Long held as one of the most popular luxury sedans in the world, the BMW 3-Series entered 2019 with a complete top-to-bottom do-over that pushed the brand’s bread-and-butter sedan well into next-generation territory.
Specifically, my tested 330i xDrive came with a starting price of about $50,000, is propelled by a 252-horsepower turbo four, gets an eight-speed, paddle-shift automatic, and drives all four wheels via BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system.
For its latest incarnation, the new 3-Series gives shoppers a lengthy list of the latest features and tech on offer from the brand — including some new communications and voice command technology. Importantly, it’s also shipped with no shortage of tech and feature content once reserved primarily for the brand’s higher-end models.
Beneath all the changes — which see this latest 3-Series advancing on all fronts — BMW is up to something: seems like, more than all of the 3-Series iterations I’ve driven prior to this new one, that they’re very keen on wowing shoppers in a serious way.
Of course, that’s because they know those shoppers have more great options for their dollar than ever. The result? Better-than-ever bang for your luxury car buck and that’s good news for the folks with their chequebooks ready.
Outside, look for a collection of BMW’s latest design elements, including no shortage of high-definition details and sculpts. It looks more substantial as a result, and you might even mistake it for the larger 5-Series.
Don’t miss the big brakes, big exhausts, and the newfound aggression penned into the handsome new fascia. That fascia even includes computer-controlled grille shutter blades that actively open and close, constantly managing fuel-saving aerodynamics against the current demand for engine cooling. It’s one of a plethora of technologies on and beneath the new 330i’s skin that incrementally trim away at fuel use.
Equal parts lavish and high tech on board, its’ also jammed full of lovely materials, displays and interfaces and switchgear. The cabin targets tech enthusiasts in no uncertain terms: much of the visual space in here is eaten up by vivid display screens, high-tech control consoles, and beautifully animated readouts. The rest is covered largely by textured trim, leather, stitching, open-pore wood, and knurled aluminum. After dark, LED accent lighting strategically accents the scenery and sculpting around the driver. Choose any colour you like.
All said, this cabin works harder than any BMW 3-Series cabin before it to make drivers feel like they’re sitting in a high-end product.
And despite the richly techy cabin, which may intimidate the less gadget-savvy among us, the technology is all fairly simple to use. You’ll need some practice — a day or three — to master the iDrive central command system. You use a control dial on the console, to manipulate hundreds of things via a central screen on the dash.
But you don’t have to.
Just click a button on the steering wheel, tell the car what you’d like, and the software picks apart the words in your request, almost immediately delivering what you want.
Dial mom. Go to a certain restaurant. Get the weather forecast. Play your favourite radio station. It’s all just tap-and-talk. And unlike more primitive systems, this one gets your requests right so often that you’ll actually use it. Heck, it even displays on-screen tool tips to assist you, if you seem to be struggling to use something. The tech geeks among us will quickly find this interior to be their new favourite gadget.
At 5’10” and roughly average build, I found the drivers seat to be properly comfy and sporty snug — just about bang on for anyone who likes the feel of driving an athletic car that isn’t a land yacht.
As a sedan, the 330i seats its driver lower, and more in control, and closer to the centre of the action than in a crossover. Outward sight lines seem improved for this latest 3-Series as well. If memory serves, the windshield is taller, and I felt less crowded and sealed-in by the dash. Most of us will be able to see right to the end of the hood, too.
Back seats can accommodate two average adults just fine, though the rear door openings are a little crowded at the bottom, which can make getting in and out a little awkward for some. Further back, there’s an as-expected level of trunk space, complete with a power trunk lid. Press one button to close the trunk, or another to close the trunk and lock the car, no key-fob handling required. It’s a handy touch.
The new two-litre turbo four is buttery smooth, loves to work, and (thanks to a revised turbocharger system and other tweaks), serves up a heap more torque than the engine it replaces.
The torque hits abundantly from low revs. For relaxed drivers, this means the 330i gets sailing down the road with minimal throttle input, minimal revs, and nearly no noise. For the sportier among us, it means more immediate and satisfying throttle response.
For most driving, there’s rarely a need to exceed about 2,000 RPM, and that’s good for your fuel bill. With eight gears, the transmission also helps enable very low highway cruising revs — to the same benefit.
Full throttle in the 330i is a wonderful place to be. The eight-speed transmission wastes little time finding the right gear to get the engine in its sweet-spot: revs up, turbocharger pumping away. Paddle-summoned upshifts and downshifts are perfectly rev-matched and occur almost immediately, and the sound at full song is a tasteful, smooth and mellow howl. The engine never feels or sounds strained, and its relatively quiet, but loud enough to make most drivers appreciate the nicely-tuned sound effects.
With 252 horsepower, most will find it sufficiently quick. If you don’t, numerous higher-output powerplants are on offer now, or on the way soon. If you’re wondering, a full tank should easily tackle a full eight or nine hours of highway cruising.
Here, you’ll feel some signature 3-Series sensations. At highway speeds, the cabin is kept quiet, the ride feels solid and dense, and the suspension feels creamy, but not gelatinous. Steering is heavyset, which helps bolt the 330i confidently to the course you select. Put simply, it rides like a bigger and heavier and more substantial car than it is.
Brakes are powerful, feel more precise the harder they’re worked, and engage with a pleasingly eager bite from the first bit of pressure applied to the pedal.
It all feels polished and fine-tuned. From this basis, drivers can further customize their experience by engaging or tweaking various pre-set drive modes, including Comfort, the fuel-sipping EcoPro mode, or the more exciting SPORT mode, which turns the 330i from a cruiser to a go-kart with a button press. Here, the sensation of directing this sedan around tidily, with little flicks of your hands and wrists, leave a lasting smile.
Gripes included the initial learning curve to some of the control interfaces on board, the lack of a few feature content items (like adaptive cruise control) that are often standard elsewhere at this price point, and, at times, the ride quality.
With the optional sport package installed, my tester ran a set of big wheels wrapped in very thin, sporty tires. They look great, but the thin sidewalls provide little cushion on rough roads, where ride quality and noise levels can take a serious hit.
All said, here’s a rolling collection of the attributes that have long defined the 3-Series for most shoppers, as well as little less than the best BMW currently has to offer on design, style, and technology. This time around, that’s enhanced with plenty of high-end touches applied to one of the brand’s most affordable model lines.
The specs
- Model: 2019 BMW 330i xDrive
- Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder, turbocharged, 252 horsepower
- Drivetrain: xDrive AWD
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- Features: M Sport Package, navigation, backup camera system, automatic lights, automatic wipers, sunroof, lane departure alert, drive mode selector, push-button start
- What’s hot: Excellent cabin, great ride on most surfaces, feels rich and upscale, pleasing dynamics, world-class driveline
- What’s not: harsh ride on some surfaces, learning curve to some controls
- Starting price (330i): $49,000 (approx)
