Tested: 1986 BMW 325es Is a Car of Contradiction

Car and Driver

21-05-2025

From the September 1986 issue of Car and Driver.
You can get a pretty good idea of what a carmaker thinks of its customers by what it gives them to drive. Porsche, for one, thinks its customers are closet Le Mans racers and consequently gives them high-­speed interceptors suited to that purpose. Mercedes has its well-heeled customers' psychographics down cold and confidently dishes up cars suited to hot laps around shared-equity packages and fiduciary cross-collaterals. You have to believe that BMW has its audience just as well dialed in. Its sales curve, at least in the U.S., is on a steady course to Io, and its customers are a satisfied lot who wouldn't switch alle­giance if you put a 944 to their heads. It's obvious that BMW is doing something right. From the enthusiast's point of view, though, it's getting hard to figure out just what that right thing is.
Take the recently introduced 325es. Right there in the name you sense a certain amount of confusion. The "e" stands for BMW's eta concept, which is meant to maximize efficiency by retuning the en­gine for more torque at low rpm. The "s" stands for "sport."
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Dick Kelley
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Car and Driver
Advanced technology has shown us that efficiency and performance are not mutu­ally exclusive. There are freeways full of cars that can attest to that. BMW's ap­proach, however, while a worthy effort overall, seems to have fallen somewhat short on the sport side of the equation.
The 325es is powered by the same 121-hp, 2.7-liter inline-six as the rest of the 3-series models. (The 1.8-liter four has been retired from duty in the U.S. market.) It also shares with the rest of the line 195/65HR-14 tires, a 20.5:1 power rack­-and-pinion steering gear, and disc brakes all around. The only mechanical differ­ences between the es and other 3-series models are ten-percent-softer spring rates, twenty-percent-stiffer shock valving, and a limited-slip differential as standard (in­stead of optional) equipment. In place of conventional shock absorbers, the es rides on gas-pressure units; its ride height is also slightly lower. Cosmetically, the es offers a deep front spoiler, an aerodynamic lip on its trunk, and a different steering wheel as standard equipment. All told, the modifi­cations don't add up to a radical differ­ence; the "s" in the car's name could stand for "subtle" rather than "sport."
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Dick Kelley
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Car and Driver
On the streets and boulevards, the six­-cylinder engine is lively, though it won't win many drag races. Maximum horse­power is produced at 4250 rpm—250 spins shy of the 4500-rpm redline and 750 rpm short of the 5000-rpm rev limit. This limiter is effectively a back-seat mother-in­-law who pulls the plug just when you're starting to have fun. At least the 170-pound-foot torque peak occurs at a very usable 3250 rpm. While the 325es's acceleration is a major improvement over the old 101-hp 318i's, don't expect the eta motor to overrule the laws of inertia. This is a gentleman's car we're talking about, not a gonzo street racer.
The interior puts you on your best gen­tleman's behavior. The sculptured seat en­courages good posture and the correct an­gle of attack to the steering wheel. The controls require little effort and are logi­cally laid out. The clutch is easy, steering effort is very light, and the pedals are ideal­ly spaced. BMW hasn't missed a beat in the execution of the cockpit.
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Dick Kelley
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Car and Driver
Overall handling in day-to-day driving is traditional BMW, typified by generous wheel travel, good bump absorption, ex­cellent directional stability, and a firm grip on the road. In a more demanding envi­ronment, the 325es is like a basically good but troubled child: it needs firm and for­giving hands on the wheel. The relatively slow and over-assisted power steering re­quires a lot of hand-over-hand shuffling and a delicate touch to determine how much lock is appropriate. Cornering loads don't seem to increase wheel effort, so, the first few times out, turning the wheel feels more like spinning a rheostat. The car's basic handling tendency is understeer, but a gentle feathering of the throttle will help stick the nose and slide the tail if that is your inclination. Thanks to the standard ABS system, full steering control is always preserved during maximum braking.
What the 325es lacks in outright feroc­ity, it compensates for in creature com­forts. The standard-equipment list could fill a catalog, while the options list (auto­matic, leather seats, and premium sound) could fit on a postage stamp.
Obviously, BMW has its market niche wired and knows where to sink its money. The fact that it didn't invest it in more power or a more aggressive suspension leaves us a little disappointed, though. We'd like to see a 3-series car scrap some of the line's board-room manners and show us some muscle and passion under its three-piece suit.
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Dick Kelley
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Car and Driver
Specifications
Specifications
1986 BMW 325es
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $22,540/$23,785
ENGINE
SOHC 12-valve inline-6, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 164 in3, 2693 cm3
Power: 121 hp @ 4250 rpm
TRANSMISSION
5-speed manual
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 101.2 in
Length: 175.6 in
Curb Weight: 2790 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.6 sec
1/4-Mile: 16.4 sec @ 82 mph
100 mph: 30.6 sec
Top Speed: 120 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 185 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.79 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 22 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
City: 21 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED