Should I get the 325xi or the 325ci??

I live in sunny southern california, but......next year is my senior year in highschool, and my first choice in colleges is University of Michigan. From what I hear, BMW sucks in snow, so I am considering getting the 325xi. Is that a good move, considering I might not even get to Michigan??? Is it really sluggish being AWD? Any personal experiences?

Thanks
-Aero

Definately go with the xi. There really isnt too much difference in performance, but if youre going to live in Michigan, the 325ci would do horribly.

forget the awd. if you really want performance in the snow, get a subaru wrx.

if not, get a 330.

Do not even try to compare the Subaru to the BMW. The Subaru does perform well, especially for a car that costs so little. But it does not have the quality or the build of a BMW. 'nuff said.
Now as far as the xi goes. I love mine. Screams down the road, handles well and excellent quality. The ci is a great car as well, but if it snows you better park it. Either way you can't go wrong. If you do get the ci, you will have to get snow tires for it if you go to Michigan, that means having 2 sets of tires for it and practically speaking 2 sets of rims as well. Where you gonna keep em? The xi sets up 1 inch higher than the i. Some people notice. It aint a biggie to me. One of the advantages of the 330xi over the 325xi, is that you get the Aero pkg. with the Sport Pkg on the 330xi. This makes the car look lower and faster.
Good luck

As a proud BMW owner, one who believes that a car should be driven, and respected for what it is, a machine of speed, the lack of automotive knowledge that is indicative of such a comment is appalling to me .
If you really knew what it took to realize "build quality" and what good "build quality" was, you would know that comparing your BMW to the WRX is not only right, but logical. I think that comparing a car that has enough "build quality" to pump 227 horses out of a two liter engine (the subaru) to a car that has 225 out of a three liter straight 6, is a no-brainer.

If you really knew how to appreciate how your car handles, accelerates, and stops, you would also know how to appreciate a car that could drive circles around it.

0-60: 5.8
1/4 mile: 14.4 (that's you, by the way)

0-60: 5.4
1/4 mile: 14.1 (WRX, 'nuff said)

I have a 330xi and love everything about the car but the suspension. The steering feel is poor -- the car feels disengaged -- and there is a significant lag in car response to steering input. As well, car rolls and floats in turns and floats on the highway. (All of this is in comparison to the A4 with 15" wheels and the 1.8T engine that I previously owned.) The BMW AWD does work well, though I think the Audi's is superior.

If you are really worried about the snow and really want a high performance sports sedan, get an A4. The Subaru is a great car in many respects but the turbo lag and lack of low end torque (test drive it if you don't believe me) take the pleasure out of everyday driving in my opinion. As well, while mechanically the Subaru is a great car, you get a lot of refinement, interior features, etc., in the BMW -- and you pay for them! -- that the Subaru, pure performance aside, does not offer.

Another option is to buy a BMW xi and to upgrade the suspension yourself, which is the path that I am going down. The problem with this approach is that the BMW is already more expensuive than the Audi and if you upgrade the suspension you're tacking another $1500-2000 on between parts and labor.

Maybe you should wait to see where you'll be living before buying a car. If I didn't have to worry about snow, I'd definitely get the BMW over the Audi and Subaru if you can afford it.

Originally posted by katchino
As a proud BMW owner, one who believes that a car should be driven, and respected for what it is, a machine of speed, the lack of automotive knowledge that is indicative of such a comment is appalling to me .
If you really knew what it took to realize "build quality" and what good "build quality" was, you would know that comparing your BMW to the WRX is not only right, but logical. I think that comparing a car that has enough "build quality" to pump 227 horses out of a two liter engine (the subaru) to a car that has 225 out of a three liter straight 6, is a no-brainer.

If you really knew how to appreciate how your car handles, accelerates, and stops, you would also know how to appreciate a car that could drive circles around it.

0-60: 5.8
1/4 mile: 14.4 (that's you, by the way)

0-60: 5.4
1/4 mile: 14.1 (WRX, 'nuff said)

.......OOOOOUUUUUUCCCCHHHH!!!!

I don't have much expierience with new bmws since i went to audi quattro , but the earlier bmws awd system (used in the E30 325xi and E34 525 xi) caused lots of problems , and still in my opinion a real bmw is a bmw with RWD... :devil: ...

Originally posted by Tom_S8
I don't have much expierience with new bmws since i went to audi quattro , but the earlier bmws awd system (used in the E30 325xi and E34 525 xi) caused lots of problems , and still in my opinion a real bmw is a bmw with RWD... :devil: ...

Having driven FWD cars for many years I am looking forward to my RWD car. I chose the Ci coz I am single and I cannot see myself driving a 4 door car somehow. Even if I was married with kids I would be looking to get a coupe. Unfortunately the coupes do not come with the 'x' option yet...

For what it is worth, in snowy and icy road conditions you must drive carefully, even if you have a AWD, Quatro or whatever. I am speaking from experience, I have had many close calls in such conditions coz I was so confident the car could handle it.

Aeronautik let us know when you make your mind up, and do post pics :D

As a student at the University of Michigan, I am familiar with snow. I drive an Audi A6 Quattro and while I like the looks of 3 series coupes better, Michigan weather can be harsh. To tell you the truth, I would say that 1 out of 10 people here, in Ann Arbor, drive an A4 quattro. If you really have your heart set on the Ci be aware that as a student you will not really have to drive very often, and when you do, the streets should be plowed. I was pushing my parents to get me a Ci, but they felt better with me driving an AWD car.

I drive a 2001 325i....live in Connecticut USA....its the dead of winter here and havent had a problem with my rear wheel drive masterpiece....of course I have lived with winter conditions all my life...and know how to handle them....but still......dont sacrifice the peformance of the ultimate driving machine for the 5 days out of the winter season you want 4-wheel drive.....instead....throw some sand bags in the back.....it works!

Originally posted by katchino
As a proud BMW owner, one who believes that a car should be driven, and respected for what it is, a machine of speed, the lack of automotive knowledge that is indicative of such a comment is appalling to me .
If you really knew what it took to realize "build quality" and what good "build quality" was, you would know that comparing your BMW to the WRX is not only right, but logical. I think that comparing a car that has enough "build quality" to pump 227 horses out of a two liter engine (the subaru) to a car that has 225 out of a three liter straight 6, is a no-brainer.

If you really knew how to appreciate how your car handles, accelerates, and stops, you would also know how to appreciate a car that could drive circles around it.

0-60: 5.8
1/4 mile: 14.4 (that's you, by the way)

0-60: 5.4
1/4 mile: 14.1 (WRX, 'nuff said)

Here's a nice little article from C&D comparing the 330xi, Audi S4 Quattro, and the WRX... keep in mind that price is a big point made in the article.
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/comparisontests/2001/october/200110_comparisontest_unfairfight.xml?&page=1

I have a slightly different spin...

I say if you want a BMW, get a RWD sport package equipped one.

If you want AWD, get an A4.

The xi is a good effort IMO, but 3ers are meant to be sport package equipped, RWD, manual tranny cars.

:smoker2:

Originally posted by Plaz
I have a slightly different spin...

I say if you want a BMW, get a RWD sport package equipped one.

If you want AWD, get an A4.

The xi is a good effort IMO, but 3ers are meant to be sport package equipped, RWD, manual tranny cars.

:smoker2:


I can see your point with the BMW. But, why discard the WRX when it comes to AWD. Are you talking 1.8 Turbo, or 3.0? I have driven both the WRX, and the A4, and I gotta say, the A4 didn't really grab me like the WRX did. The WRX is just fun to drive. But, the A4 does have the quality when it comes to the interior.

I would like to know what people think about comparing the A4 and the WRX?

I thought the turbo lag was really a drag in the WRX. I guess it depends on how and where you drive the car. For a daily commute with traffic, I think it would be a nightmare, and you'd never get any torque because you wouldn't be rev'ing the engine high enough. Not sure how it compares to the current Audi 1.8T engine though. Six cylinders, whether it's in the BMW or the Audi, is the way to go.

If I were you I would go with the A4 1.8T Quattro if you want four doors and the 3 coupe if you want two. No flames intended to the 3er sedan guys, but the backseat room just isnt enough for a four door car. BTW, even if you have AWD, I still believe that you will need snows, somebody correct me if I am wrong. But it basically boils down to your location and whatever makes you happy in the end.

P.S. While you make a very good point katchino, I believe that ict330xi was referring to the overall feel of the interior of the WRX, which can't begin to match that of the 3-series, if you have sat in both then you know. I have also been told that Subaru's suffer drivetrain problems in the long run, which wouldn't be a good thing to have to deal with. BTW, you do know that C&D achieved those WRX time by dumping the clutch at 4000 rpm, that clutch isn't gonna last very long if you do that every time off the line, just something to think about.

I'm using the standard tires that came with the 330xi in the snow. It hasn't been too bad a winter here in Massachusetts, but the tires have been fine in the snow and ice that I've been driving on.

The 3 sedan back seat is critical is you're hauling kids around at all, though it is cramped for adults for any extended period.