The E46 325ti Appreciation Thread

[PaulGT3]

s m said:

Interested to hear your opinion after they've worn in - what have you got currently

I have eagle f1 as2 currently but in the standard sport 225/45 and 245/40 17" sizes.

[JakeT]

I've done 25k on my PS4s now and love them. They did so well in -8 that I didn't even use winters. Still a good 3mm of tread left on the rears too. No to mention there's so much grip. To the point of it's hard to go sideways... If that's your thing.

[danp]

Well the cat seems to like my new wheels, grrr.

After a lot of 6 pot BMW's finally got round to one of these, first impressions are good - fun at reasonable speeds and just about practical enough (seems to have more room than the 130i I tried?)

Managed to skim the whole thread before I viewed it, so some useful pointers - thanks! Picked it up a couple of weeks ago but driving it from today - look forward to getting some miles on it.

[PaulGT3]

Finally fitted my F20 1 series wheels with 205/55 R16 Michelin PS4. Doesn't look too bad IMO and drives so much better with this tyre size. If anyone wants some OEM 17" sport wheels very cheap then get in touch, they will need a refurb and new tyres though.

Edited by PaulGT3 on Sunday 26th March 12:12

[s m]

PaulGT3 said:

Finally fitted my F20 1 series wheels with 205/55 R16 Michelin PS4. Doesn't look too bad IMO and drives so much better with this tyre size. If anyone wants some OEM 17" sport wheels very cheap then get in touch, they will need a refurb and new tyres though.

Edited by PaulGT3 on Sunday 26th March 12:12

Is that alloy style particularly light Paul or was it just a reasonably decent set of 16s Paul?

You're right though, they do feel nice on that size - I'm tempted to try these new PS4s

[PaulGT3]

They were just a wheel that cropped up on ebay quite often for cheap. I think I paid 120 quid for the wheels and they were unmarked and off a 2014 car, I also think they look better than most 16" bmw oem wheels. Not sure on the weights but they are quite a bit lighter than the original sport 17" wheels obviously.

[helix402]

The 16s make the car very easy to slide, particularly in greasy conditions. The 17s (style 68) are great wheels, a lot lighter and stronger then the 18s.

[JakeT]

Those 16s look nice, Paul. Good choice. Helix is right too. I think the car's handling characteristics are best on the smallest wheels. Mainly because there's less grip to play with. I have a set of Style 136 wheels (pic below) and the car handled better on them with Michelin Energy tyres on them. Initial turn in was a little squidgy compared to the 18" options but B road manners were much better. Shame they looked crap in comparison!

[mark.c]

Great to see there is still some love out there for the Compact. I'm nearly three years in and it's done everything I've asked of it and with the exception of a radiator and intake boot it's been brilliant.. I could really do with a slightly bigger daily and I guess a 130i is the natural choice for something in a similar vein but for now this is still a cracking little car.

[PaulGT3]

Looks great Mark, makes me want to give mine a good clean and polish!

Here is mine yesterday before I fitted the smaller wheels... Looks a complete state compared to yours!

Edited by PaulGT3 on Sunday 26th March 21:13

[mark.c]

Thanks Paul, I can't take all the credit though, my pal is a detailer and was keen for me to try some of his fancy nano foamy dirt lifting ph neutral serum juice stuff. Ever the sceptic I have to say it scrubbed up well with minimum effort !

[s m]

mark.c said:

Great to see there is still some love out there for the Compact. I'm nearly three years in and it's done everything I've asked of it and with the exception of a radiator and intake boot it's been brilliant.. I could really do with a slightly bigger daily and I guess a 130i is the natural choice for something in a similar vein but for now this is still a cracking little car.

A 130i is certainly newer and they do a 5 door version but if you carry rear passengers I'd get them to try it out first. Certainly the rear doors make access easier

[mark.c]

Hi sm, do you mean try it first because it's a bit tight in the back for adults or the ride? I am considering it (5 door) purely to make life a bit easier with my two children for the rare occasion I have them in the car. They are very young, both under three so leg room isn't too much of an issue at the moment.

I've not driven one yet but assume they are just a more grunty version of the compact ?

[s m]

mark.c said:

Hi sm, do you mean try it first because it's a bit tight in the back for adults or the ride? I am considering it (5 door) purely to make life a bit easier with my two children for the rare occasion I have them in the car. They are very young, both under three so leg room isn't too much of an issue at the moment.

I've not driven one yet but assume they are just a more grunty version of the compact ?

Yes, my lads are a bit bigger but found a 130i slightly smaller in the back - probably only by degrees - but I think you'd be fine with under 3s and, as you say, rear doors make it a lot easier getting them in. The ride on runflats is bad but that's easily fixed. They are certainly a bit quicker though

[LocoBlade]

I had a 123d then a 130i for a combined 6 years and then bought a 325 compact recently for a stopgap car until my new one was delivered at the start of March (still have it and need to get round to selling if anyone's on the lookout).

The 130i is a league above in terms of performance and obviously the interior is more modern and generally nicer. Not sure there's a whole lot in it for interior space though but I think the boot is a bit (not a lot) bigger in the 1 series. All that said though I think the 325 is the more coherent handling car in stock form even when running the 1 series on proper (non runflat) tyres. The suspension has a suppleness and compliance that the 1 series lacks, the back end of the 1 series feels oversprung which upsets it on bumpy roads and on the facelift cars the electric power steering doesn't give as much feel as the hydraulic setup on the 325 (and the pre facelift 130i).

[Mr Tidy]

[quote=mark.c]Great to see there is still some love out there for the Compact. I'm nearly three years in and it's done everything I've asked of it and with the exception of a radiator and intake boot it's been brilliant.. I could really do with a slightly bigger daily and I guess a 130i is the natural choice for something in a similar vein but for now this is still a cracking little car.

[quote]

Well there should be loads of love for yours - Imola Red Sport and also a facelift! My ultimate Compact (sadly mine just isn't a facelift)!




130i is probably the logical replacement, but it has the N52 engine. While it is quick in a way the 325ti will never be, it also has an electric water pump which tends to die after about 10 years and is not a cheap fix (as I found out - my Z4Coupe also has the N52 engine).

Plus a 130i is generally at least 3 times the price of a 325ti - and I can't believe it is 3 times as good!

[venskip]

Gave the 325ti a good clean this weekend in preparation for its sale... 2000 miles in 9 months and I cant justify keeping it really... :-(

I know for sale posts aren't allowed but if you look on Gumtree for the 2003 car with this picture you will find the advert :-)

[JakeT]

Ah, I saw this advert on Gumtree. What do we all think? I think that's a pretty good price for a car in question.


https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-325ti-compact-ma...


Funnily enough when the time comes for me to sell my compact and get into something else I am also thinking of a 130i. Either that or a 135i coupe. Both seems like the natural progression for me. Maybe a 125i for an NA coupe.

[Sardonicus]

JakeT said:

Ah, I saw this advert on Gumtree. What do we all think?


https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-325ti-compact-ma...


Funnily enough when the time comes for me to sell my compact and get into something else I am also thinking of a 130i. Either that or a 135i coupe. Both seems like the natural progression for me. Maybe a 125i for an NA coupe.

Cheaper than I would of estimated good buy for someone and its manual looks like a great example too

[danp]

s m said:

mark.c said:

Great to see there is still some love out there for the Compact. I'm nearly three years in and it's done everything I've asked of it and with the exception of a radiator and intake boot it's been brilliant.. I could really do with a slightly bigger daily and I guess a 130i is the natural choice for something in a similar vein but for now this is still a cracking little car.

A 130i is certainly newer and they do a 5 door version but if you carry rear passengers I'd get them to try it out first. Certainly the rear doors make access easier

I tried a 130i but there was barely any rear legroom behind me (I'm about 6 foot) - I needed to get in two young children and ended up with an E90 330i which I believe has 10cm more legroom (from the ADAC website). I'd say my new 325ti is about the same as the 330i, maybe slightly less...so I would try before you buy!