[stevensonleehk]

Dear All,

Just want your thoughts in the old debate between 323i and 325i for Hong Kong roads.

I've been driving my E90 323i for 3 years now and although on the whole I have satisfied with its handling, I do often feel the lack of punch when it comes so stop --> start acceleration off the line. There is always a delay either due to the drive-by-wire throttle control or just by the tuning of the engine so that max torque doesn't develop until ~ 3,200 rpm or so.

I've been thinking about getting a facelifted 325i - will you consider paying an extra $100,000 in order to get better engine tuning, idrive and xenon lights?

[little_croco]

seems like you are looking for performance improvement while the extra costs for mostly cosmetic/user-features changes... so I bet you know the answer yourself

[firefox_E92]

Similar thinking , If i did not make the purchase of my E92 325, I would have gone for a 2nd hand E92 335i with the same budget that i spent so far... IMHO, 325 is ok for daliy drive, however, when u meet up with the folks here... u find out 325 is not moving... haha

[ct087ct087]

If you are driving E90 323i, why don't you wait for F30 instead of E90 LCI? If you need better acceleration performance, 330i/335i will be your choice.

[css]

Originally Posted by firefox_E92

Similar thinking , If i did not make the purchase of my E92 325, I would have gone for a 2nd hand E92 335i with the same budget that i spent so far... IMHO, 325 is ok for daliy drive, however, when u meet up with the folks here... u find out 325 is not moving... haha

thats why i always stay at the back no point doing unnecessary acceleration as you cant catch them anyways

[Icy J]

Originally Posted by oda

thats why i always stay at the back no point doing unnecessary acceleration as you cant catch them anyways

'gentle' driving

[JohnMan]

Depends on your driving style and the need. For normal regular driving, a 323i is fine, I discovered so far that the 325i does gives you a little extra punch, but when you are stuck in traffic on Nathan Road on a Friday night, it makes little difference which 3 series you drive .

Unless you want to engage in street races and want to teach those $%^&! black cross-border vans a lesson. You know, those black Toyota Previas with Mainland plates. They drive like complete assholes and our "exporting" their "Mainland" style of driving into Hong Kong. They are worse then the taxi drivers. I would love to dearly teach them a lesson if I could drive a 335i or M3.

On the plus side, I think we should be grateful we at least drive in Hong Kong where there actually a few nice, if short twisties that can test the handling of the car with a 335i and M3. The distance is short, but the twisting road is nice. It gives you a purpose to try the handling ability of a M3 or 335i. I used to work in Singapore, a city even smaller then Hong Kong. That city is flat and the roads are pretty straight, nowhere you can really test your bimmer's ability. (Although Singapore drivers are less aggressive and more considerate then Hong Kong drivers.). So be glad you can at least try out the handling ability in Hong Kong.

In any case, unless you are planning to get a second-hand E9X, I think better stick with the 323i until the F30 comes around in I think a year or 2? Anyone know?

[firefox_E92]

Originally Posted by oda

thats why i always stay at the back no point doing unnecessary acceleration as you cant catch them anyways

That's why i followed u ... haha

[css]

Originally Posted by firefox_E92

That's why i followed u ... haha

haha, i am wondering where did you do the steering wheel? i am planning to do something to my scirocco r when it comes later on too cus i feel that the stock one makes my hands really really dry, not sure if its the material or what, i am planning to rewrap the steering or something, any recommendations?

[firefox_E92]

U can try my steering wheel to see if u like it. Will PM u the info.

Originally Posted by oda

haha, i am wondering where did you do the steering wheel? i am planning to do something to my scirocco r when it comes later on too cus i feel that the stock one makes my hands really really dry, not sure if its the material or what, i am planning to rewrap the steering or something, any recommendations?

[akhter]

Originally Posted by stevensonleehk

Dear All,

Just want your thoughts in the old debate between 323i and 325i for Hong Kong roads.

I've been driving my E90 323i for 3 years now and although on the whole I have satisfied with its handling, I do often feel the lack of punch when it comes so stop --> start acceleration off the line. There is always a delay either due to the drive-by-wire throttle control or just by the tuning of the engine so that max torque doesn't develop until ~ 3,200 rpm or so.

I've been thinking about getting a facelifted 325i - will you consider paying an extra $100,000 in order to get better engine tuning, idrive and xenon lights?

why not get just use the D/S mode or (get a BMSBOX) to tide you over until the F30 comes out? much cheaper than and LCI e90

[trekker]

I feel my 325i is a bit sluggish below around 2800-3000rpm as well. I guess the different between a 323i and a 325i is not that much, I wouldnt suggest paying 100k for it. Waiting for the F30 sounds like a better idea.

[superdx]

It's more a jump between 323i and 335i

Might as well just make the jump if you're gonna think about a 325i

My next car is gonna be a F32 top of the line 335i >.>

[JohnMan]

trekker-I agree, I notice my 325i is not good for overtaking or beating the other car to the other lane if that other car is also hitting the gas. You have to rev it above 3-4000 rpm before the torque really kicks in. Below that range, there is noticeable lag and sluggishness. This means the 323/325i is at an disadvantage for rapid acceleration to beat the other car over short distances (as is the case in Hong Kong). Even very average cars can accelerate past me before my bimmer really gets going. A nissan sunny blast past me today even when I'm already stepping hard on the gas, and he already cut me off by the time my car was in a position to match his speed and overtake.

If we are talking about longer distances, then my 325i would win, but as already said, the predominant overtaking distances in Hong Kong is short and there is not enough room for a 323/325i to really get into that power torque range, so I just have to take it and let even average cars race past me in traffic, grrrrrr.

[superdx]

You should be able to smoke a Nissan Sunny in DS short or medium or long distance!!

By the way flooring the N52 doesn't really give you best results, there's a considerable amount of lag while the engine revs up. You get about 2s where your car really isn't going any faster.

I would suggest just pushing the pedal down as far as you can without flooring it, in this way the engine isn't stuck revving and you get instant acceleration.

[JohnMan]

Originally Posted by superdx

You should be able to smoke a Nissan Sunny in DS short or medium or long distance!!

By the way flooring the N52 doesn't really give you best results, there's a considerable amount of lag while the engine revs up. You get about 2s where your car really isn't going any faster.

I would suggest just pushing the pedal down as far as you can without flooring it, in this way the engine isn't stuck revving and you get instant acceleration.

Yeah I think I am doing something wrong. My 325i just isn't accelerating when I want it to. You should tell me more about the best technique to get the quickest acceleration. I can't believe I am beaten by a nissan sunny, but I encounter these siutations alot and i just can't out-accelerate even average cars when my bimmer is suppose to beat them hands down easily.

[little_croco]

my 20c...

1. use DS if you are not doing so
2. floor your pedal is the "official" way by BMW for you to tell the engine you want it to kick down for some pushing power. Instead, you may try release the pedal to let it go down the rev, shift to DS, then step down (no need to floor), it could be faster than the "2 secs" you figured out
3. just do M :-)

[ct087ct087]

so sad that we are discussing how to beat a sunny (1500?) with our 325i. When i installed the aluminum plate for the gas pedal, I found there was a button. Not sure if it is for kicking down gear when flooring the gas......btw, M is the mode that you can actually control the acceleration.

[trekker]

Mine is a manual and I can still feel the lag even when I floor the gas, until passing through around 3000rpm then I start to feel the kick. I believe its to do with the stock ECU setting to achieve the fuel econ, thats why people using the BMS Power Box feel quite a significant improvment.

In fact, I am quite happy with my car already but it will be a bonus if the lag isnt so noticable. I may try the PBX later after my waranty expires.

[trekker]

Originally Posted by ct087ct087

so sad that we are discussing how to beat a sunny (1500?) with our 325i. When i installed the aluminum plate for the gas pedal, I found there was a button. Not sure if it is for kicking down gear when flooring the gas......btw, M is the mode that you can actually control the acceleration.

Hahaa..dont under-estimate some of the bombs on the road. We never know what engine they put under the hood.

[JohnMan]

Originally Posted by little_croco

my 20c...

1. use DS if you are not doing so
2. floor your pedal is the "official" way by BMW for you to tell the engine you want it to kick down for some pushing power. Instead, you may try release the pedal to let it go down the rev, shift to DS, then step down (no need to floor), it could be faster than the "2 secs" you figured out
3. just do M :-)

Thanks for the suggestions, much appreciated. I have to focus on the timing and techniques. I seem to get it wrong. When i see a car cutting into the other lane in preparation to overtake me, by the time I step on the gas and get the acceleration, the other car is already way ahead of me and there is not enough room for me to overtake him before I run into the traffic ahead. I have to get the timing right and get more rapid acceleration response. I need to know how far it takes for a 325i to overtake another speeding car to judge the distance I have left in overtaking. Obviously, I won't bother doing it against a Nissan 370 or Porsche 911, cars that are clearly out of the league of the 325i. But for a Nissan Sunny, darn I should be able to overtake even if the sunny is going full throttle.

So it comes down how I can out-accelerate the other car who is going it full throttle.

[little_croco]

Hey buddies, courtesy on the road please, as a bimmer driver