Why We Bought It
It all began with a comparison test: 2005 Audi A4 vs. 2006 BMW 330i. After a hard fought 15-rounder, the newly redesigned BMW 3 Series sedan took the win, securing its place atop the sport sedan class and continuing a reign established long ago by its beloved predecessors.

But did we have a real class benchmark on our hands? We decided to find out by adding a 3 Series to our long-term fleet. In 12 months we would know if the BMW 330i was the real deal or a one-hit wonder.

After a few phone calls and a "thank you very much," BMW sent over a virtually identical car to the one we sampled in the head-to-head with the Audi, a red-on-tan 330i with a six-speed manual transmission and a few other luxuries. Optional equipment fell in the $6K ballpark and came tucked nicely into three packages: Cold Weather meant our backsides would remain toasty; Premium offered the power-adjustable lumbar support to appease the sciatic nerve in all of us; and Sport to maintain those healthy adrenal glands. Tack on the Sirius Satellite Radio and the MSRP of the 330i came to $42,690.

How It Drove
Under the hood sits an aluminum-block 3.0-liter inline-6 rated at 255 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque. The engine is only part of the story. While it may play second fiddle to some of the more powerful sedans in the segment, the total package is what driving a BMW is really about.

Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton sums up the essence of the 330i. "Without even trying, our 330i has become the benchmark against all other vehicles in our captured fleet. The reason it's so good is in the way all of the driver's controls work together. Together the steering, suspension, brakes, engine, clutch, transmission and even driving position are plainly intended to provide a cohesive experience designed with a driver-who-enjoys-driving in mind."

Still not convinced? The 330i's last tour of duty found it at the test track — where it performed better than our preliminary tests nearly 23,000 miles ago. Chris Walton pulled the long straw and found himself behind the wheel for the 3 Series' swan song. The first test was acceleration from zero to 60 mph, where it improved three-tenths to 6.0 seconds flat. He noted, "The best launch was at 4,000 rpm with pretty generous wheelspin. The rev limiter comes in slightly before the indicated 7,000 rpm redline. The clutch and shift linkage seems to have withstood a year's worth of staff driving." The quarter-mile time was exactly the same with a slightly slower trap speed, 14.5 seconds at 95.8 mph.

Braking seemed to be the only category where the 3 Series performed worse than when the car was new. Even that was minimal. A 112-foot stopping distance from 60 to zero mph as a new hire grew to 116 feet upon its exit interview. Still an incredible stopping performance.

A trip around the skid pad showed us the 330i hadn't lost any grip over the past year. It recorded 0.89g, which is right on par with its 0.88g a year ago. This minor difference can be attributed to the test surface and for our purposes we'll call it a draw.

Another test of grip and handling that saw improvement came in the slalom. This 3,431-pound sedan lived up to its self-dubbed "ultimate driving machine" nickname as it confidently posted a speed of 69 mph through the slalom. Following the test, Walton wrote, "Jeez this car is good! The harder I drive it, the better it gets. Steering is magnificently integrated with the chassis and tire grip. Please let me keep this car."

The driving experience had the same effect on Senior Content Editor Erin Riches during her trip in the 3 Series to Vancouver. "Well, you're welcome to make up your own mind, but after racking up 3,400 miles in eight days, I'm still delighted with the car and ready to buy one. As much fun as the 330i was on the curvy stretches of U.S. 101, it turned out to be amazingly practical. Consider that we averaged 25.1 mpg for the whole trip, despite the fact that we drove the car aggressively with little regard for fuel frugality."

Inside the Cabin
We like to view the interior of our 3 Series through rose-colored glasses. It's truly in remarkable shape considering its last year of service. However, when we remove the glasses there are some issues of note. As one might expect, time took a toll on its beige leather interior. Door panel scuffs from countless driver shoes pushing against it, drag marks across the door sill plate, and carpet stains galore.

Inside Line Editor in Chief Scott Oldham was first to note the wear on the driver seat itself. "Big news Beamer fans (or is it Bimmer?). The outside bolster of the 330's driver seat is beginning to show wear. If the seat were black I don't think it would be visible, but the tan leather in our long-term doesn't hide anything. And anyone who has driven the sedan knows it's impossible to get in the car without scraping his or her backside across the bolster." Beige interior with an Electric Red exterior looks sharp, but it's such high maintenance to keep it looking new we'd have to opt for a darker color scheme next time.

Keeping it clean wasn't our only gripe with the interior. Inadequate cupholders also found their way onto the hit list. Senior Automotive Editor Brent Romans starts us off with, "The two main cupholders pop out of the dash on the passenger side. Deployed cupholders get in the way of the passenger and seem vulnerable to breakage." He wasn't alone in this observation as Production Editor Caroline Pardilla also commented, "They intrude on the front passenger's personal space and their flimsy plastic design causes most small water bottles to rattle."

The staff collectively found issue with the small, poorly marked audio controls as documented by Director of Vehicle Testing Dan Edmunds. "The mode selector goes from 'Sat' to 'Aux' to 'CD' to 'Tuner' but doesn't distinguish between AM and FM, as every other such-equipped car on the planet can do." He also was first to discover a larger problem. The radio is not visible behind polarized sunglasses.

Our final unanimous complaint with the interior: the turn signal. Its one-touch design is meant to be easy, but isn't. Some like Senior Road Test Editor Josh Jacquot wrestled with it. "You see, the 330i's turn signal — maybe the only bad bit of design on the entire car — is the most poorly functioning signal stalk I've ever fingered." Others thought it worked just fine.

Summing Up
With the exception of $1.39 for a gallon of wiper fluid and the $334.19 replacement of a damaged tire, BMW's four-year/50,000-mile maintenance warranty covered all costs on the upkeep of our 3 Series. A radio static issue requiring the rear window to be replaced also fell under warranty.

An unfortunate three-car collision sandwich, in which we were the bologna, put the 330i out of service for 15 days. Damage to the front and rear of the car cost $1,737.71 but was picked up by the at-fault insurance companies. Outside of normal wear and tear this was the only exterior damage to our 3 Series.

BMW raised the bar again with the 330i. We welcomed it into our fleet with open arms and it left its mark on us. Its departure took with it several editors desperate for one more chance to drive while the rest lay in tears. It will be missed.

True Market Value at service end: $34,251
Final Odometer Reading: 25,088
Best Fuel Economy: 30.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 10.2 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 22.1 mpg
Total Body Repair Costs: $1,737.71 paid by insurance (15 days lost).
Total Routine Maintenance Costs (over 12 months): $1.69 for a gallon of windshield wiper fluid. BMW's four-year/50,000-mile maintenance program covered all other routine upkeep.
Additional Maintenance Costs: None.
Warranty Repairs: Replace rear window and radio antenna amplifier (two days lost).
Non-Warranty Repairs: Replace tire with a bubble in the sidewall.
Scheduled Dealer Visits: 4
Unscheduled Dealer Visits: 1
Days Out of Service: 17
Breakdowns Stranding Driver: 0

Changes to the 330i Since 2005
The 330i sedan is a complete redesign for 2006. Changes include slightly larger interior dimensions, a new platform, BMW's most recent exterior styling changes and a more powerful engine. Its 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder now generates 255 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque.

Ups and Downs
Ups: Fuel-efficiency and comfort make it ideal as a highway cruiser. With its smooth shifter and steering feel it's just as comfortable on the canyon roads.

Downs: Radio controls are too small and turn signal function is unique, but not a good unique. Both take practice to use effectively.

The Bottom Line: A melding of high-quality materials and superior performance rank it at the top of its class.

Recalls and Problem History
Recalls: None.

Problem History:
Loud static from the radio whenever the rear defroster was in use. A short in the antenna amplifier was the culprit. The dealer replaced the rear window under warranty to resolve the problem.


A bubble appeared on the sidewall of our run-flat Bridgestone Potenza tire and forced an unscheduled visit to the dealer for replacement. Thanks to the popularity of the 3 Series in Los Angeles, they had a replacement in stock.
Dealer Service Reviews
Santa Monica BMW, Santa Monica, California
April 2006
7,500-mile service — After the maintenance light came on, we scheduled an appointment for an oil and filter change. We also had parts ordered for a radio static issue. The car was dropped off in the morning and picked up the same afternoon.

May 2006
Replace rear window — Two days after parts were ordered, our new back window arrived with the radio antenna amplifier inside. Installation was complete in a matter of hours and the keys were back in our hands.

Long Beach BMW, Long Beach, California
July 2006
14,500-mile service — In response to the maintenance light, we scheduled an appointment on Tuesday for the next morning. We dropped the car off and it was ready within hours.

August 2006
Auto accident repair — Following a collision on the 405 freeway we delivered the car to the body shop. Waiting for the at-fault party's insurance adjuster to assess the damage took more time than the repair itself. Once repairs were OK'd the process was speedy; however, by that time it had been out of our possession for 15 days.

Stokes Tire Pros, Santa Monica, California
June 2006
Bubble in tire — A bulge in the sidewall of our Bridgestone Potenzas sent us to the folks at Stokes. They are always quite helpful and with the tire in stock it only took about an hour to mount and balance the new tire.

What Consumers Say
"My first BMW. What was I waiting for? It is unbelievable. It performs incredibly. The power, the roar of the engine. It gets lots of looks and compliments. It handles well and is really comfortable for a sport compact." — Jerry, October 21, 2006

"This car drives better than any other. It corners especially well. The exterior styling is exceptional, I love it. I just wish I could have ordered the car, but I had to take the best I could find in dealer stock. I managed to find almost all that I wanted, but I would have preferred the aluminum trim, split-folding rear seats and comfort access, which I don't have. I wish the car had a better MP3 disc player. It doesn't provide track duration, and I'm having issues with it strangely adjusting the volume and sound field in the middle of tracks with s-vol set at zero. I'm waiting for my first oil change (at 5,200 miles now) to have the sound system checked." — Binkley, November 4, 2006

"I've had this car for 4 months and 6K miles, and it seems to drive better each day. The RFTs are no issue, and I have not taken it back to the shop for any reason. The handling with the steering and SP is awesome. It is a little bumpy on bad, patched-up roads, but 90 percent of the time I'm on decent roads and it's a blast to drive, especially in manual." — jidow, October 14, 2006