1994 BMW 3 Series 325i coupe review from Australia and New Zealand

Rear left hand wheel bearing.

Drivers power window motor was erroneous in operation and subsequently replaced.

All the above were replaced under the BMW approved used car warranty.

I also managed to get a hole in the A/C condenser, although that was not the fault of the car, more a stray rock on the road.

That is all in just over 3 years.

Where do I start!! This is the most amazing car I have owned. The smoothness and refinement of this car, especially for its age, is nothing short of impressive. The only thing that detracts from the experience is the tyre roar of the Continental 225/50 16 tyres. When on smooth bitumen though, rare in Australia, it is very quiet. There is not even any wind noise at the legal limit from the pillarless windows.

The leather sports seats are comfortable with a wide range of adjustment. All the seats lack is lumbar adjustment. However the tiller is not lined up with the centre of the seat. That combined with the large transmission tunnel and off centre pedals does skew the body a bit making it difficult to align the body comfortably. It is only really a problem on a long trip.

The performance from the 2.5L straight six is fantastic for the size of the engine. The model I have is VANOS equipped which boosts torque at lower revs, which the earlier versions were noted as lacking. Any gear at any speed it pulls smoothly and quickly, especially once revs build.

When it comes time to fill it up with fuel, it also impressive with its frugal economy. On long trips sitting on 110km/h with the car loaded and A/C on I average about 7.3 L/100km. Around town it averages between 8.2 and 9.0 L/100km depending on how heavy your right foot is!

Ride and handling is where this car excels. When cornering hard the body roll is very well controlled. The car seems to mold around you when you start cornering enthusiastically and gets better the harder you push it. The M-Tech suspension, when it finally gets to the very high limits, lets you know very gently when you are nearing the point of no return. It gradually push wide, then the rear starts to drift a little too. Nothing drastic, just a gentle transition into a nice drift that is very easy to correct such is the balance of the car. With such handling you would think that it is not the best riding car around. That could not be any further from the truth. It is surprisingly compliant, especially on the ridiculously rough Australian roads. A car that handles so well has no right to ride so smoothly. You can have your cake and eat it too!!

If this is the 'poor mans M3', then the real M3 must the the Ultimate performance car as the 325 Coupe is a pretty amazing piece of kit. Fast, practical and very easy to live with day in, day out.