2004 BMW 3-Series

I loved my 2004 ZHP 330i. I ordered it from the factory and took the performance delivery option. The car was very quick and still very comparable to the current 3 series. It would go 0-60 in 5.3 sec. I wish the performance package could have come with the lumbar support and I wish I had ordered the fold down rear seat. The trunk is small and would not hold my large suitcase. No matter how hard you pushed it would not go in. Performance in the snow was poor. I had to order another set of wheels and snow tires because the car came with summer tires. The summer tires drove like they were on a wet road when the temperature got below 40. The snow tires helped but the car had lots of trouble getting up snowy/icey hills with the open differential. Even when you adjust the traction control system to not cut the throttle on you but to activate the brakes it would do a little better but not by much. The first time I took the car to the autocross I had a hard time disabling the stability control. The manual did not tell you how. I had to go online to find a forum to learn how to disable it completely. I went through 2 windsheilds in the car. I felt like it was a rock magnet. The paint on the hood seemed to chip from rocks easier than other cars and i managed to dent the good when I droped a very small plastic clamp on it. I loved the sport seats because I'm a tall person and the extra length to the seat bottom really helped on long trips. The seats feel stiff initially but they are perfect for comfort and grip. The alcantera cloth was wearing faster than I thought it should and the steering wheel was getting gross and was impossible to clean. It was because of this cloth that I ended up trading the car in. I had a few complaints about the shifter. Sometimes it just wouldn't go into gear no matter how hard you pushed/pulled. The rubbery coating BMW puts on all the hard plastic can wear off. Mine was starting to rub off where my thumb would bump it when releasing the parking brake. Also at around 30,000 miles the black insulation located on the under side of the hood began to fall and rub against the engine cover. This bothered me enough that I removed it but found that the metalic grey pain didn't continue under that part and instead now I had a gold spot. It looked horrible but the dealer did replace the part under warranty. I think this was a flook but I did get a rust spot on the middle of the rear right door sill. I only opened that door when cleaning but still managed to get a rust spot the size of a dime. That was also fixed under warranty but the paint job my local dealer did was poor. I did not buy another BMW because of my local dealer. I would recommend a BMW to anyone just not the 7 series. I hope this review is helpful for someone. I tried to put down everything I could think of.

This vehicle drive really well. Body is in great shape. No rattles. Responsive great sounding engine. Handles, stops,accelerates like a new car. As good as a certified pre-owned car from a dealer.

Seller was great in every way. Outstanding car. Rapid and efficient transaction. The bid ended around 9:30 a.m.; and, the transaction (title transfer, bill of sale, bank check) was completed eight hours later. Seller even drove the car to my house! Would definite do business with seller again. Straight shooter. Honest individual. Pleasant to deal with.

I like the BMW because of the quaility of the BMW. I've owned 2 and I just love the ride and craftmanship in this car. The interior of them is very refined. I like the sportyness along with the elegance. over all I guess I just love BMW's.

I love the handling and purr of my 2004 BMW 325i (premium package). It handles great on the road and it looks super hot in the city. I love the xenon headlights and how I've gotten so many compliments on the vehicles color and looks. Although it is 5 years old, cars like BMW's get better with age.

The 3 series is a nice entry level luxury car. Most of the great features of the higher end, but great for the price. More gadetry is a blessing and a curse. Fun to operate the bells and whistles, but more things to go wrong in the future (so far no problems)

The E46 3 Series is a great car, and I enjoy the ride quality and driving dynamics. The 325i is good, but you get the sense it's capable of doing more - which is why the 330i and M3 are the models you want. I can't speak of long term quality, but my impression it is no worse than other car brands. I personally don't think BMW is of Lexus or Audi perfection in build quality - but BMW's engine, drivetrain, and brakes are tops AND Lexus & Audi don't drive like a BMW.

At first I didn't think the E90 3 Series would be better, but I was wrong. The E90 3 Series has a smoother transmission, better suspension, and VERY good brakes. It's an evolution of the BMW experience.

I love both, own both, and drive both everyday. Enough said.

This car is so much fun to drive. Once you drive german you never drive anything else. It handles like a dream, and it has every feature I could ever want. All the controls are intuitive and make driving so much fun. It still drives like a $40,000 car at less than half the price!

Having read a ton of expert and owner reviews, and researching online forums, I decided to forego buying a used 08 CTS and buy this 330Ci instead. I think the 04 3-series is the most attractive of the 3 series so far--but of course that's my personal judgement--there's nothing wrong with the styling of any of the E46 series. It has the sport package, premium package and the lighting package (xenon steering-adjustable headlights/led tail lights), 6-speed manual transmission. This is my first experience with a 3-series BMW--and I have to admit most of the accolades heaped on this car by the media are well deserved.
The car handles exactly as described--and has a steering feel that is almost telepathic--it seems to know where the driver wants to go. The summer 17" performance tires (originally Michelin Pilot Sports--now Goodyear F-1's because of the rain we get here in the Seattle area) cause it to tramline slightly on rutted freeway sections--but not as noticeably as my C-5 Corvette. The shift linkage is like velvet--the engine has a great sound and is never thrashy. There is enough torque to smoothly pull in all gears at all speeds. I rarely have to downshift to pass or to cut-and-thrust in traffic. The ride is surprisingly good, and the sound-level inside is amazingly low at all speeds. The interior on my car is a light sand color--which looks great but there are a few downsides. One, the bolsters on the left side of the driver's seat are starting to show a little wear--the car only has 26,000 miles on it. I've learned to get in and out of the car specifically to avoid rubbing against the bolster--hope that helps the wear. Two, why on earth did BMW designers specify black seat belts in an otherwise beige interior? As all 3-series have the black dash top, I added black factory floor mats and it looks much, much better--more pulled together. The paint has held up well, but since I know the original owner I know it was well cared for. The M-style wheels are very susceptible to curb-rash so make sure you know where you're at when parking and coming out of parking lots etc. I'm tall--and the headroom is just right--if you're over 6'3" or so you might do better in the sedan.
The car has had no maintenance issues since it's early teething problems when new--none so far since I've owned it. I get around 22 mpg in town, around 27-28 on the freeway at legal speeds. I couldn't be happier with it and highly recommend it to anyone wanting a premium sports coupe that can be driven every day.

The car rocks. Beautiful vehicle, amazing handling, incredibly quiet for a confortable, sound system is top of the line. I'd highly recommend the car to anyone. You really feel like you've arrived when you're in it.

On a side note, the particular car I purchased had a dead animal in the air ventilation system and I had to spend over a $1,000 having it removed. Never, ever, purchase a car from: http://myworld.ebay.com/geterdone89

They actually forced me to write a positive review about them before they would send me $300 to help PARTIALLY pay for the car's condition. On top of that, I had to immediately go out and buy 4 new tires and two new break pads. They had titled the car in "Perfect Condition" and it certainly wasn't. They are a boat / car dealership based out of Missourri. Total charlaitains who should not be allowed to sell on ebay.

I loved my 2004 ZHP 330i. I ordered it from the factory and took the performance delivery option. The car was very quick and still very comparable to the current 3 series. It would go 0-60 in 5.3 sec. I wish the performance package could have come with the lumbar support and I wish I had ordered the fold down rear seat. The trunk is small and would not hold my large suitcase. No matter how hard you pushed it would not go in. Performance in the snow was poor. I had to order another set of wheels and snow tires because the car came with summer tires. The summer tires drove like they were on a wet road when the temperature got below 40. The snow tires helped but the car had lots of trouble getting up snowy/icey hills with the open differential. Even when you adjust the traction control system to not cut the throttle on you but to activate the brakes it would do a little better but not by much. The first time I took the car to the autocross I had a hard time disabling the stability control. The manual did not tell you how. I had to go online to find a forum to learn how to disable it completely. I went through 2 windsheilds in the car. I felt like it was a rock magnet. The paint on the hood seemed to chip from rocks easier than other cars and i managed to dent the good when I droped a very small plastic clamp on it. I loved the sport seats because I'm a tall person and the extra length to the seat bottom really helped on long trips. The seats feel stiff initially but they are perfect for comfort and grip. The alcantera cloth was wearing faster than I thought it should and the steering wheel was getting gross and was impossible to clean. It was because of this cloth that I ended up trading the car in. I had a few complaints about the shifter. Sometimes it just wouldn't go into gear no matter how hard you pushed/pulled. The rubbery coating BMW puts on all the hard plastic can wear off. Mine was starting to rub off where my thumb would bump it when releasing the parking brake. Also at around 30,000 miles the black insulation located on the under side of the hood began to fall and rub against the engine cover. This bothered me enough that I removed it but found that the metalic grey pain didn't continue under that part and instead now I had a gold spot. It looked horrible but the dealer did replace the part under warranty. I think this was a flook but I did get a rust spot on the middle of the rear right door sill. I only opened that door when cleaning but still managed to get a rust spot the size of a dime. That was also fixed under warranty but the paint job my local dealer did was poor. I did not buy another BMW because of my local dealer. I would recommend a BMW to anyone just not the 7 series. I hope this review is helpful for someone. I tried to put down everything I could think of.