I have to reveal up front that I own an older 3-series BMW, so I am quite aware of its capabilities and flaws. And as many different types of cars 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 driver’s seat, I couldn’t get over the ergonomics of the wheel. Each vehicle has one, and I have handled a few unusual ones, but my grip has never felt more at home than with this 330i. ( Sadly , it wasn’t a heated steering while like the 7-series, and it was kind of cold outside.) Then BMW buddies this steering wheel with very precise steering for a sedan-level car.

The German automobiles avoid that Yank makers’ design, instead they offer a slower launch, but smoother, linear acceleration. And the silky 6-cylinder engine is particularly noticeable with a manual transmission in this car. BMW finally added a 6th gear for the stick shift, and I say it is overdue. My old one has fifty thousand miles and the gearing still makes me look for 6th when I run up through the gears – but sadly there are only 5 to be had. Since the 330i generates 255 h.p., much more than I am used to for daily driving, I might have to upgrade my radar detector.

Yes, the vehicle basics are spectacular – engine, ride, steering ( even the steering wheel), but the electronics controls are a laughable dissatisfaction. Any one that has driven this car has a story about turning on the turn signals from one side to the other and back again, in a vain try to turn them off. I know folks in the area gave me a wider berth, thinking I was a confused and lost driver. The turning signal lever doesn’t ‘click’ into place as the remainder of the world has come to typically expect turn signals to function. With the 330i, you tap the signal, such as for passing, and it instantly flashes three 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 does not turn off, you must flick it the other way to switch it off. But in the hurry of the instant, if it is more than a flick, then you indicated from your signals that you are turning in the opposite direction. And this goes back & forth every once in a while till you get accustomed 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 patrons moan about. I’m at a loss to provide an explanation for the miss-timing of the automatic windshield wipers. I love 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 automatic 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 an obvious fashion, while 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.

Do you like super fast sports cars? You will find thesupercars.org very useful for information about exotic sport cars. Make sure to also visit used BMW car.

Tags: bmw, BMW 330i

This entry was posted on Friday, July 31st, 2009 at 1:39 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.