German Car Review

I have to bare up front that I own an older 3-series BMW, so I am quite aware of its abilities and downsides. And as many different types of cars that I drive, I am always happy 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 sharp step up in performance within a quarter mile.

At my first ride in the front seat, I couldn’t get over the ergonomics of the wheel. Each vehicle has one, and I’ve handled some peculiar ones, but my grip hasn’t felt more at home than with this 330i. (Unfortunately, it wasn’t a heated steering while like the 7-series, and it was sort of cold outside.) Then BMW mates this steering wheel with very precise steering for a sedan-level car.

The German automobiles avoid that Yank makers’ design, instead they provide a slower launch, but smoother, linear acceleration. And the silky 6-cylinder engine is very conspicuous with a manual transmission in this automobile. 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 thru 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 could have to upgrade my radar detector.

Yes, the vehicle basics are spectacular – engine, ride, steering (even the wheel ), but the electronics controls are a laughable discontentment. Anybody which has driven this automobile 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 used to be a confused and lost driver. The turning signal lever does not ‘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 immediately 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 moment, 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 once in a while until you get used to it.

Other electronic oddities are the Navigation/Radio controls. There are some models of cars where you can intuitively muddle your way to what you want to get done. I couldn’t generate that kind of luck while I was driving. My passenger had to frequently go thru the owners’ manual that did not offer much guidance to get the map or radio station how we wanted. And we did not even have the added i-drive option that so many buyers moan about. I am not able to provide an explanation for the miss-timing of the automatic windshield wipers. I like that Jaguar has this feature down pat, but the 330i wipers were always going too swiftly or too slow; so kept having to manually adjust the automatic windshield wipers. An electronic improvement over the previous 3-series model is the traction control system. The old model would cut the power to the wheels in a glaring 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.