Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

38 | AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE

BMW 3 SERIES FROM $67,900

THINGS WE LIKE

 Great value

 Responsive, powerful, refi ned

2.0-litre turbo

 Great fuel economy

 Superb steering and handling

 Spacious, comfortable cabin

 No options required

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Short warranty

No AEB on base model

Voice control gets it wrong too often

iDrive isn’t as intuitive as it was

Super fat steering wheel rim is a

bit silly

SPEX

Made in Germany

2.0-litre four cylinder turbopetrol/

eight-speed automatic/rear-wheel

drive

190kW of power from

5000-6500rpm/400Nm of torque

from 1550-4400rpm

0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds (claimed)

5.2L/100km highway; 7.7L/100km

city; 95 octane premium; CO2

emissions are 139gkm

Warranty: Three years/unlimited

km

Standard: Eight airbags, stability

control, AEB, adaptive cruise, lane

keeping, blind spot monitoring,

rear cross traffi c alert, 360 degree

cameras, speed limit alert, leather

upholstery, sports seats, dual zone

air, navigation, Apple CarPlay, voice

control, wireless phone charging,

keyless entry and starting, adaptive

LED headlights.

Redbook future values: 3yr: 48%;

5yr: 35%

Safety

Not yet tested

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money



Overall



STARS

compare with ...

Alfa Romeo Guilia, Audi A4, Lexus IS,

Mercedes C Class

BMW has rediscovered the

Three’s driver-fi rst focus.

With 400Nm of torque

available from 1550rpm,

the 2.0-litre turbo launches

strongly, with zero lag. An

urgent, muscular delivery

begins in the lower midrange

and builds in potency en route

to a sparkling 7000rpm. The

eight-speed shifts as quickly

as a dual clutch transmission,

with impeccable smoothness.

Paddles are standard.

In Eco and Comfort modes,

the 2.0-litre also returns great

fuel economy for such a powerful

engine. It will do fi ves on the

highway at a steady 100km/h and

single fi gures in town, assisted by

automatic stop/start.

The Ultimate Driving Machine

is back. BMW’s 330i is Car of

the Year material, and highly

recommended.

B

MW 3 Series prices start
at $67,900 for the 320d,
which runs a 140kW/400Nm
2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel four,
matched with a standard eight-
speed automatic. Unlike Audi,
BMW obviously believes diesel
isn’t dead. Yet.
The 330i tested here is $70,900.
Up front is a 2.0-litre turbopetrol
with 190kW and 400Nm, suffi cient
to launch its lithe 1433kg to
100km/h in a claimed 5.8 seconds.
Unusually for a premium
German car, the 330i shapes up as
a no-options required performance
drive straight out of the box.
Standard are an eight-speed
automatic with sportier shift
mapping, adaptive M suspension
with adjustable dampers and a
10mm lower ride height, M Sport
brakes and 19-inch M alloys,
shod with mixed size – 225/40
front;255/35 rear – Pirelli PZero
tyres. If you feel the need to spend
more money, tick the $2600 M
Sport locking rear diff option.
Adaptive, swivelling LED
headlights are also included.
It’s seriously deluxe in the 330i’s
cabin, with beautiful Vernasca
leather-upholstered, power-

adjustable sports seats, dark

roofl ining, textured aluminium

trim, an all-digital, confi gurable

12.3 inch instrument panel, iDrive

7.0, head-up display, wireless

phone charging and smartphone-

activated locking and unlocking.

The ride harshness of previous

Threes on runfl at tyres has been

banished. The new model’s

Comfort setting is exactly that,

with much improved absorbency

at low speeds. Sport works

well on the open road, with a

fi rmer though still exceptionally

compliant ride quality.

BMW owners will immediately

feel at home in the Three’s

signature twin cockpit, sporty

driving position and fi rm,

supportive seating. It’s the best

in the business.

Back seat passengers will be

happier with lots more legroom.

In this regard the new Three

feels almost a big as a Five

Series. At 480 litres, the boot is

large by class standards.

BMW still has no autonomous

emergency braking on the

base 320d. Unbelievable. It

is standard on the 330i (and

extends to detecting potential

T bones at intersections), along

with adaptive cruise, semi-

autonomous steering/lane

keeping and surround cameras.

The 330i is an immensely

capable, satisfying drive.

Most importantly, it talks to

you as a BMW sports sedan

should, with natural, unfi ltered

feedback rather than digitally-

simulated sensations.

At all times the car responds

precisely and predictably to your

inputs. It feels light, tight and

easily controllable, even as its

dynamic limits – which far exceed

legal ones – are approached in

Sport and Sport+ modes, which

fi rm up the suspension and add

weight to the steering. If the

Pirellis let go mid-corner, you

have obviously made several

grave errors of judgement.

The steering in particular is

a highlight. Sharp, tactile and

intuitive, more than any other

aspect of the car it shows that