2006 BMW 330i - the new ride

[sentra_dude]

Wow, she looks to be in stunning shape inside and out. I can't wait to hear some driving impressions, too bad about the long wait, I always hate that part!

[sameerrao]

If you have read the report of Ferrari, you would be well aware of my excessive travel and the downsides when it comes to driving the cars - I have barely put about 2,000 miles on the Bimmer in the last 8 months 
It's been running like a top. I got the oil changed - it was discretionary - the computer was saying that there was 6k miles to go but I elected to change it anyway. For some reason, I felt that that the car was quite peppy after the service. I spent about $150 on the oil change. I wanted to do the service at home but found out it really hard to jack up the car - the front engine jack point is really too far away - my low profile jack couldnt reach it.

My impressions so far:

Engine performance:  rating 3.5/5
Sounds quite nice with the stock exhaust - it is quiet during normal cruising and has a pleasant roar when you give it some revs. I do miss the torque of the S4 - that car was a monster. You could drive it like a lazy ass but still end up going very fast.

By constrast, the 330i needs to be revved hard and shifted often- then it becomes a reasonably rapid car. But I like the progressive throttle - it makes it very smooth and predictable. The Audi would release its power with a  big thud as the turbo kicked in.

Handling: rating 5/5
Its miles better than the Audi - it has a very neutral attitude. It is very predictable and confidence inspiring. It was particularly impressive in the wet - almost as good (but not quite) as the Audi.

Ride: 3.5/5
Ride is overall pretty decent but is marred by the run flat tires. You can feel all the minor imperfections, dips in the road surface. I bet if I substitute it with a set of non-runflats, the ride will improve. There is less dive and squat in normal to aggressive driving

Brakes: 5/5
STRONG! The car stops like now. Nuff said!

Shifter 4/5
I am still getting used to the shifter - it is very nice but the long clutch travel sometimes catches me out - I start to get on the throttle after an upshift but then have to wait as my other foot is not fully off the clutch as yet. I guess 9 years of driving with the Audi has trained my feet in a certain way. Surprisingly I never faced this  with the Ferrari

Space/comfort: 4/5
The back seat is very roomy compared to the old S4 - I can sit behind myself - reasonably comfortably.
The front seats are incredible - this is the most comfortable and supportive seat that I have ever sat on. My wife has a bad back - she loves the seat in the 330i - you van sit for hours with no fatigue. Very impressive! If you buy a BMW - get the sport package for its seats - it is really worth it.

Interior: 4/5
Very logically designed and pleasure to sit in. I like the general aura of the car - it looks like a luxury car on the inside. My only nitpicks are that 1) they ought to have moved the climate control and stereo higher up on the instrument panel - you need to take your eyes away from the road to make adjustments. 2) The cupholders are a stupid design - the passenger will end up bamnging their knees into it quite often.

Fuel economy: 5/5
I am getting ~27 mpg (US gal = 3.75 litres) - which is phenomenal - I was getting about 22.5 with the S4 with approximately the same style of driving (75% highway). With a full tank, I can go about 375-400+ miles between refills which is awesome.

Trunk: 3/5
 The trunk is smaller in length but is a bit tallerthan the S4 . You can fit in a 29" suitcase and 21"  carry on bags and perhaps one or two backpacks - that is about it. I got the folding seats option - that is a must have for a car with a small trunk.

Lights: 5/5
The Xenon beams light up the road really well - driving at night is very stress free as a result.

Design: 4/5
I like the looks of the car - it is 4 years old but doesnt feel it. The character lines and design features do just that - provide character but aren't overbearing  like say the new TL. This car will still look nice 5 years from now. The interior is also pretty classy but the quality of plastics is poorer than the one in my old S4.

Maintenance:
Compared to S4 it will be a lot cheaper - no turbos to fix. Only time will tell though.

So overall, I am very happy with it and intend to keep it at least till 2015 - maybe then will trade up to a E90 M3 sedan.





































 

[ZfrkS62]

Sam, it is possible to raise the release point of the clutch but it takes some time. Essentially, you just need to bleed the slave cylinder until the pedal travel is only an inch and a half or so.

What tires do you have on the car? Bridgestone Potenzas are extremely stiff. I think the continental conti tourings provide a bit better ride quality.

[sameerrao]

Sam, it is possible to raise the release point of the clutch but it takes some time. Essentially, you just need to bleed the slave cylinder until the pedal travel is only an inch and a half or so.

What tires do you have on the car? Bridgestone Potenzas are extremely stiff. I think the continental conti tourings provide a bit better ride quality.

I have the Potenzas ... I want to get a set of non-run flats next time.

[sentra_dude]

Nice write-up sameerrao, very in depth and interesting. Maybe this year you will get to drive it some more.

[stradale]

The run flat tyre issue is much debated. IMO they’re not as uncomfortable as I expected, although a Z4 is a different animal than a 330i of course. Compared to run flat tyres you’d probably lose some of the steering precision and add a bit more bodyroll.

Many owners who have switched to conventional tyres, especially in the US and UK, are enthusiastic about the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric seem to be among the favourites as well. Continental has a new tyre BTW, the SportContact 5. Many people seem to expect good things from this tyre.

Kudos for your report on the 330i!

[sameerrao]

The run flat tyre issue is much debated. IMO they’re not as uncomfortable as I expected, although a Z4 is a different animal than a 330i of course. Compared to run flat tyres you’d probably lose some of the steering precision and add a bit more bodyroll.

Many owners who have switched to conventional tyres, especially in the US and UK, are enthusiastic about the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric seem to be among the favourites as well. Continental has a new tyre BTW, the SportContact 5. Many people seem to expect good things from this tyre.

Kudos for your report on the 330i!

With all due respect, the roads in Netherlands are way better than the ones in Houston or pretty much everywhere in US

[sameerrao]

One year update - not much to report overall. The car is still trucking around nicely with nary an issue.
 
I had spent $150 on an oil change a few months back. Nothing spent since then. Hardly driven the car since - have about 25K miles on it now - barely drove about 3K miles on it last year. Hopefully my haul will be better this year.

[sentra_dude]

One year update - not much to report overall. The car is still trucking around nicely with nary an issue.
 
I had spent $150 on an oil change a few months back. Nothing spent since then. Hardly driven the car since - have about 25K miles on it now - barely drove about 3K miles on it last year. Hopefully my haul will be better this year.

Dang! What kind of oil are you putting in it sameerrao? I'm guessing you didn't go down to the local lube-em-up express... 

[sameerrao]

Dang! What kind of oil are you putting in it sameerrao? I'm guessing you didn't go down to the local lube-em-up express... 

I got it done at the BMW dealership - the BMW specified oil - It is about $7 a quart. I want to build a relationship with the dealer through these small items - who knows if it will pay off in the future?

Regarding the next change - I am going to see if what is going to win (the computer prediction of 15K+ miles to next change or me chickening out at 7500 miles from now)

[sentra_dude]

I got it done at the BMW dealership - the BMW specified oil - It is about $7 a quart. I want to build a relationship with the dealer through these small items - who knows if it will pay off in the future?

Regarding the next change - I am going to see if what is going to win (the computer prediction of 15K+ miles to next change or me chickening out at 7500 miles from now)

Yeah, for those prices it better pay off! 

[ZfrkS62]

I got it done at the BMW dealership - the BMW specified oil - It is about $7 a quart. I want to build a relationship with the dealer through these small items - who knows if it will pay off in the future?

Regarding the next change - I am going to see if what is going to win (the computer prediction of 15K+ miles to next change or me chickening out at 7500 miles from now)

Depending on the size of the dealership, you can take a long long time to build up that kind of a relationship. We have some clients that have coming in for 3 or 4 cars and barely get any kind of love on their bills.

I few of them have dealt with the same advisor throughout their history and have really gotten to know them so they get a little but of a discount on the really big bills (6k repairs on E38 etc).

You can pretty much trust the Service interval, but if you find that you've gone a year and are no where near the 15k, you should get the oil changed. The BMW 5w-30 synthetic is actually just Castrol Syntec bottled for BMW. You could get it cheaper at AutoZone if you really wanted.

[sameerrao]

Two year update:

Not much to report. Did another oil change for $135 and replaced the left front tire for $250  . Freaking expensive run flats.

The car is trucking on nicely with no issues. I still enjoy driving it - it is fun.

[sameerrao]

Two year update:

Not much to report. Did another oil change for $135 and replaced the left front tire for $250  . Freaking expensive run flats.

The car is trucking on nicely with no issues. I still enjoy driving it - it is fun. The odometer is around 48500 miles now (roughly)