2007 BMW 323i

[normsmith 0]

Hi,

I've always wanted to own a BMW ever since I was a kid. Now I am finally in a position to get one. :-)

The car I am interested in is a 2007 BMW 323i. It's not a model that is sold brand new in NZ but a number of dealers have them and in near new condition.

I have some questions about this model and would appreciate any help you can give me:

1) Overall it appears to be a good car but how does it compare with say the 320i and the 325i?

2) It has the same engine as the 325i yet churns out less power. The reviews describe the engine as a "detuned" 325i engine. Is this true? And if so does this mean that the engine can be tuned to produce more power? Are there "official" BMW engine tuners out there who could do this and would this be something a 323i owner should consider?

3) Since this is a new model I can't find much about reliability. As a general rule of thumb should I be aware of any problems the new 3 series cars have been having?

4) Any other comments/advise you guys might have.

Thanks in advance

Norm

[international 0]

Hi,

I've always wanted to own a BMW ever since I was a kid. Now I am finally in a position to get one. :-)

The car I am interested in is a 2007 BMW 323i. It's not a model that is sold brand new in NZ but a number of dealers have them and in near new condition.

I have some questions about this model and would appreciate any help you can give me:

1) Overall it appears to be a good car but how does it compare with say the 320i and the 325i?

2) It has the same engine as the 325i yet churns out less power. The reviews describe the engine as a "detuned" 325i engine. Is this true? And if so does this mean that the engine can be tuned to produce more power? Are there "official" BMW engine tuners out there who could do this and would this be something a 323i owner should consider?

3) Since this is a new model I can't find much about reliability. As a general rule of thumb should I be aware of any problems the new 3 series cars have been having?

4) Any other comments/advise you guys might have.

Thanks in advance

Norm

The BMW E90s are pretty much the same cars, 320i, 323i and 325i except the engines. Other differences include the range of additional options per model, basically what that means is if you want a car with loads of options, you will have to jump to a larger engined model.

Despite having the same engine,as far as I know the restriction happens at the exhaust system and via its electronic systems. BMW official dealers will not do the engine upgrades for you because then they wont be able to sell any 325i models as people would then be choosing the cheaper 323i.

E90s have been out for sometime now since 2005. I have been reading that the higher powered 3.0L Twin Turbo engine had some issues with the fuel pump, but other than that I cannot remember any from the top of my head.

If you dont mind me asking, which dealership are you buying your car from? I would advise against the purchase of a demo car. When you do see the car there are a few things you want to check:

-go into the boot, lift the panel which is basically the floor of the boot and check for rusts there. I know this sounds crazy but you dont want a car that rusts from the inside out.

-check under the wheel arches, they shouldnt be too much dirt or stones, if there is, then it is very likely that the car was thrash on the harsh gravel roads...

-while under the engine hood, check that the engine sees to have normalilty. What I mean by this is that the parts all seem to have of similar age. If you looks in detail you might find a part or parts being too new compared to the rest of the parts, possibly indicate as a crash or major replacement etc.

Being a 2007 I doubt you will have much issues, but dont buy demo/ex-lease/company car because those cars get kicked in the balls everday!

Edited February 3, 2008 by international

[normsmith 0]

The BMW E90s are pretty much the same cars, 320i, 323i and 325i except the engines. Other differences include the range of additional options per model, basically what that means is if you want a car with loads of options, you will have to jump to a larger engined model.

Despite having the same engine,as far as I know the restriction happens at the exhaust system and via its electronic systems. BMW official dealers will not do the engine upgrades for you because then they wont be able to sell any 325i models as people would then be choosing the cheaper 323i.

E90s have been out for sometime now since 2005. I have been reading that the higher powered 3.0L Twin Turbo engine had some issues with the fuel pump, but other than that I cannot remember any from the top of my head.

If you dont mind me asking, which dealership are you buying your car from? I would advise against the purchase of a demo car. When you do see the car there are a few things you want to check:

-go into the boot, lift the panel which is basically the floor of the boot and check for rusts there. I know this sounds crazy but you dont want a car that rusts from the inside out.

-check under the wheel arches, they shouldnt be too much dirt or stones, if there is, then it is very likely that the car was thrash on the harsh gravel roads...

-while under the engine hood, check that the engine sees to have normalilty. What I mean by this is that the parts all seem to have of similar age. If you looks in detail you might find a part or parts being too new compared to the rest of the parts, possibly indicate as a crash or major replacement etc.

Being a 2007 I doubt you will have much issues, but dont my demo/ex-lease/company car because those cars get kicked in the balls everday!

Hi, thanks for your reply. The dealer is team mcmillan. I spoke to them in the weekend. The car should come with a 2 year warranty so it should be ok. The way they explained it to me was that it was essentially a new car but since it was not in the list of the official BMWs that were to be sold in NZ they have to sell it as a used car. They do this by putting at least 2000kms on the clock. I will check for the possible issues as you suggested.

As for modifying the car to bring it up to 325i power levels, do you know anyone who can do this? It's not on my immediate list of things to do but I might consider it down the track.

[ThreeOneEight 0]

I'm assuming it is an ex-Japan or Singapore car? In which case, do they have a different(read: worse) gearbox like the JATCO equipped E46's did? Or is this not happening with E90 models? Someone will know.

Is the asking price much cheaper than an equivalent NZ new 325i? You may find the NZ new car will have a better warranty and that extra power may be worth the few extra thousand- look into it.

[normsmith 0]

I'm assuming it is an ex-Japan or Singapore car? In which case, do they have a different(read: worse) gearbox like the JATCO equipped E46's did? Or is this not happening with E90 models? Someone will know.

Is the asking price much cheaper than an equivalent NZ new 325i? You may find the NZ new car will have a better warranty and that extra power may be worth the few extra thousand- look into it.

From what I've been told it is a new car from germany but it cannot be sold in NZ as new because it is not part of the "official" list. This is probably just sales talk but I will clarify this.

[ThreeOneEight 0]

From what I've been told it is a new car from germany but it cannot be sold in NZ as new because it is not part of the "official" list. This is probably just sales talk but I will clarify this.

Oh right I have seen a few of them at BMW dealerships- it's not a green-grey Touring is it?

[normsmith 0]

Oh right I have seen a few of them at BMW dealerships- it's not a green-grey Touring is it?

No Sir it's a sedan but it is green-grey. Perhaps that's the only colour they came in!

I've been surfing 323i reviews and it appears they are sold brand new in Australia and also Canada. Aside from cold starting problems (which I should not have any issues with in Auckland) I have not read anything negative about the vehicle.

If they give me a good deal I could well become a proud BMW owner. :-D

[m325i 709]

Jap e46 gearboxes..... look out if you have one.

[cainchapman 0]

Go down and talk to Brett Riley. Nice car. McMillans will support something that new well, I would imagine.

[tonylauno1 7]

Jap e46 gearboxes..... look out if you have one.

Apologize for asking this non 2007 323i question but what is wrong with the Jap e46 gearbox? I have a e46 imported from Japan, what should I be worried about?

[eef48 0]

Apologize for asking this non 2007 323i question but what is wrong with the Jap e46 gearbox? I have a e46 imported from Japan, what should I be worried about?

Hi Tony

There are quite a few case's of the GM auto giving problems in reverse gear on models that had done 80000 mls plus.It seems to be abit of a time bomb with a certain part within the auto and if the box fails can land you with a bill of $6000.00.If you have a good warranty don't worry about it.