2001 BMW 330

Author's Rating:

Pros: Powerful engine, styling, transmission and suspension, safety, fuel economy, lo maintenance

Cons: Price is way too high, everything is optional and costs extra

The Bottom Line: 
The 330 is a great car. I only wish it would be less expensive so I wouldn’t feel like I am paying too much.

Author's Review
The BMW 3-series is not a “value-priced” car. I read that BMW has the largest profit margin of all car manufacturers – 11% of the car’s price is BMW’s profit.

Pricing

The BMW 330 prices start around $34K and if you want options (that are long time standard equipment in the econo-segment cars), the price will go all the way to $51K mark (for a fully equipped convertible). It is quite ridiculous - the car has a tape player as a standard equipment (like we are still in 80’s), CD player will set you back extra $200.

The wood trim costs $435, power glass moonroof - $915, fold down rear seats - $415, leather upholstery – $1,260. Even the metallic paint costs $400 extra. Oh well, at least the foglights and cruise control are now standard equipment (they used to cost $200 and $400 respectively).

Competition

So if you are mostly concerned with the “bang for the buck”, check out Acura 3.2TL or CL – it has all these goodies standard for around $28K. And Type-S produces 260hp.

In addition to Acuras, competitors include Audi A4 (lower-priced base model, better interior and features, but FWD base models, less power, worse crash test results), Mercedes C-Class (nice exterior, but slow, no manual transmission with C320, soft suspension, steering), Lexus IS300 (nice interior, but no manual transmission, stiff suspension).

Features

The car has A/C, power windows and locks, intermittent wipers, theft-deterrent system, remote keyless entry as standard equipment. The stereo does not produce good sound. And the cabin space is tight – especially if you are tall.

I think the dash looks cheap and the color coordination can be improved (here you cannot beat Audi), also I don’t like the center-located window switches. But the company had to do some cost-cutting to make this 11% profit margin, Ja?

Engine

The 330’s engine is a inline-6, which has advantages over the V-6 design: inline-6 engines has significantly less vibrations (second-level vibrations are absent), it is more smooth, has less friction (there is only one bank of cylinders and twice less camshafts to deal with), cheaper in production and lighter. But it’s longer than V-6, which limits the use of inline-6 architecture.

This year’s engine is 3.0-liter, up from 2.8-liter a year ago. The power is up to 225 hp at 5900 RPM, the torque is up to 214 lb-ft @ 3500 RPM. The engine, which uses variable valve timing, is very “driveable”, featuring torque where you need it and allowing you to pass without downshifting.

Although some competitors offer higher-displacement engines and more hp, the 330 is faster, taking only 6.1-6.5 seconds to reach 60 mph (with a manual 5-speed transmission). This transmission is very easy to operate, unlike Audi A4’s, which has somewhat "disconnected" feel and long travel. The clutch pedal is also very easy to control, unlike Mercedes C-Class'. The 330 is also very frugal with fuel.

The car drives really well, even on the bumpy roads. Suspension is somehow both stiff (for good cornering) and cushy on uneven roads. The Mercedes C320 I recently test-drove, although has 3.2-liter V-6, was slower both on paper and subjectively.

Safety

According to crash test results, the car is rates very high. It features front, side and head airbags, ABS, traction control, Dynamic Stability Control. The best passive safety feature is very rigid body structure, but active safety is not lacking here either.

Maintenance

Since the maintenance interval is determined by the computer based on your driving style, you don't have to guess. Usually it means that you change the oil less often - with a lot of highway driving after 15K intervals. And the maintenance is covered for the first 36 months or 36,000 miles.

Warranty

In addition to no-charge scheduled maintenance for 36 months/36K, the car comes with a 48 months/50K warranty and roadside assistance and 72 months of corrosion warranty.

Alternative

You might also consider BMW 325, which although less powerful (184 hp), costs some $7,000 less. And paying 7K extra for 330's 0.5 liter of displacement and 0.5-second 0-60 advantage might be a bit too much.

The 330 is a great car. I only wish it would be less expensive so I wouldn’t feel like I am paying too much.