- Feb 10, 2000
- 30,029
- 67
- 91
I have a 2006 BMW 330i that I bought as a certified pre-owned car last year. I love my car. It is dark blue over black leather, with a manual transmission, sport, premium, and cold-weather packages, and various other odds and ends. It's an highly satisfying little sports sedan which handles amazingly well, while still being quite comfortable and practical.
Lately I've been having some issues with it (it turns out a vapor barrier in one of the doors failed, so water was seeping into the compartment where various electronics are stored, leading to a host of strange problems), and brought it in for warranty service.
As a loaner, they gave me a decked-out 2009 BMW X3 crossover (BMW calls it a "sport activity vehicle"). I'm a little embarrassed by how much I'm enjoying it!
This car was not well-reviewed when it was released (I guess in part because it's not suitable for off-road use despite looking like an SUV, and has a brittle ride for an SUV), and I am not at all an SUV enthusiast, but this thing is really nice. I am 6'4", so getting into and out of my 330i (which has a factory-lowered sport suspension) is a bit of a chore - obviously the X3 is easier in that respect (though the stupid running boards actually make it harder, since I have to step over them). The seats are VERY comfy and it has a host of amenities (heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, etc.) that I like and that are not included with my car. I guess the main thing is that it drives, more or less, like a 3 series, while having a lot more room. Admittedly the handling is not at the level of my sport-package-equipped car, but it's nicer to drive than any of the host of Japanese sedans I've owned over the years (which have included, most recently, a V6 Accord and a Maxima SE).
At the end of the day, this is a bit of a chick car (it helps a bit that it's black over black leather), and has more in common with a minivan than a true Jeep. It's clearly getting a little long in the tooth as a model, so its electronics are a generation behind what's in my 330i (though admittedly they work, whereas my own have been a little hinky of late). It has an automatic (though I believe a stick is available), which I have a hard time abiding (though it is indisputably a really really nice automatic - it's a 6-speed Tiptronic and the best auto I've ever used). It's also not the prettiest car - in fact I think it's the ugliest current BMW, and that's saying a lot.
All of that being said, if I had kids I'd be delighted to drive one of these, warts and all. Now I just hope they can get to the bottom of the problems with my car . . .
Lately I've been having some issues with it (it turns out a vapor barrier in one of the doors failed, so water was seeping into the compartment where various electronics are stored, leading to a host of strange problems), and brought it in for warranty service.
As a loaner, they gave me a decked-out 2009 BMW X3 crossover (BMW calls it a "sport activity vehicle"). I'm a little embarrassed by how much I'm enjoying it!
This car was not well-reviewed when it was released (I guess in part because it's not suitable for off-road use despite looking like an SUV, and has a brittle ride for an SUV), and I am not at all an SUV enthusiast, but this thing is really nice. I am 6'4", so getting into and out of my 330i (which has a factory-lowered sport suspension) is a bit of a chore - obviously the X3 is easier in that respect (though the stupid running boards actually make it harder, since I have to step over them). The seats are VERY comfy and it has a host of amenities (heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, etc.) that I like and that are not included with my car. I guess the main thing is that it drives, more or less, like a 3 series, while having a lot more room. Admittedly the handling is not at the level of my sport-package-equipped car, but it's nicer to drive than any of the host of Japanese sedans I've owned over the years (which have included, most recently, a V6 Accord and a Maxima SE).
At the end of the day, this is a bit of a chick car (it helps a bit that it's black over black leather), and has more in common with a minivan than a true Jeep. It's clearly getting a little long in the tooth as a model, so its electronics are a generation behind what's in my 330i (though admittedly they work, whereas my own have been a little hinky of late). It has an automatic (though I believe a stick is available), which I have a hard time abiding (though it is indisputably a really really nice automatic - it's a 6-speed Tiptronic and the best auto I've ever used). It's also not the prettiest car - in fact I think it's the ugliest current BMW, and that's saying a lot.
All of that being said, if I had kids I'd be delighted to drive one of these, warts and all. Now I just hope they can get to the bottom of the problems with my car . . .
Facebook
Twitter