12:51

the 3 series BMW. I am currently at the end of my rope with my current car (z3) and I am at the point where roadsters, albeit fun, aren't for me anymore. I got a letter from my BMW dealer offering to buyback my car PLUS 1000, and it seems like a more seamless deal than doing it with the Mazda dealership. I would be looking at the 325iC and a Touring package 8. In this case, do I get what i pay for? All things considered. I have never dealt with Mazda or trading in a car before. Are there any aspect of the 3 series that hold a wick to the 8? I am over the brand, i want sporty, but sensible!

wayneside

almost got a 3 series this year...glad i didnt! some of my coworkers tell me of the problems they have with servicing their BMW's...plus i think the 8 is a great everyday car!

himitsu

I just changed from an E46 325i into the 8 a month ago also.
I suppose its quite similar to the Ci.
The back seat on the 3 is quite cramped enough, I think more so on the Ci version which should be almost the same as the 8, so you shouldnt worry on that part.

The 3 series is a proven car, proven engine.
Definitely solid and reliable.
BUT... its boring, there are so many 3 series running around the world everyday, you are bound to see 1 everyday...

Performance wise, the 8 is slightly better on the accel, and much better on the handling. But driving a 3 is not quite as much fun as driving an 8.

That... and the fact that BMW is going to completely redo the 3 end of this year... so its like buying a model thats on the last leg of its life...
You can buy the 8 first, and later if you dont like it, change back to the new 3 next year.

BIMMER5&RX8

Only one a day? Here in the Silicon Valley I see one every minute while driving to work.

I think the E46 3 is the last good looking BWM before Chris Bangle also makes it look like a Pontiac next year. Just look at those ugly new 7s and 5s popping up on the road now. The 3 with the sport package is also a fun car with reasonable ride. You can't go wrong with either one.

poolsidenaz

My neighbor just recently got a 2001 Z3. Can you spell out some of your frustrations for me that might be valuable to him? That'd be great - thanks.

alamike

Before you change from BMW to Mazda, I would talk to friends that own Mazdas in your area. Mazda dealerships can be very poor. Your probably used to getting a loaner and a car wash when you service your Bimmer. With Mazda forget about that. I have avoided Mazda lately because the dealers in my area have gotten so poor. Trying to compare a 325 and RX8 is difficult to do since they are just too different. I love the RX8 but I am waiting a couple years to see how reliable they are. Dealer service is not as critical if the product is very reliable.

ptiemann

For $24.95 your Mazda dealer changes oil + filter, does a 20+ point inspection and washes the car.

Mazda *does* give a loaner if the car stays longer in the shop.

But you're right. Not all dealers are the same.

-Peter

ptiemann

My general comment on BMW:

I grew up in Germany and my parents have a 318something, my sister is on her second BMW now. I guess all of them (living in Germany) are loyal fans now.

However, all three cars had problems with the brakes. My sister's convertible needed new brake pads after one month because they wore uneven or something. It was warranty though.

There are a few other stories. My sis's (325? not sure) is just out of warranty, mostly highway miles because she can walk/ bike to work.. and something with the cat converter broke. I got this info second hand through parents, that's why I'm so unprecise. Something about the lamda sensor.

The thing that my mom remembered was the really high repair estimate.

A coworker (Civic driver) talks a lot about getting a BMW but also recognizes many 3series pulled over on the freeway waiting for the tow truck. Not sure what that's worth, maybe he has selective vision. I seem to see more Mazdas lately :-)


A nice thing is that BMW comes with free maintenance for x years (5?) - however, that is not worth much if the car has to go to the shop.

If you need to impress people, you're not going to get that with a Mazda, go with the BMW then.

But I don't think that BMW is as reliable as Mazda or even Honda/ Toyota (<-- they really rule)

12:51

Wow, all really good insights. thanks guys!

poolside- what threw me overboard on the car was that i had to replace a complete ECU and CWS (dunno what the latter was), THEN i found out that my rear shock mounts TORE, my rear sway bar endlink has snapped, i have a crack in my driveshaft coupling, my power top no longer works and I have had to get my windows fixed once on each side. The funny thing is, all this happened AFTER I got off warranty. This bring me to to main considerations about BMW:
1) That's why they offer free maintenance on the first four years.
2) 80% of BMWs customers are leases.

The sheet metal on the car and its fit and finish are great, i can see why some would call japanese cars flimsy, but that's changed drastically in recent years. I will be at the Mazda dealership tonight, along with the BMW dealership. It's on like Donkey Kong.

Thanks for the advice guys!

bubble

The 3 series cars have evolved into slow fat pigs. The 3 series is outperformed by the Mazdaspeed Protege. RX8>3 series.

Bubble

alamike

In the southeast, it is rare to get a loaner from a middle rung Japanese dealer (Mazda, Toyota, Nissan etc). If your a long legged blond, you may be an exception. One local Nissan dealer, puts a big orange sicker on the owners manual that says "We do not give loaners". I had a Toyota dealer keep my car for a week under warranty repairs, no loaner. As far as car washes, I only got one from a Toyota dealer because the idiot that did an oil change started the car up without the fill cap. Our local Nissan and Toyota guys give better service than Mazda. I guess if I was the guy that started this thread, I would also look at the G35. Same dealer service as a BMW with a nice warranty with the same sportiness as an RX8.

BIMMER5&RX8

What do you mean by outperform? No.1, BMWs are RWD cars and Proteges are FWR. They are not in the same league. No.2, the 3-series have naturally aspired straight sixes compared to the Mazdaspeed forced induction 4s.

RX8s are more comparable to BMW 3-series.

BIMMER5&RX8

I guess we have been lucky with my wife's 2000 528i Touring (bought in 1999) and my 2001 530i Sport. They have been very reliable, knock on wood, so far. A few years ago I took the wife's 528i in for a regular service. The dealer told me the break pads were a bit thin and not up to specs. They voluntarily replaced them with no charge. They also replaced the wipers without charge.