sell themselves....
AND...... if its the 1st one off the drive I have to hide the keys from hubby!!!, and this is the guy that calls it a hairdressers car.......yeah right!!!HANDS OFF
So dont listen to him when he says 'you wont get the weekly shop in', dont worry ladies, get it delivered!!!!, but seriously you can, just fold down the seats, you can get 2 weeks in!!!
So do you get it yet? I LOVE MY MINI, I even wash it every week, thats a first!!!
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