Specs of the BMW 330i
I have to bare up front that I own an older 3-series BMW, so I am quite conscious of its abilities and downsides. And as many different types of autos that I drive, I am always satisfied to revisit my baby. But when I got behind the wheel of the new 330i ( Edmunds pricing at $39,184 ) I could tell that this machine was a pointy step up in performance inside 1 / 4 mile.
At my first ride in the front seat, I couldn’t get over the ergonomics of the steering wheel. Every car has one, and I’ve handled some peculiar ones, but my grip hasn’t felt more at home than with this 330i. ( Sadly , it wasn’t a heated steering whilst like the 7-series, and it was quite cold outside. ) Then BMW mates this steering wheel with very precise steering for a sedan-level car.
The German automobiles avoid that Yank makers’ design, instead they provide a slower launch, but smoother, linear acceleration. And the silky 6-cylinder engine is very conspicuous with a manual transmission in this car. BMW eventually added a 6th gear for the stick shift, and I assert it is overdue. My old one has fifty thousand miles and the gearing still makes me look for 6th when I run up thru the gears – but sadly there are only 5 to be had. Since the 330i generates 255 hp, much more than I am used to for daily driving, I may have to upgrade my radar detector.
Yes, the car basics are impressive – engine, ride, steering (even the steering wheel), but the electronics controls are a laughable dissatisfaction. Any one that has driven this automobile has a story about turning on the turn signals from one side to the other and back again, in a vain attempt to turn them off. I know folks in the area gave me a wider berth, thinking I used to be a confused and lost driver. The turning signal lever does not ‘click’ into place as the remainder of the world has come to ordinarily expect turn signals to function. With the 330i, you tap the signal,eg for passing, and it instantly flashes 3 times and then turns off. But you can hold the lever a little longer, and you get your normal-action from the turn signal. But on a soft turn, where the signal doesn’t turn off, you have to flick it the other way to turn it off. But in the hurry of the instant, if it is more than a flick, then you simply indicated from your signals that you are turning in the wrong way. And this goes back & forth every once in a while until you get used to it.
Other electronic oddities are the Navigation/Radio controls. There are some models of vehicles where you can intuitively muddle your way to what you need to get done. I could not generate that kind of luck while I was driving. My passenger had to regularly go thru the owners’ manual that didn’t offer much guidance to get the map or radio station the way we wanted. And we did not even have the added i-drive option that so many customers complain about. I’m at a loss to give an explanation for the miss-timing of the automated windshield wipers. I like that Jaguar has this feature down pat, but the 330i wipers were always going too fast or too slow ; so kept having to manually adjust the automated windshield wipers. An electronic improvement over the prior 3-series model is the traction control system. The old model would cut the power to the wheels in a glaring fashion, whilst this model is a seamless experience of artificially superior driving skill.
So while the driving experience is a quantum level improvement over the last generation change at BMW, their electronics package gives me some hesitation in purchasing one of these machines. In bumper to bumper traffic, the electronic gadgetry of the 330i becomes more annoying; and only on curvy roads without traffic or law enforcement can you experience the thrill of what this car can offer.
For more reviews about sports cars, visit thesupercars.org and while you are at it, you might also want to have a look at BMW 5 Series used.
