DR.Z

I have owned a couple 3 series and really liked there handleing .
My 330Ci was a hoot , and great for twisties, but I always felt cramped when ever I have a passinger or two.

I bought my E-60 and it didn't take long for me to realize that is the perfect chassis size for me.
It never feels like a boat, so well balanced.
I love the shoulder room .
It handles so well , not as tight as the 330Ci , but much better ride on the freeway.
Excellant room for adults let alone kids in the back.
And the new 525i with a manual is quite the sporty machine.

I found my fit and will own a few 5 series in my life, it is just the perfect all-around sedan.


DR.Z

ImolaRedM

The 3 needs to go on a diet. It's almost as heavy as the E60. With both the E90 and E60 growing larger each year I thought I might like the E90 over the 5er this time but I was wrong. A little more attention needs to be given to the E90 in the weight and ergonomics (something all BMWs today can pay more attention to) department. Drive both and see what you like best. I think most people here will tell you to get the 5er but, it's been said already, you can not go wrong with either.

doug_999

I went back and forth between the 330 and the 550. I wanted the 330 with a stick and the 550 with auto. The 330 is the sportier of the two and seemed to be much more fun in terms of driving (just like your TSX). However, I ended up with the 550 as I worried that I was in love with the 3 because I wanted to get away from the boat handling of my GS430 so bad.

In the end, I have not looked back.

So no matter what you choose, you will not be disappointed.

TexaZ3

Like many others, I drove 330i and 530i, both with sport pkgs, back to back. Man, the 3 was such a blast! (probably because my everyday driver is a Z3), I liked it sooo much. The room is at a premium, but again, it was plenty after the Z3. I would have bought the 3, but wife insisted on 5. I'm actually glad she did ,cause now I'm liking the now 5 too.

3 is more of a driver car than 5. It is more agile, sportier, handles better. But it is a small car at the end of hte day. If you ahve kids, I think you will be more happy with 5.

Mr 5er

I have both the 325xi and the 525i, they both handle great and they have reasonable power for the 2.5 liter engines. The 5 of course has more room and I think the 3 handles much more sporty than the 5, but honestly I love driving either of them. Its just a great car to drive. Matter of fact I going to get a haircut in a few minutes and I'm taking my wife's 3...........LOL Fortunately for me my friend, you have to make the choice......Good luck

Bad Rival

I had a 2002 330Ci which I just loved. However when it came time to put the kids into it, albeit a rare occasion, it was really too small. I cross shopped a lot of cars but my wife shamed me into getting one that we could comfortably travel as a family.

We decided the 5 series was the way to go from a room perspective. We took a 2 hour break-in drive on Christmas eve and I didn't feel the pitter patter of little feet on the back of my seat back at all. I am only 6'1" but I like my seat all the way back to drive comfortably so that was always a problem in my 3'er.

beldredge

Wow! Thanks for all the responses. Apparently it's not the strangest thing after all for me to be choosing between the 3 and 5.

One good point made was the relatively small size of the cargo area in the 325xiT. I looked at one yesterday at a dealer and noted the same thing, which prompted me to question if the wagon is really that much more versatile than the sedan's trunk. Which led me to think that if I do go with a 3, I may just go for a 330xi sedan, instead of the 325xiT. Since the wagon carries a $1,800 premium, perhaps the money is better spent on the engine power .

Another interesting note is that the 525xi is actually lighter than a 325xiT. I know there are several other factors that may be in favor of the 3 with regard to performance, but I was surprised at this. A salesperson mentioned this to me, and I doubted him, but the proof is in the brochures.

Anyway, I mentioned in another thread that there is a 525xi due in at a local dealer next week - white/beige, manual trannie, leather (w/o premium pkg) and heated seats. It stickers at only $47k, and I could be wrong, but I doubt there is much demand for this configuration. But it fit my particular priorities well, so it could end up being a good buy for me.

On the other hand, while I'd only consider the manual on the 3, I'm definitely considering the auto in the 5. And if I go that route, this dealer has a few 525xi's in my top choice colors that have apparently been sitting on the lot for awhile (they don't have the start button). So there could be deals to be made on those as well.

We'll see - I am completely obsessed with this vehicle decision right now. But it's fun!

jet190rs

The 5 is a great drive, but the 3 is still sportier than the 5.

I AutoX'ed an E90 330i (sport pack, active steering, run flats) and it felt sportier than my 545i (sport pack, active steering, run flats). Heavier steering, more feedback, etc.

Test drive both before you decide.

rautila

The weight comparison is an interesting thing. 325xi WAGON is 15kg heavier than 525xi SEDAN. Apparently the 3er development team had tighter material cost targets and they could not afford liberal use of lightweight alloys in the construction.

ipse dixit

If I had to do it all over again, I'd opt for the E90 (a 330i version probably) over the E60.