Cheap and Cheerful: the BMW 325i
In this week’s “Cheap and Cheerful” section, I’m highlighting something extremely close to my heart, since I’ve been meaning to get one of these for ages. Having driven VWs and typical starter front-wheel-drive hatchbacks in my youth, I’ve always yearned for something rear-wheel driven.
Using almost everything I earned from my first couple of paychecks, a few years back, I bought a Mercedes W203 C270 diesel estate since I needed space to haul things around and I needed a car that’d be reliable and reasonably economical. Now, I’m really thinking of buying a 325i simply because they’re the best value for money currently on the market.
Take a look at this example for instance. It’s a one-owner car from new, it has 80,000 miles on the clock and it’s listed for a staggering £4,000, though I bet you can get it for even lower if you show up cash in hand.
Exterior
I love the way the E92 coupe looks, but finding one in decent condition that’s also affordable is tricky. I managed to find this one on our site, but with over 110,000 miles, it’s far from pristine. Plus, let’s be honest, coupes look great but aren’t as practical as the saloon, with two fewer doors and one less seat.
Because this is an M-Sport package car, it’s got the ‘M’ body panels, so it looks much more muscular than a regular 3-Series. The front bumper is particularly well-sculpted and aggressive, with a deep U-shape cutout in the middle and decently-sized air vents flanking each side.
This example doesn’t have projector headlights with xenons, which I guess is a con, but you can always retroactively upgrade them with units from Mishimoto or someone similar. The halogens illuminate the road brilliantly and I’d keep them if you don’t mind their yellowish colour.
I’m not a big fan of these particular wheels so they’d be the first thing I’d change. The rear wheel arch is in desperate need of a wheel spacer to fill out the void, or you can just buy a wider rim if you’re intending on changing the wheels altogether (the route I’d personally take).
The back end is simple and elegant, with twin exhaust pipes on one end and a modest ‘diffuser’ like element at the bottom (even though it’s just a plastic section that’s completely flat).
This car is a great untempered example that you can enjoy stock or tastefully modify to your liking. I’d change the wheels and maybe add projectors down the road, but keep the car as is otherwise.
Interior
I’ve never been a fan of beige/cream interiors, but after sitting in a cream-coloured F10, I completely changed my mind. Yes, white seats get easily dirty and stains are more noticeable, but wow do they open up the cabin and make it feel roomier. With black interiors being so common, I started seeing beige as the rarer colour.
Otherwise, this is a standard 3-Series inside, which means plenty of head and legroom both front and rear, and a massive boot. Unfortunately, this car doesn’t have any infotainment screen in the middle of the dash, but given how outdated the system would have felt anyway, I don’t see that as a con. You can always install an aftermarket one for a few hundred pounds.
The driving position in the 3-Series is lovely. If you could get the seat to go a little lower it’d be perfect, but it’s great as is. The steering wheel feels great to throw around and you can nearly infinitely adjust it to suit your driving position. The ‘M’ gear stick is sweet too, even if the shifts are just decent.
Engine and Performance
You don’t buy a 3-Series for its looks or its interior alone, but you buy it because of the way it drives. BMW really isn’t kidding when they say ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’. The 3-Series has a chassis that’s as sweet and neutral as they come in this segment. It’s utterly predictable and confidence-inspiring, from the way the steering communicates to the way the car feels rear-driven by default.
The 2.5-litre straight-six develops 215 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, but it feels way quicker than those numbers would suggest. Power delivery is linear and progressive, so it builds up speed in a very natural way. It doesn’t give you that kick in the back like a turbo car would, but revving it to redline is a real joy. It also helps that the engine sings at the top of the RPMs a tune only a straight-six can produce.
If you plan on upgrading a 325i, the first thing you should swap out, especially if you intend on tracking the car, is the brakes. The stock brakes get easily overwhelmed and start to fade out with heavy use, but harder pads and better brake fluid should do the job. If you want to go all out, use a big brake kit (expensive) or the brakes from a 330d since they’re much larger and better.
The engine is really robust too. If you want to throw a ton of cash at your 325i and turn it into a monster, an aftermarket turbo kit will see you easily push 400-500+ horsepower at the wheels. You’ll need someone experienced to do the install though because the 325i was never designed to be turbocharged from the factory.
Model: BMW 325i
Year: 2007
Trim: Trophy SE 3dr
Mileage: 80,000
Price: £4,000
Conclusion
For the money, I struggle to see what else you can buy that fits such a wide range of roles: it can be a daily driver, a family transporter, a fun weekend car, and even a decent track car with a few mods. This is the first car I’ve given a 10/10 rating, and for good reason: it’s terrific. Check out our used BMW 3 Series cars for sale for a great deal on one today!
DesperateSeller.co.uk rating: 10 out of 10
