2004 BMW 3 Series Review and Specs

Summary

What Edmunds.com says

If you've got the bucks, this is unequivocally the best car in the entry-luxury category.

Pros

Luxurious, powerful, exceptional road manners; available all-wheel drive for sedan and wagon.

Cons

Pricey for its market segment, limited rear-seat space and cargo capacity.

What's New for 2004

A six-speed SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox) transmission is now optional on select 3 Series models, while a five-speed Steptronic automatic is now offered with the 330i Performance Package. Rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights and hands-free wireless cell phone capability are now standard features on the sedan and wagon. There are new alloy wheel designs for the 325i, 325xi and 330xi Sport Package. All 330i sedans get a revised grille -- a new black grille instead of silver, with a lower grille combination of body color and black. All 3 Series coupes and convertibles receive a revised front fascia, plus new front and rear bumper contours, Adaptive headlamps and taillights and new designs for both the standard and optional wheels. Interior changes are limited to a revised climate control panel. Finally, Sirius Satellite Radio is now available as an accessory on all 3 Series models.

Consumer Ratings & Reviews

Love this car but reliability not great

Written by: J. Brand on 10/19/2009

Detailed Ratings

Overall Rating


Performance:	9	Fun-to-Drive:	10	Build Quality:	10
Comfort:	10	Interior Design:	9	Reliability:	7
Fuel Economy:	8	Exterior Design:	8

Vehicle

2004 BMW 3 Series 325i Rwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

Review

There are 3 things I love about this car: 1) Handling and performance, it's a dream to drive on freeways and windy roads. 2) Interior is simple and elegant - I prefer BMW interior of this model period vs the newer BMW design which is unnecessarily complex. 3) Seats are firm and very comfortable for long rides. I sat in the back seat of a friend's BMW 3-series of same year and the surprisingly comfortable ride in the back if you want a smaller car. It would be tight squeeze though for a guy over 6 ft tall but more room than Mercedes C-class in same price range.

Favorite Features

Performance, handling, simple interior design, firm/comfortable seats.

Suggested Improvements

Surprising lack of durability of certain items between 40-60K miles, both back door trim/molding fell off, A/C was fixed, cup holder trim peeling, tail light assembly corroded. Hassle factor & repair cost too high without warranty.

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I'm Sold

Written by: cho on 10/09/2009


Performance:	10	Fun-to-Drive:	10	Build Quality:	9
Comfort:	9	Interior Design:	8	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	9	Exterior Design:	10

I bought mine CPO; premium and sports package; black on black with 39,000 miles in 2007. I've always owned Japanese and my last car was a 1997 Integra GSR. But I needed a 4-door for the ease of carrying more than one passenger, so I bought this Bimmer even though I had trepidation about its reliability as I found this particular year and model to be the best looking 4-door sport sedan out there (even now in 2009 IMO). Two years into the ownership and I have not had any major issue. I recently lost my job; I don't miss my job but I missed not making the daily commute in my 325i. That's how much I love this car, how about that!

The exterior line especially the front (and it is true, the car is low to the ground and I've had to fix my front bumper cover twice because it got torn by the cement block in the parking spot as I backed out). The quietness inside even when you are going fast. The performance. The HK stereo.

They may have corrected this in the later models already but wish there was a single mechanism inside the car to control all four windows.

The Ultimate Driving Machine

Written by: PhantomX on 08/26/2009


Performance:	9	Fun-to-Drive:	10	Build Quality:	8
Comfort:	9	Interior Design:	8	Reliability:	8
Fuel Economy:	6	Exterior Design:	9

2004 BMW 3 Series 325Ci Rwd 2dr Coupe (2.5L 6cyl 5M)

I've had my BMW 325Ci all of three weeks but I must say I am already smitten with it. This is the most fun automobile to drive I've ever experienced. It makes you want to just get in and drive around with no particular place to go. I've already done that a lot! It has torque at-the- ready all across the RPM band so never any lag when you need to move. The car feels more powerful than it is. It's handling is incredibly dynamic.

Automatic headlights, deep bucket seats, heavy steering feel, nice growl to the exhaust, very, very pretty to look at. I constantly look back over my shoulder at it.

Build quality could be better. Lots of technology to go wrong and is extremely expensive to fix.

It Delivers on Your Expectations!

Written by: Felix_Krull on 08/04/2009


Performance:	10	Fun-to-Drive:	10	Build Quality:	7
Comfort:	10	Interior Design:	9	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	6	Exterior Design:	10

The car envelopes you inside of it and becomes an extension of your being. It responds to a driver's inputs like its receiving neurological signals from your brain's synapses. Where other cars will go skidding off the road, a BMW 325Ci, with sport package, just digs in and asks, "is that all you got?"

17-inch wheels, bucket seats, styling, handling, performance, leather.

The build quality could be improved. I bought my 2004 with only 58k on it, but the door and window moldings are all shot. The sensors for the headlights and windshield wipers need replacing. When the engineers can make a car with BMW performance and Toyota quality it will be matchless.

The perfect balance of sport and luxury

Written by: Dana H. on 06/01/2009


Performance:	9	Fun-to-Drive:	9	Build Quality:	9
Comfort:	9	Interior Design:	8	Reliability:	8
Fuel Economy:	5	Exterior Design:	10

2004 BMW 3 Series 330i Rwd 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 6M)

I am eighteen years old and this is my second BMW. My first BMW was a 2000 sports wagon and I hated it! It was time to get into something sportier, yet sophisticated and practical. I fell in love with this car the moment the sales person drove it out of their garage and let me test drive it. This car is just as much fun to drive as the day I took it home. I will only drive BMW's for the rest of my life!

Xenon headlights (I'll never buy a car without them), Ipod interface, Sport mode, Purr of the engine when I fire it up, and last but not least, the jealous glares I get from others on the road.

Gas mileage! 19 MPG is my overall rating. I know people with X5's that get better gas mileage than I do.

2004 BMW 3 Series Consumer Ratings & Reviews