2003 BMW 325xi Sport Wagon

The BMW 3 Series Sport Wagon seems to be one of those rare items that includes just about everything you could want. Add in the all-wheel drive, all-weather capability of the 325xi, and it's difficult to imagine anything the BMW folks might have forgotten.

The build quality is flawless, doors shut with machine-like precision, and the engine is eerily smooth, yet fast.

The 3 Series represents the lower rung of the BMW cars sold in the United States, and is the only BMW line that includes sedans, wagons, coupes and convertibles. There are two sizes to the extraordinarily smooth, responsive and strong DOHC inline six-cylinder engine; the 325 models have a 2.5-liter version (hence the "325" name) of 184 horsepower, and the 330 models have a 3.0-liter version of 225 horsepower. Available transmissions for the 325 are a manual or automatic, both of them having five speeds, and fuel economy ratings for the 325xi Sport Wagon are 19 mpg City/26 mpg Highway with the manual, and 18/25 with the automatic.


BMWs are not inexpensive yet, considering what you get, they're certainly not exorbitant. Our 325xi Sport Wagon had a base price of $32,150. Standard equipment at that price includes four-wheel vented disc brakes with Dynamic Brake Control (which helps the car stop in a shorter distance), all-wheel drive, hill descent control (which helps retard speed going down hill), Dynamic Stability Control with All-Season Traction (a comprehensive blending of anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control), alloy wheels, vehicle and key memory, automatic climate control, anti-theft AM/FM/CD with 10 speakers and RDS, power glass moonroof, power mirrors, power windows with "one-touch" up and down on all four—you get the picture.

Inside the 3 Series Sport Wagon is a host of clever and thoughtful conveniences.

The BMW line also includes a noteworthy collection of safety features: "Smart" dual-threshold front airbags, with dual-stage deployment; door-mounted side airbags; the BMW Head Protection System (a tubular airbag for head protection); a battery terminal that disconnects in event of an impact; a fuel shutoff, triggered by airbag deployment; a sensor that unlocks the doors and turns on interior and hazard lights in a crash; interlocking door anchoring system; three-point seat belts and adjustable head restraints at all positions; automatic locking retractor seat belts at all positions except driver's seat (to make it easier to securely install child safety seats); child-seat automatic safety-belt locking device and tether anchors—and that's not all of it. Suffice to say BMW is right at the top on safety performance and safety features.


Inside the 3 Series Sport Wagon is a host of clever and thoughtful conveniences. The lower edge of the liftgate includes easy handholds to pull it back shut, and a red lamp that shows to oncoming traffic when the liftgate is up. The rear seat has a ski pass-through, and folds in a 60/40 split. There is a combination cargo net/cargo cover over the rear; the cover can be pulled back to hide your stuff, and the net can be raised and attached to points near the roof to prevent that stuff—or the family Labrador Retriever—from hurtling forward in a crash. The net/cover can also be removed, and if the rear seatbacks are folded down, it can then be installed at the forward edge of the now-horizontal rear seatbacks, to provide a cargo safety net directly behind the front seats.