1987 BMW 325is Makes Up for Lost Time

From the August 1987 issue of Car and Driver.

The new 325is is the first genuinely sporting BMW to reach our shores since the 2002tii went out of production in 1975. In the intervening years, BMW has sent a long procession of beautifully built subcompact sedans our way, along with a fine fleet of larger touring cars, but none of them has moved with the spirit of the original 2002.

Three members of the Car and Driver staff have owned 2002s at one time or an­other. In its day, the now-legendary Bimmer was a sports sedan without equal. It was faster than most sports cars in its price range, yet it was practical enough to offer four seats and a spacious trunk. It cost about as much as a mainstream Chev­rolet or Ford of its time, yet it was built so solidly and assembled with such care that it could bear comparison with the world’s most expensive cars. Best of all, the 2002 loved to run. And the harder it was run, the better it felt.

This last quality has not been shared by the 2002’s successors. Much of the prob­lem has been a sheer lack of go power. In our test of a 2002 in 1970, we measured a quarter-mile time of 17.1 seconds and a top speed of 111 mph. The 2002tii we tested in 1972 was even faster, sprinting through the quarter in 16.8 seconds and topping out at 115 mph. After that, no small BMW sold in America was able to better either car’s performance until the 1984 introduction of the six-cylinder 325e (now called the 325). Meanwhile, quick and much cheaper sportsters, like the Volkswagen GTI, were popping up all over the globe.

Even the 325e and its descendants, though reasonably quick, fall short of the 2002’s spirit. The culprit is their indolent prime mover, which delivers a minimum of both rpm and excitement. The suffix in the original 325e’s designation stood for “eta,” a concept of conserving fuel by re­stricting an engine’s operating range. The eta engine is indeed fuel-efficient, but it has done little to satisfy BMW fans who crave hyperactive, rev-happy engines.

BMW’s performance decline has been particularly galling to American enthusi­asts, because Europeans have been able to buy 3-series BMWs with a high-revving, potent version of the eta six since 1978. BMW cited America’s lower speed limits, strict emissions regulations, and emphasis on fuel efficiency as the reasons for not bothering to export its hottest engines.

Many BMW buyers didn’t complain, though, because the small BMW had be­come the first rung on the ladder of high-status German cars. Image-conscious yuppies stood in line for 3-series Bimmers. BMW responded by emphasiz­ing luxury over performance and sold more 3-series cars at higher prices than ever before. It was a good time for BMW, but that was no consolation for enthusi­asts of the 2002 stripe.

Finally, in the mid-1980s, salvation appeared—in the form, paradoxically, of strict German exhaust-emissions regula­tions. When it became clear that German cars sold for local consumption would have to be fitted with catalytic converters, just like their American counterparts, BMW and the other German carmakers suddenly got serious about making pow­erful engines run cleanly. And once the good engines were purified, it was no longer such a major undertaking to send them to our shores.

Thus we now have the 325is, fitted with as sweet an engine as BMW has ever built. Although part of the same M60 family as the eta engine, the new motor is oriented as strongly toward high performance as its sibling is toward parsimonious propul­sion. The i and eta engines share the same 84mm bore, but the new mill’s 75mm stroke is 6mm shorter. Although that re­sults in a smaller displacement, down from 2693 to 2494cc, the i more than makes up for this deficiency by revving 1500 rpm higher.

The elevated engine speed of the i en­gine was made possible by a complete re­tuning. The i’s camshaft is more radical than the eta’s, its valves and ports are larg­er, and its intake and exhaust runners are shorter and larger in diameter. These changes raise the i’s power and torque peaks above tractor-engine levels. As a result, the i motor develops a sparkling 168 hp at 5800 rpm and 164 pound-feel of torque at 4300. The comparable eta fig­ures are 121 hp at 4250 rpm and 170 pound-feet at 3250. To make the best use of the more frenetic power curve, the i drivetrain is fitted with a 3.73 limited-slip differential instead of the eta’s 3.25 open final-drive.

With nearly 40 percent more power, the new motor rejuvenates the small Bimmer. The 325is scoots from 0 to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds and sprints through the quarter­-mile in 15.6 seconds at 88 mph. Top speed is a solid 128 mph. The 325es we tested last year needed 8.6 seconds to reach 60 mph, ran the quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds at 82 mph, and broke for lunch at 120.

Not only is the 325is more energetic when wound out, but it’s also more willing at low rpm, thanks to its revised gearing. In top gear, our test car accelerated from 30 to 50 mph in 10.9 seconds and from 50 to 70 mph in 12.0 seconds. Last year’s 325es took more than two seconds longer in both tests. The new car’s only relative shortfall is its fuel economy: it delivers 18 and 23 mpg on the EPA city and highway tests, versus 21 and 28 mpg for the 325es. The trade-off seems reasonable to us.

Even more important than the little Bimmer’s dramatically improved performance is the enthusiasm with which the new motor goes about its business. This engine loves to rev. It would twist the tachometer needle off the scale if a rev limit­er didn’t cut in at about 6400 rpm, and it makes delicious sounds on the way up. The engine’s song is a delicately varying harmony of whirs and whines and hums, with never a shrill or discordant note. It’s the sound of a purebred machine, ready for any challenge you hand it.

The i engine is also standard in the more luxury-oriented 325i four-door (which costs the same as the 325is) and in the 325i convertible. Rounding out the lineup are two- and four-door models equipped with the eta motor, both desig­nated simply 325. Coming soon is the hot­test of them all, the limited-edition M3, powered by a sixteen-valve, 192-hp, 2.3-liter four.

Aside from the i engine, the 325is’s run­ning gear is much the same as that of other 3-series Bimmers. Its suspension consists of struts in front and semi-trailing arms in the rear, with coil springs and gas shocks all around and anti-roll bars at both ends. All 3-series models have four-wheel disc brakes, vented in front, and Bosch anti­lock control. Even the 195/65R-14 tire size is standard. The s model does get stiffer springs and shocks than its siblings (and last year’s 325es), along with V-rated tires and 6.5-inch rather than 6.0-inch rims. It also has a front air dam, a lip spoil­er on its trunk lid, and more supportive seats than the other 3-series models.

We found the s chassis perfectly capa­ble of dealing with the i engine’s stout out­put. The stiffer suspension has raised the 3-series’ adhesion limit from 0.79 to 0.81 g, while enhancing its stability. And the brakes are strong enough to produce 184-foot stops from 70 mph without any fade. The 325is won’t outrun any Corvettes on canyon roads, but it’s an impressive and satisfying handler.

The 325is is also reassuringly sure­footed in most circumstances. Its supple ride keeps all four wheels solidly planted on rough and smooth pavement alike. And its stiff structure lets you maintain your speed over any surface without wor­rying that the body is about to shake itself apart. Indeed, this Bimmer’s only real shortcoming as a high-speed tourer is a lack of lumbar support in the front seatbacks. Otherwise, its solidity and com­petence are most rewarding.

As well they should be, considering the $27,475 sticker price of this small sedan. BMWs have never been lowball cars, but the 325is costs more than twice as much (adjusted for inflation) as the 2002 did in its day. The main cause of the price escala­tion seems to be the heavy load of stan­dard luxury equipment in the new car. Back in 1968, when the 2002 was intro­duced, one had to pay extra for power-­assisted brakes or radial tires, let alone a sunroof or a radio. Such items as power windows, power steering, and central locking were not even offered. In contrast, today’s 325is has a list of standard luxuries long enough to please a Cadillac steerer: power windows, power steering, a power sunroof, automatic temperature control, cruise control, an eight-speaker stereo, a trip computer, central locking, power mir­rors, and leather upholstery. The only available options are metallic paint and an automatic transmission.

As decadent as it may seem, such equip­ment is essential for top-rank cars these days. It would be hard to sell a BMW with wind-up windows and manual locks when Volkswagen Golfs offer central locking and many Chevrolet Cavaliers have power windows. No matter how good the basics of a car, today’s market demands certain amenities.

For a while, BMW was concentrating harder on those amenities than on performance, forsaking its 2002 past for a yuppie future. Now the Bavarian Motor Works has changed course once again. With cars like the 325is, the M5, the M6, and the upcoming M3, BMW is returning to its roots as a maker of premium perfor­mance sedans. For car enthusiasts, this may be the best news of the year.

Counterpoints

If I could sing like the engine in the new BMW 325is, I’d pack Carnegie Hall for weeks. Silky, sexy, and aggressive, this new motor sings a siren’s song that should seduce all but the most bitter enthusiast back into the BMW fold.

We’ve waited a long time for a BMW like this. The other 3-series cars are good, competent machines, but this!—­this is a car for back-road flogging and apex chopping. You’ll find yourself beg­ging for corners just so you can listen to the engine as you blip down through the five-speed box. Running back up through the gears is even sweeter: each trip to the redline is an experience in magical aural overload.

This sonic sensation isn’t cheap, of course, but that’s never stopped BMW mavens in the past. At least now when you plunk down the big bucks for a little Bimmer, you’re going to get a mover. And one humdinger of a singer, too. —Arthur St. Antoine

Now that the promise of the 3-series BMW has been fulfilled with the addi­tion of a proper engine, I hereby nomi­nate it for permanent status in the car enthusiast’s hall of fame. The shape, the size, and the overall scope of this car are so satisfyingly right that it deserves to be remembered with the all-time all-stars of the car cosmos: the ’55 Chevys, the Porsche 911s, the Datsun 240Zs. It’s a pity that the maturation of this car has taken so long, but the results are well worth the wait.

Those of you who feared that the world was going whole-hog to front drive now have more evidence of why that system is not always optimal for a performance car. You guide the nose of the 325i with the steering wheel, and the tail with delicate and timely adjustments of the throttle. This takes more skill and sensitivity than driving a garden-variety Toyota Celica, but you get a genuine sense of satisfaction from doing it right. Fold in the torquey, 168-horsepower engine, anti-lock brakes, and the at-your-service interior and you’ve got a road-entertainment pack­age worth every cent of its $27,475 sticker price. —Don Sherman

What are the three smoothest things you have ever felt in one place at one time? Not any three things, but three designed to work together. Taken alone, each might not be the smoothest of its type, but together they must add up to something incomparable. Whatever your three, BMW can beat them with the clutch, the shifter, and the engine in the 325is. When it comes to creating parts that come together to put a machine into motion and to sustain its flow in the most blissful fashion, no­body does it better. This drivetrain is smoother than Rosanna Arquette. The engine is almost too smooth. You hardly notice the speed it gives. But any excess of smoothness is a small price to pay, considering that BMW is building real sports sedans again.

We’ll soon receive one of these little jewels as a long-term test car. Heck, I may run up the 30,000 miles in 30 days. Counting the magical M6, this makes twice in one month that I have fallen head over heels for a newly enlivened BMW. I am torn between the two. I feel so fickle. But so good. But probably not as good as Rosanna Arquette. —Larry Griffin

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com