Overview & Reviews

A boost in engine displacement and technology, plus an available all-wheel-drive system keeps BMW's venerable 3 Series at the top of its game in the competitive entry-level luxury market. Larger wheels and brakes are part of the engine upgrade. Two-stage front airbags, reduced steering effort, a Cold Weather package and Dynamic Brake Control round out the major changes for 2001.

• Luxurious, powerful, exceptional road manners, available all-wheel drive for sedan and wagon.

• Pricey for their market segment, limited cargo capacity.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 243.00

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  GREAT CAR! - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By JB GARRISON - January 5 - 12:56 pm

  Owning my 2001 325i for 8 years, 80K+ miles, only replaced battery, cooling system (just last month) and rear window motors (both in one week). But overall, GREAT! Handles very well, stops on a dime! comfort and great mileage: drive from Indy to Destin FLA only 1.5 tanks. Dont want to get rid of this beauty. Now at 120K+ miles, may sell. But do not want to.

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  Its a beast with feminan figure - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By Baryalai Arsala - October 28 - 1:07 am

  If you know how to fix it, buy it mechanics charge a lot.

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  This car is like a needy but beautiful girlfriend - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By Colin - September 1 - 1:48 pm

  Seriously. This car needs attention. Do not buy it if you are not willing to give it attention. Im not sure if I can make that any clearer. I purchased this car as a graduation present to myself with money that I had saved up working throughout high school when I graduated in 2011. My dad and I are both car nerds. I wanted something that was sporty and had a manual transmission and wasnt your typical Mustang etc. I settled on this car after finding a 2001 Sedan with the manual with ~63k on it. I will admit that the first ~20k miles were somewhat rough. We probably spent an additional $2-3k catching up on some maintenance that the previous owner had neglected to do, and the dreaded Check Engine light did come on more than I would have liked. Honestly, the vast majority of those repairs were things like oxygen sensors where we couldve just fixed it ourselves and have been done with it. This car really isnt terribly hard to work on. I am no mechanic, but Ive fixed quite a few things on this car, and its saved me a ton of money. If you dont feel comfortable fixing it yourself find a good independent shop in your area. The dealer will screw you out the butt when it comes to repair costs. I will say that the car has never left me stranded, and thats not something you can say about a 2001 Mercedes. Trust me. Like I said earlier. The car needs attention. Make sure to change its fluids and keep a watch out for weird noises, smells, and drivetrain peculiarities (read driveability issues). Doing this will eliminate over half of the possible repair scenarios people have described in these reviews. Im quite positive that the majority of those leaving negative reviews bought an older BMW expecting it to be just as great on maintenance as a Honda. It is not a Honda however, if you take care of this car, it will take care of you. Over the last 40k miles or so the only money I have put into this car is consumables (oil, tires, spark plugs, etc), an ignition coil ($75), power steering hoses (~$250), and a dirty injector. I would also like to point out that I would get the manual if I were looking to purchase another one of these, as there are a lot of complaints related to the automatic. The stick is way more fun, it makes the car quicker to 60 (by a full second!), and its pretty bulletproof. Nuff said. Now to the part about this girlfriend being beautiful, and Im not just talking about this cars good looks. This car is THE BEST car when it comes to driving. Not even a modern BMW rivals the steering feel and handling these old E46s have. With the manual transmission this car is sublime. The 330i is comfortable, its powerful, it handles, and its relatively quiet. Its not a drag car, but it is amazingly well balanced and fun to drive. Relatively good gas mileage too. In short, this car is so much fun. Sure, the interior plastics do have a tendency to be brittle after 15 years of sitting in the sun. Sure, parts are more expensive than parts for a Civic. And sure, there are cheaper cars to buy. What there arent are better driving cars. Ive had mine for four years and 60k miles, and the only car I would dream of getting rid of it for is an M3.

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  German Junk - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By Joe - August 31 - 4:35 pm

  What a piece of junk! I couldnt get to town and back (10 miles) without having to work on it. Water kept disappearing from the radiator, Leaked oil, head lamps kept going out. Replaced the whole cooing system and sold it. New owner didnt even make it home and had cooling problems. He tells me the head gasket is blown although it had no water in oil or oil in water? Ran smooth and engine made good power. The car is over engineered. Why use a complemented cooing system with the crazy O rings when a hose and clamp work fine? Easy to see why Germany lost WW2. I will never own another.

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  great car to have for a short time. - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By sadiej - April 9 - 4:09 pm

  I have had this car for 5 years now and it has honestly been amazing, until recently. I always have done all regular maintenance, such as oil changes… etc. Ive also always had it repaired at Euro auto shops. This car was cheap to purchase and can be cheap to maintain, just as long as you GET RID OF IT when it hits between 150-160k miles. Now at around 170k miles it has been in the shop every other month and spent $6000 in the past 5 months, after being every fixed the body shop says it should be good for a year, but a month later something randomly breaks. There hasnt even been any warnings that it would break down… again.

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  I get why theyre so notoriously popular - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By cactusleaf - March 12 - 11:14 am

  I feel more confident in this cars handling, safety, and build quality than Ive felt with any other car Ive driven, even much newer cars. Its like a suit thats been tailored to your every curve and line and fits like a glove. Nothing is out of place. Then again, nothing is extremely endearing either. Its staid and true, if a little conservative. But damn is it great! Despite its age, everything works and it feels like a car thats been around only a few years. Its timeless styling still holds up on a road full of cars 10-15 years newer youd never know it was designed last century. Its faults are few, some significant, but none deal-breaking. Dat engine tho! My God, that engine.

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  1st timer - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By rblaisdell - July 28 - 8:39 pm

  Must say i have a 2001 325xi and it delivers! It currently has just under 270000 miles with the original clutch. The power train purrs and while not at 200 ponies it performs. Yes I have the check engine light issues and the BMW plastics are horrendous,but it is a blast to drive. This was my 1st BMW and even though I have sunk about 800 into it in the last 2years it is worth it. If you go with quality non BMW parts to replace worn parts do so and enjoy the ride.

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  Optimistic first-time owner - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By cactusleaf - February 4 - 12:31 am

  I just got a 325i with 143k miles, and Im loving it so far. Compared to my past Saabs, this thing beats all. Super quiet, supremely comfy, surprising luxuries, and sexy to drive. Styling is essentially timeless so simple and solid, but very thoughtful. The engine feels perfectly matched to the car, silky and on a hair-trigger. Youd never know it was sub-200hp! Handling, obviously, is absolutely superb. Mine was very well maintained before me, and the thing has held up like a new car. Interior build quality is insane. Everything works, down to the glove box flashlight. Ill report back in a few years, once I experience the inevitable ups and downs, but for now, I must say.. wonderful car.

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  Just Dont ... And Save Yourself Time, Money & Frustration - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By kdub12 - May 16 - 6:43 pm

  These assessment ratings are 100% spot-on. Reliability is TERRIBLE! And honestly, why do things like door trim pieces, various buttons, and interior materials go bad also??? TERRIBLE BUILD all the way around. I have owned 5 other BMWs, all older models, that RULED! SO reliable, well built tanks, with easy repair access engine bays, lasted forever. Still have a 1980 320i and it has 279,000mi on it and still runs great! Trim pieces just dont all of a sudden pop off - because stuff aint all made of plastic. Almost like the new pieces are purposely made to self-destruct. I can no longer recommend newer BMWs because everything is computerized, and needs a new sensor every five minutes, has random problems - like your reverse will just go out whether 25K or 150K miles on the car...mine did. Found out the probs AFTER buying it. Doesnt seem to matter whether this model was babied or driven hard either. Cautionary tale... caviat emptor for sure!!! And to BMW - you now are in the lump with everyone else. No more quality. Keep you new cars. Im going to buy a 5 series mid 80s like my mom used to drive, and now daughter has. They are great on gas, run like troopers, spacious inside, and really fairly modern considering the age - auto windows, locks, etc. I will be free once again, gone will be the days of the constant "Check Engine" light, and a simple set of tools can fix most anything.

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  Love/Hate - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By m_n - December 29 - 9:50 pm

  Outstanding performance. 5 minutes into a drive you understand why Car and Driver has put it on their 10 best list for 22 consecutive years. Love love love the way it drives. But it is the 2nd most unreliable vehicle Ive owned, next to a Mercedes E320. Water pump, vanos unit, idler pulley exploded on me, this sensor goes bad, that sensor goes bad, constant check engine lights, power steering leaks, and on, and on. And it eats rear tires. The only saving grace is this car is very easy to work on for an average mechanic. Yes, it really is. I replaced the water pump in 1 hour and I have never replaced a water pump before. Non-dealer parts for non-M cars are reasonably priced too.