[Jason]

Magazine reviews in the members download area for your preview. All images and text are copyrighted and property of each respective magazine.


BMWcar (March 2005)



Automobile Magazine (April 2005)



Motortrend Magazine (April 2005)

[Jason]

Car Magazine (April 2005)

[Jason]

TopGear Magazine (March 2005)

[Jason]

Bimmer Magazine (May 2005)

[Jason]

MPH Magazine (April 2005)

[Jason]

BMWCar (April 2005) - secondary review and comparison against e46

[Jason]

Winding Road Digital Magazine - Issue 4

Comparison of the BMW 330i vs. Audi S4.

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[Jason]

BMWCar reviews the AC Schnitzer E90 (320) - June 05

[DerekS]

For the benefit of all members, could you please scan and post the excellent review of the 330i in the May issue of BMW Car, pp.52-58. The article is titled "The Return of The King" and it features many photos of the car, equipped with style 158 alloys.This is a very entertaining read and it concludes by stating :
"Overall, the new 330i is an absolute belter. Brillant to drive, a fantastic ownership prospect on the evidence and a truly worthwhile successor to the iconic E46."
Thanks.
DerekS

[noflash]

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

[Jason]

Autoweek (July 2005) - "America's Best Sedan"

http://autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102649

[RedStripe]

Forbest Magazine Test Drive by Michael Frank:

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/vehi..._0705test.html

One of the better articles I've come across.

[UdoJurgens]

http://automobilemag.com/reviews/sedans/0508_bmw_325i/


A rare review of the 325i, not the 330i. Very positive, and very helpful if you are torn between the two.

[tilou]

I saw 2 new reviews out on newstand yesterday. First one I think was in August "Automobile". Second one I think was in August "Road + Track" comparing the e90 to the CTS and the Infiniti G35. Guess which one won?

[RedStripe]

Finally, the NYTimes finally their review. Now, just for Dan Neil of the LATimes to weigh in.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/24/au...AUTO.html?8dpc
(subscription required, pasted below for your convenience)

July 24, 2005
2006 BMW 3 Series: The Benchmark Settles Into Comfortable Middle Age
By NORMAN MAYERSOHN
CAR enthusiasts could bicker endlessly over which vehicle was the original sport utility - the Land Rover? the Willys wagon? the military jeep? - or raise their voices in the great debate over whether that pokey microbox from Volkswagen, which arrived long before Chrysler's Caravan and Voyager were gleams in their designer's eye, was actually the mother of all minivans.

But there is little argument about the Adam of sport sedans. Not that anyone in 1968 realized the significance of the BMW 2002 (or its predecessor, the 1600), cars whose advanced powertrains, tucked in unremarkable boxes, were known to goad otherwise responsible citizens into acting like adolescents on public roadways.

By the time the car evolved into the 130-horsepower 2002tii of 1972, a giant killer with tricks up its sleeve - like disc brakes and a fuel-injected overhead-cam engine - BMW was on its way to becoming, as its advertising tag line later boasted, "the ultimate driving machine."

The 2002 was succeeded by the 320i of 1977, offered in the United States only with two doors and a four-cylinder engine. More relevant than its role as a trailblazer, though, is the BMW 3 Series' continuing, and largely uncontested, status as the standard for the class, the benchmark against which all others are measured. Through the years, rivals have produced compact sport sedans that accelerated quicker, stopped shorter or performed better on a skid pad, but as a total package the BMW has never failed to equal, or conquer, all challengers.

After driving a 330i on back roads in western Pennsylvania and using one for a week of daily chores in New Jersey, I have no doubt that the 2006 model remains one of the best-performing compact sport sedans, though it may have to share the podium with several worthy competitors.

The line's position of leadership will carry over when it grows to include station wagon and all-wheel-drive versions (this fall), to be followed by coupes (next summer), convertibles (late 2006) and eventually (in 2007) the almighty high-performance M3.

Long a symbol of achievement for the young and aspiring, the 3's have been given a thorough overhaul, their first since 1999, with new styling, engines and suspensions. The car is slightly bigger all over, though the package is still tidy and efficient. The crisply tailored interior is attractive in an all-business sort of way.

The line's genetic markers have not changed: the 3 Series is still built on a rear-wheel-drive baseline and it still uses in-line six-cylinder engines. (Other markets get four-cylinder versions, too.) The weight distribution remains within a fraction of 50-50, front to rear, for almost perfect balance.

What has changed, though, is the level of comfort and isolation, now raised so much that the car's character is considerably different from that of its predecessors, despite the mechanical similarities.

There is much at stake in designing a new 3 Series: the line accounts for more than 40 percent of BMW's global sales, over 100,000 a year in the United States alone. Even as the company's entry model here - at least for now - it is not cheap. A 325i sedan starts at $30,995 and the 330i opens at $36,995; the one I tested ran $46,115 with options like a navigation system, active steering and both the premium and sport packages. As of Sept. 1, prices rise $300 for the 330i and $600 for the 325i.

Above all, a BMW, especially a 3 Series, is supposed to be a driver's car, so any detailed analysis of features and standard equipment is beside the point. Rest assured that the car can be ordered with a full complement of luxury touches, including wood trim, but its Bavarian engineers remain well behind the curve in dealing with conveniences like cup holders. If that's a big problem, take a look at an Acura.

The 3 Series benefits from features that trickled down from more expensive BMW's. Some of these really are benefits, like the double-pivot front suspension, Valvetronic engine controls and side-protection air bags, while others are of less apparent advantage: when ordered with the $2,000 navigation unit, the iDrive control system is fitted, too.

The screen for the navigation map and iDrive menus sits high on the dashboard, to the right of the gauges under a second eyebrow. The computer interface has been simplified, and by using the remaining separate switches or the voice-activated controls, iDrive can be ignored most of the time.

A lot of the appeal to enthusiasts of the 330i, like that of other BMW's, lies in its superb engine. Defying the usual name protocols, both the 325i and 330i use the same basic 3-liter 6, tuned to 255 horspower in the 330i (an improvement of 30 over the previous model, though the new car is essentially no quicker) and 215 horsepower in the beginner version.

Each will coax 20 miles from a gallon of gas in the city and 30 on the highway in a manual-shift car; the manual 330i races from 0 to 60 miles an hour in 6.1 seconds (6.3 with the automatic); the 325i does it in 6.7 or 7.2 seconds, depending on transmission. A six-speed stick shift is standard and a six-speed automatic is $1,275 extra.

The inherently smooth-running in-line 6 is worth preserving, despite the challenges of making the long and narrow engine fit under the hood. BMW proved its commitment to this layout - one abandoned by most automakers - by engineering an entirely new power plant for this car. A lightweight assembly of magnesium and aluminum, the engine uses a sophisticated variable valve lift system to replace the function of a conventional throttle.

All 3 Series sedans come with run-flat tires, which are often harsh-riding and noisy because of their stiff sidewalls. Yet by using run-flats to tune the suspension, BMW managed to give the car a quiet, compliant ride despite the tires.

For those puzzled by BMW's recent designs, the best part of the new 3 is that it does not borrow the styling tics of the larger 5 and 7 Series sedans, which were mocked for their odd flourishes and lack of restraint - but went on to sell quite smartly, thank you.

Whether styling is a top priority depends on the customer, but there is little about this design that will wave anyone away. Still, it seems to be trying awfully hard, given the multiple character lines on its sides, the suggestion of a grille that dips far below the front bumper and a rear end that is both generic and fussy. Gone is the elegant simplicity of prior models, with the purposeful lines typical of many German products, from coffee grinders to cameras.

My real objection is that the gimmickry was not necessary. BMW's have never had the catchiest styling, yet have been desirable for their competence, always discreetly communicated without garish touches.

Even so, I am willing to give it some space. BMW overhauls models every seven years or so, meaning this one will be in showrooms until 2013. Let's take another look in 2010.

By then, with luck, annoyances like quirky turn signals with a mind of their own, or a starter button that offers no obvious advantage over a conventional ignition key, will have been reconsidered.

Leading-edge technology has always figured into the BMW way of building cars, and the 3 Series gets a full helping.

The brakes, for instance, now have electronic controls to compensate for fade in hard use; a standby mode that poises the brakes to engage instantly if a sudden stop seems likely; a self-drying function to maintain full braking in the rain; and a "soft stop" feature that compensates for jerky drivers. Most useful is the "start-off assistant," which keeps the car from rolling back when starting on a hill.

This overachieving brake system reflects the high-tech path BMW has taken in recent years, and it demonstrates how much these sport sedans have evolved over four decades. No longer a car solely for enthusiasts, the 3's broad portfolio of abilities and accommodations attracts many more buyers than a purist's machine ever could. As my own driving confirmed - both on country roads and a few laps on a racetrack - the new 3 has high limits, and they can be reached without sacrificing comfort.

Measures of acceleration or cornering force do not tell the whole story, especially for a sport sedan. No doubt the brainy brakes will do a much better job than my foot ever could, and options like active steering, which changes the steering ratios according to conditions, make for a safer, even faster, car. But such innovations tend to get between the driver and the road, making the 3 feel just a bit less connected to both the pavement and the brain.

Perhaps the 3 Series has outgrown me. What was once a willing accomplice for back-road rowdiness seems all grown up. It no longer whispers, "Let's go out and risk a moving violation." It is now a perfectly pleasant, responsible companion.

Whether the fifth-generation 3 Series continues to set the class standard depends on how one weights the importance of its attributes. If track performance tops the list, it will do just fine. If value is the criteria, it may not match the Infiniti G35 or the Lexus IS 350, which goes on sale in October. And while no one can accuse the new 3 Series of not being fun to drive, it may no longer hold the clear edge that it once did.

INSIDE TRACK: In this class, the most likely to succeed.

[RedStripe]

My favorite car reviewer of all, Dan Neil of the LATimes, on the 330i.

http://www.latimes.com/classified/au...-home-highway1

RUMBLE SEAT
Three's a charm
BMW's redesigned 3-series finally lives up to all the hype.
DAN NEIL

August 3, 2005

I do not bring a lot of sympathy to any BMW. I think the cars are a bit overpriced and, because of how the option packages are structured, getting your Bimmer kitted to your liking can add thousands more. Steam gently wafts from my ears every time I use the company's iDrive system — the magic knob interface for the navigation, audio, communications and climate menus. BMW's recent "flame surfacing" styling exertions, on cars such as the Z4 and 5-series, leave me colder than the 10th planet.

Lastly, there are just too many of them in Los Angeles. BMWs swarm this city like Bavarian roaches.

So it's with no small cognitive dissonance that I report that the new 3-series, redesigned for model year 2006, is a spectacular car: lean and perfectly balanced, ineffably masculine and refined, and built with a futuristic precision that makes me wish the company made space shuttles.

Car watchers held their breath waiting to see whether the redesigned 3-series — BMW's bedrock product, accounting for more than half its 1.2-million sales worldwide — would carry on with the widely derided flame surfacing. When the new car appeared, critics declared it "conservative," and so, perforce, a rebuke of BMW Group design chief Chris Bangle. I'm not so sure. The wick has been turned down, certainly, but the 3-series still has sagging ventral accents along the rocker panel and a loose concavity in the car's flanks below the beltline. The headlight assemblies have the swept-amber canthus of the Z4, and the hood rises in a second tier over the front fenders like the 7-series. Looks pretty Bangle-esque to me.

In any event, the 3-series sculpting will race no pulses, and maybe that's just the point. Life begins in earnest once your butt lands in the driver's seat.

A couple of notes from the cockpit: Burl walnut wood trim is standard equipment on the 330i, and it looks terrific. This may be the most cabinet-worthy lumber in any car south of $70,000. Other above-the-call standard equipment includes a cooling compartment in the center armrest; a 13-speaker Logic7 surround-sound audio system; automatic, road-following Xenon headlights and rain-sensing wipers, and plenty more for the car's base price of $36,995, delivered. Buyers will still have to pony up for leather upholstery ($1,450), heated seats ($500) and the navigation system ($2,000); even so, the 330i seems like a lot more car for the money than its predecessor.

The car's interior design is spare and self-assured. There are no grand, sweeping consoles, amoebic climate outlets or Art Nouveau dash contours. Models with the iDrive do have a second, humped binnacle in the dash to house the LCD screen — like the 5-series cars — and this continues to strike me as odd placement. Otherwise, you couldn't ask for a more businesslike environment.

As always, BMWs have a great sense of touch. The 3-series' wands behind the steering wheel (turn signals, wipers and cruise control) have heavy springs inside them and move through their range of motion on heavy cams. The detents of the switches, from the steering wheel to the window and audio controls, require exactly the same inch-ounce of pressure to activate. The parking brake ratchets up with a stiff, smooth burr. When people talk in broad terms about a car's sense of refinement, this is the stuff they are talking about.

Anyone wanting to tease out what makes a BMW so much fun to drive could start with the steering wheel. Slightly smaller than others in rim-to-rim diameter, thick in cross-section and densely padded under the leather skin, the BMW wheel feels like a precision instrument. The padding is important to prevent fatigue, since so much fine vibration from the tires is allowed back in the form of road feedback.

That steering wheel is connected to some of the best hardware in the business: The front-end steering geometry gives the cars their excellent compromise between self-centering and road feel. The 3-series feels instinctive, incisive, composed and utterly predictable when driven hard. I flogged a car equipped with the sport package — high-bolstered seats and 18-inch tires — from Los Angeles to Monterey and back a couple of weeks ago, and the car stuck to the road like DOT paint.

Up front, the 2006 model has forged aluminum lower control arms, aluminum steering rack and sub-frame, and revised McPherson struts. In back, a five-link rear suspension replaces the familiar four-link setup. BMW's Active Steering system — which kicks in counter-steering if the stability system detects a skid or even a strong crosswind — is also available.

The stability system also integrates a number of new smart-brake functions, including "Comfort Stop," which smoothes out the braking forces in the last few feet before a stop; and "Start-off Assistant," which is supposed to resist the car rolling back on a hill before a forward gear is engaged. No sense leaving your back bumper on the streets of San Francisco.

Currently, the 3-series comes in two flavors, both powered by the same 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine featuring variable-valve timing, BMW's Valvetronic valve-lift control (eliminating the need for a butterfly throttle) and lightweight magnesium-aluminum engine construction. The 325i ($30,995, delivered) produces 215 horsepower; the 330i, equipped with a trick three-stage induction system, freer breathing exhaust and more aggressive software, puts out 255 hp. The latter motor could teach Bordeaux butter a thing or two about smoothness. It's not the most potent engine in this segment, but thanks to its highly orchestrated valve-works, it produces peak torque (220 pound-feet) at 2,750 rpm and keeps pulling like that until nearly 6,000 rpm, all with an exhaust note that sounds like a mechanized hummingbird.

Our test car was equipped with the six-speed manual transmission — the new car's clutch has a smoother uptake than the old, and the gear action feels less rubbery. This powertrain delivers respectable mileage and acceleration, something like 0-60 mph in 6 seconds. The company's six-speed automatic is optional.

In its well-grooved way, BMW will eventually bring out a coupe, a station wagon and an M3 variant of the car. The 3-series is not so much a car but a boutique.

With this latest generation, I'm running out of reasons not to like this car. It's still a bit of an automotive cliché, especially in L.A., but you can hardly fault the car or company for that. The new 3-series is that rarest thing in Hollywood: a worthy sequel.

*

2006 BMW 330i

Base price: $36,300 ($695 destination and delivery)

Price, as tested: $42,365

Powertrain: 3.0-liter, 24-valve inline 6, dual-overhead cam, with variable-valve timing and lift; six-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel drive.

Horsepower: 255 at 6,000 rpm

Torque: 220 pound-feet at 2,750 rpm

Curb weight: 3,417 pounds

0-60 mph: 6 seconds

Wheelbase: 108.7 inches

Overall length: 178.2 inches

EPA fuel economy: 20 miles per gallon city, 30 mpg highway

Final thoughts: Voted most popular; letters in track


------------------------------------------------------------------
Automotive critic Dan Neil can be reached at dan.neil@latimes.com.

[Robert2]

cnet's editors love the new 3 (and they typically review PCs and consumer electronics):

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10895_7...ml?tag=nl.e501

By Brian Cooley
Editor at large
August 10, 2005

In the summer of 1977, my friend Dave O'Neal and I used to test-drive expensive cars for fun. We'd get out of high school, head home to change out of Levi's cords and t-shirts into slacks and Oxford shirts, then ride our bikes to the local BMW, Lotus, Porsche, or Maserati dealer. After parking our steeds out of view around the corner, we'd stroll into the showroom armed with a casually delivered cock-and-bull story about how one of our parents had promised to buy us an expensive new car if our grades held up, and might we take one out for a spin to let mom and dad know which one to put a bow on?

It usually worked. And in those days, they'd let you take the car on your own--no buzz-killing salesman riding along. Our first score with this routine was a 1977 BMW 320i, white over black. The experience was life-altering. We took turns charging that car around the foothills behind Stanford University for more than an hour, and I thought I would never find a car I loved as much. My modded Datsun 510 suddenly seemed lame, and I even stopped scheming to take possession of my dad's Datsun 240Z. The 320i was it.

Fast-forward to 2005. I've owned some great cars and driven a whole bunch more from the CNET stables, most of which are long on tech and low on soul. So I was delighted when I took the new 2006 BMW 330i from our test fleet and was transported straight back to 1977 in all the right ways. There again was that tough, silky power train, the point-and-shoot handling, the comfy businesslike cockpit, and yes, a liberal dose of technology. I was grinning like an idiot--albeit, an idiot 27 years older.

Now, before you click away, bored with yet another BMW paean by a German car sycophant, know that I have never owned a BMW and don't plan to. I can't relate to the brand, no matter how much I love the car. Beginning with the arrival of the original 320i, BMW was embraced by an abundance of poseurs who spent too much time playing tennis and trying to impress girls. Later it became the de facto car of nouveau riche men and women who knew nothing about cars but plenty about status. And don't even get me started on the guys in silk shirts unbuttoned to their navels who seem to be the only buyers of the erstwhile 8 Series.

So it is against that backdrop of strong prejudices toward the BMW image that the 330i still impressed me mightily.

Let's walk the car:

Styling. The new 3 Series has been banged on by Chris Bangle the least, which is a good thing. But it's still damaged goods to my eye, just not so damaged as to obscure the rest of the car. In general, I think it looks like it put on some weight with those deeper sides and heavier-seeming rump.
Power train. Unlike almost every other car I've driven lately, BMW has not forgotten that a car should accelerate instantly when you hit the pedal--not pause, check the throttle position sensor, mull the oxygen ratio in the manifold, stir the pot looking for the right gear, then accelerate. I can't tell you how refreshing the 3 Series' urgency is.
Technology. The extra-wide-screen LCD in the dash has both a fine resolution and an elegant user interface. The iDrive system has improved enough to be good if not great, and the use of haptic feedback in the knob is inspired. Outside, the brake calipers are smart enough to automatically kiss the rotors every minute or so in rainy conditions to keep them dry and ready for predictable braking performance. And that 3.0-liter in-line 6 engine has enough technologies built in it to, well, make an in-line 6 an engine to lust for.
Interior. Quality abounds in the BMW 3 Series, with a bank-vault-like solidness underneath it. The word thunk comes to mind when you close a door. You can scour that cabin all day and not find a piece of poorly executed plastic. Shapes are Bauhausian, finishes are muted and handsome. The controls are sparse and make sense; just look at the climate control center. And no knob or button feels like it's about to snap off. This car remains the absolute antithesis of what Detroit turns out.
Price. Well, four out of five isn't bad.

[Jason]

BMWCar (August 2005)

Review of the E91 Touring (new color: Mystic Blue)

450 horsepower Hartge 1-series reviewed

.

[Jason]

Car and Driver - October 2005

E90 wins against Lexus IS350, G35, Acura TL, Cadillac CTS, Audi 3.2

Forgot to update the thread with this one for anyone who didn't read it when this review first came out.

[noflash]

And here's C&D awesome review of the 325i complete with 0-60 in 6.1 seconds.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....ticle_id=10106

[rebelfocus]

http://www.autocarmag.com/FirstDrive...p?RT_ID=217557

Review of 330d

[ogrady]

Detroit News article comparing 330i to Lexus IS350. Winner: 330i. Surprised?

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autoscon...F01-383250.htm