Automotive Reviews
Road tests
2002 BMW Z3 3.0i
01034 days
The BMW Z3 is on its way out, so we decided to take one last fling with one of our favorite sporty roadsters.
Introduced in 1996 to compete with Mercedes’ SLK and Porsche’s Boxster in the newly reborn two-seat convertible market, the Z3 boldly took the throwback approach to open-air motoring. Compared to the austere Miata, refined SLK and track-bred Boxster, the Z3 was an unshaven street brawler, with a dramatic, controversial design and a suspension that bordered on crudeness. And we loved it. In 2003 the Z3 is slated to be replaced by an all-new roadster, the Z4. Chances are, most of the Z3′s quirks will be corrected with the new car, for better or for worse. For 2002 the changes were minimal; a standard CD player and some minor interior trim changes are all the outgoing Z3 gets in the upgrade department.
Six years after its introduction, the Z3 remains a handsome, delightfully ill-mannered mode of transport. It looks good at the curb, with a long nose reminiscent of an old front-engined Grand Prix racer and low-cut doors that just invite you to jump over the side like Speed Racer. Glassed-in headlights flank a traditional twin-kidney grille for a snouty look that some can’t resist and others hate. The Z3′s flanks are raised to clear 17″ wheels in the back, and the tail manages to be at once muscular and delicate. The center brake light is recessed neatly into the trunk lid, and the rear end is stretched on account of those wheels. Unlike your average, conservative BMW, the Z3 looks like it’s ready to pounce on whatever comes near.
Once you’ve accepted the invitation to jump over the side, you find yourself in a snug cabin, handsomely decorated with chrome and a long, long way from the front wheels. The Z3 seems to be a small car wrapped around an engine. The hood bulges proudly into the forward view, and it feels like you’re sitting right on top of the rear axle. Not surprisingly, there’s little space for nonessentials in a Z3. Pack carefully. This may be the only of today’s crop of roadsters you could do a cross-country trip in without consulting a chiropractor–the seats are grippy enough for sporty driving and chairlike enough for long-term comfort. There’s a little nub between your legs, to locate you in the seat. It looks weird, but it works. A perfectly-sized steering wheel and those wonderfully low sills offer a much better open-air feeling than the SLK, Boxster or MR2. Color-keyed leather can be ordered for the interior trim and the top of the dash, as well.
Fire up the straight-six engine under that long hood, and the Z3 rewards with a basso growl that sometimes sets off the alarms of the cars parked next to it. This car knows nothing of subtlety, and it hasn’t got much in the way of manners, either. 2.5 and 3.0 liter engines are available, with 185 and 225 horsepower, respectively. The 3.0 liter engine is borrowed from the much larger 3-Series sedan, so with 214 ft-lb of torque on tap this 2910-lb car will tear away from stoplights with a frenzy that will have the traction control flashing wildly for grip. Power is available whenever you want it, whether the Z3 is taking off from a standing start or cruising at 70. BMW’s straight-six engines are beautifully smooth and powerful. Variable valve timing keeps the power smooth throughout the engine’s range, and the 3.0 liter actually meets Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) environmental requirements. The standard five-speed manual transmission isn’t as precise as that of a Honda S2000 or Miata, but the longish throws add to the old sports-car atmosphere. An automatic is also available, but a Z3 with an autobox is a sad car indeed. The burbly engine note leaves no doubt that this is a car that wants to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and thrown around.
Throwing the Z3 around is no problem, either. The strut front, trailing-arm rear suspension is enhanced by standard 17″ wheels on the 3.0 model and grip is tenacious. Even so, everything the Z3 does is dramatic. Melodramatic, even. Wavy roads cause wild histrionics and body heaves, even though it’s nowhere near actually losing control. Those wide tires (7.5″ in the front, 8.5″ in the rear) keep a firm grip on the ground, even while the Z3 is pretending that it’s scrambling desperately for grip. For a race car, this sucks. For fueling a Walter Mitty back-road fantasy, it’s pure gold. The Z3 might not be as fast as a Boxster or an S2000 in the end, but it’s got scads more personality.
Did we mention that the Z3 has no manners? In addition to encouraging us to harass SUVs on the freeway, BMW’s little roadster exhibited behavior that would be endearing in an old British roadster, but that was certainly not befitting a $40,000 car. Yes, the Z3 is pricey, with a base price of $38,545 for the 3.0i model and a still-daunting $31,945 for the “base” 2.5i car. And for all that cost, the CD player skipped every time our well-optioned $41,370 test car car hit a dip in the road. When we got annoyed by this and turned the radio off, we discovered that the clutch pedal creaked. BMW’s keyfob is sometimes finicky, refusing to unlock the doors from certain angles. And a sudden thunderstorm revealed that our test car had a leaky convertible top. Buyers seeking a little luxury car are going to be very upset with the Z3.
And in the end, we liked the rude little thing anyway. All complaints aside, it’s got more personality than its competition from Honda and Mercedes, and it’s got just enough space for a comfortable daily commute or a weekend trip. It’ll even go and play on the track, if you want–just don’t challenge any Porsches to a race. It’s hard not to feel like you’re in a ’60′s racing comic while driving the Z3, because this car is all about drama. You feel like the gritty underdog, trying to keep up with the faster cars…even though you’re one of the fastest cars on the road (the Z3 sprints to 60 mph in less than six seconds). Want to play? Grab one quick, before the Z4 comes along. We’re going to miss the Z3 when it’s gone.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2002 BMW Z3 3.0i, which we tested.
Length: 159.4 in.
Width: 68.5 in.
Height: 50.9 in.
Wheelbase: 96.3 in.
Curb weight: 2910 lb.
Cargo space: 5.0 cu.ft.
Base price: $38,545
Price as tested: $41,370
Engine: 3.0 liter DOHC 24-valve inline six-cylinder
Drivetrain: five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 225 @ 5900
Torque: 214 @ 3500
Fuel capacity: 13.5 gal.
Est. mileage: 21/29
2002 BMW M3
01034 days
BMW’s sports sedans are perennials on the top ten lists and performance shootouts of all of the major car magazines. In addition to being the darlings of young professionals and car enthusiasts, the German sedans command a high level of respect from well-heeled luxury buyers and the status-conscious. All of this attention naturally elevates the sticker price to a level at which the average car buyer has to ask what makes it so special.
Park a BMW M3 next to a Honda Civic coupe and you’ll notice that they’re about the same size. Both cars have two doors, four wheels, and so on–all of the components in the proper places. So what makes the BMW so special? Why does BMW call their cars “Ultimate Driving Machines,” with a straight face?
I’ll try to explain.
To the casual observer, the M3 is benign. It’s just another European luxury coupe, right? Wrong. It’s a monster. The familiar BMW 3-series sedan’s conservative shape–twin-kidney grille, moderately athletic, aerodynamic design, rounded-off trunk–is rippled with additional wheel flares and hood bulges, as if a 330 had spent several weeks at the gym bulking up. The M3 seems to hunker at the curb. Unlike some other sports cars, it’s not all posing, either. The flared wheel wells are there to cover race car sized 18″ wheels and tires. The hood bulge quietly reminds onlookers of the powerplant beneath. There are gill-like vents in the sides, for ventilating underhood components. The front bumper has been modified from that of a standard 3-Series with an integrated spoiler and a wide, mesh-screened grille for the oil cooler. You may have to be careful over some speed bumps, but at least it’s for a good cause.
The multi-textured interior is a nice place to be, with choices of several leather and cloth, and a special three-spoke steering wheel. Bright metal rings accentuate the instrument panel, and all of the instruments have ominous red needles. The various panels and colors make the M3′s interior seem like it was formed rather than manufactured. The seats are aggressive, poking and prodding your body until you’re exactly where the M3 wants you to be. Don’t let the fancy leather fool you; the M3 would be just as happy with the carpet stripped out and a roll cage installed. The steering wheel is thick, like a strong dog’s leash. The M3 makes it clear that it’s not a car to be taken lightly. You don’t just sit in this car, you wear it.
BMW’s “M” cars have all been developed as directly as possible from factory racers. The M3′s unique sport suspension is all-independent, with special forged aluminum lower arms in the front and a “thrust plate,” which helps to absorb the lateral forces generated by hard cornering. With a stiffer front end, the tires keep better contact with the road at the limits of handling, resulting in more confident performance. At the rear you have a multi-link setup which is wider than that of the standard 3-Series. There’s a stiffening brace whose task is similar to that of the thrust plate. The M3 is designed to go around corners as hard and fast as possible. Rack-and-pinion steering is also part of the package. As a result, the M3 has a highly balanced, sticky chassis that’s reminiscent of Honda’s race-bred S2000, but it’s not evil enough to make the CD player skip when you hit a bump in the road. The M3 doesn’t follow the crown of the road either, a common complaint among big-tired sports cars. It tracks without wandering and turns as if it was reading your mind.
Plenty of other cars do that, however. Where the M3 leaves them behind is with its wonderful 333-hp straight-six cylinder powerplant. The 3.2 liter straight-six has a cast-iron engine block, rather than aluminum, to better enable it to spin at Formula One-engine speeds and remain compact. BMW’s VANOS variable valve timing (if you must know, VANOS is an acronym for the German “Variable Nockenwellen Steuerung”) has separate programs for low and high engine speeds. Other race-track bred tricks include an incredibly high compression ratio (to more fully burn fuel), machined combustion chambers and intake ports (for smoother airflow into the engine), individual throttles for each cylinder (to reduce throttle lag) and a special valve mechanism that reduces reciprocating mass inside the cylinder head. What all of that engineer-speak adds up to is this: the M3 is a stunningly powerful road car. It’s never a car to be taken lightly. Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) aside, it takes a measure of vigilance just to keep it from ramming the car in front of you whenever you touch the accelerator. Power is seamlessly available at any time, in any gear. Driving the M3 in traffic is like walking a hungry wolf through a flock of sheep. It’s almost an addictive feeling.
BMW’s six-speed manual gearbox can be challenging. The M3 seems to be annoyed if you don’t get each up- and down-shift just right, as if the car is trying to train the driver even while it’s taming the road.
The complex Sequential M Gearbox (SMG II) is a $2400 option. It’s basically a Formula One-style clutchless manual. Unlike “manumatic” transmissions like Porsche’s Tiptronic and Chrysler’s AutoStick, the SMG II is more than just a way to shift an automatic transmission up or down manually. The SMG II is directly based on the straight-line transmission used in BMW’s very successful European race cars. It’s similar to a motorcycle’s transmission, and moves directly from gear to gear via a central shift lever rather than requiring the driver to follow a shift pattern as in conventional transmissions. The fully automatic clutch keeps the driver’s input basic; push forward to shift down, and pull back to shift up. Shifts are lightning fast, and only the most hard-core gearheads will feel like they could do it faster. Once you’ve mastered it (and remembered not to punch the lever forward for 3rd or 5th gear), the SMG II is a quick, if less satisfying, way to go fast. Missed shifts are impossible, unless your hand slips from the steering wheel paddle. The SMG II likes to be driven hard, offering crisper shifting when the M3 is driven in anger. Unlike Toyota’s similar system, SMG II has a fully automatic mode as well. It doesn’t make a particularly good autobox–the gearchanges are slow–but it’s nice to have an alternative for days when you don’t feel like playing with the sequential shifter, or get sick of trying to master it. Our test car spent much of the week in automatic mode; it’s a neat toy, but we prefer the traditional three-pedal M3, and the price savings that goes with it.
Of course, BMW will turn your M3 into a luxury tourer if you’d like. In addition to the SMG II, there are rain-sensing windshield wipers, reverse-sensing parking assist, a Harman Kardon audio system, and satellite navigation to drive the bottom line up.
For the driver who wants to master its capabilities, the M3 is almost unbeatable. Nothing else with a sub-$60,000 price tag matches its all-around athletic ability. It’s available in coupe and convertible form only, and pricing starts at $45,900 for the coupe. Buyers who prefer a less “committed” drive will probably be happier with the M3′s 330i siblings, which share its good ergonomics and well-above-average handling, but offer a slightly less caffeinated driving experience.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2002 BMW M3, which we tested.
Length: 176.9 in.
Width: 70.1 in.
Height: 54.0 in.
Wheelbase: 107.5 in.
Curb weight: 3415 lb.
Cargo space: 9.5 cu.ft.
Base price: $45,900
Price as tested: $55, 695
Engine: 3.2 liter DOHC 24-valve inline six-cylinder
Drivetrain: six-speed manual transmission , rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 333 @ 7900
Torque: 262 @ 4900
Fuel capacity: 16.6 gal.
Est. mileage: 16/23
2002 Audi allroad
01034 days
Audi’s new A6 model lineup was a certifiable home run. A formerly dowdy sedan was transformed with show-car like styling and a level of refinement that made it seem more like a work of art than an automobile. It was hailed as Audi’s first true challenge to arch-rival BMW in many years. An A6 Avant station wagon version soon followed, broadening the A6′s appeal to capture disillusioned minivan buyers and even some loyal Volvo and Mercedes wagon customers. So what was next?
Getting it dirty.
Introduced just last year, the Audi allroad quattro (lowercase intentional) features everything that makes the new A6 Avant a fantastic car, and adds a more aggressive, SUV-style design and a trick suspension that allow Audi’s sophistication to explore new territory, so to speak.
Like the Volvo V70 Cross Country, the allroad quattro looks like a paramilitary version of its pavement-only counterpart. The allroad quattro features the unmistakably smooth, curved Audi design, but those huge wheels and fender flares set it apart instantly. The front bumper is matte gray, rather than body-colored. Visible skid plates at the front and rear and side sills that approximate running boards contribute to the SUV look. It doesn’t look quite as psychotically paramilitary as the Volvo, but the allroad quattro is definitely more assertive than lesser A6 Avants.
The interior has a clean, designer-finished look, just like a Hollywoodized version of a Calfornia condo. Special seats and aluminum trim set the allroad quattro apart, but the features we like most are common to all A6 models. All four windows and the sunroof open or close with a single touch of a button, and both front and rear seats can be heated. Although it’s packed with features, the A6 is also a comfortable place from which to conduct a long drive. It takes a while to find a comfortable seat position, but don’t worry, it’s in there somewhere. The steering wheel looks and feels perfect, although it could use a telescoping adjustment. The biggest annoyance is the self-adjusting volume on the otherwise excellent sound system. The car turns the radio up as it speeds up, and turns it down again as speed drops, resulting in constant fiddling with the volume to alternately save one’s ears or bring the music level back up to audibility. It’s worth noting that Audi isn’t alone in offering this annoying feature; it’s common on both Audis and Mercedes.
The cargo area is ready for skiing trips with a retractable cover, a number of cubbies, and a two-position net. The allroad quattro comes with a portable air compressor, for camping or other adventure purposes. And those roof rails aren’t just for looks either; they can carry up to 220 pounds of cargo.
The allroad quattro is powered by a 2.7 liter V6 engine with two turbochargers. A great-sounding growl from under the hood precedes a strong launch as the twin turbochargers kick in. 250 horsepower is strong motivation indeed. Equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, the allroad quattro splits the difference between sport and luxury nicely. Like many six-speed boxes, the throws are longish and take some getting used to. Once you do, however, selecting a lane or a hole in traffic is as easy as deciding that you want to be there. A five-speed Tiptronic automatic is also available.
The remarkable stability and poise exhibited by all of Audi’s quattro cars is not compromised in the allroad quattro. Audi chose to use a four-position adjustable suspension, rather than simply raising the car like Volvo’s V70 XC. For on-road driving, the electrically controlled pneumatic suspension keeps the car close to the ground, to avoid the unstable feeling common to SUVs and found, to a much lesser extent, in raised station wagons like the Volvo Cross Country. When the going gets rough, the suspension can be raised up over two and a half inches. Ground clearance varies from 5.6 inches at Level 1 to 8.2 inches at Level 4. The highest position puts the allroad quattro as high off the ground as most SUVs. The system also provides automatic load leveling for trailer towing and heavy loads.
Unlike traction control systems, Audi’s all-wheel drive system redistributes power to the wheels with traction without reducing engine power or applying the brakes. The result is confident power delivery whether it’s dry or wet. The allroad quattro is a full-time four wheel drive vehicle. Traction control, antilock brakes, and a slide control system are also available. Side airbags and a side curtain airbag are standard equipment, and a rear seat-mounted airbag is optional.
Looking for more options? A child-sized rear-facing bench seat, high intensity discharge headlamps, integrated cellphone, 200-watt sound system, a navigation system, and a solar sunroof that powers cooling fans in the summer are all on the list. The allroad quattro stickers for about $50,000.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2002 Audi allroad quattro, which we tested.
Length: 189.4 in.
Width: 76.1 in.
Height: 60.1 to 62.7 in. (variable)
Wheelbase: 108.5 in.
Curb weight: 4167 lb.
Cargo space: 36.4 cu.ft. (seat up); 73.2 cu.ft. (seat folded)
Engine: 2.7 liter, DOHC 30-valve twin-turbocharged V6
Drivetrain: six-speed manual transmission, all-wheel-drive
Horsepower: 250 @ 5800
Torque: 258 @ 1850
Fuel capacity: 18.5 gal.
Est. mileage: 16/21