RE: BMW 330i

RE: BMW 330i

Tuesday 19th April 2005

BMW 330i

Many BMW 330i owners will never know just how good their car is. Nick Hall explains.


BMW 330i
BMW 330i
It’s a sad fact of life that many BMW 330i owners will never realise just how good their car is. The true virtues of the middle managers’ outside lane pounder of choice will simply stay a secret, well hidden behind the traction control button and comfy leather seats.

That’s a shame because inside this icon of corporate greed, now in its fifth generation, there’s a top coupe just waiting to show a clean pair of heels to anything in its class and a good few besides.

After a jaunt that started in Seville, stopping off near Marbella, and then through Spain’s substantial mountain ranges, on to Madrid, Pamplona and up through France, I can safely say BMW has once again lifted the dynamic bar in the compact executive sector. If Audi and Mercedes were worried before, they could now be forgiven for weeping and rocking in a corner.

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Words and pictures by Nick Hall

Performance

The engine is immense. It’s the same powerplant that featured in our 630i road test (see link below), so you may already know how impressive it is. It’s a groundbreaking unit with a number of tricks, including extensive use of magnesium, that combine to make this the lightest three-litre, six-cylinder production petrol engine in the world.

It not only provides 258 stampeding horses, it also pumps out 220lb-ft of torque, which is sportscar levels of propulsion in-gear. Press the throttle down hard, though, and the box will kick down and send the car flying down the road at an obscene rate.

This car is capable of monumental bursts of acceleration -- in normal road use you just won’t worry the last third of the throttle’s travel. I know the top end speed of 155mph is a lie after taking it off the 160mph clock on a late night run on a deserted Spanish toll-road and the 0-62mph of 6.6s, 6.3s for the manual, feels massively conservative from behind the wheel.

In the 3 Series, with perhaps a little less insulation than the 6, the engine is even more raucous when revved hard and this car never felt short of shove all the way to the redline. I drove the automatic version, but made full use of the SMG sequential change mechanism that gets better with each generation.

Transmission

The M5’s box, when we can get hold of it, will undoubtedly be the cream of the crop, but even the entry level model’s SMG is now so advanced it’s hard to imagine how a human foot could improve the process. It might still change up on you if you hold it on the redline, but for the most part this system has now evolved to provide manual control with auto convenience.

Generally I demand a manual box, enjoying the act of changing gear as much as the overall control, but even the most ardent manual fan should test this variant before dismissing it.

It has a few surprises in store, too. Plant your foot, even in manual mode, at 130mph, and it will change down two gears to fourth and scream off towards the 155mph limiter.

Ride and roadholding

The ride isn’t perfect, but it’s not meant to be. The BMW insignia doesn’t just suggest that you’re a golf club member, furnished your home almost exclusively at Ikea and are on your way up the corporate ladder, it also announces the arrival of the tautest, most driver-focussed machines in its class.

Mercedes' are more luxurious, Audis sensible and Jaguars come with special compartments for carpet slippers and Wurthers Originals. BMW prizes the driving experience above all else. It might be massive over-engineering considering most will only hurry between appointments, but then that commitment to the apex means that the 3 Series is sharp as a razor in everyday life, should never be caught out in normal conditions and belongs here.

In fact the only way to unstuck that finely honed rear is with gratuitous use of the right boot. It doesn’t react well to trail braking, which leaves it nervous and unbalanced, but get slowed down before the corner and the car will ride the edge with all four tyres gently squirming under the loads and drifting in unison.

Any saloon washes out into understeer if pushed beyond the limits, but it was barely detectable as we hurled the lithe 1,540Kg creation into bends. It floats through bends, refusing to step out, until you learn to push its limits and then it will take the exit with any level of oversteer you care to dial in.

Feeling the four-wheel-drift kicking in time after time, it became blatantly apparent that the 3 Series is so much better than most of its owners will ever realise it’s almost criminal.

That’s why all BMWs come with a 50/50 front/rear weight distribution, which is a better basis than most sports cars provide, thanks to mixing up the materials in the chassis and suspension to finely balance the machine under the right pedal. Each wheel sits right in the corner, too, in a barely compromised design, and no overhangs is just common sense when it comes to handling prowess.

There’s also that four-piece rear axle that may contribute to the disconcerting high-speed floating over cut-up roads, together with the run flat tyres, but pushing at the limit it was mind-blowing.

Many so-called sports cars don’t provide the feedback, feel or instinctive driving thrills on offer in the new 3. The mere thought of the new M3 is enough to send drool cascading down my chin, but for now the 330i is as much car as you can get, and as much as you’ll need.

Look and feel

The pinched-in front and rear hide the fact that the new car is actually bigger in every dimension than the outgoing 3 Series. Its sporting prowess was a key part of the design and the low slung roofline contributes to the impression that it’s smaller than it really is, and the 3 Series undoubtedly leads the way in this class when it comes to dynamic good looks.

Internally, it’s a cut-price 5 Series environment, with slightly inferior plastics and lower grade leather, but still a stunning cockpit for this class. It’s a clutter-free, driver-focused place of work with a perfect driving position, all-round visibility and every control required available from the steering wheel.

Conclusions

Every time I’ve tested a new BMW recently I’ve spent days seriously analysing the bank balance to see if it could take the monthly payments. BMW has moved on to another level and, the entry-level 1-Series aside, it's currently so far ahead of the game it's not even funny.

Not everyone will appreciate just how good the BMW 330i is, but then they don’t have to. We will know this £28,455 legend is the king of its class, and the master of many besides.

Related tests

Author
Discussion

leosayer

Original Poster:

7,299 posts

243 months

Tuesday 19th April 2005
quotequote all
300 lb-ft of torque!!! That's a lot for NA petrol 3.0.

greg_D

6,542 posts

245 months

Tuesday 19th April 2005
quotequote all
So he liked it then!!!!!!

It's a shame about the looks, that is the only thing that is stopping me from buying one

Greg

Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Tuesday 19th April 2005
quotequote all
I might have to look into a 330 Touring for the wife next year (but of course it will be rubbish: ask bruciebabe)


bor

4,698 posts

254 months

Tuesday 19th April 2005
quotequote all
Ah, sorry Leo, the article is incorrect.
Figures are 300Nm, which is about 220lb-ft........

Can't work miracles...

Smartie

2,604 posts

272 months

Tuesday 19th April 2005
quotequote all
Zod said:
I might have to look into a 330 Touring for the wife next year (but of course it will be rubbish: ask bruciebabe)




of course it will, what she wants is an S type 'cos its got "proper" suspension and everything!

Marki

15,763 posts

269 months

Tuesday 19th April 2005
quotequote all
greg_D said:
So he liked it then!!!!!!

It's a shame about the looks, that is the only thing that is stopping me from buying one

Greg


I said the same until i saw one in the metal
(or have you ) they are very good looking cars pics do not do them justice

snotsnfarts

237 posts

228 months

Wednesday 20th April 2005
quotequote all
Like the new 5 series, its just ugly. Bangles made a great job with the z4 and the x5-3 and the sales of 5 series have fallen. Audi and Mercedes must be rubbing thier hans together.

Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Wednesday 20th April 2005
quotequote all
snotsnfarts said:
Like the new 5 series, its just ugly. Bangles made a great job with the z4 and the x5-3 and the sales of 5 series have fallen. Audi and Mercedes must be rubbing thier hans together.
are you sure about that?

BMW Press Release re 2004 Sales said:
BMW and MINI record highest-ever UK registrations
BMW Group has achieved record UK sales in 2004 with over 145,000 BMW and MINI vehicle registrations, an increase of 9 per cent compared to 2003.

The BMW brand accounted for 102,200 registrations, an increase of 9 per cent compared to 2003, while MINI recorded 43,660 registrations, its best annual sales performance since the vehicle’s UK launch in July 2001 and 8 per cent higher than in 2003.

Combined, the BMW and MINI brands accounted for 5.68 per cent of the total UK market in 2004 (BMW 3.98 per cent and MINI 1.7 per cent).

The BMW brand performance benefited from the introduction of a number of new models during the year:

The new BMW 6 Series has powered to 2,911 registrations since its launch in March.
The new BMW X3 range delivered 6,711 registrations following its launch in May.
The new BMW 1 Series achieved 7,437 registrations since its launch in September.
5 Series benefited from the introduction of the new 5 Series Touring. The two models combined posted a 27 per cent increase on the previous year’s sales total of 13,140 to reach 16,678 units in 2004.
The Z4 continued to perform strongly and saw registrations rise by 5 per cent from 4,580 to 4,815 units.

The summer of 2004 saw the introduction of the new MINI Convertible range. MINI Convertible registrations accounted for 16 per cent of the total 2004 MINI registrations in the UK. The MINI hatchback range continued its strong performance with the MINI Cooper recording 18,143 registrations making it once again the most popular model in the range.

Jim O’Donnell, Managing Director BMW (GB) Limited commented: "2004 was an extremely competitive year but BMW has yet again achieved strong growth. The product offensive strategy has really paid off with 1 Series, X3 and 6 Series all launched in 2004, accounting for over 17,000 new registrations in the UK. The introduction of the new 3 Series in 2005 will only serve to strengthen our position."

The BMW Group has also achieved a 9.4 per cent growth in sales delivering 1,208,724 vehicles worldwide in 2004. For the first time in its history the BMW brand alone delivered more than one million vehicles (1,023,575). This represents an increase of 10.3 per cent compared with 2003.

MINI also saw an increase of 4.5 per cent globally delivering 184,357 units in 2004. Rolls-Royce delivered 792 Phantoms to customers in 2004, the highest number of sales achieved by the brand in the last 14 years.

Dr Helmut Panke, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW AG, speaking at the Detroit Motor Show on 10 January 2005 said: "We will continue to increase sales of the BMW Group after the record year 2004. Our product portfolio and our international presence are more comprehensive than ever before. We will resolutely continue to utilise further market potential available to us in the future too."

snotsnfarts

237 posts

228 months

Wednesday 20th April 2005
quotequote all
Well Mr ZOD as I said its ugly , and so is the 5 Series, having owned bmws for the last fifteen years from 325 to M5, I found them to be reliable , however it's a known fact that the five series sales have dipped , I have been told by dealers and as an ex-owner bombarded with sales calls , of course when a model is fading out the sales wil drop until the new models come out, oh and the growth maybe because of the increase in models : Mini:1 series: Z & X Series and Rollers, what next lorries then buses ?. I feel like I had a wart removed or lost 5 stone in a diet I now the proud owner of a TVR cerbera it may not be as reliable but what fun and road presence.

>> Edited by snotsnfarts on Wednesday 20th April 16:29

chippy69

3,740 posts

242 months

Wednesday 20th April 2005
quotequote all
Personally I think the new 5 is the best looking of the Bangle bunch.

Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Wednesday 20th April 2005
quotequote all
snotsnfarts said:
Well Mr ZOD as I said its ugly , and so is the 5 Series, having owned bmws for the last fifteen years from 325 to M5, I found them to be reliable , however it's a known fact that the five series sales have dipped , I have been told by dealers and as an ex-owner bombarded with sales calls , of course when a model is fading out the sales wil drop until the new models come out, oh and the growth maybe because of the increase in models : Mini:1 series: Z & X Series and Rollers, what next lorries then buses ?. I feel like I had a wart removed or lost 5 stone in a diet I now the proud owner of a TVR cerbera it may not be as reliable but what fun and road presence.

>> Edited by snotsnfarts on Wednesday 20th April 16:29
So BMW lied in a press release? Dealers talk a lot of crap, you know.

Dan

1,068 posts

283 months

Thursday 21st April 2005
quotequote all
Gotta be said, I have seen this on the road, and it looks like the unfortunate offspring of an S40 Volvo (front) and nineties Nissan Primera (rear).

It doesn't look so bad in the showrooms, all shiney and under flattering lights, but with road dirt it's terminally forgettable (which is the last thing I thought I'd ever say about a bangle design)...

Nope I'd rather have the old model it has bucketloads more character.

Muncher

12,219 posts

248 months

Thursday 21st April 2005
quotequote all
What on earth is going on with the dash and steering wheel?

Zod

35,295 posts

257 months

Thursday 21st April 2005
quotequote all
Muncher said:
What on earth is going on with the dash and steering wheel?
crap photographer

JagLover

42,262 posts

234 months

Thursday 21st April 2005
quotequote all
Smartie said:



of course it will, what she wants is an S type 'cos its got "proper" suspension and everything!


and the 'special' compartments of course.

moff

17 posts

240 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
[quote zod]So BMW lied in a press release? Dealers talk a lot of crap, you know. [/quote]

and BMW's PR and Marketing team can't edit the stats to make them look good either.

Its common knowledge that the 5 series and 7 series sales have been lower than at the same time of the previous model. It is easy to compare the last year of production of the old model with the the first years sales of the new model!

BMW have performed well due to amazing Mini, X5, and 3 series sales. X3 sales are not too strong, Z4's are good, and the 1 series is doing quite well - although not as good as the new A3.

Since BMW has openly admitted that they will not continue with the BMW 'bangle' designs, with the 3 series being the last, thats enough of an admission for me to believe that it MUST have had a serious enough impact on sales.




Bigfoot769

13 posts

243 months

Sunday 24th April 2005
quotequote all
Whilst car hunting recently i looked seriously at the Beemer 330 ci along with a number of other similar type cars. Trouble is I passed half a dozen on the short 4 mile drive to the local dealer.

After much consideration i have treated myself to a used XK8. admitedly it is a very different kind of car but my god does it have presence, and it looks fantastic parked on my drive.

Another plus is on a recent long drive I passed only one going the opposite way.

And I love it

BimmerGuy

1 posts

227 months

Tuesday 26th April 2005
quotequote all
Mr. Hall said:
Generally I demand a manual box, enjoying the act of changing gear as much as the overall control, but even the most ardent manual fan should test this variant before dismissing it.

It has a few surprises in store, too. Plant your foot, even in manual mode, at 130mph, and it will change down two gears to fourth and scream off towards the 155mph limiter.


Um, the reviewer drove the steptronic auto, NOT the SMG! (All one need do to verify this is to look at the hideous picture he took of the steering wheel and gear selector -- the SMG will be available a bit later in the product cycle).

Mr. Hall said:
It floats through bends, refusing to step out, until you learn to push its limits and then it will take the exit with any level of oversteer you care to dial in.


"Floats?" "Floats?" "FLOATS?"

I certainly hope not. 1960s American luxobarges float. Bimmers go where their drivers point them, informing the driver of their progress--in accord with the laws of physics, of course.

Mr. Hall said:
Any saloon washes out into understeer if pushed beyond the limits


So the RX8 isn't a sedan, then...

Mr. Hall does agree with all the other reviewers I've read who say the new 3 is amazing, but his review itself is not!

outnumbered

4,067 posts

233 months

Thursday 12th May 2005
quotequote all

Another thing about the new 3 is that they are FLIPPIN' MASSIVE !

I've only seen a couple on the road now, but each time, I've initially "seen" them as a 5 series, then done a double-take on realising that the front was different.