I recently attended a BMW clinic and had a chance to spend some time driving a 330 rear wheel drive sedan with an automatic transmission. No restrictions, open roads and parking lots with cones. Boy was that fun... I hope they dont sell this car as new after the abuse they allowed me to put the car through... :) At some point one of the BMW drivers actually asked me to tone it down so nobody would get killed... But my attitude is... Heck, if you're gonna test it, you're gonna test it to the limit. And this car's limit is hard to find...

Here are my views:

PROS:

This is a very well built car. No funny plastics like in older Beammers. The quality of the materials is superb. The fit it great. It feels very, very solid. From the doors to the switches and buttons. It's all top notch. Almost up there with AUDI and Mercedes. The gap is closing. Good job BMW.

The handling is great. Typical BMW style. You point it there and it goes there. You can feel the road pretty well.
You feel you can trust the car. (unlike other cars, see my review on the Lincoln Town Car). But I did notice a much more tamed behavior near the limit...

The interior is well appointed and designed. Ergonomics is darn near perfect. Everything is within reach and easy to read. Great dials. Nothing to be said here.

This is a prestigious car that impresses people. Some like that some dont. The work hard, party hard types that buy this car do. So I am listing it here as a PRO.

Rear leg room has been greatly improved over previous iterations of the 3 series. (But it's not great, just better)

This 3 litre 6 cylinder is a wonder. Just silky smooth and very very responsive. Marvelous.

The two door coupe is gorgeous! They really nailed the styling there.

CONS:

The auto transmission is too soft. It does not allow the
engine to rev enough. And no matter how much I dropped by lead foot on the gas the thing just would not respond like the BMW 3s of old. It appears they are turning this car into a 4 series... :(
A manual shifter probably would make this car much more enjoyable. But I did drive an auto of the previous crop of 3 series and it was better.

What was once a racing beast for the road is now a fairly sedate sedan for upper tier folk. The 3 series is getting more expensive and less go cart like. This is a big no no for me. If I want a large sedan I can get a 5 series. The 3 series is moving up to a 4 series like behavior... And I dont like that. So although BMW is probably moving the 3 series up I see it as a step back. It takes away the unique racing like response that the 3 series used to have. It's their car, their call. I would prefer it if they kept it more wild as it used to be.

This car is EXPENSIVE!!! (especially if you compare it to the 5 series prices)

The Sedan is over styled. Too many lines on the side and too many grooves. Looks too much like and old man's car. Again the move to a 4 series like styling...

CONCLUSIONS:

I find this to be a fine automobile.

However having driven the last 4 iteration of the 3 series this is a step back in terms of crisp handling and road feel. It is a much more mature and adult car. Maybe that's good or maybe not. It's a personal issue. I prefer a racier 3 series.

Overall I would recommend this car anyway. It is very well built and should provide several years of enjoyable driving. Do yourself a favor and get it with a stick shifter. And if you stay away from some pricey options you might be able to justify buying this car at this price.

For the price I would consider the 525 before deciding on the 330. AUDI and Mercedes have wonderful products in this section. If you are not dead set on the BMW or the price of the 330 turns you off take a look at the A4 and the C class while you shop.

But overall this is also a very good car. Your call.



Amount Paid (US$): 38000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: 330 Auto Sedan