M5 Lite

You know your enemies, which one would you want to buy?

IS300 fully loaded or 325ci fully loaded?

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'98 Dakar Yellow ///M3
Surprise @ Forums atwww.BMWExperience.com
0-60 5.53 sec G-Tech
Picture here

sigs21

Bimmer hands down...

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01- Acura CL silver 3.2-s
20% tint 35%front window
Bose Mods.. Mod's to come headers and springs

alex2364

Bimmer all the way!

eclipse23

Arent Bimmers bikes?

I'll take the BMW, IS300's are for kids.

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01' Acura CL Type-S
Piaa 19169 Bulbs
Valentine1 Pig Detector
Comptech Springs
CompTech Exhaust
Xephyr Cold Air Intake
Really Cool Mesh Grill
Custom BASS by <A HREF="http://www.streeteffectz.com

01'Acura" TARGET=_blank>www.streeteffectz.com

01'Acura</A> Integra GSR

spiroh

Bimmer.


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Black/Black 2001 CL-S
Random Technology Cat
RED AEM CAI
APEXi V-AFC
Polarg M6 Roadlamps

spiroh

Are you thinking of selling your car, and buy one of these cars?

Spiro

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Black/Black 2001 CL-S
Random Technology Cat
RED AEM CAI
APEXi V-AFC
Polarg M6 Roadlamps

Black CL-S 4-Life

Both are nice cars, but I'd have to go with the Bimmer!

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Drive Fast Live Fast!

Mike

IS300 if you're going to heavily mod it.
Bimmer if you're going bone stock.

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2001 Satin Silver Cl Type S.
Got some stuff
14.302 @98.69 Carlsbad Raceway 4/29/01
My Car

CLpower has a 1st Gen 3.0 CL

X3.2CLSX

Beemer....I test drove the IS300 at the mercedes benz event they had in Miami on sunday. Man the IS300 is POS. I dont even like it. There's also no room for the driver. The CL-S has more room.

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NightHawk Black CL-S
Black Interior
Clear Headlights
Nokyo Halogen Bulb Artic White
AEM Cold Air Induction
NaviLess
Now Working to Get Springs

nanoDave

I think a "beemer" or "beamer" is a bike, and a "bimmer" is a car, according to this website:

http://www.bmwccbc.org/tech-and-trivia/bimmer.html

And yes, I think I'd have to go with the bimmer on this one
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Bone Stock (except for the scratched rims:-)) CL-S
Silver/Ebony
Navi
De-badged

[This message has been edited by nanoDave (edited 06-12-2001).]

avengerjr

the BMW 325ci fully loaded.


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avengerjr
2001 CL-S Satin Silver / Ebony Interior / Non-Navi[*] spoiler , wheel locks , 35% tint , fenderwell trim[*] mud guards , winter floor mats , full nose mask[*] Xephyr CAI , H&R OE Springs

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

BMW all the way. Then I'd take it to Streeteffectz so he could hook it up like his other 2 Bimmer's!!



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1998 Iced Blue CL 3.0 ** Some mods, but who cares, I want a Type-S!!

Moderator - 1st Gen Forum
Email: juniorbean@acura-cl.com

GoldTypeS_RENAMED

Bimmer. It would be a tough decision if the back of the IS300 wasn't so incredibly hideous.

phatpat

Tough decision, but I'd have to say the IS300 (Am I the only one??! )

Haven't seen that many selections for body kits for the 325, and haven't heard of ANY turbo kits for it either. A black IS300 with a custom turbo kit, slammed, chrome 19"s and a full body kit is just PIMP

BTW, there's tail light covers available for the IS300. Looks WAY better than stock, IMO.

I'd take a fully loaded 330ci over the IS300, though

Patrick

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'01 Black/Tan CL-S w/ Navi & spoiler
AEM CAI
Comptech headers & sway bars
Toyo Proxes T1-S 235/45ZR17 tires
15% tint, Infinity Perfect sub/PPI amp

'97 Acura Integra LS

"You don't need a shopping cart wing to go fast..."

M5 Lite

If everyone here likes the BMW over the IS300 (with one person as the exception ), why are those guys buying IS300s?

Even being a BMW fan, I dont' know if I'd want the 325ci, it doesn't have enough power for me (184hp). Maybe if I would put a chip/exhaust/cai I'll get 205hp or so, but then again, the IS300 is 225hp stock.

As for the turbo kits for the 325ci, I assure you, you won't have to wait long until Dinan, ESS, TMS, or Korman comes out with one. Supercharger that is, not turbo (Kormon usually does turbos).

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'98 Dakar Yellow ///M3
Surprise @ Forums atwww.BMWExperience.com
0-60 5.53 sec G-Tech
Picture here

ruvz

Beemer all the way!

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--&gt; RUVZ
2001 3.2CL Type S - Satin Silver - Polarg M6 roadlamps
Coming soon: Springs, AEM CAI

GoldTypeS_RENAMED

The IS only has 215hp and I bet it's barely faster than a 325 (auto for auto, stick for stick). I think the 325 is at least 100 lbs lighter.

soopa

Personally I like the IS...

It is a great looking car on the outside... it turns alot of heads.

As I walk down the street with some of my more ignorant about cars friends... I watch at what catches their eye.

Everytime an IS goes by it turns heads. (Stock)

A beemer only turns heads if its pimped out... and it only does something for the driver if its a 330.

Granted the IS has a ugly rear-end. Mainly just because it has ricey tailights and a heavy looking bumper.

But both of those issues can be resolved... there are aftermarket replacements for the tails... and boy kits to replace the look of the bumper.

Well, then of course we get into the issue of the cockpit itself. Right htere is where the IS loses major points... the inside is just butt ugly. Plain & Simple.

As for power... the IS doesnt do it for me... but if its between the IS and a 325... its gotta be the IS.

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2001 Acura 3.2 CL Type-S
San Marino Red (Navigation)
PIAA 19173 Ion Yellow Fogs • Valentine 1 • SilverKnight Grill
Xephyr CAI • Comptech Springs

BSK181

1 thing not mentioned, the paint colors and quality are just f-ing gorgeous on the is300. the yellow ,blue and green are great.

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01 BLK/BLK CL-S, FACTORY SPOILER, K/N DROP IN V-1
98 INFINITI I30T
99 MAXIMA SE

both

20 or younger (mentally counts), IS300. If you are old enough to care how it rides and handles on real roads with bumps, Bimmer.

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CLS Blk/Blk, Wife ripping off

DtEW

I chose the IS300 because I got the chance to wring the piss out of both a 2000 323i automatic and a 2001 IS300 back-to-back at the Edmund's Live Event last August, if I remember correctly. Granted, it wasn't a 325ci and it didn't have the optional sport suspension, but the 325i/325ci only traded torque for horsepower (the displacement remained the same, contrary to badging) and even sans-sports suspension, it was close enough for me to gather the dynamic characters of each car.

The Edmund's live event was set up like an AutoX course. Both engines and tires (and pressures) were warm.

The 323i auto was just plain slow. But slow itself was less of an issue than the inability to break the rear loose w/throttle. The chassis was very consistent, although it was numb (general opinion w/no specifics; it was over 10 months ago), which I mostly attributed to the lack of the sport package. There was no "Whee!" feeling as I threw the car around the autoX-style switchbacks.

In contrast, the IS300 had more power, but that in itself is secondary to the combination that 1) the combination of the brakes' power and subjective feel allowed me to brake hard enough to really unload the rear (not as well as my old Integra, but that thing was a full 800lbs lighter), which 2) I could combine with some throttle to bring the tail around. The first time I did this I just about broke into a cold sweat, being used to neutral-to-slight-oversteer-on-braking, understeer-on-gas handling of FWD on full-sized cars. Of course, I did have some experience w/power oversteer, realized it for what it was, and proceeded to play around w/that for the rest of the day. A few times I got whoops and applause from the waiting drivers. (Which coincidentally at that event, the majority of which were waiting for the IS300; it was the newest mousetrap then.) It was about then I concluded that I had been missing out on a good part of performance driving, and I was a RWD convert at that point.

I didn't choose the 323i/325i because although consistent and sport-package-equipped would've ultimately allowed me to hurl the car harder into corners at faster speeds, it was difficult to provoke oversteer at slow speeds. The torque that was available w/automatic was simply uninspiring (and has gotten worse w/the 325i, having traded some of that torque for horsepower). I'm neutral on it's styling, being that I have always like slab-sided cars (S2K, Prelude, etc.), and the character creases seemed too much like form w/o function. I can live w/form w/o function, but it certainly does not engender passion, esp on something as major as the body.

In reference to comments about the IS300 being unsuited to real-life conditions w/road bumps and irregularities, about a month ago I held a run on local mountain roads (Mt Baldy Rd, Glendora Ridge Rd, and San Gabriel Canyon Rd) w/IS300s and Celicas. Suffice it to say, it was not a problem as I strafed linked esses and oversteered around switchbacks, chasing a modded (sponsored, actually) manual Celica GT-S at 10/10ths.

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051/LP/SR/LD/HH
Potenza S-02 Pole Position

The Reasonable Voice of Bias

Driven

You get what you pay for...Being a previous 328is owner. If you want a BMW, IMO, you have to get the 330ci. But if you're looking at the 325 and dropping into the price range of the IS300, I'd go for the Lexus. I agree with the opinion that the IS300 turns "I don't know jack about cars" kinda heads. It just has a contemporary hip look to it. And at the price, compared to the BMW, it has pretty decent performance too. The bimmer on the other hand inherits the pedigree styling of the other models. It turns heads (also the "I don't know jack about cars" crowd) when you say, "I drive a BMW". But to a gear head, a 325 just sounds like you couldn't afford the 330. My .02 cents



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'01 CL-S Black/Parchment
Spoiler and NAV.
Infinity Kappa 6.5" comps.
Kappa 2-way 6x9s
10" Kicker Solobaric sub.
Kicker IX405D 5-channel amp.

thholr

bimmer all the way ........


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2001 Acura CL Type S
San Marino red
non nav.

moomaster_99

I'd get the IS300...it handles better...yes, it does...almost on par with the M3...not quite..but very close. It has a reasonable motor...and it is wayyyy quicker than a 325...those are garbage.!! Sorry, you guys are buying the name...period!!! when you buy that cheap of a bimmer...I can understand a 330...but a crap 325!!?! My friend bought one...POS!!! Overpriced...useless.

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2001 Cl-S Black on Black with Navigation
Black Tint all around (15%~45%)
Weapon-R Dragon Filter
Weapon-R Coil-Overs
Koni Adjustable Struts
Comptech Sway Bars
Comptech Headers (hehehe...I got something for you drchang!!)
14.698 @95.977mph....Sears Point Raceway.I think I need a Level 10 Torque Converter!!
Yes, I know I'm going to hell for wasting gas on Civics....
My Peoples

Sypher

Same here. I was looking at the IS300 and the 330ci before I bought the Type-S. I loved the IS until I test drove it. It just didn't seem to have the kick I expected. And the inside is way too plastic. Its rear is pretty ugly, but like Soopa said, aftermarket parts work wonders. The 325 is okay, but I believe it has even less get-up-and-go than the IS. And since I'd have to do mods on either car to be satisfied, I'd say I'd probably go with the IS just because I think it has better aftermarket potential. Plus, 325's are just cheaper clones of their bigger brothers. At least the IS has its own style.


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Sypher (www.sypher.com)
'01 Black CL Type-S
Valentine-1

360

The New BMWs are just getting back too the way it should be; I Would get a IS300 for that price. 330 or M3 If you had the Money.

When i was shopping for cars I headed strat for The BMW dealer and test drove the BMW 323is and 328 (With the sports package) and was very upset because it was nothing like the previous model,It looked Great but there was a lot of body roll for a BMW. My dad's 740il had less body roll and was more fun to drive and (which is very fun to drive for a big car, I Love his car). My lexus was just as fun to drive as the BMW and that's not saying much. I was very disappointed because i had my heart set on one and it looks so cool (I Still love the way it looks).
If you read the American mags Car and Driver etc.. they loved the BMW and thought The IS was good but no BMW

But if you read the European Mags they give you a totally different story I had been reading EVO,Car and other mags and the loved the IS 200 (Its a 200 there) but it was under powered and said that it was what the BMW used to be. They also wrote that the New 3 series was had shifted to much toward the luxury realm and was not nearly the sports saloon (sedan) it used to be. I Didn't belive them until i test drove one and there you go.

But since then I know BMW has done some changes and is working on getting it back to the way it was before (the sports Sedan).
if they do I would definitely take a good look at the BMW (although I hear the 330is handles much better than the 328).

But Nothing beats Lexus service. It is so awesome they treat you like your their only customer and you can get kind of spoiled.
I Did.

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Black Type-S

Dacat

If I *had* to buy those two, I'd probably pick the IS300. Just because I don't think the 325 is worth the money for what you get. I value substance over style.

Of course, I'd pick the CL-S over both as I already did!

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01 Silver CL-S, Navi, Spoiler, V1, PIAA's
Retired: 94 540i

WiLd~CL~TYPS-@SS

I would take the IS if i wanna mod the car,like a SC. I would only take the bema if it's a stick and coupe

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01 silver cl-s
AEM CAI red
Piaa 19169
Cannon winter floor mats
35% and 5% tint

JZ

Bimmer. Whenever I see two people in an IS300 (especially two guys) it looks like they are practically on top of eachother. It is sooooo small and I maintain that it looks like a toy. Yes, it has good styling from the side--but from the front or rear it looks like shit. Kind of the opposite of the CLS in my opinion--awesome looking from every angle except the side.


Oh yeah--I still think a black or silver BMW with super dark tint looks better than an IS any day of the week. I'll give the BMW that it has enduring style. There are so many of them out on the road and they have been the same basic style for so long, but they still look appealing.
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Black/black CLS
Comptech headers, springs, swaybars
Koni yellows
Polarg M6 road lamps
Solaris Hi beams
Potenza RE730 225/45/17
Red AEM CAI
Denso Iridium plugs
35% metallic tint

[This message has been edited by JZ (edited 06-13-2001).]