Germans Refute Fluid Dynamics And Replace It With "Intelligent Motoring"

UPDATED April 2007

Introduction
I have owned a 2004 “E-46” 325i with Sport and Premium package for three years now and I love it, for the most part. However, this review will focus on the new body style “E-90” 3 series, which I have test driven several times over the past few years. Just realize that my extensive commentary will be focused through the prism of being a current 3-series owner, rather than a spec vs. spec comparison of several models in this category.

Addendum
The competitive landscape has changed dramatically for BMW since the introduction of the E-90 3-series. Also, BMW has changed the nomenclature and engine types in the 2007 model year for the 3, and I will reference those changes as well. At the end of my review, I will offer commentary on several models I have test driven since, but I will leave the spec vs. spec comparisons for the reader to research.

Overall Styling
The all new for 2006 BMW 3 series has definitely “grown up” looks-wise. It has a much more elegant and rounded shape than the model it replaces. That being said, I still have a real affinity for the previous body style, which I think looks tauter and somewhat sportier than the new style.

To be specific, the overall length has grown somewhat more than the wheelbase, which, by my logical deduction, means that the new body style has ever-so-slightly longer overhangs that the E-46. You can’t really notice it, though, since the rear is so much more fluid-looking than the last generation.

Also, due to the Europe-mandated pedestrian safety measures, the hood has to rise farther from the nose at a steeper angle so as to provide more “cushion” between the hood and engine for city-dwellers that are too stupid to look both ways before crossing the street.

With the introduction of the 328 and 335 coupes, BMW has moved the amber reflectors from the headlight array to the fender. They also changed the shape of the headlights in the coupe to look a bit more masculine than those of the sedan. In addition, BMW has also changed the shape of the taillamps on the coupes to be flatter and more horizontally streamlined than the those of the sedan.

Also, spyshots of the new M3 sedan show that it will adopt the new headlight array as well, while keeping the taillight design of the E90 sedan. Some people will love it, some people won't.

The sport package is a MUST for styling purposes. The 16’s will just not do at all. The 17’s on the 328i Sport Package or stock on the 335i are adequate, but to really bring out the styling, you must have those beautiful 18’s in order to fill out the wheel well properly. The 18’s put the car in a different league looks-wise.

Interior Features
I have read in all the automotive press that the new 3 is supposed to be wider and longer that the E-46. Huh? Where did the room go? The first thing I noticed when I stepped into the E-90 325i was how snug it was. In fact, call me crazy, but it felt smaller than my current 325i!!

Upon closer examination, this statement does make a little sense. The car is supposed to be 3 inches wider, but the doors have been made wider to accommodate the newly placed window controls, which previously resided in on the center console. In fact, according to my very subjective left-arm “muscle-memory”, the door armrest felt about an inch or so closer to my left arm than my 2004 325i.

Also, the center stack has been made wider as well, as evidenced by my right knee brushing against the center stack no matter how I positioned the seat. In contrast, in my E-46 325i, my right leg comes nowhere near touching the center stack.

So, if you add three inches of width to the car, but make each door an inch wider as well as making the center stack wider, well guess what? The interior space left over for living, breathing human-beings to function in seems to have not grown at all!

In addition, the driving position has been changed somewhat. The driving position in my current 325 approaches perfection , with tight bolsters and just enough firm padding to keep my rear comfy, yet connected to the road.

However, in the E-9X, the seat feels a little higher that the old car, even when dropping the back of the seat all the way to the floor. Also, you don’t sink as far into the seat as you do in the E-46. It’s hard to explain, but the new seats have thicker padding and more robust bolsters, so you sit more “up” and “forward” than in the E-46.

Also, the passenger will have a little trouble not knocking the heck out of their knees on the dashboard if the passenger seat is moved too far forward. The design of the passenger dash is kind of pointy and cumbersome compared to the E-46. I understand the compromise, though, in that you can’t have a dash too far away from the passenger if you are going to use it to support flimsy cup-holders as it does in the E-9X.

I can vouch for the much-touted increase in rear legroom, with two reservations. While there is more legroom, the thicker seats occupy all of the space down to the floor, so your toes cannot be comfortably placed under the seat cushions. Also due to the increased thickness of the seats, a driver or passenger reclined too far back will jam very hard seat-back plastic into the knees of their guests.

The instrumentation is top-notch. It’s very similar that of the outgoing E-46, with larger numbers, and a delectable 160-mph speedometer. The purists will argue that the oil temp and voltage meters have shrunk or disappeared entirely, but I’m willing to bet that 90% of owners care only about the speedo and tach.

I-Drive is what it is. I work with technology on a daily basis and have dealt with frustrations of computers and software my entire professional life, so menu and icon-driven systems are second-nature to me. Also, as a 20-something who was raised on Mario and Zelda, I may not fit into the target demographic of typical BMW buyers who may be more “old-fogeyish” when it comes to computers residing in their cars, so some of the criticism may be warranted.

To be blunt, the standard sound system is hardly adequate and very nearly completes the pilgrimage to suckopolis. I put the new Coldplay album in and was thoroughly disappointed. Being that the Harmon Kardon system in my current bimmer is less-than-stellar, I am doubly surprised to see that BMW did not rectify this issue.

However, the Logic-7 system is an entirely different story. As I cranked up the stereo in the 330i, which includes the upgraded system as standard equipment, I realized now what I'd been missing for the past three years. The neatest thing about the higher-end system without a doubt is a totally customizable, 7-band EQ. There are about 20 intensity levels EACH of 80hz, 200hz, 500hz, 1000hz, 2000hz, 5000hz and 10000hz. It's a Starbucks of sound, make it any way you want it.

Overall, the Teutonic minimalism of the E-46 interior has been retained, with more bells and whistles and some higher grade materials (and a few not so high-grade parts, e.g. the rotating climate knobs). I don’t care for the newly two-dimensional dash and the climate vents sticking out like a sore thumb on the trim piece, but it earns a passing grade in sum. But then again, no one really buys a BMW for the dash, now do they? They buy one for how it D-R-I-V-E-S.

Driving Impressions
This is the ONE area where BMW simply crushes any and all pretenders to the throne.

First, the torque response has been improved tremendously. Coming from an E-46, I was shocked by how much I was pushed backward into my seat just hitting 25 mph in the parking lot of the dealership. BMW says they have broadened the torque curve and I am a believer. The “go-go” is just so much more immediate than it was before. It reminds me somewhat of an E-46 330i, but the torque response has a different character from even the E-46 3.0 liter.

Let me try to explain. Imagine the 325 or 330 E-46 pulling you along like an invisible skinny rubber band. You hit the gas, the tension increases gradually and you are pulled forward, but with a little more urgency than most other passenger cars. The E-46 330i feels like someone is pulling the rubber band more forcefully than the 325i.

The E-90 has the same effect, but with a really fat rubber band. There is much less “gradual-ness” to the pull forward, much less time taken to increase the pressure of your rear-end into the seat-back.

In fact, if you have ever ridden one of those county-fair rides, it feels like a centrifuge that you have an almost-telepathic control over. The distance of the pedal travel is absolutely proportional to the number of G’s pulling you back into the seat, no matter what the speed; 25mph or 85mph.

In addition, the professional reviewers tell me that the brakes have been beefed up, and my experience verifies that claim. In fact, casually driving around town, the brakes are a smidge touchier that the E-46's brakes. Don't worry, though, it's a subtle enough change that a previous BMW driver can adapt quickly and easily.

I did an emergency stop, and was mightily impressed with the stopping power of these pads and rotors! The improvement in braking is at least as well improved over the previous generation 3 as the torque response. Very linear, very direct. Perhaps even more linear the my E-46. Stop and consider for a moment the further increased stopping power of those stupendous 13" rotors on the 330i!

And the chassis! I really need time to explain the absolute quantum leap in road feel compared to the E-46.

BMW claims that the chassis is only 25% more rigid than the outgoing model but it feels at least an order of magnitude better. The car feels like one piece of “stuff” even more so than the E-46 model.

I got to drive the new 325 on lots of broken pavement on a very curvy road back to back with my existing 2004 325i. The difference is astounding. I was sold on the first corner. You can feel the road under you, just like the pre-2006 models, but with a much more muted feel.

You can still feel every imperfection, but it’s somehow more distant than it used to be. To really stretch for an analogy, it’s like putting noise-cancellation headphones on in a crowded room. You can still hear everything, but it fades to the background and you can concentrate on listening to the symphony in the foreground.

Also, turn-in is much sharper, and the body as a whole feels more composed and unflustered than that E-46 model. After driving the E-90, I noticed for the first time the front and back of my E-46 bobbing up and down on really rough pavement and feeling the imperfections transferred to every part of the cabin.

Let me make another zany analogy. There is a technology called Steadicam that was developed in 1976 that allowed a cameraman to run and walk and still film scenes and appear as though the camera was floating through space smoothly despite the jolts caused by footsteps. The new E-90 feels like a steadicam. You can perceive things going on under you, but the plane of the car remains unchanged from your original intentions almost as if there were some invisible, omniscient gyroscope guiding your car through space.

I think the Germans must have refuted the theories of fluid dynamics and second-order systems and replaced them with supernatural “Intelligent Motoring”! The Kansas Board of Education would be proud.

In all seriousness, the E-46 felt “spongy” after driving the E-90. Even on the interstate, when I accelerated and braked with gusto, I could feel unnecessary movement in the chassis for the first time. I could feel everything “flex” as if the car were thrown together in “Monster Garage”.

Conclusion

Bottom line, if you like the previous generation 325i and 330i, you will most likely l-o-v-e the new E-9X 3-series. I have some quibbles with the interior design elements, and I-Drive is I-Drive. Make sure to choose the Sport Package and opt for the Logic 7 sound system, you won’t be disappointed.

I have also had some minor, annoying reliability issues on my old E-46 that may well carry over to the new body style. Customers coming from a low-maintenance, Japanese brand like Lexus or Acura should take this into consideration. BMW’s aren't renowned for their flawless reliability; but they are famous for their performance, sporty driving characteristics, and, to be blunt, their snob appeal as status symbols.

Test drive one, and if you get a chance, test drive an E-46 and E-90 back to back and see if you agree or disagree with my observations.

Also, do yourself a favor and test drive a Lexus IS350 this fall. The buzz is really positive so far and it may offer a more compliant ride with even more power than the 330i for (maybe?) less money.

Good luck in you car search!