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Car reviewed: BMW 325ti
Odometer reading: 4800km
Engine:
2,5 litre in-line 6 cylinder petrol engine
developing 141kW (193bhp) @ 5500rpm
0-100km/h: 8,5 seconds
v-max: 230km/h
List price: R242000
Pay attention yuppies, pretty people and spoilt brats. I'm about
to present you with the newest toy on wheels, worth 1/4 of a million
Rand. No, it's only got 2 doors and no, it's not the Audi S3. We
wouldn't be allowed to drive one of those anyway.
 Our
most recent automotive adventure took place behind the wheel of the
new BMW 3-series compact, the 325ti to be more precise. Even the
saleslady quickly referred to the 318ti as a slower mover and
suggested we hop into the six-cylinder hatchback instead.
This example was a demo-model, had a few optional extras installed,
and was offered to us at a considerable discount. There was also
another 325ti about, spanking new, but unfortunately white. Let's
not go there, shall we?
 Much
more pleasing to the eye was OUR little Bavarian, coated in Topaz
Blue and featuring a Light Beige Leather interior.
The front seats had the "sports option" which offers more
support, while the sound system was still standard and pretty
impressive in that state, but could be upgraded to audiophile levels
for a mere six grand. Unfortunately we didn't have a sunroof or
TV/navigation to play with either, but that wasn't of great concern
to us.
This model was sitting pretty on 7 spoke 17 inch BMW rims with 225
fat rubber, and also featured the rear mini-spoiler on the outside.
The rear light clusters lend a funky, shiny, space-age look to the
car. Dark grey plastic houses new-age LED's and reflectives behind
clear glass. Very modern.
The dual front lights (normal and high beam) are breaking BMW
tradition and are now seperate units, a look which I'm still getting
used to. This model was fitted with optional Bi-Xenon headlights.
Bi-Xenon means twice the brightness of normal Xenon or HID (high
intensity discharge) lights, while HID or Xenon is a few times
brighter than normal halogen lights (the type we're used to). Love
'em or hate 'em, if you're sitting BEHIND those bright-blueish Xenon
lights the sun never sets.
 Another
thing the sun will probably never set on are BMW engines. The
upgraded 2,5 litre unit has to bridge the gap between the 2 litre
and 3 litre units in other models, and transforms the compact Beemer
into another white 'n blue athlete. With double-VANOS variable valve
timing thingies and even more electronic wizardry this 2,5 litre
engine comes within a whisker of the old 2,8 litre's outputs. So
there: imagine a 328i in updated guise, trimmed of the rear doors
and boot. Should make for interesting performance... and although
the boot's a gonner, they've still managed to squeeze a little space
out of the hatch. In fact, the boot is not to shabby for hatchback
measures and can gladly play with Golfie, A3 and others.
Enough chit-chat, time to fire up that gem of an engine and get
going already. She purrs like a kitten at idle, and even from the
slightest increase in engine revolutions the exhaust starts growling
ever-so-slightly. This being an automatic/Steptronic model, the
accellerator was "strangely" sensitive and the car was
very, very responsive to right-footed inputs. This demo also had
park distance control fitted, but I didn't risk testing it. I heard
a beep from somewhere while backing out, but it quickly subdued.
 Once
on the road, I carefully took the tiny Bee-Emm down the road a few
kilometres before turning off and stopping for photos. Once inside
again I quickly tested the sound system which leaves nothing to
complain about. It's got good depth and produces plently high and
low end oomph, even from FM reception. There was a 6 disc CD shuttle
installed, but I never got 'round to testing that. The climate
control was very good and started out at hurricane-strength,
something one needs to get used to, because a minute later the
temperature's right and all is calm again.
Instrumentation is clear, simple and stylish. Typical BMW, the
best in the business if you ask me. The controls and stalks take a
while to get used to, and the steering wheel offers even more
buttons to play with.
 A
fun little device worth mentioning is the economy needle, which has
made a comeback after being replaced with an oil-temp cousin in some
models. For me it's the ultimate in-car entertainment. Accellerate
and see the little fellow scramble all the way to the highest
reading. Then lift off the throttle quickly, giving him the
runarounds again. I know. I need help.
Heading back to the dealership, I noticed the Steptronic's eager
character which always kept the revs up and the gear as long as
possible. That said, I was in Sport mode. Up to now I was just
cruising along with traffic, and the 325ti had proven to be a bit of
an eager Beemer. The revs were at 2 grand in 3rd gear and I was only
depressing the accelerator slightly.
Like a dangling carrot in front of my nose, the 325ti was tempting
me. I'd resisted it for a while, because I kept seeing images of a
donkey being ridden by a car.
A little gap in the early-morning traffic was all it took. I'll have
that carrot now, thank you very much. My right foot went down, and
true to its promise the 325ti shot into action immediately. Gearing
down and pushing me into the comfy and supportive sports seat, the
engine and exhaust note turned from a growl to a roar. A roar of the
highest calibre, becoming more refined and beautiful the higher the
tachometre needle climbed. I chickened out at about 5000rpm, but I
had just re-confirmed my belief that BMW engineer among the best
sounding 6-cylinder engines, second only to Alfa Romeo.
A few more kickdowns also confirmed the 325ti's naughty and very
capable nature, while the discovery of a physical kick-down button
under the accellerator was quite pleasant. The average fuel
consumption display wasn't such a pleasant discovery. At over 14
litres, it didn't say anything positive about my style of driving.
The Steptronic (or tiptronic) function was also quickly tested, with
all tip-functions seemingly behaving in much the same way as in all
the other tiptronic cars I've driven. It's very handy if you want to
keep your gear through a fast corner and don't want the car to shift
prematurely. Then again, you could've done most of that with the old
autoboxes, and this blue little devil in "auto mode"
wasn't very eager on changing up either. I find the Steptronic
function a useful addition to a smooth and responsive (yet sometimes
hectic) autobox. It's entirely up to you, I adore autoboxes and the
ease of driving they present, but it could be argued that this
little rocket should be even more fun with the manual 5 speed
gearbox. Sheer matter of opinion, though.
 I
didn't brave any high-speed manouvres, but a few bumps and uneven
road surfaces produced ... well, absolutely nothing. The car didn't
shake, I couldn't hear a single rattle and was firmly held by the
sports seat. The car stayed glued to the road and went exactly where
I pointed it. Given the short rear overhangs, I predict this car to
be very quick around the twisties, while a 50/50 weight distribution
should give it go-cart like handling on a track.
Overall the BMW 3 series compact is a very capable and
well-assembled car. From what I've read on the Internet, this
vehicle was the smoothest ever development process at BMW. Judging
from the waiting list, it's not doing too badly in the popularity
contest either. The 318ti with a considerably lower price tag should
be the best value for money, but it doesn't have the pull or sound
of its 6 pot sibling. Whichever one you choose, I advise you to take
options like the sports seats (they still look civilized but offer
more support), Bi-Xenon (worth every cent), and possibly fun items
like an audio upgrade and sunroof, but that's up to you.
A worthy contender to the C-Coupe and A3.
For:
Novelty factor (long waiting list)
Smooth and powerful engine
Exhaust Note
Impressive list of optional extras
Against:
Long waiting list (novelty factor)
Sometimes hectic autobox
318ti is better value for money
Impressive pricing of optional extras
Next review: We've been tempted with the Ford Mondeo, and
something tells me we're meeting up with the Ikon again.
Stellenbosch.co.za advises: Always buckle up, be aware and
awake before you drive, and adhere to speed limits.
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