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Claudia Hommel
Cabaret Singer
Extraordinaire
Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
 2006 BMW 330xi by Cordell Koland The best-selling, serial-award-winning BMW 3-Series has set the pace for compact sports sedans for decades, a fact well know to car-buying aficionados and its many Asian and European competitors, such as Infiniti, Lexus, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. BMW enters 2006 with a redesign of the 3-Series sedan featuring new engines, suspension upgrades and a completely revised body that offers a bit more interior room. The exterior design of the new 3-Series is a bit fussier that the outgoing model, but still offers the signature styling elements, such as the distinctive side view and twin kidney-shaped grilles highlighting the front-end treatment. The taillights wrap well around into the side panels and enhance vehicle visibility for someone viewing the car in profile. BMW remains one of the few manufacturers dedicated to the preservation the inline six-cylinder engine and the new 3-Series engine is pretty much new from the ground up. Long noted as an inherently smooth engine architecture, the 330xi inline six delivers seamless power at all speeds. To enhance engine rigidity and decrease weight, BMW has developed the world's first magnesium/aluminum composite engine-block construction. The 330xi will launch to sixty miles per hour in 6.6 seconds with a top speed of 150 mph. To combine maximum performance with low emissions and reasonable fuel economy, BMW has given the engine a new intake valve-actuation system that eliminates the throttle. The 3-Series, however, has never been about raw power and still isn't. The 3-Series is about giving the driver maximum control of a vehicle. Since 1968, BMW's small sedans have offered a sophisticated balance of smooth power delivery, sensitive braking and exquisite handling. Almost perfect 50-50 front-to-back weight distribution‹a rare occurrence in the automotive world‹is a factor in the car's handling. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to drive hundreds of automobiles. In that context, I've found few that compare to the feel of a BMW's 3-Series automobile, the perception that you are in control and able to drive at your own personal limit. In fact, many automobile enthusiasts would argue that the BMW 3-Series raised sedan handling into the realm of the sports car. The new 3-Series moves the bar up a notch through improved structural rigidity added to suspension refinements that sharpen responsiveness. The BMW 330xi imparts an almost uncanny attachment to the road. Certainly, its modest size works in its favor. Mother nature dictates that the laws of physics apply: size and weight are the antithesis of a truly great handling automobile. The 330xi features steering that's crisp with just the right amount of feedback and responsiveness. So sensitive is this link between automobile and driver, one gets the sensation that the car's front wheels are extended body parts. And fortunately, the ride quality remains quite acceptable, something that can't be said for a lot of cars that push the performance envelope. The BMW 3-Series covers a wide price range. Base MSRP for the very serviceable entry-level 215-horsepower 325i sedan is $31,595 including destination and handling charge. Our 330xi sedan with the more powerful 255-horsepower engine, all-wheel-drive and scads of options tops $45,000. Nobody beats the German luxury brands (Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche) in terms of offering tons of tasty options. Just be sure at purchase time that you have your wallet ready for hard use. Given its range of options, its possible to put together a 3-Series BMW that would reach the $50,000 mark, a pretty hefty fee for a compact six-cylinder automobile. To it's $39,195 base price, our 330xi test car included such options as the $1,250 automatic transmission, $595 satellite radio, $850 Cold Weather Package consisting of heated front seats and fold-down rear seat with a ski bag, the $2,200 Premium Package of luxury appointments and the $900 Sport Package, which includes special alloy wheels and tires, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and seats with adjustable side bolsters to accommodate aggressive driving. Vehicle:
BMW 330xi
Price as tested: $45,015 Engine: Type: 3.0-liter inline 6 Horsepower: 255 @ 3,600 rpm Torque: 220 lbs.-ft. 2,750 @ rpm Fuel economy, automatic transmission City 20 mpg Highway 27 mpg Curb Weight: 3,671 lbs. Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
