 | Positives: Potent engine, excellent driving dynamics, sporty luxury abounds, top-notch materials and tech, good fuel efficiency. |
 | Negatives: Nearly absent steering feel, no longer distinct styling. |
 | Bottom Line: The 3-Series is still a great sports sedan, but it seems to lack style and steering feel that makes it pale in comparison to the fourth-gen E46 3-Series. We lament the missing manual transmission most of all. |
Driving Experience
We miss the wonderful naturally-aspirated inline-six engine in our old E46 325Ci. The 330i gets a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that's good for 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. It's seriously powerful but lacks the smoothness of the M54 engine. That said, the 330i is a wonderful car to drive quickly. There's just no stick and no steering feel.
Ride Quality: BMW does a great job smoothing out bumps without riding cushy. The ride quality remains firm but very good with shock absorption.
Acceleration: The 330i gets to 60 in 5.4 seconds with the optional M Sport Package. The transmission shifts very quickly, and the car feels more powerful than it actually is.
Braking: The 330i's brakes are strong and progressive. We didn't have any trouble bringing it to a quick stop with confidence, and it helps the car enter turns quickly and brake with authority.
Steering: It's too bad the steering of the 330i doesn't have much feel at all, which is the driving experience's biggest demerit. It is precise and on-center, but the feedback is almost nonexistent.
Handling: Our tester came outfitted with the optional Dynamic Handling package with its adaptive dampers. The car turned very flat and nicely balanced. It's still a hoot to drive in the twisties.
Technology
BMW iDrive 8 in the form of a huge display frame that occupies most of the dash is one of the best in the industry. Also standard are navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and 5G Wi-Fi. Optional features include a head-up display, wireless smartphone charging, and a premium Harman Kardon stereo system.
Infotainment System: The large digital setup includes a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and 14.9-inch infotainment screen. They're wonderful to look at, and easy to operate. The graphics are stunning, and navigating the menus is fluid.
Controls: Although the steering wheel controls are good, we lament the loss of physical climate controls. They're now relegated to the touchscreen. The dinky shift lever replaces the more traditional shift knob, and we don't like it one bit. It works fine, and it frees up space on the center console but what for?
Styling
The 330i is handsome but lacks a distinct style. In a world where many German sports sedans look the same, the BMW fails to stand out. It has become a bit too refined-looking and too similar to its stablemates. The interior, however, really does stand out with its excellent materials, prodigious tech suite, and great layout.
Front: The wide kidney grilles, thankfully, eschew the giant-sized versions on the 4-Series and the 7-Series. We don't like the way the headlights connect to the outer edges of the grille, which has been the case with the 3-Series since 2012. The lower fascia is very angular and aggressive, which seems unharmonious with the upper half.
Rear: The rear is attractive thanks to the handsome taillights with the L-shaped signature, the twin round tailpipes, and the long vertical reflectors. The small lip spoiler and the trunk bulge look great.
Profile: The side view is muscular but not very distinct in the sports sedan category. The Alfa Romeo Giulia and the Lexus IS 350 do it better. We do like the dark Shadowline trim and the parallel 5-spoke wheels on the Bimmer, though.
Cabin: The modern and sporty styling inside is beautiful, especially with the caramel brown seats and brushed aluminum trim. The door handles are just about perfect. Most materials are excellent, with the exception of the matte plastic on the center console.
Comfort
The 3-Series isn't huge inside, but it is better than some others in the segment. The Sport seats are definitely some of the best in the business, and the vinyl SofTex material is also really good in terms of mimicking real leather.
Front Seats: Top notch bolstering provide excellent holding in tight turns. Adjustability is also wonderful, as is the manual thigh bolster which provides more support than most power-operated versions from competitors.
Rear Seats: 35.2 inches of rear legroom is good. It's smaller than the Audi A4 but larger than the Lexus IS 350 and the Genesis G70. The outboard seats are very comfy, while the middle position has a more vertical seatback due to the armrest.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness): Sound deadening is good, so road and wind noise are minimal. You can, however, hear the turbo four roar when you open it up. It's not the same as a sonorous inline-six, but it still sounds good.
Visibility: Visibility, overall, is very good. The rear sides aren't too bad either because of the thinner pillar size and the taller rear side window height.
Climate: Aside from the annoying screen controls, the system works very well. Heated seats fire up quickly, and air volume is good despite the thin front center vents..
Safety
The 330i gets excellent safety scores, but it's a bit parsimonious when it comes to standard safety tech. BMW is skimpy when it comes to standard driver-assistance technology, providing only forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking.
IIHS Rating: The 2022 model earned the Top Safety Pick award with a mild demerit in the headlight category with "poor" in some trim levels. Otherwise, it's a very safe automobile.
NHTSA Rating: The 3-Series earned 5 stars from the federal government.
Standard Tech: The 330i comes with adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, rearview camera, forward-collision warning, and automated emergency braking.
Optional Tech: Our tester was outfitted with Active Driving Assistant, Active Blind Spot Detection, and Lane Departure Warning. Competitors like the Genesis G70 and the Lexus IS 350 include these as standard equipment.
Storage/Cargo
Sports sedans aren't exactly known for storage and cargo space, but the 330i is great for its size. It beats the competition in these areas but especially when it comes to trunk space, which is cavernous.
Storage Space: Thoughtful spaces like the retractable door compartment that houses the wireless charging deck and the cupholders provide easy access, as does the sizable center armrest. The door pockets are small, but there is a dedicated water bottle holder that's quite good.
Cargo Room: 17 feet of cargo space eclipses the competition by a wide margin. It's far more than the Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class, Cadillac CT-4, Genesis G70, and the Alfa Giulia.
Fuel Economy
For a sporty sedan, the fuel efficiency in the 330i is pretty good. We drove in sport mode most of the time, so our numbers were lower than the rating. The EPA estimates the 330i will get 29 mpg combined, but we managed a few less.
Observed: 23.8 mpg.
Distance Driven: 162 miles.
Audio
The Harman Kardon premium sound system comes standard on the 330i, and it sounds great. Good bass, solid clarity, and no distortion equate to a pleasurable listening experience.
