You have to feel a little bit for BMW. The German company is credited with creating the sport sedan genre a half-century ago, and ever since, its 3-Series has been considered the standard by which all the many other such cars have been judged.
But the cost of such market leadership is that most of the fans of the 3-Series, many of whom are owners, expect perfection. According to them, the past couple of generations have been less than great, be it the styling of the Bangle-designed cars, or the alleged lack of sporty dynamics and odd steering feel of the last generation. And don’t even get started with the M3 cars.
So, it was in this sort of environment that the new 7th-generation 3-Series was launched earlier this year, that being the “base model” 330i xDrive four-door sedan. BMW has really cut back on the mechanical variety with these regular 3-Series cars. The engine is a turbo 2.0-litre four – only. The transmission is an 8-speed torque converter automatic – only. And the drivetrain is all-wheel drive – only. That is all well and good, but those who hold traditional views of 3-Series cars – like, straight sixes and manual transmissions and rear-wheel drive – are out of luck with the 2019 330i.
Modern technology, though, has made four-cylinder automatics into seriously competent cars, and the 330i is all of that. This 2.0L turbo pumps out 255 horsepower, but like all such engines which have come to dominate the market, the story is high torque at low rpm, in this case 295 lb-ft of it at as low as 1,550 rpm. This generates very satisfying mid-range performance in normal urban driving, and lots of power for merging and overtaking on the highway. The automatic is very well-behaved and a good match for the engine, keeping it where all that torque can be put to good use. Our tester had the Sport version of the transmission, so shifts can be done via paddles or the +- gate on the shifter. The available driving modes are Sport, Comfort, EcoPro and Adaptive, and should you want anything besides Comfort, you have to remember to set it to that, as the system defaults to Comfort every time the car is turned off.
Even in its basic four-door sedan configuration, the 330i looks muscular and substantial, and that impression is confirmed by the added length and wheelbase (which contribute to more rear-seat room, which it needed) as well as wider tracks front and rear. Having said that, it also looks quite conservative, with fewer character lines than previously. Obviously, it is the biggest 3-series yet, and you have to think that not only does that tread into 5-Series territory, but it takes the 3 away from the compact size it won its reputation in. For that segment, there is now the 2-Series, albeit still only in coupe form in Canada.
The interior, too, looks substantial yet conservative, with impressive fit and finish, and an attractive diamond-finish aluminum trim throughout. The sport seats, which are standard, offer support in every direction and the always welcome (at least by those long of leg) manual pull-out under-thigh support. The HVAC controls are a bit finicky and hard to see in bright ambient light, but the iDrive controller (now in its seventh generation) is way easier to figure out than earlier versions were, and offers control via gestures, speech and touching the screen.
As seems to have become the norm in the luxury field, the 330i offers a number of optional packages, that of course make you accept a number of small features you might otherwise not have cared about, to get the few bigger must-have items. For example, there are three “Premium” packages (Essential, Enhanced, and Excellence), with escalating levels of features and cost. Each offers lumbar support and satellite radio tuner, but to get leather seats, upgraded audio (by Harman-Kardon) and Driving Assistant Professional, one must opt for the high-end $8,900 Premium Excellence, as BMW did on our tester. And really, if you are buying a car to enjoy for several years, you will want all the luxury and technology you can get on it.
The Driving Assistant Professional offers, in BMW’s words, ‘optimum comfort and maximum safety during critical or monotonous driving situations.’ Included are steering and lane control assistant, local hazard warning, Lane Keeping Assistant with active side collision protection, stop-go cruise control, and semi-autonomous steering. Also in this package is Parking Assistant Plus, with a Surround View system including Top View, Panorama View and Remote View 3D. There is lots of high-tech here to be amazed with, and as they say, see your dealer for more details. The same safety features but without all the comfort and convenience stuff are available as a stand-alone option in the Advanced Driver Assistance Package.
Our tester also had the $2,000 M Sport Package, and while the 330i is already one of the sportier sedans on the road, this package elevates it to true performance levels. Included are 19-inch wheels wrapped in 225/40R19 all-season run-flat tires (also available are non-run flat and/or summer performance tires), along with the aforementioned sport automatic transmission, variable sport steering, leather steering wheel, some sporty trim pieces, and, for another $600, fully adjustable Adaptive M Suspension, which lowers the car 10 mm, reason enough to have it. All this is must-have stuff, of course, and a relative bargain, at that. Also available separately are M Sport differential and M Sport brakes.
As usual, we didn’t have the chance to let the 330i loose on anything approaching a closed track, but the driving feel is as we expected in urban and highway situations. Very direct steering, firm brakes, and a suspension set-up that ranges from firm to track-ready. If you have driven previous 3-Series BMWs, you will feel at home in this one, and you will notice the improvements.
Having said that, you’d be looking at over $60,000 for the 330i as described, which, we remind you, is a four-cylinder automatic, and approaching twice the price of other such compact or mid-size sedans. You would need to get your head around that, especially when you realize there is a straight-six 340i hitting showrooms, alas not with manual or rear-drive either, and not much more expensive in the grand scheme. But that is the way things are going in the world of German luxury-sport sedans.
Will the new 330i xDrive meet with the approval of BMW aficionados? We think it is an improvement in most aspects, and a worthy 3-Series despite the limited drivetrain choices, so it should.
