Test drive BMW 3 E46 2002 - 2005 sedan
The style of reason
Each BMW that enters the market contains everything new and progressive, which by the time of birth of the model has matured for ordinary roads. Each BMW station wagon leaves its strokes on the stereotypes of people's relations to this car tribe. BMW publishes a new station wagon of the third series, gentlemen ...It is much more comfortable here than it could be in the BMW 3-Series Touring of our days. It was this thought that came up with the first after the start of the test trip. Unexpected, given the nature of the changes in the definition of priorities when setting up pendants of European cars. And if the aerodynamic cleanliness of the body, which is not trying to make noise even at speeds far over 200 km/h, makes an expected positive impression, then the work of the chassis is surprising. A pleasant surprise! And it is especially expensive for us - the inhabitants of Russia.
Nothing but sadness has caused the tendency of recent years to shift the eternal compromise between comfort and controllability somewhere in the third direction. There, where hardness is combined with ease on the breakdown of the chassis of other machines. There was an impression that there was a replacement of good setting of car physics with increasingly advanced electronics. After all, she is really able to cope with the quirks of the work of the most obscure pendants. It is difficult to say what all this was connected with: whether the declared improvement of the quality of European roads (it is very doubtful that it is noticeable by eye) or with an electronic boom in the automotive industry, which caused distortions in perception, saving ... but you never know what to suggest. All this is no longer important!
BMW rolls out a new three-universal threek. The car that combines under the stylish body of the chassis that can drive at an even higher level of quality than the past masterpieces of the Bavarian pendants, and all the latest electronics achievements, including the integration of DSC and Active Steering systems.
In addition to comfort, a feeling of ease of movement with such speeds that are not a crime only in Germany returned. When the speedometer arrow is recruited to 240, you still do not have to make any exploits: tension and sweaty palms, narrowed pupils - all this is not about BMW 3. The non -burned pendant and tires of the rational height of the profile give the driver several degrees and a little time of freedom to handle the way. A steering wheel, which nevertheless have an iron zero at any speed. At the same time, the new treshka escaped possible troubles related to comfort: in the entire available speed range there is not a hint of any resonant phenomena like shimmi within the departure of tires or deformation of silent blocks. Absolute stability.
Yes, the delays in the feedback on the steering here have grown a little. However, it could not be otherwise. In addition, if you do not disassemble the details, you will not pay attention to this, since, as it should be for a car with upbringing, it is controlled intuitively. It does not require addiction, and if the driver is not quite wooden, then no surprises when passing the turns from the car should not wait. It will not be superfluous to mention the excellent balance and the feeling of a car in sliding: it’s good that the latest, I am not afraid of this word, a complex of stabilization and electronic piloting is controlled by a person. And BMW believe that this adult, that is, is able to answer for his actions.
The DSC of the six -cylinder versions of the machine (325, 330) now knows how to dry the brakes on the wet road and fight the rollback of the car back when touching the mountain. However, this is all, as they say, flowers. Active Steering is now available on a three -class car. In the case of breakdown, inhibition on heterogeneous coating and similar problem situations requiring surgery of an experienced driver to stabilize the machine, it is. Literally at hand. For you, he will make the necessary impulses with a steering wheel to maintain stability. Active Steering acts together with the work of traditional car stabilization algorithms using differentiated use of working brakes.
Speaking about BMW, we must not forget that, despite the maximum possible equipment of active security systems today, the driver has the right not only to turn off the system, but also to choose the degree of its activity: a full complex, traditional DSC work, only the Traction Control or the freedom of the driver.
Six -cylinder engines are seriously modified. They received a new alloy cylinder head with a Valvetronic valve control system. In the case, I managed to see the BMW 325. The engine knows its business: quickly responds to gas, confidently disperses the station wagon and allows it to gain 243 km/h. Dynamics - 7.2 seconds to hundreds. The figure is solid. But do not look for motor emotions here: the nature of the engine is deliberately even, and your pulse will not jump from this. The BMW 325 Toring is not a sprinter and does not have an explosive character, but on the highway it will take its stringing attitude to the stock of driver’s performance.
The third series became more spacious, comfortable and more expensive in sensations. It is still convenient for the driver and in a new way spacious passengers. You can distract from scanning the condition of the road: the car will cope with the average Russian irregularities itself. The car has become better in everything, and its shortcomings can be counted on the fingers. The steering wheel is frankly heavy at speeds up to 40 km/h. The sound of the wipers falls out of the general gracious acoustic atmosphere on board. The I-Drive system ... Yes, it became more convenient, but still did not cause any special delights.
If you want to purchase a car located on the tip of progress and having a convenient trunk, you are close to the style of non -cereal practice. If there is no desire to delete the time spent on the way, and the soul warms the soul that, representing this station wagon, the manufacturer indicates the time shown by the car on the northern loop (by the way, 8:49), take a closer look at the BMW 3-Series Touring. You will probably like it too.
+ Comfort, excellent riding properties, practicality, style
- The steering wheel is heavy at low speeds.
Technical characteristics BMW 325 Touring
The body is a station wagon
The number of places - 5
Equipped mass, kg - 1545 (1575)*
Full mass, kg - 2010 (2040)
Dimensions (length/width/height), mm - 4520/1817/1418
Base, mm - 2760
Maximum speed, km/h - 243 (240)
Acceleration time to 100 km/h, C - 7.2 (7.9)
Control consumption of fuel, l/100 km:
- City cycle - 12.4 (13.2)
- suburb - 6.4 (6.9)
- mixed - 8.6 (9.2)
Engine:
- type - gasoline, in -line, 6 -cylinder, 24 valve
- working volume, cm3 - 2497
- Power, L.S. at MIN -1 - 218/6500
- torque, N.M at min-1- 250/2750-4250
Transmission - fur., 6th. (Auth. 6-Test.)
Tire size - 205/55R16
Brakes:
- front/rear - disk, ventilated
Steering - gear -rake
* - In brackets, differing data for a car with automatic transmission are given.
Text: Dmitry Sokolov
Source: Magazine 5 wheel [08/2005]
