Hey Guys,

I'm considering the BMW 325i and the TL type S. Anyone has any opinions to share? I have yet to test drive the TL as yet, but I just relised how good the options are compared to the BMW. BTW how long would you have to wait for a new TL type S is you were to order it? I'm in Canada

J

 

It depends on what you want. Speed wise TLS is much quicker. I'd suggest that you give it a test drive.

 

I'm not a really speedy kinda person. Most importantly the car should handle and drive really well. I'll go for a test drive Monday. Hopefully the dealers are not as big jerk offs as the BMW dealer I visited today

j

 

No, Acura dealers are not as snobby as BMW dealers. However, they are also about as classy as a Chevy dealer.
TL-S handles well for a big boat. It oversteers quite a bit. That's the only advantage 325 has.
I have yet to get used to it. VSA is totally useless. In fact, I think I can do better without it.
However, TL-S is much more comfortable while road feel is about the same as 325.
Other than above, TL-S is much better in every catagory.
If you want a stick, however, you don't really have a choice. TL-S doesn't come with one.
Styling is all personal opinion. TL-S has boring styling, even though the headlights are beautiful (in person....you can't see how nice those lights are in pictures).
3 series styling, on the other hand is weird in my opinion. I think 325i is very ugly. 325ci, though is quite nice.
If it's going to be used as family car, than 325 is too small for any family but midgets.
Why spent 30k for a civic knock off?

 

I'm in the same predicament. Trying to decide between the 325ci and the TL-S. I have driven both and I still cannot decide. I'm leaning towards the TL-S because of its value for the money, however the BMW is definitely a sexier looking car.

 

I have a 94 325i that I'm selling to get a TL-S. Because I don't want to shell out the dough for a 330ci. If speed isn't your big thing and you don't mind spending a few grand more for the same level of options go for the bimmer. Or for about the same price you could get a 325ci with ONLY the sport package. If you can actually find one that isn't optioned out. I think FlyingPig is a little harsh calling the 325i ugly, but I would only spend money on the coupe. I will say that my 325i is still solid as a rock and I LOVE the sound of the inline-6. You won't go wrong with either car.

 

Alright guys thanks for the information. I don't think the 325 is ugly. I find it much nicer than the TL Type S's form factor. I've seen the TL Type S before and the headlights are pretty nice too. The only thing I don't like about the BMW is the fact that the 330i gets the chrome rims but the 325 does not. Just wondering how's the resale value like for Acura TLs?

 

Drive both cars, it is hard to say what you really like until you drive it. I will say this, the BMW will hands down out handle the TL is every aspect. I like the smooth, easy turning steering of the TL but I like the BMW's road feel and acutal handling and cornering even more. You have to drive both cars to really decide. The TL-S will give you a quicker car than the 325, but if you can fork out a few grand more, get the 330 which is probably going to be faster than the TL-S. I recommend, drive the 325, 330, and the TL-S. Ever consider the new Audi A4?

 

The Audi A 4 doesn't have the speed the TL S does and the backseat is tiny.
The handling is indeed better as is the BMW.
Those two are very well put together and balanced cars.
The TL S is more geared for the family man who wants a little kick every now and then.

 

If you are thinking of leasing, I highly recommend looking at the BMW 330i. Because of the factory subsidized leasing (2.1 money factor), it will most likely be cheaper than the 325i and the TL-S.

While I planned on getting a TL-S, I instead ordered a fully loaded 330i (every option available except parking sensors - 42K MSRP) for $70 less a month than the local dealer's best deal on a TL-S for a 36 month lease (they wanted $590 a month on the TL-S compared to $522 for the BMW - both with $2000 to drive off the lot).

 

Two very different cars if you're a discriminating enthusaist, but both are great. Drive 'em both.

I often wonder if I should have bought a Bimmer, but I still love my TL. My choice came down to a '97 528i vs. '01 TL, which are much more comparable than the 3-series to the TL. Think of the TL as an inexpensive 5-series. BTW, for good prices on used luxo cars, look at www.texas-cars.com every so often. Mostly Jags, but usually some really nice Bimmers and Benzes. I go to their showroom every so often, and know a local shop that says their cars are top-notch.

------------------
'01 White Diamond Pearl 3.2TL
-Wing, tint, wood and Whistler

 

If you want a decent sized back seat and you're shopping in the $30-40k price range, forget about Mercedes and BMW. I looked at the 330i, C320, and CLK430 over the weekend. The back seat is an absolute joke. I didn't get around to test driving the 330i or the CLK, but the C class had fairly nice handling, and I suspect the BMW's is even better. Having driven the C directly after the TL-S, I'd have to say the TL-S isn't *too* far behind in the handling department. It felt a lot more stable through hard cornering than my '99 TL does. The Benz and BMW didn't exactly wow me with their interior though. The C320 interior has a lot of hard plastic... Has a cool LCD screen in the instrument cluster that I liked a lot. Love the laser key. The CLK had a much nicer interior feel, although it's still quite cramped compared to the TL. If you're looking for a decent sized sedan, buy one, and stay away from the BMW 3 series. If you can live with a spartan, cramped interior and want pure performance, go for the BMW, but get the 330 rather than the 325. ;-)

Chris

 

Its funny everyone is talking about which car is fast (bmw, audi, tls)but the thing is on the road you will not really see a large difference in speed. When it comes down to .5 seconds of a difference etc, you will not notice it on the road unless you are timing your car on a track which i very much doubt.

 

Hi,

I'm quite ok with a small rear sit as I'm not very tall and I like to seat close to the wheel. I'm choosing between the 325ci, 325i and the TL type S. The Audi's probably won't be out until September I think and I want a car soon. I like the C-Class hatchback which I tried it out at the autoshow. Anyway speed wise I think it should all feel the same for me as I'm new and I just want a nice reliable car with great resale value.
Anyway, Here are the calculated price for the cars with options that I'm considering:

325i with Premium Package - CAN$51,500
325i with Sunroof, Heated Seats and armrest -CAN$49,500
325ci with Sunroof, Heated seats and armrest - CAN$51,152
TL type S - LOADED! (no wood trim)
CAN$49,070

Value wise the TL Type S has it all! But I'm more inclined to the BMW coupe as it's sportier and I think the resale values pretty ok. The Type S on the other hand is a new car don't know how it's going to fair in the future.

J

 

I was also thinking of a BMW 330i or a TL-S. I'm planning to lease and heard about good lease deals on the beamer as opposed to the TLs. SOmething about BMWs having a Subsidized lease? DOn't know. Can anyone who knows about leases comment on why the leases on BMW are better even it being more expensive. If you guys have any lease quotes for the 330i that had been offered to you..please post...thanks.

 

Hi,

Just came back from the TL Type S test drive. The car is quite magnificent. Driving and handling are pretty good and the acceleration is quite fast. The brakes don't really work as fast as i think they should. One thing I felt when driving is the car's weight. When I turned I could feel the whole car shifting but the handling's really good for such a big car.
The finishing is pretty cheap. I like the black wood more than the brown wood that comes with the blue TL Type S. Anyway the interior feels rather inferior to the BMWs that I've tried so far. I like the car but it's more like a family man's car I feel. The styling is really nice especially in the front but my girlfriend does not like it. Anyway the dealership refused to give me a discount on the MSRP as they said that the TL Type S's are selling really fast.

Cheers
J

 

The new 3 series looks so nice. But, I
would have to get the coupe. Loaded it
runs $34,810. Comparable. But, definately
a smaller car. Sporty feeling, but I've
got close to 300 hp at the crank right now.
BMW, can't quite compete with that.

And I don't care what anyone says... I'd rather have front wheel drive.

CLS vs. 325 Coupe: BMW
TLS vs. 325 Sedan: ACURA

It's that close I believe. Which is quite
an acomplishment by Acura.