2007 BMW 3 Series Review

Specifications

One of the fastest moving targets in the automotive industry is the BMW3-Series. For a couple of decades now, the 3-Series has been the definitive sports sedan, which is not really surprising considering they invented the category with the 2002 back in the 1970s. As the marketing types will tell you, the first to a category usually dominates it (Red Bull comes to mind), so naturally every other automaker has come out with a model aimed squarely at the 3-Series. Audi, Mercedes, Cadillac … even Lexus tried with its IS 300 a few years ago and has now come much closer with the new IS 250/350 one-two punch, but in my opinion Infiniti’s G35 has come the closest to toppling the 3.

Can something really stay this good for this long? And when I see that the 3-Series has won yet another comparison test in another magazine or website, even I wonder, “What… again?” But then I take one for a drive and am reminded exactly why it ends up as king of the sports sedan category almost every time. With the introduction of the 335i, which despite its 3.0L displacement earns that ‘35 rank thanks to the addition of two small parallel turbochargers, the payoff comes in the form of a stout 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. How does its sport sedan pecking order look now? I know I wouldn’t bet against it.

While some might raise an eyebrow that BMW has made the jump to forced induction, it shouldn’t really come as that much of a surprise. After all, turbochargers earned their place in the premium brand’s history books while its current diesel lineup in Europe gets the turbo treatment too. In the early ’80s, BMW built and won the F1 world championship utilizing a production-based engine block that produced well over 1000bhp from a scant 1.5 liters! Thanks to a whopping big Turbo, of course. After such an achievement, producing a powerful, torquey, buttery-smooth turbocharged direct-injected inline-6 that is also flexible enough to rev to 7,000 rpm would have been a piece of cake. And BMW’s engineers have done a fantastic job.

Things get going quickly at only 1,400 rpm, when peak torque arrives and remains linear until 5,000 rpm; combine that with boost from the turbos right from idle and the 335i is more than willing to hurtle itself forward at just about any point throughout the rev range in just about any gear. Turbo lag is minimal and the engine is still happy to spin towards its 7,000 rpm redline all the while emitting a very enjoyable exhaust note.

A Steptronic manual-mode equipped 6-speed automatic transmission is available, but a smart buyer knows a BMW isn’t a BMW unless it’s shifted manually, and so would opt for the close-ratio 6-speed stick as featured in my test car. The clutch is nicely weighted and the shifter is a joy to row through thanks to its positive action and nice short throws.

The Sport Package puts on a set of attractive 18-inch alloys wrapped in run-flat Bridgestone Potenza RE050As (sized 225/40R-18 in the front and 255/35R-18 in the rear… whew), easily the stickiest run flats I’ve ever run on. The Sport Package also adds superb adjustable-width sport seats and a stiffer suspension. Even with its firm sport suspension, the 335i remains compliant and very well dampened. Combine the unflappable chassis and it’s well worth the extra $1,700, so this would be the first option box I checked off.

The limits of this car are very high, and handling close to its limits is still a very predictable exercise. I never once felt as though the car was going to get away from me. It should come as no surprise that the 335i is also very light on its feet, even tossable. I found I could throw the cararound quite well using just the throttle, while counter-steering ever so slightly to catch the rear end. The optional Active Steering was a bit of a nuisance at parking lot speeds where it felt really over-assisted—even hitting steering lock quite often as I was tricked into thinking that more effort was needed during such low-speed maneuvers. On the highway it weights up nicely and during spirited driving it was simply fantastic, possessing a direct fluidity that offers up excellent feedback. It adds $1,400 to the 335i’s bottom line, in case you’re price-curious.

Only with the DSC disabled completely does the 335i’s Achilles heel make itself known in the guise of an open differential which proceeds to smoke the rear tire that offers the least resistance coming out of a tight corner. A mechanical limited-slip differential should be added as part of the sport package immediately. A tiny bit of slop in the drivetrain during wide open throttle acceleration and foot to the floor shifting, coming in the form of driveline lash could also be an issue, and is something an M3 doesn’t suffer from. The result of such hard acceleration is that the 335i runs like a scalded cat to 60 mph, taking just under 5 seconds, slightly slower than thecurrent E46 M3 (but sure to be a lot slower than the 430 horsepower V8-powered M3 that arrives for 2009).

I had a chance to run with a friend’s gorgeous Alpine White 2007 BMW M Coupe, and off the line the 335i keeps up quite well, thank you very much. It’s not until the M really starts to stretch its legs and speeds really start to climb towards the 335i’s electronically limited terminal velocity of 150 mph (130 mph for vehicles without Sport Package) that the M eventually pulls away. So while the M3 should be slightly faster, it’s hard to justify spending $40K on a used M3 when you could have a new (and arguably prettier in coupe form - Ed.) 335i. Still, if you need a hardcore track car, something with an M badge is the machine to own.

At more reasonable speeds around town the 335i settles down and becomes a regular 3-Series: comfortable, competent and quiet. It’s easy to become instantly comfortable and feel as though you are truly one with the car. BMW makes the fattest steering wheels in the business, which really encouraged me to hold on tight and go for it. The real problem lies with “going for it” at reasonable speeds. If you can wean yourself off the drug thatis boost, fuel economy isn’t too bad, as I achieved a best of 23 miles per gallon.

Next to that steering wheel, everything falls perfectly to hand and the driver faces simple legible gauges that possess a classic BMW feel and are bathed in orange at night. And the temperature gauge actually works, with the needle inching upwards a bit after a bout of hard driving. The design of the dash is clean, very attractive with a nice swath of real aluminum to break things up (rich walnut veneer can be had too, if you’re into the British look - Ed). The glove box is pretty much good only for carrying the owner’s manual, vehicle registration and insurance papers. It does hold a small useful flashlight, which is a neat touch. The overall fit and finish is what we have come to expect from BMW, just about perfect.

What’s not perfect is how you start the car. Why does BMW force its drivers to dock the key and then push the start/stop button? It’s a longer process than if I had to insert and turn a traditional key, which is very frustrating. It’s also not a “smart key” so I have to press an unlock/lock button just as in the old days of keyless entry. It’s really inexcusable in a car thissophisticated at such a lofty price point. The optional Comfort Access remedies this by educating the key with a proximity sensor, thus allowing it to be left in your purse or pocket at all times, but you’ll be forced to shell out an extra $500 for that higher learning!

On the positive, the stalks for the windshield wipers, cruise control and turn signals have a solid feel to them, and a nice feature of the cruise control is that you can increase or decrease speed by blocks of 5 mph just by tapping the lever past its point of resistance towards or away from the driver; a lighter tap results in extremely precise 1 mph changes as indicated by a digital readout of your selected speed. And because all 3-Series models come standard with Dynamic Cruise Control (not to be confused with the $2,400 Active Cruise Control, which is radar-guided), the car can actually use its brakes to maintain your set speed on steep downhill grades and on tight bends. One feature that took some real getting used to was the lack of a detente for the turn signals. The stalk operates by just tapping it for three blinks to change lanes or by depressing it fully to turn left or right (at which point it switches off once you unwind the wheel). I could even fool it sometimes, like when pulling out of a parking lot at an angle the signal wouldn’t shut off. Even after a week I still wasn’t 100-percent sold on it.

The upgraded Harmon Kardon LOGIC 7 stereo that comes as standard in the 335i sounds great, but only offers a single disc slot, and a trunk-mounted 6-disc changer is optional. Since I can only play one CD at a time I would have preferred some type of storage for multiple CDs rather than anashtray, since I would likely be changing discs often. It does play MP3’s though, and a menu-based system makes it easy to scroll through folders to search for the exact album or song that you want to crank up.

While the 335i starts at $38,900, leather seating is a cost option. Seriously, just what is leatherette anyway? A nice way of saying vinyl perhaps? I guess it looks like leather—enough to fool most people and a bonus if you are a strict vegan. Then again, my car had the $2,550 Premium Package that included Dakota leather, and more than a couple of people thought it was leatherette when they touched it, so on second thought just go for the cow-free 3. In addition to the Dakota leather, the Premium package also includes a universal garage door opener, auto dimming mirrors with a compass in the rearview mirror, Bluetooth hands-free calling and lumbar support for the seats.

I credit the 335i’s beautiful Montego Blue Metallic paint with the looks the car received during my time with it. That, or most people were just surprised to see a 3-Series that’s not silver, gray or silver-gray. This alone almost made the paint worth its $475 premium. Maybe one day the Europeans will stop charging so much for metallic paint. I guess that’s why so many people opt for silver or black (although silver is metallic, so what gives?) … either way, the 335i is a stylish design that from certain angles borders on the avant-garde, especially the cut line running along the side. And for those in the know, dual exhaust tips poking out of the rear bumper announce the presence of the twin-turbo six. Say what you want about Chris Bangle (or more accurately Adrian van Hooydonk, who has been BMW’s chief designer since 2004 and was directly responsible for the 7-Series that started most of the flaming surfaces design criticism off), the new look of BMW is here to stay and we should expect nothing less from a company that has shown an interest in shredding the design envelope. I would rather see them introducing something polarizing than rehashing old designs (which is why retro designs have never worked for me), or worse, producing bland, emotionless cars.

So how good is the BMW 335i? Well, it’s the ultimate daily driving machine, and if I were shopping for a sports sedan this one here would be in my garage. Even as other brands take shots, and whether or not they miss, clip or make sold contact with the target, BMW is already launching another new, better 3. The king of sports sedans polishes its crown.