2023 BMW 330i

Test Drive Notes Library

Pros
Still a sports sedan. Over the last decade, BMW has inched up the sports-luxury spectrum towards luxury — see the $100,000 X7. And while the 330i is well-appointed and feels well-made, it retains the excellent handling upon which BMW built its reputation. It’s fun to drive on curvy roads, with sharp roadholding, flat cornering, and a sporty feel. Of course, that makes it feel extremely competent when driving to the local KFC.
Great engine/transmission combination. BMW is best known for its inline six-cylinder engines, but with that they deserve credit for really developing this four-cylinder turbo into a pretty great engine. The 2.0 liter makes 255 hp, has plenty of torque, no detectable turbo lag, and makes the 330i feel like it’s got plenty of power at all speeds. Zero to 60 is just about 5.5 seconds. Quick. Combined with an excellent 8-speed automatic, there are rarely moments when the car feels less than very responsive.
High quality interior. While neither cushy nor ornate, pretty much everything you touch feels like it’s well made. There are lots of soft surfaces, solid feeling switches, and no apparent gaps or spaces that shouldn’t be there. The front seats are firm but comfortable. Rear seats are comfortable enough, with adequate room. Our tester had the $1300 Premium package, with heated seats and steering wheel, and a very clear head up display. The $875 Harmon Kardon stereo upgrade added about 185 speakers. OK, 16.
Fuel economy. We were, well, stunned to discover that despite flogging this thing around the hills a bit, we ended up with a combined mileage of nearly 29 mpg. That’s seems great for a quasi-luxury sports sedan, doesn’t it?

Cons
Loss of controls. Our biggest complaint about the 330i is that, like some other misguided automakers, BMW has removed most of the hard switches and moved virtually everything to the screen. Now, in order to adjust the cabin temperature you have to use controls that sit permanently at the bottom of the touch screen. To do anything more involved than adjusting the temperature up and down, you now have to call up a separate climate screen. That means taking your eyes off the road, and matching up your finger to a precise spot on a screen, and watching to make sure you did it correctly. Not exactly sports-sedan friendly. The new touchscreen system also uses a passel of “apps” that create similar ergonomic challenges. This seems to us a step backwards from what has traditionally been a BMW strength; ergonomics.
Firm. If you’re looking for a coddling ride, this is not your car. The ride is firm, sometimes bordering on a bit harsh on certain rough surfaces. Our test car had the optional, $3000 M Sport package with its 19 inch wheels with low profile tires. That probably didn’t help. So while it’s reasonably quiet inside the car, and things always stay well controlled, it’s a firm comfort, not a soft comfort.
Hesitation. The only time when the engine/transmission falls short is when you need sudden acceleration while already moving; like when going 40 mph, and deciding suddenly to pass. In those cases, there can be a momentary hesitation while the transmission downshifts several gears. Then the car takes off. It can be avoided by slower deployment of the accelerator in those situations, but it’s the one, rare drivetrain shortcoming we noticed.
Some safety optional. Blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control requires paying for the Driving Assistance Package.