BMW 330d M Sport Coupe 2011 Review

Price guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $94,700
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): M Sport package $4200 (18-inch star-spoke alloy wheels, M Sport exterior and interior trim elements, aerodynamic package, logotyped door sills, multifunction leather steering wheel, M Sport suspension tuning); metallic paint $1,840; 19-inch double spoke alloy wheel upgrade $1600; electric glass sunroof $2920; mobile phone music connectivity $220
Crash rating (ANCAP): Five-stars
Fuel: diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 6.2
CO2 emissions (g/km): 164
Also consider: Mercedes-Benz E 250 CDI Coupe; Audi A5 3.0 TDI

About our ratings

What's in a midlife tweak? On BMW's 3 Series, it depends on which one. While the petrol powered 335i saw in some substantial under-bonnet changes, the 330d didn't -- which is fortunate, because it's one of the best balanced packages on the market, and arguably the best value in its segment.

Yes, it's an oiler, but lay punters are hard pressed to tell without reading the bootlid or inhaling its exhaust. Several of my passengers were surprised to find out. Those familiar with diesels would know in a moment where the 330d gets its power.

Few cars make better use of the oiler's innate characteristics, most importantly massive torque available from low revs. Here, we're looking at 520Nm – 25 per cent more than the mighty M3 – right through the crucial rev band of 1750-3000rpm, with a healthy 180kW of power.

It pushes just 1540kg along (plus people and stuff) through BMW's well proven six-speed Steptronic auto transmission, translating on paper into 0-100km/h of only 6.1 seconds. On tar, it makes for an uncharacteristic jump off the mark followed by a creamy pour of power shoving you back into your comfy leather sports chair through 60, then 100 and off into lost-licence territory.

As is so often the case with diesels, the 330d excels in midrange acceleration – or should that be exhilaration. The six-speed Steptronic auto syncs well with the engine's torque curve. Slick and silky, it's hard to wrong-foot, leaving drivers with a genuine choice between auto and paddle-shifted manual.

The latter offers plenty of opportunity to milk a winding back road, but you don't lose much by leaving it all to the auto. Having now tried the seven-cog dual-clutch available in the 335i and the Z4, I wonder if it wouldn't benefit further from it, even if it is a $7K option on those cars.

While it's relatively long in the legs in sixth, there's enough tractability there to leave me wondering if there isn't room for a taller gear.

Not that fuel economy's a problem. There probably isn't a car on the road to match it for smiles-per-gallon.  None of the eco-numbers have changed with the facelift. By the official figures, it remains good for a combined cycle 6.2L/100km and 164g/km CO2 – enough to give it Euro 5 compliance and local Green Vehicle Guide greenhouse gas rating of 7/10.

Over our week, which included a weekend up the Central Coast a couple of freeway hours north of Sydney, our car averaged 7.2L/100km. The driving was generally light on the pedal day to day, putting little conscious effort into fuel economy and giving it a little workout here and there.

The brakes have all the muscle they need to bring it to a halt with the same surprising efficiency of the engine. The generator noise from the energy regeneration system raises an eyebrow or two early on, but it soon fades into the background white noise.

Cosmetic changes include tweaks to the front end and headlamps, new tail lamp clusters that blend LED dot-painting with opaque lens covers producing smooth L-lines, new colours and new alloy wheel options.

In auto models, BMW has replaced the symmetrical thumbs-down/fingers-up transmission switching on the wheel with conventional left-down/right-up paddles. A pity – I think the original idea works better.

Most importantly, BMW has been listening to the focus groups on the suspension. The only mechanical tweak made to the 330d has been to soften the shock absorbers a bit, making it a mite less intrusive on Australia's famously crappy road surfaces. Except on models with the optional M Sport package, such as our test car; they retain the old settings with the handling-over-ride skew.

Being a Beemer, the 330d comes with some of the best steering in the business, with electrical assistance that makes parking a cinch but gains weight appropriately with velocity. It's free of loose play on centre, nice and linear on turn-in and cooperative with aggressive acceleration out of tight bends.

The runflat tyres have developed, too, to a point where they juggle grip and low rolling resistance to considerable effect. While it's fine on wind noise, on road noise it comes in a long way behind Lexus' IS.

The rest of the M Sport package is aimed at those looking to add something a little different to their car – wheel and decor upgrades, aerodynamic lingerie and logotyping.

For much of the rest, it's business as usual. The equipment list is what you'd expect of a car that's $100K on the road in base form. The premium kit is noticeable in touches like a cruise control that integrates a brake function to maintain the set speed downhill as well as on the flat and uphill.

You get bi-xenon lights standard, with a high-beam assist sensor that turns them down when it detects oncoming traffic. BMW's 'comfort access system' – aka keyless entry and ignition – comes standard, as do parking beepers on all four corners.

The furniture's electrically adjustable every which way including lumbar support and side bolster inflation. It's upholstered in Dakota leather, treated to remain cool(ish) to the touch on hot days.

The ergonomics are the usual BMW fare. Once you've driven a few Bavarians it becomes hard to identify counterintuitive elements because few auto makers are so consistent in the dissemination of a uniform look, feel and modus operandi across their entire lineup. Drive a 118, there's not that much to learn when you climb into an M6.

One annoyance is a $220 option BMW calls 'extended connectivity of the music player in the mobile phone'. With cars out there for a third the price of this one offering Bluetooth music streaming standard, it's probably time this most high-tech of auto brands went that way too.

Beyond that, the 330d Coupe is a hard car with which to find complaint. The M Sport pack maintains the hard-man tradition underneath, while adding a little metrosexual appeal round the visible bits.

NB: BMW 335i Coupe shown for illustrative purposes

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