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CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
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Excellent
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 03/28/2006
Breaking with a long-standing BMW tradition of naming models after their engine displacement, the 325xi uses BMW's new 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine, also found in the 2006 BMW 330i. Differences in equipment and tuning distinguish the 215-horsepower 325xi from the 255-horsepower 330i.
While our test car's $34,600 base price may seem high, that's only the down payment. Add in the $600 Cold Weather Package of heated front seats and a ski bag, the $2,900 Premium Package (upgraded leather, the BMW Assist system and services, a universal transceiver, an interior autodimming mirror, and power-memory seats with lumbar support), and the $1,200 Sport Package (17-inch alloy wheels with all-season Bridgestone Turanzas, sports seats, and a leather sports steering wheel). Then add $1,275 for the ZF six-speed automatic transmission, $350 for Park Distance Control, $800 for xenon headlights with adaptive headlight control, $2,200 for Active Cruise Control, $2,000 for the navigation system, $595 for Sirius Satellite Radio, and $1,200 for the premium sound system with DSP. Throw in a few other sundry options and a $695 destination charge, and the bottom line comes to a steep $49,640. Expensive? Yes. But the BMW 325xi sports wagon stands alone with its solid combination of refined performance, true sports roadholding, and small-wagon versatility.
As the Sports in its name suggests, the 2006 BMW 325xi Sports Wagon is lower and leaner than a small SUV (or its cousin, the BMW X3) and longer, more elegant, and more graceful than a hatchback. For nearly 50 large, we expect the full complement of luxury accessories, and the 325xi doesn't disappoint. With the electronic transponder in hand, simply walk up to the car and pull on a front door handle. The car unlocks. Put the device in its dashboard slot and press the start button. If the audio system is on, it will barely be interrupted.Inside, the 325xi is a fine example of Teutonic luxury, size small. It's cozy but comfortable. If the GPS navigation system is present, as it was in our test car, the familiar cockpit-style instrument panel is replaced by a twin-brow design. The latter very effectively shades the navigation and control system LCD, making it easily visible under all lighting conditions, even when the driver is wearing polarized sunglasses.
The optional sports seats in our test car, part of the $1,200 Sport Package, offered first-rate comfort and support. They are power-adjustable, not just in the usual ways but also in the length of the thigh-support cushion, the shape and contour of the lumbar support, and the width of the seat-back bolster. Factor in upgraded wheels and tires, as well as the thick-rimmed, leather-covered steering wheel, which features auxiliary audio controls and manual adjustments for tilt and reach, and we judge the Sport Package money well spent.
All occupants benefit from the standard panorama moonroof, which is longer than usual to provide sunshine and a view for passengers in the rear seats as well as the front. Rain-sensing windshield wipers now come standard--a welcome feature during a very wet week.
As in other BMWs, the iDrive button on the console controls climate, communication, navigation, vehicle information, and the audio system. BMW has simplified and improved iDrive since its introduction. You select categories, menus, and actions by twisting the iDrive control; moving it fore, aft, and sideways; and clicking it like a mouse.
Anyone with experience using computer and consumer-electronics interfaces should find the iDrive's learning curve reasonable. Most functions and required actions are very logical to access. The context-sensitive iDrive control automatically adjusts to the number of the option in the current menu; when turned to the last option, it hits a gently damped stop. A touch of the menu button next to the iDrive control returns the system to the main menu at any time.
The 325xi has voice control for basic navigation and phone functions. Though address entry takes place, typically and tediously, one character at a time, you can also select destinations by moving the map cursor and clicking the iDrive control. The system does a good job of displaying routes and providing additional visual and auditory instructions.
Our test car also came with the Premium Sound System, another option we recommend since it accepts today's favored forms of portable sound. For $1,200, it not only sounds great, it includes AM and FM radio and a single-disc CD player that can play MP3 CDs. The system displays MP3s' ID3-tag information on the main screen. In addition, the console box has an auxiliary jack for plugging in an iPod or an MP3 player. Sirius Satellite Radio is another option, at $595 plus a monthly subscription fee. Bluetooth hands-free cell phone integration is also available.
The power for the windows remains on for a short time after you turn off the ignition. While this convenient feature isn't unusual in American or Japanese cars, the Germans have taken a while to adopt it.
The 2006 BMW 325xi Sports Wagon is powered by an in-line six-cylinder engine, a type that BMW has been making since before World War II. Although long, an in-line six provides excellent dynamic balance and even torque pulses for smooth, turbinelike power. Its length is not a problem with BMW's front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, or all-wheel-drive chassis layout.If the 325xi's four valves per cylinder and dual overhead cams are conventional by today's standards, that's where convention stops. The engine's cylinder head and cylinder-water jacket are cast in aluminum alloy, but the upper and lower crankcase assemblies are cast from magnesium alloy for lighter weight.
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