I don't think so. Just my opinion. I just sold my 325ci to my brother and he is loving it. That car was so fun to drive. I added a cold air intake to it and the sound from the 2.5 was amazing.

I love my M3 now, but at the same time the 325ci was quick enough and fun to drive fast - it was forgiving and sounded great. It's a BMW - you'll love it. If you want a little more oomph get a 330.

 

re-reading your post - you are 17? Yeah, 325 is a great choice. Looks nice, decent on gas, not crazy to insure, plenty fun without getting in trouble with it. Insurance should be reasonable. Wait til you are 25 or married to get a G37 or M3 or some other 350+ HP car. The insurance is insane for young guys. Just my humble opinion. (Bought a Z28 at 18, that was rough)

 

If performance is not a major want I think you just answered your own question. It is not a slow car. It's just not what most people consider a fast car.

Since you are only 17 it's a good idea to call your insurance company and see how much it will cost to insure. Also these cars are also not cheap to maintain, don't get good MPG, and take premium gas. You could easily spend 50% of the purchase price in maintenance depending on what condition the car is in. All things to be aware of.

 

OP, at 17, you'll be more than happy with the 325 ci/i engine, look for the 04+ coupes if possible!

 

I have facelift E46 325ci but for 17 year old I might recommend the 1ZZ (lower powered version) of the Toyota Celica, maybe a 2000-2004 model.

 

A 325 is just fine for someone like OPs age. You shouldn't steer people away from these cars, they could be a fanatic in the making.

There's one thing I have to ask OP though. Do you, and by you I mean your parents, have deep pockets? Because more than likely it'll need repairs soon after buying. Either way if you're going to get an E46, the least you could do is maintain it. Otherwise it WILL leave you stranded.

Take care of your car and it will take care of you.


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Plenty of power for a 17 year old. I got my license when I was 16 and my first car was a 1993 Mercedes 300e (W124). It had a 2.8l Inline-6 with 194hp and 199tq so it was by no means fast or powerful in 2010. However, the M104 engine was very smooth and still had respectable top-end power even by today's standards.
I learned the ropes on the 300e for 2 years before I upgraded to a 535i and now a 335i, but even with my 2 n54 power-plants I still miss my old Mercedes!

My point is - there's more to your first car than speed, acceleration, and hp. If cars are a passion of yours you'll end up loving your 325ci and all the freedom and memories it will provide you. :thumbup:

I say go for it! Just make sure it was maintained well and you continue to maintain it well. Any BMW (or any European car for that matter) can be expensive to maintain/repair if you're not careful.
However, so far all 3 of my European cars have been wonderful and reliable - its going to be a while before I go back to Japanese/American car brands.

 

If you get a manual, learn to shift it properly, and maintain the car well (91 gas included), then no.. it's not that underpowered.

330's have more issues (gobble oil, oil pump nut, harmonic balancer), more expensive brakes, and other misc. components.

325 stick is an excellent first car.

 

Yes I forgot that part, please get a 5 speed. If you don't know how to drive stick yet, don't worry. That car will be so much fun to drive once you get the hang of it.


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Funny, I bought my 323i from the parents of a 17 year old. They bought it for him from the original owner, and then he got a couple speeding tickets within the first few months ... bye bye BMW.

 

It depends on how you want to define "underpowered."

It's a detuned M54, at its core. So yes, it is underpowered for its full capabilities.

But compared to similar cars of that era? 181HP isn't really all that bad. It's 81 more HP than most cars you'd find in the 2000s, and it's much more luxurious as well.

Now, my opinion? The M54B30 is, on paper and in practice, a better option. It is inherently more efficient than the M54B25.

 

the 3.0 is a faster option. that may not be better, or worse. just more powerful. more efficient? how? it is a linear equation for the most part. the engine is larger, therefore more powerful, also uses more fuel. i don't think it is more or less "efficient" than the 2.5, it is just more powerful.

more power = more fun, sure. but it is also more money, and slightly (emphasizing slightly) more prone to a few failures than the 2.5 litre.

 

What's your budget?

 

BMW once said we measure in "big horses" in reference to some of the japanese MFR horsepower claims. these engines have a great torque curve, linear power delivery, and are very refined.

I say go for it, it is not underpowered by any means with a 5 speed manual. The 2.5 litre behaves like it has 200bhp, and I still believe it does. 0-60 in 7 flat in a ~3200 pound car would tend to endorse this theory.

 

Sorry but horsepower doesn't win races per say. I get the gist of what you mean, but it's not technically true.
Here's some interesting info comparing the M54B25 and B30

 

it is ABSOLUTELY true. and high horsepower will require high torque, even in a honda...it will just be displaced way up into the rev range.

horsepower is far more important and you can't have a ton of horsepower without torque following in some way. you can use the equation for it.

 

I think a 325i/Ci would be a great first car. Enough power and more than enough handling for an A-B daily driver. Plus, it's a relatively easy platform to learn on when it comes to maintenance.

 

bmw 335D, 265hp/425 lbs/ft TQ... 0-60 in 5.7 1/4 mile: 14.2 secons @ 100mph.

bmw 335i 300hp/300 lbs/ft... 0-60 in 4.9 1/4 mile: 13.4 @ 104.5mph

that is a LARGE difference in real world acceleration. 4 mph in trap speed will translate into a noticeable difference. horsepower wins races. the diesel has 41% MORE torque and only 12% less horsepower.

 

Like I said I get what you're saying, and that's true. But those examples ^^^ aren't exact what I meant. If you have two cars with closer or the same horsepower specs and one with more torque than the other, the higher torque will win. That's what I'm saying. You can't have all that power and no torque. The higher the torque the faster you'll reach that peak horsepower.

As far as the 325 is concerned, it has plenty of "power" for a 17 year old to get tickets with.

The 2.5 and 2.8 make close to the same power, torque is a different story though.



Also, comparing a Diesel to a Gasoline engine isn't really a fair argument.

 

Not underpowered, just not the same power as the 330

 

The 2.5 is terrible. Slow, and worse gas mileage than the 3L variant.

Heck, even the 330 is slow. That's why I added a V8 6-speed 5 series to my collection!

My E46 is a 330 btw.

 

"Slow"

 

I just got my 5 speed 325i this week, so I haven't been able to drive it much, but it's definitely not slow. I was looking for 330i's but the 325i is still really fun to drive. I went from a Miata to this, so that probably makes it seem faster, but it still pulls well. I was also looking at a 540i. Even though the 540i was faster, I definitely am not disappointed with the 325i.

 

The 540i would have disappointed your wallet.

 

OP seems to be a spammer!

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1042599&highlight=

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1042600&highlight=

Is he/she 15 or 17? Do they want a BMW or did they just buy a nissan sentra?

 

I'm 17

I'm 15

****ing lol

 

Lol 15

 

You'll catch occasional sh*t for driving a 325i around here, but no, it isn't underpowered. It was more powerful than the majority of cars manufactured during it's time frame of equal size/weight. If you want a straight line monster, look to an American pony/muscle car. Say what you will, but the $/hp on cars like that is pretty unbeatable. Back to the point, the m54b25 make more than enough power for the vast majority of drivers, especially those that are young, inexperienced, or dangerously close to a suspended license. I'm 20 years old, and drive quite a lot for a 20 year old (~15-17k/year), and I've never really felt like I NEEDED more power than my 325i.

TL;DR, the 325i is quite competent.

 

I just bought a 2006 nissan sentra

 

I have a 04 325ci 5spd as a daily driver and the car is an absolute joy to drive. As mentioned above, you will be amazed by how finely tuned the engine is. I never have to downshift on the hwy for passing power. Is the car fast.....well compared to my c5 z06 no. Does it have plentiful power that is smooth as silk....Yes!!! You won't regret your purchase.

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I got my 325i when I was 16, I first thought it was slow until I actually had the opportunity to have some fun and open the car up, the car is fast enough to have fun.


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