“An
Automotive Love Affair”
By
Joseph Mavilia
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“An
Automotive Love Affair” By
Joseph Mavilia |
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2000 BMW 323 Ci Convertible
Overview:
What’s not to love about this BMW 323 Ci Convertible? If you
don’t just love this convertible you and I need to sit down and have a talk.
As Joan Rivers used to say, “Can we talk?” It seats four and if you’re in the market for a convertible
you probably don’t need more seating. In fact I can't think of another
convertible that accommodates more, or seats them better. If there is I'm sure
someone will tell me about it.
BMW used to be a high maintenance vehicle and
although I cannot attest to an improvement, I will say that it has been my
observation from friends who have owned other models of BMW for a few years now,
seem to be more trouble free than past decades. When brother John and I owned a
repair shop my observation was very negative about BMW. I would never have opted
to buy one. I guess the most troublesome cars to keep running were manufactured
by BMW, Jaguar, Fiat and Ferrari. The
Jag’s and BMW’s were in a lot and cost a lot to fix. Fiat was also in a lot
but the cost of repair was low. Ferrari was in often and the cost was
astronomical.
Anyway, I do worry about the mechanical stuff a
bit. In general, however, most new cars benefit from the latest and greatest
technology and that has translated to nearly trouble free drive trains. That is
reflected in the fact that most cars don’t need tune-ups until they reach
100,000 miles. The convertible top, on the other hand, is new technology but
also untested by Father Time. It is totally new and also totally automated. You
just push one button, sit still and in about a minute the top is up or down and
neatly stored. Well, I guess you do need to watch the red light next to the
button to confirm the top is completely up or down. Additionally, it is so well
done that when it’s up, you’d think it were a hard top.
Equipment is abundant and high quality. The dual-zone
climate control has an automatic re-circulation control system that switches to
inside air when the outside air is polluted and then switches back to fresh air
intake when the air outside has cleared.
Handling
& Performance:
The engine is smooth and sophisticated. Its aluminum block makes it lighter. The
24 variable timing valves should produce improved low range response but with
the short-range low gear it is sluggish off the line. This was the one thing
that bothered me and I found I was redlining in first gear a lot. Second was
longer but getting there was slow. Aside from that problem, this car is flat fun
to drive. Steering is precise and the Dynamic Stability Control system helps out
in the corners or when you need to swerve to avoid unexpected road conditions.
Styling:
I think I'm in love.
Fit
and Finish:
Continues to improve over the years.
Conveniences: More than enough, but I'm easy to please.
Cost: Enough for some, too much for others.
Recommendation: If you’re in the market for a convertible and the price
doesn’t scare you off, you’ll buy this Beemmer. The cars in the competition
noted below really aren’t comparable because none are convertibles, but
they’re the closest I have.
The
competition:
Acura TL $28,400-30,400,
Audi A4
$23,990-28,790, Cadillac Catera $31,010, Infiniti I30 $29,465-31,540, Lexus ES
300 $31,505, Lincoln LS $31,415-35,290, Mercedes Benz C Class $31,750-53,000,
Saab 9-3 $26,100-44,995, Volvo S40 $23,400.
Bad
News: Slow
off the line was bothersome, limited cargo area because of the top down
apparatus,
Standard
Equipment:
2.5 liter 170 horsepower inline 6 cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission,
front and side airbags, power ABS disc brakes, traction control, air
conditioning, power windows and door locks, cruise control, tilt steering wheel,
power seats, radio with cassette.
Gas
Stats:
17 City and 24 Highway MPG.
Pricing:
MSRP $34,990.
Your comments are welcomed. My e-mail is joe@autolove.com
Copyright
©1998 - Automotive Love Affair