young

bmw 325ti autoweek

nice little article on the other manufacturer's hatchback... i thought they were indeed going to sell it once again in the US? i think it looks pretty decent.

mbtech208

That'd be a sweet little car if it had the regular 3-series headlights instead of those little peepers it has now.

Flashman

I think the article is right on the money on what it would take for the 3-series compact to return and make it in the U.S. All issues that MB has addressed head on in the release of the C230 Coupe.

Rick

SoCal240/6

They could give it the "California Package" that was available on the old Ti, which was a really cool, huge sliding roof. Not a Pano type roof, but when open it was equally large.

That, and maybe an M styling package like was available on the old Ti, with M bumpers and trim.

Those two things, combined with the sweet, sweet BMW inline 6 and slick shifting 5 speed, would make for a nice car.

(I hate the ricer lights, though).

sk-mia

As I am looking to replace my current 99 BMW 323i (4 dr sedan), I was eagerly expecting the Ti. However, I see that they somehow managed NOT to save on weight, so the car's performance will be the same as 325 sedan/coupe... what a shame! This is actually the only thing how I could be able to go over the questionable design of the front and tail, i.e., if it would have more power/performance.

Currently, I see the C Coupe as a winner among the two.

Flashman

You are forgetting one key feature. Only the C Coupe is for sale in the USA. The BMW is not.

That really made the decision easy for me.

Rick

geistmeister

Here's a euro-link with many pictures of the ti hatchback

http://www.autobase.cz/compact2.htm

Mapman

Re: 325ti pics on czech website

Love the pre-riced taillights (not). Otherwise the car is sharp, though I couldn't imagine driving the 1.6 liter version! Wouldn't that be sort of like an Escalade with a 2.5 liter "Iron Duke"?

Lynn

The ugliness of the headlights is exceeded by the taillights. Actually, the car is ugly from every direction.

Rick

Ack!! That's nasssssty!

Horrible clear tail lights look like they were stolen off an IS300 and shrunk in hot water! Are those headlights or adolescent acne? Hell, they even copied the wheels!

The cloth seat pattern is only a little worse than MB's, but at least they added a hand brake(maybe they were reading our gripes?). I wonder if they have mad cows and hoofs in mouth too?

Although immitation is often the greatest compliment, their rendition of Orion Blue just isn't as "interesting"...

Nikita900

Believe me when I say that you are all very lucky not to have them in the US. Everyone is buying them over here in the UK. I used to like the old version but this new one, cheap and tacky.

And that backend?

vadim

Oh, my god!!! Rice rocket revolution reached Bavaria!

young

i basically feel the same way about the bmw as the lexus is300. i think they are good cars but i don't like the taillights. if you look at the taillights of a 3 series sedan, and remove the part that is on the trunk lid, you end up w/ that truncated triangle shape so i kind of see it as an evolution. i can live w/ the beady little headlights of the bmw. and i like the interior / trunk storage rack.

if someone offered to give me these cars, i'd hardly turn it down. :p

mbtech208

I think they look more like 2002 Nissan Altima taillights than IS300 taillights.

young

i'd take the new nissan altima too (you're right about the lights of the altima/bmw looking similar; i meant that i found both the lexus/bmw somewhat objectionable to my tastes)

MB-BOB

Don't feel flattered, Rick. The BMW Ti has been around in Europe long before the MB C-Coupe showed up. So, the Coupe is the upstart. Good news is that MB didn't flatter BMW by copying any of the Ti's idiocies.

I don't mind the headlights, but that intentionally overlapped Hood/front fascia (between the headlights on each side, even)reminds me of my "buck teeth" before I had orthodontics as a kid. And those taillights... Well, I'm gonna leave now...