Automotive Spot

There is an old adage- every picture tells a story. It certainly does in this instance. In my humble opinion among the myriad BMWs to choose from the 325xi is far and away the best buy. In this day and age of SUVs and crossovers the 325xi is one, no nonsense automobile. Ask yourself the question-exactly what it is that you need ? Do you really need one of those wobbling SUVs to carry little Johnny and three of his friends to the soccer game? Can you really afford to pour in gallon after gallon of extremely expensive gas each of which will take you for about 12-13 miles? Do you need a huge and often ancient V8 engine to get from A to B? Or, would you prefer a sensible, relatively economical, comfortable, reliable, fast and well made BMW 325xi? Not only is it one of the least expensive BMWs it is also good value for money. Not necessarily at the –all extras included- retail price of just under 50 thousand dollars I hasten to add. Reason? Well, you may not need all the extras we had on the test car.


You have a few choices in the European sports wagon department: Audi, Saab, Volvo. Mercedes-Benz built a lovely C320 4-matic wagon until this year, when it didn't. But for the simple, syrupy perfection of a well-stroked piece of machinery, you can do no better than the BMW 325xi wagon, in the mid-$40s. Classic, impeccable, enviable - an entire wardrobe of cars in one package. The 2006 edition of the 3-Series wagon is based on the chassis and interior design launched with the sedan last year; it's powered by the same 3.0-litre inline six that puts out 215 horsepower. This engine is almost too fine a place for the dirty business of internal combustion. The block is a composite aluminum-magnesium casting. The 24valve inline cylinder head uses BMW's Valvetronic system, varying lift and duration depending on engine load - thus dispensing with the need for a conventional butterfly throttle. On top of the engine is variable-geometry induction. Smooth? Championship bowling balls don't get this kind of polish.



The "x" in the nomenclature refers to BMW's all-wheel-drive system, which the company, known for its devilish German wit, calls "xDrive." A fully intelligent AWD unit, xDrive uses a multi-clutch differential to split torque between the front and rear axles, varying the split depending on available grip. A new feature - and instantly lovable - is the start-off assistant, which prevents the car from rolling back while the driver is shifting into first gear (it holds the brake for a one-count after the driver lifts his or her foot). It's a lot easier than trying to heel-and-toe the throttle and brake. Like the sedan, the wagon has double-pivot front suspension and five-link rear suspension. To create a little more cargo space under the load floor, the car uses run-flat tires, like those on the X3. I am not wild about these tires, although they are getting better. The wagon's suspension has been carefully tuned to take the characteristic zing out of the run-flats - the sidewalls are very stiff and transmit sharp impacts to the chassis and steering column. Only occasionally when you catch these tires wrong will the impact startle you.