New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

[C3P0]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

BTW: I just went to test drive the latest Merc C200 Komp Avant. Price is slightly under 150K, and is actually more powerful than the FL 320i pro.

In terms of ponies, they are definitely more powerful. Supercharged....:shock:

P.S: Anything in particular that i should look out for, for the 325? It has two owners and is slightly over a year old. The SE i spoke to, said that the original owner change car like change underwear, then sold to his friend, who drink drink drink then cannot drive anymore.

Ask them to allow you to bring the car down to one of our sponser workshop for checking. The dealer may require a little deposit (try to negotiate for a waiver, market is bad for them now), but it is worth a peace of mind. Don't just buy without proper checking by a good workshop that knows BMW well. Otherwise hidden problem may break your piggy bank.

Yeah bro, was actually on the way home today, and i saw a Monacco Blue PFL 325 on the roads. The rims and everything looked really familiar, and i realized that its actually the car thats being advertised on SGcarmart now. By Auto Avant?

Very interested, so im gonna view it tomorrow!

Will let yall know about my test drive tomorrow!

Cool, let us know your decision!

 

[Turbonetic]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

New 323 is 177HP or 190HP?

 

[armValkyrie]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

New 323 is 177HP or 190HP?

its 190 horses like the LCI E60 523.... uses same engine i think....

 

[karlleett]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

I was there during lunch time yesterday. Was told there is one pre FL325 going at 146k. white with black interior. Now price should be lower with today's COE results.

 

[leokym]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Many thanks for all the replies.



I intend to keep the car for at least two years, and most probably not more than 2.5 years. Plan to leave for the states, where the price of a 323 can buy me an M3. M3= 70KUSD. :furious: I mean i really wish i could get like the 335, but due to the money constraints, i guess i did rather enjoy the aesthetics of the 3 Series, then say buying a Golf GTI? I actually really like the design of the new Audi A4. But the only two options i have, is FWD, or AWD. And i kinda enjoy having controlled drifts once in a while. So its either BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes.

Controlled drift? On 4 potter? You must be kidding..... :screwedu: How to control your drift if your traction power is not there to hold the rear?? Thats suicide drift if you ask me...

 

[dsdfan]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Also the FL 3 series seems to have better handling than the previous 3 series? Was surprised when my SC said there are no mechanical upgrades.

I did check if the Facelift e90 would introduce any major mechanical upgrades in before deciding on a Pre-face-lift 325 a month ago.

The only mechanical change is the new rear axle track which is widened by 24mm, so the rear wheels on the FL e90 protrude outwards an extra 12mm on either side.

The extra stability brought about by a wider rear axle track would be the reason behind the improved handling you experienced.

Cosmetically, this is desireable as well, as many find that the stock rear wheels on the PFL e90 look conspiciously recessed into the wheel well, even the wider 18" x 9" BMW wheels such as the 162.

With a Pre-facelift E90, you can achieve the same effect (or better) by using wider wheels with lower offsets. For example, if you replace your stock 7" wheels (offset 34) With 9.5" wheels (offset 30), your rear track width would increase by 71.5mm. This provides an even greater increase in track width than 24mm, which is less than one inch.

Some use spacers between the axle and wheel to widen track width, but I prefer the security of a direct connection between wheel and axle.

I also find the new FL hood aggressive, but a bit too reminiscent of Godzilla's forehead or that of certain Japanese monsters from Ultraman . . . .

The overall PFL e90 aesthetic seems more organic, coherent and harmonious, less contrived and made-over; less of an after-thought in the wake of an original.

 

[stevenwu]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

hi bro,

My opinion:
Buy something that you are happy on driving it day-in and day-out.....no regret after that.

"Life is short, play hard"

No turning back once you've gotten the key...

There is a huge different between 4pot and 6, not just power BUT smoothness, responsive, in-gear acceleration not just 0-100 etc etc.

Quote from one of the forumer:-
"HP sell cars BUT torque will make you smell everyday"

If owning a 'diesel' car is cheap in Singapore, i will buy FOR CITY driving.

 

[C3P0]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

hi bro,

My opinion:
Buy something that you are happy on driving it day-in and day-out.....no regret after that.

"Life is short, play hard"

No turning back once you've gotten the key...

+1
(Within our means of course...)

Quote from one of the forumer:-
"HP sell cars BUT torque will make you smell everyday"

Hmmm, boss, you mean "smile everyday"?

 

[turtlebmw]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

I was there during lunch time yesterday. Was told there is one pre FL325 going at 146k. white with black interior. Now price should be lower with today's COE results.

Went to see the 320i pro again today, cause of the COE drop, its now 9K off the original price. 320i pro looking at around 130K.

its 190 horses like the LCI E60 523.... uses same engine i think....

Yup 323 is 190hp.

Many thanks for all the replies.
Controlled drift? On 4 potter? You must be kidding..... :screwedu: How to control your drift if your traction power is not there to hold the rear?? Thats suicide drift if you ask me...

Is it really that unbelievable? Did you know that if you step on the brakes, and gas pedal at the same time. Slowly release the brake pedal, till only the front brakes are locked up, and you can basically do a burnout? I learnt this with a stock E46 318. Haven actually drifted the E90 320 so i don't know.

I did check if the Facelift e90 would introduce any major mechanical upgrades in before deciding on a Pre-face-lift 325 a month ago.
The only mechanical change is the new rear axle track which is widened by 24mm, so the rear wheels on the FL e90 protrude outwards an extra 12mm on either side.
The extra stability brought about by a wider rear axle track would be the reason behind the improved handling you experienced.
Cosmetically, this is desireable as well, as many find that the stock rear wheels on the PFL e90 look conspiciously recessed into the wheel well, even the wider 18" x 9" BMW wheels such as the 162.
With a Pre-facelift E90, you can achieve the same effect (or better) by using wider wheels with lower offsets. For example, if you replace your stock 7" wheels (offset 34) With 9.5" wheels (offset 30), your rear track width would increase by 71.5mm. This provides an even greater increase in track width than 24mm, which is less than one inch.
Some use spacers between the axle and wheel to widen track width, but I prefer the security of a direct connection between wheel and axle.
I also find the new FL hood aggressive, but a bit too reminiscent of Godzilla's forehead or that of certain Japanese monsters from Ultraman . . . .
The overall PFL e90 aesthetic seems more organic, coherent and harmonious, less contrived and made-over; less of an after-thought in the wake of an original.

Hey thanks! That was a great write up, and very insightful. I didn't really know that!!

hi bro,
My opinion:
Buy something that you are happy on driving it day-in and day-out.....no regret after that.
"Life is short, play hard"
No turning back once you've gotten the key...
There is a huge different between 4pot and 6, not just power BUT smoothness, responsive, in-gear acceleration not just 0-100 etc etc.
Quote from one of the forumer:-
"HP sell cars BUT torque will make you smell everyday"
If owning a 'diesel' car is cheap in Singapore, i will buy FOR CITY driving.

Thanks bro! But i think i may have found the car[her] already! tested a few cars today.

+1
(Within our means of course...)
Hmmm, boss, you mean "smile everyday"?

Haha ABSOLUTELY! !


Anyway, update on my test drive of the PFL 325.!! :juggle:
The car turned out to be quite satisfactory, but For one, the car had a lowered suspension. Which you could basically tell from how close the fenders were to the tires. There was no rubbing, and somehow the front of the car did not seem very low. Took it to the highest hump i could find, and it cleared it with ease. Took a picture anyway, and actually compared it with another 325 that had stock suspension, and stock 17 inch wheels. Turns out the stock 325 seemed to be lower? Both cars were on complete flat ground. Was quite surprised. But i also noticed that with the lowered car, the rear suspension seemed lower than the front. Like 1/10th of the tire could not be seen.

Besides that, there was a louder than usual whine from the steering, as i made a U-Turn. Due to the lower and stiffer suspension, the handling was even better though, and the brakes were fantastic. The car did however show a warning that it needed to be serviced. Went to the info on the I drive and the only fault was low brake fluid, and low engine oil. Other than that everything else was okay.

Oh and there was also a small dent on the rear, but its not very noticeable.

Other than that, i found the car to be quite tempting.
Discussed about sending it to my mechanic, and the dealer said that if i wanted to best checkup, i should send it to LTA/STA (forgot what its called). But he said if i wanted to send to my own, it is not a problem.

Could you guys chip in on your opinion of the above? Also, which workshop would you recommend me to bring the Bimmer to? J4C? Is any of the owners around?

Thanks ALL!

 

[armValkyrie]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

hi bro turtlebmw,

my suspension is on M Sports and this is lower than the stock... however the rear height is definately lower than the front... since the M Sports were for 335i and hence heavier front i believe...

did you check with a rule or a pen on the tyre/fender gap between the lowered sus and the stock??

cheers

 

[stevenwu]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Went to see the 320i pro again today, cause of the COE drop, its now 9K off the original price. 320i pro looking at around 130K.



Yup 323 is 190hp.

Is it really that unbelievable? Did you know that if you step on the brakes, and gas pedal at the same time. Slowly release the brake pedal, till only the front brakes are locked up, and you can basically do a burnout? I learnt this with a stock E46 318. Haven actually drifted the E90 320 so i don't know.



Hey thanks! That was a great write up, and very insightful. I didn't really know that!!



Thanks bro! But i think i may have found the car[her] already! tested a few cars today.



Haha ABSOLUTELY! !


Anyway, update on my test drive of the PFL 325.!! :juggle:
The car turned out to be quite satisfactory, but For one, the car had a lowered suspension. Which you could basically tell from how close the fenders were to the tires. There was no rubbing, and somehow the front of the car did not seem very low. Took it to the highest hump i could find, and it cleared it with ease. Took a picture anyway, and actually compared it with another 325 that had stock suspension, and stock 17 inch wheels. Turns out the stock 325 seemed to be lower? Both cars were on complete flat ground. Was quite surprised. But i also noticed that with the lowered car, the rear suspension seemed lower than the front. Like 1/10th of the tire could not be seen.

Besides that, there was a louder than usual whine from the steering, as i made a U-Turn. Due to the lower and stiffer suspension, the handling was even better though, and the brakes were fantastic. The car did however show a warning that it needed to be serviced. Went to the info on the I drive and the only fault was low brake fluid, and low engine oil. Other than that everything else was okay.

Oh and there was also a small dent on the rear, but its not very noticeable.

Other than that, i found the car to be quite tempting.
Discussed about sending it to my mechanic, and the dealer said that if i wanted to best checkup, i should send it to LTA/STA (forgot what its called). But he said if i wanted to send to my own, it is not a problem.

Could you guys chip in on your opinion of the above? Also, which workshop would you recommend me to bring the Bimmer to? J4C? Is any of the owners around?

Thanks ALL!

Hi,
Due to the bad economy, $2 COE, i am sure you can 'push' for low low price for this FL 325i if I am you.....as for now, buyer is the KING.

 

[leokym]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Is it really that unbelievable? Did you know that if you step on the brakes, and gas pedal at the same time. Slowly release the brake pedal, till only the front brakes are locked up, and you can basically do a burnout? I learnt this with a stock E46 318. Haven actually drifted the E90 320 so i don't know.

Burnout is no drifting pls.. drifting is a different matter altogether.. You will need a LSD for a start... Without it, its an accident waiting to happen.. I learnt it in a very hard way and almost totalled my previous ride.. Get a M, you will love it if drift is your thing.. I did..

 

[turtlebmw]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Is it really that unbelievable? Did you know that if you step on the brakes, and gas pedal at the same time. Slowly release the brake pedal, till only the front brakes are locked up, and you can basically do a burnout? I learnt this with a stock E46 318. Haven actually drifted the E90 320 so i don't know.

Burnout is no drifting pls.. drifting is a different matter altogether.. You will need a LSD for a start... Without it, its an accident waiting to happen.. I learnt it in a very hard way and almost totalled my previous ride.. Get a M, you will love it if drift is your thing.. I did..

thanks for the tips. i get where your coming from, but what i meant by my "controlled drifts", were basically in the rain, in empty car parks, once or twice in a blue moon, i would switch off the traction control, and let the tail go happy by doing donuts in the form of 0s. What i would usually do, is start with the burnout, and just full lock my steering, which causes the oversteer, loosen my grip on the steering wheel, allowing it to swing in the opposite lock, and then just keep the pedal to the metal. This was why i brought up the issue of burnouts. And so far the cars that i did it in weren't anything fanciful, but they all had RWD.
just for the occasional thrill if u get what i mean. nothing fanciful, sort of like a practice if the uneventful ever happens on an extremely wet day, on the expressway.

RWD much much easier and controllable than a FWD, where you would have to do the scandinavian flick, or lift off throttle whilst negotiating a turn, all of which involve speed.

can give me taxi ride in ur M while u practice your drifting?

 

[leokym]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Me no expert at all.. Just sharing turtle.. get a e46 6 potter 2.2.. forget about the 4 potter e90..318.. you just said yourself.. the drive is worlds apart... More value for money..

 

[leokym]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Sure.. Nowadays I played quite a bit in Tuas late at night after working the shit during the day ever since i moved.. Been stressed all these while recently so I thought to myself, why not burning tires once awhile.. Mainly having fun with my guys too.. Pm me your no.. lets share the fun..I should be getting my ride back next week from j4c after my inspection 2..

 

[turtlebmw]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Wow you were up late. Anyhow, i have actually decided on the E90 325s, if i can get a good price for it. Are you driving an E46 M3?

Check your PM bro! :woowooo:

Me no expert at all.. Just sharing turtle.. get a e46 6 potter 2.2.. forget about the 4 potter e90..318.. you just said yourself.. the drive is worlds apart... More value for money..

Sure.. Nowadays I played quite a bit in Tuas late at night after working the shit during the day ever since i moved.. Been stressed all these while recently so I thought to myself, why not burning tires once awhile.. Mainly having fun with my guys too.. Pm me your no.. lets share the fun..I should be getting my ride back next week from j4c after my inspection 2..

 

[dsdfan]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Anyhow, i have actually decided on the E90 325s, if i can get a good price for it.

Apart from the exterior/interior make-over plus the widened rear axle, the engine and drive train remain exactly the same as before the facelift, which is all that mattered to me. If the facelift model introduced direct injection or a 7-speed gearbox or anything like that, I would have waited a couple months for it.

 

[leokym]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Wow you were up late. Anyhow, i have actually decided on the E90 325s, if i can get a good price for it. Are you driving an E46 M3?

Check your PM bro! :woowooo:

Pm replied bro! Now is the buyer's market.. just wait for another fortnight or so and cut the dealers by another $5k.. trust me.. even when they have to lose a couple of thousands, they will have to cut cost rather than holding on for a new sale... they don't sell e90 325s like old times.. especially times like this..

 

[turtlebmw]

Re: New FL 3 Series or Old 3 Series?

Unless you really enjoy the new facelift cosmetics, the pre-facelift 325 is a good option if engine and driveability are your main priorities.

Apart from the exterior/interior make-over plus the widened rear axle, the engine and drive train remain exactly the same as before the facelift, which is all that mattered to me. If the facelift model introduced direct injection or a 7-speed gearbox or anything like that, I would have waited a couple months for it.

Generally, I feel uncomfortable about face-lifting an automobile that has an established and classic look in the first place, simply to give it a new look and to refresh sales. Often, the new cosmetic features tend to look conspiciously "patched on" so they might not flow organically with the original aesthetic concept. However, the newly facelifted e90 does look fresh and striking and will draw more attention than the familiar original design. Easier to sell too, especially since the IS250 is sporting new looks.

Haha you bring about a very good point there! I'm actually completely fine with the pre FL 3 series, just as long as it has the xenon headlights. It gives the car a completely different look.

BTW: I was recommended by a friend to consider the Alfa Romeo Brera. Test drove a used one today, and i was SERIOUSLY impressed. It had the 2.2JTS engine, with a manual gearbox, and the car seemed a WHOLE lot more responsive and eager than the 323. Almost comparable with the 325. Handling was of course NOT as sharp, due to FWD. But it would definitely be able to keep up at the track. Steering has a similar weighted feel as well.

Its quite a tempting ride, as it has the manual gearbox. The design is OMG, it had that panaromic roof, and the car seemed extremely roomy, the interior build quality was also TOP NOTCH! The car is as old as a used 325, but costs 10K less, not to mention the better fuel consumption!

I know i have already asked many questions. And have been given great replies...
But would it hurt if any fellow members could chip in their opinions of the Brera?
In terms of performance and daily usage, in comparison with a used 325.
Ignoring the fact that its rear seats could only fit children, and that it has a tiny trunk!

Have a great weekend all!