Used 2002 BMW 3 Series Consumer Reviews
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BEST CAR I'VE EVER OWNED
Matt , 12/12/2005
2002 BMW 3 Series 325Ci Rwd 2dr Coupe (2.5L 6cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Absolutely the best car I've ever owned. Could tell the second I started the test drive. My first road trip summarizes it all. 1200 Miles from LA to Lake Tahoe and Back. 4 People in the car, full trunk, AC on, many 100+mph sprints, two over 120, 130 top speed, and two passengers SOUND ASLEEP AT 130MPH!! Up to well over 7000 ft on the Climb up to the summit, driving around for a week at altitude in city driving conditions. Round trip gas mileage 28.6 MPG!!! AMAZING AUTOMOBILE, the quintessential BMW, 2.5L inline six + manual transmission + two door coupe= BMW!! Definitely the ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE!!
Mixed feelings
Wheels, 09/20/2008
2002 BMW 3 Series 325i Rwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Bought mine used a year ago with about 65K miles. Never owned a more solid car, nothing even close. Makes my in-laws' 2007 Accord feel cheap and gutless. Great ride and handling, good power, 29 mpg, very comfortable (6'2", 225 lbs). But the repairs have me frustrated. Belt idler pulley bearings shot at about 70K miles. AC/Heater blower motor regulator needs replaced (at 86K miles). Trans is making odd noises. Driver's window motor is almost shot. Taillight ground problem. Bad battery. Window trim fell off. None of these are catastrophic, but I've driven many other cars for many more miles before these types of problems arose. I won't buy another one, though the positives make it tempting.
2002 BMW 3 Series for sale near you
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- 330i SedanMSRP: $5,9991,352 mi away
Fun Ride, but prepare for frequent maintenance
michael roma, 07/24/2017
2002 BMW 3 Series 325i Rwd 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I always remembered having love for BMW's. After years of wanting one, I was finally able to when my grandfather was finally selling his (black 325i sedan with 111k miles) after buying a newer 3 series. For $2,500, he gave me a great deal because he kept it in great condition. After purchasing it in August 2016, I took it down to college (400 miles away). Even though it has a firmer ride than my former '01 accord, the ride is still comfortable on long journeys. (If one finds the ride uncomfortable on long trips, take the back roads route and forget about comfort when you have a big smile on your face from discovering the sublime road handling on twisty unknown turns, away from zoned out interstate cruise-controlled journeys.) Mileage: Decent for a 6-cyl (I avg. 450 hwy miles on 1 tank) Under avg. for city driving (My lead foot doesn't help) The Bad: The wave of random component break-downs began in sept 2016, having to replace the alternator. Before driving back home for winter break in dec., the driver door window is stuck down. I cover it with plastic and drive 400 miles. Then during winter break (Dec-Jan), I went ahead and replaced the window motor and regulator myself. THEN, 2 days later, the rear passenger window regulator fails. I repair and replace it myself again. AND THEN, the 3 month old alternator takes a crap went ahead and replaced it myself again..(Being somewhat mechanically knowledgeable, I figured i could save a lot of money on repairs a shop would charge) As of now, July2017, it is sitting at the mechanic. It recently started misfiring and wouldn't run for more than a minute. I replaced a bad valve cover gasket, spark plugs. After that didn't solve the problem i took it to the mechanic, and I've had to have them replace ignition coil boots, injector, fuel filter, fuel pump, and mass airflow sensor. But tomorrow, the maf sensor will be installed, and they believe (hopefully) that will be the last thing needed to make her run smooth again. Summary: For $2.5K, it was initially great value for a lower mileage luxury sports sedan. There are honda civics the of the same year and mileage in that price range. The obvious and inevitable lack of reliability is common for these bmws, most are reliable, a lot are not, and some unfortunately run into a lot of problems like my example. Therefore, it's a good thing to have some mechanic know-how when owning one. If you enjoy working on your cars, this one is actually quite easy to learn about and work on. Even though i was expecting to experience problems, I was shocked as to how bad it has been because my grandfather kept it in great shape, and had a reputable mechanic perform mandatory and regular maintenance. I have continued to (try to) keep it in good shape and keep it maintained. I don't know, it must be just bad luck. I still love it though, and I am going to continue to own and enjoy it after i get it fixed.
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What a great car!
RGB, 10/31/2002
2002 BMW 3 Series 325xi AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I bought my car from Military Sales overseas and saved a bundle. When I picked up the car it was awesome. I drove 1,100 miles in 3 days and could not get enough. The car hanldes excellent and the controls are at your fingertips. I would recommend it to anyone.
Makes driving fun
Ted, 12/22/2005
2002 BMW 3 Series 325xi AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 6cyl 5M)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
AWD grips road in dry, wet and snow conditions; ABS braking minimizes slip even on ice. Great car for winters; no problems starting or driving. Recommend aggressive snows if you will see more than 6-inches snow on regular basis, but expect solid traction. Acceleration (5spd) is very satisfying -- very nimble in/out of traffic. Top speed in regular driving = 120mph, and not even a labored groan. (Too many tickets.)