foot8sativa 0 Report post Posted September 15, 2009 hi all, Im in the process of looking at a new car and its going to be a 3 series, Ive been looking at 323's and 325's and notice they are very similar. Im wondering if any one knows what the difference's are in detail, i know they have the same engine but the 325 get more hp and torque, why is this whats the difference? also has any one turbo'd or supercharged a E46 323 or 325, any do's or don'ts, what you use and where from and how much etc thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cale 36 Report post Posted September 15, 2009 Welcome to the forum. From what I understand, the 323i has a 2 into 1 exhaust system as opposed to 2 in, 2 out on the 325i. Also the intake system on the 325i is larger than that on the the 323i, and the 325i got uprated brakes from the 328i... I stand and expect to be corrected though. Oh also, I believe the 323i has more torque, but less hp than the 325i. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elmarco 56 Report post Posted September 16, 2009 If I'm not mistaken, the 323 uses the M52 engine, and the 325 is the M54 (newer generation) engine although both are 2.5 litre. The M54 has a bit more power from memory. Apart fom that, the 325 will have the facelift steering wheel etc. Apart from that, I think the guts of the car are pretty much identical (unsure about brakes). Signifcant modification like turbo or supercharging, or manual conversion is a big of a no-no with the E46 (any model) as the electronics are so integrated that it becomes super-uneconomical (literally everything talks to everything else). If you want the extra get up and go, go for the 330 or E36 M3 (or E46 if you can afford it). More important is to get a good service history and a pre-purchase inspection from someone that knows BMW's (like Glenn on here). When BMW's are good, they are very good, but when they are bad, they are a freaking nightmare (not to mention expensive). Good luck in the search. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotwire 352 Report post Posted September 16, 2009 I was under the impression it was only badging difference between Jap & Euro cars - as in E39 Jap is 525i - same NZ car is 523i E.G. My Jap 525i is listed on TIS as 523i & M52TU engine (2.5l) - same car - different badge Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
