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Might be interesting. They got a 2002 330i, PP/SP/Step for a long term test.
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/longterm/articles/66109/article.html
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/longterm/articles/66109/article.html
Edmunds long term 2002 330i test
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·Okay, he meant that they missed having a Bimmer they were willing to be seen in public in.nate328Ci said:
Now that I think of it, I had the thought yesterday when Plaz first posted this that perhaps they wanted a benchmark vehicle handy for future comparison tests. :dunno: FWIW, a 330 is going to have a lot more relevance for their readers than a 7 series. Personally, I have no use for a big sedan like that.nate328Ci said:
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Their one-year summary... I echo their sentiments. They are such b1tches of BMW, though... I guess I am too. :lmao:
By editors at Edmunds.com
Date posted: 05-29-2003
As we wrap up our first year with our 330i long-termer, now seems the proper time to pause and reflect on the highlights of our experience. We've definitely got a soft spot for this car, continually awarding it first place in our comparison tests and giving it our 2003 Editors' Most Wanted Award in the "Sedan Under $35,000" category.
But merely listing off these accolades fails to capture the essence of having the 330i in our fleet. The sedan continues to be the car that our editors vie to drive. Very few other cars that are so many years into their design cycle (the current generation of the 3 Series dates back to 1999) inspire such enthusiasm. The 3.0-liter inline six engine, with its velvety-smooth delivery of power and its throaty growl, fires the imagination and wakes the driver from the doldrums of everyday commuting. It moves effortlessly to comfortable driving speeds in all urban and suburban driving situations. Whether you need to pass, enter a highway or move with the flow of traffic, you are assured that the BMW will do it well, do it fast and do it safely. Obviously, this is even more evident when we get to take the 330i to the test track. Number for number, in the straights and in the turns, it miraculously beats the competition every time. Its performance in every area, including 0-to-60-mph acceleration, quarter-mile acceleration, quarter-mile top speed, braking and slalom, put this BMW squarely ahead of the competition.
The sport version in our fleet is exceedingly comfortable to drive. Seat positioning is easy to navigate with the automatic controls, and the leather seats grip and support the driver and passengers, providing an excellent balance between comfort and support. This month's editor, who has spent a good deal of time with the sedan in the past year, raves about the manually adjustable thigh support extension. He is six-foot-one and finds that the BMW accommodates him comfortably even during long road trips.
The sedan is elegant and refined. It is pleasing to the eye, but also seems to throw down the gauntlet, declaring with its taut horizontal lines, that it is muscular, edgy and not to be trifled with. It has a distinctive personality which is suffused with quality and excellence, but BMW adds a dimension of daring, power and sport. This creates psychological and emotional connections that other cars have difficulty matching.
The handling is beyond comparison in the entry-level luxury sport sedan segment. The ride is always comfortable, yet there is such fine detail communicated through the steering wheel to the driver. The accelerator and brakes are well calibrated to provide immediate responses. And then there are the intangibles. The response to quick turns and challenging curves is spine-tingling. When you hit a turn hard, the sedan steps up; it locks itself to the road, creating the illusion that you are glued to the pavement. When you come out of a turn, you are pushed forward with a burst of power, barely allowing the corner to shave any time or momentum off from the point of entry to the exit point. Beyond all this, the car is compact, is easy to park, provides good visibility and stops on a dime.
One source of continued griping from our editorial staff concerns storage space. The sedan nicely straddles the line of compactness without smallness - but fails with respect to managing the space to provide for optimal utility. The back speakers make parts of the trunk largely unusable, cutting into valuable space. For families with children, the car is impractical for day-to-day use. The interior has no room for diapers and wipes, tote bags, music, food, etc. It is good for hauling a few golf bags, tennis rackets and couple trips/activities, but starts to reach its limits when asked to perform more pedestrian duties. From the perspective of driving enthusiasts like ourselves, this is unfortunate and certainly has something to do with the popularity of larger (but less sporting) entry-level luxury sedans like the Acura TL and Lexus ES 300.
Even though it's not the most practical family vehicle, we can't help but love this driver's vehicle. We give the 330i an unqualified recommendation with respect to our ownership experience. Luckily our car has not needed any repairs or maintenance outside of regularly scheduled oil changes. As its first year in service comes to a close, the 330i will continue to be one of the most sought-after long-term vehicles in our fleet.
By editors at Edmunds.com
Date posted: 05-29-2003
As we wrap up our first year with our 330i long-termer, now seems the proper time to pause and reflect on the highlights of our experience. We've definitely got a soft spot for this car, continually awarding it first place in our comparison tests and giving it our 2003 Editors' Most Wanted Award in the "Sedan Under $35,000" category.
But merely listing off these accolades fails to capture the essence of having the 330i in our fleet. The sedan continues to be the car that our editors vie to drive. Very few other cars that are so many years into their design cycle (the current generation of the 3 Series dates back to 1999) inspire such enthusiasm. The 3.0-liter inline six engine, with its velvety-smooth delivery of power and its throaty growl, fires the imagination and wakes the driver from the doldrums of everyday commuting. It moves effortlessly to comfortable driving speeds in all urban and suburban driving situations. Whether you need to pass, enter a highway or move with the flow of traffic, you are assured that the BMW will do it well, do it fast and do it safely. Obviously, this is even more evident when we get to take the 330i to the test track. Number for number, in the straights and in the turns, it miraculously beats the competition every time. Its performance in every area, including 0-to-60-mph acceleration, quarter-mile acceleration, quarter-mile top speed, braking and slalom, put this BMW squarely ahead of the competition.
The sport version in our fleet is exceedingly comfortable to drive. Seat positioning is easy to navigate with the automatic controls, and the leather seats grip and support the driver and passengers, providing an excellent balance between comfort and support. This month's editor, who has spent a good deal of time with the sedan in the past year, raves about the manually adjustable thigh support extension. He is six-foot-one and finds that the BMW accommodates him comfortably even during long road trips.
The sedan is elegant and refined. It is pleasing to the eye, but also seems to throw down the gauntlet, declaring with its taut horizontal lines, that it is muscular, edgy and not to be trifled with. It has a distinctive personality which is suffused with quality and excellence, but BMW adds a dimension of daring, power and sport. This creates psychological and emotional connections that other cars have difficulty matching.
The handling is beyond comparison in the entry-level luxury sport sedan segment. The ride is always comfortable, yet there is such fine detail communicated through the steering wheel to the driver. The accelerator and brakes are well calibrated to provide immediate responses. And then there are the intangibles. The response to quick turns and challenging curves is spine-tingling. When you hit a turn hard, the sedan steps up; it locks itself to the road, creating the illusion that you are glued to the pavement. When you come out of a turn, you are pushed forward with a burst of power, barely allowing the corner to shave any time or momentum off from the point of entry to the exit point. Beyond all this, the car is compact, is easy to park, provides good visibility and stops on a dime.
One source of continued griping from our editorial staff concerns storage space. The sedan nicely straddles the line of compactness without smallness - but fails with respect to managing the space to provide for optimal utility. The back speakers make parts of the trunk largely unusable, cutting into valuable space. For families with children, the car is impractical for day-to-day use. The interior has no room for diapers and wipes, tote bags, music, food, etc. It is good for hauling a few golf bags, tennis rackets and couple trips/activities, but starts to reach its limits when asked to perform more pedestrian duties. From the perspective of driving enthusiasts like ourselves, this is unfortunate and certainly has something to do with the popularity of larger (but less sporting) entry-level luxury sedans like the Acura TL and Lexus ES 300.
Even though it's not the most practical family vehicle, we can't help but love this driver's vehicle. We give the 330i an unqualified recommendation with respect to our ownership experience. Luckily our car has not needed any repairs or maintenance outside of regularly scheduled oil changes. As its first year in service comes to a close, the 330i will continue to be one of the most sought-after long-term vehicles in our fleet.
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under $35K, hah! sure...
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granted this is my first bmw, so maybe i just dont know, but it was funny sounding to me when they wrote "3 class" once in the article, while using 3 series the rest of the time. maybe "class" designation is just so mbz or audi?
I strongly disagree with their assertion that the 330i is impractical for everyday use with children. I commute in with my wife every day and we drop off our three year old at daycare on our way. There's plenty of room for briefcases, lunchboxes and pillows, as well as just enough room for everybody's legs.
Sure, for our weeklong vacations at the beach, we take our Passat wagon, but that's not "day-to-day use".
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Damn I think I'm going to cry that was so beautiful.Plaz said:
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