BMW 325i touring
Discussion
Whilst I have a more or less updated thread running on my Alpina, I don't think i've posted anything on the family wagon despite owning it for nearly 4 years. As it had a treat of M3 219 wheels yesterday, here's a pic. (also got a quote from KDS to bring the car back up to as new... lots of saving to do!)
It probably needs some 265 rear tyres next time around, the rim is just slightly exposed. I think they look great though!
As a family wagon this is about as clean as it gets. Pictures of the raisin and mud coated interior not shown. it has been a fantastic car for us.
The pluses, the panoramic roof, comfort and feeling of safety, not a bad looking estate to my eye, nice engine, relatively economical on long runs, has been completely reliable over 4 years- oh no, one thing, the rubber connecting the fuel filler cap to the body broke last winter.
minuses- not much torque, crashy on msport suspension and rfts, leather quality a bit low rent, no heated seats.
If it was a 335 I don't think we could ever replace it, as it is it is hard to consider stumping up the cash. A new B3 is a leap too far.
It probably needs some 265 rear tyres next time around, the rim is just slightly exposed. I think they look great though!
As a family wagon this is about as clean as it gets. Pictures of the raisin and mud coated interior not shown. it has been a fantastic car for us.
The pluses, the panoramic roof, comfort and feeling of safety, not a bad looking estate to my eye, nice engine, relatively economical on long runs, has been completely reliable over 4 years- oh no, one thing, the rubber connecting the fuel filler cap to the body broke last winter.
minuses- not much torque, crashy on msport suspension and rfts, leather quality a bit low rent, no heated seats.
If it was a 335 I don't think we could ever replace it, as it is it is hard to consider stumping up the cash. A new B3 is a leap too far.
Edited by Polynesian on Tuesday 10th September 12:59
Time flies. We've had 2 more uneventful years of E91 ownership. Whilst ours is down on power compared to a couple of others on here (we have the 215bhp 325i), it's a sweet engine and ownership is largely a pleasure. Lighter wheels, like these BBS M3 jobbies, and non RFT tyres help, and it's due for FSD dampers soon.
It seems that manuals like ours are quite sought after now, and I can understand why. I'd love to upgrade, but for the money it does everything we need so well- a fair bit of london driving where size matters, and an annual run to Northern Spain where cruising speed and comfort matter. We even get to use the panoramic sunroof there.
In the new year, we're planning a bit of a smarten up- some paintwork, the FSD dampers. Until then, I have LCI headlights with LED bulbs to fit. Will let you know how much difference they make. We have a good few options on ours, but no xenons and some improvement is needed.
It seems that manuals like ours are quite sought after now, and I can understand why. I'd love to upgrade, but for the money it does everything we need so well- a fair bit of london driving where size matters, and an annual run to Northern Spain where cruising speed and comfort matter. We even get to use the panoramic sunroof there.
In the new year, we're planning a bit of a smarten up- some paintwork, the FSD dampers. Until then, I have LCI headlights with LED bulbs to fit. Will let you know how much difference they make. We have a good few options on ours, but no xenons and some improvement is needed.
In the new year, we're planning a bit of a smarten up- some paintwork, the FSD dampers. Until then, I have LCI headlights with LED bulbs to fit. Will let you know how much difference they make. We have a good few options on ours, but no xenons and some improvement is needed.
[/quote]
I use the Rally off road use only ones from Halfords they cost£10 each and they are awesome,there either 80w or 100w.i have them in both cars at home and both have passed mots with no issues. Good luck fitting them,i think BMW built the car around the headlights
I had forgotten a couple of niggles in this happy ownership. A few months ago I had to change the driver's door actuator, which was fiddly but not a difficult job. If I remember, the actuator was about £100 from BMMiniparts.
And today I finally changed the vanos solenoids after a recurrence of the code came up on my trusty Peake. They were about £80 each I think, and were a 30 minute job. These are all real minutes, not the forum minutes some people seem to describe jobs in (changed the icv on my m52 engine in 1 hour and that included a beer and changing the dipstick too. And I took pictures. And it only really took me 50 minutes... That sort of thing).
There are better guides than I could write for all these jobs available online already, just a google away.
Next, headlights and suspension. But some using first- can't really call it driving when you live in London.
Great car.
And today I finally changed the vanos solenoids after a recurrence of the code came up on my trusty Peake. They were about £80 each I think, and were a 30 minute job. These are all real minutes, not the forum minutes some people seem to describe jobs in (changed the icv on my m52 engine in 1 hour and that included a beer and changing the dipstick too. And I took pictures. And it only really took me 50 minutes... That sort of thing).
There are better guides than I could write for all these jobs available online already, just a google away.
Next, headlights and suspension. But some using first- can't really call it driving when you live in London.
Great car.
A small but significant upgrade to the trusty E91. I've had the headlights swapped out for a pair of genuine BMW LCi halogens, with LED bulbs fitted. Yes, part of this is paying for those BMW angel eyes, no significant upgrade there, more an update, but the LED bulbs- wow- they provide much better real world clarity and vision than the halogen bulbs. They are likely better than my E46 xenons, and all without any recoding, new lcm module or other hassle. the bulbs are Opt7 cree LEDs, with cree chips in the angel eyes as well. much longer throw of light, well placed and no issues with glare for other road users.
Shame you can't get lasers for retrofit yet though :-)
Shame you can't get lasers for retrofit yet though :-)
Christmas came early for the E91 (and maybe her "dad", the E46 Alpina)- bought a Carly for BMW diagnostics/ coder. So far I've run full diagnostics and confirmed I really do need to replace and reset the rear brake pad warning (pads have done about 4K), and coded a few things:
Angel eyes as daytime running lights (was not an option on 2005 E9x's apparently)
Enabled digital speedo in dash
True speed enabled
Disabled the headlight voltage check on startup- the LEDs were making it flicker for a few seconds
Enabled photo chromatic mirror dimming (have this function but it was disabled)
Got rid of some gongs
Will try it on the Alpina later!
Angel eyes as daytime running lights (was not an option on 2005 E9x's apparently)
Enabled digital speedo in dash
True speed enabled
Disabled the headlight voltage check on startup- the LEDs were making it flicker for a few seconds
Enabled photo chromatic mirror dimming (have this function but it was disabled)
Got rid of some gongs
Will try it on the Alpina later!
Barchettaman said:
If the suspension is due a re-fresh, the KW Street Comfort coilovers seem to be well-liked on the BMW forums over here in DE. I'm seriously thinking about getting a set, the only problem will be smuggling them in past the wife.
I'll be honest- I didn't really accept this when I read your post, but hey, you were spot on- they have a great reputation and although more expensive than FSDs (dampers only) might just be the way to go. Thanks for the recommendation!Polynesian said:
I had forgotten a couple of niggles in this happy ownership. A few months ago I had to change the driver's door actuator, which was fiddly but not a difficult job. If I remember, the actuator was about £100 from BMMiniparts.
And today I finally changed the vanos solenoids after a recurrence of the code came up on my trusty Peake. They were about £80 each I think, and were a 30 minute job. These are all real minutes, not the forum minutes some people seem to describe jobs in (changed the icv on my m52 engine in 1 hour and that included a beer and changing the dipstick too. And I took pictures. And it only really took me 50 minutes... That sort of thing).
There are better guides than I could write for all these jobs available online already, just a google away.
Next, headlights and suspension. But some using first- can't really call it driving when you live in London.
Great car.
Did you notice any difference power wise with the solenoids? Nice car! And today I finally changed the vanos solenoids after a recurrence of the code came up on my trusty Peake. They were about £80 each I think, and were a 30 minute job. These are all real minutes, not the forum minutes some people seem to describe jobs in (changed the icv on my m52 engine in 1 hour and that included a beer and changing the dipstick too. And I took pictures. And it only really took me 50 minutes... That sort of thing).
There are better guides than I could write for all these jobs available online already, just a google away.
Next, headlights and suspension. But some using first- can't really call it driving when you live in London.
Great car.
The are nice cars - the estate is my favourite of the range, both for its appearance and its versatility. We also have the 325i touring, but it is an automatic in Montego blue with beige leather. The 2.5 litre straight six lifts the car considerably - it is a very smooth thing which makes the car feel like a 'proper BMW'. Personally, I wouldn't consider one of these cars without the six pot; they feel rather ordinary, unfortunately - indeed disconcertingly so.
Ours has been a good car over the years, but we have had more items fail on it than you have. It has worked up a big bill on occasion!
Ours has been a good car over the years, but we have had more items fail on it than you have. It has worked up a big bill on occasion!
Ive got a pre facelift E91 as well, and done quite a few upgrades you might be interested in 
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Love the colour of your E91.
I was lucky to have some spare cash come my way, so treated myself to a new(er) car for xmas.
I don't earn a great wage, so money is a bit tight, and an E91 on a 56 plate ticked all the boxes I needed it to.
It's a 320d M Sport. I like the combination of 60+mpg on a eco-drive, but a fast enough turn of speed for 90% of normal driving scenario's.
The M Sport seats are very good, I like the steering wheel, lower/stiffer suspension, and even a strut brace. They definitely corner like an estate car shouldn't be able to !
The interior is a bit limited for storage space (lovely brushed aluminium though), the boot is pretty pants, and the stereo is slightly weedy in audio quality.
For the money though, I think they are one of the best looking cars on the road.
I was lucky to have some spare cash come my way, so treated myself to a new(er) car for xmas.
I don't earn a great wage, so money is a bit tight, and an E91 on a 56 plate ticked all the boxes I needed it to.
It's a 320d M Sport. I like the combination of 60+mpg on a eco-drive, but a fast enough turn of speed for 90% of normal driving scenario's.
The M Sport seats are very good, I like the steering wheel, lower/stiffer suspension, and even a strut brace. They definitely corner like an estate car shouldn't be able to !
The interior is a bit limited for storage space (lovely brushed aluminium though), the boot is pretty pants, and the stereo is slightly weedy in audio quality.
For the money though, I think they are one of the best looking cars on the road.
Great to see the touring love here! Forgot that one other improvement we made last year was the alpine speaker/ amp- not audiophile quality but for a family wagon just fine. The drivers door mid range is now not working and don't want to get fleeced for diagnosing the problem. Anyway, been on my other BMW touring interest today: the "Adrenaline" touring car documentary from my wonderful wife :-)
Edited by Polynesian on Saturday 26th December 19:25
Nik Gnashers said:
Love the colour of your E91.
I was lucky to have some spare cash come my way, so treated myself to a new(er) car for xmas...
For the money though, I think they are one of the best looking cars on the road.
Congrats! That's a great Christmas present! I hope you enjoy yours, your description definitely tallies with mine after 6 years of ownership. It came when my son was 4 weeks old so it's done the full family duties for a good while. We would normally change after 3 years, but with a house move and a second child, the years and cash have flashed past. Someone on Alpina forum just bought a B3 biturbo touring which would be nice. Realistic options are an RS6 avant, 335/340i touring, an F10 v8 touring if ever up for sale, possibly an E63... But you can hear I'm wandering off from proper family duties cars there.I was lucky to have some spare cash come my way, so treated myself to a new(er) car for xmas...
For the money though, I think they are one of the best looking cars on the road.
Well as E91+ 9.5j M3 rear wheels = rubbing when fully loaded, I had Paul from Arch Enemy come and roll the rear arches. Nice guy, very experienced at doing this and now my wheels don't rub at all. Excellent. I didn't get to see the full process as I was on a work call, but it was done quickly and I'm very pleased with the result. The arch liners have been retained, not cut, and wedged into the lip of the arch and sealed.
Family outing to Bruges this weekend will be the real test but there's clearly more room. Can definitely recommend Paul.
Family outing to Bruges this weekend will be the real test but there's clearly more room. Can definitely recommend Paul.
Nice car. Having a recent addition to the family, I sometimes find myself wishing my E90 325 was an E91.
Anyway, a year after buying my 325 (and preparing to update my thread), I have no regrets - the E90 may not be quite as practical as the E91 owing to the smaller boot but it's done pretty much everything I've wanted - comfortable on journeys, a pleasure to drive, decent balance of performance and economy and most importantly for me, 100 % reliable. These really are decent cars.
Anyway, a year after buying my 325 (and preparing to update my thread), I have no regrets - the E90 may not be quite as practical as the E91 owing to the smaller boot but it's done pretty much everything I've wanted - comfortable on journeys, a pleasure to drive, decent balance of performance and economy and most importantly for me, 100 % reliable. These really are decent cars.
Back from a great weekend in Bruges. not much like the film, but a lot of fun despite the rain and freezing temperatures. I'm quite into cycling, and it has given me a new level of respect for the guys who actually look forward to the classics and ride on the slippery cobbles with cold, wind, rain. Insane. I thought I had it tough walking around the town this weekend.
Back to the car. Despite having the bike racks on, we didn't take any bikes with us, but we did have the roofbox, almost as large as an E91, and very useful for getting my wife's biscuit, chocolate and garden centre purchases home. Somehow my 6 year old came back with a nautilus shell too. Love it, but I don't think they are native to the inland waters of Belgium.
You always get these shots of 6, 8 or more cylinder cars showing hundreds of miles per gallon- this is the real world of our 2.5. It's a magnesium block, uses an electric water pump and all sorts of tricks, but i guess the wide tyres, roofbox and bike racks weren't included in the BMW plan.
Something interesting here though. The temperature dropped half a degree and we managed a little more economy. it must be the denser air enabling the engine to run more efficiently.
These were the only 2 buildings we saw still standing in the wind. Then we got to ride that wind on the ferry home.
But not before spotting a rare Ford. Couldn't see if it was a 2.9, pretty certain not a cosworth, what a barge. Remember hoping my dad would buy one instead of another Sierra. And that's really what we have now in the E91. it's the Ford Sierra of our times. Nicer to be in, but as common. You can see why when you drive them, it's a nice car to go on family adventures in.
Here's my son playing it cool in some extreme listing onboard the ferry
You can't really tell here, but the lemon leather and wood really lift the interior, it is quite a classy place to be. No gimmicks, no touch screens, just a nice environment, with great ergnomics save for teh placement of the window controls- I always reach the rear windows thinking they are the fronts- and a little bit of shiny plastic on the external side mirror base- it reflects white lines in a distracting way in some conditions. How did they not catch that?!
Here are the M3 18's. Lovely deep dished wheels. And now the arches have been slightly rolled, absolutely no rubbing at all, under any circumstances I could throw at it this weekend. Not very clean at the mo, but that's roadtrips for you.
This has been a great improvement- we put LCi halogens on, and added LED bulbs. They are about comparable with xenons and don't dazzle anyone The LCi bit just meant gaining angel eyes, a bit pathetic but hardly a crime. At least I think not.
And here's the cause of the modified CdA figure. Enough furniture up top to affect economy a bit and get exciting above 80mph, where law allows.
Made it back tonight, all comfortable, nautilus in one piece, Ready to think about how to address the bubbling rust starting under the back window. I know it's a result of grit getting left there but still think it's unacceptable. Anyway, it's either the old fashioned approach or an LCi tailgate. Oil service due first, so time to ponder that one.
Back to the car. Despite having the bike racks on, we didn't take any bikes with us, but we did have the roofbox, almost as large as an E91, and very useful for getting my wife's biscuit, chocolate and garden centre purchases home. Somehow my 6 year old came back with a nautilus shell too. Love it, but I don't think they are native to the inland waters of Belgium.
You always get these shots of 6, 8 or more cylinder cars showing hundreds of miles per gallon- this is the real world of our 2.5. It's a magnesium block, uses an electric water pump and all sorts of tricks, but i guess the wide tyres, roofbox and bike racks weren't included in the BMW plan.
Something interesting here though. The temperature dropped half a degree and we managed a little more economy. it must be the denser air enabling the engine to run more efficiently.
These were the only 2 buildings we saw still standing in the wind. Then we got to ride that wind on the ferry home.
But not before spotting a rare Ford. Couldn't see if it was a 2.9, pretty certain not a cosworth, what a barge. Remember hoping my dad would buy one instead of another Sierra. And that's really what we have now in the E91. it's the Ford Sierra of our times. Nicer to be in, but as common. You can see why when you drive them, it's a nice car to go on family adventures in.
Here's my son playing it cool in some extreme listing onboard the ferry
You can't really tell here, but the lemon leather and wood really lift the interior, it is quite a classy place to be. No gimmicks, no touch screens, just a nice environment, with great ergnomics save for teh placement of the window controls- I always reach the rear windows thinking they are the fronts- and a little bit of shiny plastic on the external side mirror base- it reflects white lines in a distracting way in some conditions. How did they not catch that?!
Here are the M3 18's. Lovely deep dished wheels. And now the arches have been slightly rolled, absolutely no rubbing at all, under any circumstances I could throw at it this weekend. Not very clean at the mo, but that's roadtrips for you.
This has been a great improvement- we put LCi halogens on, and added LED bulbs. They are about comparable with xenons and don't dazzle anyone The LCi bit just meant gaining angel eyes, a bit pathetic but hardly a crime. At least I think not.
And here's the cause of the modified CdA figure. Enough furniture up top to affect economy a bit and get exciting above 80mph, where law allows.
Made it back tonight, all comfortable, nautilus in one piece, Ready to think about how to address the bubbling rust starting under the back window. I know it's a result of grit getting left there but still think it's unacceptable. Anyway, it's either the old fashioned approach or an LCi tailgate. Oil service due first, so time to ponder that one.
Edited by Polynesian on Wednesday 17th February 16:01
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff