This week we have a BMW 330i xDrive with an MSRP of $51352 CDN.
Fun Factor: 7
Can it Family: 6
Fuel-Friendly: 6
HWY-warrior: 8
Karaoke Friendly: 5
Baby friendly: 6
City Cruising: 7
BMW never disappoints when it comes to fun & engaging vehicles, this entry model from BMW world sold 7694 units, last year if you look at the direct competition Audi sold 7007 Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class sold the most in luxury sedan segment with total sales of 10848 units. If you look at the whole package and the price difference with the current BMW 330i the 330i isn't the highest value compared to Mercedes-Benz and Audi. The refreshed offering from BMW hasn't yet been released, the new upgraded 7th generation 3 series has already been launched in Europe and will launch soon in North America.
Now that we have the boring stuff out of our way, compared to the other 2 German luxury brands, is it worth it to pay a premium for the equipment vs. the other 2? If you ask us the BMW 330i is more enjoyable to drive and feels more planted on the road and you can even enjoy some crackles and pops on a daily basis, this will bring a smile on your face every day.
So how's the family offering, similar to the Volvo S60, these 2 sedans have not been conceived for car seats. The Isofix ports are hidden underneath the seats and are not easily accessible, especially if you have to remove the car seat on a regular basis it can be a hasel. The seating offering is comfortable with one child seat and one adult, with 2 car seats the rear seats become unusable. The trunk can be easily open with the key fob, however with basic models you do not get the option to open the trunk with your foot, as for trunk size it will fit a medium size stroller, however, this will start to monopolize your trunk and will limit the number of purchases you can bring with you, this is also limited to the fact that the seats can't be folded to increase cargo room on the other side it helps with rigidity of the car, so don't expect to bring your ski’s unless paying extra for your seats.
In our test, we've been able to achieve an average of 8.2L per 100km and this with Sport mode most of the time. This figure is even lover then what BMW advertises. The car's minimum octane rating for fuel is 89. However, BMW recommends 91. For our test, we've used 91 octane fuel only. The test segments had 30% city and 70% HWY over a distance of 1000km with mild traffic.
This car is perfect for a road trip, it will return pretty good gas mileage on the HWY and will give you enjoyable amenities and comfortable seating, such as adjustable heated seats with 3 levels, 3-way adjustable seats. One thing we enjoyed less for the price BMW offers this car the steering wheel is manually adjustable. If your a taller person or bigger person getting in and out of the 3 series might not as practical as the entry is smaller the Audi A4, something we only experience on the smaller Audi A3.
The sound system is decent, BMW still has lots of work to get the sound system right in their cars. Even, the upgraded sound system needs more refinement.
Finally, the usability of the 330i in an urban area is not as distinct of a luxury brand. The longer hood of the 330i and lack of proximity sensor in base trim doesn't make it the perfect candidate to park in smaller spots. We would suggest selecting the option boxes. In the case, you're looking for an SUV from BMW and want to upgrade to something more functional such as the BMW 430i Grand Touring with xDrive would be a better choice in our opinions.
If you have any question, please don't hesitate to leave us a comment or even send us a message.
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