To be sure, the 325i Sports is not everyone’s cup of tea. Only an enthusiast could perhaps fully appreciate the need for a car that serves up a hard ride and tauter handling befitting a machine that lays claim to offering a greater edge.
Finding the right mix of performance, comfort, safety, price and brand connection are enough to keep a grown-up busy. The average family man may in the end just find the whole 325i Sports package a little too boyishly stimulating.
Much of what the 325i Sports has to offer is already a familiar tale. We wrote in November about the RM289,000 325i, on which the sports edition is based.
Engine remains the same, with the usual sports bits and suspension kit to justify the extra RM18,000. The price premium also pays for an onboard satellite navigation system + iDrive, first seen in the 7 Series and which has quickly filtered down to selected lower liners.
The straight six 2.5-litre magnesium/aluminium engine stumps up 218bhp and 250Nm, seizing top spot as the best in the “2 Litre to 2.5 Litre Engine” segment at the recent 2007 International Engine Of The Year awards. Keeping it company was incidentally the International Engine Of The Year itself – the BMW 3.0-litre twin turbo 335i.
Flared lines provide visual interest on most fronts. With M touches going into the aerodynamics kit, steering wheel, suspension and 18-inch light alloy wheels with mixed run-flats, the change is markedly refreshing and provocative.
Frontside occupants get sports seats to complement the harder spring setup.
A beige interior with aluminium trim makes for a pleasant contrast from the blackness of the exterior. Spacewise, the 325i doesn’t feel quite as hemmed in as the earlier 3 Series though one would still be well advised to use it only as an occasional five-seater. In addition, the satnav and LCD display add a level of interest to the dash that would otherwise be conformingly discreet.
Unlike the stock model, the 325i Sports loses Active Steering. It’s an electro-mechanical feature that varies the load according to understeer and oversteer to aid the driver who overcorrects or doesn’t respond strongly enough, leading to less shuffling of the hands around the wheel.
The lack of electronic assistance, coupled with the quick and direct feel, makes the 325i Sports more a driver’s car than its stock brethren, calling upon a more skilful individual who can exercise better judgment in holding the line especially in demanding turns.
On highways, the E90 325i is an able cruiser whether in stock or sports variant with little hint of the rawness found in its predecessor.
The smooth and refined character come into play amid the quiet roar as it dashes past slower-moving traffic, with plenty of low-end torque to accomplish the act.
The car handles tautly and there’s a communicative steering feel. Even as you manage to get the tail to give way for some frisky indulgences, the rear-drive car offers cues of the impending slide to enable corrective action to be taken.
On the whole, the Sports package livens up the handling though there's a price to pay in creature comforts.
Nevertheless for the enthusiast, there’s much to like and little to whine about this ride.
It does require a fair bit of dough to own this palatably specified Bimmer which continues to reinforce the stereotype people have of the marque.
An oilwell in the backyard would do nicely to make this an entry-level keeper, together with a choice selection of supercars and a yacht to round off transportation and amusement needs.
