I should admit up front that I've been fighting to keep myself from liking BMWs for much of the past quarter-century. I have my reasons. They're expensive. And even people who know nothing about cars like to argue how great BMWs are.
Still, it's a big event when BMW rolls out a new 3-Series. Among compact sport sedans the 3-Series has long been the benchmark. And a new one comes about only once every seven years or so. So I've been checking the local dealers' lots regularly for the first arrivals. Yesterday I came across a pod of four, including a six-speed 330i, only to learn that they would not be available for test drives until the intro party, to be thrown the next day between six and eight.
Well, in that time frame I'm responsible for three young children. The salesman said to bring them along--the dealership had a play area. I wavered. I could just wait until the following morning. But what if the car sold immediately, or some idiot stuffed it into a guard rail? So this evening at 6:05 I hauled my three kids into the showroom.
My plan was to get in and out quickly. But my salesman apparently lacked pull. Even though I was the first to request the car, I ended up waiting well over an hour for a couple of people associated with a different salesman to complete their "ten minute" test drives.
So you better believe I got mine.
On the Road
No, I didn't spend an inordinate amount of time in the car. But I did spend nearly every minute in the driver's seat pushing the car as hard as my by-then-impaired sense of responsibility permitted. Basically, I thrashed it.
Or at least I tried. Man oh man could this car take whatever I dished out. Not only that, but it gave every indication of being able to handle far more. The dealership is very close to my favorite set of curvy roads. I hammered the 330 through these turns at far faster speeds than I've attempted in most cars. Yet I don't think I ever heard a tire squeal, not even for an instant.
How could this be? Well, there are a few reasons. First, the new chassis is the best I've ever sampled. Only the BMW 5-Series comes close. The concrete roads in question are full of tight curves, tar strips, and uneven pavement. The new 3's chassis sailed through it all without even the whiff of a complaint. This sedan had the Sport Package, and thus a firmer suspension than the standard 3, yet even the terrible pavement in this industrial park failed to upset it in the least. Not only were there no harsh reactions, but a very poor joint between two concrete slabs in the middle of one hard turn failed to effect even the slightest bobble. Yes, you feel the road, but only on a "good to know" basis. The edges are all taken off, neatly. A far cry from the rough-riding Infiniti M35 I took through the same course a few weeks ago.
A second test drive a few days later detected some minor flaws. Rises in the road induced a hint of float, and lean in turns was noticeable. However, it must be factored in that I was driving the 3 considerably faster than most cars I test along this route. A firmer suspension would eliminate these issues, at the cost of ride quality and composure in bumpy turns. All in all, these niggles are a small price to pay for the new 3's excellent overall balance. Want a firmer suspension than the sport suspension anyway? The next M3 will no doubt include one. Moving in the opposite direction, why the base suspension exists is beyond me; it can hardly ride better, and should handle worse.
Beyond this composure, the new 3 has the very balanced feel that has characterized pretty much every BMW since the Z3 was put out to pasture. Pushing the car hard into a corner elicits just a hint of understeer. The new 3 invites rather than fights turning the wheel. Much different than a nose-heavy Audi. The rear-drive BMW will oversteer when you get on the throttle in a turn, but in a very controlled manner. Hit the turn too fast, and have to get on the brake? You'll get just hint of lift-throttle oversteer; the rear stays planted. As with the 5, but even more so, this is a very intuitive car to drive, with virtually no learning curve. I felt very confident behind the wheel almost immediately, something I can say about few of the cars I've driven.
Which brings us to the third reason the new chassis works so well: an excellent stability control system. I was playing with a good amount of power here, so oversteer came easily. The stability control lets the tail stray a fair amount, but reins things in well before they could get out of hand. And it does so totally unobtrusively. None of that "dog hitting the end of the tether" sensation effected by cruder systems (like the one in the Cadillac CTS). The only reason I knew the stability control was working was the light in the instrument cluster was lit up much of the time. That, and simple logic told me that nailing the throttle while turning the wheel should produce crazy results, but it didn't.
I imagine in the interest of fully exploring the car I should have turned the stability control off. But I was driving an unfamiliar car at fairly high speeds on public roads. If there was a quirk in the suspension that produces some nasty surprises with the system off...well, I didn't want to find it.
Basically, this chassis coupled with the stability control system is so good that you feel like an expert driver even when you're doing things an expert driver would not do. Which might be its only downside. It pretty much obviates the need for skill unless you really want to shave those last few tenths off your time. A more skillful driver will require fewer power-robbing interventions from the stability control system. But the less skillful driver won't receive any hints that he or she is, in fact, less skillful.
A final bit about the new 3's handling. I've never quite warmed to BMWs' steering except on race courses. The new 3's system is significantly better. It's satisfyingly quick (even without the optional active steering) and well-weighted. The small diameter of the Sport Package steering wheel further contributes to the sporty feel of the car. However, the steering system still does not provide the amount of feedback I'd like. If you pay very, very close attention you'll feel a bit of the road through your fingertips. But not a whole lot. Partly this is because the tires are so grippy that there's not much in the way of tire slip to report. But BMW's pursuit of a "luxury feel" also plays a role. As does a very thick steering wheel rim that could do with less feedback-absorbing padding.
Clearly the new 3's chassis blew me away. But I suppose what more people will want to read about is the engine. The new 3 will initially be available with a pair of inline sixes. Like the last time the pair were similar in displacement, the base car must lie about the size of its engine so people will believe the extra cash buys something tangible like cubic inches. Last time around the 323 was powered by a 2.5-liter. Then a 3.0-liter replaced the 2.8, and the 323 could become the more honestly named 325. Well, for 2006 the 325 is powered by a 3.0-liter. As is the 330.
I'm personally not crazy about this engine strategy. The 3.0-liter in the 330 takes full advantage of BMW's nifty throttleless Valvetronic valve system and a three-stage intake to produce 255 horsepower at 6600 RPM and 220 foot-pounds of torque at a very accessible 2750 RPM. A very flat, fat torque curve.
So I've got to wonder how BMW's engineers could in good conscience choke this fine engine to the point that the version in the 325 can spit out only 185 foot-pounds of torque. You'll look far and long to find a DOHC 3.0-liter with such a small amount of twist. BMW's engineers must have worked almost as hard to choke the base engine as they did to open up the optional one. The 325's engine still manages 215 horsepower, 31 more than last year's 2.5, but it just seems morally wrong to hold back an excellent engine instead of nicely tuning a smaller one. If TPTB within BMW really wanted two engines of identical displacement, they should at least have arrived at the base engine by tuning a 3.0-liter for maximum low-end torque, and thus sacrificing the top end. Instead, they've limited the engine across its entire range.
I used to make a case for the 325. It was still powered by a very fine engine working at the top of its game, just one in a smaller size. And for much less money. I'll have a much harder time pushing the new 325. Maybe this is the reason for the new engine strategy? At least this way I could drive the 330--the only manual transmission new 3 on hand--without feeling the 325 was the car I'd personally buy.
Rant over with, I'm ready to comment on how the new engine feels. Well, it doesn't feel like much of anything. BMW's inline sixes have long been known for their smoothness, and this is the smoothest yet. The engine has a very nice sound to it, both sporty and sophisticated, when you dip into the throttle. But it never approaches being downright loud, not even near the redline at full throttle. Also, the trick valvetrain and three-stage manifold might do their work too well. This engine is entirely bereft of peaks and valleys. There's no evident point at which it takes off. It simply pulls from the bottom on up. This is both good and bad. You don't have to deal with any soft spots. But you also never get that pleasurable tug in the gut. Put it all together, and I had to keep a close eye on the tach to know the 7000 RPM redline was approaching. A heads-up display like the one optional in the 5 would be nice...
Similarly, I had to keep an eye on the speedometer to frequently learn that I was going far faster than I should have been. This is roughly a six second car to sixty. But it doesn't feel nearly that quick. It's too smooth and quiet to feel that quick. In addition to the muted engine, wind and road noise are also very low, even at highway speeds. But keep an eye on the rapidly ascending speedo needle and you'll believe. Put it all together and it's very easy to be going twice as fast as you think you are.
The new shifter is also about the slickest I've sampled in a BMW. Throws are moderately short, with just enough of a "snick" as you find a new gear to let you know for certain that you've found it. I'd personally like a less delicate feel to the shifter, but as is this one is very close to most people's ideal.
Now, usually when a car works this well I don't really enjoy driving it. There's just not enough sensation. Yet I greatly enjoyed driving the new 3. There's just enough feedback coming to the fingers, rear, and ears to get by. As if BMW's engineers put a lot of time into figuring out the minimum amount they had to let in to avoid deadening the driving experience. There's also something to be said, once again, for a car that reacts so naturally to every input. I cannot explain it well, but some cars feel natural while others don't. With the very partial exception of the steering, the new 3 feels very natural.
Update:
At BMW's Ultimate Drive event I drove the 2006 325i with 5-speed automatic, sport package, and active steering. Despite being down 40 horsepower on paper, the 325's engine felt nearly as powerful as the 330's. If anything the lesser engine has a more enjoyable power curve, with more of a sense of thrust lower down. I'd personally have a hard time spending the extra money for hte 330. And this was with the automatic. With the manual the engine should feel even better.
On the other hand, I was less impressed with the sport suspension's ride quality this time around. When I drove the 330 I pushed it hard nearly non-stop. On the Ultimate Drive loop I had to drive the 325 more casually, which might have made the frequent vertical motions on some of the roads more noticeable--and borderline annoying. My advice with any car: test drive it on the roads you typically drive before signing up.
I've sampled BMW's active steering in the 5 before, but this was my first time with it in the 3. If memory serves, the impact of this system isn't as obvious in the 3. The steering feels quicker at low speeds, but not to the same extent it does in the 5. In all cases, I don't notice much difference at all when driving the car aggressively at higher speeds. So I'm not as critical of this system as some of the magazines tend to be. But I don't see any need to spend $1,250 for it, either.
At this event I drove the new 325i back to back with the current convertible, still of the previous generation. This reinforced my earlier sense that the new car feels tighter and more responsive. I remain very impressed with how it drives.
Accommodations
I began this review in the reverse of my typical order, so I guess I'll continue on in the same vein.
The driving positions in past BMW sedans haven't been much to my liking. I like to drive with the seat all the way down, but the relatively high instrument panels in these sedans have forced me to raise the seat an inch or so to avoid feeling buried. In the new 3 I have no such need. Its driving position is excellent courtesy of a lower, very nicely positioned instrument panel. The instruments themselves are larger and more attractive than those in the old 3.
The quality of the seats depends on which boxes you check. I sat in the base seat in the showroom, and found it overly firm and overly flat. I imagine it provides good support, but I didn't find it especially comfortable, much less luxurious. The car I drove had the Sport Package, which includes sport seats. These are much more heavily bolstered, and feel great, in all respects. They felt more comfortable and luxurious than the base seats, they look better, and they did an excellent job of keeping my torso properly positioned in hard turns. Good thing, because otherwise I might have had to rely on that delicate-feeling shifter for lateral restraint. After my first test drive I learned that the side bolsters are adjustable--a rare feature I'd like to see in every performance car. Let me make one thing clear: DO NOT BUY THIS CAR WITHOUT THESE SEATS. Even if you are not a very aggressive driver.
Even the previous generation 3-Series sedan had a roomier back seat than most people were aware. The previous generation 5-Series didn't have much of an advantage in this area. Well, the current 5 received a much roomier rear seat, allowing the new 3 to also grow a bit in this area. There's not an excess of room in back, especially with toe room under the front seats on the tight side, but a pair of average-sized adults will fit comfortably. Unlike in many larger sedans, the rear seat cushion is fairly high off the floor, so it provides decent if not great thigh support.
Even with a transition to run-flat tires (i.e. no spare) trunk volume is a merely acceptable 12 cubic feet. A deep roughly foot square storage well resides under the floor. As in the past, a folding rear seat is optional. Why does BMW charge hundreds of dollars for a feature Hyundai provides for free? I suppose because they can.
Styling
The exterior styling is not vastly different from the old car's. Some movement has been made in the direction of the complex surfaces and artsy panel cuts of the 5, 7, and Z, but clearly BMW avoided taking much of a risk with its core product. I like what the additional curves and character lines do to the flanks of the sedan. With the 330 Sport Package's larger wheels the new 3 looks considerably sleeker than the old one, especially in the silver of my test car. With the non-Sport 325 some of the old pudginess remains. You need the right wheels and the right color.
Alas, even these steps won't entirely save the new front end. It's larger and rounder, likely in response to new European pedestrian safety regulations. From the front the car still looks good. But from the side the new 3's nose looks fat. The way the parking lamp cuts into the fender doesn't help. This lamp is too wide and comes to a point too low. I can see what they were trying to do with the low point--it's at the same level as the raised character line that does so much for the flanks. But the low point pulls the eye down, which is never good. The parking lamps on the 5, with their high point, work better.
As you might gather from this focus on the parking lamp, there's not a lot of controversy to the look of the car. Overall, it's the best-looking 3 yet. I found the appearance of the particular car I drove quite appealing. Still not the best-looking car in its class, though. That would probably be the more striking Acura TL.
The new 3's interior looks and feels much like a scaled-down version of the 5's interior. There's some style to be found here, but even less than with the exterior. Although materials are a step up from those in the old 3, there are richer looking and more stylish interiors in this segment. Only the highest quality interiors look rich in tan. You want this one in a dark shade.
BMW 330i Pricing Comparisons and Pricing
For easy, up-to-date pricing, and especially price comparisons, check out my web site, www.truedelta.com. Be warned that the new 3 is significantly more expensive than every competitor save the Mercedes C-Class. I never thought I'd say this, but it might just be worth it.
http://www.truedelta.com/models/3-Series.php
Last Words
I went into this test drive looking to do some damage. Not physical damage, but I was going to treat the car badly and then write about how it simply wasn't everything everyone says it is. So it really means something that I walked away from my test drive in awe. I've still managed a few criticisms, but they are admittedly minor. Overall, the new 3, in 330 Sport form at least, is an astoundingly good car. I also found much to like the last time I drove a C-Class, and the Acura TL, Infiniti G35, and Cadillac CTS. Each hs its strengths. But in terms of intuitive responses and ride-handling balance the new 3 operates at a whole other level.
In the early 1990s Francis Fukuyama argued that, with the end of communism and the worldwide triumph of free market democracy, history had, in effect, come to an end. Things would still happen, but society had reached its final stage.
Certainly his logic was flawed and history will turn out to have a surprise or two up her sleeve. But the new 3 left me feeling much the same way. With a chassis and powertrain this all-around excellent, has automotive progress reached its end? I don't doubt that future high-tech suspensions will entirely eliminate all body motions, no matter what the road surface. Or that future powertrains will be at once smoother, more efficient, and more powerful. But in terms of a vehicle that is both fun to drive and entirely comfortable I simply cannot currently imagine a substantial improvement over the new 3.
A Note on BMW 325i Reliability and BMW 330i Reliability
I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.
Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a 3-Series rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Acura RDX reliability comparisons.
Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the 325i and 330i--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.
For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.
A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.
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